#sad machine remix

[jakei95]

Sad Machine - Chiptune Remix

by @nyxtheshield

[antimony]

this coffee shop's playlist is like my pandora station in 2011

[rivetgoth]

New Releases of 2023

Was waiting until the last few stragglers I was excited for were released lol but here is my list of LPs, EPs, and singles that dropped this year that I adored. I am probably missing some! But I’ve TRIED to keep it somewhat consistently updated. Just for fun, asterisks are next to artists I also saw live this year 🖤

I loved this year for music. Some absolutely insane new songs and albums this year.

Albums & EPs:

January 20: Ladytron — Time’s Arrow (synthpop, electronic)

*February 3: DIN — Up (synthpop, electronic, house)

March 24: Debby Friday — GOOD LUCK (dark electronic, industrial hip hop, darkwave)

*April 7: Shrouds — Grimoire (post punk, goth rock)

*April 21: Lead Into Gold — The Eternal Present (electro industrial, dark electronic)

*April 28: Male Tears — KRYPT (darkwave, EBM, dark electronic)

April 28: Bellwether Syndicate — Vestige & Vigil (darkwave, post punk, goth rock)

*May 11: Madeline Goldstein — Other World (synthpop, darkwave)

*May 12: IAMX — Fault Lines1 (dark electronic, darkwave, electro industrial)

*June 2: Puerta Negra — Playa Sola (EBM, electro industrial)

*June 3: ¿La Pregunta? — EP 2023 (EBM, electro industrial)

*July 28: MVTANT — Low Culture Metal Bodies (electro industrial, EBM, dark electronic, darkwave)

August 22: Patriarchy — Forcefully Rearranged (remix album) (dark electronic, electro industrial, darkwave)

*August 31: Hallows — A Quieter Life (darkwave, dark electronic)

*September 15: Sextile — Push (electro punk, electro industrial, techno)

September 15: Nation of Language — Strange Disciple (synthpop, new wave)

*September 22: Choke Chain — Mortality (EBM, electro industrial)

October 27: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard — The Silver Chord (neopsychedelia, synthpop, disco)

November 3: Deceits — If There’s No Heaven… (darkwave, post punk, goth rock)

November 8: Panther Modern — Deluxe (techno, dark electronic, EBM)

December 7: HEALTH — RAT WARS (dark electronic, electro industrial, noise rock)

Singles (not otherwise on albums):

*May 19: Harmony Index — Rainbow’s End / In My Dreams I See You Again (synthpop, trip hop, indie)

*August 9: Void Palace — Machine of Vision (EBM, electro industrial)

August 15: Vision Video — Normalized (darkwave, post punk)

*September 21: Pixel Grip — Bet You Do. (darkwave, EBM, industrial pop?)

*September 22: Sacred Skin — Bitter Heart (dark synthpop, darkwave)

October 6: I Speak Machine — BRING ME THE GIRL (dark electronic, electro industrial)

October 10: Grizz — Frightening, but blissful (darkwave hip hop)

October 20: Sleek Teeth — Gone (darkwave, EBM)

*December 13: TR/ST — Robrash (darkwave, dark electronic)

Artists w/ Multiple Singles:

*Catherine Moan Singles (synthpop)

January 13: Pavement 2

August 17: Jawbreaker

October 27: Undo Undo

*Some Ember Singles: (darkwave, New Romantic, dark electronic)

March 9: Love Comes Quickly

May 20: Touch

December 7: Pendulum

*Touching Ice Singles: (dark electronic, techno)

May 5: There Is So Much Pain in the World / Praise Kink

November 29: Jersey City / 2k14 soft grunge 

*Male Tears Singles: (dark electronic, EBM, darkwave)

July 7: sad boy, paint my nails

July 28: Switchblade

August 4: in this house

August 25: you are your posts

September 29: delete this conversation

October 1: IF YOU WANT, I’LL LET YOU

Bootblacks Singles: (darkwave, goth rock)

September 23: Forbidden Flames

December 1: Wilderness

[autisticlalna]

Something to Navigate By - a Navigator fanmix

[ listen on Spotify! ]

TRACKLIST: skye rocket - Sad Machine // i fight dragons - History Repeating // go! child - I.D. // pendulum - The Island, Pt, I (Dawn) | the queenstons - Just Hesitation (HES3 Edit) // fox stevenson - Dreamland // shirobon - On the Run // she - Nostalgic Vibes // tinlicker - Donderdag // USS - Hydrogenuine // fox stevenson - Radar // stacked like pancakes - Dreamcatcher // bastille - WHAT YOU GONNA DO??? // area 11 - ØCULIST // enter shikari - Redshift // everything everything - Don't Try - [Everything Everything Remix] // metric - Underline the Black // the mountain goats - Younger // enter shikari - Undercover Agents // porter robinson - Mirror // they might be giants - Let's Get This Over With

reasonings behind songs under the cut!

Sad Machine: "and though i know, since you awakened her again, she depends on you, she depends on you! she'll go alone, and never speak of this again, we depend on you, we depend on you [..] is anyone there? anyone else, anyone else, anyone else-" // this was the opening song on my Dominion Viking playlist! :D i will gladly take the opportunities to do musical callbacks.

History Repeating: "so then what to do when we know what's coming? stay and see it through, or start running? [..] over and over, i know i'm not alone here [..] don't say anything, i know where we've been, and i've got a feeling this is history repeating! when this crashes down i won't be around, 'cause i've got a feeling this is history repeating now!" // there's a time loop joke in here, obviously, what with "history repeating" being very literal. Navigator's involvement in all of this is... interesting? he's omniscient, he knows what's happening, but for once this isn't history repeating like it always has-- something has changed, and everyone needs to make a choice on what to do about it.

I.D.: "now everything inside of me is calling out "are you listening?" [..] i've been keeping this thought that if i spend all my time as what i'm not that i would find it in me to tell you to leave, but here you are and you won't [..] it hasn't been the same since you told me your name" // the way Navigator and Sapphire treat each other is. so much. i keep thinking about Nav telling Sapph he hates talking to them and that they won't speak again. theyre a mismatched pair that almost fit together, but not quite, and the more Sapphire spirals the less Navigator wants to do with her.

