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imbellarosa · 4 years ago

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Let’s Talk Calm-ly about Two Loves

OR: When you’re a grown man who writes stories for a living, you definitely wrote your own weird bedtime story, too.

The TLDR here is that H has taken one specific listener around the globe, notably to Tokyo and Jamaica. He quotes an old Victorian Poet who was an awful human but who’s lasting legacy is the phrase “a love that dare not speak its name” which is - you guessed it - a reference to queer love. He also is super excited to spend what seems like the foreseeable future with this listener and has bought a little house with a garden of daisies with them and it’s very sweet and domestic. Anyways this is a wild time and it’s all under a cut because it’s...really a lot.

Anyways I think the people I owe thank yous this times around to are @queenlokibeth who had to listen to me scream about this for a while, Astrid, who screamed with me when this came out, and “M” who convinced me to finally get to work in this fandom. And, of course, all of the lovely people tagged below who’s work I used to build my argument.

1.) Who Wrote “Dream With Me”?

Well, not H, or so the story goes. Two other people (Steve Cleverly and Sanj Sen) did! I mean, right, okay, for a while I was like...that seems like an odd choice for a man who didn’t want to hand Two Ghosts over to his own band because it seemed too personal. He wrote on every song in both albums’ he’s released thus far, because he seems to be passionate about telling the stories he wants to tell (even if he won’t tell you explicitly what they’re about). But for a while, I was totally going with the flow there, and the rest of this analysis would still stand: the writer of this story definitely referenced a poem by Lord Alfred Douglas and Harry’s own songs.

However, I then read this fun quote from the Co-founder and CEO of Calm:

“Well,” he said, “The the Harry Styles one is interesting because that came purely from Harry Styles himself...we took the approach of creating a sort of musical epic poem – he doesn’t sing, it’s spoken with poetry, but there’s a sort of musical sound bed to it and it’s pulling on things and themes that Harry’s fans really adore about him and associate with him. So his story was driven really by him – we really created a concept around him.”

- Chris Advansun, July 7th, 2020 via @hlupdate

And I thought, hmmm. This does not sound like a project that he was not involved in creating. From this point on (July, 7th 2020), I began to think of it as a three way co-collaboration between him and the other two authors. But this confused me a bit, because there was largely a nonreaction from the fandom. I was waiting for an actual transcript, because I always fall asleep to these meditation stories, but it was being referenced to as some sort of Y/N fic, which was...honestly not what I expected, but also not implausible, thanks to the ~lovely~ image this man has had since the age of sixteen. But also, twitter seemed to be concerned by other things at the moment, and no one was analyzing the story. .

In fact, I messaged a friend the day that this story dropped, because it had been kind of a shit show day on Twitter. Rumors were sort of flying about everyone and everything: had Liam shaved his head? Was he engaged? Had he and Maya broken up? Were Zayn and Gigi engaged? Had they broken up? Did Niall have a girlfriend? (this one was true lol). Were Elounor engaged? Were they pregnant? Had they broken up??? My personal fav was the bald Liam rumor, which he promptly put to rest in LP Act 1 by...having a huge mane of hair.

So then I thought - huh. Why has today looked like this? I’m not saying that there aren’t days that twitter goes wild because of boredom, because there definitely is - the articles about secret meetings in Italy that are coming out this week (8/12/2020) are proof positive. So that definitely does happen, but it doesn’t usually happen on the days that there’s a lot of content. And maybe I’ve just been starved for content in this fandom, but I would consider a 40 minute video quite a bit of content.

Then the transcript dropped. I’m using two as references - this one on Wattpad and also @carl-and-pearl ‘s version here (thank you so much for the transcript!!). We’re going to get into a more detailed description of what’s going on in the story, but the first thing I recognized immediately is that it was first person POV. I knew that going in, based on the number of Y/N jokes going around on twitter. Then I read it aloud, and I realized that it read like a letter. Like an experience specific to the writer and the reader. And while that’s not super uncommon to write about an experience from the author’s POV - I listen to a podcast called Nothing Much Happens: bedtime stories for adults which has a similar concept - I thought it was odd that they were trying to include both the author and the listener. I completely understood why the y/n jokes were pertinent. But at the same time, it felt like something had snagged in my mind - like a particularly annoying splinter.

The conversations I was having around this story - completely based on the content, concept, and my own instinct - was that this story contained specific references to one person. I thought that it did read like a love letter, and that most identifying features would have been taken out, but the essence remained. Which, once I thought about it, was something that H excelled at doing. Think about Sunflower Vol 6 and Adore You and Canyon Moon and even Watermelon Sugar and Golden. Ask yourself, What do I know about the person they are about? They have skin that browns, they have a secret, they have mesmerizing eyes, they’re willing to dance in the kitchen with him (to dancehall), they have a belly, they’ve been through hard times, they’re witty, they have an accent, and they have lips. I know - super specific right?

So the splinter grew into a thorn - what was I missing? And then - when I was looking for something completely different - I stumbled upon this old interview Harry did with Zach Sang and the Gang Show back in 2017. For context, he was being asked about Sweet Creature. As you can imagine, it’s hard for people to believe he wrote such a beautiful love song when he hadn’t ever really had a long term relationship (two hearts in one home?? Who did you move in with, you can imagine them asking. When did you have time?). So what did he have to say about this?

"In my opinion,” he explained, “I think most songs are written for one listener. Maybe there's one thing in there that only they'll notice about them.... It's so much easier to say something in a song than it is to say it to someone and I think it's really amazing to be able to communicate through that and be able to wrap up everything that you want to say in three and a half minutes and say it in a song."

- HS, May 3 2017

By this time, please believe that I was screeching. Seeing this felt like he put into words the exact feeling I had about “Dream With Me”. It felt like a nod to someone that I didn’t know, which made the story hard to listen to, tbh. Although, I will say that when I did finally listen to it, it knocked me out and gave me odd dreams so. Once was enough for me haha!

So my new operating theory is exactly what Advansun said: I think that H was the primary writer/the driving force behind the story. Because of the references I’m about to run through, because it feels like the way he tells stories, and because they admitted to him being more involved than they originally claimed. That’s going to be how I write the rest of the analysis - under the impression that H had a direct hand in the story that was being put forth. However, I think that the analysis itself would stand whether or not he wrote any of it. It would just be a more tenuous reflection of him than I believe it to be.

2.) How Do I Love Thee? In Two Ways.

Before I jump into the story, let’s talk a little about the poem that I want to compare it to: Two Loves, by Lord Alfred Douglas. Let’s be clear this is not at all a defense of who Bosie was - he was a terrible person, particularly in his later years, when he’d converted to Catholicism and turned his back on his younger self, and his partner, Oscar Wilde. He was violently anti-Semitic, and turned his back on his own community. I want to get this out of the way because I very much believe that we should examine artists for who they are. That is, after all, what I am trying to do here.

But his poem Two Loves has often been used - much to his disappointment, I’m sure - as an exploration of queer love in Victorian times. A line that I will be exploring more deeply in a second was in fact used against Oscar Wilde in his trail for indecency . He attempted - unsuccessfully - to explain it away, but it was too blatantly about their relationship for even the British Victorian society to ignore. I really, really recommend a read of this poem, because it is - despite it’s author - a good piece of work, which explores the themes of shame and love and longing between two men in that time.

I’m going to start with my own background, as someone who’s analyzed fandoms before. I first came across this poem in the Sherlock fandom, with this analysis by @the-7-percent-solution, when I was running in that fandom, and she explains the poem brilliantly in just a few lines. I’m going to take a little longer to run through it, but if you want a concise explanation and a brilliant meta, I encourage you to run to their blog and check it out. That fandom taught me most everything I know about catching symbols and recurring themes and “clueing for looks” and I love it desperately, still.

But we’re here to talk about this fandom, so on with the poem! Essentially, the poem outlines a dream the speaker had: In his dream, he’s standing in a field with flowers - beautiful ones of all kind - and he meets this young man with clear blue eyes and bright red lips and they kiss a bit and have a picnic, and it’s all lovely. If you think I’m kidding, I’m really not. Please, read it for yourself.

Anyways, after they did they did the whole picnic thing, the speaker and his date go on a walk in this field, where they come across two figures. The first is described as,

“...fair and blooming, and a sweet refrain Came from his lips; he sang of pretty maids And joyous love of comely girl and boy, His eyes were bright, and 'mid the dancing blades Of golden grass his feet did trip for joy; And in his hand he held an ivory lute With strings of gold that were as maidens' hair, And sang with voice as tuneful as a flute, And round his neck three chains of roses were.”

- Two Loves, 1894

The speaker, however, was drawn to the second figure:

“He was full sad and sweet, and his large eyes Were strange with wondrous brightness, staring wide With gazing; and he sighed with many sighs That moved me, and his cheeks were wan and white Like pallid lilies, and his lips were red Like poppies, and his hands he clenched tight, And yet again unclenched, and his head Was wreathed with moon-flowers pale as lips of death. A purple robe he wore, o'erwrought in gold With the device of a great snake, whose breath Was fiery flame..”

- Two Loves, 1984

Of course, the speaker immediately asks the second man who he is. The second man says, “My name is Love”. The first man corrects him quickly:

“ He lieth, for his name is Shame, But I am Love, and I was wont to be Alone in this fair garden, till he came Unasked by night; I am true Love, I fill The hearts of boy and girl with mutual flame.”

-Two Loves, 1984

The second man sighs and acquiesces, “Have thy will. I am the love that dare not speak its name.”

It was, of course, this last line that really gave the meaning of the poem away. It was the line that was put to Oscar Wilde as proof of a romantic relationship, it was the line that went down in history as a way to refer to queer love, and it was the line that first stuck out to me when I was reading “Dream With Me”.

The reading here is clearly that “Love” is the love that is acceptable to society - easy, sweet, and cherished. “Shame” is the love that happens in secret - beautiful, alluring to the speaker, passionate, anxious ( as can be seen in the clenching and unclenching of his hands), and proud. He refuses to call himself as anything but what he is. The first man may call him Shame, but he refuses the name, and instead, offers a qualifier to his own descriptor. He is still love, he is just the love that can’t be spoken about.

3.) Walking in Golden Fields of Sunflowers

Now let’s talk about “Dream With Me”. I’m ignoring the first few stanzas (from the line “Have you ever wondered” to “What the two of us can find”.) because those are pretty standard introductory paragraphs to a guided meditation. So we start with the line “Let’s travel now to moonlit valleys...”.

I’m going to do the same thing I did with “Two Loves” first. I am going to describe literally, in general terms, what happens in the story. Warning, I change pronouns from “they” to “you” because the whole thing confuses me, but note that I’m always talking about the speaker and the listener:

So after doing the standard intro, the speaker and the listener take a walk through the woods enjoying nature, particularly the grass, the trees, and the blue sky above. You’re already clearly in love. Then you’re magically on a raft, with cherry blossoms all around you. If you want a good visual for that, here’s a site that has pictures from a boat rental in Tokyo where you can snuggle on a raft in the Chidorigafuchi moat. And then suddenly it starts raining, and they (you) watch the rain for a hot second, and then the scene magically shifts again, and you’re under a porch (although I guess it could be the boat rental’s porch. They do usually have covered areas).

Kind of furthering that theory, they then lounge by the shoreline, skipping stones and hanging out, looking at the snow capped mountains. In case you’re curious, because at this point I sure was, you can see mountains from certain areas in the city of Tokyo.

Anyways, then it’s snowing, and you’re magically in a cabin, just chilling by the fire, and you fall asleep again. You wake up somewhere else.

Where are you now? Well, you’re on a tropical island filled with palm trees. As an American, my mind immediately jumps to the Caribbean, but I suppose it could absolutely be in the Mediterranean as well. The island has white beaches, mangroves, a turquoise ocean, and a gorgeous, peaceful atmosphere.

If you’re curious as to what a mangrove looks like - and I certainly was - they are a group of trees and shrubs that live in the coastal intertidal zone and Jamaica is doing a massive restoration project involving primary school children to regrow this vital part of their ecosystem. More interestingly, there currently exist no mangrove forests in the Mediterranean, so my initial feeling that this scene would take place in the Caribbean was correct. On that note - again, because I was curious - Jamaica has gorgeous white sand beaches with turquoise oceans.

But I’ve gone off topic again! After you’re minds are “in tune” once more (trying to find a heartbeat, anyone?), you reappear in a meadow, with beautiful flowers of all kind, where you are now walking hand in hand through a field of sunflowers, which give the feeling a “warm and golden hue”. Then you come across a little farmhouse with daisies poking out (clearly I have no way of locating this anywhere in the world, but I assume that the UK has both sunflowers and daisies). It’s an empty house which was loved and left because of the passage of time, which inspires my favorite line in the poem: “ The thought of passing time inspires/A feeling that grows stronger”. It’s just...really sweet to me.

So, of course, they do what anyone would do when they come across an empty farmhouse, they go inside. And there, they begin to fall asleep, reflecting on all they have just seen, referencing other scenes of the poem: “ Moonlit valleys, Burdened forests, Gazing at the ocean. Summer meadows, Tranquil sunsets steeped in emotion”.

The next few stanzas are just going to be copy-pasted, and then I’ll go into them a bit, but this is the end of the poem, so they’re the final reflections;

“The tenderness we feel When we are close Two minds as one Surrounds us and connects us But we’ve only just begun.

For now we dream together Of all there is to follow. And know that sleep will keep us safe From now until tomorrow.

Maybe all the memories That we’ve gathered here tonight Are all dreams now remembered Or wishes in plain sight.

No matter what They’re with us now. For this night and forever. And every time we close our eyes They’re yours and mine to treasure.”

- HS, Dream With Me, via @carl-and-pearl

And that’s it! The literal story, in short, is that you started in a forest, then went to Tokyo (maybe) and then Jamaica (perhaps) and then back to a field of sunflowers and daisies in the UK (which is also a guess, it could be Italy or France or Idaho for all I know, but let’s call it an educated guess).

4.) My Dream Journal

So now that we know what happens in the story, how do we interpret this? Well, There are a few lines in the poem that I want to draw your attention to: the first takes place in the first part of this story, when you’re still in the forest. This is, I must say, the most direct reference to Two Loves in the whole poem/song/story. Both works are describing a walk in the woods with your loved one, and, in a fun reference in the middle of the story, Dream With Me says

The shimmering reflection Shows us smiling from above. But what we think But dare not speak is L-O-V-E love.

-Dream With Me, 2020

Remember that line I mentioned before? I am the love that dare not speak its name. Right, so that’s almost a direct quote. It also has a really fun nod to “I Would” (Would he say he’s in L-O-V-E?/Well if it was me then I would), but I digress.

This first part of the narrative, I feel, really sets up what the rest of it will look and feel like, in the same way that “Golden” sets the tone for Fine Line. (You didn’t think I was going to make a post about Harry and NOT mention Golden, did you?? If you did, I’m disappointed!!). So let’s take a look at what’s happening, and the language he’s using to describe it.

One of the best things about this poem is how vivid it feels. Of course, I’m about to argue that it’s vivid because it was based in reality, but let’s talk about the sheer amount of detail he uses to describe the place he’s walking through. The valley (canyon lmao) is moonlit, the grass and the leaves make mosaics of green, you’re walking by the heather (the symbolism of heather is good luck, admiration, and protection), the sepia sunlight breaks through the trees.

You know what it kind of sounds like? Sweet Creature. You’re about to roll your eyes at me! I can feel it! But listen, okay?

“Sweet creature Running through the garden Oh, where nothing bothered us But we're still young I always think about you and how we don't speak enough”

Which, to be honest, sounds like what they’re doing. They’re walking through the garden in the sun, not daring to speak about the Love that he (they both) feel, and instead refering to it in veiled Victorian terms.

And then we head to Tokyo! I know that you’re about to ask me why I think it’s Tokyo versus...idk, anywhere else? Well, for one, he went to Tokyo (to let it go) publicly in 2019. He was there for a few months, and there are some great pictures of that time:

Look! Here he is with his club owner friend and his dog, and a fun red bandanna! But let’s be honest, the dog really steals the show here. But wait! there’s more! More dog content, too!

This was on Jan 31st, 2019, and he’s taking the dog for a walk! Very cute! If nothing else, he spent a lot of time with dogs in Tokyo! And the city fits the description of the story. So I feel rather comfortable with my interpretation that this first date is a memory of this trip - or another - to Tokyo.

So what did “you both”do in Tokyo? Well, chill on a raft while the cherry blossoms flutter around you, clearly. You also refocused your purpose. What did he do in Tokyo in 2019? Well, he took time to think about and write songs for the album he was about to go record. Kind of like refocusing on what’s next, right? And then, in the story when “you both” had time to think amongst the lake and the water and the rain and the moon, and you’d come to the conclusions you needed to, you left. What did he do when he did the things he needed to? Well, he left, too.

And where did he go? Well, in real life, I suppose he went to do his job. But, in the story, you’re meant to be falling deeper and deeper into sleep, so it’s sort of like traveling backwards, you see? Like counting down to one. So you end up on this island with turquoise ocean and mangrove forests. I’m calling this Jamaica. Why? Well, the description fits, for one, down to the four types of mangroves that exists within its ecosystem.

And - probably the biggest reason - I can place him there, too. Here’s him in 2017:

I added this picture because the water around him....looks rather turquoise, doesn’t it? Kind of like he’s enjoying his time on a tropical island by the beach?? Oh, and here’s another one!:

The red bandanna makes a comeback!

So what are you doing in Jamaica, according to the story? Well, you’re hanging out, basically. Enjoying the beach and each other, of course! What else? To be exact, “[Your] thoughts dovetail and unify/ In tune two minds together”. I’m so glad that you’re tuned like an old guitar now! Congrats! Really happy for you!

What was he doing in Jamaica three years ago? Why, he was recording his first album, or so the story goes. I’ll tell you something: finding press for that album was literally the most difficult part of this whole analysis. I got a fair bit of the tattoo roulette with Kendall Jenner, and some things about Carolina, but the interview with Zach Sang took me like an hour and a half to find again to link. The fact that a lot of it has been buried is...not great, for posterity purposes. He’s going to want that one day.

But I’ve gotten off track again! We gotta go back and finish our story, right? What happens now? Well, this does:

hahahaha okay, I’m really sorry, but I had to. I’m not, actually, making it up though! According to the story:

“ As minutes turn to hours We drift off somewhere new. And visualize a stairway To a door we now walk through”

- Dream With Me, 2020

So maybe Louis was just...demonstrating for you.

Anyways! Where do you walk out to? A golden field full of sunflowers. You walk for a minute, then come across an old house with daisies popping up out of the garden. And that’s where the story ends. I guess you’ve made that farmhouse feel like home.

Now to the little reflection he does on the outro. The lines I want to bring your attention are: “The tenderness we feel when we are close two minds as one surrounds us and connects us but we’ve only just begun” and “Maybe all the memories that we’ve gathered here tonight are all dreams now remembered or wishes in plain sight.”

Let’s talk about the first sentence first. In the context of finding a home that could be a shared home, and a future, this is very much an “end of the story, beginning of our lives” sort of thing. You’re back from all over, and it’s time to settle down, and see what’s next.

And now the second sentence. I think this is the one that really drives my point about this story being a collection of memories he has - that’s what he calls it. The story is “gathered memories” that might also be called “remembered dreams” (think of how people say of vacations, “oh it was a dream!”) or you might call it “wishes in plain sight”. This feels in line with the rest of the story. In this stanza, he’s sort of letting you in a bit. If I’ve read this right - and I really think that I have - he’s giving the larger context for the story. It’s a collection of memories he’s had with someone he loves.

5.) Cool! Can you prove it?

I mean, I’d argue that if you read this far, I have proved it, but let’s make some more links, shall we? This was called a “muscial epic” that was “driven by him”. I’d argue that if I know my Victorian literature (thank you, Sherlock!), then he definitely does. Then there’s the fact that he quoted it, so. That did happen. And he knows what it means. And even if he didn’t, there were two other people on the story. Someone was more than capable of catching that one, and the fact that they didn’t speaks to intent. They want you to think of that phrase when you read this poem. They want you to think of that walk in the woods while you’re going on this one.

And, as for my assumption that this is for and about one person, well. Think about it. He said that he writes his songs for a single listener. I’m not saying it’s the same listener each time, let’s get that right, but it is always just for one person. With that, and with the assumption that he’s been involved in the writing of this story, I’d say that the same rule applies. He went with someone to Japan and Jamaica (J^2 haha). And, if I had to guess, it was the same person.

Why, you ask? Well, for one, if that weren’t the case, then this poem would no longer be for one listener, it would be for multiple. And, for another, imagine how awkward it would be to listen to it with his current partner and have to explain “oh, yeah that was the super romantic vacation I took with someone else” . And, I suppose that because I think that attitude of “refocusing” and “dovetailing” and “tuning” and getting excited about imagining all of the tomorrows with your partner speaks to a long term relationship breathing easily, you know?

I’m also going to argue that describing the aura around the house as “golden” was intentional, especially when paired with the location - in the middle of a field of sunflowers. Those are both direct references to his songs. And those two songs are particularly linked by the number 28. The third song that features 28 is Fine Line the song, but that’s a different story. Anywho! “Golden”’s bridge just repeats the word ‘golden’ twenty eight times (if you go here , you can count the bridge) and “Sunflower Vol. 6″ ends the song with 28 “boops” (believe me, I wish I was making this up. I’m not.). So then, once again, you’ve linked a story to two already linked songs.

And, even if you don’t buy the intentional repetition, they’re linked another way, aren’t they? The color scheme and the sun symbol. Sunflowers were named because of their sun-like appearance. They turn to face it. They symbolize loyalty and adoration. And then, of course, the sun is - say it with me - golden. And it - like the person in golden - waits in the sky, beautiful and dangerous and constant. And here that symbol is, in a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. At home.

This whole story feels like you’re taking the time to find that heartbeat that you think you might have lost, and sort of coming back to a space where you understand that this is what you want, now and forever. It feels like finding a home that could be yours forever, and it feels like walking through some of the moments that remind him of that.

It really is rather lovely, if you think about it, especially since he has a tendency to attribute “home” to people rather than place, in his songs. So it’s like. Going all around the world and always being at home.

#harry styles #calm #dream with me #two loves #honestly man #im happy for you #but ewww #be less sappy please #i mean #SOME OF US DONT HAVE THAT YET HAROLD #hahahaha i think im funny #long post ts #idk how else to tag this but im really proud of it #okay now i'll do the penguin song #promise hahaha

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passionate-reply · 4 years ago

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This week, on Great Albums, we finally get around to discussing an industrial album--and we’ve started with one of the best there is, from the OGs themselves: Throbbing Gristle! (No, it isn’t jazz funk, I promise.) As always, full transcript under the break.

