All playlists

Summer 1995. The Battle of Britpop through a lesser-known side of both bands, with oddities, covers and B-sides.

In Brazil a new generation of artists are fusing rhythms and shaking up established musical codes. 

The independent label born in 1989 in Sheffield accompanied the electronic music revolution, becoming synonymous with Intelligent Dance Music, before gradually opening up to more hybrid styles in the 2000's, with as much foresight as ever.

A selection of the latest rap, trap, drill, grime, and garage coming from the UK, October 2021 to April 2022.

As mysterious and fascinating as Glenn Gould or Giacinto Scelsi, this iconoclastic genius, who was considered by some to be a madman, revolutionized the approach to jazz piano in a powerful, inimitable and unpredictable style.

When cinema gets lost by becoming too commercial, it's time to turn to the art of sounds, and imagine other universes, ad infinitum. Make your own movies while listening to this strange and hypnotic collection of electronic music.

Celebrating an iconic album by Milton Nascimento and Lô Borges that holds a special place in the history of MPB.

From the working-class neighborhoods inhabited by Latin American migrants, to the trendy discos frequented by Spain’s elite youth, reggaeton has become a unifying force that transcends issues of race, gender, or social class.

Quarantine or no, there is no question of getting into the swing of things with this little overview of the world’s festivities.

Paris will always be Paris. A journey from Bohemia into the more chic districts, from the frenzy of Offenbach to the mischief of Montmartre, from the balls in Bastille to the clubs of the Marais. And not forgetting Notre Dame and the Paris Opera, of course!

Charting the formation and history of UK Street Soul during the Acid House period. Including some of the key tracks from the time as well as some more modern examples. 

One hour to discover the most famous samba school in Rio de Janeiro. 

DMX’s music and legacy as the ultimate transmitter of energy and pain

Nirvana’s lead singer never hid his influences and, more than that, he spent his life promoting all the bands and artists who’d inspired him.

Built on the heritage of Japanese music’s Golden Age (the 60's to the late 80's), the current Tokyo music scene is vast, hosting many genres, subcultures and niches, and making the city one of the most exciting local music scenes in the world.

Selection of Jamaican productions and collaborations of Jamaican artists between August 2021 and February 2022.

It’s where reggaeton meets sensual pop, MC’s scathing flows describe blatant social inequalities and soaring electronica tries to soothe a violent populous. Welcome to the new sounds from Medellín.

A loathsome character but a genius producer who revolutionized pop with his “wall of sound” studio technique, working with the Ronettes, the Beatles, Leonard Cohen and the Ramones, among others.

A Japanese icon, one of the principal pioneers of lo-fi hip hop whose legacy is still influencing hip hop today.

Having survived the grunge era during which he played with the Screaming Trees, the singer went back to the roots of Americana. He leaves behind a great deal of solo work, numerous collaborations, and a voice haunted by a life of hardship.

Colombian Eblis Àlvarez douses cumbia and salsa with LSD to generate some blistering hot psychedelia. South American music subsequently developed into a bit of a hobby for him, much like the blues for Captain Beefheart or pop for The Residents. 

When the natural world is sampled it plunges the listener into an immersive musical experience.

Peaceful songs to help you journey through time and music, and into slumber.

The rappers who produce their own tracks (or vice versa) often have the greatest creative strength. Here’s a first edition of those rare polymaths of the 2000s.

Ariel Pink never wanted to be famous. Yet he is the master of writing hits that never existed. Is he simply a plagiarist? Or is it that more and more people are copying him these days?

60 years of Elza Soares' career as the voice of the millennium.

Music is key to Quentin Tarantino’s movies, here we select some of our favourite tracks from his films.

From the electro pop of the 1980s to music for Bertolucci and Almodovar, here is a portrait of a musical chameleon who’s turned his hand to everything from Kraftwerk, to Bach, Ravel, Kenny Larkin, and Debussy. Get ready for some classical classics.

Rich in European, Latin American and Caribbean influences, Buenos Aires is an open-air musical laboratory where one can hear the most danceable cumbia-reggaeton to the most ethereal synth-pop.

Bowie’s death on 10th January 2016 was a shared moment of trauma for every music lover. But some musicians are keeping the legend alive through vaulting covers.

When the dominant musical tide of Black American communities washed up on the shores of Brazil, a whole new rippling wave came to life.

Disco, gospel, Bach, Chinese groove, a splash of the organ and a twist of New Year groove for this very eclectic end-of-year cocktail.

The stress of the compulsory Christmas parties, childhood dreams turned to dust, the anxiety of one’s family, the lack of interest in a holiday devoid of values...For some, Christmas is like a nightmare that comes back to haunt them every year. They shouldn’t feel alone, as there’s plenty of music that would also like to throw Santa’s presents back in his face. A guaranteed Mariah Carey-free zone.

The Swan, The Carnival of the Animals, the Organ Symphony, Samson and Delilah, all peaks in the oeuvre of Camille Saint-Saëns, a popular composer whose death 100 years ago is being commemorated by the Paris Opera. But behind the fame there was a secret, revealed by the author of the celebrated book, Vertige de l’hélice.