The Island / Just Hesitation (HES3 Edit): "what are you waiting for? as we go towards the light" // this is a weird one. Just Hesitation isn't on Spotify, so i had to sub in the song it samples from. which still works! but the intention is for it to be Just Hesitation. i wrote a whole ramble about it as a song and why it has Navigator vibes for me. thanks for coming to my ted talk

Dreamland: "does everybody live in a dreamland? is this dreamland all that we know? [..] i'm tired of feeling like i'll never serve a purpose! future killers, smoke and mirrors, yeah just be yourself! [..] searching the universe for something we can do, and living to fight another day! [..] I GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS WASTELAND, 'CAUSE THIS WASTELAND AIN'T HOME!" // i will readily admit that this is a targeted attack. this also is kinda pulling on my theory about where Navigator came from and what happened to him before TSMP.

On the Run: [instrumental] // this is a bop. also something something why are you running / what are you running from, although i guess right now we don't know if Navigator is running from (or to?) anything.

Nostalgic Vibes: "so many places i could be, sense of adventure got me beat, i've got it, you want me [..] mystery surrounds you, my love, don't just walk away! [..] let me recall for a while, you've got to set me free, yeah" // On the Run, Nostalgic Vibes, and Donderdag are in the segment i like to call "no thoughts just vibes". hope this helps.

Donderdag: [instrumental] // the thing with including instrumentals on these is it's really hard for me to explain why. there's no lyrics to point at and i'm not very articulate when it comes to explaining why instrumentals stand out to me. the vibes are there and it's a nice transition between Nostalgic Vibes and Hydrogenuine.

Hydrogenuine: "care to play a game? this experiment has chemically altered my brain! [..] 11 is the number i seem assigned to, inversions of an opposite truth aligns you, directions like the back of your hand will guide you, i am simply here to assist and remind you! i am simply here to assist and remind you!" // this was on the Viking & Ruby playlist for Navigator purposes and i'm bringing it back. the chorus is what really drives this for me and i cannot let it go. we need more Navigator and Ruby interactions please please please please please

Radar: "trouble on a radar, just gonna fly right under!" // this was a contender for a tViking song (before Navigator was even a thing) but got dropped from the playlist early on. i think it's fun to bring it back for Nav considering him being the warning sign and the thing with tViking going under the radar.

Dreamcatcher: "close my eyes and i'm predictable, i'm invincible, for you [..] i'm afraid i'm not enough. I'M NOT ENOUGH! [..] circles, cycles, why do you torture me? dreamcatcher, i'm falling but not asleep!" // shoutouts to Solar for saying the worlds "circles, cycles" in chat during a Sapphire lore scene and this entire song playing in my head at 2x speed.

WHAT YOU GONNA DO??? - "shiny on the surface, rotten on the inside [..] you got control, got my attention! make me tap and scroll, you got control, you got my attention! you got us listening, so what you gonna do, now what you gonna do with it? [..] so who am i, you decide, inside out you read my mind, what you gonna do with it?" // this is a general TSMP song and one that would've made it onto the Viking & Ruby playlist if i'd thought of it in time. the chorus and ending are peak Navigator vibes, though. "so who am i, you decide" is something i'm calling attention to as a fun meta thing, though, seeing as basically everything about Nav is speculation or in response to something.

ØCULIST: "white noise, i'm tied down from the first time i heard it! so, my sister static, hold on my hardened heart! [..] i can't help but can assist, see through you like an oculist, a universal hologram, these crimes will make you hollow, man!" // i love area 11 but trying to get me to explain how any of their songs relate to the blorbo of the hour is a losing battle.

Redshift: "we accelerate, we separate and fragment! we accelerate, through the estate of outer space! we accelerate! it appears that heaven's been abandoned [..] i climbed down from the wall where i sit and search for a source of light other than our dear sun, the lone star [..] a supergiant erupts into a supernova! the ultimate sacrifice, and we are the descendants!" // Aces asked me a while ago if Redshift is a Navigator song and it was on the "maybe" table for a while. then i went through like 5 different Enter Shikari songs for this playlist and it kept being not-quite-right until i pressed play on Redshift and it all clicked into place. hey, Navigator, how does it feel knowing you're the only one that knows about the missing piece? how does it feel subbing in for space himself? how does it feel being created because someone else is gone?

Don't Try - [Everything Everything Remix]: "the clock is ticking, meanwhile your life, your life is wasting [..] i know you mean a long time, saw your mask in the mirror, and you don't want to be here anymore [..] and yeah there's nothing alright, but you're here and you're glowing, so why you wanna keep it all inside? don't try to hide it!" // this is kinda where my characterization of Navigator starts to settle in, i think. he's tired but obligated to be who he is. plus, y'know, he's having to literally hide his existence, but that's going to fall apart no matter how hard he tries. note: the Spotify lyrics are wrong. there's two versions of this song with completely different lyrics.

Underline the Black: "how can i forget, what reason is left? when i looked at myself, i was somebody else [..] i just look, don't feel like myself at all, i'm just waiting for the axe to fall, and they're still waiting for their lives to start" // another case of "taking some lyrics literally" for the fun of it. tViking being an anomaly and also being the one Navigator is hijacking is a fun combination. there's also whatever Navigator might've been before, and what he's become to fill his role. is there still a way out or is this his life forever? everything's still at the beginning, but he's seen this play out so many times before.

Younger: "lie in wait by the gleaming city gate, try not to lose sight of the mission! [..] moment close at hand, half of you will never understand, and it doesn't really matter [..] it never hurts to give thanks to the navigator, even when he's spitting out random numbers." // another carry-over from the Viking and Ruby playlist, suggested by Charm! Naaaav what is your deaaaaaal

Undercover Agents: "i am currently under construction, thank you for your patience. we veneer, unveil, we present a cold disguise, we're all undercover agents [..] and i said if you want to go far and wide now, we've got to go together! [..] yeah i'm howling, can you hear us now? i was seeking another life and the moon was so bright! [..] it's only in our heads." // using this song in particular is weird for me because it's so heavily ingrained as another character. but that other character has some thematic overlap with Navigator, so it makes sense that the song clicks too.

Mirror: "yeah, do your worst all at once! i know what you want from me, from me, i know what you're thinking! [..] i'm tired of your questioning, you're cut down too easily, i don't know what's good for me, i can't decide [..] you're nearly there, keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going, it will all be okay in the end" // more Navigator and Sapphire struggling with each other. the ending is kind of their justifications to themselves: they need to keep going because there has to be a light at the end of this somewhere. they can both be free somehow. in the meantime, though, they're going to fight and they're going to tear each other down as much as they build each other up. "you and i are not going to talk again." "i missed talking to you."

