sleeplog24(6): basicbasicbasicbasic
May was when I realised my job is going to continue to fuck me forever and ever but music is still good and worth fucking my job for. We did some igloo we did a lot of 2024 catch up we didn’t keep up to pace oh dear. What will June be. Interests mostly seem to be leaning towards jazz and electronic atm with the smattering of occasional riffs and raps hmm we shall see. |
| 1 |  | Basic Channel Quadrant Dub
2nd June 2024
Dub Techno [1994]
This wibs and wubs in the way I want to wib and wub. Subtle, minimal, chockablock full of lush rhythms and cheeky beats. [4] |
| 2 |  | John Coltrane Olé Coltrane
2nd June 2024
Modal / Post-Bop [1961]
Good year for trane (this plus my fave things plus Africa good god) title track on this is top 10 trane for me so far b side is fine compelling and entertaining but not top of the crème of the crème of the crème. Shame as otherwise this would be [4.5] trane instead [4]. |
| 3 |  | Miles Davis Sketches of Spain
2nd June 2024
Modal / Third-Stream [1960]
I hate how composed and flat this sounds. I also STILL struggle with trumpet tone on Miles’ stuff; too sharp and thin idk the sax and piano forward stuff is where my chest feels happiest. As a weird relic of the 60s, completely out of step with what everyone was doing (and which inspired Ole), it’s cool, but don’t enjoy half of it. [3] |
| 4 |  | Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
3rd June 2024
Hip Hop / Neo-Soul / R&B [1998]
Yes yes yes jumping on the apple shaped bandwagon, caving to the guilt and checking. Nice! Interludes v sweet cute adorable. Songs there are many there are maybe too many but they have good beats interesting lyrics fire prod and amazing range of vox from Lauryn. I need to spend more time here but enjoyed despite (still) knowing nothing about soul or R&B. [tbc]
Update (05.06.24): jack of all trades master of quite alot of them tbh this is the thing. [4] |
| 5 |  | John Coltrane Ballads
5th June 2024
Cool Jazz / Bop [1963]
Weird outlier for trane as I don’t associate him with slow cosy shit but tbf he did do kind of blue so. Really very lovely supreme dinner date jazz supper sipper. Feel like peeling back those subtle layers and spending more time here will do it wonders, but atm it’s just mostly super nice and inoffensive, not pushing any boundaries, just vibin. [3.5] |
| 6 |  | Flying Lotus Los Angeles
6th June 2024
Wonky / Glitch Hop / IDM [2008]
Been picking away at this bleepy gloopy boi for a while now and it definitely is not NOT NoT a background listen. The gloops don’t gloop correctly unless you strap yourself into those grooves. Top tier timeless atmos of alien meets human things. Gotta keep on picking. [3.5] |
| 7 |  | Basic Channel Radiance
6th June 2024
Dub Techno / Ambient Techno [1994]
Free floating forest fellas free floating forest fellas. Completely ungraspable. Completely unambient. Does weird things in the between. [3.5] |
| 8 |  | Basic Channel Phylyps Trak
6th June 2024
Minimal Techno / Industrial Techno [1993]
Propulsion personified. Thumps and bumps and boogies in the exact manner Radiance flips off. All the rym reviews are spot on: crashes gates like proper stomp EDM cereal but has enough oddities and textures to warrant an headphones on eyes closed deep dive. [4] |
| 9 |  | Archspire Relentless Mutation
8th June 2024
Tech Death [2017]
Came on Spotify or Apple recommended after jamming (uh) something? The track I got slapped so hard that I jammed the whole album which slaps with equal vigour. Silly classically tinged tech shred nonsense but there’s a catchiness here, too, and the way the dude wraps rapid fire vocal gymnastics around the noodles is super fun. [3.5] |
| 10 |  | Legowelt The Sad Life of an Instagram DJ
8th June 2024
Acid Techno [2024]
Because I liked the art and name. [3.5] |
| 11 |  | Legowelt Like a Song From Your Dream
8th June 2024
Electro [2024]
As above. [3] |
| 12 |  | Carbon Based Lifeforms World Of Sleepers
9th June 2024
Psybient [2006]
Genuinely had a little Sunday afternoon snooze to this after 5km run and putting up two shelves. Was a good nap, if a bit cold and psychedelic. The current is pulling at my legs and it hurts. [3.5] |
| 13 |  | Ilkae Pistachio Island
9th June 2024
IDM / Glitch Hop [2001]
Real scrapbook nugget hours bois are we up we are up! Defo feels of the BoC/softer Aphex era of IDM and the timeline stacks up. All over the place nostalgia drenched 16 bit worship that lands on the right side of cute. Scatterbrained, no full songs here, 90 second tasters times 40. Endearing cosy aesthetic of grey plastics and clicky buttons makes it all come together. [4] |
| 14 |  | Charli XCX Brat
10th June 2024
Electropop [2024]
Love the art all art of albums should be like this well not really but more art should be this (uh) bratty and free and lacking bells/whistles and pissing on expectation. Actual music fucks. My first Charli but am blindsided. Seamless, without seams, beats fuck, lyrics fuck, vibe fucks, catchy as fuck fucks. [4]
Update (21.06.24): probs overrating but the HOOKS and the BEATS and the PROD and the PACING are all LIT and i LOVE it. [4.5] lyrics rich and clever and disarming and songwritten in excellent ways also |
| 15 |  | C418 Volume Alpha
11th/12th June 2024
Ambient / Soundtrack [2011]
I’m not sure if this benefits or is hindered by its nostalgia block connotations. Certainly get a jolt of early 10s comfort when the main theme hits, though actually it’s the less obvious tunes I’m drawn to (Mice on Venus is a hug, Wet Hands is crushing). Wholesome, wholemeal, wholly cosy, will hug some more. [4] also duck a fuck listening to this alone at midnight waiting for my train is something else |
| 16 |  | Tim Hecker Radio Amor
14th June 2024
Ambient [2003]
Loosey goosey ambience of heck with that glitchy droney underbelly. Need more time to spend with. Mostly good. Too subtle for the environment in which I subjected it to. [3.5] I like how it sounds like an artefact that exists by happenstance, the popping and whirling of our mechanical radio wave world, as opposed to something composed. It’s a place. It’s got wings.