The story of how a piece of software intended to correct voices was transformed into an essential part of a record producer’s toolkit and a playful way to add effects.

Initially a commercial failure, the Roland TB-303 gained a dance music history after falling into the hands of a group of pioneering electronic producers.

Part 2 takes us on a trip to the land of fuzz guitar and farfisas, bang in the middle of the psychedelic boom. This time the direction is due east, from California to New York.²

Part one in our Garage Rock series details a great journey west – from garage rock’s beginnings in England, all the way to California, via the Big Apple.

Take a trip back to a long hot summer afternoon in early 90s New York, and immerse yourself in the sounds of a typical block party.

As people are getting away from the cities, it’s time to have a look at the natural world – both real and imagined – through words and music.

A vital period of music history, given the groups it gave birth to, the ecstatic movement born in Manchester at the end of the 80’s is famous for its capacity to marry indie rock with dance music.

In music, environmental concerns are nothing new. In every style fertile ground has been explored. Now, it’s time to give them a serious listen.

Let’s take a few tours and detours all over the continent to discover some of its guitar masters. To hear them at their best you often have to wait until the 1st verse or chorus is over; wait for the song to bloom and for the guitarist to rise.

In search of the lost voice of the castrati, the countertenors who bring to life the fifth voice, and the complex and fascinating genre placing voices somewhere between traditional ideas of ‘male’ and ‘female’. Here we reconnect with a repertoire driven by emotion.

The majority of independent labels are linked to musical trends. Much rarer are those embracing a wider range of genres. Mute Records belongs to this latter category, reflecting the diversity of British, European and global new-wave for over forty years.

Take a look behind the smoke, mirrors, and magic of Atlanta’s new generation of hip-hop torchbearers. 

An overview of the new generation of artists who are following in the footsteps of the East Coast matriarchs, treading their own paths and flirting with Trap.

For twenty years the American John Dwyer has applied himself with Herculean effort to the resurrection of 70s psychedelic rock.

Take the effectiveness of a well-written pop song and the straightforwardness of punk mixed together in a snappy format and you’ve got the recipe for a musical trend that’s never been fashionable, but is ultimately more lasting than other passing fads.

For over a decade vaporwave, thought of as zero sum electronic music, inspired many artists through its collage of satire and modern critique.

Immerse yourself into the wild back catalog of Thomas Jenkinson, the ingenious one man band behind the Warp label.

Starting life as a DIY hardcore punk label, SST went on to define the sound of US alternative rock for the 80s and beyond. We look back on their history and extensive back catalog.

Is this the best album by the best band of all time? We’ll leave it to everyone’s individual taste to answer that thorny question. In the meantime, The Beatles aka ‘the white album’ is an iconic double-album whose influence has reigned supreme over the record world since 1968.

La Tropicália (also known as Tropicalismo) was an iconoclastic vision of Brazilian society in the late 1960s, and two of its heroes are still making headlines: Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil.

Tired of the same old songs every Halloween? We’ve headed out into music’s dark and shadowy corners to unearth some horrifyingly good Halloween sounds.

Exploring the work of cult hero Matthew Herbert, from his early house productions through to his sound art under various monikers.

A marvellous Autumn spent in happy melancholy – crocuses, yellowing leaves and magic mushrooms give voice to Brahms and Mouloudji, Strauss, Vivaldi, Miles Davis and Bruckner.

We explore the work of the Bahian composer and founder of the Tropicalismo movement on the occasion of the release of his new album Meu Coco, which will be available on streaming platforms from 21st October.

The beautiful, melancholy world of Outsider, or “Private Press” Folk, is being unearthed by new audiences after being stored away in attics and garages for 50 years.

Rarely has a musician been so wholly eclectic and cosmopolitan. We take a look back at the astonishing career of the jazz trumpeter who was always at the service of world music.

Here we explore the influences of Africa on the career of Gilberto Gil –  author, composer, musician, committed politician, and supporter of Black emancipation.

Singer, multi-instrumentalist, charismatic public figure, universal brother-father-granddad to most music loving human beings, here’s how it can sound when Stevie Wonder, the composer, lyricist, producer and duettist, offers other artists a piece of Wonderland.

The femme fatale... A classic figure in novels and operas or a macho fantasy? Circe, Dalila, Manon and Medea (to name but a few) have traversed our imagination for centuries. Ancient man (and bourgeois writers) expressed fear and passion for the ‘eternal feminine’ via La Traviata, Salome and Lulu in the 19th century. For contemporary life we have Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears and Tina Turner, adored as much as they’re sacrificed.

There are countless anthologies, compilations and best ofs, but oddly enough, not many that deliberately choose to focus on Stevie’s unique ability to fill a dancefloor and keep its fire hotter than it was minutes before.

An overview of American rappers who have taken the diminutive Lil’ as their stage name, despite their number of hits, their fame, and even their size being anything other than Lil'.

The incredible journey of the Mael brothers, from their first TV show to their latest soundtrack for Leos Carax.

In the space of just ten years Miles did it all: played with Parker, confronted Monk’s cubist silences, invented cool jazz, and even got off heroin. These were crucial years for understanding the experiences that shaped the man who would soon become known as the ‘Prince of Darkness’.

