sleeplog25(1): jazzicle
For those curious, I spent 2024 documenting all the albums I listened to in a daily list format - see the sleeplog(24) entries. It was intended as a personal catalog / data resource / space to think, rather than an interactive list series (something I did in 2023 via the monthly genre series). I disabled comments as idk I felt I’d hogged enough of the front page traffic the prior year with the rec lists and you all needed a break from me. This year, I intend to do the same daily listen documentation but won’t be disabling comments - if you wanna talk to me here ig you can! |
| 1 |  | Nirvana
In Utero
1st January 2025
Grunge [1993]
Been on my to-listen-but-not-yet-done-so list for literally years. Figured it’d be a good’un to kick off the new year and it is! Sloppy, noisy, but catchy, meaty, hook-ful, and feels less rigid than Nevermind. [4] somewhat placeholder initial impressions rating but I think it’ll stick |
| 2 |  | Charles A.D.
West Pontoon Bridge
2nd January 2025
Outsider House [2024]
A final (maybe) 2024 jam for the road before 2025 gets to trundling along. Breathy, saline, lively boogies for the aquatic the tired and the did i mention the aquatic? Moist dancing for moist people. [4] |
| 3 |  | Igor Stravinsky
Le Sacre du Printemps
3rd January 2025
Modern Classical / Orchestral [1913/1958] Bernstein / New York Philharmonic
Biting the bullet on a big boi and no i do not follow what is going on but yes i am SCARED and indeed i am INTRIGUED. Have i ever listened to a classical piece before? Probably, but not that i recall (he says checking that he has in fact rated something that Beethoven was a thing of/in/by). I feel like Bambi is going to shoot R2D2. Intense, violent, not thaaaat dated, despite being (by definition) dated. [tbc] but yeah shrugs no frame of reference innit
Update (05.01.25): god i think i need to be in a better headspace for this it is anxiety inducing and threatening and i am finding it unpleasant maybe i am meant to but ugh not for my Sunday evening thank YOU [3] interesting to the max but eeeeeeeeekkkkkk |
| 4 |  | Liquid
Culture
4th January 2025
Progressive House / Euro House [1995]
Appropriately sweaty appropriately euphoric very 90s an rating you have [3.5] listened to after playing uno with JOTW |
| 5 |  | John Coltrane
Coltrane (1962, Impulse)
5th January 2025
Modal / Post-Bop [1962]
Modal that toys with the fringes of free and spiritual in a very satisfying changing of the guard kind of way. Literally witness Coltrane grapple with the new sounds, pull those suckers right out of the old, push the boundary, break things. Dunno rating but cool! [tbc]
Update (08.01.25): probs my fave of the non-classic status Coltrane LPs I’ve tried so far, and surpasses elements of Africa, Ole and My Favourite Things. Great mix of ideas, styles, colours, tempos, vibes, yas. [4] |
| 6 |  | Racionais MC's
Sobrevivendo no Inferno
6th January 2025
Boom Bap / Hardcore Hip Hop [1997]
My guys i know not what you say Portuguese isnt my word use but your flows are butter and your beats are butter and your vibe is butter. Butter is good. [tbc] good rating probs though
Update (12.01.25): god i wish i could speak anything but english. then again the way that not knowing the lyrics here makes you focus on the beats, flows and cyclical psychedelic long form track lengths is a cool thing in an of itself, though not the intend, which is then interesting in a different way. death of artist etc. [3.5] |
| 7 |  | Jack White
No Name
8th January 2025
Garage Rock [2024]
Just bangs. [4] |
| 8 |  | onewaymirror
Everything wants me to write in cursive
8th January 2025
Emoviolence [2024]
That boi goes ping. [3] |
| 9 |  | World of Pleasure
World of Pleasure
8th January 2025
Hardcore/Metalcore [2020]
Loud. Also pings. Also pinks. [3.5] |
| 10 |  | Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125
12th January 2025
Classical [a while ago (1822-4)] Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic
Yes I’ve heard before am reading clockwork orange which I haven’t read before and the dude I think rapes someone while crescendo-ing along to this and I mean if that ain’t a good excuse to rejam what else is? After 3 a helpful reminder that I do in fact think it would be worth me checking more classical. Big epic safe magic vanilla awesome [4.5] from a [4] gimmie. |
| 11 |  | Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
12th January 2025
Classical [slightly longer ago (1804-8)] Kleiber / Vienna Philharmonic
Lol heard the intro bit of this but not the whole symphony. Not a lot of words for this in the sense that my reference points remain few and far between. Less completely fucking transcendent c.f. No. 9 but enjoyable, snappier, big meme points for the DUN DUN DUN DUNNNNNN public consciousness brownies for sale as well etc. [4] |
| 12 |  | Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
12th January 2025
Classical [somewhere in the between (1811-2)] Kleiber / Vienna Philharmonic
Getting more spiritual and heart in chest shuddering up the elevator of life towards the clouds but less meme points makes a slightly tired boi go “hmmmmm”. Gotta give all three of these more time as the various look back and forward cleverness is slightly lost on the bags under my eyes. [4] |
| 13 |  | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Requiem in D minor, K. 626
13th January 2025
Classical [17somethingorother (1791, apparently)] Abbado / Berlin Philharmonic
Man classical is dope. This has that dramatic bit of music that appears in the memes and the films but is also like just very moving and stirring and dark and syrup-y why do these german lads make good scores and then die. [4] probs higher but i still dont know what i am doing |
| 14 |  | Franz Schubert
"Unfinished" Symphony No.8, D.759
14th January 2025
Le classic [fucking old brother (1822)] Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic
Slaps! But it’s too short! Fucker should really have had the decency to finish this. [4] probably more it’s incredible actually yeah duck a fuck this is so good [4.5] short and perfect |
| 15 |  | King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard
Live in Chicago ‘24
15th January 2025
Psych/Jam Rock [2024]
In 2024 KGLW released 40 (40?!) live albums and this is one of them. Every show from their tour, every song from their tour, all of the fucking tour, available for posterity and for free, it’s very cool. This one is fun. I kinda hate the rave pre closers but some of the stuff here (particularly the rats nest, nonagon and petrodragonic stuff is ace). [4] ngl I’ve listened to way too much of this band just by jamming this and redrocks 22 but I’m defo going to jam more of these. Art sick too! |
| 16 |  | King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard
Live at The Gorge '24
17th January 2025
Psych/Jam Rock [2024]
Final show of the 2024 tour is good and bad idk this dragged for me in a way ^^^ did not, i prefer thrashy giz over psych tribute act gizz and this leaned into the latter, with the heavy cuts interrupted repeatedly by the arena barrier breaking. Gaia was still excellent, the version of Rattlesnake pretty good, most of the KGLW cuts super, Magma pretty gravy. Still gonna check more of these, mind. [3.5] |
| 17 |  | Wayne Shorter
Juju
18th January 2025
Modal/Post-Bop [1965]
Uh I actually listened to this last week but can't remember when so...
