All playlists

Psychedelic music doesn’t only exist under a clear, benevolent sky. It also invokes the dark night of the soul, where our deepest anguish is revealed.

The emerging American hip-hop scene is populated by trailblazers willing to dive deeper than ever into discussions of human suffering, violence, drugs, isolation and racism.
 

Are you ready for this selection that makes sex even better?

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.
 

The Portugese composer and guitarist crafts creamy dreamy pop, mixed in with some rather surprising inspirations!
 

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

One of the most influential labels in jazz, known as “the house that Trane built”.

Zappa wasn’t only a genius composer, he was also one of the most incredible guitarists. So, to paraphrase one of his albums, ‘shut up and listen to his guitar’!

Lully’s trumpets, Rameau’s musical revolution, Couperin’s and Poulenc’s melancholy... join us on a journey behind the scenes of this founding century of French aesthetics.
 

1966 is a watershed year in music history. A huge amount of songs were big sellers on both sides of the Atlantic and somehow still seep into our bones.
 

A major figure of the French Touch movement as part of the duos Motorbass and Cassius, Philippe Zdar was also a much sought-after producer in the 2000s for his ability to mix dance, rock, pop and soul.
 

Thanks to a flow that’s as fast and elusive as the wind, Myka 9 has rubbed shoulders with and inspired everyone from Busta Rhymes to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. 
 

Discover the ‘bluesologist’ who paved the way for a generation of hip-hop artists.

In London and all over the UK at the beginning of the ‘80s, ex-punks with eccentric looks were getting the party started again, inventing synthetic pop inspired by glam rock and cabaret.
 

A living legend on the US rap scene, Tech N9ne has built up an independent empire thanks to his originality and an eclectic taste that stretches from gangsta rap to metal. 
 

After twenty years under the sign of the hybrid groove, the London label has found its second wind. It never forgot where it came from and continues to shine a light on the best developments in the alternative music scene.
 

It started with turntables and steadily grew to include a huge range of production methods. The first two decades of Ninja Tune were spent ahead of the curve, laying the groundwork for the future of music.

Through his various bands, the mixed metal singer Max Cavalera has never stopped moving in and out of his native Brazil. 
 

Ecstasy and pollen, feverish funk, electro sunrises, songs of change and seasonal dances from Vienna to Manaus.
 

As a rule, semi-precious energy stones are used for meditation and healing. Of course, each one also represents love... either for oneself or for others.

Away from major labels and the flavours of the month that rule over them, Chicago’s Numero Group are flying the flag for unsung artists and musical oddities. 

A vast metropolis at the crossroads of Africa and the Middle East, Cairo is once again home to a music scene whose stylistic diversity bears witness to its creativity. It’s a panorama that ranges from club hits to post-punk bangers.

The eargasm: a feeling of euphoria brought about by listening to sensual music...
 

Ever since the cultural revival brought about by the Jasmine Revolution, the electro and rap scenes in Tunis have been blooming.

Surrounded by ice and fire, a geyser of gorgeous music.

Her enigmatic 40-year career has proved that anyone who thought she was a genius at 19 was right.

The iconic indie label Stiff Records was home to some of the great music of the 70s and 80s. It gave us Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, Madness, and others.
 

Out with the truckers and the kickers and the cowboy angels. Hear the story of the infamous Gram Parsons from his tangy fingerprint on music’s biggest icons to his fiery desert burial in the sands of Joshua Tree.

Russian winters, icy impressions by Debussy and Joël Grare, northern lights with Sibelius and Saarihao, revisited baroque tremors in electro.

March, the month of flowers budding, of returning light. For the Romans it was the month of war, and of a mysterious world little known to us humans.
 

It was the soul singers who spoke up for those who’d been condemned to silence under segregation. And it was in his denunciation of segregation that Curtis Mayfield sent a message as open and visionary as his music.

By becoming the most recognisable name in electronic music, the French duo has acquired universal pop star fame and become a major influence for both French producers and international artists.

Part two of our tribute to the anonymous musicians behind almost every US pop hit of the era. 
 

We salute the anonymous musicians behind almost every US pop hit of the era. Part one.
 

From spiritual jazz to deep improvisations, a trippy evocation of the creator who had a masterplan.
 

The perfect playlist to get your kids dancing, open them up to the world, and help them develop the same impeccable taste in electronic music as you.