The first Golden Age with Coltrane’s famous quintet. Miles was now writing jazz history. The legend was set in stone one night in Paris, as he improvised over the images of a Louis Malle film.

After Coltrane’s departure Miles felt helpless. But some young recruits would step in to give him a new lease of life. Together, in telepathic symbiosis, they would sketch the limits of chaos.

Two pivotal years of superhuman creativity. Miles Davis listens to Hendrix and James Brown and gives birth to jazz-rock, supported by a group of exceptional musicians.

Miles’ music felt both sumptuous and cursed. In order to live it he dove into drugs, giving everything of himself, even to the point of almost dying and not being able to play anymore. When he came back in the early 1980s, some saw it as a resurrection.

This ‘sorority selection’ hopefully gives the listener an impressive glimpse into quite how varied and meaningful some recent reggae production has been for women recording artists. Very successful and famous artists are featured alongside the stunning voices of those less well known to the public at large. This is a playlist full of emotion and intensity.

The story of Talk Talk is the story of one of the most fascinating transformations in British pop music, beginning just over 40 years ago. Or it’s the story of how fake Duran Duran clones turned into post-rock heralds.

Music From Memory is impossible to pigeonhole and always naturally ahead of the curve. Don’t be surprised if the next favourite album that you haven’t heard yet is released on the label.

Over rivers and seas, human adventure can always be found on boats and much can be imagined there. All aboard for a musical tour of the islands and oceans!

A major Bossa Nova label whose elegant vinyl sleeves reflected its desire for precision and intimacy, Elenco was the work of one man: Aloysio de Oliveira.

Having left us for good on 29th August, let’s take a look back at the first sounds from this other wordly Jamaican producer, whose work changed recorded music world forever.

Cumbia 420 is the musical phenomenon de jour in Argentina. With its skilful blend of cumbia villera and reggaeton, this hybrid sound has millions of young people dancing (under the influence) from the heights of Buenos Aires to the depths of the Pampas.

The recent passing of Charlie Watts, aged 80, provides us with an opportunity to look at his background and examine his role in the alchemy of the Stones. Who was this gentleman with the elusive personality?

Without this minimalist and underground style of icy beauty, bands like Actress or Ariel Pink might never have existed.

An expression of social and political life, the Carnival is also a liminal space of transgression, offering a celebratory freedom of expression synonymous with challenging the powers that be.
 

Developed in the US during the 2010s, this subgenre of rap uses lo-fi electro production to create hazy atmospheres of slow rhythms, and mostly sombre lyrics.

 Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was Kendrick Lamar. Dive into the sounds of those who shaped the rapper from Compton.

An international selection of the best new dancehall and reggae-influenced music from Jamaica in 2021.

Dive into one of the best year for disco music.

A soundtrack and accompanying story for a lazy afternoon spent in a bar by the beach.

Spotlight on London-based producer Juls, creator of modern Afrobeats, whose unique sound bridges the gap between 20th century highlife, and the digital Afropop that has clubs all over the continent dancing today.

Eclectic Brazilian pop diva Marisa Monte undoubtedly had one of the most successful careers in the history of this musical continent.

Baroque passion, star castrati, vocal pyrotechnics, theatrical storms and strong emotions from Venice to Rome, and from paradise to hell.

Songs written for some, production done for others, rare tracks and star duos. Here we discover the (more or less) hidden side to the career of the former Beatle.

In terms of music, he is Our Father. No need for a calling card, his immense works, even more than that of Mozart, speaks to everyone. Whether you want to meditate or dance amongst the stars, Bach is there, the master of rhythm and enchantment. The proof comes in the number of musical genres that continue to pay tribute to him.

There are two ways to hear the summer. One is with the light music of Bach, Beethoven, Haydn and Debussy. The other is with what emerged from the summers of love between 1968 to 1988 where house music and raves emerged. We will see that these two styles are far from being incompatible.

When modern and postmodern artists venture into the realms of Orpheus and break down musical boundaries.

A chronological exploration for one of the most influential bands of the last century.

Praising the value of demo tapes and original recordings from bands, exploring how they provide an insight into the creative process behind legendary songs.

Music for the bedroom – for lovers, poets and kings. Featuring Purcell, Verdi, Léo Ferré, Depeche Mode, Monteverdi, Charles Trenet, Mel Bonis, Gérard Manset and Prokofiev.

Tracing the porous lines separating Bowie, Miles Davis and Stravinsky from leading figures in the world of modern art like Picasso, Warhol and Dali.

Corridos tumbados (or trap corridos as it’s sometimes referred to – translator's note) forms a musical bridge between the borders of Mexico and the United States, bringing together families separated by exile.

Jimi Hendrix, a Room Full Of Covers, a selection inviting you to rediscover the great composer behind the famous guitarist.

In addition to the beginnings of rap with the Last Poets and gangsta rap with Hustler's Convention, to some of the great classics of what is called Jazz, we also owe Alan Douglas for having allowed several generations of music lovers born after 1970 to listen to Jimi Hendrix without moderation.