Let's Get This Over With: "even when you're out of work, you still have a job to do! even when you don't know what it is, your job knows what it is. what it is, is it's coming to get you, i'm talking to myself even when i'm saying "you" [..] after all the spelling mistakes, after all the groping in the dark, can this page of strange gibberish get a final punctuation mark? [..] everybody knows how this goes, so let's get over it and let's get this over with! hurry up, and let's get this over with! you don't have to go home but you can't stay here!" // GESTURES. NAVIGATOR. BOTTOM TEXT.

[twsthc]

twst character playlists 🎧☆

⚠️ warnings: i have bad music taste. also a lot of nightcore. sorry.

last updated: october 10, 2023

🌹 🎼

Riddle: Bôa - Twilight , Laufey - Let You Break My Heart Again , Nakaniwano Shoujyotachi - SHISHAMO

i was thinking about putting in regal classical music or something, but its like, the whole point of riddle is hes a KID and that was taken from him

this is what he sounds like on the inside; a sad teenager lmao

Ace: Estelle - American Boy , Pharrell williams - Hug me , Bruno Mars & Cardi B - Finesse

teenage boy pilled

HUG ME! BRING IT IN! WOOO!!

Deuce: Beastie Boys - Fight for Your Right , Childish Gambino - Girls Look Better , ROAR - Christmas Kids , Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag

2 people simultaneously agreed hed listen to the Beastie Boys in my discord so here we are!!

Cater: Azelia Banks - ANNA WINTOUR , Magdalena Bay - How to Get Physical , Katy Perry - California Gurls , Mitski - Washing Machine Heart

Azelia and Beyonce are in there cuz pop culture and cater and blah blah blah

i personally think hes a nightcore avril lavigne kid

Trey: BTS - 134340 , Sion - lies , Hyeln Joo - Hair Cut (미장원)

i would give you some super deep and understandable reason for these but.

idk!!! it just sounds like trey. this is what he sounds like.

🥩🎶

Leona: A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation , MF DOOM - Hoe Cakes , Sade - Smooth Operator , Kendrick Lamar - We Cry Together

i had to consult the african council (my dad) for this one

ATCQ of course, and Sade because my dad asked politely

Ruggie: GROOVY - Jersey Luv , Tay-K I <3 My Choppa , Lil Gnar - Sticky Rice , Odetari x 9lives - I LOVE YOU HOE

i dont have to explain myself to you

(hes african american boy coded)

Jack: Ice Cube - It Was A Good Day , Micheal Jackson - Rock With You , Bell Biv Devoe - Poison , De La Soul - Me Myself and I

i think he would be into oldies and ruggie would tease him for it

micheal jackson stan

🫧🎵

Azul: ABBA - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! , Dalida - Love In Portofino , Caravan Palace - Lone Digger , Caro Emerald - Tangled Up (Lokee Remix)

old sounding music for the "nostalgia" (he wasn't even born during these eras)

the songs that play at the lounge and it kinda got stuck in his head

he fantasizes about preforming these songs in drag btw

Jade: Antonia Carlos Jobim - Girl From Ipanema , Laufey - From the Start , CAPSULE - TICTAC

songs he listens to on long hikes while thinking about violence

Floyd: 41 minutes of Roblox music , Megurine Luka - Tako Luka Maguro Fever , Euday L. Bowman - Twelfth Street Rag , ₳С₴łĐ₳ - PRIVET PRIVET 2009 ST

haha get it spongebob music because hes a fish

(gets booed off stage)

🌞🎼

Kalim: Serani Poji -Pipo Pipo , 레드벨벳 - Day 1 , takeshi abo - LEASE , MAXIMUM THE HORMONE - ChuChu Lovely...

cutie patootie happy-go-lucky songs

i feel like Takeshi Abo - LEASE is what goes through his head on loop 24/7

Jamil: Paramore - Renegade , Bôa - Duvet , beabadoobee - the perfect pair , LeTigreWorld - Deceptacon , Mitski - Washing Machine Heart

Paramore - Renegade was actually a recommendation! thank you yorick :3

otherwise i think rock/soft heartbroken songs go well with him

👑🎶

Vil: Lana Del Rey - Doin' Time , Magdalena Bay - Killshot , Kitty Kallen - It's Been a Long, Long Time , Mitski - Liquid Smooth

queen. flawless. stilettos. category: bad bitch.

too classy for this world, forever that girl

Epel: KYLE - Don't Wanna Fall In Love , Ram Jam - Black Betty , WHAM! - Everything She Wants , Hot Freaks - I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend

a mix of older and newer songs i guess

i hc he works on a family farm (for fun and allowance). hed be blasting Black Betty in his left airpod while wrestling a sheep in the mud

music taste slightly influenced by deuce and jack methinks

Rook: Vendredi sur Mer - Écoute chérie , Camille - Le Festin , ラムのラブソング , Shelly Duvall - He Needs Me

you know i had to do it to em

okay but these songs unironically fit rook to me idk

☠🎵

Idia: 【らき☆すた】スーパーアハアハデラックス , 初音PV新作くるみ☆ぽんちお.flv , Caramella Girls - Caramelldansen , 6arelyhuman - Hands up!

the first one represents how i hc he listens to those 16 year old anime tohou remixes on a daily. he injects them into his veins.

nico nico douga war veteran. u u uma uma...

Ortho: Nanoray - DesktopBuddy , METAROOM - S.N.U.F.F.Y

cute and electronic sounding songs!!

🐉🎼

Malleus: Malice Mizer - Ma Chérie , this entire playlist , Yoko Kanno - Green Bird , NASTYONA - My September ,

being honest idk much about malleus

all i know is he would listen to malice mizer and he is gay

Silver: The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable now , Burn The Ballroom - Kiss Me You Animal , Wienners - GOD SAVE THE MUSIC

lilia influenced his music taste a lot

Sebek: deaf, doesn't listen to music

Lilia: Mothy - ヴェノマニア公の狂気 , MASA WORKS DESIGN - 狐の嫁入り , Kenshi Yonezu - KICK BACK

trying to stay true to his war general roots while also remembering hes a gamer otaku thing now...

also hes in the "light" music club so

[lovesickbrat]

discovered ur blog and just watched secretary bc of you <3 can i ask, what songs do u feel the sexiest to? need some recs....

first iff so happy more ppl are watching it!

and boy am i glad you asked

not added bc i ran outta space: sour times - portishead, amy amy amy - amy winehouse, she looks like fun - arctic monkeys, all mine - portishead, two weeks - fka twigs, #1 crush (r+j version) - garbage, papi pacify - fka twigs, love you wrong - husky loops, sex on fire - kings of leon, bedroom hums - florence and the machine, turn on billie - the pierces, frozen - celldweller, bang bang bang - sohodolls, im your man - leonard cohen, im your dog - the stooges, sex appeal - sexy sushi, the valley - miguel, mystery girl - alexandra savior, siren - kailee morgue

[wendigho]

Every time I see AI art discourse I think of my new media teacher in college talking about remix culture.

