"Music has always been a big part of my biking career!" So says YouTube superstar and trials icon Danny MacAskill. From the age of 13, the Scotsman regularly borrowed his mum's cassette recorder to play his mates' CDs on tape and listen to music during his solo bike sessions at night. Danny MacAskill revealed his favourite songs to us and explained what he associates with this music. You can listen to the complete playlist on the BIKE Magazine Spotify channel:
The 11 favourite songs from MTB star Danny MacAskill
1 Sunday 8 P.M. - Faithless
"That was one of the first songs I played on cassette. Goosebumps! The thing I love about biking to music is the way it changes the way you perceive the world around you. I grew up in a small village where there were only a few places to go biking. They can quickly become boring. But with good music on my ears - especially new music - I felt like I was riding in the place for the first time or with fresh eyes. It really helped me to think more creatively and motivates me to ride every day. Even today."
2 Porcelain - Moby
"The song reminds me of the time when I dreamed of biking like Hans Rey. The whole album Play by Moby is one of my top albums of all time. For me, it perfectly summarises the time around 1999 and when I look back, every song would make a highlight video."
3 Let Forever Be - The Chemical Brothers
"You have to love the band. They have so many good songs - this is one of their best. The song reminds me of being in the middle of nowhere on the Isle of Skye, cutting the peat for my dad's museum. Peat is dug out of the boggy ground and used like bricks. They are stacked to dry out the peat for weeks and burn them in the kiln at home or in the museum."
4 Blood on the Motorway - DJ Shadow
"I played this song up and down. In 2003, at my first job as a bike mechanic. The guys I worked with at Bothy Bikes had great taste in music. It really influenced me as a person, my biking and the videos I've made over the years."
5 Renegades Of Funk - Rage Against The Machine
"Do you still know mini discs? I recorded the song on it and listened to it all the time. Mini discs meant I could have multiple albums with me and had more options to go with new music. This track is a bit harder than I usually listen to, but it gives you a lot of energy! I almost feel like I can bend my handlebars with the power it releases in me when I listen to Rage Against the Machine."
6 Heaven - Unkle
"Unkle is one of my favourite artists of all time! I've listened to most of his albums hundreds, if not thousands of times. The song manages the perfect balancing act between electronics, guitar, voice and lyrics."
7 No Cars go - Arcade Fire
"I discovered the song in a skate video in 2007. Super! Around 2007, I moved into a flat with BMXer and filmmaker Dave Sowerby. We watched the latest BMX/skate and mountain bike films. Dave taught me to appreciate film editing and especially the music choices made for the DVD parts. I realised that the music makes up about 50 percent of a good video. The driving, the location, the settings and the editing make up the rest. However, depending on the concept, this is not always the case. Of course, you can argue about what is more important, but if the music is chosen correctly, it draws the viewer into the world that the producers have created. Also, music can create deep emotions that compel the viewer to watch a video again and again over the years and share it with friends who will hopefully do the same."
8 Floating - Jape
"This track was used in Adam Baker's part of the wonderful BMX film Etnies Grounded. I love the vibe of this song. Turn it up loud and enjoy. By the way, this film had a big influence on me in 2008 when I was making videos for Inspired Bicycles."
9 I`ll Believe in Anything - Wolf Parade
"I really want to use this song for one of my future videos. It's in almost every editing shortlist I've made for videos in the last ten years!"
10 Soft Shock - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"If there's one song I could listen to all the time, it's this one."
11 Gimme somme - Wevel
"Over the last few years, I've been getting a lot more into electronic music. It's definitely a genre that I definitely want to explore with my videos. It's just about picking the right tracks that are both mainstream and what I love. This song is pure madness, it's what we call a belter in Scotland."
The BIKE Spotify playlist by Danny MacAskill
Soundcheck: A new playlist on Spotify every month
Every month we present a new playlist by a professional biker on our website. All you need is a free Spotify account to listen to the MTB pros' favourite songs. Hardcore fans should subscribe to the "Bike MAG" account on Spotify and never miss a playlist again.
More athletes & their Spotify playlist:
We've already asked more than two dozen professional cyclists about their favourite songs. Here are just a few more athletes with their Spotify playlist, which you can listen to on the Bike MAG account on Spotify:
