playlists
I have been making playlists for a long time, and mixtapes before that—for about thirty years all told, I reckon. I’m fascinated by selection and juxtaposition. In early 2016 I signed up for a Spotify account. It’s a limited platform, and a problematic one. But it is also where people gather, and it has been a productive place to imagine and be with a community of listeners.
Below are links to my public playlists on Spotify. The playlists are grouped into general categories, though the majority of them really should be under “eclectic.” Favorites are marked with asterisks, and all time faves are marked with double asterisks.
LATEST (2022):
turning: music from the last two or three years, uptempo mostly, free of genre constraint, unified by the drum
water, stars: originating in Latin America, a music that happens between a few people gathered around an illegal fire
steady on: the sweet sounds of Jamaican rocksteady, with a little bit of relevant digression
near: a playlist under the aegis of the solo cello, a line that to me sounds like the black line of a contour drawing
season: the line “you’re not the season you’re in” by the Fleet Foxes is still resounding in my head
soledad: what began as a voyage around Piazzolla ended up acquiring a number of extraordinary Mediterranean voices
RECENT (2021):
brook: favorite Bach pieces for piano (or, rather, played on piano), focusing on his extraordinary legacy as a melodist
red room: warm contemporary vibes of low-tempo jazz and r&b, with a fair bit of retro and synthwave
the angel said: a playlist on presence and strangeness, on beauty, patience, and holiness
grandes abraços: some beautiful Brazilian songs, a sequel to beijos
the hundred greatest songs of all time: what it says on the tin, a riposte to a parochial list by Rolling Stone
ten greatest songs of all time: your mileage will certainly vary, but these are ten songs that acknowledge that the world is big
unfurl: a sequence of morning ragas (with one exception), played on a variety of instruments, each raga unfurling from a slow beginning to a more vigorous conclusion; music at vaster and more immersive time scales
extra time: not at all “relaxing” jazz, but also not unapproachable; a set of intense and coherently structured improvisations; foreground music, not background
tender too: a sequel to “tender one,” which is one of my favorites; the bandoneon/drum duo on “todos los recuerdos” is a standout
musoya: “musoya” is Bambara for “womanliness”—but what is womanliness; a strength that does not deny its softness, says one woman; which is the testimony of these voices—among my most beloved in the whole wide world
four moments of the sun: Congolese rumba from the classic period; dedicated to the notion that Lingala is the most beautiful sung language; the playlist title is a reference to the four solar moments of Kongo cosmology: birth, life, death, and rebirth
soon as we get out: music for the body, mostly 2-step, dubstep and other electronica; I imagine a dark basement club, no sign outside, intense bass, somatic sense-making; follows on from the “endocytosis “playlist
group therapy: contemporary classical in mostly dirge-like mode; not background listening; composers have found many ways to reach beyond the accommodating and arrive at an intransigent mournfulness; it’s not a mode I’m always in the mood for, but when I am, with patience and good headphones, I find it incredibly consoling
blossom: at the beginning of a difficult spring, thinking of that line of Szymborska’s that encourages us to attend to the available good: “forgive me, distant wars, for bringing flowers home.” This playlist has some overlap with “lovingness,” but it’s in airier, somewhat more relaxed mode
lovingness: “jazz” continues to feel like the wrong term for this aspect of our music, for this long conversation around certain instrumental textures, certain harmonic commitments, certain unfinished histories; this playlist alights on each of the last seven decades, and Trane is the sun
fresco: eight hours for a full day’s work; focally similar to “dream sequence” and “the blue window”; play on shuffle
leaf shadow: in awe of how our thing crossed the ocean and retained its coolness; a meditation on Afrolatinidad
begin again: an offering at the start of the year, contemplative and searching; an intake of breath
earlier playlists:
DREAMING:
dream sequence*: long ambient playlist inspired by a similar one made by Ryuichi Sakamoto
field hospital: sorrowful ambient contemporary composition
