Faithless – Reverence and Sunday 8PM: I completely dismissed Faithless back in the ‘90s, so when I read about the passing of Maxi Jazz, I took a belated listen. There’s nothing groundbreaking, but they would have been a good way to pass time between Massive Attack releases 25 years ago. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers: The… Read more »
Billie Holiday – All or Nothing at All: I’ve been listening to a lot of Ella Fitzgerald lately, but the days leading up to Christmas were grey and gloomy, so Billie Holiday fit a little better. This was recorded a few years before she died, and her voice possessed a sense of wisdom and experience that eluded her earlier recordings…. Read more »
Ben Frost – The Centre Cannot Hold: On my first pass, there are some structural decisions in these tracks that just don’t make sense to me. That makes me realize I want to listen more, preferably in headphones. Japanese Breakfast – Sable and Jubilee: I attempted to listen to Sable while driving in rush hour at dusk, but it made… Read more »
Ben Frost – AURORA: I’m not sure how I missed out on Ben Frost for the past 15 years, especially given the constant presence of Tim Hecker in my ears. On first listen, “Nolan” stands out in a big way. Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972: Despite being one of his most highly regarded albums, I’ve had a difficult time getting… Read more »
Octo Octa and Eris Drew – Fabric Presents Octo Octa and Eris Drew: A good soulful mix that takes me on a journey through a lot of different vibes of dance music that I’ve loved over the years. By the end, though, I was bored. The Joy Formidable – Wolf’s Law: I was falling asleep while driving so I put… Read more »
Taylor Swift – Midnights: I’ve spent enough time with Midnights that I know the record on a surface level and I’m starting to discover its subtle secrets. Few records pull me in this far, and I absolutely love when it happens. Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee: Remember when you met that one person and nothing about the two of you made… Read more »
Taylor Swift – Midnights: Like I said last week, there are definitely cracks in this album (I’m looking at you, “Karma”), but there are moments of Taylor at her best. “Labyrinth” and “Sweet Nothing” are sitting alongside “Snow on the Beach” as early favorites, but pretty much everything on the album has wormed its way into my brain. Jon Hopkins… Read more »
Taylor Swift – Midnights: I didn’t listen a lot this week. I’m hearing more cracks and fewer pleasant surprises than I heard on early listens to her best albums. I hope that changes. A Silver Mt. Zion – Horses in the Sky: I was out of town and I missed my dog, so it’s no wonder I ended up with… Read more »
Amelie Lens – Fabric Presents Amelie Lens / Deep Dish – Global Underground 021 Moscow / Darren Emerson – Global Underground 020 Singapore / Danny Tenaglia – Global Underground 004 Athens: I was on a bit of a GU kick this week (with one of my favorite Fabric mixes thrown in) as I navigated some tough deadlines at work. Taylor… Read more »
Jon Hopkins – Immunity: There are points on this record where the sound is like walking out of a crowded club and stepping into the open night, where the air is cool and the streetlights glow against the black sky and the extroverted expectations of the club deflate like an exhalation of air. Danilo Plessow – Fabric Presents Danilo Plessow… Read more »