Open Thinkering

2024: My year in listening (music)

• Everything Else, discovery, music
A collage of six album, EP, and single covers mentioned in this blog post

Apart from when listening or watching sport, eating with family, or on a video conference call, I listen to music for much of the time I’m awake. Sometimes it’s background music, or for studying, where I’ll use my lifetime subscription to brain.fm. But I do like discovering new music.

Although I posted recently that I’m increasingly uneasy about my 15-year use of Spotify, it’s still the place I listen to and discover new music the most. That’s supplemented by listening to music on my iPod via the iPod Hi-Fi in my lounge — usually while playing EA Sports FC 25 — and via my Garmin smartwatch while out running.

In this post, mainly for posterity, I’m listing (in alphabetical order) the new-to-me artists, albums, and playlists that I enjoyed listening to this year. People use different streaming services, so I’m going to link to each using Odesli.

Barry Can’t Swim

Album cover for 'When Will We Land?' by Barry Can't Swim. The image depicts a cluttered scene filled with colourful children's toys spread across a white floor. In the background, a man sits casually on a brown sofa, sipping from a mug and looking forward. He is dressed in a brown and white checkered shirt and white pants, with black and white sneakers. The toys in the foreground include a variety of shapes and sizes, such as blocks in bright red, blue, yellow, and green, a yellow smiling face bucket, a toy house with a yellow roof, and several other play items scattered around. The background is a plain white wall, creating a contrast with the vibrant colours of the toys.

I think my family is sick of me playing ‘How It Feels‘ from Barry Can’t Swim’s 2023 album When Will We Land? I only discovered it in the summer, but it was still one of my most-played songs (and albums) of the year.

It’s a blend of electronic production with jazz-inspired elements, featuring lush textures, blissed-out vocal samples, and euphoric orchestral elements. Best listened to while driving.

KNEECAP

Album cover for the album 'Fine Art' by KNEECAP. The image is a stylised version of a person wearing a balaclava, with cut-outs for the eyes and mouth. It is presented in an ornate gold frame.

I discovered KNEECAP via BBC Radio 6 Music, my go-to station when I’m not listening to sport. I was listening to various tracks such as ‘Better Way To Live‘ before their album Fine Art came out this year.

Irish hip hop performed in a mixture of English and Irish languages, with lyrics often containing Irish republican themes. Probably not for everyone, this one. Best listened to at the gym while lifting weights.

MILD MINDS

Album cover for the 'MOOD' by Mild Minds. The image features a vibrant and artistic depiction of blossoming pink flowers against a deep sky blue background. The flowers, likely magnolias, are densely clustered on branching limbs that extend diagonally across the composition. The branches are dark, adding contrast to the vivid pink petals. The overall mood is lively and colorful, emphasizing the beauty of nature. In the upper left corner, large red text reads "MILD MINDS," while smaller blue text in the upper right reads "MOOD."

One of the things I like about Spotify is the ‘Song Radio’ feature, where you can create a playlist of similar music from an original seed track. This is how I came across MILD MINDS this year, mainly listening to the album MOOD, with the track FORMATIONS probably being my favourite.

This is genre-bending electronic music combining UK garage, house, and ambient music. MILD MINDS’ features a mix of electronic production with organic samples. Best listened to while chilling out.

Sound Quelle

Album cover for 'Trait' by Sound Quelle. The image features an abstract design with a mixture of colors and textures. The central area is dominated by a large, irregular white shape bordered by teal and green hues. This central shape gives the impression of a rough, painterly texture. Around this area, dark and earthy tones, including shades of brown, red, and gray, form a chaotic and uneven border, suggesting a natural, geological pattern. In the upper left corner, a white rectangle contains text. The background has an overall organic and dynamic feel with swirling patterns and irregular lines.

Another artist I discovered via ‘Song Radio’ is Sound Quelle, a Russian producer and DJ whose album Trait is a recent discovery. I particularly like the track ‘Summer Rain‘.

Sound Quelle makes house music characterised by energetic rhythms, sultry melodies, and ethereal soundscapes. The style combines elements of trance, deep house, and progressive house. Best listened to while getting some work done.

Tailor

Cover for the single 'Run' by Tailor. The image depicts a silhouette of a modern building against a vibrant, evening sky. The building features large glass windows, with several lit from within, hinting at occupied spaces. The sky is a gradient of pink and purple hues, suggesting sunset or dusk. Prominently across the building, the word "RUN" is superimposed in large, bold purple letters. The composition gives a sense of modern urban life set against a picturesque sky. In the bottom right corner, the word "TAILOR" is written in small white letters.

I was listening to Satin Jackets and realised a couple of tracks featured an artist whose voice and style I really liked. So I did some further investigations and found that Tailor is most active on Instagram. I’m particularly fond of the track ‘Run‘ with his live from home version hauntingly beautiful.

This is electronic dance music combining electronic, dance, and pop elements. Tailor’s music features catchy melodies, intense beats, and soulful vocals. Best listened to… anywhere, really.

Vök

Cover art for Vök's 'Circles' EP. The image is a black and white artistic composition featuring three individuals positioned closely together and facing slightly different directions. The central focus is a woman in profile with short hair, styled in a top knot. To her left, a man appears in partial profile, while another man, mostly in profile, is on her right. The image utilizes a fragmented, circular overlay effect, giving the appearance that the trio is surrounded by concentric, transparent rings, adding a dynamic, visually fractured aesthetic. The background is a light gray, enhancing the contrast of the subjects.

Yet another artist I discovered via ‘Song Radio’, I was blown away by Vök’s magnificent track ‘Waterfall‘ from their 2015 EP Circles. They’re an Icelandic band, and if you like Sigur Rós and Múm then you’ll love this.

A multi-genre blend including trip-hop, R&B, dream-pop, electronica, and alt-pop. Their music features dreamy experimental electronica with reverb-heavy production and intricate arrangements. Best listened to when in a reflective mood.

I’m terrible at describing genres of music, so I used Claude 3.5 Sonnet to help me in this post. The image descriptions come via ASU’s Image Accessibility Creator.