the dark fact: similar to field hospital in mood, but longer tracks and edgier compositional techniques
book of dreams: contemporary classical and ECM-style improvisations, very beautiful, see also “blue books”
the blue window: gentle classical piano, broody soundtracks, and some low key electronics
in a zone: Tarkovsky homage, from Bach chorale to Russian ballads; music for altered landscapes
blue books*: eclectic melancholy; contemporary classical, with some Asian folk influences
endocytosis: danceable electronica and percussion, but with a twitchy and chill vibe
year: algorithmically determined sequence of the tracks I listened to in the awful year 2020; like a hypertrophied version of “dream sequence”; seven hours long but, strangely, it works
HIP-HOP and R&B
the S playlist: neosoul, around a core of my beloved Sade
swarm: anti-imperial hip hop, energetic raps, mostly 90s
the spell: heavy liquid R&B grooves, see also “V”
casa bey: all Yasiin Bey playlist, a favorite rapper
V : ravishingly beautiful R&B and neosoul compilation, meditation on the color violet
JAZZ:
tender one**: a tender one, brief but goes deep, around a core of Abdullah Ibrahim
make mine a double: joyous jazz, mostly from the big band era; originally compiled as a holiday mix
peace peace: a gentle sequence of repetitions, with some variations, around the tune Flamenco Sketches
solstice: assorted bop and post-bop favorites, purely instrumental
dear john, dear coltrane: Coltrane favorites
naima: obsessing over Trane’s Naima, see also the similarly repetitive “peace peace”
air miles: Miles Davis favorites
melodious uncle: Thelonious Monk favorites, each tune followed by a contemporary cover
BLACK ROOTS:
take my hand: grappling with death and loss in the African American tradition, very beautiful songs
heartline*: emotionally intense, connected to “tender one” and “lifeline”; starts with nina simone
lifeline*: similarly intense companion piece to “heartline,” but also connected to “take my hand”
go down moses*: gospel, with jazz, blues, and folk; compiled for an exhibition I curated in summer 2019; a lot of joy in this one
DID YOU GET MY LETTER?
did you get my letter? vol. 1: instrumental French baroque music; with a bit more harpsichord than its sequels
did you get my letter? vol. 2*: sequel to the above, more favorite tunes, very solo viol forward
did you get my letter? vol. 3: a third go round on the instrumental chamber music of the French baroque
NIGERIA:
one night in lasgidi*: regularly updated selection of contemporary Nigerian Afrobeats
liquid grooves of lagos**: Nigerian classics from the 60s to present, with great high life; a delightful gathering
MALI:
songs without words: an all kora compilation
kéla blue: downtempo music from Mali, mostly contemplative
ali farka touré: an homage to Ali Farka Touré
in bamako**: long compilation of Malian music, full of treasures; a definite favorite
bamako nights: in memoriam malick sidibé: Malian and Mandé music, and some American soul
GLOBAL SOUTH:
later we put some records on*: originally made to play at parties; good beautiful compilation of 50s & 60s African music, and then going farther afield from there; see also “liquid grooves of Lagos,” “les amis Chez TC,” and “excellent ingredients”
les amis chez TC*: sequel to “later we put some records on”; danceable compilations, but also really good for something simmering in the background
african ears: less focused compilation of African musics made for a public lecture
the mupandawana dancing champion: dance classics from Zimbabwe, a homage to Petina Gappah’s short story “The Mupandawana Dancing Champion”
jaama rek: hard-driving Senegalese mbalax and pop; the rhythmically most complex of my playlists
excellent ingredients: a sequel to “liquid grooves of lagos,” considering the origins of Nigerian high life; see also “later we put some records on”
beijos*: Brazilian mpb favorites, but not the usual suspects
más al sur: Malian, Cuban, and Mexican roots music meeting on the field of groove
we are free to be free: a compilation of Nitin Sawhney favorites
chicha y más: compilation of chicha made at the time of a visit to Peru; excellent tunes at the junction of campesinos and surf rock
memory of a night—were it not for: made for some friends in Brussels after a canceled trip; global groove of the 70s, strong funk influence
islamophonic incidents: assorted music from Muslim communities, from folk to rap
return from mount damavand: a homage to the beautiful sound of the Persian kamancheh; see also “songs without words”
