Matt Jenko

Matt Jenko
Hi my name is Matt, but my friends call me Matt. I’m on the wrong side of 29 (damn I hate it every time I have to update that number), definitely feeling my age, but never felt happier and more content than I do at this point in my life. I’ve been through some rocky patches (who hasn’t) and lived to tell the tale, and boy do I gots some stories. When I’m not giving opinions absolutely nobody asked for, I’m doing a worldbuilding with my passion project, vivaellipsis. If you like offbeat nonsense delivered through immersive escapism, then go and get involved. Or don’t, I’m not telling you what to do. I’m not yer boss. I’m a simple man with simple interests. I like Yorkshire tea, the sound of rain on the window, and a bloody good story.

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Music to Escape Reality

NUNDGE

20 March 2024

It’s a weird time – for everybody, everywhere it seems. There’s just this sense that we’re all doomed – the grown ups aren’t grown upping, but nor are they leaving room for other people to step in and fix things. It’s the same old shit all the time and the future looks bleak.

And while we hasten to point out that this is indeed, just a feeling, and if you speak to us on most days we’d tell you that – naaaah – it’s just a phase and that there’s so many good things happening in the world, and we’ve been through worse and it’s projects like musicto.com that are contributing to the positive change and making a difference and well – it’s gonna work out and we’re all gonna be OK…

…but sometimes you just have to NUNDGE.

And no – we don’t know the etymology of the word – actually to be honest, it’s not really a word at all – more a sense – a feeling – a typo – a reaction to covfefe. Listen to the playlist – you’ll get the idea…

Track Listing

  • What the Fuck Is Going On – Elliott Murphy
  • Shitstorm – Strapping Young Lad
  • Pressure – Company of Thieves
  • It Never Ends – Bring Me The Horizon
  • Nerve – Charlotte Church
  • It Hurts – Enter Shikari
  • Shudder – Marty O’Reilly & the Old Soul Orchestra
  • All Hope In Eclipse – Cradle Of Filth
  • Square Hammer – Ghost
  • Feels Bad Man – Dance Gavin Dance
  • Ugly – 1996 Remaster – The Stranglers
  • Nihilist – Architects
  • Broke – Scott Lavene
  • I’m Scum – IDLES
  • Wash Your Face In My Sink – Dream Warriors
  • Milk Lizard – The Dillinger Escape Plan
  • White Limo – Foo Fighters
  • AmEN! (feat. Lil Uzi Vert and Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw) – Bring Me The Horizon
  • WTF Is in My Cup – Chico Blanco
  • Backfire – August Burns Red
  • Fucked By A Country Boy – Wheeler Walker Jr.
  • Mr. Highway’s Thinking About The End – A Day To Remember

Playlist image by GPT4

Sounds Like FOALS

7 March 2024

Andrew gets an introduction to the FOAL’s catalog courtesy of Matt. Starting with Matt’s pick of the FOALS track Hummer, they trade tracks with Andrew adding a track inspired by the previous FOAL track and Matt coming back with a FOAL’s track inspired by Andrew’s pick. Is it just coincidence that there’s a lot of Scottish bands on there?!…

  • Hummer – Foals
  • It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning – We Were Promised Jetpacks
  • This Orient – Foals
  • I Feel Better – Frightened Rabbit
  • In Degrees – Foals
  • Once in a Lifetime – 2005 Remaster – Talking Heads
  • Wake Me Up – Foals
  • Two Tribes – Frankie Goes To Hollywood
  • Wash Off – Foals
  • Red Travellin’ Socks – Malcolm Middleton
  • Milk & Black Spiders – Foals
  • I Hope I Didn’t Just Give Away The Ending – New Radicals
  • Give It All – Foals
  • Red Rain – 2012 Remaster – Peter Gabriel
  • Two Steps, Twice – Foals
  • People – The 1975
  • Snake Oil – Foals
  • Bloodbuzz Ohio – The National
  • Everytime – Foals
  • Someone Somewhere (In Summertime) – Simple Minds
  • After Glow – Foals
  • Crazy – ICEHOUSE

Image: AI Prompt

Inferno Galore

14 February 2024

Embark on a fiery journey through the elemental stages of fire with ‘Inferno Galore,’ a playlist ablaze with energetic anthems and metaphorical flames.

From the pulsating beats of Carpenter Brut’s ‘Inferno Galore’ to the incendiary lyrics of Framing Hanley’s ‘Start a Fire,’ each track ignites a passionate celebration of the elemental force. Dance amidst the flames with Dance With the Dead’s ‘Firebird’ and feel the heat rise with Manafest’s ‘Firestarter.’ Explore the depths of Ember City with Mastodon and embrace the rebellious spirit of FEVER333’s ‘BURN IT.’

Cradle Of Filth’s ‘Dirge Inferno’ offers a haunting ode to the inferno, while A Day To Remember’s ‘Resentment’ adds a touch of emotional intensity. Sandman’s ‘Ignite’ fuels the flames further, leading into the triumphant rise of Scandroid’s ‘Phoenix.’ Cloud Battalion’s ‘Heat’ and Linkin Park’s ‘BURN IT DOWN’ keep the fire burning bright, while Alexisonfire’s ‘Mailbox Arson’ adds a touch of chaos to the mix.

Beartooth’s ‘Fire’ and Thee Oh Sees’ ‘Burning Bridges’ stoke the flames of rebellion, while Paramore’s ‘Let the Flames Begin’ and The Damned’s ‘Ignite’ fuel the passion within. Johnny Cash’s iconic ‘Ring of Fire’ adds a classic touch to the inferno, followed by Nine Inch Nails’ intense ‘Burn’ from the ‘Natural Born Killers’ soundtrack. Fall Out Boy’s ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ offers a reflective look amidst the chaos, while August Burns Red’s ‘Backfire’ adds a metal edge to the blaze. Casper’s ‘Im Ascheregen’ brings the inferno to a haunting close, leaving you exhilarated by the journey through this blazing playlist.

Let the flames of ‘Inferno Galore’ ignite your soul and set your playlist ablaze with fiery passion.

Track Listing

  • Inferno Galore – Carpenter Brut
  • Start a Fire – Framing Hanley
  • Firebird – Dance With the Dead
  • Firestarter – Manafest
  • Ember City – Mastodon
  • BURN IT – FEVER 333
  • Dirge Inferno – Cradle Of Filth
  • Resentment – A Day To Remember
  • Ignite – Sandman
  • Phoenix – Scandroid
  • Heat – Cloud Battalion
  • BURN IT DOWN – Linkin Park
  • Mailbox Arson – Alexisonfire
  • Fire – Beartooth
  • Burning Bridges – Thee Oh Sees
  • Let the Flames Begin – Paramore
  • Ignite – The Damned
  • Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash
  • Burn – From “Natural Born Killers” Soundtrack – Nine Inch Nails
  • We Didn’t Start The Fire – Fall Out Boy
  • Backfire – August Burns Red
  • Im Ascheregen – Casper

Playlist image from curator

Non-Romantic Love

9 February 2024

The musicto community speaks tenderly

We think love is for everyone and everything! For this month’s playlist we’re focusing on all kinds of love that aren’t just romantic. We’re celebrating the platonic love between friends, family, our beloved pets, and more! There’s enough love to go around.


