AsleepInTheBack
i am worried that sput will die and i will never see u again
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Reviews 106
Soundoffs 69
News Articles 1
Band Edits + Tags 35
Album Edits 66

Album Ratings 2761
Objectivity 78%

Last Active 01-01-70 12:00 am
Joined 01-01-70

Review Comments 10,700

 Lists
04.05.25 sleeplog25(3) ... and also (4) ♦03.01.25 How many 5s?
02.02.25 sleeplog25(2): i guess this is growing ♦01.01.25 sleeplog25(1): jazzicle
12.02.24 sleeplog24(12): twentytwentyfourpointtw11.05.24 sleeplog24(11): twentytwentyfourpointon
10.01.24 sleeplog24(10): zzaj09.01.24 sleeplog24(9): void
08.01.24 sleeplog24(8): headless07.01.24 sleeplog24(7): leBASS
06.02.24 sleeplog24(6): basicbasicbasicbasic05.02.24 sleeplog24(5): hebridean
04.05.24 sleeplog24(4): monolithic undertow03.19.24 Headphones? Headphones!!! ♦
03.03.24 sleeplog24(3): lost02.01.24 sleeplog24(2): aphPUNKex
01.18.24 Rating Art Is Dumb01.14.24 Good Music Books?
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a sleepy 2023

SEE FIRST LIST ENTRY.
1Elbow
Asleep In The Back

In case you have escaped my excessive amount of list bumps (apologies if you haven’t): I have been listening to an album a day, recommended by the users, themed around a particular genre each month (with the exception of May, when Johnny and I tortured each other with recs). Because of this, I have not listened to very much from 2023, making an actual Sleepy 2023 list largely pointless.
2Elbow
Asleep In The Back

THEREFORE, I have made this list instead, cataloguing my favourite 8 albums from each month. Includes names of rec’ers, date listened to, and rough genre (taken from RYM don’t at me). NB: In chronological order - not ranked. If it appears here, chances are I’ve rated it a 4.3 or above.
3Burial
Untrue

January///Electronic

1) Burial - Untrue [me] 1st Jan [2007, Dubstep]

2) Venetian Snares - Rossz [billiesp] 7th Jan [2005, Breakcore]

3) Four Tet - There is Love in You [granitenotebook] 12th Jan [2010, IDM]

4) Basic Channel - BCD [hyperion] 14th Jan [1995, Ambient Techno]

5) Steve Roach - Structures from Silence [Kompys2000] 21st Jan [1984, Space Ambient]

6) The Field - From Here We Go Sublime [markjamie] 25th Jan [2007, Minimal Techno]

7) James Ferraro - Live at Primavera Sound 2012 [dedex] 30th Jan [2012, Ambient Trance]

8) Vladislav Delay - Anima [Sniff] 31st Jan [2001, Ambient Glitch]
4Venetian Snares
Rossz Csillag Allat Szuletett

What was it like: January was relearning how to walk. When your bread and butter is the guitar with the drums with the screm and/or sing, music that avoids not only those instruments but the associated aesthetics and structures is, uh, hard, but fun! Complete third eye opening epithanies every third day. Music is more than you think music is.
5Four Tet
There is Love in You

What did I like: I, clearly, have a preference for the ambient side of things; the dancier numbers confused my sm0l introverted soul. That being said, the variety here did a great deal to shake my preconceptions re HOW to listen to music - sometimes passive listening while cooking/cleaning/commuting is preferable, sometimes an eyes closed on beanbag in dark alone and focused is needed, sometimes somewhere between the two - and how applying different contexts to different albums can reveal more about them.
6Basic Channel
BCD

Would I do it again: YES! Lots more work still to be done here.
7Steve Roach
Structures from Silence

Further lines of enquiry: Glitch, Ambient in general, Breaks and related genres, Trance and Psych, probs the whole House/Techno/Dub smorgasbord so I can figure out where each of those areas start and end … basically everything lol.
8The Field
From Here We Go Sublime

Average Rating: 3.75 (4th highest month)
9James Ferraro
Live at Primavera Sound 2012

Honourable mentions: The Prodigy - Experience; Aphex Twin - SAW1; The Knife - Shaking the Habitual; Biosphere - Substrata; Source Direct - Secret Liason; Hallucinogen - Twisted
10Vladislav Delay
Anima

Best user participation award: Hyperion and Ryus
11Bill Evans
You Must Believe In Spring

February///Jazz

1) Bill Evans - You Must Believe in Spring [ryus] 1st Feb [1981, Cool Jazz / Post-Bop]

2) Nara Leao - Dez Anos Depois [brainmelter] 10th Feb [1971, Bossa nova]

3) Eddie Palmieri - Unfinished Masterpiece [MoM] 14th Feb [1975, Salsa / Jazz Fusion]

4) Electric Masada - At the Mountains of Madness [JOTW] 17th Feb [2005, Avant Jazz Fusion]

5) Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters [Ars] 19th Feb [1973, Jazz-Funk]

6) Pharoah Sanders - Karma [z00sh] 20th Feb [1969, Spiritual Jazz]