imagined community: a diverse selection along the lines of “later we put some records on” and “les amis chez TC,” but compiled in a time when parties were no longer possible
POP/ROCK/INDIE:
I have a recurrent dream: homage to Björk, one of our great living songwriters
ao vivo: live tracks from some favorites; an imaginary perfect concert
afterglow: mid-tempo rocking, with Laura Marling at its heart; see also “clear light of july”
embers*: excellent songwriting, with strong focus on slide guitar
27 roads: compilation of Americana made around Robert Adams’s photography
ECLECTIC:
call me when you get there: slightly more energetic take on the dream playlists, but still very dreamy; see also “there is still time” and “blue books”
there is still time*: companion piece to “call me when you get there,” a gentle map of the world
take a chance: lot of drift and entropy in this one; strong nod to folk traditions worldwide; made with help from contributors
fireflies*: centered around a couple of flamenco tunes, and spinning out from there; very intentional
more light: easy listening tunes from all over the place, including some pop
perceptual: some great tunes, but frankly unfocused as a playlist
ritual for*: wintry, cold, very intense; made in a time of mourning; see also “blue books” and “_ ‘ ^ ‘ _”
headlights hoovering up the darkness: all over the place, in a good way, with some far-fetched selections
luna: easy listening tunes around the theme of the moon; see also “more light” and “clear light of july”
+: electronica and experimental vocals; at the junction of “_ ‘ ^ ‘ _ ” and “spoken lonesomeness is prophecy”
nothing to declare: compilation of pop from all over the place; fun but not focused; good to cook to, maybe
known and strange songs: unfocused compilation of music mentioned in the Known and Strange Things essay collection
clear light of july: really nice easy songs; some forever favorites here; see also “more light” and “embers”
one night in beirut: moving ballads with a global focus; compiled with friends one night in Beirut
_ ‘ ^ ‘ _*: sonic adventures, invitation to brave ears; related to “ritual for”; tightly conceived
spoken lonesomeness is prophecy: essay on where music meets the speaking voice; chorus of poetries
ON THE WAY TRILOGY:
on the way**: playlist made the moment ECM made their catalogue available; an all time favorite sequence
keeping going: a sequel to “on the way,” with a less ECM Records focus
traveling mercies: part three of this set, each of which potentially contains your new favorite song
CLASSICAL:
where we meet: this was my very first Spotify playlist; slow movements of string quartets; still bangs
sitting with you: consoling and straightforwardly gentle classical fare
ce moys de may: compilation for the month of May, with a lot of medieval tunes
allemande: my shortest playlist; some Bach solo allemandes on piano, violin, and cello
an hour of bach: three full works by Bach— a piano partita, a cello suite, and a cantata
army of shadows*: Italian baroque, and some contemporary twists; homage to Caravaggio; some really beautiful tunes
countdown: little essay in passacaglias and chaconnes
five songs by jessye norman: five favorites in memoriam Jessye Norman
the companions**: deeply melancholy and beautiful sequence, made at the news a friend was dying
courante: running sequel to “allemande”; not as successful a sequence
a singing line: the gentler and more lyrical Beethoven, with some lesser known selections
aria: the aria from the Goldberg Variations, twenty six ways; see also “peace peace”
A HISTORY OF JETLAG:
a history of jetlag 1*: these nine, as a set, are very eclectic; they were precursors in a way to the “dream” playlists; for this one, see also “dream sequence”
a history of jetlag 2: has some kinship with “the blue window”
a history of jetlag 3: arvo pärt & johannes brahms: see also “the companions” and “sitting with you”
a history of jetlag 4: classical, jazz, and songwriters in various languages; see also “blue books” and, for a more intense approach, “ritual for”
a history of jetlag 5: shifting beats and patterns*: an homage to Philip Glass
a history of jetlag 6: companion piece to “a history of jetlag 4”
a history of jetlag 7: certainly dreamy; a number of the composers here influenced by Glass
a history of jetlag 8: see also 4 and 6 in the “history of jetlag” series
a history of jetlag 9: india: brooding ragas and dhuns from India, with Partho Sarothy’s magnificent Raga Bhairav at its center