I didn't think I'd miss you until you came around my heart
2023 Mix 4 [Originally published Feb 08, 2023]
Each week I skim through about 2,000 songs from Spotify's company-curated New Music Friday playlists. Whenever I find 80 minutes worth of music I like, I make a CD-length mix and write a newsletter about it.
Hello! My whole family appears to be sick again somehow? Isn't it like jury duty, where they have to leave you alone for three years? Oh god, I'm going to get jury duty this year again aren't I?
Here's the link to the full playlist on Spotify.
MIX 3: I DIDN'T THINK I'D MISS YOU UNTIL YOU CAME AROUND MY HEART
1. Sho Madjozi: Chalé
Utter joy. Sho Madjozi has been on my radar for a few years: was covered rapturously at the Singles Jukebox and had shone in the People's Pop 4-Letter-Word tournament with "Huku." This jumped out immediately as a frontrunner for song of the year so far. (Maybe a bit early to call it.) The style is interesting -- seems to be finding a midpoint between the harder house beats of gqom and the limpid immersion of amapiano. A party. Should be huge.
2. TQD (Royal-T, Flava D, & DJ Q): break it down
TQD, the UK garage supergroup of Royal-T, Flava D, and DJ Q, are doing a rollout of songs on the last Tuesday of each month in the lead up to a new album. This is the first one; it is a banger. Listen to their 2017 album if you haven't heard it.
3. L.A.X: Rora
I find that a lot of Nigerian pop has a glassy quality that's hard for me to grab on to -- so smooth it slips out of my hands, something like that. When I encounter it in the outside world, though, it sounds fantastic, so I'm heartened to hear more of it in more places, as a few Nigerian artists join forces with our era's transnational megastars.
I go to a small pharmacy owned by a Nigerian family that plays a Nigerian pop station, which makes waiting for insulin feel absolutely dreamy. I asked my pharmacist about the music once and she quizzed me on my favorite Nigerian singer with an intensity I was unprepared for. She seemed satisfied with my sheepish response: "...Davido?"
Anyway, this one seems less glassy, but it's still good enough to make me feel like I'm in a pharmacy.
4. Ptazeta & Lola Indigo: Tiki Tiki
A delightfully obnoxious Spanish novelty song. Ptazeta is from the Canary Islands and snagged a coveted Bzrp Session in 2021; Lola Indigo recovered from the indignity of being eliminated from a Spanish reality competition show early by becoming a star in Spain anyway.
5. Sony no Beat, Felupe, & Mc Danny: Parecia Tempestade [2022]
I put this mix together assuming this was from 2023 per Spotify's designation only to see it's a year old (always trust YouTube for Brazilian funk metadata). But it sounds good here, follows the Brazilian funk trend of audacious sampling. My favorite is the relatively the use of "Pumped Up Kicks" in "Ela Me Falou Que Quer Rave," which rides the sample more or less straight before the percussion cacophony sets in. I assume someone is paying for the rights for these samples before they become part of an expensive explosion.
6. GeniePak: ไม่ปลื้ม [Unapproved]
A YUPP! signee -- YUPP! is the same Thai label that signed MILLI, a rapper who got me to pay much closer attention to Thai pop generally. This reminds me of some of MILLI's early performances on her reality competition; GeniePak similarly weaves impish, dextrous verses between the choruses and tropes of a more saccharine pop song.
7. RIEHATA: Twin Ray
Japanese K-Pop choreographer Rie Hata slinks through a bilingual millennial R&B pastiche. Could have been a minor hit in 1999. The title makes it sound like a very large monster is about to get zapped into outer space, but the song's a charmer, including a few not-quite-right (or are they?) lyrical choices. My favorite: "how do you trust we've never met before?" delivered breathlessly ("we must have met in another life") but reads like a conspiracy ("the government is hiding something from us").
8. Lucia Tacchetti & Maika Loubté: Últimamente
Collaboration between Spanish indie artist Tacchetti and Japanese electronic artist Loubté. Something about it vaguely reminded me of María Daniela y su Sonido Lasser, but relistening to Daniela it's not really close. I just miss that Laser Sound...but hey, she put out a good song in late 2022, maybe it'll make the next mix.