I think about how much I love collage and how much it inspired me to keep going with art because sometimes all I can do is cut and paste.

I think if taking a few tracks I loved from a downloaded album and learning to use audacity to make something new.

I think about how much capitalism kills art.

So much so that we can't even agree that it's more messed up that life could be ruined by sharing creative energy.

No one will engage with the fact that maybe, just maybe, it's messed up that a form of creation even has the possibility to make artists unable to live.

It makes me sad when people say it's theft, abuse of other's work, lazy... It's art.

It's as much art as when I'm drawing, painting, cutting up magazines, folding zines, making a mix tape, over painting a thrift store find, making book art.

The issue is it shouldn't be paywalled, it shouldn't be censored, or centralized. Just like the Internet itself honestly.

Human beings should all feel free to create and remix any fucking thing they want.

The AI algorithm is not the problem, it is as it has always been, capitalism.

Don't want to lose your livelihood to a machine? Consider those who would use that machine against you in the first place. Side with free open source systems that do not generate profit. Actually consider why the problems exist and stop scapegoating and dismiss real actual tools for artists who are not traditional.

AI can make lovely stuff, I use it for references and to speed run sketches sometimes. I can input my art into certain things and run variations to find new directions for a sketch. I can visualize ideas, I can make something.

There's no reason anyone should be opposed to that.

But then, people hate collage too. People hate Tumblr gifsets and image posts made from screenshots. Those old composite gifs are "cringe" but they also took a hell of a lot of work. Just stitching together a fantasy.

[aurora-daily]

Music recommended and/or mentioned by AURORA!

ABBA - Thank You For The Music

Advanced Language

Agnes Obel - Falling, Catching / Riverside / Dorian / The Curse (Robert Hampson Remix)

Air - Sexy Boy

Alice Phoebe Lou and Olmo - Devil's Sweetheart

Alt J - Fitzpleasure / Hunger of The Pine / Pulsher

Amanda Delara (suggested as an artist she recommends listening)

Amanda Tenfjord (suggested as an artist she recommends listening)

And Still I Rise - Wrecking Ball

Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive / All We Want is Love / Do You Remember

Anna of the North - Lovers

Annie Lennox - No More "I Love You's"

Antônio Carlos Jobim - Samba De Uma Nota Só

A Perfect Circle - The Outsiders / Weak And Powerless / Passive / Thirteen Steps (album)

Asbjørn - The Love You Have in You / Asbjørn

Askjell - The First Goodbye / L O S T M Y C O O L / Sofia

The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows / Revolver (album)

Beck - Blue Moon

Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata (Glenn Morrison’s version)

Bee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love

Beverly Glenn-Copeland - Sunset Village

Bjork -  Army of Me / Homogenic (album) / Human Behaviour / Hyperballad / Joga / Unravel / Violently Happy / All Is Full Of Love (Howie's Version)

The Black Keys - Lonely Boy 

Blondie - Heart Of Glass

Bob Dylan -  Emotionally Yours / Political World / Mr. Tambourine Man (live version) (mentioned as the first song she dug)

Cameron James Laing - The Way

Cats of Transistria - Good Night

Céline Dion - My Heart Will Go On (Titanic)

The Chemical Brothers -  Another World / Galvanize / Escape 700 / Hanna's Theme

Cher - Believe

Childish Gambino - This Is America

Claude Debussy, Alexis Weissenberg - Claire de Lune (mentioned as a song that impacted her as a child)

Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas

Coldplay - Fix You

College/Electric Youth - A Real Hero (mentioned as the song that got her through her teen angst)

The Cranberries - Dreams  

Crystal Castles - Air War / Celestica / Sad Eyes / Untrust Us

Daft Punk - Digital Love

Damien Rice - Cannonball /  Delicate / Volcano

Daughter - Youth

David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust / Blackstar (album) / Life On Mars? / Let’s Dance

dePresno - Forever

Dido - Here with Me 

Dina Ögon - Tombola 94

DNKL - Hunt

Dolores O'Riordan - When We Were Young

Ed Sheeran- No Diggity vs. Thrift Shop (& Passenger, Kygo Remix) / I See Fire (Kygo Remix)

Edith Piaf - La Vie en Rose (mentioned as a song which makes her cry)

Edvard Grieg - Morning Mood (Morgenstemning) / Solveig’s Song

Enya - Amarantine / May It Be / Storms In Africa / Ebudae / Boadicea / Watermark / The Memory of Trees (album) 

Eric Whitacre - Lux Aurumque

EvighetenYoung (suggested as an artist she recommends listening)

Fever Ray - When I Grow Up

Fka Twigs - Water Me

Fleetwood Mac - Big Love / Landslide

Florence + The Machine - No Light, No Light / Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)

Frankie Valli - Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

Gabrielle - 5 fine frøkner

Gaahls WYRD (suggested as an artist she recommends listening)

Gojira -  Explosia / Mouth of Kala (mentioned as a song she loves that might surprise people)

Goldmund -  Image-Autumn-Womb

Great News - Now And Them (album)

Grimes - Flesh Without Blood

HALIE (suggested as an artist she recommends listening)

Hans Zimmer - Cornfield Chase

Henry Mancini & His Orchestra And Chorus - Moon River

Howard Shore - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Main Theme (mentioned as a song that she wishes she had written)

Imogen Heap -  Headlock / Hide And Seek

Iris -  Romance is Dead / lavender and heaven (mentioned as the song she wants played at her wedding)

Japanese Breakfast - Paprika

Jenny Hval - Golden Locks / Mephisto in the Water

John Williams - Hedwig's Theme (mentioned as a song she wishes that she had made)

John Wizards - Tet Lek Schrempf

Jóhann Jóhannsson - Arrival (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) / Kangaru

Johnny Cash (mentioned as the artist she likes)

Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now

Kate Bush - Cloudbusting / Babooshka

Khold - Myr

Kimbra - Top of the World

Kishi Bashi - I Am the Antichrist to You

Kvelertak (suggested as an artist she recommends listening)

Lana Del Rey - Young and Beautiful

Leif Vollebekk - Elegy

Leonard Cohen - Famous Blue Raincoat (Live) /  Suzanne (Live) /  The Partisan (mentioned as an important song which her parents listened to) /  You Want It Darker (album) / It Seemed the Better Way / Greatest Hits (album) / Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye 

Lorde (mentioned as the artist she would like to collaborate with) 

Lou Bega -  Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...)

