#nai barghouti

[hit-song-showdown]

My favorite songs of 2023

I am putting together my favorite songs released in 2023. I started off doing a project where I listened to as many new albums as I could (and recording my findings in a spreadsheet), but that project tapered off around June when my move + school year started. But even though I wasn't able to listen to every album that came out, I still came out of 2023 with some of my favorite musical projects of all time. Also as another disclaimer: I am not a professional music writer.

I am also limiting this list to 1 song per album/project.

1. Scaring the Hoes by JPEGMafia and Danny Brown. I wish I could go back and experience again what happened to my brain when I first heard this track so I could properly convey it with text. When I first saw this project was announced, I knew it would take over my life. When I heard this track before the album was released, I knew I would have to form some kind of religion around it. The reason why I'm limiting this list to one track per album is because Scaring the Hoes has 14 tracks so I wouldn't be able to fit them all (other songs I would have given the number 1 spot include Burfict!, Shut Yo Bitch Ass Up/Muddy Waters, God Loves You, and Kingdom Hearts Key). But the title track is the perfect introduction. It's less of a single and more of a thesis statement for the entire project. The production throughout this album is incredible, but STH hits different. The rhythmic, almost menacing handclaps (fun fact: those aren't handclaps--that's the sound my asscheeks make when this song comes on) and the horn sample which I can only describe as Blood Money era Tom Waitsian, it is by far my favorite beat of 2023. Combined with Danny and JPEG's charisma and the way they bounce back and forth, this song is a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart. Also I saw them live and that experience elevated a 10/10 to a 20/10 for me.

2. Prof. Aronnax' Descent into the Vast Oceans by Ahab. I started seriously listening to German nautical funeral doom metal band, Ahab around early 2022 so this was the first new release I got to experience. Even though I loved what I heard previously, nothing could have prepared me for this. The opening track is everything I want from a doom metal song. It starts out with a frantic onslaught of screaming and inhuman growls before mellowing out into a serene instrumental before the mournful vocals kick in. It really feels like the initial shock of your body slamming into the water, then having to slowly drift among the waves as your muscles give out and you're taken deeper into the depths. That's what I like about doom metal: it's music to decay to. This track (and by extension this album) hooked me from a story-telling perspective right away, which shouldn't be a surprise as it was based on Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The story presented in this album intrigued me so much that I had to read the book for myself. Then I read it again. Then I read two different translations. Now I'm working on a visual novel adaptation. I know metrics for album rankings are subjective, so I'm willing to give an album an extra bump if it gets me to read a 19th century novel at least five times in less than two months and learn Python coding. (Other tracks I would have included: the album is at its strongest as a single listening experience, but I especially enjoyed Mobilis in Mobili and Ægri Somnia).

3. What A Man by Debby Friday. This is a track off of Nigerian-Canadian electronic musician Debby Friday's first album Good Luck and holy shit, what a debut. This is such a well-formed project I can't believe it. I was already enjoying the album throughout the first few tracks. It brought me back to listening to 2000s club music and thinking "wow I wish I got invited to parties." But then I got to What A Man and the world screeched to a halt. I think I was posting on my main blog at the time, so anyone unfortunate enough to follow me had a chance to see my incoherent screeching in real time. This track is incredible. Debby's warm and sultry voice, the spacey production, THE ELECTRIC GUITAR? The first time the guitar kicks in, that's just a teaser for what ended up being one of my favorite music moments of the year. The electric guitar feels like an oncoming storm and Debby is standing strong before it, taking on the wind and rain as her voice becomes louder and almost yearning. Then the song builds with Debby yelling to the high heavens as the guitars wail around her before fading back down into the low bass and rhythmic breathing motif found throughout the album. This track is an experience, and the music video is gorgeous too (the picture I chose for the banner is from the video itself) and the fact that it has less than 20K views hurts me. (Other tracks I would have included: I Got It, So Hard To Tell, Let U Down)