7) Cecil Taylor - Unit Structures [Ryus] 27th Feb [1966, Free Jazz]

8) Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come [Sloth] 28th Feb [1959, Avant-Garde / Free Jazz]
12Nara Leao
Dez Anos Depois

What was it like: February was relearning to walk after having just re-learnt to walk. Jazz does not play by the same rules as Electronic or Guitar-music. It does not, even, play by its own rules e.g. see the whole big band into bop into post-bop into modal into free and avant into fusion story arc the genre underwent over 30 years (which I am drastically oversimplifying and probably getting quite wrong lol). I had to literally buy a book called “How to Listen to Jazz” to help me decipher the month, which worked, albeit it did read in an unhelpfully gatekeepy pretentious kinda way (Ted Gioia is a very knowledgeable and very narrow minded gentleman re what makes music good). I digress: GOOD MONTH!
13Eddie Palmieri
Unfinished Masterpiece

What did I like: Some of the ambient jazz stuff was easiest to grasp (e.g. Darkjazz Ensemble, Sunset Mission, etc.) but most of my love fell into a couple of camps: the energetic easy boogies of Hard Bop and associates, and the weird///energetic stuff, most of which is listed in this list. What I really loved, however, was how much variety the genre contains, way more than I expected - so many styles, cultures and emotions encapsulated under the same roof with so many legendary musicians and characters to learn about.
14Electric Masada
At the Mountains of Madness

Would I do it again: YES! A seemingly never ending treasure trove of difficult, brilliant albums.
15Herbie Hancock
Head Hunters

Further lines of enquiry: Discog runs of some of the big’un’s (Davis, Coleman, Coltrane, Evans, Blakey, Sanders, Mingus, Taylor, etc.) as well as digging in the weirder places (the whole salsa crossover thing is very exciting to me, as is the whole Zorn multiverse).
16Pharoah Sanders
Karma

Average rating: 3.79 (3rd highest month)
17Cecil Taylor
Unit Structures

Honourable mentions: Kamasi Washington - The Epic; Charles Mingus - Black Saint; Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
18Ornette Coleman
The Shape of Jazz to Come

Best user participation award: Dancore, 0xME and Porc
19OutKast
Aquemini

March///Hip Hop

1) OutKast - Aquemini [Milo] 4th March [1998, Southern]

2) Slum Village - Fan-Tas-Tic Vol.1 [norma] 8th March [1997, Jazz Rap / Boom Bap]

3) UGK - Ridin’ Dirty [z00sh] 9th March [1996, Southern]

4) Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - E 1999 Eternal [Drifter] 13th March [1995, G-Funk / Horrorcore]

5) N.O.D. - Niggaz of Destruction [someone] 22nd March [1996, Memphis]

6) Nujabes - Modal Soul [Relinquished] 28th March [2005, Jazz Rap / Instrumental]

7) A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory [Sniff] 30th March [1991, Jazz Rap / East]

8) GZA - Liquid Swords [me] 37th March [1995, Hardcore / East]
20Slum Village
Fan-Tas-Tic Vol.1

What was it like: March was remembering how to run. I wasn’t a complete newbie with rap as I was with Electronic and Jazz, albeit my focus had been on modern fantanocore (Kendrick, RTJ, etc.) and obvious classics (Biggie, Pac, Nas, Wu-Tang, etc.), meaning my map still had a lot of gaps to fill. Given that prior experience: an easier month (at least I had foot in door). It was also the first month I distorted space and time with 40 recs, and I moved into my first house; chaotic, therefore, for other reasons.
21UGK
Ridin' Dirty

What did I like: Memphis! Holy shit! Jazz Rap!! Double shits!! Southern Funk!!! You get the point - this is a big fucking genre and contains loads of disparate goodies, to an extent (again) I simply had not comprehended. No matter how much good music you think is out there, there is always more.
22Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
E 1999 Eternal

Would I do it again: YES! The old-school 80s/90s lineage remains an iceberg, and I haven't really touched any post 2000 stuff.
23N.O.D.
Niggaz of Destruction

Further lines of enquiry: Memphis, Jazz Rap and Funk (East, West and South). Probs post-2000 as well - trap/drill/et al remains unknown.
24Nujabes
Modal Soul

Average rating: 3.88 (1st highest month a.k.a. THE WINNER whoo)
25A Tribe Called Quest
The Low End Theory

Honourable mentions: Artifacts - Between a Rock and a Hard Place; Scarface - The Diary; Gravediggaz - 6 Feet Deep; Billy Woods - History…; Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein; Digable Planets - Blowout Comb; J Dilla - Donuts; Mobb Deep - The Infamous
26GZA
Liquid Swords

Best user participation award: pots, Kompys, foxblood and drifter
27Weakling
Dead as Dreams

April///Black Metal

1) Weakling - Dead as Dreams [Ryus] 6th April [2000, Atmos Black Metal]

2) Ulver - Bergtatt [botb] 13th April [1996, Atmos / Folk Black Metal]