Madonna - Frozen / Drowned world/Substitute for Love

Madrugada - Majesty

Marilyn Manson - Tainted Love

Massive Attack - Daydreaming /  Teardrop

Mastodon - The Hunter / High Road

Masterdon (mentioned as the artist she likes)

Matt Maltese - As the World Caves In

Max Richter - On the Nature of Daylight

Metteson - Under Your Shirt

Miki Matsubara - 真夜中のドア/ Stay With Me

Moby - Porcelain / A Seated Night

Moyka - Colder

Naaz (mentioned as the artist she likes)

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds ft. Kylie Minogue - Where The Wild Roses Grow

Nick Drake - Pink Moon

Nicholas Hooper - When Ginny Kissed Harry

O. Martin - Nowhere Is Home

Paolo Nutini - Everywhere

Phoebe Bridgers - Smoke Signals

Poliça - Happy Be Fine

Prince - Sexuality

Put Your Hands Up for Neo-Tokyo - Get By

Queen - Under Pressure

Radiohead - No Surprises

RED MOON (suggested as an artist she recommends listening)

RHODES - Turning Back Around

Rockettothesky - Grizzly Man (mentioned as the first song discovered on her own)

Röyksopp & Robyn - Monument 

Robot Koch - Nitesky (feat John LaMonica)

Rudimental - Waiting All Night ft. Ella Eyre

Rusted Root - Send Me on My Way

RY X - Berlin

Sarah Brightman - Eden

SEA CHANGE - Above

Secret Garden - Windancer / Windancer

Seigmen - Monument

Sei Selina - Only When You’re Asleep

Sigur Ros - Svefn-g-englar 

Silja Dyngeland / Silja Sol - Stemning (DC#27) / Løgneren / Skrubbsår

Silvana Estrada - Lo Sagrado (album)

Sinéad O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2U

Slayer (mentioned as an artist she likes)

Solå (suggested as an artist she recommends listening)Sondre Lerche - Why Would I Let You Go / Wrecking Ball (cover) / Palindromes / Sentimentalist / Lucifer / Bad Law / Patience/ I Love You Because It's True

Strange Hellos (suggested as an artist she recommends listening)

Stromae - L’enfer

Sufjan Stevens (mentioned as an artist she was excited to see at Panorama NYC festival 2016)

Susanne Sundfør - Silencer / White Foxes

Sushi x Kobe (suggested as an artist she recommends listening)

System of a Down -  Violent Pornography

Tame Impala - Let It Happen

The Prodigy -  Voodoo People / Smack My Bitch Up

The Secret Sisters - Tomorrow Will Be Kinder

Thomas Newman - American Beauty: Original Motion Picture Score

Tigran Hamasyan + Arve Henriksen + Eivind Aarset + Jan Bang - Hoy, Nazan / Holy

Tool - Aenema

Underworld (mentioned as an artist she’d collaborate with) - Born Slippy / Rez / To Heal / 1992-2012 (album she would put it at a rave party as a DJ) / Born Slippy (mentioned as the song that she listened to the most when she first started driving)

Vilde Tuv - Cellevevet / Det blåser ingen vinder inni huset

Wardruna - Yggdrasil (album) / Runaljod - Ragnarok (album) / Fehu / Algir-Tognatale

WDSTCK - Flowers

Wim Mertens - Iris

Wintergatan - Sommarfågel

Woodkid - Iron

Wolf Alice - How Can I Make It Ok?

The XX - Intro

Young Dreams (suggested as an artist she recommends listening)

And overall music without words like soundtracks, movie pieces or classical music

Sources (in no particular order and some might be missing as I’ve been working on that since February 2021):

“Aurora feirer Grieg” on NRK 2018, i-D interview “city guide: bergen with aurora”, INDIE mag interview “BLESSING OUR EARS WITH AURORA’S DEBUT ALBUM” 2016, Records In My Life (interview 2016), 2014 interview for GAFFA, Auto-Tune Interview for DIFFUS 2019, Aurora guest programs Rage 2019, NRK radio show “AURORA Up Close” 2017, “Like A Bird In The Night: Clash Meets Aurora” 2019 interview, Spotify Greenroom Wrapped 2021 With AURORA and Sub Urban, Mixtape with the songs for Kzradio, #TBT Mixtape for Billboard, 2016 Artist Survey: AURORA for Under the Radar, Records In My Life (2019 Interview), Nordic Playlist #83, Nine Songs: AURORA for The Line of Best Fit 2019, NPR’s Guest DJ: AURORA On Her Love Of Heavy Metal And Leonard Cohen 2016, IG story from March 2020, IG story from September 2021, Interview - Panorama NYC 2016, Tweet from 2016, Spotify's music & talk show 10 Songs That Made Me 2021, Playlist for Weibo 2022, Interview for NRK 2014, Interview with Jamie Taylor 2016, Playful Playlist for i-D 2022, Midnight Mixtape for Deezer 2021, Daydreaming playlist for HIGHJINKX 2021, ChillDaBeats #038 2021, AURORA’s official SoundCloud channel, NRK P3 - Plateprat (record talk) 2017

Special thanks to Amroth for the support and additional resources provided! 🖤

[lilaclunablossom]

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Review

I watched Scott Pilgrim Takes Off with Ashley. We also watched Scott Pilgrim vs. the World the day before, but it wasn’t my first time seeing it.

The movie isn’t really my kind of thing, but I was excited when I saw the trailer for this. The animation looked great, and I thought the concept would work better animated, because I find the special effects really jarring in the movie.

