A playlist of songs that intrigued me from Sunday to Saturday. Week of 9 May 2021 to 15 May 2021.

WILT_2021-19

1. Dolmen Music – Meredith Monk, Andrea Goodman, Monica Solem, Paul Langland, Julius Eastman, Robert Een
2. Viola Sonata: I. Impetuoso – Rebecca Clarke, Philip Dukes, Sophia Rahman
3. Symphony in E Minor: I – Florence Price, New Black Music Repertory Ensemble, Karen Walwyn
4. The Calm Before – Poppy Ackroyd
5. Intro – Stimming x Lambert
6. Hysterias – SebastiAn
7. Spinning a Yarn – Dobrinka Tabakova, Roman Mints
8. It Will Be Summer Soon – Paradise Cinema
9. Movement 6 – Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, London Symphony Orchestra
10. hahaha – ABANGSAPAU
11. Medusa (Fauxstix Remix) – Jasmine Sokko, Faustix
12. Keep Moving (The Blessed Madonna Remix) – Jungle, The Blessed Madonna
13. Perfect Day – Karen O, Danger Mouse, originally written and performed by Lou Reed
14. Pretty Boys (feat. Khruangbin) – Paul McCartney, Khruangbin
15. Apply – Glasser

Hyperlink to Spotify playlist: WILT_2021-19

Notes

I remember starting this week’s playlist looking for female composers to listen to. I had been noticing that the classical pieces I listened to over the weeks did not feature many or any female composers. I do not know much about music history, but I would not have been surprised if many of the women in music’s history had become unmentioned outside of academic study. Thankfully, I did not have to do much research to get started as Spotify does have a playlist featuring “Women of Classical”, which is a good entry point to become acquainted with works composed or performed by women.

Of course, in an ideal world, there would be no gender distinction for creative endeavors. But in a world of recommendation algorithms and echo chambers in community groups, we are but finite and fallible creatures, and if we do recognise a blindspot in our worldview that potentially harms another group due to our ignorance, then we owe it to a social inclusivity to acquire more culture and knowledge, and bridge the distance between our hearts and minds.

Not every track here features a female creator, but I think it is erstwhile to continue the spirit of this playlist series by curating based on my own amorphous filter of intrigue and interest, rather than a particular agenda I might have that week. To that end, I have included an eclectic mix of classical, experimental, electronic, pop, hip-hop, and rock, to hopefully display how expansive music is without needing to mention anything further on polarity. And this only touches on a western civilisation’s approach to music. There are uncountable branches when you begin to explore the music histories of other cultures, each with their own memories and omissions.

What I find useful to frame discussions on culture and inclusivity, is to see everything on a spectrum rather than on opposing sides of a line. Sooner or later, you just see the line and not the ends. And the line never ends.