3) Murmuure - Murmuure [dedex] 14th April [2010, Atmos / Ambient / Avant-Garde Black Metal]

4) Trha - novej [zaruyache] 24th April [2020, Atmos Black Metal]

5) Ashenspire - Hostile Architecture [Kompys2000] 26th April [2022, Avant-Garde Black Metal]

6) Dakhma (SA) - Suna Kulto [Sniff] 30th April [2016, Blackened Crust]

7) Leviathan - Scar Sighted [Dedes] 31st April [2015, Blackened Death Metal]

8) Burzum - Hvis Lyset… [me] 40th April [1994, DSBM / Dungeon Synth]
28Ulver
Bergtatt - Et eeventyr i 5 capitler

What was it like: April was the most homogenous month by this stage, and therefore a low point in terms of breadth of discovery, but also fucking great - I GOT RIFFS BACK yay GUITAR MUSIC yay SCREM MUSIC yay!!!! A genre I knew only (really) by the earlier LPs from the oldies (Venom, Bathory, Mayhem, etc.) and the occasional hybrid modern hardcore/metalcore/thrash LP that does the blastbeet/beat tremolo thing, so went in mostly blind.
29Murmuure
Murmuure

What did I like: What this “best of” reveals, which I hadn’t clocked, is that I lean towards the atmos side of the genre (good to know; i thought it'd be the lofi potatocore but there we go). While not making the top 8, DSBM a la Sterbend, flamboyant OTT stuff like Cradle of Filth and Caladan Brood, and more trad oldies like Immortal and Bathory (Black Mark) all did very well.
30Trha
novej qalhnjënno

Would I do it again: NO lol there is too much of a good thing and this was that. Perhaps if I broadened a month to include Thrash, Death, Doom and Black Metal in one go, that’d provide enough variety for a relative non-metal head. Shrugs.
31Ashenspire
Hostile Architecture

Further lines of enquiry: The borders with which BM blends with Death seem interesting. Discog runs of some of the big bois e.g. Darkthrone, Ulver, Bathory, etc. Excavate more of that airconditioner lo-fi filth, too.
32Dakhma (USA)
Suna Kulto

Average rating: 3.59 (11th highest month a.k.a lowest scoring rip)
33Leviathan
Scar Sighted

Honourable mentions: Sterbend - Dwelling Lifeless; Immortal - At the Heart of Winter
34Burzum
Hvis Lyset Tar Oss

Best user participation award: budgie, Chippe, DungeonBoy, deez, quite alot of people tbh this one was fun re communal bants
35Pavement
Slanted and Enchanted

May///JohnnyOfTheWell

1) Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted [JOTW] 1st May [1992, Slacker / Indie Rock]

2) Shiina Ringo - Shouso Strip [JOTW] 2nd May [2000, J-Rock / Noise Pop]

3) The Flaming Lips - Clouds Taste Metallic [JOTW] 5th May [1995, Noise Pop / Neo-Psych]

4) Leonard Cohen - Songs [JOTW] 7th May [1967, Folk]

5) Carissa’s Wierd - Ugly [JOTW] 8th May [2000, Slowcore]

6) John Zorn - The Circle Maker [JOTW] 15th May [1998, Chamber Jazz / Klezmer]

7) Kazumoto Endo - While You Were Out [JOTW] 16th May [1999, Harsh Noise]

8) Seiko Oomori - PINK [JOTW] 17th May [2012, Indie Folk]
36Shiina Ringo
Shouso Strip

What was it like: May was different lol. Going from a one-genre format to the boing-ing around the entirety of MUSIC that this style of list necessitated - everything JOTW in 1 month - was challenging, added to the fact that we do not regularly align in our tastes, and that I was simultaneously having my childhood torn to shreds before my eyes on the sister list. Still, good bants and good recs.
37The Flaming Lips
Clouds Taste Metallic

What did I like: These 8 albums. Aside from these, Johnny has a particular eye for where the haze meets the dissonance meets the POPHOOKS meets the depression and IT IS an interesting place to be. These particular albums, however, converged a little more with my preferences - noisy things, sloppy and sincere things, folken things, etc.
38Leonard Cohen
Songs of Leonard Cohen

Would I do it again: YES, kind of. With different users, and a different format. I have an idea of jamming five 5s from 5 different users in a given month, which would lend itself to more variety and potentially more user engagement.
39Carissa's Wierd
Ugly But Honest: 1996-1999

Further lines of enquiry: Will continue to pillage Johnny’s 5s and the whole Japanese noise rock and harsh noise etc. THINGs as I really fuck the LoUD NoISES (more on that later).
40John Zorn
The Circle Maker

Average rating: 3.63 (9th highest month)
41Kazumoto Endo
While You Were Out

Honourable mentions: Anathema - Judgement; The Goslings - Grandeur of Hair; Supercar - Highvision
42Seiko Oomori
Pink

Best user participation award: Ryus and Pots, oddly lol
43Jackson C. Frank
Jackson C. Frank

June///Folk

1) Jackson C. Frank - Jackson C. Frank [Phero] 6th June [1965, Folk]