And yeah, the animation kicks ass. I love the low framerate during more lowkey character stuff, and Science SARU know how to make incredible action sequences too. I also love the comic-accurate style.

Anamanaguchi’s music fucking rocks. I don’t know if any tracks are straight-up taken from the game or not, but yeah, I love it. I actually didn’t even know they did the game’s soundtrack until recently, but I’ve loved their remix of Sad Machine by Porter Robinson for a long time.

All the actors do a good job, even if it’s sometimes obvious they’re not very accustomed to voice acting.

So uh…

*SPOILERS. EVEN IF YOU’VE SEEN THE MOVIE. I’M NOT KIDDING, DON’T READ UNLESS YOU’VE SEEN THE SHOW OR DON’T CARE WHATSOEVER*

Obviously it’s not a hot take to say the original story was problematic. It’s very well-known by now, and it’s part of the reason I never liked the movie much. Well, the entire point of this anime is deconstructing Scott’s old character, and it does so very well. I love how it not only portrays Old Scott and Even Older Scott as extremely insecure and childish, it also delves more into Ramona’s character, and her sensitive self-discovery period that would make her fall for someone like Scott.

It made me laugh quite a bit. I love the joke where 2 different evil exes are going to play Scott in a re-telling of the movie, and when Ramona is looking for him, they both say “I’m Scott.” It’s funny, but also hammers home the idea that Scott was just another evil ex in the making.

It might seem contradictory, but I like how the ending implies they could be happy together, or that they’ll at least try no matter what. For now, it reminds me a lot of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But there seems to be a season 2 hook at the end, so we’ll see… 4/5

[signalhill-if]

≈ — MALIK MOSLEY — he/they — RADIO HOST

For the amount that the citizens of Signal Hill hear his voice, not many people are familiar with Malik. Sure, people feel familiar with him. His low tones introduce the music of the day and speak of hobbies and pastimes the passersby know intimately, and the way he speaks to the mic like an old friend has created a bond between him and them. But they know him. He's never met them. Or many people, for that matter.

Ever since he was young, Malik was fascinated by technology- taking it apart, remixing it, finding way to breathe new life into the decaying husks of old machines. It's no wonder, then, that he retreated so thoroughly into the world of radio. It's as much anonymous as it is celebrity. A perfect contradiction.

Gender: Trans man Sexuality: Bisexual Relationship option? Yes

Appearance Few have ever gotten to see Malik in person, at least since he retreated into secrecy. An air of mystery has arisen around it. In truth, that mystery isn't very warranted. A little on the shorter side, with soft dark skin and sad eyes, the first thing that comes to mind when you see him is a puppy. He's got a bit of peach fuzz on his chin and a pair of big round glasses, though his face is often partially obscured by long, loose locs dyed a dark green gradient. When his mic is live, however, his demeanour seems to change entirely- a self-assured young man emerging from his meek exterior.

[lxvelyhxney]

degrees of lewdity school love interests and their favorite songs (but I don't know many songs). These are just my opinions.

Robin

any game songs

but specifically sad Minecraft songs.

they cry when they hear it because Minecraft is the only game that Bailey bought for them (and even then, Bailey didn't buy it. Bailey was gifted a box of children's games/toys and everyone got something out of it. Robin just so happened to get Minecraft. Robin doesn't know this.)

Robin likes some soft hyperpop. The kind that is upbeat and chipper but not too loud.

A few specific songs are:

Brass Goggles [2011 Release Version]-Steam Powered Giraffe

Goodbye to a World-Porter Robinson

I Love You- Animal Crossing soundtrack

Buddy Holly-Weezer

Vending Machine of Love-The Stupendium

I Just Threw Out The Love Of My Dreams-Weezer

Kylar

Slow, sad songs are Kylar's JAM.

But sometimes, just SOMETIMES, Kylar will love to listen to fast and sad/mad songs.

They also love to listen to songs that just SCREAM to the listener the most depraved ways they will hurt/kill/fuck people.

Night core. They will not listen to songs that are "sped up, " they will listen to NIGHT CORE.

They also frequently listen to Vocaloid.

Some specific songs are:

Coin Locker Baby- MATERU

First Love/Late Spring- Mitski

all I want is you-Rebzyyx

I deserve this-Rebzyyx

Honeybee- Steam-Powered Giraffe (I think this was their parents love song and he wants it to be yours as well)

I'm so crazy for youuu </3- Rebzyyx

Whitney

Like Kylar, Whitney will listen to fucked up shit.

Unlike Kylar, Whitney will fucking beat someone up if they say they are listening to night core. It's sped up, they say. They are not a weirdo who listens to vocaloid, they say.

They have listened to Vocaloid before.

They will listen to the weirdest shit ever.

Have you heard that one song where they remixed the Carmen Winstead copypasta? That is their fucking ASMR they listen to to go to sleep.

Also a lot of pumped up music that some guy might use in the background of working out vids.

Some specifics:

Rainbows and Stuff- ICP

Closer-Nine Inch Nails

HURT- 1-800-PAIN

Shooter-Clipping

My Mother Wants Me Dead- carolesdaughter

Custer-Slipknot

Sydney

Pure Sydney doesn't listen to any music accept little Bible chorus worthy shit.

Fallen Sydney however....

The fucked up shit is uncoveres again!!!

Hardcore Rock capable of blasting your ear drums out if you put your headphones on max and put them in your ear, and listened. Sydney loves it.

Also some horror movie level shit is up high on Sydney's list too.

They still don't get a lot of time to listen to music much, so they don't have a lot of favorites..

Here are some examples:

Closer- Nine Inch Nails (again)

No Surpries-Radiohead

Weezer (any song)

Cult of Dionysus-The Orion Experience

Blow My Brains Out-Tikkle Me

Butch 4 Butch-Rio Romeo

[lords-of-mayhem]

Lords Of Chaos Ships Playlist

A playlist of songs for various LOC ships. (Only one per ship this time <3)

Blackthorn x Varg // I Bet On Losing Dogs

I bet on losing dogs. I know they're losing and I pay for my place by the ring where I'll be looking in their eyes when they're down. I'll be there on their side, I'm losing by their side.

Dead x Euronymous // Heaven Iowa

I've unspooled on the floor, I feel so A Star Is Born. Kiss my cheek, baby, please. Would you read my eulogy? I will never ask you for anything except to dream sweet of me.