11 Songs for non-lovers:

Jan Seedman

Gretzky Rocks – The Pursuit of Happiness

Admittedly, I’m not a hockey fan, but Moe Berg of TPOH (huge hockey fan) has the uncanny ability to crystalize the whole story of The Great One in under 120 seconds. Not many stories can be told in that time, but Moe pulls a rabbit out of a hat (trick).


Hug Trees – Tom Freund


Ivan Santini

Con Lubricità – Marlene Kuntz

A pick from one of my oldest favourite Italian bands. The song actually speaks about a one night stand: the planning of it with all the anticipations, the moment, and the aftermath with its repercussions. The language used is rich and fast, like brush strokes or reading words from a poem. The first part is about deciding where and when to meet, with the growing tension of getting there. And what a better place than “Motel Voluptas”. I love how the actual encounter is described with a game of lights, black and whites, the speed of saying goodbye. And then the aftermath: everything will be fine, but with the underlying feeling that the story is unresolved. And indeed “Lady Astuta” comes back. It’s not love but will it ever be?


Lena Goos

i love my dog – phem

First I was like “oh god do I even know a platonic love song?” But after reading the caption again, this song was my instant pick! I own a cat, but I think this song is for all the pets out there! “You never judge me. You never think I’m ugly. You really love me” 🥰


Renee

One Day at a Time – Renegade, GIRL LIKE RENZY


Andrew McCluskey

Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) – John Lennon

I came into this playlist thinking “oh, this’ll be easy” there’s gotta be a million songs I know about non-romantic love and yet – as I started to look – well – it seems that songwriters can’t help throw in a hidden reference to someone they’ve got the hots for (I had Eel’s Beautiful Freak all lined up when I found out he did in fact write it about (his now ex) girlfriend!) 

So I was scanning my lists and this amazing track leaped out and smacked me right between the ears – perfect!  I have a weird relationship with John Lennon – I adore his music but suspect I fell prey to the McCartney PR machine.  Over time I have grown to appreciate him more and more, but he did have a mean streak – How Do You Sleep – that – well – shit – guess he was as flawed as the rest of us ;-p
The reason Beautiful Boy is deep in my psyche is thanks to Mr. Holland’s Opus – the 1995 movie with Richard Dreyfus playing a frustrated musician who becomes a teacher and who… – well – if you believe in the power of music – I highly recommend it. Cue wonderfully schlocky 90’s trailer…


Lyris Greene

Love’s In Need Of Love Today – Stevie Wonder


Jenna Barton

Guys – The 1975

“There’s not many love songs about some of the most beautiful, powerful relationships in your life. Especially straight guys or whatever in rock music, they tend not to write about how much they love their mates” –  Matty Healy

There aren’t many songs that are about such a close friendship and well that’s exactly what this is. It’s such a sweet sentiment. When I hear it I can’t help but also think about my close group of friends that I’m grateful for. This ones for you!


I’m In Love With My Car – Queen

Because Obvs…


Matt Jenko

Himalayan – Emancipator

A song about brothers working hard to create the life they deserve.


Greatest Love of All – Whitney Houston


Want more musicto playlisticles like 11 Songs for Non-Lovers? Check out our previous playlisticles: https://www.musicto.com/community/

Wacky Is Good!

17 January 2024

  • Not A Crime – Gogol Bordello
  • Ghost Of Stephen Foster – Squirrel Nut Zippers
  • Ants – Devin Townsend
  • Rope – The Jesus Lizard
  • Milk Lizard – The Dillinger Escape Plan
  • Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking for a Hand in the Snow) – Yoko Ono
  • The Fish Needs A Bike – Thee Oh Sees
  • 13 Monsters – Lightning Bolt
  • There’s No Such Thing As a Jaggy Snake – Biffy Clyro
  • Candy Gun – Melt-Banana
  • Kingslayer (feat. BABYMETAL) – Bring Me The Horizon
  • Broke & Happy – Attila
  • Shithead – The Haunted
  • Monkey Suit – Plasmatics
  • Dance Monkey – Tones And I
  • Gold – Kiiara
  • Chaos – Bon-Psy
  • Tröller tanz – 2020 Remastered Version – Magma
  • Carousel – Mr. Bungle
  • Carolyn’s Fingers – Cocteau Twins
  • Grey Matter – Oingo Boingo
  • Leroy – The Fibonaccis

Playlist image from curator

musicto Top 10 Tracks of 2023

16 January 2024

When Ben posted the idea about a musicto Best of 2023 playlist it was greeted enthusiastically by the community. While 70 of the 81 tracks come from 2023, curators are always discovering or falling back in love with older tracks, so you’ll see some gems from previous years in the list. Organized in reverse release date order we’re starting with Anna Calvi’s Black Tuesday, released on the 30th of November, 2023 and going all the way back to ABBA’s 1979 release of Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight).

While the master list is a great listen we’ve added the individual playlists below, along with write ups to accompany the tracks and give some insight into why the curators selected those tracks for the year. Enjoy!


Best of 2023

Curated by Bernice

This playlist is literally all I had on repeat it was tricky to compile it in to a top 10 but I truly am obsessed with each song. I didn’t really do much digging for new music this year unlike previous years but all of these artists have definitely produced great bodies of work this year.

Jalen Ngonda – If You Don’t Want My Love

If you enjoy the sound of Thee Sacred Souls, this song will not disappoint.

Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For

This song blew me away from the first listen, Billie’s vocal range and versatility really makes this ballad a really emotional song. Her ability to connect with  the audience and convey whatever you’re feeling in that moment is what makes her such a great songwriter.

Cleo Sol – Things Will Get Better : 

Introducing one of my favourites from the UK- Cleo Sol,  an RnB / neo- soul artist who released two albums this year which were both really solid projects. The song titled above is from her ‘Gold’ album which was a gospel album and was literally therapy for me, her soft and layered vocals on this track make this an easy standout from the album. This song reassures that even in difficult times, one should have faith and trust in God, as things will eventually get better.

Tems – Me & U

Tems rarely disappoints and this song is a testament to how good she is. This song literally exudes ease and I really resonate with the messaging of the song.

Sipho – Paranoia

Sipho is definitely one to watch, he just debuted his first album ‘Prayers and Paranoia’ including short films for each single. Paranoia for me is a stand out song and is full of sonic exploration, his raspy yet powerful vocals develop nicely over the duration of the song.

