ILM 2025 Listening Club

Same playlist as before:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0kWbwhTo9c6hueUu8xplzV

our 2024 thread: https://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=114638

Every song added from the 2023 and 2024 playlists has been moved to this archive:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4nDuSiSubdcuTA1u9Fh9sd

YouTube, Tidal, Apple playlist copies are welcome and encouraged; please post here.

Sababa 5 & Sophia Solomon - Shehzadi - शहज़ादी

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyCsoJmsAXs

on Batov Records

I love the bouncy melodies of this track, and Sophia Solomon's vocals are sublime

Sababa 5 collaborate with India born singer Sophia Solomon on their most exciting double A-side to date, merging Bollywood-style songs with their signature blend of Middle Eastern grooves.

“Shehzadi” (“Princess”) is an Indo-disco delight. Solomon’s Hindi vocals soar effortlessly across Sababa 5’s finely balanced arrangement of hypnotic drums, pulsing electric bass, fanning electric guitar, and sparkling synths in a beguiling minor key. There’s a strong hint of 80s nostalgia with a contemporary shine, evoking a Stranger Things meets Bollywood charm.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/6qOJ1YHGwU8TzoMC0S57af?si=9640fba9028244dc

Alright, this is good! Great start to the playlist.

take a trip to Copenhagen?: ice cool Hypnagogic Pop from Smerz

Smerz - A thousand lies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z53UPcols38

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3g0lxrU7wv7j64QLAt2Krc?si=23de77d9d05a42a0

the piano, the production, the seductive calming vocals ...it's just so addictively blissed out

riyl: Julee Cruise, Stina Nordenstam

yes!! thank you for this!

will catch up momentarily, but my first pick is the most recent thing from caoilfhionn rose+co:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd44lyGMOPc
slowly rolling camera+caoilfhionn rose - "the new way"

and here's some diy bedroom pop from nyc. not on spotify sorry!
https://tesia.bandcamp.com/track/tender-hearted-demo

Smerz are definitely part of the Copenhagen scene (they wrote the NewJeans ep with Erika de Casier and Fine, and if you look there's an album of avant-improv with Henriette Motzfeldt and Clarissa Connelly, among others) but they are Norwegian :)

More Danish hyperpop, though I think they're from Odense. 100%Wet is the worst bandname ever, but I really like it, they do the shoegaze-with-autotune-and-beats and call it 'drum'n'gaze' which in hindsight seems very obvious:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHketN6pbq0

Today we take a trip around London with Raisa K and Coby Sey:

Raisa K 'Stay' ft. Coby Sey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7zn4wAacOA

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/01hSEJ4ymUJzj1jpgXkfGx?si=37a496dfc5cb488f

more blissed out Hypnagogic Pop vibes, I love the way both vocalists combine, Coby Sey's vocals are just so calming and assuring

I have very small clue about metal, but I like good pop and great handiwork, so I nominate the track "March of the Unheard" from the album of the same name by the Halo Effect, which is apparently a kind of supergroup made up of former members of legendary Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames. (Single-group supergroups, possible thread idea?)

The video here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZG2matuCUM

includes a preappended "This Curse of Silence", which to me feels mostly like a Nordic intro vignette to a Eurovision final or something. If that's your joy, watch the whole thing; else I suggest starting at 1 minute 55 seconds, which is the start of the song I really submit here.

This is slight, but sounded good as I was coming round this morning:

John Glacier, feat. Sampha - Ocean Steppin'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDRFn2jUQAM

― I would prefer not to. (Chinaski)

Adding Helena Deland - Bigger Pieces

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR1YwNX8wdc

In love with her vocal tone.

Florence Adooni - A.O.E.I.U.

Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/florenceadooni/a-o-e-i-u?si=1c55206b3a4b4b3a9e0d7039f7fa0236

10 minutes title track off the debut album by Florence Adooni album, A.O.E.I.U.

energetic bouncy funky track, with superb saxophone playing

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7gu8IsnqRpjs2riewZn0zu?si=d0732e029a374ae7

Bandcamp Album Link:

A.O.E.I.U. (An Ordinary Exercise In Unity)
by Florence Adooni
https://florenceadooni.bandcamp.com/album/a-o-e-i-u-an-ordinary-exercise-in-unity

Florence Adooni
Zuarungu, Ghana

Looking forward to this one, the debut album from Lucy Gooch, who is I think from Bristol and has put out some lovely tracks in the past couple of years. It’s ethereal looped vocal stuff, so think Julianna Barwick, Kate Bush, Virginia Astley…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv27DhMbx2s
Lucy Gooch - Like Clay

House music from Copenhagen:

B from E - Yum!
https://soundcloud.com/bfrome-music/yum?si=ed4a9cee7c084ccba26db981dbd62be8

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/4mHKjeGUnldM3orsztp8bB?si=4062fc0d0b3a46de

I love the synth pads on the track. Bouncy feel good house music, with a spacey futuristic production. Discovered via:
Ollie Rant on Rinse FM
https://www.rinse.fm/shows/ollie-rant/

Dark Atmospheric / Gothic Rock from Italian band, Messa

Messa - At Races
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgJk2-ddU6M

the vocalist Sara has an expressive vocal style, love the Killing Joke guitar vibes. The video is shot in Bosnia, travelling through the stunning countryside on motorbike visiting Second World War memorials commemorating the brave Yugoslav partisans that fought the Nazi-German led Axis forces.

