WILT_2022-45

A playlist of songs that intrigued me from Sunday to Saturday. Week of 6 Nov 2022 to 12 Nov 2022.

1. Steve Luther – Impact Seats
2. Love Speakeasy – Reflection Eternal
3. LetMeRideSoul!!!!! – 9th Wonder
4. makeitliveforever – Knxwledge
5. Room Temp. Amor. – ||||||||||||||||||||
6. Eyes Wide Not Shut – Fake Creators, LITE, DE DE MOUSE
7. Sicily’ Box – Venna, Yussef Dayes, Marco Bernardis, Rocco Palladino
8. Drosa is real! (Lindstrøm Remix) – OJKOS, Andreas Rotevatn, Lindstrøm
9. Vivien – ††† (Crosses)
10. Endless Return – Elder
11. The Healer – José James, Ebban Dorsey
12. Fever – Mansur Brown
13. Dreams of Panama – Skinshape
14. Monkey – Low
15. California – Low

Hyperlink to Spotify playlist: WILT_2022-45

Notes

As of writing this, Steve Luther is no longer available from Spotify on this part of the world for me, but I’ll just leave it in because who knows when the track will be accessible again. If I recall correctly, there was something ambient about it.

I think some part of this week’s playlist came as a continuation of the previous week’s focus on nu-soul and a more underground hip-hop. Love Speakeasy by Reflection Eternal is a chill, and funky intermission that features a soulful sax performance. Very vibe.

LetMeRideSoul!!!!! by 9th Wonder is another fascinating soul performance, with gorgeous strings supported by a warm rhythm section that takes you on a relaxing drive down a boulevard.

makeitliveforver by Knxwledge has just the kind of bassline that I like, full of tension and also a strong punctuation to give that sense of groove. It’s another intermission piece bears testament to the rich cultural heritage of hip-hop, soul, and jazz.

I think the explorations started shifting when we reach Room Temp. Armor. by ||||||||||||||||||||. I believe I decided to visit my personal Release Radar playlist to catch up on what I might have potentially been missing out on with my meanderings over the past few weeks. I was definitely not disappointed with this song. A gorgeous flute intro, before leading into a light touch beat that somehow only |||||||||||||||||||| accomplishes with such ease.

Eyes Wide Not Shut by Fake Creators, LITE, and DE DE MOUSE is a start-stop hard cutting track that seems to borrow elements from gabber, hardcore, glitch and break beat. I’m quite here for it, but maybe in some level of moderation or intense concentration. Also, I just learned that Fake Creators is a partnership between LITE and DE DE MOUSE.

We go into more jazzy territory with Sicily’ Box, performed by Venna (Saxophone), Yussef Dayes (Drums, Percussion), Marco Bernardis, and Rocco Palladino (Bass). There’s a lot of broad and bold musical strokes with this quartet, and if you are a fan of any of these instruments, you’re in for a ride.

Lindstrøm’s remix of Drosa is real! by OJKOS and Andreas Rotevatn is a beautiful electronic remix of an orchestral jazz arrangement. There are beats, melodies, flourishes, and swells, all speckled along a twelve minute soundscape of wonderful ideas and expressions.

When something by ††† (Crosses) comes on, you immediately notice. Chino Moreno’s voice is extremely distinctive. The industrial synth intro is something that will always pique my interest, but damn, it’s that chorus melody that sounds like a dark version of Hit Me Baby One More Time that puts me in a slight tizzy of dark pop intonations.

I believe Endless Return by Elder was halfway through the song before I decided to pause and see what song was being performed, and who the performers. Seeing that it was Elder immediately cemented that fact that this was a good song. It’s been amazing seeing how this band has been evolving with each album. The melodic ideas are now more defined, but the elements of a good jam and groove are always there. In fact, most sections in the music feature a tremendous confidence in what they’re trying to convey. Yes, I do miss some of the heaviness from their first foray, but I am also all for the soaring fantasies that they’re incorporating into their later work. They do however visit that heavy territory at the seven minute mark, which is well worth the build up.

When The Healer comes on, you know what song it is (especially if you’re familiar with Erykah Badu’s original). But you cannot help but continue listening, because you know what a tremendous song it is, and you want to ensure that it at least pays tribute to the original in a fitting manner. I am happy to report that I am satisfied. It’s a pretty straightforward cover with a gorgeous saxophone solo by Ebban Dorsey. It’s full of soul, passion, and conviction, which I think is what’s needed when covering the classics and your heroes.

I was deciding whether to add Fever by Mansur Brown. In the end, I decided that I would, on the account that this was a beat that I was not familiar with in regards to Brown’s work. Still, it is enigmatically soulful guitar work, which he just does so tremendously well. If there was a sound to describe the neo-soul past 2020, his work would be one of my picks.

From there, we arrive at Dreams of Panama by Skinshape, with a stupendous introduction and then deviates into a wildly cinematic choral arrangement with easy flowing chord shapes performed on guitar and bass. There is a definite nostalgia in the music that is pleasant to listen to.

We end off with a tribute to Mimi Parker of Low as I learned that she passed on earlier this week. I thought of the first two songs I’d ever heard from Low. Monkey was the first ever song I heard by the band. I think Daniel was the one who introduced them to me. Well, the song is just an amazing opener for The Great Destroyer (2005) and a testament to the energy and emotion that the band brings to their performances.

California has just one of the most memorable chord progressions from this era of music. I probably spent many a day walking to university whilst humming this tune, but my memory plays with me and maybe that’s how I romanticise the tune.