Welcome to Passionate Reply, and welcome to Great Albums! Today, I’ll be talking about one of the most important albums in the history of industrial music, and certainly one of the most...infamous. If you’ve ever noticed this album hanging on my wall in my other videos, you may well have wondered how an album that looks like this fits in with the rest of the stuff that’s up there. This record is the pioneering industrial group Throbbing Gristle’s classic 20 Jazz Funk Greats, and it’s essentially a bait and switch. It looks like a dorky, “family band” record from the bargain bin, but when you put it on, it sounds like this:

Music: “What a Day”

...well, not really. I’ve fibbed a bit here, much like Throbbing Gristle lied to you with this album cover. “What a Day,” one of the most sonically abrasive tracks on this album, is actually the second to last track! They take a little time to warm you up to the heavier stuff, actually. The first two tracks, the title track and “Beachy Head,” are still not really “jazz funk” by anybody’s standards, but they ARE decidedly softer than some of the other stuff you’ll encounter here.

Music: “20 Jazz Funk Greats”

Things arguably don’t start really heating up until we reach the third track on the album: “Still Walking,” which introduces us to ear-splitting distortion, rapid, disorienting percussion, and buried, albeit deeply ominous vocals, sounding like the first “typical” Throbbing Gristle track. It’s dense and almost comically busy, almost exhausting to listen to--and yet we have only just begun.

Music: “Still Walking”

So, where do we go from here? 20 Jazz Funk Greats wouldn’t be the legendary album that it is, if it was a one-note knock-knock joke, a jack in the box that emerges fully within the first few minutes of the album. What I think it really excels at is its ability to keep us on our toes throughout its entire runtime--it goes back and forth between showing a slightly friendlier face, and peeling back the skin of that face to show us the gory skull underneath. The whole thing vibrates along that contrast. Side two of the album, for instance, opens with one of Throbbing Gristle’s best-known tracks: “Hot on the Heels of Love.”

Music: “Hot on the Heels of Love”

Positioned squarely in the middle of the track listing, and at the crucial point of opening the second side, “Hot on the Heels of Love” certainly seems crucial to the album. It reads as a sort of dark parody of Giorgio Moroder’s famous “I Feel Love,” in which the voice of Donna Summer stands nakedly alone in a sea of pulsating synthesisers. It’s a pretty quick rebuttal, too, given that “I Feel Love” was released just the year before! Despite those sultry, breathy vocals, courtesy of Cosey Fanni Tutti, there’s no mistaking this one for a disco hit--not with its harsh hi-hats and gritty, highly textural synth scrapes. “Hot on the Heels of Love” features minimal lyrics--and they’re almost insultingly vapid--but 20 Jazz Funk Greats also features two prominent tracks that are much heavier in lyrical content, which I like to think as complementary to one another: “Convincing People” and “Persuasion,” which appear on the first and second side of the LP, respectively.

Music: “Convincing People”

Taken alone, “Convincing People” is weird, but it’s so vague and disorganised that it’s hard to come to a firm conclusion about what’s going on the first time you hear it. Unlike “Still Walking,” the fairly minimal instrumental accompaniment makes it easy enough to make out what the words are, without the sleeve handy. But it’s also so repetitive that it’s bound to infect you with semantic satiation, and fog up your brain’s ability to pay attention to those lyrics. The clearest statement “Convincing People” seems to be making is that you’ll never convince people when you come across as someone who’s trying to be convincing...well, alright, I suppose. But what really gives this song a darker significance is its counterpart on the flip, “Persuasion.”

Music: “Persuasion”

Abrasive numbers like “What a Day” and “Still Walking” are physically uncomfortable to listen to, but “Persuasion,” like the earlier Throbbing Gristle number “Slug Bait,” unnerves you with its lyrics instead. It takes up the mantle of a narrator who’s clearly a predatory, sexually violent character, and once again, a fairly simple instrumental makes us confront this vile subject matter head-on, as though we are alone in the room with this creep. “Persuasion” and “Convincing People” are actually extremely similar, but the biggest difference between them is that “Persuasion” is the escalation of their shared basic idea, with its much more explicit lyrics, and use of dissonant, unpredictable human screaming sounds. It’s actually a great metaphor for understanding how this album works--it gradually pushes our boundaries as we listen, worming its way into our consciousness like some masterful manipulator. And it dovetails with how Throbbing Gristle frontman Genesis P-Orridge would later style herself as a charismatic cult leader, with varying shades of irony, in later projects related to “Thee Temple ov Psychic Youth.” As we’ve recently been told, you don’t convince people by coming across as someone trying to be convincing. Or do you?

As I alluded to in the beginning, the name and cover design of 20 Jazz Funk Greats are a sort of musical booby trap, to hopefully ensnare innocent victims. It’s not jazz or funk, it doesn’t have twenty tracks, and its seemingly quaint cover photo, featuring the band in sunny surroundings, actually has a dark secret: the spot it was taken at, Beachy Head, is the most popular suicide destination in Europe, and one of the most popular worldwide. It’s Britain’s highest sea cliff, a stark, sheer wall of chalk that looms over the English Channel, and just a few feet away from where Throbbing Gristle are standing, people regularly throw themselves off of it. It’s a place where delicate natural beauty meets the profound human sickness sown by our twisted, exploitative industrial world. It’s just one more insidious detail, that heightens the cruel spirit of the album’s visual identity. It’s worth remembering that Throbbing Gristle were, first and foremost, provocateurs. I think that may be a better way to think about them overall, compared to thinking of them as “musicians.”

In my day, I’ve often seen 20 Jazz Funk Greats recommended as a good introduction to Throbbing Gristle, and to industrial music as a genre, more broadly. Industrial is one of the very few genres of music that was given its common name by an artist and not an outside critic--and we have Throbbing Gristle to thank for coining it, so they’re inarguably industrial royalty. Their catalogue remains indispensable to understanding what industrial is about--like so many acts we consider seminal or foundational, the seeds contained here inform a great deal of subsequent music. The problem, though, is where to begin, since they were arguably more of a jam band than a studio act, with legendary live performances that probably influenced other artists much more than anything they ever pressed on wax. Their discography is hairy, peppered with live recordings, non-album A-sides, and releases whose official vs. bootleg status is unclear. If you’re looking for a traditional album listening experience--as many music enthusiasts often are--it’s hard to do better than 20 Jazz Funk Greats.

At the same time, though, I think there’s something to be said for respecting the fact that Throbbing Gristle were never trying to offer anyone a traditional listening experience. Just the opposite! 20 Jazz Funk Greats is a Great Album, for sure, and it’s also a bit more of a softball than some of their other work, which arguably makes it a bit more accessible. But is it really all that fair to try and wring an “accessible” experience from a band like Throbbing Gristle, when it isn’t particularly representative of their work? Or is it better to meet them head on and try to tackle them on what appear to have been their own terms? If you’re new to them, but want to understand Throbbing Gristle and feel literate in their work, I think I might recommend their 1981 “greatest hits” compilation, Entertainment Through Pain, better than I would any of their proper albums--particularly if you’re like me, and prefer their more aggressive cuts to the ambient ones.

Music: “Adrenalin”

I think my favourite track is “Walkabout,” even though I would argue it’s one of the least “industrial” sounding tracks here. It isn’t heavy, rhythmic, or sludge-textured, but instead serves as a sort of “breather” between “Persuasion” and “What a Day,” a brief, floating melody that drifts by like a cirrus cloud. It’s both playful as well as devious, wedging itself between some of the hardest-hitting stuff, looking like it might be a reprieve, but ultimately leading right back into harsh musical territory--like an abuser love bombing you between some of their worst behaviour. Perhaps “Walkabout” is something like a masochist’s after-care, a moment of healing and cooldown after the excesses of simulated abuse. Or perhaps it’s the stillness and disquiet peace of the grave, for those who meet their end at the hands of “Persuasion”’s narrator? Ambiguity and possible irony are an integral part of Throbbing Gristle’s particular danse macabre...so I’ll leave the rest of the interpreting up to you. Thanks for watching!

Music: “Walkabout”

#music #album review #album reviews #great albums #music criticism #throbbing gristle #industrial #industrial music #Genesis P-Orridge #cosey fanni tutti #20 jazz funk greats

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dustedmagazine · 4 years ago

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Dust, Volume 6, Number 11

HAAi

As it was with September, so it is with October. After what felt like the dam breaking on all those albums optimistically held back by the pandemic, October continued to rain down releases and there was no shortage of them to cover. As ever, if diversity’s your thing, we have it: From pimp-rap to free jazz, death-metal to AM gold, jungle to Azerbaijani guitar jams, we got it all for you to peruse. Contributions this go ‘round come care of Ray Garraty, Ian Mathers, Bill Meyer, Jonathan Shaw, Andrew Forell, Tim Clarke, Justin Cober-Lake, Patrick Masterson and MIchael Rosenstein.

AllBlack — No Shame 3 (Play Runners Association/Empire)

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Just when we thought that pimp-rap was going out of business, AllBlack blessed us with No Shame 3. It is a lot of what it claims: playfulness with no shame, ignorant beefs, endless balling during California nights and showing off in earnest. AllBlack alludes to the fact that even though he’s getting that rap check, he’s far from quitting the pimp game: “Made 40K in eight days, that was just off pimpin'.” But behind this happy façade is something darker that’s looming on: “As I got older, I ain't scared, I guess I'm cool with death / You speak the truth and they gon' knock you down like Malcolm X.” While admitting that rap is a cutthroat game, AllBlack is only one of the few artists of a younger generation who is ready to pay respects in his songs to the OGs — the godfathers of pimp-rap, to Willie D, Dru Down and Too $hort. The standout track here is “Pizza Rolls,” where DaBoii and Cash Kidd drop in to deliver the funniest lines.

Ray Garraty

Bardo Pond — Adrop/Circuit VIII (Three Lobed Recordings)

Adrop / Circuit VIII by Bardo Pond

There are plenty of reasons to do small, limited runs of certain releases, in music as in other artistic fields, ranging from the brutally practical/logistical to the aesthetic, but when the material released in that fashion is good enough, it can be a relief to see it given further life (and not just digitally). This year saw the mighty Three Lobed Recordings (who we featured in an anniversary Listed here) has seen fit to reissue on vinyl two Bardo Pond LP-length pieces that were originally issued in limited run series back in 2006 and 2008. They were in good (and varied) company then, but resonate together in a pretty special way, whether it’s the tripartite Adrop wandering from gnarled, crepuscular grind to violin-powered epiphany or back down to delicate nocturnal acoustics. The longer Circuit VIII doesn’t have as distinct phases but still builds to an all-time Bardo Pond-style crescendo, featuring Isabel Sollenberger’s only vocals of the duo. Even with a band and label this consistently on point, these particular recordings are worth the wider dissemination, whether considered as archival releases or just a hell of a double album.

Ian Mathers

John Butcher & Rhodri Davies — Japanese Duets (Weight of Wax)

Japanese Duets by John Butcher & Rhodri Davies

There’s a bittersweetness about Japanese Duets that’s as pungent as the puckered, perfectly placed reports that English saxophonist John Butcher sometimes punches out of his horns. This is the third in an ongoing series of download-only releases that Butcher, idled by COVID-19, has culled from his archive, The Memory of Live Music, and the unbearable lightness of its format, only accentuates the sense of lost opportunities and experiences. One of the things that a touring musician gains in exchange for their embrace of uncertainty is the chance to go to some unlikely place and undergo something extraordinary. The four-page PDF that comes with this download reproduces photos from Butcher and Welsh harpist Rhodri Davies’ 2004 tour of Japan, which took in swanky museums and shoebox-sized jazz cafes; each image looks like a moment worth living. But if all you can do is hear the evidence, that’s not exactly settling. This improvising duo was audibly on a roll, pushing reeds and strings to sound quite unlike their usual selves, and challenging each other to move beyond logic to the rightness of jointly made and imagined moments. Thanks, guys, for sharing the memories.

Bill Meyer

Ceremonial Bloodbath — The Tides of Blood (Sentient Ruin Laboratories)

The Tides of Blood by Ceremonial Bloodbath

Yikes — talk about truth in advertising. Canadian death-metal band Ceremonial Bloodbath delivers the goods promised by their moniker and this new LP’s title. It’s a repellent record created by dudes that play in a bunch of other death-metal bands based in British Columbia: Grave Infestation, Encoffinate (not Encoffination), Nightfucker and numerous others that tunnel even further under the broader public’s attention. Give these guys credit for their single-mindedness: None of those bands is likely to make you feel any happier about the human condition. Neither will listening to The Tides of Blood, but it’s a better record than any that those other acts have released. The songs are low-tech, dissonant and about as subtle as a bulldozer’s blade knocking through your front door. In other words, the record is largely in line with what we’ve come to expect from the death-metal recently dug up by Sentient Ruin Laboratories, and for a certain kind of listener, that’s a good thing. Check out “The Throat of Belial,” which comes on hard and fast, then downshifts into second gear and unleashes a tangled, coruscating sort-of-guitar-solo. The mechanical chug reasserts itself, then speeds up again, unleashing steam and the smell of something… organic. The song has a ruthless momentum, as does the rest of the record. Pretty good Halloween music if you want to scare all the trick-or-treaters off your lawn.

Jonathan Shaw

Cut Worms – Nobody Lives Here Anymore (Jagjaguwar)

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Max Clarke evokes a wistful nostalgia for an America that existed perhaps only in the mind, the warm campfire glow of an era personified by The Everly Brothers’ harmonies, the twanging guitars of country rock and 1970s singer songwriters. On his new album as Cut Worms, Clarke literally doubles down on his musical project. Nobody Lives Here Anymore comes in at 17 songs that, while individually fine enough, meld into one another and gradually fade from the memory as the album unwinds. Clarke never quite transcends his influences and is not a strong enough lyricist to engage at this length. The effect is similar to that of The Traveling Wilburys where the whole is lesser than the sum of its parts. That said, Clarke is engaging company with a voice that splits the difference between the aforementioned siblings, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. He has an ear for a melody and skillfully recreates an AM radio sound that trips the memory for anyone who grew up with this music either as inescapable background of their lives or soundtrack for their teen dreams and heartaches.

Andrew Forell

Dead End America — Crush the Machine (Southern Lord)

Crush the Machine by Dead End America

This new EP by Dead End America (DEA — see what they did there?) comprises four short, piledriving hardcore songs, all directly addressed to the current occupant of the Oval Office. “Bullet for 45 (Straight From a .45)” neatly captures the EP’s essential sentiments, and also suggests the general level of restraint exercised by the whole enterprise. Hint: Restraint and nuance are not Dead End America’s strong suits. That’s not surprising, given the folks involved. The band and record were conceived by Steve “Thee Hippy Slayer” Hanford, late of Poison Idea, and of this world. It’s pretty wonderful that this is some of the last music Hanford produced — pissed off and irreverent to the very end. Additional contributors include Nick “Rex Everything” Oliveri (the Dwarves), Mike IX Williams (Eyehategod), Blaine Cook (the Fartz) and Tony Avila (World of Lies). Sort of remarkable that a record including players from all those legendarily vile, venomous bands doesn’t just spontaneously self-combust; maybe it helps that they focus their collective rage on such a deserving target. RIP Steve Hanford. The wrong people are dying.

Jonathan Shaw

Chloe Alison Escott — Stars Under Contract (Chapter Music)

Stars Under Contract by Chloe Alison Escott

Chloe Alison Escott is the frontwoman of Tasmanian post-punk duo The Native Cats, and her pre-transition solo album, The Long O, released on Bedroom Suck back in 2014, received justified plaudits upon its release. (It remains a low-key favorite of mine.) New solo piano-and-vocals album Stars Under Contract was all recorded in one day by Evelyn Ida Morris (Pikelet), which lends these performances an on-the-fly liveliness. For the most part, it’s rollicking fun, with some wryly funny lyrics that betray Escott’s sideline in standup comedy. This performative confidence comes through in early highlight “There’s Money in the Basement,” which has the jaunty barroom bounce of “Benny and the Jets.” Later, Escott reaches for the heavens on single “Back Behind the Eyes Again,” with a truly heartbreaking piano progression. Though the 16 tracks are wisely interspersed with short instrumentals such as “What Are You Reaching For,” “Evening, Sunshine” and “Playfair,” 43 minutes is a lot of piano-and-vocals songs to get through in a single sitting. On closing track “Permanent Thief,” there’s a tantalizing flash of drum machine and bass, which could be a nod there’s another Native Cats album on the way soon.

Tim Clarke

Eiko Ishibashi — Mugen no Juunin - Immortal - Original Soundtrack (King)

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If you sit up nights fretting about how Eiko Ishibashi and her partner, Jim O’Rourke, pay the bills, this music may be your melatonin for your worried mind. Immortal is the soundtrack for Blade of the Immortal, an anime adaption of a popular manga that’s been picked up by Amazon Prime. Ishibashi composed and played the music with contributions from Tetuzi Akiyama, joe Talia, Atsuko Hatano, and O’Rourke, who also mixed the music. Ishibashi’s music echoes the affect-stirring melodies of her song-oriented material and the careful sound placement of her recent electro-acoustic work for Black Truffle; when the swirl of keyboard tones looms over her piano on “Animal,” there’s no mistaking it for anyone else’s work. But this is still made for a mass market, with unabashed classical music lifts and big, booming electronic percussion that would make a multiplex’s walls throb if you gave it a chance. There’s no physical release or Bandcamp option, so if you want to check this out, Apple Music and iTunes are your options.

Bill Meyer

Ela Minus — Acts of Rebellion (Domino)

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Colombian musician Gabriela Jimeno’s debut album as Ela Minus is a collection of original tracks that merge songcraft and club sounds into an assured mix of electronica on which she plays all the instruments and sings in both Spanish and English. After spending her teenage years drumming for hardcore band Ratón Pérez, Jimeno studied jazz drums as well as the design and construction of synthesizers, and she eschews the use of computers to create her music. She brings a DIY spirit to her work combined with meticulous production style that gives acts of rebellion the experimental edge of early 1980s independent synthpop. The highlight "Megapunk” is musically close in spirit to Cabaret Voltaire, its defiant lyrics — “There’s No Way Out But to Fight” — tying freedom of expression to wider human progress. A textured and nuanced album, Ela Minus joins an ever-growing group of South American producers to tune into.

Andrew Forell

Erik Friedlander — Sentinel (Skipstone)

Sentinel by Erik Friedlander

Cellist Erik Friedlander seems to pop up in the oddest places, playing now with the Mountain Goats, then with Dave Douglas, and finding a little time for film scoring on the side. It's reasonable that for new album Sentinel, he'd connect with a couple of other artists — guitarist Ava Mendoza and percussionist Diego Espinosa — equally comfortable with finding unexpected sounds in a variety of styles. The group, given their background, sounds their best when they're blending genres. “Flash” starts off as new jazz, turns into rock for a moment, then some strange cello lead pushes it into alien territory. At the edges of the trio's work, heavy rock often feels about to break out, but the group refrains from ever indulging that impulse. “Feeling You” even provides some light, pretty pop, allowing the band to show its full breadth.

Friedlander's compositions provide the basis for the album, but Sentinel never feels like just his album. The band, assembled for what sounds like a hurried set of takes, found their partnership quickly, turning the pieces into fluid performances. “Bristle Cone” lets all three members shine and functions like a microcosm of the disc as a whole: As soon as you think it's a guitar album, you start paying attention to the percussive elements; as soon as you remember it's experimental cello work, you're back to guitar rock. The trio's engagement with the music and with each other comes through, the playful innovation guiding each piece into a multifaceted whole.

Justin Cober-Lake

HAAi — Put Your Head Above the Parakeets EP (Mute)

Put Your Head Above The Parakeets by HAAi

Though it was Teneil Throssell’s mixes that initially made her name as HAAi (and remain strong even amid the pandemic, her latest for XLR8R another beauty), her own productions are a wonder unto themselves that demand repeat listens even as they come a trickling single or carefully cultivated EP at a time. The Karratha, Australia native, Coconut Beats hostess and Rinse and Worldwide FM veteran’s latest is the delightfully titled Keep Your Head Above the Parakeets EP, pure headphones music meant for sunrises, sunsets, walks in deep snow, rain-swept moors, you name it. Her talent is in balancing airy synth melodies with ever-shifting percussion influenced primarily by jungle, breaks and (ultimately) house; when people talk about psychedelic dance music, this is something like what I always hope to hear. Another unmissable missive.

Patrick Masterson

Hübsch, Martel, Zoubek — Ize (Insub)

Ize by HÜBSCH, MARTEL, ZOUBEK

Decades have passed since Derek Bailey wrote his book, Improvisation. At that time, it was already clear that the intentionally non-idiomatic music he pioneered and practiced was a subset of the more universal matter of improvising as a necessary aspect of playing music. It was also becoming clear that non-idiomatic improvisation’s aspirations and proscriptions amounted to a new but quite identifiable idiom, and this Swiss trio is okay with that. If you told Carl Ludwig Hübsch (tuba, objects),Pierre-Yves Martel (viola da gamba harmonica, pitch pipes) and Philip Zoubek (piano, synthesizer) that the music on Ize sounds a bit like the British ensemble AMM’s, they’d likely nod and thank you for noticing. They’re not trying to make a new kind of music, they’re trying to be good at a kind of music that they love, and on those terms, they succeed. Aside from the occasional Feldman-esque piano phrase, they mostly trade in layers of tone and texture, operating in complementary parallel to one another, taking the listener through states of meditative stillness and slow-motion vertigo.

Bill Meyer

J Majik — Your Sound - Photek & Digital V.I.P 12” (Infrared)

J Majik - Your Sound - Photek & Digital V.I.P by J Majik / Photek / Digital

Released on the same day as the “This Sound” single that allegedly was refashioned from “unfinished jungle project from the vaults,” “Your Sound” was further proof that UK drum n’ bass vet Jamie Spratling bka J Majik still has plenty of material from the golden era to get out into the world. The original is a certified mid-’90s Metalheadz classic, but Photek and Digital’s reworking on the a-side “originally only destined for the dubplate boxes of the ultra-elite” has been floating in the ether for years as an alternative; its light Amen sequences and booming bass will have you yearning for every closed club you can’t attend. J Majik’s remix of his own tune on the flip was originally the b-side to a 1997 Goldie VIP edit, so having a more readily available remaster here does it a world of good. One for the headz, obviously.

Patrick Masterson

KTL — VII (Editions Mego)

VII by KTL

Most of KTL’s recordings have been seeded by theater and film soundtrack commissions. But when Stephen O’Malley (Sunn 0))), Khanate) and Peter Rehberg (Pita, Fenn O’Berg) found themselves in Berlin this past March with more time on their hands than they expected, they booked themselves into Mouse On Mars’ MOM Paraverse Studio sans portfolio and set to work. The first track, “The Director,” seems to acknowledge the situation by introducing the Shephard-Risset glissando, a repeated scale that sounds like it is endlessly ascending or descending. The titular figure never arrives, but while you’re waiting, fat looped electronics impart the experience of going somewhere while leaving you exactly where you’re at. The director isn’t the only value missing from this equation; O’Malley’s default sonic signature, a massive metallic wall of sound, has been softened to a close-shaving buzz that rattles and circles around within Rehberg’s synthetic/sonic biodome. That’s right, while you’ve been baking bread and putting on that COVID-15, KTL has actually lost weight!