2) Balkan Beat Box - Balkan Beat Box [Pots] 10th June [2005, Turbo-Folk]

3) Sirom - The Liquified Throne [Porc] 13th June [2022, Free Folk]

4) The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns [Sloth] 15th June [2008, Indie Folk]

5) Leonard Cohen - Songs of Love and Hate [Ryus] 19th June [1971, Folk]

6) Comus - First Utterance [Dewi] 22nd June [1971, Freak / Prog / Psych Folk]

7) John Donne - A Mutable Feast [Kompys2000] 23rd June [2021, Indie Folk]

8) Robbie Basho - Visions of the Country [z00sh] 34th June [1978, American Primitivism]
44Balkan Beat Box
Balkan Beat Box

What was it like: June was returning home and finding that everyone has changed and so have you. Folk has been one of my favourite things since around 2009, which was about 2 years after I first started listening to music as a 10 year old. My interest in the genre has been relatively narrow, though: the Sufjans, Tallest Mans, Frank Turners, Adrienne Lenkers, Regina Spektors, etc etc etc. AKA my knowledge of the folken oldies and oddities was (and still is) fairly poor. This month was a helpful course correction. It was also interesting - assimilating 4 different new genres over 4 months and then going back to an old favourite had an element of internal dissonance and existential crisis to it. I was no longer the person that I was. We are shaped by the places we have been and the people we meet.
45Sirom
The Liquified Throne of Simplicity

What did I like: Robbie Basho was one of the single greatest discoveries of the entire year - how to take a genre and completely shirk all of its core elements while compounding distilling exaggerating celebrating all that it is. It left me tearing up on the train in the sunset and I love it. I also learnt, from further recs, that folk could do more, be poems, be danceable, be freeform, be weird.
46The Rural Alberta Advantage
Hometowns

Would I do it again: NO. Despite my love for the genre, the month format doesn’t work. Another example of homogeneity becoming a hindrance.
47Leonard Cohen
Songs of Love and Hate

Further lines of enquiry: I’m in no rush to dig deeper. The recs from this month require more of my time. I’m just going to sit here, a while, and breathe.
48Comus
First Utterance

Average rating: 3.85 (2nd highest month)
49John Donne
A Mutable Feast or: The Ghost of a Flea

Honourable mentions: Woodie Guthrie - Dust Bowl Ballads; Paavoharju - Yha Hamaraa; King Creosote - Diamond Mine; My Kappa Roots - The House…
50Robbie Basho
Visions of The Country

Best user participation award: pots
51Parliament
Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome

July///Funk

1) Parliament - Funkentelechy [Ars] 6th July [1977, P-Funk]

2) Funkadelic - Cosmic Slop [Jalepeno] 7th July [1973, Psych-Soul / Funk]

3) Sly and the Family Stone - Stand! [Sloth] 10th July [1969, Psych-Soul / Funk Rock]

4) Manu Dibango - Soul Makossa [ffs] 11th July [1972, Jazz-Funk / Makossa]

5) Louis Cole - Time [Pots] 12th July [2018, Synth Funk / Pop]

6) Funkadelic - One Nation [Porc] 17th July [1978, P-Funk / Funk Rock]

7) Slave - Slave [widow] 20th July [1977, Funk Rock]

8) Fela Kuti - Zombie [dedex] 26th July [1977, Afrobeat]
52Funkadelic
Cosmic Slop

What was it like: July was HOT and FUNK gave me the GROOVES to BOOGIE. A genre I had entirely misunderstood by virtue of jamming Maggot Brain and assuming it was representative of the entire genre when it’s more of an outlier than anything. Ars set me straight.
53Sly and The Family Stone
Stand!

What did I like: The grooviest of the grooves sucked me in the most. It seemed dumb that 2-3 bands had a monopoly of this genre for its heyday but jesus fc Parliament, Funkadelic and Sly were so far above everything else here in terms of quality, at least re P-Funk. Branching out, Fela Kuti and William Onyeabor were great alternative discoveries, as were jazzy hybrid Hancock, Soul Makossa is its own special thing, and modern funky masterpiece that is Louis Coles’s Time.
54Manu Dibango
Soul Makossa

Would I do it again: NO. However, I am interested in branching towards Soul, R&B, Jazz-Fusion and other adjacent locations. The uniqueness of Dibango, Kuti and Onyeabor also made the prospect of doing an Africa month, or other countries/continents, very appealing.
55Louis Cole
Time

Further lines of enquiry: see above.
56Funkadelic
One Nation Under a Groove

Average rating: 3.65 (8th highest month)
57Slave
Slave

Honourable mentions: Herbie Hancock - Thrust; Black Merda (s/t); Ohio Players - Fire
58Fela Kuti
Zombie

Best user participation award: Ars
59Arthur Russell
World of Echo

August///Experimental

1) Arthur Russell - World of Echo [Ryus] 2nd August [1987, Avant-Folk / Ambient Pop]

2) Ground Zero - Consume Red [Porc] 4th August [1997, Noise / Drone]