4. Bite Back by Algiers (ft. billy woods and Backxwash). Speaking of songs that build... This is the sixth track off of Algiers' album, Shook and by this point I was already feeling pretty good about the release. I was already prepared to put the opening track, Everybody Shatter on my top 20, but when Bite Back kicked in, something changed. Here's a recreation of my initial reaction: "this sounds pretty good, I like the way this intro...is that billy woods??") Just to be transparent: billy woods' involvement would have been enough to give this an automatic top slot for me, but it helps that his verse is fantastic. His flow is slower than the introductory verse, but that only makes his lyrics stand out more. From the opening lines "One hand wash the other, they both wash the face / Centrifugal force and inertia keep everything in its place / Slowly, spinning in space, speeding, lead foot on the brakes" I knew I was in for something special. One thing I really appreciate about this track is the production. billy woods has a very steady flow with an almost menacing quality to it depending on the subject matter of the lyrics, and the beat shifts during his verse to reflect that. It sounds like it could be a billy woods beat, but it doesn't sound like one of his beats was carelessly shoved into an Algiers song. It's like the beat ebbs and flows with the artists involved. The production gets gradually more intense as billy picks up more ferocity in his delivery. A detail I really like is when billy says "claws rattling, delicate as roaches' wings," the percussion on the backing track picks up an almost rattling quality, but it doesn't sound corny or too obvious. Then billy continues, the backing track picking up even more intensity until it feels like each noise is blasting at full power...and then the tension releases and settles down with Algiers frontman, Franklin James Fisher, delivering the second verse. His delivery contrasts wonderfully with billy woods' too, with his faster, almost whispered vocals allowing the track to pick up momentum again after the previous release of tension. This track knows when to breathe and it's fantastic. But it also knows when to take the air from your lungs as Fisher goes all out with the vocals in the hook and third verse, reinstating what an absolute powerhouse vocalist he is. And just when the track is at its peak ferocity, in comes Backxwash with the steel chair! If billy and Fisher were allowing the beat to gradually shift under their performances, Backxwash grabs the song by the throat and makes it do whatever she wants. Her verse then trades off into Fisher delivering the outro, operating at full power in his delivery. This song is so well-crafted and none of the artists feel out of place. (Other tracks I would have included: Everybody Shatter, A Good Man, Irreversible Damage)

5. Billions by Caroline Polachek. As of writing this, I haven't been keeping up with other people's year end lists, but I know this album is going to make everyone else's. So I feel a bit intimidated to talk about it, but I will try. The production on this album is so good my brain can't even comprehend how it was crafted. I've seen it described as "maximalist," but that doesn't fully capture how well this album knows when to pull back and let the tracks breathe. Billions is one of the more sparse tracks compared to some of the others, but that only makes each production decision stand out more. The second time Caroline says "give me the closure," you hear a little musical sting in the background (probably some kind of synth, but at first listen I thought it was an electric guitar) which didn't show up after the first time that lyric was sung. It's that attention to detail and letting the production build on itself that makes this project incredible. And it goes without saying that Caroline is an outstanding vocalist. She sounds like a siren. It's ridiculous. (Other tracks I would have included: Welcome to My Island, I Believe, Hopedrunk Everasking)

6. The Black Seminole by Lil Yachty. Opening track off of Lil Yachty's psychedelic rock album, Let's Start Here, and what an opening track on a fantastic project. It should be clear by this point that I love songs that build, and holy shit does this song build. I first listened to this album while I was on a plane, and this track synced up with my takeoff. So while the plane was lifting off the ground and I was being pressed against my seat, Lil Yachty gave the final line before the electric guitars and the female vocalist kicked in, both wailing with equal ferocity. Top 10 music experiences of the year, but even going back to listen to that same track when I'm not on an airplane delivered the same euphoric experience. (Other tracks I would have included: Drive Me Crazy, Should I B, We Saw the Sun)

7. Xena by Skrillex and Nai Barghouti. I debated whether to put this song or Hydrate on the list, but Xena was the first track that made me fall in love with this album. With vocals by Palestinian singer, Nai Barghouti, Skrillex delivers an absolutely outstanding dubstep track. Like Billions, it's the kind of music production that makes me have to step back and fully appreciate the craft. The song is incredible at building intensity, but he also knows when to pull back to let the tension build again. And Barghouti isn't just a feature--she is the heartbeat of this song. Her voice melds with the production so well, but in a way that sounds like she's commanding it. My absolute favorite part of the song is when she starts singing in her lower register as the production turns to more naturalistic instruments. Sometimes I see electronic producers robbing their singers of their voices for the sake of cohesive production, but that isn't the case here. Nai Barghouti's voice is crisp, unique, and perfect. It's a fantastic melding of producer and vocalist that makes way more sense than it should. (Other tracks I would have included: Hydrate, Rumble, Ratata)