9. Dreamville, JID, & Lute: Ma Boy
Was impressed with but didn't love JID's album last year, but I always keep an eye on Dreamville (minus J. Cole, bleh), and I'm glad I caught this obscure little gem from [checks notes] the Creed III soundtrack.
10. 2Rare: Rare's Room
Been a minute since I've heard such a shamelessly low-rent imitation of The-Dream. The distance between 2Rare's confidence and his execution is considerable, but there's an uncanny demonic charm.
11. Skillibeng & Nardo Wick: 16CHOPPA
Haven't clicked with Nardo Wick to date, and on this one he's easily overshadowed by dancehall artist Skillibeng, an interesting counterpoint to the somewhat boring horrorcore beat. Goes on too long, but makes me curious to hear other dancehall vocals over drill production.
12. Skrillex & Nai Barghouti: Xena
Will Adams recently shared a clip of Justin Bieber talking about his experience with Skrillex in the studio with the New York Times: "it's like the sounds that are used...are not cheap. They're very expensive-sounding sounds." I'm glad someone is showering Palestinian singer Nai Barghouti, who carries the whole song, with such loving opulence.
13. Acid Arab & Cem Yıldız: Döne Döne
Turkish folk musician Cem Yıldız in collaboration with the French DJ duo Acid Arab for dorky electrofunk with some character in the vocals.
14. Mona Evie: Justin Bieber
Really liked this Vietnamese experimental group's last album: I appreciate how thoroughly they vandalize any hint of beauty with an ungodly load of junk. Like splattering soup on a pretty painting -- maybe they're protesting climate change.
15. Maredi: Mosadi Wa Pelo Ke Mmone [2022]
I've met my research match here (i.e. googling it for a few minutes was insufficient) but from what I can tell Maredi makes South African wedding songs. It's extremely fast, chintzy, and slathered in Autotune. I love it.
16. Gina Birch: I Play My Bass Loud
The Raincoats' founding bassist launched her solo career in 2021 on Jack White's record label. It's got a brightness and good-naturedness that reminds me of Poly Styrene's final album, Generation Indigo, from 2011. This song centers the bass, natch, but the squealing violins do more to sell it.
17. Pearl & The Oysters: Konami
Indie pop duo -- wall-of-sound-from-the-basement 'n' layered harmonies reminiscent of Bird and the Bee. Flutes.
18. Yonic South: The Helmet
The band spoonerism trend has finally reached its Scrabble-addled nadir (one can hope) -- you can't even pronounce it properly! -- but despite me swearing I would never listen to a band named in this manner on principle, I have caved. Scruffy, indie, and Italian. (Maybe that's why they don't care about the pronunciation?)
19. Dina Ögon: Berget
Swedish sunshine pop designed to sound like putting on an obscure 45 from the late 60s. Good as far as that sort of thing goes.
20. Genevieve Artadi: Visionary
Collaborator with Louis Cole (in their duo Knower) goes solo, keeps the tricky time signatures and what sounds like a very good drummer (can't confirm whether it's Cole). Sounds a little like R. Stevie Moore trying his hand at a song by Frank Zappa in guitar god mode and succeeding.
21. Meron T & Sey G: State of Mind
As far as I can tell, this is the first song I've heard that uses amapiano wholesale and tries to make a non-amapiano pop song with it (Meron T is a British singer). Feels more like a proof of concept than a great song in its own right, but I'll take it. Rihanna: it's finally time for you to make an amapiano album!
22. The Album Leaf f. Bat for Lashes: Near
The Album Leaf is lucky I needed a pretty closer for this mix and had six minutes to spare for it, because they're testing my patience. Ethereal indie atmospherics, continues my impressive streak of giving each new Bat for Lashes release since 2006 the backhanded compliment "...her voice is nice."
Until next time, stay OK!
—Dave Moore (the other one)
Title lyric translated/adapted from RIEHATA's "Twin Ray": "恋しい なんて 思ってない けど / Till you came around my heart"