Bill Meyer

Lisa Cay Miller/Vicky Mettler/Raphaël Foisy-Couture — Grind Halts (Notice Recordings)

Grind Halts by Lisa Cay Miller/Vicky Mettler/Raphaël Foisy-Couture

Montreal-based guitarist Vicky Mettler, bassist Raphaël Foisy-Couture and Vancouver-based pianist Lisa Cay Miller are all new names to me. For their trio collaboration on Notice Recordings, the three work their way through a set of eight free improvisations that range from one and a half minutes to eight minutes long. The combination of piano, guitar and upright bass is striking from the start: Miller slips seamlessly between the keyboard and inside-string preparations, mostly eschewing readily identifiable sonorities of her instrument. Mettler’s resonant, brittle electric guitar is the perfect foil to Miller’s piano and one often has a hard time teasing apart where inside piano strings end and guitar strings begin. Add to that Foisy-Couture’s dark low-end bass, which he attacks with groaning scrapes, shuddering arco and assorted string treatments. The three engage in active improvisations, plying their respective instruments into a collective whole while steering clear of garrulous interaction. The fourth piece, “Lower” is as close to trio exchanges as things get, opening up the ensemble sound to allow shredded guitar textures, resounding piano chords and scabrous bass abrasions to accrue into pulsating timbral layers. A piece like “As It Spins” is more about process, adding in the rumble and clatter of assorted percussive detritus, used on their own and to activate the strings of the instruments, which jangle with resultant shimmering overtones. The pieces often segue one into the other, creating an enveloping sound-space throughout. Based on this one, I look forward to hearing more from each of the participants.

Michael Rosenstein

Mint Field — Sentimiento Mundial (Felte)

Sentimiento Mundial by Mint Field

Mexico City-based duo Estrella del Sol Sánchez (voice, guitar) and Sebastian Neyra (bass) enlist drummer Callum Brown to expand the range of their dreamily psychedelic shoegaze on Mint Field’s second album Sentimiento Mundial. Sánchez has the breathy cadence of Rachel Goswell and moves easily between an almost folky introspection in her guitar playing to squalling walls of sound underpinned by Brown’s often motorik drums on tracks like “Contingenicia” and “No te caigas.” The bulk of the album is more reflective, Sánchez’ Spanish vocals close to your ear as she concentrates on atmosphere and dynamics. The result is a dreamscape that lulls, then hits with febrile bursts of restless dread, an impressive collection that fans of 4AD in particular should recognize and embrace.

Andrew Forell

Takuji Naka/Tim Olive — Minouragatake (Notice Recordings)

Minouragatake by Takuji Naka/Tim Olive

Minouragatake (a mountain outside of Kyoto, Japan) is the fourth recording by Takuji Naka and Tim Olive, a duo that has played together for close to a decade now, melding together music of slowly evolving rich timbral abstraction. Each are consummate collaborators and for this session, they make their way across the seven untitled tracks with steadfast focus to the nuanced details of their respective sound sources. Naka utilizes “long loops of sagging/distressed cassette tape winding into and out of similarly distressed portable tape players, with real-time analog processing.” Olive uses his regular array of magnetic pickups and low-tech analog electronics, drawing out volatile hums and changeable striations that coalesce with his partner’s slowly devolving layers of sound. These pieces are imbued with unflappable deliberation, each sound integrated into the cohesive, gradually unfolding improvisations. Each of the pieces sound as if one is tuning in mid-stream and end with a sense that they could continue on indefinitely. Rather than adhering to any formal developmental arcs, the two patiently sit within unfurling sonic worlds as layers ebb and flow. Naka’s degraded tapes lend an aura of catching wafts from some distant celestial emission which Olive subtly shades and colors with hisses, whispered mutable fuzzed gradations and aural grit. Snatches of scumbled lyricism morph into static-laden swirls; washes of flaked and tattered textures disperse into shuddering thrums. Naka doesn’t record much so it’s good to hear another project from him. Olive has been on a particular roll as of late and this one is a laudable addition to his discography.

Michael Rosenstein

Okuden Quartet — Every Dog Has Its Day But It Doesn’t Matter Because Fat Cat Is Getting Fatter (ESP-Disk)

Every Dog Has Its Day But It Doesn't Matter Because Fat Cat Is Getting Fatter by Okuden Quartet: Mat Walerian/Matthew Shipp/William Parker/ Hamid Drake

Put aside the bleakness of this double album’s title because this music embodies the idea that things can get better. Not that there was anything wrong with Polish woodwinds player Mat Walerian’s previous recordings, which have all involved some combination of the musicians on this one. But Walerian has never sounded so strong on his various instruments (alto saxophone, bass and soprano clarinets, flute); so clear on how to get the most out of Matthew Shipp, William Parker and Hamid Drake; or so engaged with jazz, and not just the free jazz that he’s made with these gentlemen to date. By turns subdued, impassioned and bathed in all the shades of the blues, Walerian no longer sounds like a guy who has great taste in sidemen who happen to have played with some of the greats of our time, but a guy who sounds like he belongs in their company. Each lengthy track (they range from 11 to 18 minutes long) imparts a narrative feel without dispelling the mystery that makes you want to hear them again. Here’s hoping that when things start moving again, this band finds a way to move around the world and move us in person.

Bill Meyer

Om — It’s About Time (Intakt)

It’s About Time by OM - Urs Leimgruber, Christy Doran, Bobby Burri, Fredy Studer

To a fan, It’s About Time might sum up the feeling upon learning that the Swiss quartet Om finally recorded a new studio album 40 years after its predecessor, Cerberus (ECM). It also captures the existential question facing a quartet of improvisers, some of whose paths have often crossed during that time, but some of whom have taken very different roads. On the one hand, drummer Fredy Studer and guitarist Christy Doran play in a Jim Hendrix cover band with Jamaladeen Tacuma; on the other, soprano saxophonist Urs Leimgruber works mainly in freely improvised settings with the likes of Alvin Curran and Joelle Leandre these days. Burri seems to be the guy who has maintained connections with everybody. How to make sense of such a history without denying anyone’s musical identity? During their first go-around, between 1972 and 1982, Om was played polyrhythmic electric jazz. During the mostly low-profile gigs they’ve played since reconvening in 2008, they’ve had time to forge an updated vocabulary that is less groove-oriented but takes full advantage of the timbral resources on hand. While it’s evident that time has passed, it’s by no means a waste of time.

Bill Meyer

Rüstəm Quliyev — Azerbaijani Gitara (Bongo Joe)

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Azerbaijani music, by and large, hasn't broken through to the American mainstream. That might not change, but the new anthology release of Rüstəm Quliyev's work, titled Azerbaijani Gitara, at least makes a case against our insularity. Quliyev's work, even for an insider, would be hard to pin down given that the overriding goal seems to be the synthesis of as many styles of music as possible. Western ears will be most comfortable with the psych-rock influences here. Quliyev also reworks Bollywood, folk, Middle Eastern dance and more on his electric guitar. Taken from recordings from 1999-2004, this nine-song collection sounds more coherent than that idea might suggest, but no less frantic. Quliyev plays with a persistent energy, his kinetic approach matched my his chops, often with a tone reminiscent of Carlos Santana (if we reach a little). On songs like “İran Təranələri,” he allows the piece to develop patiently, but these cuts rely on movement and virtuosity. Quliyev had a challenging life cut short by lung cancer, but his music finds itself unleashed through apparent joy.

Justin Cober-Lake

ShooterGang Kony — Still Kony 2 (Empire)

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A fortnight shy of his 22nd birthday (this coming Wednesday, mark your calendars and send best wishes), Sacramento rapper ShooterGang Kony has dropped his second full-length project of the year in Still Kony 2, a skit-free set of songs with a Biggie homage as the cover that explores further his emotional depths while still retaining the bouncy Bay Area nature of his livelier side. There’s stuff like “Red Ice” and “Fasholy Good,” of course, but there’s also the stretch of sobering songs later in the tracklist, including “Overdose,” “Flaggin” and the particularly affecting “Do or Die.” No matter the type of beat, though, Kony feels completely at ease with his cadence and wholly in control of his verses despite occasionally verging on a Detroit-like dismissal of the beat. Even if you can’t see the geekin’, you can certainly feel it.

Patrick Masterson

Suuns — Fiction EP (Joyful Noise)

FICTION EP by SUUNS

For better or worse, Suuns’ new Fiction EP is pretty much the sound of 2020 encapsulated, not in the sense of distilling current musical trends, but rather in succinctly conveying the disorientating feeling of living through a year that has been such a traumatic mess. Across these six tracks, the Montreal-based band creates a fuzzy, feedback-streaked, claustrophobic racket that just about coalesces into song forms around breakneck rhythm tracks. “Fiction” and “Pray” will meet the expectations of anyone expecting Suuns to continue sounding like fellow noise-rockers Clinic, but elsewhere there’s surprising variation to the band’s sound palette. Opener “Look” emerges out of the darkness like a warped apparition, concluding with a chant of what sounds like “Sheep, sheep, sheep.” They enlist the help of Jerusalem In My Heart for droning instrumental “Breathe,” and Amber Webber lends ghostly vocals to “Death.” At the EP’s end, the Mothers of Invention’s wailing blues-rock classic “Trouble Every Day” is barely recognizable, foregrounding Zappa’s lyrics and chewing them up into a garbled rush of splenetic invective. Though short, there’s something satisfyingly ghastly and cathartic about this EP that really cuts through.

Tim Clarke

Women — Rarities 2007-2010 (Flemish Eye/Jagjaguwar)

Rarities 2007 - 2010 by Women

Some outlets rode much harder for Women than others when the band was still a dysfunctioning unit (RIP Cokemachineglow, namely), but there’s little doubt left a decade on that what the Calgary quartet had going was a volatile yet beautiful indie-rock ideal that hasn’t been duplicated in Viet Cong/Preoccupations or Cindy Lee since. These rarities, affixed to a deluxe decennial reissue of Public Strain due out in November, could all have made the final tracklistings of either of their full-lengths. The music veers between sunny ‘60s singalongs and dark guitar dissonance; I find myself thinking of The Walkmen’s first LP on “Bullfight” (a free release from 2011 in the aftermath of the band’s collapse the year before) and of The Chameleons on “Group Transport,” which is considerably more Janus-faced with its juxtaposed harmonies, for example. It took me much longer than it should have to come around on Women, but in case you’re still on the fence or also just never got around to them in the first place, perhaps this small coda will sway you in their favor once and for all.

Patrick Masterson

Yo La Tengo — Sleepless Night EP (Matador)

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In July, Yo La Tengo released the abstract, droning instrumental EP We Have Amnesia Sometimes, harking back to the sound of their excellent soundtrack album The Sounds of the Sounds of Science (2002). This new Sleepless Night EP brings together five covers and one original, first released in conjunction with an L.A. exhibition by Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara, who helped the band pick the songs. Sleepless Night opens with “Blues Stay Away” by The Delmore Brothers and “Wasn’t Born to Follow” by The Byrds, both fairly straight renditions of the blues and country-rock originals. The real keeper in this collection comes next in the form of Ronnie Lane’s “Roll On Babe,” beautifully sung by Georgia, which hypnotizes with its languid sway. Their cover of Dylan’s “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” also has Georgia take the lead over beatless organ, bass and guitar. “Bleeding” is the sole original, a shimmering atmospheric piece with ghostly vocals from Ira, which dissolves in a pool of pitchshifted reverb. Finally, “Smile a Little Smile for Me” strips out the rhythm section from the Flying Machine original and slows the tempo, Ira’s measured vocal performance lending the song an affectingly forlorn slant. Though the material here offers few surprises, it’s a reassuring release from a justifiably loved band at a time when we could all use a little more reassurance.

Tim Clarke

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mokkoriness · 5 years ago

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ROCK AND READ Vol. 086 - Hiroto Interview

Their own "alicenine."

At their 15th anniversary tour final that was held at Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall on August 10, their band name changed back to the original "alicenine." from the "A9" that we have gotten familiar with over the last 5 years. Although we heard the reason behind this in the previous issue from the band's frontman, Show, in this issue, we ask each of the members to talk about their feelings towards "alicenine.". With what kind of feelings did they have when facing this band name and the "blend of Japanese and Western styles" concept 15 years ago? Everyone has their own image of "alicenine.", so that means we should be able to see many aspects of the band that is alicenine.

Hiroto, who originally had no interest in words, talks about how he came to the realization that after 15 years, "alicenine" had become his family name. He speaks frankly about how he was under huge mental pressure during the tour, and what saved him was none other than the word "アリス九號.". The feelings of the members and the fans that had always supported them towards this name that he felt at the Hibiya live show, where the renaming of the band was announced, had healed him.

First of all, please tell us your honest thoughts about going back to the name "アリス九號.".

Hiroto: It sort of feels like the blockage is gone. I was struggling for about a year after we had become A9. We had directly and personally negotiated with our company at the time if nothing could be done about the situation. But at the time, nothing could be done about it.

I'm sure they had their own circumstances and was thinking it over and over too.

Hiroto: There was that, but there was also many conflicts.

Like when you button up a shirt wrong.

Hiroto: But there was also the fact that we could not stop anymore. The members did not have the intention of stopping even during the preparation period, but the outside world had stopped. We also made the fans wait. Since it was impossible to stop for any longer, we had no choice but to go (as "A9").

If the issue over the band name was going to stop activities, then you will change the band name.

Hiroto: Exactly. We thought that even if the band name had changed, it would be better to keep on moving forward. So on August 10th, with the words "アリス九號." in the backdrop behind us, the moment we played our new song, "Kakumei Kaika -Revolutionary Blooming-", as アリス九號., it just really felt right to me. For the first time in a while, I had felt that feeling of invincibility I had felt during our early days. It made me feel that names are important, after all. I thought that it was my family name. The same goes for "Alice Nine"; the words "alice nine" itself is my family name. Because in my life, the period where I have introduced myself as "alicenine's Hiroto" has been longer. "alice nine" has just become a part of my name.

Even during the A9 period, you probably thought of the "A9" stylisation as being "alice nine".

Hiroto: That's right.

So throughout your lifetime, these 15 years have been the longest... Wait, the math doesn't add up (laughs).

Hiroto: But until changing our name, the intensity was clearly different. The first 10 years were about 3 times as intense.

So in terms, of richness of experience, the period as "アリス九號." was longer. But even looking at the words "アリス九號." now, there is this strong connection to it.

Hiroto: Yeah. I designed goods for the first time in a long time using this logo, and it made me think that it is a strong name, after all. And also, on the contrary, it suits the era.

The katakana and kanji mix.

Hiroto: The Tokyo Olympics are drawing closer, and overseas and throughout the world, katakana and kanji are what's cool about Japan. Not hiragana. Even for brands that are active in Asia and worldwide, quite a lot of them use kanji and katakana. It's like without us knowing it, things have come full circle.

Like the times have finally caught up with "アリス九號." (laughs).

Hiroto: Yeah (laughs).

15 years ago, when the band was named "アリス九號.", what did you think?

Hiroto: Show was the one who named the band, but I thought it was original.

I recall that all of you gave ideas for possible band names. There is the famous story that the candidates were "アリス九 ("alice nine"), "ROSSO", "KORN", and "Ms. Anita". Which idea did you suggest?

Hiroto: I suggested "ROSSO".

How did you come up with that one?

Hiroto: Well, since I'm a person who plays an instrument, at the time, I had no interest in words, and I just couldn't come up with anything else. But they said to me "There's already a band called that, right?" (laughs).

Did you not know of the band ROSSO, which comprises of THEE MICHELLE GUN ELEPHANT's Chiba and BLANKEY JET CITY'S Terui?

Hiroto: I knew of them. I listened to them a lot and really liked them.

Isn't it even worse that you knew of them (laughs)?

Hiroto: I thought that it would be okay since we were in a different genre (laughs). To be honest, I didn't really think that deeply about it. At the time, I had absolutely no awareness that the name would have such power that it has today, or of things that would be born from being given a name,

So to put it another way, you realised the importance of this after 15 years (laughs).

Hiroto: That's right (laughs). At the time, it was more important for the 5 of us to quickly start our activities. We had this feeling that we would definitely do well in this formation, so to put it another way, all other elements were trivial.

You wanted to start moving quickly no matter what.

Hiroto: Right. We were like "We can do something!".

So first you were "アリス九", but when you headed to the livehouse to promote your live show, they said that your name name was like Kyu Sakamoto ("坂本九"), and there, "號" was added to become "アリス九號". After that, a period was added to the end of the name. What did you think at the time?

Hiroto: To be honest, I didn't care (laughs). When we joined our company at the time, they had a diviner who said that the number of strokes in our name was bad and we needed one more stroke, so we should change the band name. But this was around 3 months after we had started, and at a time where we were finally officially starting the band, so we were like, "Huh? We're changing the name?". We were told this during a meeting in a small conference room. Then we saw a poster of a band belonging to the same company on the wall and were all like "Ah!". We were like since our seniors Kagrra, have a comma after their name, let's just put a period after our name (laughs).

The same goes for adding the "號" on the spot, but you guys really are amazing to come up with these things at such times.

Hiroto: Yeah. But I get the feeling that it's always been like this throughout the entire 15 years. When we're in a pinch or have been chased into a corner, we don't really get pessimistic. Well, I don't know if that story about adding a period on the end is negative or not (laughs). But what I think that has not changed about the 5 of us is that even when we ourselves did not want to change our band name, we have good intuition that is more on a positive side.

So starting from there and being "アリス九號." for 5 years, what do you remember the most vividly from that time?

Hiroto: So many things happened that I don't even want to say that I remember this or that the most. Recently, we made a best of album and did a tour for it, and at that time, I really thought that music is the key to the door of memories. Because of that, this year was quite a painful one. I had to face many things and remembered many things.

By facing your older songs.

Hiroto: Yeah. The tour focused on taking a new approach to the songs of the first 10 years, so at each and every live show, at unexpected moments, I would recall many things. Like when I would play phrases. That was exhausting for me, and it continued all the way up until the show at Hibiya.

You remembered all the bad times.

Hiroto: As expected, you normally remember the good things. But for the bad and traumatic memories, you lock it up and seal it away. That's probably a self-defense mechanism of humans. But the locked up memories started pouring out. I do think that at each turning point, there were good memories, but it seems like there are the same level or perhaps even more painful memories.

So you had painful memories that when opened up, had no end. So what about the good memories? Since you had first started out, everything you did was being done for the first time, and there are probably a countless amount of such moments.

Hiroto: That's right. In that respect, in the first 5 years or so, pretty much everything was a first for us. This was something that I had only just talked about with Show during the post-live celebrations of Tora's birthday live show the other day, but thinking about it now, the time from around when we were making our very first album was a special time. That perhaps the process of making the very first album of our lives and the feelings after having made the album wasn't ever experienced again after that. We have a song called "FANTASY", and this is a personal story, but the vocalist of the very first band I was in had passed away before the live show, and I had wanted to turn that into a song at some point in time, when I had joined a band that I could bet my life on. The time had come to write such a song, and when I explained all of this to Show, it turned out that he also had a similar experience. That's why that time was remarkably filled with passion. So even though I do wonder myself what it was that I was doing all the way until morning during the recording of that song (laughs), while going back and forth saying "This isn't it" and "That isn't it", when the mixing was complete and the two of us stepped outside in the morning, we saw a really beautiful morning glow. It was around 6 in the morning. When I saw that, I was really touched.

It's at those times where strangely enough, something like a miracle happens. Well, even if it had been raining that day, you surely would have thought of it as nice scenery (laughs).

Hiroto: Yeah (laughs).

So 5 years after that, the band changed to the English stylisation "Alice Nine". What were your thoughts on that?

Hiroto: At the time, the "九號." image which had suddenly spread from a relatively early stage, in our second or third year of the band, and the logo image was sort of troublesome. Like "アリス九號. is this kind of band, right?". Like there was already a direct connection because of the logo. Also, like I just said, in terms of design, it's quite a strong logo. That's why we wanted to change it as soon as possible. Since half way through the first year or the second year of the band I have been doing goods design, and I felt just how difficult it was to handle the logo. On the contrary, we really didn't use the logo much in the early days of the band.

The goods used English from an early stage.

Hiroto: Yeah. So it felt like we had finally changed the stylisation. Show was also doing the artwork, so I think both of us felt that quite a lot.

To quickly sum up アリス九號. until that point in time, what were those 5 years like?

Hiroto: It was chaos (laughs). Disorder. For better or for worse, and in a variety of ways. PS Company, the company that we were indebted to, itself was chaotic.

Many bands belonged to that company, and you were probably so busy you didn't even get a chance to sleep.

Hiroto: But that was our source of power. We didn't really have any idea what was going on and it really was very stressful. But I think that even that was turned into our songs, into our message, and even contributed to our energy. So it was like a typhoon. Everything was swept up as we were screaming, and it drew in a variety of things.

To go even further, many people were jealous and said that you were a "band that only had good looks", so you must have had a really strong mentality.

Hiroto: That's right. It's like we were always fighting against that. Not to say that it was adding fuel to the fire, but I really feel that that really fired us up even more.

So to sum it up, it was a chaotic period (laughs).

Hiroto: To sum it up, it was a typhoon; a massive typhoon (laughs).

What about the 5 years after becoming "Alice Nine"? A passing of the typhoon (laughs)?

Hiroto: Right, the typhoon had passed and turned into an extratropical cyclone (laughs). We had a career, to a certain extent, and we were always the youngest band, but around that time, juniors like SuG and ViViD joined the company.

You graduated from being the youngest band of the company.

Hiroto: Yeah. We had some solid sales, and started to have more of a right to say things. But how should I put it? To preface this by saying it's not like it was our intention, I think it was a time where we were just soaking in lukewarm water. Even so, speaking for myself, it's when Karasu (a unit with MUCC's Tatsuro, THE THIRTEEN's Mizuki, jealkb's dunch, Ayabie's KENZO) started. Well, we weren't that active, but I did try those things out.

At the time, it was impossible for a PS band member to interact with non-PS people.

Hiroto: It was the first time for a PS band member to do so. Probably. I feel like I was in that kind of position. I was able to eat the food that we weren't allowed to eat during filming.

You were lifting the bans that PS had (laughs).

Hiroto: Pretty much (laughs).

But why were you able to do that? Was it perhaps because they doted on you?

Hiroto: I think so, somehow or another. I have no idea why, but I also went to go watch movies together with the President (laughs). It's not as though I was able to have them listen to me, but I was able to make things work out that way. I think there were some times where they were like "Since it's Hiropon, I guess we can't help it" (laughs).

And from there, you spent 5 years as "A9".

Hiroto: It feels like that time flew by us. It's like we ended up passing the same amount of time as the previous eras. Before we even knew it.

That might have something to do with age. Time passes by for humans as they get older (laughs).