Great line up band chemistry palpable drumming like cheese on crackers keys do the good airy plinks album art sick all the makings of good jazz and such [4] alot easier listening than i was expecting i thought shorter for some reason was avant but this is smooth oddball butter |
| 18 |  | Johann Sebastian Bach
The Well-Tempered Clavier I BWV 846-869
19th January 2025
Classical (Baroque) [1722] Keith Jarrett
Still trying to decipher (a) these piece descriptions (b) who do hath the best recording of these tunes (I started Jarrett, then tried Gould, then went back (bach) to Jarrett for the SPEED but will go back to Gould he was humming away and it was cute) ahem anyway! Piano lesson in my ear holes impossible important 42 tunes we got a flat we got b minor we got all the bois it’s confusing it’s alot it’s not really an album intended for yo let’s sit down with a beer and talk this through but but but even so it actually kind of works not just as a historic important thing but as the pretty sounds. Elegant, restful, ebony and ivory doing their thing for the best part of 2 hours. The king gizzard and the lizard wizard of the (checks notes) 17th century and that sentence surely made someone turn in their grave. Proper madman. [4] |
| 19 |  | Keith Jarrett
The Köln Concert
20th January 2025
ECM / Post-Minimalism [1975]
My brother in Christ keith was involved in tabula rasa, has done the Bach, and then has his own vibrant quirky classic hiding in the wings? Fuck? New favourite person cogent thoughts to following shit damn this was spiritual like American primitivism but with piano. [tbc]
Update (21.01.25): first song off this easily one of the best things I’ve ever heard. makes me well up whoop rejoice scream laugh grin beam it’s everything it’s life. Rest of concert doesn’t live up but is ultimately still the sauce. [4.5] what a legend keith keith KEITH [also rating number 2700 cute |
| 20 |  | Eberhard Weber
The Colours of Chloe
21st January 2025
ECM / Third Stream / Chamber Jazz [1974]
Shucks I heard 19, thought everything ecm must surely therefore be pure gold, tried this and quite unoverjoyed annoyingly. Does some cool elongated things. Does some annoying elongated things. New agey in a way I don’t care for. It’s a thing! [3] |
| 21 |  | Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73 "Emperor"
22nd January 2025
Classical [1809] Rattle and Uchida / Berlin Philharmonic
Back on the old LVB after a break of gizz jams and Keith Jarrett making me question everything. This is great! The thing about el classico that has unexpectedly charmed me is how unabashedly it fucking GOES like it’s dramatic and flamboyant and epic and self involved and fine with it, it takes pleasure in the excess of it all, and invites you to stop being so post modern and do the same. [4] really good and isn’t track the wistful but they play in every movie ever?
Update (24.01.25): might be a 4.5 heck |
| 22 |  | Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
23rd January 2025
Classical [1805-6] Rattle and Uchida / Berlin Philharmonic
Not as immediately charming as No5 but I got distracted … to be rejammed tomorrow! [tbc]
Update (24.01.25): actually my gut was correct this feels very clinical compared to the voluptuous 5, spindly, hectic, staccato, idk not tickling my pickle. [3.5] |
| 23 |  | Felix Mendelssohn
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
26th January 2025
Classical [elderly (1838-44)] Perlman / Haitink
Still all confused so this is violin doing the melody and cool shit c.f. 21/22 where that was piano? And it's not a symphony its a concerto because it's built around a soloist/soloists? Mother fuckers do be making it harder on degenerates like me to understand what the fuck is going on.
Also this is spicy i thought i was a piano preferencer but enjoy the contours this takes, opulent, not flashy in movement 2 which i like, but flash to heck when the moment takes it. [4] thanks dad (kungfu) |
| 24 |  | Johann Sebastian Bach
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
27th January 2025
Classical (Baroque) [1741] Glenn Gould
Both this and 18 smack of exercises which duh they are but both have lovely plonks to them, particularly love Gould barely audibly humming in the background as he thumps away (listened to his first recording from the 50s not the second from the 70s). [4] still relatively cerebral / clinical does Bach have something more gushing and resonant in his catalogue and is it the one about our lord and saviour Jesus Christ |
| 25 |  | Masakatsu Takagi
Omusuhi
30th January 2025
Neoclassical New Age / Nature Recordings / Chamber Folk [2013]
Possibly the most important artist for reasons I fail to articulate grasp fuck [4.5] |
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