WILTRN 06

What I’m Listening To Right Now 06

enjoy! always listen with your good speakers, your good headphones and your good ears!

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So much fun. The people’s princess has done it again. Hopped onto an Australian VPN so I could listen a few times early and still obsessed as of posting this. I need “Stateside” injected into my veins. Whatever Pink is doing with her production and style is something that I hope and want younger Gen-Z and Gen-Alphas to idolize. She has an amazing ear for mixing and attention to detail. She’s also managing to synthesize the danceability and feel of y2k and recession dance-pop so so well and make it new. More proof that Kenyans really do it the best 😌↕️. Check out her Apple Music interview, full of gems!

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Solid and very mystique. Reminds me a lot of Hit Me Hard and Soft by Billie Eilish. She’s also clued me in on the ever-present punk/alternative-rock scene in Mexico which has been so very cool to learn about. It’s awesome how sounds can transcend into different audiences around the world. For some reason, “Punk” just hits for me every time. I come back to that song at least once a month. Definitely go check out her Tiny desk!!

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Was put onto this by a comrade. Shaun’s selection has really exposed me to so much more black electro music and darker technical sounds that I didn’t know I would like. That and his relaxed mixing style have been very educational. Worth the vibe.

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Top tier Disney Pop. This album really has no reason being this good. I’m mostly speaking to Raven’s contributions, she really put her all into this soundtrack. Similar to how Lemonade Mouth and Let it Shine were actually just great stand alone projects (shoutout Coco Jones). The remakes however are kinda meh. Not bad but not necessarily what I came here for. “Jump In” especially reminds reminds me a lot of Robin S “Show Me Love” but also past and current KPOP sounds and sensibilities. Stuff that’s new but all so clearly Black inspired.

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An elevating experience. It sounds and feels like a chill, and much needed, sonic yap session. Getting it all out. Like how movies today often run 2 hours or more, you really do need more time to get to all the important points of a story. Exposition to resolution.

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*Cries in Palkia* I’ve been waiting for this drop for ages! So overwhelmingly impressed by how precise the production and massive the sound scape feels. Also love song lengths. I feel Jane’s sound–this type of digital core/hyperpop–could get away with a lot of shorter ear candy. And yet STILL everything here feels so intentional and heartfelt and fun. Fierce expression at full tilt. Was a fan long before that bald white man told me to be.

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Deep, dark and dangerous. Recently, I’ve been learning about the ongoing Dominica Bouyoun trends and the Franco-phone African influence on Rap music in Europe and globally. By some friends, I was put on to the fact that Africa has had some of the biggest influence on the modern French language and culture as a whole, often replacing it’s use in popular and youth culture. Lagrace project has been a cool checkpoint in this learning journey. Her style is very smooth and honed in. You can get the sense of that in the music video for “Vie”, which was my intro to her and one I often go back to purely for inspo. It features one of Ayra Starr’s main choreographer/dancers, Pablo Pauldo and it was really cool to see that Pan-African connection. The project’s vibe is so succinct. She reminds me of what it feels like to start creating. The canvas is blank. There are no expectations. Just be and just do.

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Hard-knocking, polished debut from the 160 phenom. Love love love how the whole project blends from one song into the next. SHERELLE has often provided a perfect balance of retro + echo-y, industrial feels with modern dance-pop sounds and a bit of footwork influence. The vocal bits are also strong and felt nice and classic. She is someone that got me to appreciate quote unquote slower paced Jungle/DnB and rave music. She’s living proof that not everything needs to be fast (like 170-bpm +) in order to be exciting.

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Ludwig does it again. Also Miles Caton ate that ish up–in more ways than one…. Anyways, go see Sinners already.

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F R E E _ F I L A S T E E N . E N D _ T H E _ O C C U P A T I O N _ N O W .

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