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/track/2F9RANfKhByYWOhUiY7Fh0?si=d6c61d25c56040cc

riyl: Killing Joke, Chelsea Wolfe

track off one of my most anticipated rock albums of 2025

Messa - The Spin
https://messa.bandcamp.com/album/the-spin

Released: April 11th 2025

Alright!

Two recommendations:

- Snuggle - Dust

Sweet 90's vibes from Copenhagen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoD8Pkj-op8

- Ife Ogunjobi - Speak Low

A highlight from the recent "Chet Baker Re:imagined" compilation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-kRrKKUYyo?

I've only been vaguely aware of L.A. Witch, but I like this kinda darkwavey rocker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPPJSsMBT-Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG6zpcIXf6g

C Duncan - Think About It

there was some C Duncan chat on here back in 2015 when he was nominated for the Mercury prize, but he doesn't seem to have been mentioned much lately, this is really good though, sounds like something that could have been released on él Records back in the day.

I like that 2015 album a lot but he sort of abandoned the psychedelic sound in everything I’ve heard from him beyond it and that was the main aspect that drawed me to his music.

Might give this album a spin today.

leftfield hip-hop from Canada,

I love the ambient reverb of the ethereal vocals and the rhythmic flow of this track

Backxwash - 9th Heaven

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwXqJRoDXS4

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1aBxhHdDSheiqyXk9ZbJVw?si=ed13d3d2381a401d

and this track is the perfect segue:

These New Puritans - The Bells

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1EJe8QwEQA

Blue Nile Hats era and Ryuichi Sakamoto Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence vibes

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/2SoeAzzTxTR2FBFhV2B0ah?si=46c26fa2532b4cd8

some new new wave revival from the one-woman band vau (f/k/a bac nini). been waiting for a full length for a while, so hoping this means more forthcoming:
youtube
spotify

Desire - Games People Play

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCMu-ROTdFc

Title track from the new Desire album released today.

Megan Louise's evocative vocals combine with the stunning synths of the Johnny Jewel production. In a DJ set it would go well New Order's Elegia.

This track has a dreamy cinematic feel which would be ideal to include in a full length movie.

Playlist updated!

I was just listening to my radar playlist and the opening song was a “tell it to my heart” cover by Desire. Read the title song and thought it was an Alan Parsons Project cover and that mayhaps the full thing was a covers project.

(It is not)

Adding

Maria Somerville - Garden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sJyviKcJ0s

Very subtle at first but addicting dreampop/shoegaze song.

Also

Hannah Cohen - Dusty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kofsXEiGAmg

Kind of has the floaty baroque pop / smooth soul vibe of Les Fleur.

Last one:

https://open.spotify.com/track/18yDsGdHw4LhYMMTbNlNWS

From Chihuahua, mx. Seen them live recently. Really good french touch inspired music.

Moka on the Spotify playlist you have added the following tracks twice:

Backxwash - 9th Heaven
Maria Somerville - Garden

That’s weird. When I remove just one pf them they both got deleted too…

Anyways… it’s fixed now. Thanks for the heads up

From Chihuahua, mx. Seen them live recently. Really good french touch inspired music.

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Saturday, March 22, 2025 11:39 PM (two days ago) bookmarkflaglink

cool stuff, reminds me of the 2 or 3 chromeo songs i like. "back to love" from their ep is my highlight

the first Summer Jam of 2025 has arrived, attention poptimists !

Gelli Haha - Bounce House

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T90Qd-NFIOc

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/4z6Xs34csOKEoZjbTQ1RUi?si=630af106f8bd4d7c

an infectious bouncy disco electronic pop track. First heard on BBC 6 Music New Music Fix show last week, also the Quietus have mentioned the track in their round up of 2025 March releases

https://thequietus.com/tq-charts/music-of-the-month/best-albums-tracks-march-2025/

Effervescent Los Angelino Gelli Haha somehow manages to sound very much like a cross between the moody early electro-pop singles of Mylène Farmer and Italo disco one-hit-wonders PlusTwo on ‘Bounce House’, and right now I can’t imagine anything I want to hear more.

