WILT_2024-01

A playlist of songs that intrigued me from Sunday to Saturday. Week of 31 Dec 2023 to 6 Jan 2024.

1. fish in the pool – yeule
2. software update – yeule
3. inferno – yeule
4. bloodbunny – yeule
5. Healing – feeble little horse
6. Kiera ♡ – Pearling
7. Nothing to Lose – Tanukichan
8. You Got It Babe – feeble little horse
9. Callin Me – Momma
10. My Evil – Palehound
11. Friendship is Frequency – @
12. Marie – Cryogeyser
13. See – Villagerrr
14. Radiolove – Tanukichan
15. lucky styles – They Are Gutting a Body of Water
16. Basement – Cryogeyser
17. Dolphins – Stove
18. punkt – bar italia
19. Safety and Danger – Amber Sport
20. Wasting Your Time – Indigo De Souza
21. Blank – Stove
22. bird – Blue Smiley
23. Why Do You Feel Nothing? – draag me
24. Talk Talk Talk – Emily Yacina
25. Setting Sun – You’ll Never Get to Heaven
26. The Best of You – Ovlov
27. 23 til infinity – They Are Gutting a Body of Water
28. flip – Blue Smiley
29. Happy Days Are Here Again (Silver Album Version) – Starflyer 59
30. Their name sticks out – Micah Preite
31. Dread the Snow – Infinity Girl
32. Favourite Hate – Weed
33. Don’t Give Up – Tanukichan
34. Stick N Poke – Palehound
35. Brown Eyes – PACKS
36. Gwen Everest – Panchiko
37. Fantasy – Happy Diving
38. Bang Bang – Momma
39. Young World – Slow Pulp

Hyperlink to Spotify playlist: WILT_2024-01

Notes

New year, new list, who dis?

I was slightly excited to start this year’s list because I had grown rather bored of the aesthetic format behind 2023’s playlist. Originally I had the idea that you would be able to see the progressive development of the entire year’s journey through incremental graphic design additions, but I think the execution ended up lacking because all I was able to do was incrementally add images I found on the internet to create a collage. That was conceptually more boring than the original intention. However, if you would like to appreciate the entirety of 2023, you can find it here. [Link to WILT_2023-00]

Then came the recommendation by Robin to listen to yeule’s new album and I’m really glad that I took him up on it. I’d always been curious about yeule’s artistic development since they started and particularly when they decided to leave Singapore to pursue their practice. I think the act of leaving your nest, or the act of putting roots down elsewhere, or just the act of putting your roots down anywhere generally helps anchor whatever artistic practice you choose to pursue, rather than just going where the wind blows. It’s not so much that art has to be intentional, but it does help make it that much more of the artist’s own narrative.

Back to yeule and the first playlist of 2024. I chose these four songs from yeule’s 2023 album, softcars, as they were each stylistically different from each other and I think also showcased the artist’s maturity and artistic confidence. Internet culture has truly shaped a new generation of artists and creative boundaries are pretty much dissolving all in the pursuit of something authentic, innovative, or chaotic. 

I did not expect this playlist to reach 39 songs, but somewhere along the line, really great alternative self-produced pop rock songs got suggested one after another and it was just a great opportunity to capture the musicality of these great musicians in one playlist. There’s still a ton of melody in all the songs, but also a great grit and “fuck you” energy that blesses all of these productions. However intentional or not, it is something that truly excites me about music, about how accessible it is in today’s day and age if you remove the false sanctities perpetuated by classism, elitism, gatekeeping, and celebrity culture. At the end of it, you are left with personal expression and the invitation to make song together if you can get over yourself.