Hiroto: Yeah. But I think quite a big part of it is like what I said before; that the number of new things we were doing was decreasing. People don't get stress when they get used to things. So this is only something I can say in hindsight, but in our "Alice Nine" era, there was a drastic reduction in the stress we had compared to the first 5 years. I think that what made us stressed was things we didn't know, and things we were doing for the first time. It was the other side of the coin of being excited, both physically and mentally. So looking back on the songs that we made at that time, due to there being less stress, rather than passion, I get the feeling that we shifted to being more muted. Including our looks.

Becoming more fashionable, so to speak. So how would you generally sum up the period as A9, which was after spending 5 years as Alice Nine?

Hiroto: Destruction and restoration? We have a song that we made in our 1st year called "Siva & Diva", and that's what it was like. Just when we thought that we had made a comeback with "Phoenix", our wings were broken again (laughs). So we were like "If that's the case, then let's just go all the way underground".

Hahaha. There were many difficulties in the A9 era specific to A9, but since you had built up resilience, it wasn't so bad.

Hiroto: No, we had taken quite a few hits. It made me think that life really does throw many things at you. I had thought that there couldn't be more, but there was. Out in front of me. Constantly. I was like "A stronger typhoon is coming?".

You're comparing it to a typhoon again (laughs). What was your biggest motivation during that time?

Hiroto: It was definitely the fans. And also live shows. To speak of recent matters, and honestly, only because it's over I can say this, but during the tour, or rather, right until the day before our live show at Hibiya, I was really worn out to the point that I was considering requesting that we take a break.

What you spoke about earlier. It was quite a tight schedule, so you must have also been physically exhausted too.

Hiroto: I think that when people get tired, they abandon even providing input. For over two and half years since changing to this organization (self management), there basically hasn't been a month where we haven't played a live show. Personally, the fans and live shows are a huge deal to me. Music can't be seen with the eyes and therefore cannot be touched. It really is a physical thing, but you can't tell if it's there or not if there is no one to receive it. In that respect, live shows are really important. The first moment that you understand that you have people directly receiving your sounds and your heart's message and that it exists is at live shows. To be honest, even those live shows are quite exhausting. I think that it really is two sides of the same coin.

Not playing a live show is painful, but playing a live show is also painful. But you were able to complete the tour, and at the end, see great scenery.

Hiroto: That's right. It was a close one.

But on the other hand, if there was only the A9 era, it might have ended. I'm sure that it's only because you had the 10 years before that, you were able to hold out for that 1 year.

Hiroto: Yeah. If you were to be hit with that kind of thing, it would end. I think that I would have thought "It would be better to quit".

Having a history really is priceless. So to go back to what we were first talking about, overcoming all of that and announcing at Hibiya on August 10 that you would go back to being "アリス九號.", you felt the weight was off your shoulders.

Hiroto: Like the blockage in my throat had been cleared. It's like there was always a lid over us and we couldn't open it, but then it was taken off just like that. I'm sure that not just the name, but us, who had carried that name, and the fans who have feelings when they see this name, felt the same way. It really is connected to that invincible feeling we had when we first formed the band, and at that moment, my wounds had healed.

All at once.

Hiroto: Yes, all at once.

Until this day, I had not known of "アリス九號.", but I think that many people had predicted that you would change your band name. Because even though it was named "A9's last one man tour", it definitely did not feel like it was going to end (laughs).

Hiroto: Hahaha. We also released our plans for after that day from time to time.

I had thought that perhaps you would change your band name to "Alice Nine".

Hiroto: I think fans probably thought the same.

However, to be honest, I was surprised that you changed your band name back to "アリス九號.". I was like "So that's the move they made".

Hiroto: Around 1 year ago when we did the "ALICE IN CASTLE" live show, we all considered the scenarios and when we hammered out every one of them, we had that kind of discussion. Although until the very last minute, we were wondering which name to choose.

Oh, so you were considering these 2 options.

Hiroto: Also, right before the live show, there was also the option of remaining as "A9", since we had come so far. In the end, it was a production of life. Of the people called "alicenine". So that considered, the most dramatic move would be to change the band name to "アリス九號.".

I did think that I was played. So about "Kakumei Kaika - Revolutionary Blooming-", the new song by the newly born "アリス九號.", it's in a really Japanesque style. It really shows your determination, or rather, it's a nice, clean divide. To go all out.

Hiroto: In terms of the style of the song, Saga was the one in control. But we thought that if we were going to do this, we had to go all out.

It gave me the impression that you were doing a modern version of things that referenced the things you did 15 years ago.

Hiroto: That's right. Personally, I call it "アリス九號. 2.0" (laughs).

This is a strange way of saying it, but it's like "A new old アリス九號.". Especially since it's the first release, it really goes all out.

Hiroto: It was like if we didn't do it like this, there would be people who couldn't understand why we changed our band name. There are fans who had prepared themselves for the worst during the A9 era. I'm positive that there would be people who would be like "Why?", if we had only changed our name after clearing all those hurdles. If we were careless about it, there was the possibility that we would have ruined or denied the listeners of their youth. We definitely have to avoid that, and that's not something we should do.

So that's why you went all out.

Hiroto: If we were halfhearted, there would be the possibility that we were denying something from the fans of all 3 eras. That's why I thought that if we didn't update all three dimensions and make people think "Oh, they're doing music with this kind of feeling!" or "They are going to keep attacking from here on", then there would be no point in changing our band name.

I see. So what do you want to do in the next 5 years?

Hiroto: We're doing many things now, and both personally and as a band, with that kind of music at the core, from here on, I would like to build things up again to show what we can do. Personally, I want to properly take on the challenge of doing an Asia tour again. I want to consider what it is that we can do and what it is that we want to do, and then make those things happen.

Will you change your band name again in 5 years? Like back to "A9" or something (laughs)?

Hiroto: We have nothing now. It's like "I don't yet have a name1".

You're making that kind of clever comment?!

Hiroto: We're going very far back (laughs).

1 He said "名前は、未だ無ひ。 (Namae wa, Mada Nai)", the title of their very first single.

#Alice Nine #alice nine translation #rock and read #alicenine.#alicenine. translation #hiroto

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pollylynn · 5 years ago

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Title: Shall I Compare Thee WC: 1300

The surveillance photos are not traumatic. The folder of them is on her desk when she comes in. She flips through them and spares the last one an eye roll and an exasperated sigh. She flips the folder closed again and mutters So there, Lanie under her breath, which spoils the effect of her blasé response a little, but they are definitely not traumatic.

She decides that—no, she affirms it—just a minute or two before he trails in. The timing is convenient, because a little punishment is in order. Because he’s stupid and utterly predictable and such a guy. Punishment has nothing to do with her being traumatized in any way.

So she lectures him about the chair. She impresses even herself with her improv skills and has to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from giving up the game when he turns seventeen shades of red denies in a voice that’s way, way to loud that anyone had yanked anything. It’s a satisfying bit of payback right up to the moment that he confesses.

He confesses. That’s . . . kind of traumatizing.

It’s not the fact of it. She doesn’t care that he met with the one that got away on a rooftop, and she doesn’t care that he kissed her. It’s not that she’s jealous, whatever Lanie might think, whatever he apparently thinks five seconds later when they’re suddenly sniping at each other—irony of ironies—like an old married couple.

What’s traumatizing is that he’s upset by it. He’s hurt by seeing Kyra again under such bizarre circumstances, and he’s troubled by the whole damned thing—that he wanted to kiss her, that he did kiss her, and that it’s messed up, because the poor woman is dealing with so much right now, and a kiss like that is just piling on. She can see that he’s miserable about it, even though he’s trying to cover by picking a fight with her. Even though she’s rising to the bait and hitting back, she can see that he’s struggling, and all of this is far more complicated than simple jealousy.

She doesn’t really have time to wallow in it. Esposito shows up, the annoying little imp in the machine as always, and then they’re not fighting anymore. Whatever his trauma and her trauma might be, they’re on to Sophie’s odd behavior, and the killer isn’t Kyra, the killer isn’t Greg.

She watches through the yellowed slats of the work room blinds, as he plays Kyra the recording of Greg pushing Sophie away. She watches out of the corner of her eye as Kyra kisses his cheek. The closure for the two of them, twenty years in coming, is so quickly accomplished that she’s almost caught out. As it stands, Kyra stops, coat over her arm, and says He’s all yours, and that’s definitely kind of traumatizing.

Because he is hers, kind of. He’s her friend and something well beyond that. What they are to one another is far more complicated than anything that lives in Lanie’s overactive imagination or Ryan and Esposito’s significant looks, and closure or no, he’s hurting.

It’s why she says yes when he asks her to come to the make-up wedding with him. It’s why she pretends to believe him when he says Kyra told him to extend the invitation, that she and Greg would really like them both to be there. It’s why she pastes on a smile and finds a blouse in a subtle mauve chiffon in the back of her closet, and it’s why she’s almost late picking him up. Because at the last minute, she dashes back into her apartment and hunts through her photo albums. It takes her a while, and she’s already almost late, but she snaps a picture with her phone and dashes out again.

The ceremony is short and undeniably sweet. There’s a lot of laughter from the dozen or so guests. It’s a little too hearty in places, and each of them has their own reasons for that. He has his own reasons for that, but the belly laugh he lets out when Kyra lobs the bouquet directly at her is genuine enough that she elbows him hard.

They make up the reception as they go along. There’s a small stereo with an iPod hook up and people keep swapping theirs in and out to play the usual things and some not so usual ones as well. The dancing, for whatever reason, flips his brooding switch, so she tugs him out of the corner he’s retreated to for a jazz standard that’s not too slow.

She tells him he should dance with Kyra and he does. He taps Greg on the shoulder and makes a formal bow. The two of them share a handshake that will probably leave them both a little sore for a few days, and he and Kyra smile and tease one another for the length of a song.

She asks if he wants to go not long after that and he nods gratefully. They’re not the only ones breaking up the party and Greg and Kyra are distracted. They’re exhausted, and the farewell is mercifully brief.

“Thank you for doing this,” he says quietly as she pulls to the curb around the corner from his front door. He can’t seem to find anything else to say, but he makes no move to go, either. He leans back hard into the seat, and his eyes close. He’s exhausted, too.

“No problem.” She tries to gauge where he is, what kind of moment this is. “It was fun,” she adds with an absolutely straight face.

“Fun?!” He rolls his head against the headrest to give her A Look. He’s a total amateur at that, but she knows she got it right. She laughs out the windshield, and she sees him out of the corner of her eye, talking to traffic gliding by. She feels for the phone in her pocket and thinks about the last-minute picture she snapped. She’s wondering what, if anything, to do about that, when he adds, “You really are a mystery, Detective.”

It feels like an opening. A sign, he’d say, and she’d show him how A Look is really done. But it does feel like a sign, so she thumbs the screen on and navigates to her photos.

“Such a mystery,” she says, casually holding the phone out between them.   “You!” He snatches it from her. She makes a perfunctory attempt to snatch it back, but he’s holding it practically up to his face. “These are . . . yikes. Are those some kind of kangaroo pouches or what?”

“The pouf waist. A friend to no one.” She’s really doing a number on the inside of her own cheek today. “Ditto those balloon of-the-shoulder sleeves.”

  “But where . . . ?” He squints hard, then swivels for a second attempt at A Look. The improvement is modest at best. “None of these is you!”  “Oh, no?” She makes a casual grab for the phone, but he lifts it high and squints again.

“Flower girl!” he shouts very nearly loud enough to rattle the windows. “You’re the gap-toothed little flower girl!”

“I’m missing a tooth,” she protests. She blushes a little at the way he’s poring over the picture. “It’s not a gap.”

“Wow,” he says with genuine awe in his voice. “How old were you?”

“Five?” she thinks about it. “Almost six. Some older cousin. I’m not even sure why she asked me. My parents never talked to her much after the wedding.”

“Obviously not,” he scoffs. “This right here is the start of a feud.” She gives him a puzzled look. He shakes his head like nothing could be more obviously. “Little Katie Beckett upstaged the bride.” A/N: Gluuuurrrggge. Hmmm.

images via homeofthenutty

#Castle #Caskett #Castle: Season 2 #Castle: A Rose for Everafter #Kate Beckett #Richard Castle #Lanie Parish #Javier Esposito #Kyra Blaine #Fic #fanfic #fanfiction #Fan Fic #Fan Fiction #Writing #Hmmm

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unproduciblesmackdown · 5 years ago

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let's see those Prime Numbers for the ask meme

2) favorite albums?

well i was Ready for kesha’s album Warrior to come out in iiii think it was the end of 2012 or early 2013?? i snuck out to that tour in dc that summer also. totally solid album and it was fun to have something so fun during a totally Not Fun period lol. i was also pretty into owl city at the exact same time lmao, that’s Blatantly for when you’re depressed lol...and i also eventually saw that guy on tour when a new album came out in 2015, and that was fun too, and was Enjoying Myself a factor in the tipping point of “ah jeez i gots 2 get outta here” that i had in the next month? maybe! and uhhh i listened a lot to the phoenix te amo album. that one wasnt tied to anything at all but i have heard it So much. super short and also rock solid and relistenable. and then here we are and the bmc obcr is a gift to the world b/c a) it exists and b) Cuz It All Slaps and c) it’s so fun to either sing or dance along, or cry along if it’s the agtikbi reprise and d) lgw... and e) all the eternal, well-mixed wroland vocals

3) favorite memes?

oh god lmao idk......real earlier 10s stuff was the I Say Hey he-man meme, and the “that really rustles my jimmies” meme which was real underrated......there’s been plenty of Memes where i’ve been like “this one is funny to me Every Time” but of course now looking back on it it’s like. what’s a meme??? Vine

(skipping 5 & 11 cuz that’s the Entirety of someone else’s ask and i don’t wanna just have to scrap theirs completely and i’ll get to it next!!)

11) favorite fanarts?

you know what, there’s continuously been a ton of amazing fanart where i’m like, i’m so glad i’m seeing this, & this is Artistic Fuel, and marge simpson anime has really been just this Standout Experience lmao like......idk for as Inspiring as it is, there’s only a couple things i’ve drawn that are Directly inspired, but i just flip for it all the time and like, it’s supremely expressive and like, comics that aren’t chronological but more like a Collage Of a Moment / Concept which i think is super cool and also i love when stuff reminds me that it doesn’t have to look ~super cleaned up~ to look great.

13) favorite people you know?

oh god this one really got out of control lol i started like, talking about everyone ever from this past decade. so for Convenience i’m interpreting this as “people *i* know, but they don’t know me” so that i can cheat and say will roland, voted person of the year 2019. by extension, essential supporting crew who helped us reach this point, like john simpkins or joe iconis. leave it at that!! it’s 5am and you know i’m not lying. who knew where going “wow, This guy” in late 2018 would have so much Value.

17) a fandom you wish more people were in/you had more people to talk to about?

oof hmm.......amnesia tdd didn’t really have a “fandom” even though it obviously got a lot of attention, it’dve been fun if it had though lol. it’s tricky to answer this one cuz i always prefer like, smaller fandoms and/or finding the Niche or some other way of just like, interacting with a small corner of things, so i’m never like wow god damn wish i’d been absolutely in the thick of it with this thing. i’ve been in Corners n Niches and it’s been fine by me, really

19) a fandom that you had the best time in?

HMM lol.........marble hornets sure was fun but like, a lot of that was just the content itself and not necessarily The Fan Experience, tho i sure got a lot out of it in a ton of ways. i mean tbh that’s true of each thing i’ve really Gotten Into majorly, i go hard af and then walk out the other side with these #connections or #experiences like whoa where’d these come from lol!! but really like, overall, i’m probably having the best time right now. the “fandom” is basically just our agenda lmao but like i said i’m always having the best time when it’s a pretty niche deal, And the sheer variety of Contents n Characters to draw from here is super nice, and the fact that it’s like, oh yeah and i’m finally recognizing this should’ve-been-obvious entire Passionne i’ve had since always, and that’s great too, and like, also just having the Variety Of Live / Current Unfoldings that go down.....like, everyone havin fun with the Joe Iconis Xmas Xtrav was entirely great. and just the Engagement level is basically the best, cuz like there’s the times where maybe i’ll get a zillion notes and that’s definitely fun in its own way but i always enjoy just the way smaller amount of ppl who are Particularly Enthusiastic, and like, there’s times where like, maybe i’m *technically* in this larger circle of ppl but like, totally more of like a Tangent or peripheral to that circle or whatever lol........this feels like a really solid balance of like, being sorta in this orbit of people in a chill way, but also definitely the direct interactions Existing, which is always important lol but hasn’t always been a constant throughout my Fandom Experiences at all

23) who were you at the beginning of this decade?

2009-2010 was a real distinct year lol i was in my second year of college in the middle of my teens, when i’d hardly really been getting to Explore My Interests Freely up to that point and still wasn’t, but all of a sudden it’s like goddamn i have to figure out my major???? and i’m like, obviously in the middle of only just now Really getting to figure out my identity in this deeper and more genuine way, thanks to being lucky enough to Live On Campus and be away from home like, 2/3 of the year, but i was just like, oh god i’m in Stress Hell now all the time cuz like. i’m trying to figure out my whole thing and what my ~Career~ should be and i just have no idea but am like, trying super hard all the time lol it was not successful and i was just really stressed about it all the time. i was def quieter back then.....pretty lonely at the time, i did not get into mh and gain the presence of any Online Friends until late 2010, and i hadn’t yet been sort of accepted by a small faction of theatre people via my roommate’s connections.....i wasn’t at all Out yet, and was def In Progress of figuring it all out.....i didn’t have nearly the Self-Esteem i have now lmao, it was Not a great time and in a lot of ways ‘09-’10 was the start of a downturn into Worse Than Usual Times, though in Other ways it was definitely an upturn lol like. the latter related to stuff that was important to me / who i am, the former tied to the situations i was in and the godawful morale that resulted

29) a time when the worst case scenario happened but you pulled through?

well by the end of 2012 i had my Wrath Parent deluxe mad at me big time, AND i was stuck at home all of thee time with that (not at all hours but. every day.) it was terrible!!! tf was going on in 2013, cuz that shit was definitely like, a gross blur of a lot of indistinct misery. and then, relatedly, when it was so shitty in 2015 that i was like fantastic, i am so officially sick of this i’m outta here. i revisited some Misery Posts from that period lately for someone stranger on twitter’s project or something, and boy i was having a bad time Summer Of ‘15 lol, things not getting better at home And a job that was so shitty that it was like..................bye. lol. and then i spent a year living out of a minivan. which was real lucky in ways b/c like. infinitely better than if i had not had that minivan. and when that broke down i was also then lucky enough to have this friend who was relatively nearby who’d also been willing to just like, set me up to Not have to ask the lgbt center where that trans-friendly forest zone a couple cities over was. nothing as dramatic as it could’ve been, fortunately

31) a time you were scared?

hmmm when leaving The Parents Home overnight, that was intimidating. bit of completely jumping into the unknown there, and also like, when you spend your lifetime assuming that Someone’s Arbitrary Wrath will be uponst you always, it’s hard to shake that sense of dread and doom, like ah jeez i am really potentially bringing hell on myself here........and like i mentioned with Start Of The Decade, there was just a ton of fear there all the time lol, trying to figure out virtually overnight The Whole Of Who I Am And What I Want when i’d only just even gotten to start......also i wanna say i maybe came out in 2011?? and i sort of also felt obligated to come out to my parents also (plus i think i was giving them like, one last chance to surprise me and be decent and kind of Grow Up themselves even tho i was the like, 16 y.o.) which yknow, kids you do not have to come out to anyone at all. someone was talking the other day abt how they didn’t think lgbtq “discourse” had evolved as much as you’d hope over the past decade, but idk about that, it's only a little bit of a wildly complex topic, and for starters Online Trans “Discourse” of a decade back was wayyyyyy in a vastly different place than it is now, leaps and strides really. so the way to ~really~ do it was presented kind of more rigidly i think. anyways i did it via email and was incredibly stressed to even open the reply a couple days later lol......which ended up being really weird and vague, and then there was a phone call where no one brought it up, and the only result was increased ire and resentment :( ........and then there was still like, cops encounters! near or not-as-bad-as-they-could’ve-been vehicular collisions! but tbh generally my reaction to the latter was underwhelming, except for one particular time when i was a passenger and also tense af for the rest of the ride. that’s it for Immediate fear really lol......oh wait one time i was at this decent sized Convention Panel Event and when i’m nervous i can Only talk more (it’s possible!!) and i snuck into line for the q&a and Right when i got to the mic (intimidating) they were like oop we’re low on time, lightning round!! :’] that was obviously more just a crapton of l’anxiete

37) a fashion that fell out of style that you wish would make a resurgence?

were Gladiator sandals this decade? the strappy deals that like, went up the ankles / calves? that was in fashion for a year or two and i’m into it. i like sandals and that kind of drama

41) something you learned a lot that not a lot of other people might know about?

i don’t know that i learned way a lot of anything that’s real in-depth knowledge and niche lore.........i have learned Nothing

43) an important relationship (of any kind) you had?

i had???? lmao well either way let’s say current relationships count and like, pretty much everyone in my Sphere i value a lot! i never like, have or have had a ~close~ ring of ppl around me lol like i thought it was lucky if i talked to someone Every Day (and not at all the Usual thing) and now it’s more likely that i talk to two people every day and maybe that sounds sarcastic but it’s not at all lol. i know my social stats aren’t impressive but i so appreciate what i get to enjoy and have. and other Connections might be way more like, we are friendly acquaintances, we talk on rare occasions, we haven’t talked at all in ages, we talk but only to trade cute pics of cats, Etc etc, but i seriously do appreciate all of everyone who’s cool who i get to interact with in any way and like, be in each other’s spheres and Not just like, absolutely on nobody’s radar. also obviously soph you are here in that list in case i wasn’t implying it good enough lol it is 5am and god knows deciphering what i say at any time can be its own challenge.....ur Epic Highs and Lows of bmc 3.0 is so good lmao

#hell yeah tysm now also i should go for Passing Outs #(where you pass out like knocking out)#thank you Three Other Asks i see and appreciate it as well #oh wait shit four!!!#lol #it's 5:20am bed time bitch all day hit the hay #i forget what i say here i've been on and off doing whatever for the past 5 hrs obviously lmao #nothingunrealistic1

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qualitytacolover · 5 years ago

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Megan Thee Stallion Hair is a symbol of pride for black women anime fans

New Post has been published on https://www.easypromhairstyles.com/megan-thee-stallion-hair-is-a-symbol-of-pride-for-black-women-anime-fans.html

Megan Thee Stallion Hair is a symbol of pride for black women anime fans

The highly anticipated release of Megan Thee Stallion's debut album Fever (May 17) has doubled as a national holiday for your sultry and self-confident fanbase. Although hip-hop heavyweight Juicy J and newcomer DaBaby make appearances, the Houston-bred "hot girl" remains the center of the show. And that's how we like it.