I’ve been enjoying “POSEÍDA” by Cami, kinda like a Chilean take on What’s Your Pleasure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyM1-nno7qM

infectious high-energy ravey club Hyperpop:

Crybaby - I'm So Hot

no visuals, just audio link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL-fPE1At4w

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/2MMLmdgX2f2EYHxDhVYUzb?si=0a1006f54efd4676

Pyramids - Pretty Pigs

Record label description "fuse reggaeton, shoegaze, and black metal" and electronics

a swirling digital sonic blend of hybrid sublimeness, kid-a era Radiohead, VAST, Zeal & Ardor, early M83 - mixed with Reggaeton

off their forthcoming album Pythagoras, out May 2nd.

I love how this track grooves and glides.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKDJ0kdueSg

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1gM1Y42gJZUXt7DbNxzc3V?si=57c3a37c4de14726

ilx favorite george riley on a heavy new house banger by sherelle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQaMnaqrXaQ

The New Eves - Highway Man

The New Eves from Brighton, signed to Transgressive Records

RIYl: Slits, Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, Hole, Savages, Joy Division

So much energy in this propulsive track and the vocalist sings with strident angry conviction

Transgressive Records
https://transgressiverecords.com/artist/the-new-eves/
Brighton four-piece The New Eves comprising Nina Winder-Lind (cello, guitar, vocals), Ella Oona Russell (drums, flute, vocals), Kate Mager (bass, vocals), and Violet Farrer (violin, guitar, vocals, dance), have recently releases a brand new single/video, “Highway Man”, and announce their signing with Transgressive Records.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lll0nATDNQ

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/4eAXBJOQjxZV14Su1G8QhC?si=c56681a4773c40d5

for fans of bar italia, enjoyed this song by bedroom producer deer park and singer ivy knight
https://soundcloud.com/deleted900000/deer-park-pharmacy-with-ivy

Sorry I had a very busy week! Playlist updated!

Just catching up but Really cool tracks btw.

new alb by indie r&b artist bickle is really good. i feel like it would be *great* if he figured out how to use his voice a bit better. his falsetto is nice, his chest voice is just a bit off-kilter. either way, great songs

"the roof by the watertower"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm9MiCmkKWY

"don't understand love until there's heartbreak"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm9MiCmkKWY

was thinking of posting this in the rap thread, but the new 2hollis is not really a rap album. whatever kind of album it is, "flash" is a banger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLC2h0bUHfY

favourite thing i've heard in ages...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihqslnzXRBc

Neggy Gemmy - Mysterious Girl

Oh yeah Negative Gemini is great.

spacey electronic art-pop balearic blissed out brilliance from uh

uh are a brother-sister duo Dominic & Fionnuala Kennedy

uh - jungle parkway
https://soundcloud.com/uh-sc/jungle-parkway

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/4khganSsc2chDa7tefqqd5?si=11893eb5ce00415a

on a similar tip, psychedelic swirly glitchy digital art-pop:

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Unknown Potion
https://blackmothsuperrainbow.bandcamp.com/track/unknown-potion

Boards of Canada vibes

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/4lxC1kU11lovysTOvHnI8w?si=1a84240bc7084768

taken from the forthcoming album:

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Soft New Magic Dream
https://blackmothsuperrainbow.bandcamp.com/album/soft-new-magic-dream

Release Date: June 6th

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8WmCFg65C0

Her whole 11 minute album is worth a listen tbh

BB Trickz

https://open.spotify.com/album/67YvgeZeleDvyK1sdaxi6G?si=n-_OVKXjR_OEKyF_I9FQ8Q

Really liking this Mei Semones album, this is my favorite of the singles but lots of good songs on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apfpm0G5icc

Adding

Georgie & Joe - pacemaker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gi1PNsJNvc

A bit different from their usual style. Fractured 90’s pop/rnb throwback

Pachyman - Color Ahora

https://soundcloud.com/pachyman/calor-ahora

a nice summer track, dubby bass lines, floaty synths

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/5jw999yVb9PAN5XW62STVI?si=938d2d44ce734ba5

Speedial - An Altar
https://soundcloud.com/speedial-music/an-altar

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/6Dqyln4eg1uH3f5AMbiP0X?si=c5d4a23499d74b27

more dubby vibes on this track, glorious floaty sax playing, love the drums.

An Altar debut single from London based band, Speedial

found via:

https://shemakesmusic.co.uk/new-music/speedial-announce-debut-ep-and-share-spiralling-new-single-an-altar/

Merging melodic post-rock, shoegaze, math rock, jazz fusion, and noise-rock, dual vocalists Serena Garrod and Millie Kirby layer fragile yet powerful harmonies over tightly constructed instrumental passages, joined by saxophonist Monarch Vavrechka and drummer Joe William Killick, whose dynamic technicality adds further depth.