8. Babylon by Bus by billy woods and Kenny Segal. I already talked about billy woods, but he was a feature so this still counts. Everything I already said about billy woods' skills applies here as well, especially now that he has full control over the track. billy's flow sounds both effortless, and that he knows the perfect word to use for each line. And he uses interesting words. "Glistening waterbug on clean counter / Plague mask, gave the place a cursory glower / He ran away, I gave chase but gave up and sat on his gate for hours" I love this series of bars. He is a storyteller. And then, the beat pauses after billy's first verse, with low menacing notes, a clattering of naturalistic metallic percussion, and then the switch up??? Seriously the way the beat ramps up for SkrapKnel's verses takes the song to another level. The way the Curly Castro and PremRock pass the mic back and forth to each other is outstanding. This doesn't feel like a guest verse; this is a fully realized project. The shamelessness is even more apparent when billy takes the mic again for the final verse, but now with more ferocity in his delivery as if he's building off of the energy created by SkrapKnel. This song is masterful. "I take care of these words, Munchausen by proxy / Somehow beat the tox screen / God save the queen, but that train doesn't stop here anymore" (Other tracks I would have included: FaceTime, Year Zero, Soft Landing)

9. Drain You Empty by Cannibal Corpse. I listened to this album right around midterms and I needed it. But this was the song I kept coming back to. For one, it's fun. Obviously: it's Cannibal Corpse. But I love the way the song opens with a full minute of just blasting you before the drums, riffs, and screams really kick in. Good god the drumming on this album is so good. I absolutely love Corpsegrinder's delivery on this track. The way he shifts from bellowing growls to shrieks, the way he speeds up his delivery to match the pace of the drums, it's so good. I'm sorry I don't have a better analysis. It's fun. (Other tracks I would have included: Chaos Horrific, Overlords of Violence, Blood Blind)

10. Crossing Guard by Model/Actriz. This is a song that made me wish I went to gay clubs more. Yes, it's a killer dance song, but what draws me in is how chaotic the production is. It starts out slow and quiet, then bam! The production starts screeching at you in a glorious onslaught of noise, held together with a fantastic bassline. I love the vocalist too. He can be monotone and subtle, but he also knows how to raise his voice to match the ferocity of the production. I listened to this song countless times last year (often while crossing the street and trying not to get hit by cars), and the line "Like Germanotta, Stefani / Pull the weight from under me" will be stuck in my head forever. (Other tracks I would have included: Donkey Show, Amaranth)

[thosesixyears]

Skrillex - Quest For Fire Review

Skrillex’s long-awaited second album “Quest for Fire” released in February 2023, only a week after Rebecca Black’s debut. I’ve been listening to Skrillex since his rise to fame in 2010, though I hadn’t paid as much attention to his work going into the mid-to-late 2010s as large releases became infrequent. “Quest for Fire” was a much-appreciated release, dropping me head-first back into the gritty, in-your-face sound of Skrillex’s music while breaking enough new ground to still feel fresh in the 2020s.

Tracks like “RATATA” are suitably catchy, while tracks like “Tears”, “Rumble”, and collaboration with Noisia, Josh Pan & Dylan Brady “Supersonic (my existence)” take the listener through bass-heavy soundscapes with Skrillex’s signature incredible sound design.

“XENA”, a collaboration with up-and-coming Palestinian jazz artist Nai Barghouti ناي البرغوثي, was a welcome surprise. “XENA” is an adaptation of the Palestinian folk song “Ghandara” “غندرة” which takes Barghouti’s vocals and arranges them with deep synth basslines and Arab-style drums, creating an utterly unique track which blends this traditional Palestinian piece with contemporary American EDM.

Barghouti previously released her arrangement of the song on her album “Nai 1”, which is worth listening to on its own.

The album closes with “Hazel Theme” and “Still Here (with the ones that I came with)”, laid-back tracks, a staple of Skrillex albums and EPs. “Hazel Theme” behaves as an ambient intro to “Still Here”, which features a groovy two-step garage beat, moody sub-bass, and a big soundscape of pads and various samples.

Both tracks prominently feature melodically chopped vocals, an element of his music present since his early works I’m happy to see still present in the current day. The lyric “Still Here with the ones that I came with” acknowledges Skrillex’s peers and mentors, which repeats throughout the song before its eventual finale.

Overall, “Quest for Fire” is exceptionally listenable from start to finish, and has many tracks that I’ve returned to throughout 2023 and 2024 and will likely continue to return to in the future.

[groovesnjams]

31 / 50

"Xena" by Skrillex with Nai Barghouti

MG:

After a long hiatus full of turbulence and culminating in hard won sobriety, Skrillex returned this year brimming with adulthood, consideration, and gratitude. It’s not that he wasn’t those things previously, but his audience certainly was not and the time provided a much needed distance from the fratty bro culture of the EDM era. The Skrillex of now works with Peter Gabriel and Four Tet and on Quest For Fire standout “XENA,” Nai Barghouti. It was a prolific year wherein the producer seemed to fall back in love with every disparate corner of dance music and “XENA” is suffused with that heady, turbulent energy.