3) Diamanda Galas - Plague Mass [DadKungFu] 7th August [1991, Spoken Word]

4) Tom Waits - Bone Machine [squiggly] 10th August [1992, Gothic Country / Blues]

5) Shoji Aketagawa - Daikanjyo [Sniff] 14th August [2002, Avant-Folk / Free Improv]

6) Oxbow - King of the Jews [JOTW] 16th August [1991, Noise Rock / Punk Blues]

7) Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol 2: Judges [dedex] 21st August [2011, Post-Minimalism]

8) Eliane Radigue - Trilogie [Sniff] 26th August [1998, Drone]
60Ground Zero
Consume Red

What was it like: August was hard lol experimental is not a genre label but a designator of uncategorability. Piling 31 very different / challenging / evasive albums into 1 month was probably a stupid idea - I am convinced I did not give half of these albums the thoroughness or time they deserved. HOWEVER, it did get me over the dread and intimidation that ‘experimental’ music has long had for me; I’ve avoided it, for fear of not getting it, being too stupid, ignorant, musically challenged etc. If you feel the same MY GOD JUST THROW YOURSELF IN THE DEEP END the water is warm and welcoming. Music is just music.
61Diamanda Galas
Plague Mass

What did I like: ALL OF IT! The more dissonant and outrageous, the better, though, apparently. The album a day format does not benefit subtlety / grace. Top segment of my pie chart is now experimental which is dumb.
62Tom Waits
Bone Machine

Would I do it again: YES, but differently. One-a-day is silly, but seeking out experimental weirdo things in general is not. Will bake into my routine: stretch horizon, break it, and paint a new one.
63Shoji Aketagawa/Kan Mikami/Toshiaki Ishizuka
Daikanjyo

Further lines of enquiry: Japan - why do they have so many cool things??? Also drone. Also noise.
64Oxbow
King of the Jews

Average rating: 3.70 (5th highest)
65Colin Stetson
New History Warfare Vol 2: Judges

Honourable mentions: Boredoms - Chocolate Synthesizer; Boredoms - Vision Creation Newsun; The Pyramids - Lalibella; Ben Frost - By the Throat; David Shea - Satyricon; Blind Idiot God (s/t); Naked City (s/t); Stomach Book (s/t); Bondage Fruit (s/t)
66Eliane Radigue
Trilogie de la Mort

Best user participation award: jots, hyperion, havey, porc, dad, avagantamos, tim (lots of good conversations this month)
67Phyllomedusa
Fijian Fantasies

1) Phyllomedusa - Fijan Fantesies [hyperion] 11th September [2019, Gorenoise / Sludge]

2) Pedestrian Deposit - Volatile [DadKungFu] 14th September [2004, Harsh Noise]

3) The Gerogerigegege - Instruments Disorder [Tim] 17th September [1994, Noisecore]

4) Yellow Swans - Going Places [Kompys2000] 22nd September [2010, Noise / Drone]

5) Ramleh - Hole in the Heart [someone] 31st September [1987, Death Industrial / Power Electronics]

6) Merzbow - Venereology [Colin] 34th September [1994, Harsh Noise]

7) Werewolf Jerusalem - God [DadKungFu] 35th September [2001, Harsh Noise]

8) Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing [JOTW] 36th September [2008, Drone / Noise / Neo-Psych]
68Pedestrian Deposit
Volatile

What was it like: September was a silly exercise in self-one-man-up-ship (experimental into noise ayayaya) BUT, also, inadvertently, revealed to me that THIS is is is is IS the genre I have been so sorely missing from my repertoire all these years. Of course as a mathcore fiend grind enjoyer sludge practitioner loud-grr-screm person OF COURSE going even louder would be a sensible idea. I can hand-on-heart say I loved every single album this month, it was a fulfilling experience. Except Merzbob. And that ambient album Hawks recommended.
69The Gerogerigegege
Instruments Disorder

What did I like: The harsh noise, most chaotic of the noise rock, and (most surprisingly) anything unnecessarily long that made me forget my own sentience. Ego death = good.
70Yellow Swans
Going Places

Would I do it again: YES, I plan to, soon, tinnitus permitting.
71Ramleh
Hole in the Heart

Further lines of enquiry: All of it.
72Merzbow
Venereology

Average rating: 3.61 (10th highest month, surprisingly low but shrugs in mic contact)
73Werewolf Jerusalem
God Has Shot Himself

Honourable mentions: Wolf Eyes - Human Animal; Vomir - Claustration; Prurient - Frozen Niagara Falls; La Torture des Tenebres - Civilisation…; Uboa - The Origin Of My Depression; Dreamcrusher - Suicide Deluxe; Xinlisupreme - I Am Not Shinzo Abe; I Am A Lake Of Burning Orchids - Innocence
74Fuck Buttons
Street Horrrsing

Best user participation award: dad, kompys, foxxxy, someone, porc, MoM
75Kikagaku Moyo
Mammatus Clouds

October///Psychedelic

1) Kikagaku Moyo - Mammatus Clouds [Buddha] 3rd October [2014, Psych-Folk / Raga Rock]

