A playlist of songs that intrigued me from Sunday to Saturday. Week of 13 Mar 2022 to 19 Mar 2022.

WILT_2022-11

1. Lotus Bass – Aroma Pitch
2. Barter – Yuri Usachev, Nikita Kamenskiy
3. One Inna Million – Tony Allen, Lava La Rue
4. STILL BREATHING – HEALTH, EKKSTACY
5. We Give Thanks – Kokoroko

Hyperlink to Spotify playlist: WILT_2022-11

Notes

I started this week’s playlist with some highlights from Spotify’s Lo-Fi House playlist. I was in need of a hypnotic and rhythm-forward sound to help me plough through my tasks for the week. I think what I have selected through Lotus Bass and Barter are representative of the balance between repetition and atmosphere that help me create a brain-state of focus.

I cannot exactly remember how One Inna Million surfaced into my orbit, but the moment the beat came on, I thought, “Tony Allen?”

Right on the money. Classic rhythm and drumming from the master himself, with music that pushes you forward. Do not miss the amazing distorted bass break at 2:29. Like the light falling of sea-salt flakes on your favourite dish. A light seasoning with an effortless texture.

I remember exactly when I added STILL BREATHING to this list. That guitar motif that comes on during the chorus. Just before Jake Duzsik sings, “It could happen to anyone / The tears on your face are drops in stream…” those achingly melodic and simple guitar line comes on. With a squeeze of reverb, and a twinge of overdrive, a cry of anguish screams over the cosmos barely making a sound. The duet between EKKSTACY and Duzsik is also a beautiful call and response, and you can truly feel the reflection in their performance.

We are ending this playlist with We Give Thanks. I believe as with STILL BREATHING, I was on my Release Radar playlist, and it can get pretty eclectic. Yet somehow, when the songs came on in succession, there was a particular warmth that was consistent between the two. Of course the sound of Kokoroko is something that spreads warmth and joy, drawing upon some Caribbean-style melodies and instrumentation. The spectrum between the two does make me hopeful that such depression and such joy can exist in the same reality. It draws a particular perspective that we co-exist, rather than just exist.

I stopped adding tracks and notes after this because I was preparing for a raid (Vow of the Disciple from Destiny 2).