Tell me when the party ends, will you still love who I am? Scar crossed lovers, forever. I'm checking myself out forever. Save your breath, half your life you've been hooked on death.

Faust x Varg // Cigarette Daydreams

Did you stand there all alone? Oh, I cannot explain what's going down. You sigh, look away. I can see it clear as day. Close your eyes, so afraid, hide behind that baby face.

Funny how it seems like yesterday. As I recall, you were looking out of place. Cigarette daydream, you were only seventeen. Soft speak with a mean streak, nearly brought me to my knees.

Dead x Euronymous x Hellhammer x Necrobutcher // Remember When

You were the first, so was I. Made love and then you cried, remember when? We lived and learned, life threw curves. There was joy and there was hurt. Life was changed, disassembled, rearranged. We came together, fell apart, and broke each other's hearts.

Faust x Occultus // Francesca

Do you think I'd give up, that this might've shook the love from me? How could you think, darling, I'd scare so easily? If someone asked me at the end, I'd tell them put me back in.

I would do it again. If I could hold you for a minute, darling, I'd do it again. I could find you, darling, in any life.

Euronymous x Varg // Hum Hallelujah

I thought I loved you, it was just how you looked in the light. A teenage vow in a parking lot, 'til tonight do us part. I sing the blues and swallow them too.

My words are my faith, to hell with our good name. Remix of your guts, your insides x-rayed. And one day, we'll get nostalgic for disaster.

Blackthorn x Faust // We Fell In Love In October

Smoking cigarettes on the roof, you look so pretty and I love this view. We fell in love in October, that's why I love fall. Looking at the stars, admiring from afar.

Faust x Fenriz // Disloyal Order Of Water Buffaloes

Doc, that's a hole where something was. Put him in the back of a squad car, restrain that man. He needs his head put in a CAT scan. Oh, I'm a loose bolt of a complete machine.

What a match, I'm half-doomed and you're semi-sweet. Imperfect boys with their perfect ploys, nobody wants to hear you sing about tragedy.

Metalion x Ann-Marit // Apocalypse

You leapt from crumbling bridges, watching cityscapes turn to dust. Filming helicopters in the ocean from way above. Got the music in you, baby. Kisses on the foreheads of lovers, wrapped in your arms.

You've been hiding them in hollowed out pianos, left in the dark. Sharing all your secrets with each other since you were kids. Sleeping soundly with the locket that she gave you clutched in your fist.

Euronymous x Faust x Varg // I Love You Like An Alcoholic

Cast that first glance. Your smile, my veins at maximum capacity, blood pumping so fast. My girl, if looks gave heart attacks. Some handsome dark stranger, you were standing there on the corner.

Kissed that first night and then the rain opened up the sky. You had those compelling magnetized eyes you must've lost when you got older. You laughed, but seemed a little sad. One last kiss, I love you like an alcoholic.

[coconuttyglittersmurf]

[pureseasalt]

Namor x Shuri: Playlist

(playlist is on spotify)

Track list:

when i watch the world burn all i think about is you (bastille)

my head's a cloud/ my ego bruised/ and drunken dreams, am I deluded?/ i'm paranoid, hung up on you/ no love, my love/ she denies me//oh, lay me down in ash again/ and watch the world crumble

sad day (fka twigs)

i, you're running/ i made you sad before/ i can imagine a world when my arms are embraced around you/ i lie naked and pure/ with intentions to clench you and take you

closer, presets remix (kings of leon)

she took my heart, i think she took my soul/ with the moon i run/ far from the carnage of the fiery sun/ driven by the strangle of vein/ showing no mercy, I'd do it again/ open up your eyes/ you keep on crying, baby, i'll bleed you dry

princess of china, acoustic (coldplay, rihanna)

once upon a time on the same side, in the same game/ and why'd you have to go, have to go and throw water on my flame/ i could've been a princess, you'd be a king/ could've had a castle, and worn a ring// cause you really hurt me/ no you really hurt me

november (rachel chinouriri, hak baker)

do i finish with my words?/ put it down to my fists/ violence don't come first/ but violence seems to finish

te guardo (silvana estrada)

tus ojos que, cuando los miro/ brillan igual que los míos/ pero no logro entender/ de qué van (rough translation) your eyes that, when I look at them/ shine just like mine/ but i don't seem to understand/ what they mean

draw your swords (angus & julia stone)

so come on, love, draw your sword/ shoot me to the ground/ you are mine, i am yours/ let's not fuck around/ cause you are, the only one

queen of peace (florence + the machine)

like the stars chase the sun/ over the glowing hill, i will conquer/ blood is running deep/ some things never sleep/ suddenly i'm overcome/ dissolving like the setting sun/ like a boat into oblivion/ 'cause you're driving me away/ now you have me on the run/ the damage is already done/ come on, is this what you want?/ 'cause you're driving me away

empire (of monsters & men)

feel the ocean as it breathes/ shivering teeth/ see the mountains where they meet/ smothering me/ as the wind fends off the waves/ i count down the days/ heavy stones fear no weather// illuminate there is a river/ running wild that will create/ an empire for you/ an empire for two

sunlight (hozier)

i had been lost to you, sunlight/ and flew like a moth to you, sunlight, oh, sunlight/ oh, your love is sunlight// each day, you'd rise with me/ know that i would gladly be/ the icarus to your certainty/ oh, my sunlight, sunlight, sunlight/ strap the wing to me/ death trap clad happily/ with wax melted, i'd meet the sea/ under sunlight, sunlight, sunlight

unholy war (jacob banks)

steady on/ go take your bow/ weather the storm/ good times will pass you by/ hit the road/ leave your sorrows behind/ oh, would you let love lead you home, oh please/ let redemption keep you warm

close to you, moonlighting (cosima)

now you're someone broken moonlighting as some who's healing/ and now you're someone lost moonlighting as someone who's free/ oh, i was someone smart moonlighting as someone stupid/ to be close to you/ you're someone special, but you're someone fucked up too

gun (mas ysa)

even the sun/ knows where you sleep/ i wasn't done i wasn't beat/ you found a boy/ thought he'd grow old/ i had a girl/ and I'm taking her home/ that's no one's home now

alternate world (son lux)

oh-oh we're magical/ we'll wake the dead from sleep/ oh-oh we'll shed our skin/ we'll walk the other side/ oh-oh we'll brace for it/ and conquer everything/ tear me away from this fight/ tear me away/ take me to an/ alternate world/ alternate age/ alternate life

bet (mereba)

i like his meaner demeanor/ it doesn't mean our/ worlds can't collide/ right place right time, right?// heard from a bird that you you're nothing but trouble/ you're just trouble/ but i like how low you lay/ and i let you in my day

love drought (beyoncé)