Megan's rise was one of the books. In early 2017, she catapulted into fame after attending a hip-hop cipher at Texas A & M University. People all over the country quickly noticed their conscious, deep-drawn river and so their fans, called "hotties", were born. Fast forward to 2019, and you stallion has hosted your own Spotify event, found fans, Rihanna, Kehlani, and SZA, and continues to release hard-hitting freestyles and other repeatable bodies of work.

She is also the first rapping woman signed at 300 Entertainment, home of Young Thug and formerly Migos. But with each ascent comes a humming crew of haters. One of the first sightings of this sad collective, properly known as "hotties," came in March when she shared a photo of her half-white, half-radiant red hair.

TODOROKI TINA pic.twitter.com/NSuvkATAxZ

– HOT GIRL MEG (@theestallion) April 22, 2019

The title was "TODOROKI TINA", a reference to the My Hero Academia character, Shoto Todoroki. Although a considerable number of people celebrated Megan's love for anime, there were those who questioned their affinity, men. For example, Twitter user @CourtneeHendrix user wrote, "No way Meghan the stallion watch anime. Your public relations team is firing. "

@TrippyTrxv also shared, "ngga yea i want to know what anime megan you stallion watches. Why? bc i love the shI and I like you. If she does not really see it, but dresses in anime halfway cosplay, I would be hurt. I would still do your music fw maybe tho. "Ultimately, these reactions ask the question: what would the stallion gain by showing people that he has fun?

The targeted criticism of naysayers is, to say the least, frustrating. After all, she's not the only woman who shares her love for anime (look at Southern rap goddesses Bbymutha and Purp Goddess), nor is she the first rapper, male or female, ever to do it. Emcees like Lupe Fiasco, Robb Bank $ and Migos' launch are also anime fans but have not been criticized to the same extent. If flagrant racist sexism is not the culprit, then what?

After the Global History of Anime, the first anime was probably released during World War I and created by Shimokawa Oten. The short, colorless rolls of film were either "disassembled", "disintegrated" or "destroyed", so little is known about the early days of this art form. Over the next few decades, anime developed into longer animations, with sound and color to boot. A report by Marwah Zagzoug states that during World War II, the Japanese government took control of the arts by threatening the artists who had also criticized the government. Those who disagreed with the new orders were forbidden to write and pushed to the margins of society. But those who stayed were supplied with artists' companies, militarized and charged with anti-propaganda propaganda.

After the war, anime finally returned to its original purpose: an outlet for joy and honest expression. One of the first visuals that had great success was the full-length feature Hakujaden (The Tale of the White Serpent), which also produced an American adaptation in 1961. Although Global History states that this was not the first crossover, it proved that anime could be a lucrative industry. Finally, television expanded its reach and consumption ballooned in the 1980s with the release of Dragon Ball, the third best selling manga ever. The introduction of Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon in the 1990s soon followed and until then, anime had become the monolithic Global Phenomenon that continues to generate revenue and inspire people of all ages. The Black community is a proud and important part of your loyal fanbase, and women have always been just as invested as men.

The "I liked it before it was mainstream" statement is still a pretty youthful, 2011 Tumblr-era vibe.

Although easy-to-find literature and the Internet have undoubtedly enhanced the profile of this art form, the statement "I liked it before it was mainstream" is still a rather youthful, 2011 Tumbler era sentiment. Unfortunately, there are people who continue to operate out of this logic and in the case of anime, the culprit party is mostly men. When it comes to Megan Thee stallion and her hairstyles specifically, you either wanted to prove to you that she is really interested in or just did not believe that she was even interested. How dare to invest in an attractive, popular, talented black woman in it?

It's another reminder that people continue to pursue the hobbies of black women, no matter what they are. So much so that the stallion himself addressed the controversy in an interview with XXL: "You must stop thinking that way. Poor B * tches may also like anime. "Luckily, a number of supporters, Black Women, have not been afraid to defend Megan and also speak their peace.

"It felt really good to me [weil die Leute] have this misunderstanding .. that black girls did not see anime like black guys when most of us had the same channels and caught the same Miguzi or Toonami block lol after school, "says Taylor, who pokers on @ sheisresting on Twitter , "We were definitely separated from the American anime wave back then. It was fulfilling to see a black female rapper with one such..mainstream potential not only acknowledge anime, but also call himself a fan, while loosely cosplaying your favorite characters. I had the feeling that there are also many black cosplayers who are constantly being told that you can not disguise themselves as Japanese characters because you have the wrong color. "

Taylor was not alone. In fact, over 100 responded when I asked a tweet for black women who were fans of anime and Megan thee stallion. User @dualityofman wrote: ".. I thought your hair would be cool! I'm from Texas and I live in Houston, so I have a lot to do with her. Their liking anime was just another thing we had in common … .I feel like many men hate to see women happy and enjoy things. It's as if you could not call you ugly because it's obviously NOT YOU. Can not say that she is untalented because she is just near everyone [Männer]comes out. She can not insult your intelligence because she is at school. So, let's SH * t like you for anime. I'm just looking for a reason to be mad at a black woman. "

Todoroki Tina

pic.twitter.com/nXycHk0izm

– HOT GIRL MEG (@theestallion) April 1, 2019

Misogynoir is a term used by the black feminist Moya Bailey and is intended to emphasize the way black men interact negatively with black women. It is also part of the root problem Black men have with Megan Thee stallion music, looks, interests and behavior. What confuses you most is your conviction about it. You can not believe that you are interested in anime, and you hate it for it.

Also worthy of note is the close relationship of Japan to the Black community outlined by Cecilia D 'Anastasio for Vice. It has included the mistreatment of mixed-speed (Japanese and Black) people and in the context of anime, a tiny number of non-stereotypical depictions of Black people. Japan is also notorious for its ubiquitous use of Blackface, which made headlines last year. D 'Anastasio notes that regardless of all these racial crimes, blacks continue to cherish anime and honor him through cosplay and songs.

Rare moments that acknowledge the enduring power of Japanese animation and an underrated part of your fanbase should happen more often.

In 2016, writer Amber Dixon also talked about the hurtful separations she saw and experienced as a black anime fan. These include observing brown skin as a metaphor for dark energy in Sailor Moon, the minstrel – like face of Mr. Popo in Dragon Ball Z and Blackface, to cosplay black characters. Like D 'Anastasio, Dixon continues in the worship of Anime Fort and notices the early and emotional connection she felt specifically with Sailor Moon.

Twitter user @imninm adds, "I know more black girls who see anime more than any race or gender. Personally, I have anime look as I could remember, from Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Sailor Moon, Hamtaro, Dragonball Z. I never felt like it was showing a "boy" or anything like that. I just liked what I saw and I still do. "In other words, anime will always have a special place in the hearts of female viewers, including high-profile rappers like Megan Thee Stallion.

View this post on Instagram

Bulma Snow

Make up @akilaface

A post shared by Hot Girl Meg (@theestallion) on Apr 22, 2019 at 5:57 pm PDT

In November 2018, and again this past April, she emphasized her devotion with a different hairstyle inspired by Bulma, a predominant character in Dragon Ball (the first is Goku). This time, instead of an overwhelming amount of criticism, Megan's cascading, Seafoam green locks initiated a tender co-sign from FUNimation, a dubbing and distribution company. "Love the style!" Wrote the company, with a cutesy gif attached by Bulma. Rare moments that acknowledge the enduring power of Japanese animation and an underrated part of your fanbase should happen more often.

Men should be proud that such a celebrity woman like the stallion shares a common ground with you, increases solidarity, and makes room for even more people to become fans. It could also force certain men to accept that women did not want to interact with you or go out because they were nerds, but because they were unbearable. Conscientiousness, happy black, female fans and good music? Thanks, Megan. Stream fever now.

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onestowatch · 5 years ago

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What Is Your 2019 Summer Anthem? | Staff Picks

“Summer anthem.” The term is thrown around in music journalism and idle conversation with such a reckless abandon that even we here at Ones To Watch are undoubtedly guilty of calling a fair share of songs a “definitive summer anthem.” Yet in spite of the arguable overuse of the term, it endures, because what is summer without a said anthem? As we find ourselves in the midst of the summer of 2019, we asked ourselves that very question.

The soundtrack to trips to the beach, twilight escapades, locking eyes at the club, wasting the days away in bed, and so much more–summer is not summer without a soundtrack. So, what single song defines the summer of 2019 for those of us at Ones To Watch?

Joji - “Sanctuary”

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A great song always feels tailored to the moment, even one as visually hyperbolic as the ocean etched road shimmying alongside the Okinawan Coast. I always love summer songs years after the fact, when they become an ether, inhaled in nostalgia over drinks or gasping laughter, a form of mental “Sanctuary.” I can’t wait for Joji’s earnest vocals to be my one call away, igniting my sonic synapses and taking me back to a hot, languid summer bus ride back from Churaumi Aquarium.

-David O’Connor

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keshi - “summer”

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Summer days are waning, real life is creeping in, and keshi’s music is here to guide you through the inescapable nature of it all. “summer” is taken from the enigmatic lo-fi R&B artist’s recently released EP skeletons and plays out with all the fleeting beauty of watching a firework burn out in the night sky. It is the score to summer flings that are drowned by the fear of what happens when real feelings develop. This is your soundtrack to sad boy and girl summer.

-Maxamillion Polo

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BURNS, A$AP Rocky, Sabrina Claudio - “Energy”

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This. This is the song that plays in the background when I lock eyes with my future ex-girlfriend at the day club. 102 degrees. Scorching hot. The woman that’ll break my heart in the worst way possible. But hey, it’s Summer 2019 and I don’t know that yet. I’m just trying to have a good time. But before we start dancing to “Energy,” let’s get A$AP Rocky out of Sweden.

-Green Lee

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SG Lewis, Clairo - “Throwaway”

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Featured on the aptly-titled Dawn, SG Lewis’ sunrise-illuminated conclusion to a wild night out, “Throwaway” is akin to capturing the very initial spark of summer love. Yet, with that spark comes the fear of abandonment. It is an otherworldly collaboration that perfectly pairs Clairo’s ethereal vocals with SG Lewis’ immaculate and understated production. Grab your summer fling, look up at the night sky, and make a wish on a shooting star while you hum the melody to “Throwaway.”

-Jenna Singer

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BAYNK, Hablot Brown - “Simmer”

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Two of my favorites decided to collaborate for this sexy number on BAYNK’s Someone’s EP II, and it contains all the sonic elements that make my heart flutter: sensual and smooth falsetto curtsey of Hablot Brown, subtle electronic enhancement courtesy of BAYNK, and a steady bass foundation that keeps you bobbing throughout. It’s the perfect addition to your next pool party DJ set, jor just the thing to alleviate the sunburn at your post-party wind-down. Simmer down, let’s go!

-Yasmin Damoui

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Dominic Fike, Kenny Beats - “Phone Numbers”

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Summer is not without its fair share of overcast moments, and Dominic Fike and Kenny Beats’ impressive outing is here to give you the perfect sonic accompaniment to those less than perfect days. “Phone Numbers” is for anyone who has ever felt that at-times endless nature of summer can indeed be the birthplace of your loneliest of times, as Fike and Kenny Beats pair buoyant production with wistful lyrical feats. This is a summer anthem that hits different.

-Jeffrey Young

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Mark Ronson, Angel Olsen - “True Blue”

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This unlikely duo has created a standout track that captures love, heartbreak, confusion, and lack of control all in one. "True Blue" is June gloom; it’s crying in the club. The song is filled with anticipation and power. It sets you in a haze that mimics those late summer nights where you contemplate all of your life decisions. This modern yet classic track is drinking banana daiquiris as you catch up with old friends who you have nothing in common with anymore. It’s clenching your jaw as you enter new uncomfortable situations in unfamiliar places. It’s dancing alone at the party, heartbroken or not, you’re alone and you accept it. I won't be able to listen to this track, or Markson Ronson’s stunning Late Night Feelings project without thinking of the summer of 2019.

-Jess Myers

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Zack Fox, Kenny Beats - “Jesus Is The One (I Got Depression)”

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Honestly, this song was created as a joke, but that seems to be the theme of hits this year. Zack Fox has been lighting up Twitter feeds with laughter for the past five years. Collaborating with rising hip-hop producer Kenny Beats organically has turned this parody into a viral TikTok hit. Name a better song about depression that came out in the past five years… I’ll wait.

-Malcolm Gray

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Rosalía - “Millionària”

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“Rosalía’s “Millionària” is the ultimate beach party song. Featuring the singer's iconic fluttering vocals, flamenco-inspired rhythms, and sun-drenched synths, this track will bring you right back to Barcelona’s sandy shores, drinking sangria with all the beautiful Spaniards during your semester abroad. Even if you can’t exactly live the lavish lifestyle Rosalía depicts in the song (because of, as she says, “fucking money man”), the track is sure to get everybody swinging their hips at your local barbecue, pool party, or summer soirée. Be sure to reapply your sunblock, because this song of the summer is extra hot.

-Brady Moses

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Emarosa - “Givin’ Up”

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Let me ask you: You are poolside drinking and “Givin’ Up” comes on. What do you do? If it doesn't get you dancing you're most likely drowning in sadness, or just drowning in general. Can we get a lifeguard, please? Either way, saxophone summer is here and Emarosa's leading the charge.

-Jimmy Smith, Editor of our sister site The Noise

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Mahalia, Burna Boy - “Simmer”

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With Hot Girl Summer in full-swing, Mahalia is bringing the perfect summer breeze to cool you down. “Simmer” sees the rising UK artist linking up with Nigerian star Burna Boy to deliver a track that balances a fervent passion with an effortless cool. Sampling Jeremy Harding’s infamous dancehall anthem “Playground Riddim,” which was, in turn, most famously sampled on Bennie Man’s “Sim Simma,” “Simmer” is the theme song to your Hot Girl Summer.

-Kendall Heyford

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Prince - “100MPH”

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Admittedly, “100mph” is a track that was originally conceived by Prince sometime in the mid-‘80s. However, with this summer’s posthumous release Originals, we catch a glimpse of the tracks that didn’t quite reach the Purple One’s perfectionist standards at the time. After an intro that can only be described as “triumphant cheese” Prince snaps into one of his most infectious melodies to date. Accentuated by a staccato vocal harmony, ripping snares and a bassline that you can chew on, this track brings the funk to the summer of 2019 like no other release I’ve heard yet this year. If this is not a summer vibe, I don’t know what is.

-Alec Wing

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Johnny Utah - "Honeypie"

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Within just a few seconds into "Honeypie," I could already predict that I'd be obsessed with this indie-funk masterpiece for months to come. Fast forward to two months later, and I still have this infectious tune on repeat well into the summer season. Not only does Johnny Utah gift us with his feel-good falsetto, but he crafts otherworldly funky pop melodies that'll have you dancing (or chasing your honeypie) in no time.

-Alissa Arunarsirakul

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Dreamville, Cozz, REASON, Childish Major - “LamboTruck”

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Dreamville or TDE? Dreamville or TDE? Why not Dreamville and TDE? While we constantly try to compare the two, “LamboTruck” shows that these two can play nice–except for REASON threatening to rob J.Cole. You won’t be hearing this in the club, but it’s my song of the summer because it packs a punch and shows you how who’s up next in the rap game. After you bump this song, might as well go listen to all of Dreamville’s Revenge Of The Dreamers III.

-Chase Nathan

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PVRIS - “Death of Me”

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Who hasn’t fallen down the rabbit hole by falling for someone… and no better time than summer to dive into something new, or realize that you’re already under the spell of a “sweet poison” and may need to get out immediately. PVRIS struts into this track woke to the precariousness of having such awesome yet powerful feelings. All wrapped up in a power anthem about becoming powerless, PVRIS gives us an outlet for the war between head and heart that we’ve all felt. It is a war that only gets worse at night, that we all fight, and that fvcks with our sense of wrong and right.

-Alexa Schoenfeld

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Bastille - “Nocturnal Creatures”

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My pick is off of Doom Days, Bastille's latest concept album which chronicles the various stages of the night. “Nocturnal Creatures” captures the thrill of being free of the stresses and responsibilities of the day to experience what nighttime has to offer. The song is perfect for a late, summer night drive as frontman Dan Smith melodically entices listeners to take control of the night and make the most of the few hours of freedom.

-Allissa Williams

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Megan Thee Stallion, DaBaby - “Cash Shit”

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How could we even talk summer anthems without mentioning Megan Thee Stallion? Hot Girl Summer has taken over the world and Megan Thee Stallion is leading the charge. More than just the meme of the summer, “Cash Shit” illustrates exactly why the Houston rapper is the next big thing in rap. Unapologetic, sexually charged, and utterly infectious, Megan Thee Stallion and “Cash Shit” will be playing on repeat for many summers to come.

-Miranda Hyman

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LAUNDRY DAY - “CHA”

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Well, my boss keeps blasting this from his office so that must mean it is a summer banger! The infectious project of five high schoolers out of New York, LAUNDRY DAY surely knows a thing or two about capturing the timeless energy of summers spent running around with friends, dreading the day when school rolls back into session. “CHA” is summer youth encapsulated.

-Hunter Halpert

#megan thee stallion #dreamville #johnny utah #mahalia #prince #rosalia #kenny beats #dominic fike #keshi #joji #clairo #mark ronson #angel olsen #ASAP Rocky #sabrina claudio

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voodoochili · 4 years ago

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My Favorite Songs of 2020

With nowhere to go and nothing to do in 2020, I had plenty of time to listen to as much music as I could stand. Luckily for me and for everyone else, 2020 supplied an embarrassment of musical riches; the endless creativity of our artists providing necessary emotional support during the Worst Year Ever™.

I’ve compiled my favorite 100 songs of 2020. Again, I limited my selections to only one song per artist, but as you’ll see, I couldn’t quite stick to it this year. Narrowing the list down to 100 was a painful process, with many excellent songs left on the cutting room floor.

Check below for Spotify playlists

Top 100 Songs of 2020: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ySKk19paBFgO698vw7HTs?si=-al-SyEsTqWzqKfmEraNFw Best Songs of 2020 (Refined): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ET0aA5TPj5JDsUtosaCVv?si=MyDxjcXKQpy3SNs7dV0wIQ Best Songs of 2020 (Catch-All): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0XxtEo0PrNSyZDWBCjJtuR?si=pBZWRoNGSGWBCaqxJrHoyw

Without further ado, my favorite songs of 2020.:

25. Yg Teck - “What You Know”: Yg Teck has one of the more prominent Baltimore accents in rap music, elongating “ooh” sounds and shortening “er” sounds with reckless abandon. “What You Know” is buried towards the end of his excellent mixtape Eyes Won’t Close 2, but it stands out as one of Teck’s strongest songs. The buoyant piano-led beat offers Teck an opportunity to reflect on his struggle with heart-breaking directness: “So what if they hate me, sometimes I hate myself.”

24. Brian Brown - “Runnin” ft. Reaux Marquez: Filtering the conventions of southern rap through his easy-going drawl and omnivorous musical appetite, Brian Brown is the brightest light in Nashville’s burgeoning hip-hop scene. Built around producer Black Metaphor’s circuitous jazz piano, “Runnin” is a soulful and poetic meditation on breaking out of the staid existence that can creep up on you if you stay still for long enough. Brown serves up the song’s irresistible hook and provides a grounding presence on his second verse, evoking the styles of two Tennessee rap titans: Chattanooga’s Isaiah Rashad and Cashville’s own Starlito.

23. 42 Dugg - “One Of One” ft. Babyface Ray: Detroit producer Helluva’s beats provide the tissue that connects the Motor City with the West Coast, creating anthems that mix D-Town propulsion with soundscapes perfect for a top-down drive down PCH. The Helluva-produced “One Of One” is an electric duet between two of the D’s most distinct voices: low-talking, whistle-happy guest verse god 42 Dugg and nonchalantly fly Babyface Ray. They trade bars throughout the track, weaving between squelches of bass to talk about the ways women have done them wrong.

22. PG Ra & jetsonmade - “Keeping Time”: The phrase “young OG” was invented for guys like PG Ra, who is somehow only 20-years-old. On “Keeping Time,” the South Carolina rapper spits sage-like wisdom about street life over Jetsonmade’s signature trampoline 808s, decrying nihilism and emphasizing the importance of holding strong convictions in a deliberate, raspy drawl: “Oh, you don't give a fuck 'bout nothing, then you damn wrong/Cause every soldier stand for something if he stand strong.”

21. Empty Country - “Marian”: After spending a decade as the main songwriter for Cymbals Eat Guitars, Joseph D'Agostino is an expert at crafting widescreen indie anthems. CEG is no more, but D’Agostino is still doing his thing, opening the self-titled album of his new entity Empty Country with “Marian,” a chiming and heartfelt power ballad with sunny vocal harmonies and a fist-pumping riff. It’s hard to make out the lyrics on the first few spins, but a closer listen reveals some striking imagery (“In a sea of Virginia pines/A burnt bus”), as the narrator imagines the life that lies ahead for his newborn daughter.

20. Raveena - “Headaches”: Raveena’s music is a soothing balm, capable of transforming any negative emotion into peaceful reverie. “Headaches” starts as a sensual, woozy, reverbed-out slow jam–typical Raveena territory, perfect for emphasizing the enlightened sensuality that she exudes in her vocals. The song mutates in its second half into an invigorating bit of dream pop, picking up a ringing guitar riff and a prominent backbeat as Raveena struggles to stay close to the one she loves (“There's no sunset, without you”).

19. Los & Nutty - “I’m Jus Fuckin Around” ft. WB Cash: In which three Detroit emcees receive an instrumental funky enough for ‘90s DJ Quik and proceed to not only not ride the beat but to fight so hard against it you’d think they’re training to get in the ring with Mayweather. I love Michigan rap.

18. Sufjan Stevens - “My Rajneesh”: I’ve never seen Wild Wild Country, or read about Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his cult, so I don’t know too much about the subject matter of “My Rajneesh.” I do know, however, that it’s a story that involves crises of faith and the state of Oregon, which means it fits perfectly into Sufjan’s milieu. “My Rajneesh” does an excellent job of relaying the ecstasy of a devout believer, layering celebratory chants, South Asian traditional percussion, and glitchy electronics into a 10-minute epic. As the song progresses, the sonic tapestry grows distorted, mimicking the emptiness that lies beneath Rajneesh’s surface and the darkness and confusion faced by his followers when the illusion fades.

17. Koffee - “Lockdown”: Leave it to rising dancehall superstar Koffee to find ebullient joy in a situation as bleak as quarantine. Weaving around piercing guitar licks and euphoric vocal samples, Koffee schemes to turn her lockdown romance (”quarantine ting”) into a long-term deal, fantasizing about travel with her love even as she’s content to just spend time in her apartment. Everything is dandy as long as they're in the same room.

16. Rio Da Yung OG & Louie Ray - “Movie”: Flint’s answer to Detroit’s “Bloxk Party,” one of the best rap songs of the past decade. Rio and Louie trade verses throughout the song, competing with one another to see who can be the most disrespectful.