As he’s the one who taught me to listen to jazz, Wes Montgomery is my ‘Proust’s madeleine’ – something that immediately provokes reminiscences of time’s past.

The third and final part of ‘krautrock’ – a jokey name given to one of the most fantastic pop music movements of the end of the 20th century.

The second part of ‘krautrock’ – a jokey name given to one of the most fantastic pop music movements of the end of the 20th century.

The first part of ‘krautrock’ – a jokey name given to one of the most fantastic pop music movements of the end of the 20th century. 

Entwined in the history of hardcore, the group Sick Of It All (or SOIA to their friends) is a beacon, the cornerstone of the scene. On the circuit for 34 years the Koller brothers, Craig Ahead and Armand Majidi continue to run the effortless marathon that is hardcore in New York.

Cast your minds back to one of the bands who delighted us the 1990s by forging their own unique path of slacker rock in the wake of the grunge movement. Embark on a road trip in the heart of Americana which kicked off in California but soon spread all over the world.

He could have become a footballer, but a twist of fate led him to make his mark on an altogether different terrain – the sound machine. With just a handful of records, Darren Cunningham has become the go to for fans of a slightly skewed electro beat [or sound].

In terms of production, the Scottish artist has achieved the unthinkable: mixing radical experimental works with more recognisable dance and pop, both under the name Sophie (stylised as SOPHIE) and through rich collaborations with Charli XCX, Madonna and Vince Staples.

From 1978 to 1983, Italian new wave was undoubtedly influenced by the likes of Bowie, Gary Numan, Japan, Ultravox and Kraftwerk, but filtered all these through a Mediterranean pop vein.

By the dawn of the 70s, the explosion of dancefloor music transformed the Italian pop scene.

In the late 60s, Italian Beat morphed into Psichedelica. Although very short-lived, Italian psychedelia is still distinctively unique.

The story of the 1960s Italian music and cultural beat revolution, when teenagers grew their hair long, hitchhiked like Kerouac’s characters, set up hundreds of guitar bands and Rome Piper Club became the Mecca of a generation of beatniks.

Take a nighttime voyage through various styles of electronic music (dubstep, IDM, vaporwave, micro-house, techno, ambient). To be listened to between the hours of midnight and 5am.

Let’s bring to light all the tracks that have languished in the shadows of The English Riviera, the album that brought Metronomy to fame. 

Under a cryptic pseudonym, the New York producer Daniel Lopatin has invented a certain style of contemporary electronic music that feeds on the past without ever becoming overly nostalgic. 

At the opera, coloratura is a voice capable of great ornamental virtuosity, especially with vocalisations and trills.

Violinist Rachel Podger has established herself as a leading interpreter of the Baroque and Classical music periods.

Lasting more than just one summer, rave music became the soundtrack of the 90s youth who created their own rules of clubbing, and invaded not only the dancefloor but also the charts.

With its acid house and rave parties, 1988 was the year that Europe was introduced to the new hedonistic culture of electronic music and partying, already present in the USA. Clubbing would never be the same again. 

Even in the crater of a volcano you can find melodies...

In the shadow of the big cities of New York and Chicago, the Motor City has spawned generations of musicians fuelled in creating Great Black Music.

In record time, the Spanish singer has become one of the most fascinating and elusive artists on the pop scene, brilliantly blending her flamenco roots with hip-hop, R&B and electronic music.

Having emerged from the shadows after keeping his identity a secret for so long, the London-based producer has established himself as a key force in electronic music. His dark and fascinating music is the ideal soundtrack to the fears of a new century.

30 songs to get a killer party your guests will never forget… While respecting prevention measures… Winter edition. Happy New Year 2021!

Our three-playlist series ‘Birdsong’ is a journey following the many influences of birds throughout the history of music. This is the third and last episode: From inspiration to freedom.

Our three-playlist series ‘Birdsong’ is a journey following the many influences of birds throughout the history of music. This is the second episode: From ornithology to Absolute.

Our three-playlist series ‘Birdsong’ is a journey following the many influences of birds throughout the history of music. This is the first episode: From love to death.

Rain-soaked classics are undoubtedly fewer in number than those celebrating the sun, but there are still some famous ones. The rain doesn’t only make things hazy – it carries clouds of sound along with it.

 As well as dwelling at night, the moon – a celestial being and a symbol of liberty – dwells in pop music’s most introspective moments.

