In the spirit of the season, I wanted to share my favorite releases of the year. Not exhaustive, just some personal highlights. Happy new year!
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Tag: r&b
[Mix for NTS Radio] Getting Warmer Episode 59
My newest episode of Getting Warmer for NTS Radio is a mix of some of my favorite high-drama extra slinky synth pop, and proof positive that my musical brain will perhaps always be trapped in the late 80s. I hope you like it! You can download an mp3 version here.
Tracklist: 1. Alexander O’Neal – Hearsay ’89 (Remix) 2. Cliff Richard – Lean On You 3. Icehouse – Paradise 4. Lauren Wood – Fallen 5. Freur – Doot-Doot 6. Billy Mackenzie – In Windows All 7. Level 42 – Children Say 8. Peter Cetera – Body Language (There in the Dark) 9. Vanessa Paradis – Joe Le Taxi 10. Martin Page – In the House of Stone and Light 11. Pet Shop Boys – Being Boring 12. Phil Collins – One More Night 13. Boy George – The Crying Game
15 Favorite Releases of 2020
In the spirit of the season, I wanted to share my favorite releases of the year. Not exhaustive, just some personal highlights. Happy holidays!
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[Mix for NTS Radio] Getting Warmer Episode 49: Classic Kpop Special
My newest episode of Getting Warmer for NTS Radio is a classic K-pop special I made with very special co-host Bread Face. It’s mostly from the 90s, with a few early aughts tracks. Until recently I had been under the (false!) impression that K-pop was mostly limited to dance-oriented bubblegum synth pop, but I’ve been loving delving into all of its sub-genres: included here are moments of hip hop, trip hop, r&b, and even some ska influences. We had so much fun putting this together (my first time bringing a guest onto NTS!), so I hope you enjoy it. If you do, you can download an mp3 version here. Thanks as always for listening 💚
Tracklist: 1. Fin.K.L – 당신은 모르실꺼야 (You’ll Never Know) 2. 베이비복스 (Baby VOX) – Get Up 3. 엄정화 (Uhm Jung Hwa) – 초대 (Invitation) 4. 宋光植 (S.E.S.) – Feeling 5. 제이 (J) – 가사 첨부 (Time Out) 6. 영턱스클럽 (Young Turks Club) – 타인 (Ta In) 7. 지누션 (Jinusean) – How Deep Is Your Love 8. 룰라 (Roo’ra) – 날개 잃은 천사 (Angel Without Wings) 9. 宋光植 (S.E.S.) – Dreams Come True 10. 박지윤 (Park Jiyoon) – 아무것도 몰라요 (I Don’t Know) 11. 영턱스클럽 (Young Turks Club) – 정 (Jung) 12. 드렁큰 타이거 (Drunken Tiger) – 난 널 원해 (I Want You) 13. 宋光植 (S.E.S.) – Be Natural 14. 박지윤 (Park Jiyoon) – 박지윤 – (Coming Of Age Ceremony) 15. 타샤니 (Tashannie) – 경고 (Caution) 16. 이정현 (Lee Jung Hyun) – 와 (Wa)
[Mix for NTS Radio] Getting Warmer Episode 41
My newest episode of Getting Warmer for NTS Radio is an hour of housey favorites with a few R&B and trancey moments thrown in. I hope you like it! You can download an mp3 version here; thanks as always for listening.
Tracklist: 1. Bappi Lahiri – Dream 2. Sybil – Don’t Make Me Over (Daytime Mix) 3. Craig T. Cooper – Sweet Water 4. Marco Tegui, Max Almazorra & Cari Golden – Next To Me 5. Artful & Ridney ft. Terri Walker – Missing You (Eric Kuppers Directors Cut Tribute FK Mix) 6. Crazy Penis – Keep On (Daniel Wang & Brennan Green Vas Referens Mix) 7. Chris & Cosey – One Minute More 8. Frankie Knuckles, Director’s Cut, Sybil – Let Yourself Go (A Director’s Cut Master) 9. Laava – Wherever You Are (I Feel Love) 10. Kim English – HIgher Things
25 Favorite Releases of 2019
In the spirit of the season, I wanted to share some of my favorite releases of the year. Such a brooding year for music, with some really strong aesthetic and political statements and boundary-pushing uses of both guitars and electronics, suggesting many exciting changes on their way in the next decade. Obviously this isn’t meant to be exhaustive or authoritative; just some personal highlights. Quite a few of these are giant major label releases, so I’ll be taking down those download links quickly or leaving them off accordingly. Let me know if links are broken. Happy new year!
Previously: 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
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Soul Connection – Rough & Ready
The first of two full-lengths from Toyin Agbetu and Earl Meyers. Toyin Agbetu was the owner of four independent dance labels, including Intrigue, the label who released all of Soul Connection’s output; and between his work with these labels and his work as a musician and producer across a slew of groups, he’s been a defining figure of UK street soul. Still, his Wikipedia page doesn’t even mention his musical body of work, as he has risen to global prominence as a Pan-African human rights activist, artist, author, filmmaker, and community educator.
Rough & Ready is an unusual instance of ballooning rare record prices on Discogs that feel somewhat justified. It’s consistent and excellent all the way through, with slinky R&B grooves, housey drum loops, and slick vocals courtesy of Thomas Esterine. Some have called this an ideal makeout soundtrack, but personally I think it’s night time driving music: discrete, minimal, tasteful, monotonous (in a good way), and although it’s technically dance music, it never picks up too much speed.
(download removed as reissue is forthcoming)