Rio’s best line: “Ma don't drink that pop in there, I got purple in it/I know it look like Alka-Seltzer, it's a perky in it”

Louie’s best line: “Let me cut my arms off before I ball, make it fair”

15. Ratboys - “My Hands Grow”: “My Hands Grow” shines like an early-morning sunbeam, hitting that circa-2001 Saddle Creek* sweet spot with aplomb. But “My Hands Grow” is more than just a throwback–it’s an oasis, populated by sweeping acoustic guitars, electric leads with just the right amount of distortion, and especially Julia Steiner’s affectionate vocal, which blooms into gorgeous self-harmonies during the bridge.

*Obligated to add that this song came out before Azure Ray signed to Saddle Creek, but the point stands.

14. J Hus - “Triumph”: J Hus and Jae5 have the kind of telepathic artistic connection and song-elevating chemistry only present in the best rapper-producer pairs. A great example of how their alchemy blurs the lines between genres, “Triumph” is the J Hus/Jae5 version of a boom-bap rap track. Hus rides Jae5’s woodblock-and-horn-accented beat with unassailable confidence, gradually elevating his intensity level as he sprays his unflappable threats. Like most of Hus’s best songs, “Triumph” is home to an irresistible hook, which I can’t help but recite whenever I hear the words “violence,” “silence,” or “alliance” (more often than you think!).

13. Sada Baby - “Aktivated”: Every post-disco classic from the early ‘80s could use a little bit of Sada Baby’s wild-eyed intensity and dextrous flow. On “Aktivated,” Sada runs roughshod atop Kool & The Gang’s ‘81 classic “Get Down On It,” turning it into an irresistible and danceable anthem about going dumb off a Percocet. Sada is a master of controlled chaos, modulating his voice from a simmer to a full-throated yell within the space of a single bar. It really makes lines like “Coochie made me cry like Herb in the turtleneck” pop.

12. Yves Tumor - “Kerosene!”: Prince is one of the most-imitated artists on the planet, but while most artists can only grasp at his heels, Yves Tumor’s “Kerosene!” reaches a level of burning passion and sexual literacy that would make The Purple One proud. A duet with Diana Gordon, “Kerosene!” is a desperate plea for connection, each duet partner thinking that a passionate dalliance might cure the emptiness inside. The song vamps for five minutes, filled with guitar pyrotechnics and moaning vocals, its extended runtime and gradual comedown consigning the partners to a futile search for a self-sustaining love that won’t burn itself out when the passion fades.

11. Special Interest - “Street Pulse Beat”: “Street Pulse Beat” sounds like “Seven Nation Army,” as performed by post-punk legends Killing Joke. It’s a strutting, wild, propulsive anthem–part come-on, part self-actualization, all-powerful. Dominated by an insistent industrial beat and the fiery vocals of frontperson Alli Logout, whose performance more than lives up to the song’s grandiose lyrics (““I go by many names such as Mistress, Goddess, Allah, Jah, and Jesus Christ”), “Street Pulse Beat” was the song released this year that made me miss live music the most.

10. Megan Thee Stallion - “Savage” (Remix) ft. Beyonce: The first-ever collaboration between these two H-Town royals was the most quotable song of the year, firing off hot lines and memorable moments with an effortless majesty. Megan does her thing, bringing classy, bougie, and ratchet punchlines about the men who grovel at her feet, but it’s who Beyoncé elevates the track to transcendence. She prances around the outskirts of Megan’s verses, applying the full force of her lower register to her ad-libs (“THEM JEANS”), and during her verses, the Queen proves once again that you can count the number of rappers better than her on your fingers.

9. DJ Tunez - “Cool Me Down” ft. Wizkid: WizKid is almost alarmingly prolific, releasing enough amazing songs per year that he would be a worthy subject of his own “best-of” list. My favorite WizKid song of 2020 didn’t come from his excellent album Made In Lagos–instead it was this team-up with Brooklyn-based DJ Tunez. A favored collaborator of WizKid (Tunez is partially responsible for career highlights like 2019’s “Cover Me” and 2020’s “PAMI”), Tunez’s organic and textured approach to Afrobeats is an excellent fit for his voice, mixing swelling organs, 808 blocks, and the occasional stab of saxophone into a percolating concoction. The “Starboy” rises to the occasion, hypnotically repeating phrases in English and Yoruba, making octave-sized leaps in his vocal register, and stretching syllables like taffy as he sings the praises of his lady love.

8. Sorry - “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”: Part swaggering indie anthem and part skronking no wave, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” struts with the woozy confidence of someone who’s had just the right amount to drink. It’s the ideal throwback to late L.E.S. (or Shoreditch) nights, sung with irresistible gang vocals on the chorus and a detached sneer on the verse that jibes with the sinister undertones of the deliberately off-key backing track.

7. Destroyer - “Cue Synthesizer”: As Dan Bejar ages, he becomes less like a singer and more like a shaman, his incantatory near-spoken word verses grounding his band’s instrumental heroics. On “Cue Synthesizer,” Bejar plays the role of conjurer, summoning synthesizers and electric guitars in celebration of music’s ability to breathe life into modern mundanity.

6. Chloe x Halle - “Do It”: Pillow-soft R&B that walks the fine line between retro and futuristic, powered by the Bailey Sisters’ playfully twisty melodies and sumptuous production from a somewhat unexpected source. That’s right, piano man Scott Storch took a break from smoking blunts with Berner to deliver his smoothest beat since he teamed with Chloe x Halle mentor Beyoncé for “Me Myself & I” in 2003.

5. Fireboy DML - “ELI”: Nigeria singer Fireboy DML is an unabashed fan of ‘90s adult contemporary, worshipping idols (‘90s Elton John, Celine Dion) that even some devout poptimists wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. A modern-day retelling of the Biblical fable of Samson and Delilah, “ELI” seems to take inspiration from Ace of Base’s “All That She Wants,” its rocksteady beat, wobbling bassline, snake-charming flute, and “lonely girl, lonely world” lyrics recalling the 1994 Swedish pop smash. It’s a testament to Fireboy’s charisma and melodic mastery that “ELI” is as invigorating as “All That She Wants” is annoying. He switches from playful flirtation on the verse, to hopeless devotion on the chorus, to lascivious swagger on the bridge, gently ratcheting up the intensity in his vocals until the song’s climactic guitar solo* grants glorious release. *The build-up on “ELI” is so great that it makes it easy to ignore that the guitar solo itself is a mess. It sounds like the producers couldn’t get Carlos Santana, so they settled for Andre 3000 instead.

4. The Beths - “Dying To Believe”: If you’ve ever audibly cringed while thinking about something you’ve said or done in the past, The Beths have the song for you. Carried by its driving backbeat, “Dying To Believe” chronicles singer Liz Stokes’s rumination on a crumbling friendship, her fear of confrontation preventing her from removing her toxic friend from her life. Though the lyric is pained and uncertain, there’s no such lack of confidence in the music. An adrenaline rush of muscular, sugary power pop, “Dying To Believe” is an immaculate construction, each fuzzy guitar riff arriving with mathematical precision and each “whoa-oh” chorus hitting like a ton of bricks. Jump Rope Gazers might not have been as consistent as the Auckland, NZ band’s self-titled debut, but “Dying To Believe” is as good as anything on that album and helps solidify The Beths’ deserved reputation as some of the best songwriters and tightest performers on either side of the International Date Line.

3. The 1975 - “What Should I Say”/“If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”: I know, I know. I was supposed to only pick one song per artist, but sue me, this is my list and I just could not decide between these two. The 1975 have always balanced their affinity for ‘80s-style pop anthems with an interest in experimental electronic music. In 2020, they released the two very best songs of their career, each seemingly fitting into one of those two boxes. On its face, “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” is the band’s transparent attempt at recording their own “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”–it’s in D Major, it has a chugging backbeat, an echoing two-chord riff in the verse, and an ascending E Minor progression in the pre-chorus. Where the Tears For Fears classic takes a birds-eye look at the yuppie generation, Matty Healy uses his song’s swelling bombast and gleefully cheesy sax solo to explore the awkward intimacy of cyber sex. The burbling Eno-style synth that opens up “If You’re Too Shy” evokes a dial-up connection, simulating the thrill of discovery felt by those whose only connection to the outside world comes through their screens.

“What Should I Say,” meanwhile, combines Boards Of Canada-esque bloops with bassline that strongly resembles Mr. Fingers’ oft-sampled “Mystery Of Love”, over which Healy sings in a heavily-manipulated voice that sounds like the lovechild of Travis Scott and Sam Smith. Fittingly for a song about loss for words, the best moments of “What Should I Say” spring from vocal manipulations, imparting more emotional resonance than mere words could ever hope to provide. The final minute of “What Should I Say” is almost tear-jerkingly beautiful, as a single computerized voice cuts through cacophony, determined to let the world know how it feels, language be damned.

2. King Von - “Took Her To The O”: His career was far too short, but King Von had plenty of chances to demonstrate his god-given storytelling ability before he passed away in November. Accompanied by regular collaborator Chopsquad DJ’s chaotic, circular pianos, Von recounts an eventful night in his home neighborhood of O’Block. Von’s gripping narrative is packed with writerly detail (“Nine missed calls, three of them from ‘Mom,’ other six say ‘Duck’”), peeking into his justifiably paranoid state-of-mind (“My Glock on my lap, I'm just thinkin' smart”) and ending with a smirk on a bit of gallows humor that recalls prime Ghostface. Long Live Von.

1. Bob Dylan - “I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself to You”: It’s impossible to escape that 2020 was a year of mass devastation, on a scale not seen in American life since the second World War. In the midst of the cascading chaos of this year, I married my best friend. So it’s fitting that the song that resonated most with me this year was “Throat Baby (Go Baby)” by BRS Kash.

*Ahem* Excuse me. It was a love song, and not just any love song: the finest love song of Bob Dylan’s six-decade, Nobel Prize-winning career.

Bob Dylan spent much of the 2010s trying his hand at the Great American Songbook, applying his craggy croon to standards made famous by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. It felt like a weird turn for such an iconoclastic figure, one known for his massive (and valuable) library of originals. “I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You” proves that Bob’s covers and Christmas albums weren’t larks or cash grabs, but an old dog’s attempt to learn new tricks by digging into the past.

“IMUMMTGMTY” shares a lot of DNA with “The Way You Look Tonight” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” bringing florid metaphors and touching pledges of devotion, but it also inherently understands that love is a decision–a weighty decision that imparts great responsibility–as much as it’s a feeling. What really makes “IMUMM” sing is the tastefully folksy arrangement, which ties into the old weird America explored by Dylan’s compadres in The Band, filled with bright Telecaster leads and easily-hummed choruses. And the lyrics are excellent even by Bob’s elevated standards. It turns me into a puddle every time I listen. I’ll let Bob take it from here:

Well, my heart's like a river, a river that sings Just takes me a while to realize things I've seen the sunrise, I've seen the dawn I'll lay down beside you when everyone's gone

Here’s the rest of the list. Check back later this week for my albums list!

26. Katie Gately - “Waltz” 27. Bonny Light Horseman - “Bonny Light Horseman” 28. Bullion - “Hula” 29. Omah Lay - “Lo Lo” 30. Greg Dulli - “Sempre” 31. Fiona Apple - “Shameika” 32. Anjimilie - “Your Tree” 33. Key Glock - “Look At They Face” 34. Lido Pimienta - “Te Queria” 35. Morray - “Quicksand” 36. Obongjayar - “10K” 37. Xenia Rubinos - “Who Shot Ya?” 38. Kiana Lede - “Protection” 39. Flo Milli - “Weak” 40. G.T. - “What You Gon Do” 41. Chris Crack - “Hoes At Trader Joe’s” 42. Lil Baby - “The Bigger Picture” 43. The Orielles - “Memoirs of Miso” 44. Shoreline Mafia - “Change Ya Life” 45. Masego - “Mystery Lady” ft. Don Toliver 46. Junglepussy - “Out My Window” ft. Ian Isiah 47. Siete Gang Yabbie - “Gift Of Gab” 48. Rosalía - “Juro Que” 49. Black Noi$e - “Mutha Magick” ft. BbyMutha 50. BFB Da Packman - “Free Joe Exotic” ft. Sada Baby 51. Andras - “Poppy” 52. Lianne La Havas - “Weird Fishes” 53. Crack Cloud - “Tunnel Vision” 54. Lil Uzi Vert - “No Auto” ft. Lil Durk 55. Fred again… - “Kyle (I Found You)” 56. Burna Boy - “Wonderful” 57. Lonnie Holliday - “Crystal Doorknob” 58. Mozzy - “Bulletproofly” 59. Tiwa Savage - “Koroba” 60. Frances Quinlan - “Your Reply” 61. Ariana Grande - “my hair” 62. Bad Bunny - “Safaera” ft. Jowell & Randy & Ñengo Flow 63. Yhung T.O. & DaBoii - “Forever Ballin” 64. Katie Pruitt - “Out Of The Blue” 65. Sleepy Hallow - “Molly” ft. Sheff G 66. Niniola - “Addicted” 67. Prado - “STEPHEN” 68. Drakeo The Ruler - “GTA VI” 69. Boldy James - “Monte Cristo” 70. Caribou - “Like I Loved You” 71. Andy Shauf - “Living Room” 72. Hailu Mergia - “Yene Mircha” 73. Kabza de Small & DJ Maphorisa - “eMcimbini” ft Aymos, Samthing Soweto, Mas Musiq 74. Gunna - “Dollaz On My Head” ft. Young Thug 75. Roddy Ricch - “The Box” 76. The Lemon Twigs - “Hell On Wheels” 77. Sun-El Musician - “Emoyeni” ft. Simmy & Khuzani 78. Madeline Kenney - “Sucker” 79. Natanael Cano - “Que Benedicion” 80. ShooterGang Kony - “Jungle” 81. Don Toliver - “After Party” 82. Chicano Batman - “Color my life” 83. Pa Salieu - “Betty” 84. Chubby & The Gang - “Trouble (You Were Always On My Mind)” 85. Dua Lipa - “Love Again” 86. Rucci - “Understand” ft. Blxst 87. Skilla Baby - “Carmelo Bryant” ft. Sada Baby 88. Bartees Strange - “Boomer” 89. Jessie Ware - “Read My Lips” 90. The Hernandez Bros. & LUSTBASS - “At The End Of Time” 91. Brokeasf - “How” ft. 42 Dugg 92. Mulatto - “No Hook” 93. Eddie Chacon - “Outside” 94. Veeze - “Law N Order” 95. Polo G - “33” 96. Bktherula - “Summer” 97. Jessy Lanza - “Anyone Around” 98. Perfume Genius - “On The Floor” 99. ComptonAssTg - “I’m Thuggin’” 100. Mario Judah - “Die Very Rough”

Honorable Mentions: Jamila Woods - “SULA (Paperback)” Demae - “Stuck In A Daze” ft. Ego Ella May Good Sad Happy Bad - “Bubble” Guerilla Toss - “Human Girl” Kaash Paige - “Grammy Week” ft. Don Toliver Kre8 & CJ Santana - “Slide!” Laura Veirs - “Another Space & Time” Angelica Garcia - “Jicama” Malome Vector - “Dumelang” ft. Blaq Diamond OMB Bloodbath - “Dropout” ft. Maxo Kream SahBabii - “Soulja Slim” Shabason, Krgovich & Harris - “Friday Afternoon” Skillibeng - “Mr. Universe” Waxahatchee - “Fire” Westerman - “Float Over”

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easynaturalhairstyle · 5 years ago

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Megan Thee Stallion Hair is a symbol of pride for black women anime fans

TODOROKI TINA pic.twitter.com/NSuvkATAxZ

– HOT GIRL MEG (@theestallion) April 22, 2019

The "I liked it before it was mainstream" statement is still a pretty youthful, 2011 Tumblr-era vibe.

Todoroki Tina

pic.twitter.com/nXycHk0izm

– HOT GIRL MEG (@theestallion) April 1, 2019

Rare moments that acknowledge the enduring power of Japanese animation and an underrated part of your fanbase should happen more often.

View this post on Instagram

Bulma Snow

Make up @akilaface

A post shared by Hot Girl Meg (@theestallion) on Apr 22, 2019 at 5:57 pm PDT

Megan Thee Stallion Hair is a symbol of pride for black women anime fans

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sinceileftyoublog · 6 years ago

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Jessica Moss Interview: Failed Truths

Photo by Joseph Yarmush

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Best known for her work Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, violinist and sound artist Jessica Moss has developed a prolific and provocative solo career. Late last year, she released Entanglement, her second solo album. Like its predecessor Pools of Light, it’s divided into two distinct parts--this time around, a 20-minute track called “Particles” inspired by quantum theory and four numbered tracks of “Fractals”. An excellent record, it shows Moss continuing what made past releases so successful, the combination of layered, building, heady studio composition with raw and wonderful spontaneity.

I spoke to Moss about Entanglement from her home in Montreal last month the morning after her record release show. Be sure to catch her on tour right now opening for Julia Holter, including Thursday at Thalia Hall, and read the interview, edited for length and clarity, below.

Since I Left You: Entanglement has two distinct parts, the first inspired by quantum theory. When did your interest in quantum theory begin?

Jessica Moss: My interest in that started and ended just by hearing about entanglement theory almost in passing. I was listening to a podcast about something else, and they casually mentioned entanglement theory and how it works, with two particles becoming entangled and affecting each other at a great distance and forever. It blew my mind and opened up my doors about magical thinking and human entanglement and the way we affect each other. I found it romantic, and beautiful, and sad, and terrifying. It was an explosion of ideas, and I started working from there. I don’t have much of a grasp on the science behind it. The fact of it was the inspiration. It made me think more about us in the world. It’s pretty incredible.

SILY: The second part of the album saw you experiment with live recording--you recorded, amplified, and sampled.

JM: I always record that way. I pull things completely apart and then carefully put them back together.

SILY: So what differentiates the four parts of “Fractals”?

JM: Basically, I had this melody that had jumped into my mind and fingers. I’d play around with it every time I picked up my violin at a soundcheck. I knew I wanted it to be a focus for the record I was going to make. I was trying to find the perfect iteration and the perfect arrangement to feature this melody, and I kept trying to make the perfect version of it, and I kept failing at that. I would create the arrangements around it but couldn’t fit the melody in properly. But looking at what I had created around [the melody], I fell in love with [the arrangements] instead. It became a search for truth in a way. I was trying to express this one true thing, but I couldn’t. It made me meditate on, “What is truth?” Maybe the work you do around searching for truth is the truth. These four tracks are both failed attempts and better versions of this melody. It became a metaphor for allowing imperfect things to be perfect in their own way.

SILY: How do you adapt the tracks to a live performance?

JM: So far, I’ve been able to adapt only two of four “Fractals”--the one that’s all vocals and the last one, I feel that I can’t properly express them live by myself. I’m inspired and excited about gathering some kind of ensemble in the next while to be able to play those two parts that I feel need others with me, and also parts of the previous record I haven’t been able to express live either, the whole second half called “Glaciers”.

SILY: The parts you do perform live--when you’re on stage, do you go through that same mental truth-seeking shift when you’re up there?

JM: Yes, very much so. The “Fractals” pieces have sort of transformed as I performed them live. I travel usually by myself when I tour--no transportation, no sound manager--it’s just me, my pedals, and my violin when I show up. It’s given me this beautiful opportunity to give me a window into community efforts to put on shows. Communities of people who put on shows are little microcosms of communities working together. If I’m lucky, it’s a collective working on it, and I can witness and appreciate the different ways that collectives work. I can see similarities and differences everywhere I go. To me, it’s the most beautiful idea and thing in the world--people working together for the sake of working together and doing something good. In a small way, to put on a show, but in a big way, to change the world. I’m a solo vessel right now--a satellite--but I’ve had [collective work] in my life, and I look forward to having it again in my life. But right now, I feel a bit like a researcher of collective work. Somehow, the two pieces I do perform called “Fractals” have meant more to me as a meditation of working together. I think about that when I perform those two. When I perform the “Particles” side, I’m thinking about everybody in the room--connection, romance, heartbreak. I’m a pretty emotional performer, I’d say. [laughs]

SILY: In the past, you’ve been part of collectives--like some of the bands you’ve been in--but now you say you’re more of a researcher. What have you observed about commonalities between collectives?

JM: There are similar dynamics at play. Similar personalities get drawn in, and similar difficulties occur between people aiming towards the same point. I almost feel like the closer in kind the people are aiming towards the point, the more difficulties there are. If you’re almost on the same page as someone, it can be more painful than being on a completely different page. So I’ve observed dynamics that interrupt good work but also heroic efforts to get over those dynamics and point towards the original goal. That’s the most beautiful moment--learning to allow for small differences and working towards what you’re trying to do. Sometimes, it fails when you’re trying to get there.

SILY: Do you feel like the material, when you play it, takes on its own life? Has it expanded beyond when it was recorded?

JM: Absolutely. Entanglement I toured a lot before I recorded it, as did I “Entire Populations” on [Pools of Light]. Just by coincidence, the records had a similar experience in that the first half is something I created by playing it live, building it slowly but surely into what it was, but the other half came out of my mind as a goal and was created more in the studio. I have played “Particles” now 60 times live. It is never once the same exactly. The day it starts feeling like I’m playing something the exact same way I did yesterday, I’ll move on. I don’t want to put on a show that’s easy and that I can count on. Every night, it’s affected by who is there, the room, the amps I’m borrowing, the promoters that are there, the conversations I’ve had. It all feeds into that evening’s performance.

SILY: What else are you working on at the moment?

JM: I’ve been incredibly busy, so everything I’m working on at the moment has been in my mind. In terms of my own stuff, I feel like I could go into the studio and make another record right now, but that’s impractical, so I’m going to take my time and work slowly. I hope to have another release as soon as I can. [laughs]

SILY: Is there anything you’ve been listening to, reading, or watching that’s caught your attention?

JM: There’s so much in my mind right now, but I’ve been listening to the sound of wolves howling. I just listen to different recordings of wolves howling. I actually played some last night at my launch [show]. I came across somebody posting something about wolves howling, and I thought about how it’s such a beautiful type of communication. I wish we could communicate like that instead of the Internet. I wish we could go outside and howl longingly and talk about this fucking fucked up world. So basically, yeah, that’s what I would say is what I’m most thinking about at the moment.

#jessica moss #interviews #constellation #failed truths #joseph yarmush #Godspeed You! Black Emperor #Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra #entanglement #pools of light #julia holter #thalia hall #live preview #live picks #live music

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i-am-a-blue-dragon · 8 years ago

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If I'm doing all the music asks, so are you. I CHALLENGE THEE.

It has been a calendar year since you sent me this. SORRY. You know I’ve been busy. @groovyaviator also asked me Daft Punk, Fall Out Boy, and Led Zeppelin. Let’s do this.

- Alabama Shakes: Favorite female lead? Aurora.

- Arctic Monkeys: Favorite male lead? Chris Martin.