2) Les Rallizes Denudes - ‘77 Live [Tim] 5th October [1991, Noise / Psych Rock]

3) The Olivia Tremor Control - Black Foilage [Conmaniac] 24th October [1999, Psych-Pop]

4) High Rise - II [Foxxxy] 25th October [1986, Heavy Psych]

5) Colour Haze - Colour Haze [MeatSalad] 33rd October [2004, Stoner Rock / Heavy Psych]

6) Deakin - Sleep Cycle [Tim] 34th October [2016, Neo-Psych / Folk]

7) Time Machines - Time Machines [mystagogus] 38th October [1998, Binaural Drone]

8) Hum - Inlet [mort] 42nd October [2020, Alternative Metal / Shoegaze]
76Les Rallizes Denudes
'77 Live

What was it like: THE RETURN OF MELODY holy shit. October was pretty. Chords, tones, textures, all very high, loopy, hazy, and no longer trying to kill me. Big genre, this; not really a genre, really; as with Experimental, more a signifier of methodology and/or HOW one ought to listen. As such: a mixed bag of petite pois.
77The Olivia Tremor Control
Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume 1

What did I like: The stoner rock the long form ego deaths (again) less so the psych pop and 70s prog, but that (I think) didn't really suit the format - the hooks don't have time to sink in and the expansive soundscapes don't have time to plant roots. Ambience, loops, vibes and flows were king.
78High Rise
II

Would I do it again: NO. Too much in this eclectic bag, more focused deep dives required (but a fun month, regardless).
79Colour Haze
Colour Haze

Further lines of enquiry: Stoner, Doom, Sludge + Psych. Probs trance. The Animal Collective discog. Weird folk. Psych jazz.
80Deakin
Sleep Cycle

Average rating: 3.67 (7th highest month)
81Time Machines
Time Machines

Honourable mentions: Solar Fields - Leaving Home; T2 - Boomland; Candy Claws - Ceres and Calypso; Szun Waves - New Hymn to Freedom; Can - Tago Mago; Mid-Air Thief - Crumbling; Luuli (s/t); Acid Mothers Temple - Crystal Rainbow; Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit
82Hum
Inlet

Best user participation award: ars, mort
83Polvo
Today's Active Lifestyles

1) Polvo - Today’s Active Lifestyles [mort] 1st November [1993, Math Rock]

2) Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime [Sniff] 12th November [1994, Post-Hardcore]

3) NoMeansNo - Wrong [Sloth] 13th November [1989, Post-Hardcore]

4) Husker Du - Zen Arcade [Tim] 15th November [1984, Post-Hardcore / Hardcore]

5) Super Thief - Stuck [Kompys2000] 21st November [2017, Noise Rock]

6) Minutemen - Double Nickels [Dad] 24th November [1984, Post-Punk / Post-Hardcore]

7) Fugazi - The Argument [Cylinder] 29th November [2001, Post-Hardcore]

8) mewithoutYou - Brother, Sister [BlazinBlitzer] 35th November [2006, Indie Rock / Post-Hardcore]
84Drive Like Jehu
Yank Crime

What was it like: This genre still makes no sense to me. November was a constant cycle of death and rebirth: getting to grips with first wave PxHxCx only to be told there are at least 2 more waves to go; learning that it can intersect with indie, alt, noise and math rock, metalcore, emo, skramz, post-sludge and post-punk (eek!). A cumbersome but tasty cucumber.
85NoMeansNo
Wrong

What did I like: The old-school shit, apparently. Anything from the 80s seemed to work for me; nothing from the 00s really tickled my pickle; the 90s were hit and miss but mostly hit. I checked Fugazi and was pleased about it.
86Husker Du
Zen Arcade

Would I do it again: NO though see below.
87Super Thief
Stuck

Further lines of enquiry: Post-Punk, Hardcore Punk, more weird loud 80s shit.
88Minutemen
Double Nickels on the Dime

Average rating: 3.68 (6th Highest Month)
89Fugazi
The Argument

Honourable mentions: Unwound - New Plastic Ideas; Thrice - Beggars; No Knife - Fire in the City of Automatons; Treepeople - Guilt…; Number Girl - Sappukei; O’Brother - Garden Window; Hot Snakes - Suicide Invoice and Audit in Progress; Bitch Magnet - Umber
90mewithoutYou
Brother, Sister

Best user participation award: JOTW, Mort
91Lil Ugly Mane
Uneven Compromise

December///YOU

1) Lil Ugly Mane - Uneven Compromise [dedex] 4th December [2012, Memphis]

2) Arvo Part - Tabula Rasa [Dad] 6th December [1977/1984, Classical / Minimalism]

3) The Drones - Gala Mill [Porc] 8th December [2006, Punk Blues / Folk Rock]

4) Anna von Hausswolff - Dead Magic [pangea] 14th December [2018, Neoclassical Darkwave]

5) Dinosaur Jr. - You’re Living All Over Me [foxxxy] 16th December [1987, Indie/Noise/Slacker Rock]