DV:

One fun thing you can do with a blog like ours is search "Skrillex" and discover that a long while back he was all over the site as a reference point: in 2014 we called him "the Led Zeppelin of EDM" (derogatory) but as early as 2015 we were saying he "continues to prove early detractors wrong." And then we just kinda didn't mention Skrillex for years, until now he's dropped one of 2023's highlights, an album that could have had multiple credible contenders for this list. But as fun as it might be to put Missy Elliott on SOTY yet again, there's really no competition when it comes to "Xena." A wild and ecstatic track, it takes a single verse from Nai Barghouti, some gasps and joyful ululating, and turns it into a song that should have even the few remaining EDM haters enjoying a drop for once. Part of this is certainly the general progression of any divisive trend - give it a decade and it'll seem almost overly familiar. But part of it is also Skrillex's continued ability to develop collaborations that stretch beyond a single, easily-pigeonholed descriptor. He's an active, memorable presence in "Xena," from the clattering percussion to the throwback drops. But this is clearly Barghouti's showcase, and it's her dynamic vocal that unforgettably resonates long after the song has ended.

[jasonzsongs]

Skrillex & Nai Barghouti - Xena

[musicdiaries]

Skrillex & Nai Barghouti - Xena

[muchpreferredcustomers]

Skrillex with Nai Barghouti - XENA

[p4nd4p0t]

Also, heat.

I’m all about the fusion.

[danbenzvi]

On The Jukebox: Skrillex - “Quest For Fire”

[Featuring guest appearances from Bobby Raps (on “Leave Me Like This”), Missy Elliott (on “RATATA”), Mr. Oizo (on “RATATA”), Joker (on “Tears”), Sleepnet (on “Tears”), Fred again... (on “Rumble”), Flowdan (on “Rumble” and “Hydrate”), Starrah (on “Butterflies” and “Good Space”), Four Tet (on “Butterflies”), Aluna (on “Inhale Exhale”), Kito (on “Inhale Exhale”), Eli Keszler (on “A Street I Know”), Nai Barghouti (on “XENA”), Swae Lee (on “TOO BIZARRE (juked)”), Siiickbrain (on “TOO BIZARRE (juked)”), Posij (on “TOO BIZARRE (juked)”), BEAM & PEAKABOO (on “Hydrate”), Pete Wentz (on “Warped Tour ‘05″), Noisia (on “Supersonic (my existence)”), josh pan (on “Supersonic (my existence)”), Dylan Brady (on “Supersonic (my existence)”), Porter Robinson (on “Still Here (with the ones that I came with)”) and Bibi Bourelly (on Still Here (with the ones that I came with)”).]

[Notes: 1) The use of capitalization reflects how the song titles/artists are listed in the Apple Music listing for this album.  2) “Warped Tour ‘05″ is an odd inclusion here as it’s not actually a song.  Instead, it’s a snippet of an joint interview with Wentz and Skrillex (who was just Sonny Moore at the time) from the Warped Tour 2005.]

[zikbitume]

@Skrillex  & @NaiBarghouti  - Xena

[trukqsofficial]

Ta'al ya Habibi || Nai Barghouti || Ta'al ya Habibi

[feeshies]

Favorite New Songs of 2023 (so far)

Unfortunately I fell behind with listening to new releases (since most of my music listening has been for my music poll blog lately), but here are some of my faves so far:

Scaring the Hoes by JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown

Prof. Arronax' Descent into the Vast Oceans by Ahab

What a Man by Debby Friday

Bite Back by Algiers

Billions by Caroline Polachek

The Black Seminole by Lil Yachty

Everybody Shatter by Algiers

Xena by Skrillex ft. Nai Barghouti

Babylon By Bus by billy woods

Hydrate by Skrillex ft. Fred again.. and Flowden

I Got It by Debby Friday

Author by Katatonia

Welcome To My Island by Caroline Polachek

Crossing Guard by Model/Actriz

I Wish you Roses by Kali Uchis

Deeper, Darker Waters by The Howling Void

The Weatherman by Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs

Saturine Saturnalia by VV

Haelegen II by Liturgy

Through the Night by The Men

War by Obituary

アストロちっく・アラスカ by Lady Flash

Married in Mount Airy by Nicole Dollanganger

Mercy by John Cale

Ethel by The Murder Capital

Swampy by Dry Cleaning