- Ben Howard: An album that reminds you of your favorite season? Aurora’s All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend, because it reminds me of when of that moment in late October when you realize winter is on its way. But I’m also a fan of our weather right now, so for that I would assign Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto. And I’ve also come to favor the weather around my birthday midsummer, and for that I’d assign The Golden Age by Woodkid.

- Bon Iver: An album you could listen to on repeat for years? Coldplay’s X&Y. Regina Spektor’s Far, as well as What We Saw from the Cheap Seats. alt-J’s entire discography. The How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack by John Powell. The soundtrack to Jane Eyre by Dario Marianelli. The Golden Age by Woodkid.

- Bastille: A song that brings back bad memories? Already Over by Red. Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood. The Ballad of John Hurt by alt-J, but the memory is more bittersweet than bad. Yes by Coldplay, tied closely with Two Birds by Regina Spektor.

- The Beatles: An artist you think is overrated? Ed Sheeran.

- Coldplay: A band you used to love but never listen to anymore? Coldplay, right now! I still love them very much but I’ve been listening to a lot of other stuff. Also, Linkin Park, Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin, Evanescence… I went through a phase.

- Daft Punk: Favorite instrumental (no vocals) song? The Heart Asks Pleasure First by Michael Nyman. It also is my favorite song, but specifically the composer’s cut version.

- Dawes: A genre of music you absolutely cannot stand? I really have a hard time with country. I’m sorry, Becca.

- Electric Light Orchestra: Favorite song to help you cheer up? I have a 75 song playlist of these, my dude. Rasputin by Boney M. reminds me of a ridiculous time in high school and never fails to make me smile, but most of the time my go-to is Everything’s Not Lost by Coldplay.

- Elliot Smith: Favorite song to listen to when you’re sad? I tend not to listen to a lot of music when I’m sad… but maybe the cover of Where Is My Mind by Bandit.

- Evanesence: Ever done drugs and listened to music? Lol no.

- Fun.: Put your music on shuffle and list the first three. Whatever happens, I blame Spotify: 1) Dust by Hans Zimmer (Interstellar soundtrack), 2) The Kill Ring by John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack), 3) Daddy Issues by The Neighbourhood. I only can recall listening to the middle one because I have a habit of saving albums to listen to later.

- Fall Out Boy: First album you fell in love with? Vocal: Linkin Park’s Meteora. Instrumental: John Williams’s soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

- Green Day: A song that makes you feel rebellious? Boss Ass Bitch by PTAF!

- George Ezra: A song that reminds you of a past lover? I don’t really have any of those, but you can refer to the bad memory response because it’s basically the same list.

- Genesis: A band that your parents always played when you were little? The Rolling Stones, because if it’s parents plural my dad is the automatic DJ and he plays classic rock exclusively.

- Hozier: Favorite brand new artist? How new is new? Brand new to me right now are Tom Odell and Glass Animals but both have been at it since 2012.

- Iron & Wine?: What song would you want to be played at your wedding?“ Sleeping At Last did a cover of The Proclaimer’s I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) that I absolutely fucking love. But I would rather do an upbeat surprise choreographed dance number for my first dance because I don’t know how I feel about sharing an intimate moment with my new spouse in front of all those people.

- Imagine Dragons: What song would you want played at your funeral? At the beginning? Talk by Coldplay. At the end, The Heart Asks Pleasure First by Michael Nyman.

- Jack Johnson: A song you heard in a movie and fell in love with? Hans Zimmer’s song Time off of the Inception soundtrack.

- Joy Division: Your least favorite album by your favorite band? Ghost Stories by Coldplay because it’s sad and boring. Probably also their newest album but I’ve refused to sit through all of it so I don’t know.

- The Killers: Name your top three songs of all time. So many repeating answers tonight! The Heart Asks Pleasure First by Michael Nyman; Talk by Coldplay; Aurora’s cover of Nature Boy.

- Linkin Park: Suggest a band you think I might like. @beccathevampyreslayer I think you’d really enjoy How to be a Human Being by Glass Animals because it’s equal parts dark and upbeat. @groovyaviator, listen to The Golden Age by Woodkid. Becca can tell you that I’ve loved that album for years because the artist is also a director and intentionally writes his music to make listeners feel like the hero of a film.

- Led Zeppelin: Favorite album art? HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME CHOOSE. The Golden Age by Woodkid. Literally any art featured on an album or EP for Sleeping At Last. The Resistance by Muse. Any artwork featured in EPs or albums by Fleet Foxes. Light & Gold by Eric Whitacre (if one is looking to buy a print for me I’d go with this one). Parachutes by Coldplay. The Lateness Of The Hour by Alex Clare. Anything used by Foster The People.

- Muse: Craziest music video you’ve ever seen? Nothing will ever beat the Turn Down For What music video.

- Mumford & Sons: Favorite cover version of a song you love? Any iteration of Nature Boy by Nat King Cole but especially Aurora’s version. The same can probably also be said for The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, but nothing beats the original.

- The National: A song you sing in the shower? (I Won’t Say) I’m in Love from Hercules!

- Nathaniel Rateliff: A song that never fails to make you emotional? Laughing With by Regina Spektor has like a 50% chance of making me cry, as does Coming Back Around off the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack.

- One Direction: Backstreet Boys or NSYNC? I liked both! I think when I was younger I favored NSYNC, but boy bands aren’t really my mode of choice for experiencing ‘90s nostalgia.

- Pink Floyd: You can go back in time to see any band you want. Who would it be? Coldplay when they were touring for X&Y. Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite as its debut.

- Queen: You can meet any band member, living or dead, and hang out with them for 24 hours. Who would it be? Eric Whitacre, who I have met before but definitely didn’t hang out with. He’s a hero of mine because he kind of walked into his hometown university, picked up music super late, and went on to redefine classical music. He was driven by passion, and his lack of early training really shows in the innovation in his work - the man draws PICTURES of his music before even trying to write down notes. And he collaborates with all manner of interesting people, pulling source material from really unconventional places. I’ve been contemplating a major change in life paths for the last year or so and it’s always very heartening to see someone do the same, and especially by sheer force of will.

- Radiohead: Favorite concert you’ve ever been to (or a band you want to see live). I saw Aurora live in November and she changed my life. Marina and the Diamonds was incredible and so was her opening act, Christine and the Queens, who I also love. Regina Spektor was so good live too. And seeing Ke$ha last fall was just a lot of fun. I regret not going to see Coldplay a lot sooner because I’d love to see them in general but I don’t like most of their newest music and I’d really rather hear stuff from Mylo Xyloto and earlier.

- Rihanna: A musician you respect, even if you might not like their music? I don’t really listen to Demi Lovato but I have mad respect for everything she advocates for.

- Roo Panes: Favorite acoustic version of a song? Aurora’s acoustic version of Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1). It’s haunting.

- Simon & Garfunkel: Favorite album movie? (Ex. Yellow Submarine, The Wall, Help!, The Graduate) Kill me later but I don’t think I have ever seen one in its entirety. I think I watched Help! with Becca, though.

- Skrillex: What’s the strangest song you have on your iPod right now? Rasputin by Boney M. and Chaccaron Maccaron by El Mundo.

- Tame Impala: A band none of your friends listen to? Aurora, Christine and the Queens, Tom Odell. Becca introduced me to the last one but she doesn’t listen to his discography actively.

- Taylor Swift: Name that one artist that literally makes you so angry you’re willing to throw the damn radio right out the window to make it stop. I’ll never be over the travesty of Robin Thicke. One of my favorite members of being a community advisor was our end of the year celebratory dinner, when the DJ started this song and the whole room stopped dancing and stared and him and I called over, “Please just change the song.” Rape culture is bad, kids.

- U2: A song or album that somehow got onto your iPod but you have no idea where it came from??? Weird. Probably some random movie soundtrack.

- The Vaccines: What are your favorite lyrics? Quote them for me. Do they mean something special to you? “Are you lost or incomplete? Do you feel like a puzzle, you can’t your missing piece?” “Are you what you want to be?” “Is this the life you’ve been waiting for?” “Good is better than perfect, scrub ‘til your fingers are bleeding. And I’m crying for things that I tell others to do without crying.” “I want to love you but I don’t know how.” “Are you getting stronger or is time shifting weight?” “Potentially lovely, perpetually human, suspended and open…” “You can’t pin me down!” You might sense a theme here. I think I do.

- Vampire Weekend: A band or artist you follow on Twitter? No Twitter for me, but if I did it’d be Eric Whitacre because his fans send him good music memes and he shares the best of them.

- Vance Joy: An artist where you can never tell what the hell they’re singing? Chevelle and George Ezra.

- Weezer: Favorite old school band? Simon & Garfunkel.

- The xx: A genre/band you’ve been getting into that you never thought you would enjoy? Synthpop.

#long post #hannah replies #about me #music #this was a fun way to procrastinate #my posts

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alivingroomatthebottomofalake · 6 years ago

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TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2018

This year I took a different approach to last year. Instead of seeking out as much music as I could and trying to absorb it all so I could make a comprehensive list of highlights, this year I just let myself gravitate towards the things I knew interested me, and let the things that really grabbed me stay on rotation for as long as I needed them to. Some albums became easy favourites, and while there's some albums on here that I admittedly spent a lot less time with than others, I honestly think that all of these releases have been influential for me in someway, and represent some of the most exciting and interesting listening experiences released this year. The order is super loose. I don't have a score/rating system and I don't care. They go more or less in order of things that I listened to most often, or things I got recently that blew my head off. I am limiting my descriptions to a short 50 words or so. I'll avoid talking about genre as much as possible, and hopefully you'll be compelled to seek out some of these releases yourself.

1. Tropical Fuck Storm - A Laughing Death in Meatspace

If you want huge fucking noisy guitar sounds and ear scraping riffs, witty and memorable lyrics, arrangements that will continue to surprise, and a raw uncompromising attitude, this is it. This album feels unabashedly Melbourne, and maybe that’s what I connect with, but it's so brutally cynical and honestly so, without any conceited hipster bullshit. It sounds so fresh. Nothing is held back, it’s full throttle creativity, and that's how punk rock should be.

Favourite tracks: Antimatter Animals, Soft Power, You Let my Tires Down.

2. John Zorn - The Urmuz Epigrams

Playing most of the instruments himself, Zorn has constructed some challenging, weird and thoroughly beautiful collages of sound, transmuting it into a music that will entice and entrance. The pieces are assembled from instrumental improvisations and field recordings, scattered with little miniatures of melody, and some sweet percussion from Ches Smith. It feels like he's really exploring sound in a new way here, it's the most fresh thing he's released in a long time, and for a guy with such a history, that may be saying something. He has brought his compositional mastery to the studio and taken a divergent step towards something exciting. It's a really dense and rewarding listen, and yet I can't wait for more of this.

Favourite tracks: This Piano Lid Serves as a Wall. Then Again, Who Amongst Us Can Complain.

3. Death Grips - Year of the Snitch

Death Grips deliver yet another shocker of filthy bombast. It's a very noisy, intense, and a very weird album by their usual standards. I feel like the group have completely transcended any/all attempts to categorise them. The "experimental hiphop" and "punk rap" type assessments are completely inadequate for a band of this calibre. They have put so much more into their music, and come through as a unique and unstoppable beast. This album effortlessly mixes up the noisy rockier side of their personality with the beatsy electronic stuff, and the vocals/lyrics are intense and obscure as ever, making it an exhilarating album of surprises. It's a totally wild ride from start to finish. This band just can't do anything wrong for me.

Favourite tracks: Flies, Black Paint, Streaky.

4. Senyawa - Sujud

Wow. Just wow. When this came out a couple months ago, I was floored. It's all the kinds of perfect you can imagine music being. It's mysterious as fuck, it's deeply moving, and it oscillates masterfully between warm and kind, to dense and ugly and intense. I have been lucky enough to experience the Indonesian duo Senyawa live in the past, and it was a fucking mind blower to say the least. This album follows on from that experience with amazing new ideas. The vocals are incredible. Rully Shabara can go so deep, it's an imposing sound, authoritative yet calming. His highs are otherworldly and beautiful. How well the voice moves around in the space of each composition is truly the charm of Shabara's skill. The versatility of instrumentalist Wukir Suryadi is also on display in this album, performing on a number of instruments, and crafting some unique moods in which to submerge your psyche. I'm a big fan of their smooth, warm, kind and meditative tracks, but I love it for the grit, the extremes they reach make this album phenomenal.

Favourite tracks: Penjuru Menyatu (Unified Counters), Tanggalkan Di Dunia (Undo The World), Sujud (Prostration).

5. Johanna Sulkunen Sonority - Koan

Finnish vocalist and sound artist Johanna Sulkunen created this gorgeous album, recorded in various Zen Buddhist temples around Japan. The music is all electronically processed arrangements of these temple recordings, with a big emphasis on the artist's voice, and the manipulation of the voice in space. Each track seems to focus on a single simple idea, and explore it beyond any sense of musical logic or tradition/formal process. So each piece in turn becomes a kind of sound koan, a question asked not to find an answer, but to understand that in the act of doing the question fades away and the truth emerges, often not the kind you were looking for. So it is with listening to this album, listening translates to an embodied understanding of the music, where the music emerges in ways you aren't prepared for. When it does, that moment is clear and joyous. It's a kind of avant-garde meditation really.

Favourite tracks: Shosen, Perfection, The Wind Moves.

6. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - Abstractions

Abstractions is a single long (22 minutes) piece of modular synthesizer music, that ebbs and flows and blips and pops it's way from surprising sound and riff to more bizarre surprising sounds and blips, fading between a series of beautiful and strange ideas that constantly feel like all manner of sanity is unraveling, yet still masterfully held together. Each gesture evokes shape and colour, the interplay of contrasting of sounds raises questions that otherwise might be overlooked. The balance of repetitive arpeggios and melodic material with the squelchy, almost cartoon like sound fx punctuating and dancing around the sound field, see-saws to and fro, never at rest, always at play. It's a really fun and playful music with lots of intrigue.

7. Thembi Soddel - Love Songs

Don't freak out, yep this is the album you put on, don't let the title fool you. Is there nothing more obnoxious and self indulgent than another fucking love song? How often I put on the radio only to here the most childish, and often misogynistic, cliches recycled in the name of "love". This album says fuck that. Soddel has created an epic record that explores the tensions and drama of love and relationships, using suspense and bursts of noise to articulate trauma and manipulation, all the bullshit that hides behind the closed doors of the seemingly pure intentions espoused in love songs. Sonically, it's a tour de force. Opening from silence, the sound takes ages to emerge, but the wild ride and aural and physical brutality that ensues is incredible. It's also (from a formal/compositional point of view) fucking beautiful music.

Favourite track: Who's To Blame?

8. Efrim Manuel Menuck - Pissing Stars

It's really beautiful to hear an artist trying new things like this. Coming from a guitar/post rock back ground, but on this album trying his hand at modular synth (and conveniently listing all the modules in the credits for the nerds playing at home), Menuck has sculpted some incredible songs from the ether of voltages. His vocal style, which I've loved him for in previous projects (SMZ stuff in particular) is on point as usual, and the balance of personal and political lyrical content is also on point. I'm a big fan of the way the songs evolve and grow with the the drones and soundscapes, and don't get trapped or watered down by trying to be songs. Everything feels loose enough and free enough, but in control. It's dynamic and strange and dense, and yet melodic and soulful, and full of nuance and subtleties.

Favourite tracks: Black Flags Ov Thee Holy Sonne, The State And Its Love And Genoicide, Kills v. Lies, The Beauty Of Children And The War Against The Poor.

9. Hekla - Á

I was so fortunate to see Hekla perform live recently in Iceland. It was a beautiful concert, and her voice and theremin playing were both captivating. Hekla performs more or less all the sounds on the album with only a theremin and some fx processing - namely loops, pitch shift/ harmoniser, and delays. The compositions are built around quite simple phrases, that allow space for her voice to be really emotive, and allowing room for more complex layers of theremin melody to take the limelight in the interludes between verses. The album is beautifully produced, and totally does the memory of the concert justice. Most of the songs are quite slow, and mellow, with a kind of melancholy to them. It feels very Icelandic in that sense.

Favourite tracks: Muddle, Hatur, Í Felum.

10. Jon Hassell - Listening To Pictures (Pentimento Volume One)

The idea of painting with sound, while not so new, is also not quite as often explored so literally. Hassell paints, and paints over ideas, layering up moods and genres, showing us one thing, and blurring it into something else. As a trumpet player, and at 81 years old, Hassell is still sounding hip as all fuck, but as a composer of electronic music, this album is quite new and special. Somehow, all the combinations - the jazz, the ambient, the electronic and Afrocentric percussion/beat driven ideas, the more abstract and textural synth stuff - it still all blends into something completely original, which continues on from Hassell's own unique "4th world" style of music. I'm really impressed, and as it's "volume 1", i'm really looking forward to more from him.

Favourite tracks: Picnic, Pastorale Vassant, Ndeya

11. Badskin - Where Was I?

Badskin is Melbourne based guitarist/sound artist Carla Oliver. Her new album is a gorgeous balance of subdued, floating melodies, drifting through impeccably crafted atmospheres. Utilising a broad range of sound sources, including the tinkling of bells and washing and swelling of cymbals, other more striking percussion, running water and whispering voices, gurgling synthesizers, and lots of gorgeously processed unrecognisable sounds that shift and move harmoniously to give the album its more musical qualities. The whole record kind of melts over you, like an evening mist, everything is obscured and dreamlike, and the effect is beautiful.

Favourite tracks: 3, 4.

12. YoshimiO, Susie Ibarra, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe – Flower of Sulphur

This year a lot of artists who I adore got together for collaborative albums, and none of which did I anticipate more greatly than this trio. And not because I expected anything more amazing than usual, but because it seemed like such an odd combo, and knowing each performer's work so well, hearing them in this kind of context, I had no idea how it would work. The album is 4 tracks, live, and all improvised. Thus it comes with all the ecstasy and trepidation of a first meeting improv, with things being explored, players really listening and feeling out the space. There never seems to be full blown apprehension, but the players are deeply sensitive improvisors, and as such, the music is continually made fresh and becomes joyous to indulge in. Also, it being an album of drums, voice, and modular synth all coming together makes this the ideal record for someone like me. I'm glad to know that they've continued to perform since this first record and I hope they release something down the line to document how far they may have come.

Favourite tracks: Bbb, Ccc.

13. John Zorn - The Book Beri'ah

Zorn has brought the Masada project to a close with this final release of 11 albums (which I am reviewing as the box set because reasons). In a similar vein to the Book of Angels series, Zorn has selected 11 different ensembles to arrange the compositions. This means obviously some albums are going to be very different to others, and personally I've enjoyed most of it, but some less so. Disc 1 by Sofia Rei and JC Maillard is definitely a favourite. With beautiful words set to Zorn's melodies, the whole thing feels like a global music fiesta, bridging the Jewish influence with a South American folk style that feels so right it's almost unbelievable. Disc 2 by Cleric is a complete departure, with some of the most brutal jazz infused metal, it's perfectly wrong, and probably my favourite in the set. The Secret Chiefs 3 disc is very much what you would expect from Trey Spruance and co, and it's also a highlight, although I feel it's different to (and maybe not as awesome as) their Book of Angels release, it's still as varied and exciting. These three discs alone would all make this set worth the purchase even if the rest were terrible (they're not). But I won't go into all of them. The Spike Orchestra album is pretty cool, and I'm a big fan of the Banquet of Spirits album. There's enough music going on here to last a year, so if you plan to go down this rabbit hole, take your time because you'll need it.

Favourite tracks: To be honest, I'm still working my way through most of these albums, and I can't pick a favourite track yet.

14. Keiji Haino & Sumac - American Dollar Bill - Keep Facing Sideways, You're Too Hideous To Look At Face On

Heavy, noisy, ecstatic, and phenomenal. Sumac are a tight and brutal band, and the additional chaos injected by Haino makes this album as joyous and intense and just downright awesome as the title(s). The album flits between slow hard doom like riffs, through to long droney and experimental passages of feedback and Haino's signature vocal explorations. With song titles that go into great detail, it's an album that evokes a lot of strange thoughts and feelings. Mostly it's just a lot of surprises and exciting musical shifts, as the band keep changing it up, swelling and diving and destroying music at every possible turn. I feel like this is one of those "not for everyone" types of heavy albums, maybe due to the improvised feel of much of the music, but fuck that, this is the shit that everyone should be across.

Favourite tracks: What have I Done? (I Was Reeling In Something White and I Became Able to do Anything I Made a Hole Imprisoned Time Within it Created Friction Stopped Listening to Warnings Ceased Fixing my Errors Made the Impossible Possible? Turned Sadness Into Joy) Pt. 1, I'm Over 137% A Love Junkie And Still It's Not Enough Pt. 2

15. William Basinski + Lawrence English - Selva Oscura

A collaboration between two of the masters of the ambient minimal soundscape, Basinski and English have created a lush, evolving world of sound that teases us with stasis but perpetually drifts and sheds layers, constantly swelling and changing just enough. It's peaceful, but it's not empty. The first track is liquid, and mostly calm, the few moments of turbulence are there to remind you to keep your ears attuned. Track 2 has more recognisable pulses and movement in the air, almost as if the music itself were made by the wind. This piece has a lot of shifting frequency and movement. It's a constantly intriguing listening experience that asks very little of the listener, and once you give it your attention it's immersive and delightful.

Favourite track: There are only 2 so listen to them both!

16. I Hold The Lion's Paw - Abstract Playgrounds.

A treasure-trove of slinky grooves and expansive, exploratory free jazz stylings, executed with a level of mastery that is to be expected with these players. Side A is a big live improvised jam, and side B is more composition focused, but also built from restructured moments from side A, not merely remixes or a refined and practiced formula, the group have gone deep into the ideas and made something much more surprising. Some of the tracks resemble something much more electronic and abstract than would be expected in a free jazz context, and yet, it always seems to fit. In fact I think the second side is more interesting and as a frame for the more straight up 70s free jazz stuff, it makes for a richer, deeper experience.

Favourite tracks: Snake Charmers' Convention, (intakes from the) Snake Charmers, Deluzian Lawn Bowls, Afro 1.

17. Alessandro Cortini + Lawrence English - Immediate Horizon

A Live recording of two of my favourite artists collaborating at Berlin Atonal. Immediate Horizon is a slow build, but it becomes engulfing and mesmerising before you're ready for it. The compositions are simple enough, often built on layering slowly evolving parts and increasing the density and pushing the extremities of tone. The elements are also quite simple and sparse, with pulsing bass synth tones underlying simple looping melodies that layer up, fill the space and blur reality with epic reverb. There are moments of complete bliss and there are moments of complete overwhelming intensity, with a massive guitar sound that feels like it's being played inside your ears as it tears through the drones. overall it's an epic sound journey, and one that deserves some volume when listened to, as I'm sure it would have been a loud concert. The sounds are amazing and it has a great impact.

Favourite tracks: Immediate Horizon 2 +3.