Update (16.08.24): listening to it not on a train was a better idea (duh) genuinely feels like an album that tries to have a conversation with you, but like, literally the album, not Hecker, it feels sentient [4] |
| 17 |  | Alan Stivell Brian Boru
16th June 2024
Breton Celtic Folk [1995]
I am having an existential crisis. Separately, I listened to this album. Weird al on the beat; by no means the harp subtle magic of the 70s renaissance album, this works in some of the other bows arrows and Pom Poms in Stivell’s toolkit (some rock, some psych, kinda raga ish at one point). It’s good, great (even), but anachronistic and goofy. [3.5] |
| 18 |  | The Wonder Years The Greatest Generation
16th June 2024
Pop Punk / Emo Pop [2013]
Obviously not a new listen but revisiting this old fave reminded me that my god is it cathartic to screm to in a car. [4] to [4.5] bumperino |
| 19 |  | Autechre Amber
16th June 2024
IDM / Ambient Techno [1994]
Ive jammed this in so many drops and drips and drabs and not a full album listen idk which way is up BUT the fact that the amber (but actually pink) aura of this glows so brightly and with the character and immediate ‘ah yes that’s ae that is an ae’ is making me feel good ig. Thumps and bumps aimlessly but not. Stuff like Yulquen is so delicate and detailed and quiet. God help me. Placeholder [4] let the discog run continue
Update (20.08.24): listening to it less ad hoc more straight run through was less enjoyable this is a bit of a trudge [3.5] but pretty when it wants to be!!
But then again, jamming in snippets, the sound design and subtle melody is so good fek
Just gonna [3.5] this entire discog and then retrace my steps later |
| 20 |  | Boards of Canada In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country
17th June 2024
IDM [2000]
The closer on this makes you really believe that fuck maybe music really can just fucking save us from us. [4] |
| 21 |  | Moodymann Silentintroduction
18th June 2024
Deep House [1997]
Thumps with that umpth! Super boogie sauce that feels dated in the least pejorative sense ie genuine sense of place time terroir etc. Dance into sleep town. [4] |
| 22 |  | Ishome Confession
18th June 2024
Future Garage / Ambient Techno [2013]
So many cute beeps between the boops. Proper detailed sound design but not in a way that feels clinical or stingey, just a whole lot of thumping heart and melody. [4] |
| 23 |  | Skee Mask Resort
19th June 2024
Ambient / Techno / IDM [2024]
Toes that line between thumping and ambience in a way that’s silver salmon through fingers. Convincing in a way that good Aphex is convincing. A world between the soundwaves. A place in my headphones. [4] |
| 24 |  | Skee Mask ISS009
21st June 2024
Breakbeat [2023]
Bangs in a whole other lane, as seems to be the Skee Mask way. Intentional variety sans gimmickry. This just got me dancing in the train cubicle and that’s a feat. [4] |
| 25 |  | Pearson Sound Alien Mode
21st June 2024
UK Bass [2020]
When this bangs oh lord it bangs. Vocal samples on first track are bleurgh though. Gets by on bass. [3.5] |
| 26 |  | Skee Mask ISS010
26th June 2024
Hardgroove / Dub Techno [2024]
Sorry I’ve been gone. I know oh I know.
This makes ground shake in ear holes.
This makes bass quake in chest holes.
This makes sauce go boom.
[3.5] |
| 27 |  | Machine Girl MRK90 Mix vol. 1
27th June 2024
Hardcore Breaks [2017]
How to wrap a beat around anything and anything around a beat around anything around beat round any beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat
[4.5] |
| 28 |  | The Prodigy The Fat Of The Land
28th June 2024
Big Beat [1997]
Punk bloops. Anarchical bleeps. Classic that I missed. Prefer their debut tbf, less punk, more calculators. [3.5] |
| 29 |  | Prince Of Denmark 8
29th June 2024
Minimalist Techno [2016]
So fucking solitary and weird and pretty. [4]
And apparently I’m just listening to some shitty vinyl rip that isn’t even complete arg
If only I had the $500 necessary to buy the vinyl
The sound of losing, looking for and finding your keys
A lullaby |
| 30 |  | Grouper A I A: Alien Observer
30th June 2024
Ambient [2011]
Kinda floats on by and then leaves. Ethereal but with the bad prod. Idk; hoped for more. [3] |
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