Victoria Monet – Stop

Initially I was going to put ‘On My Mama’ but I’ve enjoyed that song far too much this year  (definitely check that song out) however, Victoria released a sequel to her previous album Jaguar. Overall, Victoria released one of the most refined and cohesive projects this year and ‘Stop’ has a refreshing RnB, soulful edge to it.

Jorja Smith – Backwards

Another UK act I listen to who released a great project with melodic sounds and some inspiration from garage and house music.

Ama Lou – Bad Weather

This is my absolute favourite track from Ama Lou’s debut album ‘I Came Home Late’, she’s released many EPs so this project definitely felt special. 

Burna Boy – Sitting On Top the World 

This song for me is party starter, I enjoyed it when it first came out, its a nice blend between Afrobeats and RnB. Burna nicely samples RnB singer Brandy’s ‘Top of the World’ which you hear in the reverberation of the chorus.

Mariah the Scientist – From a Woman


Ben’s Top 10 Hip Hop Songs of 2023

Curated by Ben Young

When December rolls around, and I start compiling my list of my favorite songs of the year, the open question is, “do I make it genre specific or nah?” Rock has been dead for a while, but there are always a handful of releases each year that get me excited. I let Billboard and Rolling Stone decide the top pop songs, and I still prefer my country music made in the 70’s with a side of outlaw. So that leaves hip-hop, which is appropriate, considering 2023 is the 50th anniversary of the genre. This year’s list is a combination of veterans, rookies, well known names and artists who are truly underground. Presented in order of increasing energy.n

1. Wish Me Well – Little Brother

One of the most respected groups from the Golden Age is still at it, no drop-off detected. Takes me back to when I fell in love with hip hop. Peep their  documentary as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6L7uGPM-yM

2. Sprinter – Central Cee ft. Dave

Dave has been a top tier lyricist for years. If that sentence is not an obvious statement to you, allow this banger to be the gateway drug that addicts you to his discography. The first of two UK tracks on the list; the UK rap scene is riding the still-high Afrobeats wave, with dope lyrics and that British accent to provide a strong pathway to help us escape the trap of…Trap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSY3i5XHHXo

3. Back In Office – Saba

When you see No I.D. as the producer, you know the beat will be high quality. When you see Saba as the rapper, you know the lyrics will be high quality. A + A = A+

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pI8AO5myog

4. Johnny Dang – That Mexican OT ft. Paul Wall & DRODi

I’ll be honest: the video hooked me and perhaps elevated the song above what it deserves. Not the official music video. This one. Anyone who can spit like this, trill those R’s, whilst holding a rooster is automatic top ten. I don’t make the rules.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvmUrOSahsc

5. MORE DOLLARS, MORE SENSE 2014 – JasonMartin ft. Childish Gambino

So a version of this was first released as a freestyle in 2014, from a flipped DJ Quik beat (the MC Eiht diss-track “Dollaz + Sense”). It was re-released on the soundtrack to JasonMartin’s Tubi flick, A Compton Story (it was actually pretty good) with new lyrics. In 2014, he was known as Problem. So technically this is a new song from a new artist. Featuring a Because The Internet-era Gambino that makes me pray he starts to listen to the Big Boi on his right shoulder and stop paying mind to the Andre 3000 on his left.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqOFZmqUjg4

6. Grow Through It – Conway The Machine ft. Young Noble & K-Salaam

The thing I love about Griselda is they keep Boom Bap alive. Respect to the Golden Age. This track makes the list simply because of the scratching. Scratching on songs, a la DJ Premier and DJ Jazzy Jeff, has been largely absent in the current landscape. Call me old school, but these cuts are more impressive than most raps I’ve heard this year. Here’s a behind the scenes video of K-Salaam doing his thing on the 1’s and 2’s.

7. Doomsday – Cordae ft. Juice WRLD

Normally I don’t like when beats are copied and pasted from another rap song. Flip the sample in a creative way or at least take it from another genre. And normally I don’t like to put songs that were made years ago in my top ten. But this track isn’t normal. Cordae rides this Eminem/Dr. Dre beat so effortlessly, and I didn’t know Juice WRLD could spit like this (RIP). The video is fun too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdXubSf5YUc

8. Massacre – J Hus

The 2nd UK track on the list. This is a solid album, and while I hooked onto this song from my first listen, it was when I saw him perform this on the Colors Show series that I decided this was a top 10 song. His inflections on the hook are perfect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFrN7y-kA7M

9. Too Fast (Pull Over) – Jay Rock ft. Anderson .Paak & Latto

2023 continued the trend of Pornocore, the hypersexualized rap from the female side of rap. As a DJ, it is the closest thing to “party rap” being produced. That’s why tracks like this deserve top ten status. Call it party music for hip-hop heads. DJ Mustard is in his bag on this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lpwBYwa-Lk

10. Burfict! – JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown

This list is not ranked, but “Burfict!” may be the best song of the year. Made by representatives of “old school” and “new school” hip-hop, the theme of 2023. The instrumental befriends the celebratory horns style of “Too Fast” and gets it high. Danny Brown’s voice was made for beats like this, but as this live concert video shows, it’s Peggy’s verse that takes the song to GOAT status. May hip-hop continue to bounce thousands of concertgoers for the next 50 years. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PujvlhF-3Ew


Jane’s Asylum’s Best of 2023

Curated by Jane Asylum

I didn’t do as much music listening as usual this year — certainly not as much as I did during the Covid years — but that’s not to say I didn’t hear a hell of a lot of music, new and old. I’m concentrating on the new, here. After all, the musicto community challenge is to pick my top 10 songs of 2023.

Tall order. I can definitely list more than 10 best songs released in 2023, in which case honorable mentions should be dispersed. However, I’m the kind of person who wants to acknowledge everyone, which is an impossible task, so I’ll show some restraint and dispense with my usual long windedness and just get to it:

Ghost Rider – The Legendary Tigerman

The album Zeitgeist retains blues and rock elements I most often associate with Portuguese artist Paulo Furtado, better known as The Legendary Tigerman. This time around he adds an electronic touch to much of the album, which gives his sound a new flavor. “Ghost Rider” is my favorite song, and if I envision future rock as a track playing in sci-fi thriller night club drenched in smoggy blue and candy apple red neon — which of course I do — this is the song I hear.

Love and Tenderness – The Kills

It’s been a few years (several in fact) since Allison Mosshart and Jamie Hince of The Kills released an album, but I’m always happy to hear a new one. And this one? Well, it kills! “Love and Tenderness” is my top pick from the album. I love others too, but it doesn’t hurt that the track has a trip hop vibe reminiscent of the likes of Tricky and Portishead in the 90s, which I also happen to love.