6) Hermit and the Recluse - Orpheus vs. The Sirens [someone] 17th December [2018, Abstract Hip Hop / Drumless]

7) Xanopticon - Psicicte [Avagantamos] 22nd December [2006, Breakcore]

8) Iron Monkey - Our Problem [ffs] 28th December [1998, Sludge Metal]
92Arvo Part
Tabula Rasa

What was it like: A big hug. We celebrated the close with a run through your 5s. Really interesting experience - helped me reevaluate what a 5 is, completely rejigged my own 5s in the process, and great opportunity to get better acquainted with the cool quirky taste pool that is sputnikmusic.com.
93The Drones
Gala Mill

What did I like: All of it you are all cool people.
94Anna von Hausswolff
Dead Magic

Would I do it again: YESYESYES.
95Dinosaur Jr.
You're Living All Over Me

Further lines of enquiry: All the 5s of all the users, forever.
96Hermit and the Recluse
Orpheus vs. The Sirens

Average rating: probs 5.
97xanopticon
Psicicite

Honourable mentions: All of you!
98Iron Monkey
Our Problem

Best user participation award: All of you!!!!!!!
99Elbow
Asleep In The Back

///FAQs///

FAQ1: WHY DID I START DOING THIS LIST SERIES THING?!?

I ended last year questioning whether I ought to remain a Staffer, given the narrow lane in which my taste (and musical knowledge) was restricted: folk, hard/metalcore, emo / indie things, etc. etc. etc. I felt a bit under-informed for my station, having not moved away from these comfort zone’s since I first properly got into music (2015-2018).

To try to rectify at least some of my blind spots, and after having got back into exploration in late 2022, I had planned to do between 1 and 3 monthly rec lists, covering my biggest gaps: (a) Electronic, (b) Jazz and (c) Hip Hop. Simply jamming the top rated / classic albums in those genres using sput/rym charts seemed boring, so I tried the crowdsourcing approach. It went well, so, uh, I just kept going.

FAQ2: UNFORESEEN BENEFITS OF THIS LIST SERIES THING?!?

Beyond the obvious (i.e. learning about genres I’d often neglected in a focused manner, that therefore helped breakdown the barrier to entry) this series has also achieved the following:

(a) It has introduced me to some cool people (uh, hi! how are you?). My sense of the community that Sput is has grown and the detail coloured in and this is a good thing!!!

(b) It has provided a sense of structure and consistency, in both how I pursue this nerdy indulgent hobby, but also in life more generally. Where i would have skipped out on listening to new music in a busy day/week/month, i now try ensure i carve out a few minutes to myself each day to do so, which MY GOD has been a lifeline - the headspace and sense of peace forcefully making this time has been super super essential and a good thing!!!

(c) It has also changed my perspective of what “music” can/ought be, beyond my personal comfort blanket, into cultural/temporal looking glass, into meditative reset, into intentional alienation, among many other things, which is a good thing!!!

(d) In doing so, it has helped shatter self-imposed barriers/assumptions that I have held for years regarding the limits of my taste. Bashing your head against unfamiliar sounds for 30 consecutive days does, it turns out, help. I have realised I am more stupid than I could have imagined and held assumptions about other genres (and the genres I already love) that I couldn’t see from inside my own fishbowl. Personal growth is a good thing!!!

(e) More on structure: I’ve certainly found the “1 album per day and write about it before you move on” format helpful for me, in that it has forced me to fully grapple with each given album before dropping it, at least enough to form coherent written opinion. The vague accountability to the users providing the recs has (i think) guarded against impulsive snap judgments / half-baked opinions, and has been key (in addition to the focused ‘by genre’ format) in getting me into types of music that (without the same checks/balances) I’ve struggled to enjoy for so many years now. It hit an essential middleground between encouraging relatively fast consumption of music (which has helped develop understanding) whilst avoiding shallow exploration = win WIN (also known as a good thing!!!).

(e) It - in addition to the epiphany I had in 2022, documented in my self-indulgent Staff Wars thing - has revitalised my faith in exploring beyond the BIG albums, hunting for hidden gems, doing the dirty work, informed by a broader and more accurate set of likes and dislikes, which has injected an old hobby with new life, and is a good thing!!!

(f) It has (hopefully) helped me improve as a writer/critic - in terms of having more background know-how on more things, but also in that daily regular snappy writing helps lubricate my creative bones. The learning is a good thing!!!

(g) Finally, as a more external benefit, I hope the series has provided useful resources for those looking to get into the same genres, or at least provide a diary-style narrative of the virtues of dumb rampant exploration (at the very least it appears to have inspired a few equivalent rec comps e.g. JotW, Ryus, Pots, Mort, Zac, Hawks, probs more idk.) which has been a nice wholesome community thing (one final good thing!!!).

FAQ3: ANY LAST WORDS???

Honestly, and embarrassingly, this has been one of the most impactful and rewarding projects I’ve ever undertaken, musical or otherwise. It has had such an impact, that I’m seriously rethinking my 4.5s-5s; while I still love most of them, they no longer feel representative, of me or my taste, and I feel a little lost at sea, but excited!

