#2 High Rotation Playlist

These are the tunes that have been on high rotation inside and outside the ENCODER Sound Mastering Studio over the last few weeks. Available in playlist form at your preferred streaming service, follow the links: Spotify | Apple Music [If you really love an artist’s music, scoot over to Bandcamp to send them a few dollars more directly]…[the final two track on this list are unavailable on streaming services, so a record store or Bandcamp dive is the way to go there]

FOAM — Body Into Mine, Coping Mechanism (2017) — This track has a great groove and syncopation. I really like the first vocal entry beginning with the refrain, kind of tipping the song structure on its head.

Radiohead — Everything in its Right Place, Kid A (2000) — The keys are so fluffy and warm on this one, and it really bounces you into the album beautifully. The track kind of swirls and builds and then becomes very clear and concise towards the end.

Bjork — Jóga, Homogenic (1997) — The vocal delivery is impeccable, of course. I also really love the approach to rhythm where we are simultaneously slow and wide, and rhythmically complex — dropping through layers of subdivision. And, the strings are lush and feel really good.

The Vines — Animal Machine, Winning Days (2004) — This album is pretty great for walking around town, and singing along. The bass and drums kind of roll over each other in the down section, it sits really well.

Huntsville — (Er), Pond (2015) — I’m continuing my Huntsville trip. This is the first track I ever heard of theirs. The bass drum is so thick in this track, and the minimal interjections from the other players leave a lot of nice space. There’s also a brain bending shifting of time between the snare drum brush playing and the driving bass drum, so subtly tense.

Guiding Lights — Happy Ending, Cold Reading (2020) — I was on a little guitar kick this week, and this tune from Polish band Guiding Lights is great.

Elliot Smith — Needle in the Hay, Elliot Smith (1995) — Guitars and voices, just so clear and close. The melodies and lyrics have to be compelling, and they are. It’s a fairly iconic track.

Pixies — Caribou, Come On Pilgrim (1987) — The reverbs on this recording are nice, and the snare drum is a cool blend of trashy and fat but nestled nicely in the midfield.

Ilmiliekki Quartet — Take It With Me, Take It With Me (2010) — This Finnish band melds timbral manipulation with modern melodies. Its availability on streaming services seems limited so a CD hunt is on the cards (TUM Records, TUM CD 020).

lia t — fleeting, sketches222 (2020) — There is a wonderful coexistence of pristine synthesised layers and field recordings on this record. In this track I love that sense of deep soundstage and the subtle air/fuzz that moves side to side further enhancing this depth. (Only available on Bandcamp on the Deep Water label).

#1 High Rotation Playlist

These are the tunes that have been on high rotation inside and outside the ENCODER Sound Mastering Studio over the last few weeks. Available in playlist form at your preferred streaming service, follow the links: Spotify | Apple Music (If you really love an artist’s music, scoot over to Bandcamp to send them a few dollars, more directly)

Jyoti — The Black Mother, Ocotea (2010) — Opening track to this great album. For me it sets the tone for the record, the pace. Every tune on here is awesome.

Didion’s Bible — Seven Sisters, No Caveat (2021) — This particular track reminds me of Pixies, it has a lovely swagger to it and some melodies float through the background. Some catchy gems throughout this No Caveat EP.

Deerhoof — Red Dragon, Halfbird (2019, originally 2001) — The beginning of this tune is so delicate, it really opens up a different world in the context of the album which is on the whole fairly chaotic, forward music.

Huntsville — Add a Key of Humanity, For the Middle Class (2006) — I love this group, and this is off their first record. The unwavering drive of the snare/percussion part is pretty intense.

HAIM — Something to Tell You, Something to Tell You (2020) — Perhaps an outlier on this playlist, but this album sounds great, the song writing is fantastic. And this tune, when the first backing vocals kick in its a shivery moment.

Fauxe — Don’t They Know, ALTRUISM: THE BEGINNING (2019) — This album is pretty great for walking around town. This track is my fave out of a great bunch.

Elliot Smith — St. Ides Heaven, Elliot Smith (1995) — The organic groove of the guitar playing on this album is infectious and honest. The music is really stripped back to the bare essentials, highlighting melody and the humanness of the artist — the close-mic, naturally recorded with subtle layering of parts is super engaging.

Phil Slater — Third Bell, The Dark Pattern (2019) — This track is kind of in two halves and when that middle section hits the amazingly controlled trumpet playing, crips, warm recording, and melody/harmony really elicit that shivery musical moment.

Ceramic Dog — Lies My Body Told Me, Your Turn (2013) — Live sounding rock; intriguing, poignant, but not over-dramatic lyrics. There is a casual, fun-ness to this record that I like, but not at the expense of tight ensemble playing.

Streifenjunko — Utligning, Sval Torv (2009) — A wild trumpet and saxophone duo from Norway. Deep tonal manipulation creates very detailed, kind of ambient (but not really) music.