Thrill Me. – Unloved

If I had to pick one TV series in which every song is an absolute perfect choice, then it’d be Killing Eve. As it happens, this is how I came to discover the LA trio Unloved (Jade Vincent, Keefus Ciancia and David Holmes). “Thrill Me.” is one of nine tracks of their 2023 LP Polychrome. It makes me feel primal — in a 60s noir-pop (is that a thing?) erotic-thriller kind of way.

I Inside the Old I Dying – PJ Harvey

Eerie. Fantastical. Intoxicating. Inspired. And based on Harvey’s epic poem “Orlam.” You probably want to hear the entire album to hear this track in context, possibly with Harvey’s book of verse on hand. However, “I Inside the Old Dying” was released as a single, and beyond the previously mentioned eerie, fantastical, intoxicating and inspired, all I can say is: it’s PJ Harvey, so I was bound to pick something from this album.

Prahok In My Suitcase – Dengue Fever

I don’t know what a Prahok is, but vocalist Chhom Nimol makes me want it in my suitcase — I think. Seriously though, I’d been hoping for and waiting to hear an album from this band for several years. It doesn’t disappoint, and neither does this track.

Time & Place – Queens of the Stone Age

Josh Homme has the sexiest vocals in rock — I’ve been convinced of this for a long time now — and the band Queens of the Stone Age isn’t bad either. I’ve had this track on repeat since their album In Times New Roman… was released.

Black Tuesday – Anna Calvi

I’m almost embarrassed to admit (but not so embarrassed that I’m not admitting it) that I didn’t discover Anna Calvi until 2023. On the topic of smoldering vocals, I’m convinced that she’s my female equivalent to Josh Homme, which is funny to say as I introduce a track without any lyrics at all to showcase this fact. Nevertheless, this breathy track from the “Peaky Blinders” series is the only song Calvi released in 2023, which definitely isn’t the only reason I’m adding it to my 10 best songs playlist, but it is certainly one of them.

Gorilla Guerilla – Mantra of the Cosmos

Every year there is at least one song that burrows into my ear and won’t let go. This is that song.

Hëłlœ Kįttÿ – Alice Longyu Gao

Alice Longyu Gao is best when whimsical and experimental. Gao isn’t always whimsical, but never ceases to be experimental and as a result produces music that’s infinitely exciting and adventurous to me. Pretty much anything and everything goes on the track Hëłlœ Kįttÿ (a little punk, a little polka, anyone?) and well, it’s just a lot of fun to listen to.

Fin du Monde – Pascale Comelade, The Limiñanas

Lionel and Maria Limiñana paired up with Pascale Comelade in 2015 and they’re back collaborating again, this time on the 2023 album, Boom Boom. It’s a fascinating album, in part inspired by expressionist and Dadaist poets of the early 20th century and it features appearances by a range of musicians like Lalo López and Mark Cunningham, as well as a range of instruments —tin cans, theremin — not used nearly enough (IMO) in music.

Although purely by luck, the title of this track is appropriate to end a playlist completing a top 10 songs of 2023. Fin du Monde means end of the world. But don’t worry, this isn’t a premonition. I’m positive there will be plenty more music to listen to in 2024 and beyond!


Csaladi 2-0-2-3

by Ivan Santin

My year in music…and in MusicTo! It was a really prolific listening year. On my side, it was particularly driven by community and collaborative listening, both with music passionate work colleagues and by joining this fantastic community back in August. It is not a surprise that many of my picks and artists are familiar to some of you I collaborated with throughout the year. I feel that they deserve to have a place in this “sort-of-top-10”.

The playlist is not sorted in order of preference, but on a more consequential musical level (no shuffle allowed). I acknowledge I am usually centred on international artists. To my surprise, this time there is a lot of Italy represented and even a prime spot for an emerging Sicilian artist.

Ninety Three ‘Til Infinity And Beyonce – Andre’ 3000

This was such a great release and came to my ear from an unexpected angle. I am not a great listener/follower of Outkast and I had limited knowledge of Andre’ solo’s path. But I do love ambient tracks. When I read an article about it, I wondered how the 2 could be put together in the same sentence. I selected the shortest track of the pack, fitting a radio sized choice for this playlist, but the whole album is a very well advised night trip I recommend.

Rust (feat. Tom Misch) – Yussef Dayes

I found out about Yussef Dayes reading my favourite Italian webzine. I like to read their posts and comments users leave. A really tasty and colourful world opened before me. I shared my exploration with some of you inside the community. “What Kinda Music”, the former album, became one of the albums I listened to the most this year.

Melody Experiment – Blonde Redhead

The 66,6% Italian rock trio came back this year with a new album. Although I didn’t listen to it very much and to them for a good while, Melody Experiment reminded me why I was so fond of them many years ago

La luce che sfiora di taglio la spiaggia mise tutti d’accordo – Colapesce, Dimartino

Well well… I cannot say it enough times: “what a beauty this song is!”. I came to listen to it from a diametrical opposite position: Italian Pop is by far what I listen to the least. I also admit it: I snob it systematically. When I read enthusiastic comments about this song and how far the famous Italian duo went with it, I got curious. Still with my posh approach I listened to “the track”. Every piece of musical arrogance fell one after the other. I was never thinking this could go in such Radiohead ways, but also bringing in the Italian take and melody with it. Bravi!

Det läcker – Dina Ögon

So much credit to Maria for making me discover this band. I still remember the excitement of the first collaborative PL with her: Dina Ögon was the first artist ever exchanged with me and within a MusicTo collaboration. I immediately thought: “Wow! If we start with such quality, how am I going to keep it up?” Months later, this new single is hitting my ears. Still the same high bar.

Beddu – Marco Castello

Amicu mia! I don’t know who you are, but thank you so much for producing music…in Sicilian dialect, in 2023, in my province’s dialect (yes, they are different in each part of Sicily, and in each city too)! And much better, coming from a young artist, new generation, which makes me hopeful we don’t lose our heritage. On top of all of that, I love everything you have been writing and composing: your irony in the lyrics, the images you show us, your musical choices. Really everything! So thanks again. Si troppu forti me frate Marco Castello! Ni sai n’fasciu!

New Gold – Gorillaz, Tame Impala, Bootie Brown

Very fresh out of the last days in 2023, I bought a new set of headphones. I went on the hunt for something with a huge production quality and I just remembered Gorillaz published a new album this year. What a great way to put my new set to the test.

No more lies – Thundercat, Tame Impala

I suspect this track might be present in more than one “Best of 2023” playlists. Everything these 2 touches seems to be transformed in gold, in every sense. Well, we can just sit back and enjoy… and hope for more!

The Botanist – C’mon Tigre, Seun Kuti

Another great discovery of the year. Don’t be fooled by the name and by the sound: C’mon Tigre is an Italo-French electro jazz ensemble, capable of transporting you into surreal worlds. So much to unpack at every listen, but they have everything I love to listen to nowadays. Curious to dig into their albums? I don’t think you would regret it.