18. Iki - Oracle

Iki are a 5 piece vocal group from various parts of Scandinavia, using experimental/extended vocal techniques and electronic sound manipulations to create some really interesting and beautiful music. Each track takes a seemingly simple idea or theme, and teases its way through, building the curiosity, smearing the organic sound across the air and ears, playing with space. The vocals are immaculate, they are all great singers, and they are doing some very fun and cool things with electronics that make this an exciting listen. The additional bass synths that support the voices is a nice touch, really filling up the frequency spectrum, and providing a good foundation for the shifting harmonies and textures.

Favourite tracks: Reflex, Archaea.

19. Tim Hecker - Konoyo

This is some of the best music I've ever heard. Hecker created this album in Japan with the Tokyo Gagaku ensemble, and it's co-engineered by Ben Frost. The music has such a sublime, organic, and dare I say lazy quality to it. The melodic contours and slowly evolving forms verge towards ambient music, but the intensity is too high, the dynamics are too engaging. The synths in the mix are gorgeous and full. The relationship of the electronics and traditional Japanese instrumentation is intricately woven, bridging the past and future, articulating a wholeness, and simultaneously letting the idea of meaning kind of drop away. It's fucking gorgeous and I want to know more about it, but at the time of writing this I've avoided finding out too much about the process because I'm trying to simply enjoy the sounds. Which is easy enough.

Favourite tracks: Keyed out, In mother earth phase.

20. Caterina Barbieri - Born Again in the Voltage

Barbieri is an artist who is new to me, but I am quickly a fan of any composer who can make musical sense of a Buchla 200 system. The 4 pieces here show a mastery of the system, opening with a minimal repetitive phrase piece that plays around with clocks and sequencing, really playing with time, using the tempo divisions and shifting LFO rates as tools for sculpting form. The second piece, which is performed by cellist Antonello Manzo, is a beautiful layered drone piece, that shifts around tones and harmonics, peaceful yet complex and dynamic. The cello and synth come together on track 3, the acoustic and electronic sound are integrated so well, one could almost forget it's a duet. The melodic phrase sequencing that closes the track and the subsequent atmospherics are beautiful examples of the possibilities of modular synth music. The album closer is more up tempo, and more of a a straight up synth sequence track, sounding a bit computer/scifi music, with some vocals in the background. It's a strong finish to a complex and delightful record that explores and expresses the human/machine relationship.

Favourite track: Human Developers.

21. Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch - Thought Gang

Although recorded in the early '90s, Thought Gang doesn't sound dated, or like an after thought, it sounds so good. I am a little surprised that a lot of this material didn't make it out into the world sooner, but I'm glad it has now. As a fan of Lynch, and Badalamenti in general, I think this album fits the overall canon of the artists' work. It follows the sound of the late Twin Peaks world, mixing jazz with moody dark ambient flavours, and with the surreal spoken work passages it sounds like it could be a continuation of themes and ideas and lore that we've experienced on screen. It sounds very "today" for a project that took over 2 decades to get out. I'd love more of this in my life.

Favourite tracks: Logic and Common Sense, Woodcutters from Fiery Ships, Multi-Tempo Wind Boogie.

22. Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow - Annihilation (Music From the Motion Picture)

As a massive fan of the book series this film is based on, I had very high expectations for this film adaptation. I enjoyed it, and although it leaves out many of the things I felt were the best elements of the book, it stands up as a really great version of the story. Part of what works so good for the film (the visual style is the other part) is the music. Salisbury and Barrow (who were also responsible for director Alex Garland's Ex Machina score) really got into the DNA of the Area X when constructing the themes and sounds for this film. The way the sonic themes mutate and cross pollinate with each other, altering and adopting sounds and patterns as the film progresses is much clearer in the listening experience. Particularly how the guitar and vocal/choral stuff evolves, and how the wider instrumentation adopts and evolves with those themes. It's a different experience listening to a film score to listening to an "album", but either way, I think it works well enough. This is amazing music, and should be enjoyed as such.

Favourite tracks: The Alien, Lighthouse Chamber, Sheppard, Plant People.

23. The Body - I Have Fought Against It, But I Can’t Any Longer.

The Body work that I know is brutal, and abrasive. I think of them as a noise band, but this album is so much more. In fact, the first 2 tracks, whilst a bit dark, are also really melodic and gentle and beautiful. It takes a while before the heaviness kicks into gear, but it does and it does so brilliantly. This album is very diverse, and just when you think you've got it pegged it will throw a new idea at you. Whether it's a guest vocal or sample, a certain beat flavour or drum machine, or just switching it up from atmospheric to brutal density, The Body are constantly branching out into new territory. The Drums on this albums are a highlight. As is the use of feedback, and the vocals, all of them, are wicked. Also, the story at the end of the album is fucking creepy weird. Very cool.

Favourite tracks: Nothing Stirs, Off Script, An Urn, Sickly Heart of Sand.

24. Ryuichi Sakamoto – Async: Remodels

Firstly, I will admit I didn't love the album that these remixes were drawn from. I remember listening and moving on quickly (maybe I should revisit). I loved Sakamoto's Plankton release, and generally I'd say I'm a fan. However... This remix album features a who's who list of some of the best, some of my most favourite artists reworking and owning Sakamoto's music, doing some beautiful things with the themes, and sounds. Opening with a beautiful and luscious and triumphant Oneohtrix Point Never reworking of the track Andata, moving into the only really beat focused mix of the same track by Electric Youth. Alva Noto is on here, Arca is on here, Fennesz is on here, and they all contribute amazing remixes. The great late Johan Johannsson reworked a track, and my old hero Cornelius drops a remix on here too. So many good tracks. There are some other artists that are new to me on here too, all of who made great contributions. The whole thing is a great listen. It keeps the original spirit of Sakamoto's music intact, but stretches the sounds out through such varied worlds and hearts and perspectives, and it's joyous, relaxing, and super interesting.

Favourite tracks: disintegration (Alva Noto Remodel), solari (Fennesz Remodel), solari (Jóhann Jóhannsson Rework), andata (Oneohtrix Point Never Rework).

25. Merzbow + Hexa - Achromatic

A collaboration between 3 of my favourite artists, Achromatic is an incredible statement of sound practice and composition beyond the norms of music, it makes the idea of musical notes feel forever inadequate. Hexa (Jamie Stewart and Lawrence English) make music exploring the physicality of sound, and pushing it to the extreme, so pairing up with the legendary Merzbow, one could understand they're about to be taken on a wild ride into the sonosphere. It's not without its subtleties. There's some incredible mixing going on, the frequency bands and the sonic power are all so well composed and controlled. The arrangements for each side of the album seem to be variants of each other, with different mixes and forms of the same or related material. It's hard to get better than this kind of exhilarating sound. Turn it up.

Favourite tracks: Merzhex part 2, part 4, Hexamer.

26. Nadja & Vampilla - Artificial Acts of God

Berlin based, drone experimentalists Nadja, join forces with the eclectic and dramatic Japanese metal band Vampilla for what is one of the best things I've heard from either act in a while. It might be only 3 tracks, but it's packed to the rafters. The first 7 and a half minutes is an epic building noise piece, beautifully dense, immersive and engulfing, and eventually, as it subsides, the doom begins. The heaviest bass sound I've heard all year. Things get terrifying as the track continues, and the tempo accelerates. It doesn't let up, and shit just gets louder and thicker. It's so fucking brutal. Things continue with some chorale vocals, and some more delicate/atmospheric passages, and the overall form continues to oscillate between strange/suspenseful and intense/brutal. It's awesome.

Favourite track: That Day

27. Eartheater – IRISIRI

I have difficulty putting into words exactly what it is that makes Eartheater so interesting to me. New York based Alexandra Drewchin's work is quite a mix of ideas, and the balance of those ideas isn't exactly comfortable. I guess boiled down this is an album of songs, I want to say pop songs, but abstracted beyond anything the mainstream would handle. The songs have vocals, and many have beats, it's got all the elements of accessible music, but the forms are mutated and the ride is different - the destination is still unknown. There's some interesting blends of electronic and acoustic instruments, such as the analogue synth pulses up against luscious harp glissandos in Curtains and Peripheral, or the cinematic string loops against the stumbling beat and mumbled vocals on Inclined. Some of it feels dark and twisted, and some of it feels incredibly joyful, but the work all has an uncompromisingly personal honesty to it. For me this is the album's strength. It's not forced, but fresh. The processes are matured and self aware/assured. If this was the future of pop music, I'd be happy to turn on the radio more often.

Favourite tracks: Curtains, Tresspasses, C.L.I.T.

28. serpentwithfeet – Soil

Following up an awesome EP from a couple of years ago, serpentwithfeet comes at us with new sounds, exploring new ideas in a rich variety of new songs of tragedy and love. His voice is intoxicating. Seriously. I really enjoy that the music isn't overblown or overproduced. There's a subtly at play in the arrangements that let the voice extend out, be as flamboyant and expressive as it wants, and play around. They're trying a lot of stuff in the production, and the songs are weird, but the voice is always there to nurture and comfort and take the lead. It's the mix of avant garde production and arranging, with the melodramatic intensity of the vocal that makes it so interesting for me.

Favourite tracks: Messy, Fragrant, Invoice.

29. Sarah Davachi – Let Night Come On Bells End The Day

Words like drone, minimal, and ambient don't do justice to the work that Sarah Davachi makes. Her work is perhaps simultaneously all those things on the surface, yet, the depths of the frameworks she works with are infinitely more complex. Her sonic processes dissect time while articulating its form. If that sounds like a weird or wanky thing to say, one only needs to sit with any of her albums for a few minutes to understand it. Let Night Come On Bells End The Day feels like a kind of temporal displacement, a sonic kind of time machine. Each instrument and subsequent manipulation of the sound slows life down, reveals hidden depths to the timbres, and the arrangements meanwhile seep into the mind, mingle with memory, until you're lost in the mix.

Favourite tracks: Buhrstone, Mordents, Hours in the Evening.

30. CECILIA – Adoration

An incredible debut album of abstract electronica from Montreal artist Cecilia. I first heard of her from her contributions to last years Rabit album, a collaboration that couldn't have been more perfect when one hears her solo music. A wonderland of abstract forms, with hints of rhythm and a sprinkling of beats, teasing, hinting at a club background, but never succumbing to mere quantisation and repetition. The voice is the central focus - spoken, sung, whispered, processed - and everything else is there to support it, but not with a pop song instrumental hierarchy, the soundscapes and voice co-mingle and become one, and often are one and the same. There's also so much space on the album, it's immersive and completely amazing.

Favourite tracks: Gros Animal, Récital (Where Your Money Ends), Teen Poise.

31. SUMAC - Love In Shadow

An album of four epic tracks, crunchy, pounding, and exploratory. Each track could almost be broken up into three or four tunes, but I really like how the group have chosen to frame these sections under the one title, which makes listening a different experience. It's all out brutal at the opening moment, and Aaron Turner sounds as perfect as ever vocally (one of my favourite low growls of all time, but also pushing his range out there a bit in the later tracks). The record moves from fast, to thundering breakdowns, to impending doom, but also allows some space, with some warmth and introspective nuances. It's just great to hear a band like this come out with so much solid material in a year. Sick riffs and epic volume!

Favourite tracks: Arcing Silver, The Task.

32. Idels - Joy As An Act Of Resistance

Idles debut album blew my mind. Such a powerful band, with great lyrics, a real return to meaningful anti-establishment, working class punk rock. I was shocked that they followed it up so quickly, and yet, so glad. On the whole, where Brutalism felt really live and full of enthusiasm, Joy feels more stripped back and reflective. The opener, Colossus is so different to anything I would have expected from them, yet it's such a perfect track and it's a great revelation great how deep the groups music can go. June is a real tearjerker, a tragic song about being an expecting parent, it breaks up the angry tunes and grounds it in a personal reality that is so starkly honest it hurts. There's so much rocking good music on here. Idles are one of the smartest bands around right now, and they are going to change shit.

Favourite tracks: Colossus, June, Samaritans.

33. Paul de Jong - You Fucken Sucker

I was a big fan of The Books back in day, and in the years since, although enjoying Nick Zammuto's new direction, I often wondered about Paul de Jong and what he might be up to/working on but just never realised he had started releasing new music. Alas, this year he released this amazing collection, very much still aligned with his found sound/collage experiments from the Books days, still mashing up genre and playing with elements in a seemingly intuitive and playful way, but this album seems to be a bit spiteful, and kind of rebellious and raging in a kind of Dada way. It's angry but with a sense of humour. Lots of sounds to explore here. I recommend you do.

Favourite tracks: Doings, Dimples, You Fucken Sucker.

34. Uboa - The Sky May Be.

A contender for the title of most downright intense performer in Australian music right now, Xandra Metcalfe, aka Uboa has produced a thrilling, confronting, disturbing, and otherwise exhilarating new record. Uboa's mix of harsh noise and melodic ambient warmth makes for an album that constantly surprises and brutalises, drawing the listener in with gorgeous passages of abstracted yet recognisably sublime musicality, and moving into complete onslaught mode, delivering the ol' 1, 2 combo with an avalanche of sonic detritus and more than a lung full of blood curdling screams. The arrangements are immaculate as is the production, and the overall album structure is quite the epic journey.

Favourite tracks: I Can't Love Anymore, The Sky May Be (Dementia), Salivate on Cue.

35. Thom Yorke - Suspiria

This remake of a cult classic film worked for me on so many levels. The team really delved into the world that Argento created to make a phenomenal reworking, and they ran with so many creative liberties that it was a powerfully artistic work that stands on its own. And then there's Thom Yorke's score, which I really enjoy as a soundtrack album, but I feel was the main thing that weakened the film. The music here, Yorke's first full feature score, is mostly awesome, and the inclusion of songs among the horror tropes is cool. I'm also really glad that Yorke avoided trying to do a Goblin ripoff, although he probably could have made that work (National Anthem/Pulled Apart by Horses both come to mind as bass riffs that show he knows how to get shit rocking). Overall, I enjoy the material on here, and it show's Thom has an interesting future in cinema ahead of him, but in the film, there were some parts that didn't quite land, and that's a shame. Still, there's enough here to enjoy without the film attached.

Favourite tracks: Olga's Destruction (Volk tape), Volk, Has Ended.

36. Klein - CC

Klein essentially takes the worlds and tropes of "urban" and "beats" and destroys them. It's the ultimate abstraction of mainstream music processes. You can hear all the elements - the beats and the raps, the samples etc - but they don't fit together how you are used to. Their earlier release Tommy was a wild ride and a mesmerising introduction to the artists work (check that out too), and to follow that up, CC develops the process of abstraction and genre deconstruction even further. I'm not sure if it's more listenable or more interesting or if I'm just acclimatising, but I like it.

Favourite tracks: Collect, Born, Apologise.

37. Erik Griswold - Yokohama Flowers

I've loved Griswold's previous albums of prepared piano music, and this is no different. The music is gorgeous, simple, moving. But something about the preparations also makes it feel exciting and foreign, and maybe a little eccentric and broken down which is a quality I really like. Each composition is a little slice of perfection, and the album is a really enjoyable treat to sit with, or to have playing in the background.

Favourite tracks: Fallingwater, Ball-peen Hammer, Color Wheel.

38. Cucina Povera – Hilja

The debut album from Finnish born, Glasgow based artist Maria Rossi aka Cucina Povera is a box of curiosities, like the sort of songs you would remember from a dream, but be unable to articulate as you started focusing your memory. Features sublime minimal synths and atmospheric field recordings, and a verstile vocal style, that overlaps and loops and interplays with itself. Like something from a Lynch film, Hilja is mystereous and beautiful, and quality music.

Favourite tracks: Demetra, Avainsana, Totean

39. Colin Stetson – Hereditary

Thoughts on the movie aside (I liked it) Stetson comes at the film score with all his strengths and his experimental spirit to make an incredible piece of suspense and horror. The circular breathing saxophone riffs create a suffocating, traumatic feeling, that works brilliantly in the film, and as a general listening experience, the way the soundtrack album is structured, it works as a suspenseful journey too.

Favourite tracks: Funeral, Party, Crash

40. Oneida - Romance

Generally a diverse yet focused group, Oneida tend to oscillate between the extremes of minimalism and all out noise/experimental expansive maximalism. For example, my first experience of them was the brilliant repetition based album Absolute II, 4 very minimal tracks that are still favourites to this day. After that, their release A List of the Burning Mountains was an all out sound exploration, with very little repetition, and much more improvisation. Romance somehow brings the best of both these personalities of the group's musical character into a kind of balance. Excellent repetitive riffs and sounds underpin some more adventurous playing, and exploratory songwriting, and it makes for an exciting yet hypnotic album.

Favourite tracks: Bad Habit, Reputation.

41. Beak> - >>>

Although previous Beak> releases have been much darker, moodier, and more minimal, I feel like they have been cultivating and moving towards this unique, analogue progressive style all along with very precise steps. Although the band line up has changed since the last record, the same influences are still strongly at play, and the band have never been shy about where they've come from. However, this album feels a bit more celebratory, reveling in the process, and being more adventurous with the context, and it makes it feel fresh. I think Barrow's drumming is the best I've heard him, and the vocals are really strong on this album.

Favourite tracks: Birthday Suit, Harvester.

42. CUTS - A Gradual Decline

I first heard CUTS on the Ex Machina OST, and was anticipating more instantly. What we got here was not exactly what I anticipated, but is excellent none the less. One of the few beat/metric based electronic albums i've enjoyed this year, A Gradual Decline uses the degradation of sound as analogy for the decline of civilisation and environmental stability. It's beautiful but also represents something very bleak in a fragile way.

Favourite tracks: Pollen, Maboroshi, From Here to Nowhere.

43. Rabit - Life After Death

I was a massive fan of Rabit's last album and this album is very different. There's some similar types of abstraction and mutilated forms going on, but the sonic palette is different. I think it's cool when artists branch out and avoid repeating themselves, and Rabit has done that here. The sounds are often dark and mysterious, and I love the nightmarish, dreamscape type approach to form, and the disjointed relationship with genre, which is surrealistic verging on cinematic. Rabit is developing an important part of the new school electronic experimental scene for sure.

Favourite tracks: III, Blue Death.

44. Liars - Titles With the Word Fountain

As a follow up to last year's Theme From Cry Fountain, Angus Andrew's now solo version of the band Liars dropped a much more experimental companion album this year. The version I got is actually both albums together, and it makes for an interesting new take on what wasn't really that much of a favourite last year. The new material is abstract. Yet I feel like Liars is always going to be a an entity I will get confused by, whilst simultaneously excited about, especially now it seems that Andrew has gone through the existential anguish of being left at the proverbial alter. Musically, this album has a lot of sound experiments, and noisy sample based electronic beat stuff, with synths and the usual Liars attitude. It's not the most consistent album concept from Liars, but there's still good stuff going on.

Favourite tracks: Murdrum, Face in Ski Mask Bodies to the Wind, Extracts from Seated Sequence.

45. Sons of Kemet – Your Queen Is a Reptile

This album delivers an intense distillation of African music styles, all defiantly aimed like a weapon at colonialism, and celebrating women of colour in the process. The whole thing is led by saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, who always brings a big concept together with finesse and soul, and this is no exception. The double drummer flavour really drives home the point with intensity, while the use of tuba as the bass instrument adds a hint of New Orleans to the arrangements at times. The stripped back instrumentation is also really interesting, with no harmony instrument, the melody and rhythmic energy carry it alone. I especially like the first and last track with the fierce spoken word sections.

Favourite track: My Queen Is Doreen Lawrence.

46. Oneohtrix Point Never – Age Of

OPN delivers a pretty mixed bag on this one, and not always successfully, but the high points are pretty outrageous. Despite the utter dud that is Babylon, for the most part the vocal fx on the album work well. Although I generally cringe at this much autotune, it's used to great effect on Black Snow, which is a stand out track. Warning and RayCats are also awesome tracks, with really great textural experiments and subtle melodic sensibilities, while Same is some kind of weird 80s pop nostalgia monster, coming completely out of nowhere. OPN is never restrained, and drops some brutal noise and metal in over the top of pretty passages in sudden sporadic bursts, keeping you questioning what album you're really listening to. The whole thing plays out like an acid tripped memory of a music festival.

Favourtie tracks: Black Snow, Warning, RayCats

47. Dustin Wong + Takako Minekawa + Good Willsmith – Exit Future Heart

A collaborative improvised excursion into the joyous unknown. Blending the playful and whimsical nature of Wong and Minekawa (who's album last year "Are Euphoria" was a top favourite) with some moodier abstractions from the Chicago trio Good Willsmith's end, striking an curious balance and keeping things interesting along the way. It's certainly a delightful and intimate listen, very giving and honest musical expression, and very cool sounds.

Favourite tracks: The Garden of Earthly Flanger, Plastic Skin, Gikanjoumonogatari.

48. Örvar Smárason – Light Is Liquid

Founding member of múm and instrumental maestro, Örvar Smárason has crafted a really great down-tempo pop record, that has all of the charm of his band's previous work, adding in some really psychedelic type electronic flavours to extend the curiosity and keep it interesting. There is some cool use of vocoders, and the guest vocals are real highlights - JFDR sounds great on Tiny Moon. Admittedly, on the surface this seemed a little generic at first, but I found myself needing it in my life more and more. It's going to be a great backyard chill out summer record.

Favourite tracks: The Duality Paradox, Tiny Moon.

49. Vanessa Tomlinson - The Space Inside

One of my favourite live performances of recent times was seeing Vanessa Tomlinson at Make it Up Club totally own the room with only a set of hi hats. On this album, Vanessa presents two pieces that each explore a single instrument, one is the concert bass drum, the other the tam tam. The music is powerful, and like that afoementioned night, the power of Vanessa's performance owns the space. The music transcends the expected ideas of rhythm and meter that might be anticipated of a percussion album, and becomes pure phenomenon.

Favourite track: There are only 2, and they need your full attention.

50. Gyda - Evolution

I saw Gyda Valtysdottir perform a few years back, and was absolutely captivated by her cello playing. On Evolution, the cello is only half of the hypnosis. Her voice, ranging from the fragile and delicate sensitivity that the vocals from her old band múm were known for, to much more confident and playful expressions of musical experimentation, is the real feature. It’s such a beautiful release, elegant music, that stops just short of potential tweeness to open towards new possibilities.

Favourite Tracks: Nothing More, Kind Human, Unborn.

Honorable Mentions:

These albums came into my life right at the end of the year, and I think I would have written this list differently if I had heard them earlier. I chose to add them this way because I had already selected the list and begun writing/posting it. That all said, I've been loving these records in the last few weeks. I won't go into it in depth, because I'm still soaking them up, but rest assured they are great.

Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want. It's heavy and abstract, i love the lazy vocal style and the urgency of the drumming. Fucking great.

Low - Double Negative Absolutely sweet vocal styles on this one, with excellent and surprising use of fx. I also love the crunchy production. Really gets under your skin.

The Caretaker - Stages 4 and 5. One of the deepest and most ambitious ambient (for lack of a better term...) projects continues, and it's an epic listening journey. Definitely not for relaxation.

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