03/18 - Hail The Pages Turning

This past week I've been listening to a lot of my random iTunes, since I've been doing a lot of house stuff, plus been watching birds through my window as part of RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch. Hence, the list is made up by old favourites that have popped up.

Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child (Slight Return) [live at the Fillmore East]

Been waiting to fit this into a list for a while. Such an insanely good live version, of such an insanely good tune ("The Black Panthers' national anthem"?).

Serge Gainsbourg - Requiem pour un con

An exceedingly elaborate and ingeniously produced insult.

Fiona Apple - On The Bound

Just another little life lesson from Fiona the wise and witty.

It's true, I do imbue my blue unto myself, I make it bitter

Hugh Masekela - U, Dwi

Last week obviously saw the passing of one of the best, fiercest and most inspirational persons in the world; Ursula Le Guin. Also of one of the oddest, most abrasive of indie heroes; Mark E Smith. Due to the cultural heft of those two in the northern hemisphere, I heard almost nothing about the sad loss of Hugh Masekela. Trumpet player extraordinaire, South African jazz ambassador, writer of anti-apartheid anthems, political activist, and husband of Mama Africa – here is a hero not deserving of being forgotten about. I do my little bit by including this, the opening track of his delicious sophomore album Grrr. Rest in power.

Shigeru Umebayashi - Yumeji's Theme 

Next week I think there are going to be sad songs on the list. Here's a transition for that. Also, I saw just now that Prince Charles Cinema are showing In The Mood For Love on Valentine's Day. Might go along to that, for a perfect meeting of sound and image.

02/18 - The Missing Thing Called Love

In the second list of 2018 I have embarked on the delightful and long task of checking out all the music I missed last year. Plus I've been settled right in with my BBC6 listening habits again.

Grizzly Bear - Sky Took Hold

Details I especially love about this standout from last year's best album: • The drum intro • The subtle flutes • The razor wire guitars • The deep harmonies on "Your heart is racing..." • The odd cymbal crashes • The background guitar (?) melodies at 3:02 • The fragmented lyrics of the outro ("None of this seems fair") • The clicks and the distortion in the end.
And pretty much everything in between. I'll say it again: it's such a deliciously arranged album, it's almost too much to take in at once.

A Certain Ratio - The Fox

I think this was a Freak Zone discovery. Excellent drum sounds throughout, and the bit at 0:48 - 1:02 reminds me a lot of this remix of Björk - I Miss You.

Zimpel/Ziołek - Wrens

Ah yes, this is where I'm at. Potential soundtrack to all my research. The potentially harmonic cacophony of a multi-species polity where digital loops meet avian vocals.

Fever Ray - Mama's Hand

Top of the list of gigs I look forward to this year. The new album is a grower.

Unit 4 + 2 - Concrete and Clay 

A reminder that, as usual, I really need to start to get back to my materials in the studio. What bigger joy than mixing up a batch of cement and sand?

01/18 - Time's Fickle Card Game With You And I

Alright, let's get another year of concise, brilliant playlists off on its merry way. Five tunes for the starting blocks:

Battles - Race: In

Ironic, as it took me almost two weeks to start the year fully. Hardly a race in. But from here on we'll gather speed, and build to enormous heights, just like this sublime album does.

Atoms For Peace - Before Your Very Eyes

Songs got lost on this album because of its slightly underwhelming non-organic overall impression, but taken on its own, this is a banger, about grabbing life by the balls.

Run The Jewels ft. BOOTS - 2100

A year on from its release, this is still one of the supreme albums in the universe. El-P's first verse is such a dark head banging bit of defiance. And Killer Mike's chaser is pure rap wisdom:

I'm here to tell you don't let em tell you what's right wrong
Make love, smoke kush, try to laugh hard, and live long
That's the antidote
You defeat the devil when you hold onto hope
'Cause kinfolk life is beautiful
And we ain't gotta die for them other men
And I refuse to kill another human being
In the name of a government
'Cause I don't study war no more
I don't hate the poor no more
Gettin' more ain't what's more
Only thing more is the love
So when you see me
Please greet me with a heart full
And a pound and a hug

Silent Strike - It's Not Safe To Turn Off Your Computer

Yas to the beats at 2:50. Romania brought the electronic goodness in 2017.

The Red Star Singers - Still Ain't Satisfied 

I did a little job researching feminist music before christmas, and this is one of the obscure goodies I found. Let's keep the ground rumbling and power structures crumbling in 2018. Halfway won't do!

Oh and for tradition's sake. These were my top 5 albums of 2017. Still loads that I haven't listened enough to yet (I keep forgetting there's a new Fever Ray album to dig into!!).