Fantasma en la Maquina – Chillum Trio

So much bragging about this track and this artist. I even almost dedicated a full playlist to him earlier this year 😀. But yeah, with a more sober and post-excitement tone, for sure this new album was a highlight and a more than pleasant surprise to me. This track is also a neat way to close with this playlist and depart from 2023. I can totally imagine it being played at my new year’s eve party.


Top 10 Tracks of 2023

by Matt Jenko

2023 has been one beast of a year for me, both personally and professionally. Music has scored the entire journey and picking ten songs to sum it up was tough but if I shied away from things that were tough I wouldn’t be sat here writing this roundup! Here’s what tickled me pickle this year:

1) Breezer — Yotto

This has been my go-to starter track whenever I’ve needed music all year. Siri knows it as well – any time I ask for Yotto, Breezer’s first up. I can (and have) listen to it on repeat without getting bored. Lots of great memories of cooking in the kitchen to these breezy belter

2) Found — Matt Fax & Estiva

I found (ha) this on the very first playlist I made with Andie, and it’s been my top Matt Fax track ever since. It reminds me so much of playing Raft with my good buddy Henri – hopefully soon we’ll get the time to get back to the ocean!

3) Hex — Dance With the Dead

This one of the coolest songs ever written and will no doubt continue to make it onto my roundups for many years to come

4) New Gold — Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown

Anyone who’s collabed with me in 2023 inevitably saw this track make it’s way onto the list. The sound is so versatile that it fit pretty much any list I was making, and fit it I did! I fit it on Vitamin CCough DropsColourclashParadiseAtopos and Across The Border, plus a bunch of others on their way

5) Gimme Gimme Gimme — ABBA

We have been having an absolute blast covering this our live sets, and the crowd always and without fail loses their collective shit the minute Luke starts playing that riff. It’s the one we all look forward to the most in the set and is so much fun to play – not least because Suze throws the Fresh Prince rap in over the bass solo

6) Inferno Galore — Carpenter Brut

This has to be one of the coolest Carpenter tracks, and that’s saying something. I love this track so much I made an entire playlist with Lena dedicated to it – as of writing, we’re one track away from finishing so expect to see our celebration of all that burns up in the new year!

7) Merlion — Emancipator

A couple of years I wrote a post about what I wanted from life, and chose Merlion by Emancipator as the accompanying track. Now as I sit here closing out 2023, cosy on my couch with my dog doin a dreamin about dog things and my girlfriend (who will one day be my wife) upstairs and our new carpet and the rain on the window, it only feels right to include Merlion once again. It’s symbolic, and continues to point me in the right direction 

8) Attack — Rafael Cerato & Kinky Sound

I scored this from a Yotto live set that I put on whilst we were driving to the spa that Suze took me to for my birthday (decadent yes), and I’ve been hooked on it ever since

9) Angst — Rammstein

I love it when a band that’s almost as old as I am is able to not only continue to push their sound but also stay true to their core. This is peak Rammstein and the video is cool as all fuck

10) Amen — BMTH, Lil Uzi Vert & Daryl Palumbo

When this first came out I listened to it on repeat for about 3 hours. It was exactly the BMTH song we all wanted and continues to be one of the best songs I think they’ve ever written

2023 was a great year for music and 2024 will no doubt be even better – it’s going to be HUGE

! (If you know you know)


2023: Gee, That Was Fun

by Jon Ewing

Legends, newcomers, geniuses, pretenders, poseurs, perfectionists and party animals of 2023. Featuring artists like: • Iggy Pop • The Lottery Winners • Nadine Shah • Corinne Bailey-Rae • Ben Folds • Foo Fighters • Sprints • The Libertines

It is, of course, futile to try and pick out the best songs by musicians, making records of all different styles. released during a completely arbitrary range of dates that just happens to have the number 2023 in common. But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been fun trying.

In the end, I mostly settled on trying to pick out tracks by artists I’ve seen playing live this year and one of my favourite gigs of 2023 was without doubt Manchester’s The Lottery Winners at The Bullingdon in Oxford. Their songs occupied all of the top five places on my Spotify Wrapped list and I just couldn’t stop playing ‘Burning House’.

The rest of the list includes returning rock legends, like Iggy Pop and The Hives with long-awaited new albums which did not disappoint, alongside very promising new voices like Heartworms, Sprints and The Last Dinner Party, whose first albums are much anticipated…

Go to playlist page for full write up & track listing


Andrew’s Top 10 of 2023

by Andrew McCluskey

Once again I’m listening to the best music of my life.

People – The 1975

This was the year that Jenna introduced me to The 1975 – we did 1, 2, 3 playlists where we swapped tracks – Jenna adding a ’75 track and me responding with whatever came to mind.  Over the months I fell head over heels with the band – the music – Matty’s shenanigans and just – yeah.  I could have chosen any number of tracks – the traditionalist in me initially opted for Chocolate but – the one that stuck in my head was People – great video too!

A Big Brown Dog Named bagel – Nep

Hipped to this by Rob – which I think he found through Instagram.  there’s something just “cute” about Nep – and I know – that’s probably not the right word to use but fuck it – this is my list and I can say what I want.  There’s just a vibe to this song – the hook – the whole idea of the 7th floor of the library and the easy sexuality.  It spent a lot of time in my head this year.

Sapphire Lake – Pollyanna Blue

A track that came in from Jade Perry at Memphia Music – Trials & Tribulations was their 4 track EP and while I think I was initially listening to Haunted, it’s Sapphire Lake that has stayed with me: big chords – big harmonies – great vocal – what’s not to love.

Dragging My Life Into a Dream – Girlpool

I try to get Girlpool on as many lists as I can.  I just think they’re cool and their story is so zeitgeisty.  I don’t understand people who get threatened by change –  change in others – how can something that creates music like this be bad?  I adore the harmonies and the underlying structure on the track – the lyrical wistfulness and honesty.  Hell yes.  Hopefully I’ll get to see them live one day.

Another Celebration at the End of the World – Mammoth WVH

He just makes me smile.  How “interesting” it must be to bear that name – and to step into the same world – the expectations must be fucking nuts! And yet – the virtuosity – the charisma – the joie de vivre that just oozes from him.  You can see Dave Grohl listening to this and grinning his head off – just like me!

Scott Street – Phoebe Bridgers

Ok sure – a little late to the party but man did I fall hard for this track this year.  There’s something about how the track builds – the sweet simplicity of the opening – the genius positioning of the snare and the lyrical pun straight after.  It grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go.  It made my Spotify top 10 tracks of 2023 and I probably listened to it 50 times!

Salt – Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers

For sure – the band name made me crack up but the music made me stay – from the initial punch in the face of AHHHH! I got into the Salt EP and Salt was the stand out – all the angst – all the competing vocals – the overall message – just great!