'cause you, you, you, you and me could move a mountain/ you, you, you, you and me could calm a war down/ you, you, you, you and me could make it rain now/ you, you, you, you and me could stop this love drought

lover's desire (anais mitchell, michael chorney)

from the musical hadestown (act ii): after eons of marital conflict, hades & persephone took each other’s hands & danced

[joemuggs]

Albums of 2023 part 4

RIGHT where were we? Continuing from part 3... Let's get through this before January is out shall we? Last stretch... Listening to this 10/10 LP I realised that the only real peer Kristin Hersh has is J Mascis: always different but always the same, always tapped into the eternal flow of weird, sad, America, always writing, playing and singing brilliantly year-in-year-out.

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭you can hear Ryuichi Sakamoto breathing on this 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Talking of always different always the same, Slowdive were built to age gracefully weren't they? Even so, though, it's pretty startling how they continue to do work right up there with their very best all these years later. Proper safety blanket of an LP this.

In a golden age for soul/R&B, Mahalia is royalty. She just keeps growing as an artist and this is easily her best album yet - perfectly hits that sweet spot between R&B, neo-soul and pop and just sounds *classic* from head to toe. World class.

I would watch the absolute shit out of the Tarkovskyan meditation on scale and emptiness that this amazing instrumental album by Vince Clarke would be the soundtrack for. The void staring back at you! ⚫️👀⚫️

Kerfuffle aside, Róisín was firing on all cylinders here. This doesn't have the deadly focus of Róisín Machine (what could?) - rather, like Hairless Toys and Take Her up to Monto, it takes time to unpack - but it's a sprawling wonderland of a record, brilliantly structured, and a fine addition to her immense discography. Interviewed her (pre kerfuffle) for the Substack...

It baffles me how consistently Loraine James is able to sonically express complex emotions that don't have names - and how she's able to use all the tropes of "cerebral" music, but smash the ivory tower and make it feel like it has purpose out in the world and is just a natural way to communicate.

Before, on her EPs, Yaeji built her tunes on house, hip hop or other recognisable grooves - but on her debut album, it's an explosion of everything. The confidence to transcend the myriad influences and create something so pop, so weird, and so singular is incredible.

Here's a weird one I only just came across as the year was ending. Mary Lovett, straight outta Norfolk, makes more unique, grown-up electropop: but this is mystical, insinuating, mischievous and very peculiar indeed. Feels like a subversive cabaret of the mind.

While we're on peculiar, grown-up, mystical Norfolk electropop - ah ok maybe more gothy postpunk with a bit of rave thrown in - Maria Uzor smashed it out the park with this. Makes me want to do really jerky interpretive dance in a room full of misfits - and made us want to shoot/interview her for the Substack!

Another artist who just grows with each release - Nabihah Iqbal hit new levels here. It's so deluxe, so poetic, so morning after the rave, really tapped into deep historical streams of New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Slowdive and co, but resolutely not retro...

I have listened to this Yazmin Lacey record SO MANY TIMES, it's just vibes upon vibes upon vibes, also I keep playing fantasy football with dream remixers for each song, also she radiated charisma and wit on stage at We Out Here. A star.

Amazing voice, amazing poetry, witty af ("dickhead blues!") yet stab you in the heart serious, ancient yet modern, lo-fi yet lavish, INCREDIBLE arrangements, absolutely staggering stuff from Kara Jackson.

This is both a deep, literate, endlessly fascinating songwriter LP that you can pore over endlessly, and taps into the very purest essences of house music - what more could you want? Interesting political / environmental / regional backstory too. AMCA absolutely rule.

In a year of phoned-in, arbitrarily-sequenced rap albums, CasIsDead's Famous Last Words stood out like a skinned thumb: this is an A-L-B-U-M album - with narrative, leitmotifs, a view on life that's the definition of "unflinching", gorgeous music, wordplay for days, and a finale that'll make your heart fall out... just stunning.

Almost forgot this was 2023 as Tuulikki gave me the LP at a festival in Oct 2022 - and I’ve had it on rotation ever since including in DJ sets. Modernist folk-classical composition for accordion +++ - really special and gets under your skin.

In a year riddled with great grown-up electropop / dance pop albums, Hifi Sean and David McAlmont were kings. This is what bittersweet accumulated life experience sounds like and it's WONDERFUL. Proud to have interviewed them both - Sean here / David here - for the Substack about it, and both were amazing value.

TWO stunning meditative records from Beirut coming up, both epitomes of Soft Music for Hard Times. First Mayssa Jallad on the new Six Of Swords label with an amazing dark but weightless singer-songwriter album - imagine a Lebanese Windy & Carl? A real experience of taking a step into someone else's dream record, this.

And then puppeteer (!!) Yara Asmar with mostly instrumental soundscapes which like the Jallad album exist in an isolationist dream space and are impossibly sad and lovely with glimmers of forlorn hope, laments for a broken world etc etc, just wonderful stuff. Also the THIRD appearance for Brighton's Hive Mind label in this list.

Another very grown up record! Ever-thoughtful Scrimshire was clearly in brooding mode in the studio, lots of darkness to this - but it's gorgeous too, and you know what, it's up there with Yussef Dayes as far as UK jazz versatility and ambition goes!

AND FINALLY!!!! 32 minutes of - yes - PURE PLEASURE. So so good, and so needed in bleak times, to hear Janelle Monae cutting loose with total fun and confidence like this, I just LOVE it.

That's it... 95 records. All have given me joy in the last year, and I hope some of them do you too.

[punmonster]

Music Tag meme! (tagged by @tearueful

Radioactive in the Dark Remix - AirGirlPhantom

While Your Lips Are Still Red - Nightwish

Believer - Imagine Dragons

Summertime Sadness - Within Temptation

Turn Back Time - Aqua

My Enormous Penis - Da Vinci's Notebook

The Great Atomic Power - Southern Culture On The Skids

The Chicken Dance (Techno Remix)2 - Happy Hardcore

Alex Theme (Machine Head Mix) - Mary Elizabeth McGlynn

WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK ABOUT HOMESTUCK - ForeverPandering