Will I be doing this again next year? NO lol but I will probably take up another project, whether that’s music/sput related (e.g. some sort of user showcase list) or outside of music (I wanna read more). A book a week, maybe? Idk. I could learn guitar, properly this time. Or actually spend time with real life people? Probs not.
100Elbow
Asleep In The Back

///STATISTICS///

STATISTICS (1): WHICH MONTH WON??? - by Average Rating

1st - Hip Hop (March): 3.88
2nd - Folk (June): 3.85
3rd - Jazz (Feb): 3.79
4th - Electronic (Jan): 3.75
5th - Experimental (Aug): 3.70
6th - Post-Hardcore (Nov): 3.68
7th - Psych (Oct): 3.67
8th - Funk (July): 3.65
9th - JotW (May): 3.63
10th - Noise (Sept): 3.61
11th - Black Metal (April): 3.59

STATISTICS (2) WHICH MONTH WON??? - by number of 4.3+ (superb) ratings per list

1st - Hip Hop (March): 8 recs
2nd: Folk (June): 7 recs
3rd - Electronic (Jan) / Psych (Oct): 5 recs
4th - Black Metal (April) / Post-Hardcore (Nov): 4 recs
5th - JotW (May) / Experimental (Aug) / Noise (Sept): 3 recs
6th - Jazz (Feb) - 2 recs
7th - Funk (July) - 1 rec

STATISTICS (3): Which month did I actually enjoy the most i.e. developed my taste significantly i.e. I’m most interested in exploring going forwards???

FIRST i.e. literal epiphany territory: Noise (Sept). Although rating av. is surprisingly low, I loved every second of my twisted spiral into tinnitus circa September 2023. Will be returning frequently and often (and will also dabble in some ambient).

SECOND i.e. heck i love these genres more than i thought i did: Electronic (Jan) / Jazz (Feb) / Hip Hop (March). They were why I started this series and, in line with expectations, appear to be the areas I have the most gold left to mine (makes sense; these are very wide genre labels lol).

THIRD i.e. this was cool pls sir may i have some more: Experimental (Aug) / Psych (Oct) / Post-Hardcore (Nov). Very much worth the journey, by no means firm favourites, but the highlights still got me HYPED to keep plundering. Perhaps too broad as genre categories??? I have particular sub-sub genres that I’m gonna look into.

FOURTH i.e. i feel better informed now but won’t be returning immediately: Black Metal (April) / JotW (May) / Funk (July). Funk is such a narrow slice of pie, I’m much more inclined to explore outwards into Soul, R&B and Blues than I am just to stay put. Black Metal was more homogenous than I’d realised please dont hate me. Inclusion of Johnny here is merely happenstance; I dont think month rec comps based on one other human being’s individual taste are as useful developmental springboards as a genre month (or perhaps time period or geographical list format), which is no slight on Johnny, I enjoyed our time together xoxo, but I’m happy to go our separate ways and reconvene intermittently in Adrienne Lenker and Seiko Oomori threads.

STATISTICS (4): USER ENGAGEMENT i.e. which month did y’all vibe/engage with the most (based on number of comments)

This appears influenced by (a) the number of recs accepted in that month and (b) Sput’s genre preferences and (c) the more this series took off (Jan/Feb didnt get much traction vs. later months) and (d) the users involved (pots, Johnny, someone, dad, ryus, mort etc tended to drive up numbers on particular lists).

1st - Post-Hardcore (Nov): 336 comments
2nd - Black Metal (April): 296 comments
3rd - Hip Hop (March): 235 comments
4th - Noise (Sept): 225 comments
5th: Experimental (Aug): 218 comments
6th - Funk (July): 195 comments
7th - Folk (June): 187 comments
8th - Electronic (Jan): 157 comments
9th - Psych (Oct): 155 comments
10th - Jazz (Feb): 136 comments
11th - JotW (May): 54 comments [we did not market this very well lol]

STATISTICS (5): Misc.

Total number of recs listened to: 386 [aka just under 20% of all the albums I have rated, or 22% increase in ratings]

Number of users who submitted recs: 108. This would be nearer 150-200 users, if we’re counting those who submitted recs but didn't make it onto any of the lists due to lack of space.

Old Chart, December 2022 | 1735 ratings |

Hardcore: 19%
Folk: 15%
Emo: 14%
Punk: 13%
Metalcore: 13%
Indie Rock: 12%
Indie Folk: 11%

New Chart, December 2023 | 2252 ratings |

Experimental: 21% (🆕)
Folk: 16% (↑ 1%)
Hardcore: 13% (↓ 6%)
Psychedelic: 13% (🆕)
Hip-Hop: 12% (🆕)
Emo: 11% (↓ 3%)
Punk 10% (↓ 3%)

GONE: Indie Rock (12%), Metalcore (13%) and Indie Folk (11%)

Piechart goals: replace emo and punk with jazz and electronic and swap psychedelic for noise.
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