Boss-A – Big Share

I have their vinyl sitting behind me – Maria and I are deep in a Big Share “sounds like” list – might have that up soon – but I fell hard for the chilled out groove.  Love how the vocals compliment themselves and – hello horn section – perfect Sunday music – or Monday or – just perfect music.

All Now – The Staves

One of the few bands that I actively follow – temporarily (we hope) down to two of the three Staveley-Taylor sisters – this track just leapt into my ears and took up residence for the end of the year.  Opening up the community’s “Songs for Solstice” playlist – the build is just fabulous.  It’s one of those tracks where I’m just grinning along as I know it gets better and better the further you get into it – by the end I’m singing along – belting out the hook.  I’m looking forward to playing it on the 31st!

Hot (Don’t Date A Musician) – Dream Wife

If you’re going to use a song to make a statement you’d better make the song great.  Dream Wife tackle the underlying sexism of the music industry with raw ballbusting energy and smart lyrics.  If you watched Daisy Jones and the 6 this year – this is a good accompaniment – although this makes the case a little more directly and with much more power!


Bonus!! Dynamic Playlist V Top 10 – Human Rhythms Not Algorithms

by The Hoof

The Hoof offers a counterpoint to Top 10 Lists with his an unceasing quest for sonic exploration. Featuring artists like: • Cleo Sol • The Rolling Stones • Kiko Bun • Skeewiff • Ghost Woman • Nadine Shah • GOAT • Sleaford Mods • and many more

In the realm of musical curation, the allure of the “Top 10 of the Year” playlist holds undeniable charm. It’s a capsule of the year’s finest tunes, a doorway to new discoveries. Yet, there’s an alluring dynamism to the ever-evolving playlist, an unceasing quest for sonic exploration. 

The static nature of a “Top 10” limits scope; the year-long playlist thrives on perpetual discovery. With a staggering influx of quality releases monthly and Spotify’s relentless stream of new tracks, embracing a constantly changing playlist offers a panoramic view of musical landscapes. 

While both have merits, the dynamic ever-shifting playlist goes beyond mere snapshots and stands as a vibrant odyssey, enabling a year-long exploration and discovery process, offering a more comprehensive, ongoing exploration of the year’s sonic landscape, encouraging a deeper dive into an array of genres and emerging talents throughout the year…

Go to playlist page for more…


We hope you have as much fun with these lists as we did making them. If you love music, love meeting people around the world and are curious about how these lists are created – come and learn more about the musicto community – we’d love to make a list with you.

Songs For The Solstice

11 December 2023

It’s that time of year – at least for those following the Julian calendar – and thoughts turn to festivals. Whether it’s Kwanza, Hanukkah, Christmas, the actual solstice itself – there’s just something about celebrating the turn of the seasons – when the days start to get shorter or longer. Those of us in the Northern hemisphere get to celebrate the return of the sun – while those in the South get to look forward to the harvest.

We threw this to the community and here they are:

Fifteen Songs For The Solstice

Andrew McCluskey

All Now – The Staves

Hat tip to @jon for recommending this for the Solstice List – I hadn’t thought of it before and now when I do – it’s bloody perfect.  I’m viewing the Winter solstice from the northern hemisphere and from western culture – driven by the Gregorian calendar that defines the start of the new year.  

But isn’t it often the case that most meta constructs humans come up with are driven by physical laws?  Doesn’t matter what you’re celebrating at this time of year – what religion you follow or calendar you use – it’s just a fact that around this time the days stop getting shorter and start getting longer. If you want to bolt on a suitable celebration around that fact – I’m all for it.

I love how lyrically ambiguous this track is – aside from the obvious empowerment play –  there’s a lot going on and while I’m not 100% sure what that is, I’m definitely here for it.  The first time I heard the Happy New Year hook I was a little baffled but the more I listen the more it makes sense, and again – I don’t really know why.

But the track sits really on the list – it’s uplifting, it feels like a celebration – it could be anything to anybody and yet it’s centered around the changing of the seasons.  yep.  Sounds like a solstice to me.


Jenna Barton

Northern Attitude (with Hozier) – Noah Kahan

When I listen to Noah sing about his hometown, I think of the time of year when the day become shorter, the weather gets colder, and life just becomes more quiet and peaceful.

Northern Attitude reminds me to enjoy the present moment and the new year to follow! This version featuring Hozier just adds so much depth on top of all that.


Matt Jenko

Valhalla – Emancipator

I’m not the biggest fan of winter. Mainly because I don’t really like being cold, and I definitely don’t like deicing the car. I’m more of an ‘enjoy it from afar with a nice fire and a cup of tea’ kinda winter-enjoyer. 

This is why I love this track. To me it’s all the warmth of winter. There’s plenty of it to be found, you just gotta know where to look. This is alpine huts and steaming wine. It’s the heat on your face and hands after a frosty walk. It’s not having to be up in the morning so the car can stay icy. Cosy blankets, snow on the window, festive films and a sleepy (thank feck) Winston on the rug (no doubt cooking himself in front of the fire because he insists on lying basically in it)

That’s the kinda winter I like!


Maria Fish

Winter – Chip Wickham

there is a tenderness to everything 

i seem to want the real deal healing 

the kind that arrives into your life with intensity and integrity 

i am entering a land seeded with strong willed grass and an even stronger sky

there is something about winter that confronts the nature of your liveliness 

when the heart goes untouched

now that is something to be thankful for 

that is something that brings the grandest love forward and let’s it rest in the heart of everything you are


Jan Seedman

Merry Christmas Baby (MNO Remix)

The Charles Brown recording of “Merry Christmas Baby” is wonderful as is, but the remixed version by MNO is a bonus. This recording captures the holidays with an R&B smoothness and lyrics that convey “party” in a way that really puts me in a year-ending holiday mood.


Ivan Santini

A Calf Born in Winter – Khruangbin

I guess there are few pictures in nature as beautiful and intimate as what’s described by the title and the notes of this song. The warm miracle of life in a dark and cold winter night, the mark of a journey starting exactly in that moment. From darkness, seeing the bright light of the farmer and then understanding that light is actually what gives rhythm to the world day after day. 

If the Christian metaphor of “Christmas” had a soundtrack, I reckon this song must have been in that playlist. I wonder if Khruangbin had similar thoughts when they composed and named this song.


Jon Ewing

This Will Be Our Year by The Zombies

A song of hope for the cusp of a new start, ‘This Will Be Our Year’ is two minutes of joyous and uplifting piano pop. “You don’t have to worry,” sings Colin Blunstone, backed by Rod Argent’s medium-paced piano melody, “all your worried days are gone, and this will be our year, took a long time to come”.

Ironically, the year it was recorded was very much not their year. The story of The Zombies’ ill-fated album Odessey and Oracle is fascinating and too long to fully delve into here. Suffice to say, a couple of years after being part of the original “British invasion” along with the Beatles and the Stones, the five-piece from St Albans, who had been together since they were at school, had been dropped by their record company, Decca, and were reduced to playing a residency in the Philippines playing to tens of thousands of adoring fans for a mere £18 a night between them.