Somewhere between euphoric trips and contemplative strolls, tales of the desert can be told in music – from contemporary light pop to arid rock and feverish psychedelia...

Is Christmas cancelled this year? Hopefully not!

Morrocco’s rap scene is setting itself free, establishing itself as a source of inspiration, and developing its own rich soundscape. This is the Winter 2020/21 edition of our New Sounds from Morocco playlist.

Known as O Bruxo (the Wizard), the white-bearded Brazilian composer and multi-instrumentalist is a cultural icon.

Far from its iconic harbour and sun-soaked beaches, Sydney's outer suburbs are home to the beating heart of Australia's burgeoning rap and hip-hop scene.

Coming from California in the 90s, here’s some cool gangsta-rap with George Clinton style funk instrumentation.

Dolphy's career as a sideman bore witness to a great musical journey – one that has contributed to the history of jazz.

 A celebration of the music that accompanied hundreds of cop shows and films from the 50s to the 70s.

It was by entering Solar da Malhada that Lucy's getaway would turn into a really formative experience. Read the story. Then listen to the soundtrack and close your eyes. The film will unfold in front of you….

‘Afrophone stories from the Atlantic and Indian Ocean.’ This is how the New York label Ostinato Records describes itself.

The rappers who, for their whole career, remain involved in every step of the creation of a record from writing to mastering are not that common. This playlist is dedicated to the rapper-producers of the 2010s.

Between 1974 and 1989, The Residents, a band whose members have remained anonymous until today, have accumulated the most delirious of musical experiments ever in popular music.

A major independent label focussing on the most notable new musical genre of the 21st century – dubstep – Hyperdub have built a fascinating back catalogue with Burial and the label’s boss Kode9 as figureheads.

The fleeting thoughts that arise whilst bathing with Satie and Ravel.

An exploration of a sublime and devilish period for Miles Davis (1968-1975) when, for the sake of the groove, everything went electric.

Why is it, that in this muddled island, music always feels so vital and so at home? This is my own personal guide to British folk music: a selection of songs with deep soul and British roots.

The London producer has transformed himself into a first-rate artist through a grateful synthesis of dubstep, piano, soul, and R&B.

From Al Green to Fela Kuti via Miles Davis, Ray Baretto and Jorge Ben, let’s take a glimpse at 1972’s musical landscape – the rhythm & soul edition.

Create your own David Lynch film by listening to some music that, albeit unintentionally, reflects some of the disquieting strangeness that exists in all of his films.

An icon of Britain’s Swinging Sixties.

Discover the fabulous history of the haunting traditional American folk song made famous by Lead Belly and Nirvana, “In the Pines (Where Did You Sleep Last Night?”.

A love letter to Brigitte Fontaine, an eternal figure of the French underground with a focus on her Saravah years.

The voice of the queen of neo-soul reflected in the singers of Generation Y.

A musical travelogue through London, a city that I love and that has been my home for 7 years. Mind the gap!

During the ‘80s, a bunch of bands focusing on macabre and dark romanticism repainted rock all black. The soundtrack to vampire movies and B-side horror films has an important place in music history.

20 pieces of classical music inspired by the Devil.

A playlist that gathers spirits, spells and black magic...

Werewolves, vampires, monsters of the lagoon – your delicious transformation will take place step by step as you discover the golden age of demonic rock’n’roll.

The unsettling and groovy soundtracks that defined 1970s Italian trademark horror genre: Giallo.

Through his producing, his remixing and his thrilling DJ sets alongside his band The xx, this London artist has established himself as one of the past decade’s most exciting and inventive players on the electro scene.

Welcome to an imaginary radio show with The Clash at the (complete) controls. We have cover versions from all over the world, songs that inspired the band, artists that collaborated with them as well as a few Clash originals here and there.

How a kid from Atlanta’s Zone 3 became the world’s ultimate rap mogul.

Starting in the 90s, a sort of post-digital electronic music has emerged from artists putting glitches and errors at the center of their compositions, something quite different from mainstream techno.

An absolutely vital producer of the noughties’ indie scene, Four Tet was soon being asked to work for other artists. This playlist explores Kieran Hebden’s prolific remixes and collaborations.

A self-taught guitarist, the Nigerien Mdou Moctar is redefining the boundaries of Tuareg music.