Here’s an extensive body of work, with an extensive love for the golden decade of music. It’s perhaps the most meaningful bracket of time for music. Arguably (do argue with me, I’m ready) the best tracks in modern-day history were born in the 80s. Also, the rise of Dance music as a whole has a strong link to the decade. And so, it’s always nice to see — or rather, hear — someone paying homage to it. Cue Ian Storm. Ian Storm is a successful producer with over 400 million streams. Hits of his, such as ‘Run Away’ and ‘Losing My Religion’ have garnered support from top artists. He’s founded Storm Music Group and has released music on major labels. Do you know what he’s also done? He’s put out an album. In a recent interview, Ian discussed his new album, Born In The 80’s, a two-disc body of work that features twelve original tracks on The Creation disc, showcasing his personal evolution, while bringing back reinterpretations of influential tracks on The Inspiration disc. Talking about the LPs as a deeply personal reflection of his artistic journey, Storm emphasizes the profound impact of his 80s childhood, particularly his father’s restaurant, where he was exposed to music from artists like Enya. Moments like that, he recalls, were the seed that eventually turned into him being the creator behind the music. Far from only touching upon the album, he highlighted the importance of authenticity, advising aspiring artists to prioritise their own vision over chasing trends. “Do what you feel you should do“, he stressed, “don’t try too much to follow trends or run after hypes“. While the album is, of course, a huge milestone for Storm himself, the entire concept portrays something even greater for all of us listening: there’s an art to the craft of remembering and reimagining the past. I’m going to break character here and speak from my corner as an artist myself: I’m often worried about my influences slipping through the cracks and being planted too heavily in my original songs. I’m constantly asking myself if this melody I’ve created, I may have heard it somewhere else, and so on. And I end up sort of trying to mask those influences out of fear. That’s why I’m loving this concept of Ian, because it allowed him to not only create more new stuff, but also go back and revisit those songs that marked who he is today. Listen to Ian Storm’s latest LP, Born In The 80’s, below, along with the tracklist to both halves.Ian Storm Explores And Transforms Nostalgia Through Latest Two-Part Album, Born In The 80’s
Ian Storm — Born In The 80’s Tracklist
Part One: The Creation
Part Two: The Inspiration