On returning to England they got an advance of £1,000 from CBS and used it to record the 12 songs at Abbey Road that would form a classic album. But the two singles they released in the autumn of 1967 disappeared without trace and by Christmas they had split up before the album even came out. The members of the band had all moved on to other things when, more than a year later, the album’s closing track ‘Time of the Season’ became a surprise smash hit, reaching No.1 in the Billboard charts in the USA. And, in the decade that followed, an album which had tanked began to be recognised as one of the finest of a generation – despite the embarrassing typo that gave it its name.


Nuno Nogueira

Let Me Sleep (It’s Christmas Time) – Pearl Jam

If you’ve ever looked out the window to a busy street fully decked out with boughs of holly and thought, “You know what? Maybe I’ll just stay in tonight,” this one’s for you. Eddie Vedder’s soothing lullaby is a stark contrast to the usual holiday cheer. I like to think of it as the comfortable, worn-in sweater of holiday music. It may not be flashy, but sometimes it’s exactly what you need.


Otis Galloway

Emotion Sickness – Queens of the Stone Age

2023’s theme (for me, anyway) was about survival, so the most apropos song I could think of was the latest by Queens Of The Stone Age, Emotion Sickness…kinda sums it all up, really…😉


Phoenix

Ring Out, Solstice Bells – Jethro Tull

Until I hear this song, its not officially the Christmas season. It is so happy and makes you smile and think this is what it must have been like during the medieval celebrations. It ushers in the happy times, and makes you want to celebrate. The video is a bit creepy but it’s a classic!! 


Molly Taylor

I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm – STUHR Remix – Kay Starr, Stuhr

I first heard this track walking into Trader Joe’s a few holidays ago. Encountering the mesmerizing beat of I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (Stuhr Remix) stopped me in my tracks. Trader Joe’s, for those outside of the U.S., is a quirky grocery store, where the employees dress in shorts and tees and the management wear Hawaiian shirts. More often than not, they are blasting amazing tunes, that to my kids embarrassment, I dance and sign along to.

This remix definitely had me dancing down the aisles and happily shopping away, buying more things than I needed as it put me in the holiday spirit. 

While winter isn’t much of a thing here in California, this tune does make me fantasize about a snowy evening, cozied up on the couch in front of the fireplace with the family, watching the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree.


Andie De Guzman

Lights On (feat. Ryan Beatty and Santigold) – Tyler, The Creator

With the holidays near, I started going back to some old Christmas songs and I stumbled on this! Pretty ironic since you can see the cover’s The Grinch…but don’t be fooled! It’s a happy song for sure! Love that it’s also a rap, since I find it so creative! All about coming home for Christmas and those colorful, pretty lights during the season 😌


Liv Robinson

Must Be Santa – Bob Dylan

It’s a great song and also the only reason I can name USA presidents (although I have to remember to mentally deselect the reindeer names in between)

Willmore Dube

Ho Ho ho – Sia

This is a time for celebration, with family and friends and we get to have fun together. My song portrays the holiday mood very well. It’s that time you can drink freely without anyone judging because we are in the holiday spirit, characterized with unity, giving and being merry. Ho Ho Ho, it don’t get better than this!

Jane Asylum

December, 1963 (Oh What a Night!) – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

Winter Solstice is a time of “reflection, transition, and celebrating the return of light”, but frankly the only thing I’m celebrating is the latter. Winter is cold — too cold! It’s also too dark, and even though I won’t notice the days getting longer until sometime in January, solstice reminds me that the earth is tilting and the days are indeed getting longer. 

“December, 1963” by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons isn’t a solstice song, but the hint of nostalgia, along with the upbeat feel-good nature of the track reflects my vibe around December 21st of every year: making the most of the holiday season, but really excited that summer is beginning to inch just a little closer every day.

Track Listing

  • All Now – The Staves
  • Northern Attitude (with Hozier) – Noah Kahan
  • Valhalla – Emancipator
  • Winter – Chip Wickham
  • Merry Christmas, Baby – MNO Remix – Charles Brown
  • A Calf Born in Winter – Khruangbin
  • This Will Be Our Year – The Zombies
  • Let Me Sleep (It’s Christmas Time) – Pearl Jam
  • Emotion Sickness – Queens of the Stone Age
  • Ring Out, Solstice Bells – 2003 Remaster – Jethro Tull
  • I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm – STUHR Remix – Kay Starr
  • Lights On (feat. Ryan Beatty & Santigold) – Tyler, The Creator
  • Must Be Santa – Bob Dylan
  • Ho Ho Ho – Sia
  • December, 1963 (Oh What a Night!) – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

Image: AI Prompt

Want more musicto playlisticles like 8 Songs to Stop Shouting? Check out our previous playlisticles: 8 Songs to Stop Shouting11 Great Tracks for Zombie Fest ’23,  Exit Songs For Your Funeral,  Songs About Hating Your JobGroove in Green16 Top Cover Songs10 Songs to Stargaze6 Songs for the FutureSounds like David Bowie, 7 Misheard SongsCensored15 Great Songs for your Vampire Ball11 Powerful Songs in Flim7 Top Cowbell Songs,

Living In Odd Times

11 December 2023

Ivan writes:

One morning, I woke up with a strange feeling, as if I had gone to bed the day before and forgotten something. It’s similar to that tiny, expanding inner black hole—the same feeling you have when you rush to the airport and can’t check if you took your documents with you. Similar, but without the anxiety.

So, I looked around: something should have been in one place, the usual place: that shelf above the sofa. I observed more deeply that empty slot and something inwardly pleasant unfolded in front of my eyes: the rest of the items formed the silhouette of a new picture. Something I never thought would be so magnetic and “new”. It was exciting and, at the same time, made a lot of sense. 

Moving on to the day, I felt as if I were hungry to feed myself with that same feeling – the anticipation of a new discovery in the otherwise usual environment. It was like a mild spike of dopamine, the same you get every time you open a present or eat chocolate. Sure. It was milder than that… But that silver lining of looking for the next well-framed oddity was subtly weaving the canvas for a new kind of addiction. Finding beauty in asymmetry, oddities.

Alright, you caught me. What I wrote was just to paint a catchy intro to this PL description. But at the same time there is a transparent layer of truth. How many times have you thought that there is beauty in apparently dissonant sounds, forms, colors, asymmetric shapes and more?

In music, I sort of developed this growing addiction to everything in odd time signatures. Not being a massive prog rock listener made it even more interesting. The variety of solutions artists choose in their genres testified that “we are not  alone”. We joined forces with 3 more fellow odd lovers and put ourselves at the denominator. We allowed the tracks to choose any number as a numerator. At some point, we decided to jump the fence and get ourselves on the upper side of the fraction.

Bringing in Joshua Thomas was nothing short of the best choice; with his math rock and experimental selections, he consistently added new perspectives (and nth dimensions) on how to listen to this selection. I’m pretty sure that each time I listen to this playlist, I will discover a new detail that I missed the previous time.

Track Listing

  • Beija Eu – Marisa Monte
  • Good Arms vs Bad Arms – Frightened Rabbit
  • Turn It On Again – Remastered 2007 – Genesis
  • Money – Pink Floyd
  • Polygondwanaland – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
  • The Day I Tried To Live – Soundgarden
  • March Of The Pigs – Nine Inch Nails
  • Times Like These – Foo Fighters
  • Lateralus – TOOL
  • Body Experience Revue – Millionaire
  • Scene Seven: I. The Dance of Eternity – Dream Theater
  • Animals – Bonobo
  • Una Historia para Acabar Con Todas las Historias – Helices
  • 15 Step – Radiohead
  • 4-May – Gorillaz
  • Espejos Dorados – tortuganónima
  • 9beat (Live from the Treehouse) – Half Moon Run
  • Electric Feel – MGMT
  • Sundown Syndrome – Tame Impala
  • Synchronicity I – The Police
  • Alfonso Muskedunder – Todd Terje
  • Threshold – Sungazer

Photo by Jonathan Taylor on Unsplash

Paradise / Warfare

6 December 2023

Paradise/Warfare is an eclectic exploration of contrasting musical territories where boundaries are continually pushed and genres redefined, from the pulsing beats of synthwave to the raw energy of rock and the intricate soundscapes of electronic music.

  • Paradise Warfare – Carpenter Brut
  • Freakout/Release – Hot Chip
  • SCRIPTVRE – Kasabian
  • UH – Fujiya & Miyagi
  • Wake Me Up – Foals
  • Up Past The Nursery – SUUNS
  • Rosewood – Bonobo
  • Popular Beats – 65daysofstatic
  • Waves – Robot Koch
  • Porsche Majeure (DC Gore Remix) – TVAM
  • War – Dance With the Dead
  • March Of The Pigs – Nine Inch Nails
  • Adios – Rammstein
  • The Truth – I LIKE TRAINS
  • Blackout (Radio Edit) – Pynk64
  • Where Is It Going? (feat. Stephen Hawking) – Orbital
  • Closer – JODA
  • Post Punk (feat. Iggy Pop) – The Crystal Method
  • Hypnocurrency – Rezz
  • Highway – Automatic
  • Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here – Enter Shikari
  • Heart Attack (Phase Fatale Remix) – Editors
  • The Owls – Yotto
  • Auto Loser – Party Dozen
  • Ready For The Floor – Hot Chip
  • Ceci n’est pas un cliché – Charlotte Adigéry
  • Canopée – Polo & Pan
  • The Motor – The Wants
  • Carnivorous – Band of Skulls
  • Big Bad Wolf – The Heavy

Memories

8 November 2023

Love the arc of this playlist. From super chilled to heavy before falling back into more ambient dance bangers. Feel like this could be the backdrop to a great day

  • Close to Nowhere – Band Of Skulls
  • Turn Blue – The Black Keys
  • Make It Wit Chu – Queens of the Stone Age
  • Curl of the Burl – Mastodon
  • Black Grease – The Black Angels
  • Keys to the Castle – Thee Oh Sees
  • Catching Smoke – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
  • Kong – Bonobo
  • Three Drums – Four Tet
  • Tree Hunt – Emancipator
  • Memory Gospel – Moby
  • Dayvan Cowboy – Boards of Canada
  • Inspector Norse – Todd Terje
  • Heartbreak – Bonobo
  • Jasmine – Demo – Jai Paul
  • Jungle – Fred again..
  • Open Eye Signal – Remaster 2023 – Jon Hopkins
  • Migratory – Robot Koch
  • Glue – Bicep
  • Dynamite – Ae:ther
  • Gosh – Jamie xx
  • Strong – Romy

Playlist image by Zola Daze

Blackout

7 November 2023

Track Listing:

  1. Scar – Dance With the Dead
  2. American Guilt – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
  3. Chainsaw – Losers
  4. Modifier – Robert Walter’s 20th Congress
  5. beanz – Kasabian
  6. Graveyard Chamber – Gravediggaz
  7. Living Hell – Misfits
  8. Fuck Armageddon…This Is Hell – Bad Religion
  9. A Foul Form – Thee Oh Sees
  10. Crookedile – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
  11. Tin Omen – Skinny Puppy
  12. Nervous Breakdown – Black Flag
  13. Battery Acid – Queens of the Stone Age
  14. More Human Than Human – White Zombie
  15. March Of The Pigs – Nine Inch Nails
  16. Hex – Dance With the Dead
  17. We Gotta Get Out of This Place – Fear
  18. Speak Of The Devil – Misfits
  19. Blackmagic – T.S.O.L.
  20. Death Magick for Adepts – Cradle Of Filth
  21. Now I’m Feeling Zombiefied – Alien Sex Fiend
  22. Gargoyles Over Copenhagen – Nekromantix
  23. Sacrifice – Thee Oh Sees
  24. Mate Spawn And Die – Lard
  25. AmEN! (feat. Lil Uzi Vert and Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw) – Bring Me The Horizon
  26. Bite It You Scum – GG Allin
  27. Ignite – The Damned
  28. Fascist Pig – Suicidal Tendencies
  29. Slip It In – Black Flag

Playlist image by Leyre on Unsplash

Atmospheric Horror

24 October 2023

Track Listing

  • Wandering the Dark – Nao Sato
  • Blood Run – Piotr Musiał
  • Shadow Temple – The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra
  • Who…Are You? – Nobuo Uematsu
  • Free From Fear – Saori Maeda
  • Departed Way – Castlevania Sound Team
  • The First Floor – Capcom Sound Team
  • Heart Ship – Carpenter Brut
  • Convergence is Nigh – Trevor Gureckis
  • The Graveyard By Moonlight – Cradle Of Filth
  • Trail of Blood – Nobuo Uematsu
  • The Witch of Hemwick – SIE Sound Team
  • Door of Holy Spirits – Michiru Yamane
  • Gravelord Nito – Motoi Sakuraba
  • Zero Gravity – Trevor Gureckis
  • The Second Floor – Capcom Sound Team
  • Fate Calls – Mikolai Stroinski
  • Door to the Abyss – Michiru Yamane
  • Soothing Hymn – SIE Sound Team
  • Darkness – Mikko Tarmia
  • The Suicidal Clock Chime – Akira Yamaoka
  • Descent Into Darkness – Jeff Broadbent

Playlist image Midjourney prompt

This playlist is part of our 13 Playlists: The Best Halloween Music For Your Halloween Party compilation.