Music: Winter/Spring 2025
The playlist for this post: PTB.LA: Winter/Spring 2025 (Apple Music)
Spring has arrived; thankfully.
The start of 2025 has been filled with many loves moving on. My good friend Dave Allen transitioned. We met shortly after Topspin was acquired by Beats by Dre and Beats Music and we became fast friends. Communing and having the best of times over good food and with good people became a constant theme as we traveled the world. He was a true artist, and he helped me understand artists are better off when other artists are looking out for their best interests in the corporate walls we found ourselves playing in. It was the highest honor that Dave Allen of all people saw me fit for the job. He was such a gem.
Me & Mr Dave Allen
The end of winter also found us watching Lady succumb to heart failure. We rescued her about 10 years ago, and she was our constant companion. One of the positives of the pandemic and the move to Paris was that she was always with one of us. I feel really lucky to have been able to create an unconditional bond with such a being. Having your dog with you everywhere you go in Europe is something America is lightyears behind on.
Lady Bird
And of course there is new music, or new music to me, that I discovered at the top of 2025 that helps me remember it all...
The playlist is here on Apple Music: PTB.LA: Winter/Spring 2025 - Cover art by Unknown; a 17th-century German engraving of the macabre, depicting the ‘Dance of Death’. Playlist is loosely split into a few sections: Electronic, Alt/Rock/Jazz, Techno, Miscellaneous…
Justin Walter
When We Where Young
Electronic, jazz instrumentalist who makes records that sound like life’s themes. This record sounds like change, and starts us off.
Next three records: Barker
I am forever grateful seeing the inside of Ostgut Ton—the label, the club, it all covers so much ground. Barker is a piece of this puzzle for me.
Next two records: Fluxion
Thematic and dubish. The whole LP is worth a listen.
Next three records: Sky H1
Shazammed the record Elysian Heights at the On Running pop up at the Boston Marathon. On is connecting.
Next two records: Dove & Kehina into M83
Mellow French-like electronic vibes reminding me of The Blaze and French 79.
Bakey
Under Control
Jungle and D&B was everywhere in SF in the late 90s, day and night. This reminds of those times: DJs & MCs.
not even noticed
Fidelity
Sunday, late night, public radio: “Musical Star Streams” radio vibes with bass.
DOVS
Vernal Fall
Airy 303 melodies.
On to Alt/Rock/Jazz…
Bon Iver
S P E Y S I D E
Justin put out of one my favorite albums of the decade in 2007. I like it that he held on to that sound for a least one record this go 'round.
Next three records: Cameron Winter
Just love this album. Distinctly original, yet familiar.
Purelink
Rookie feat. Loraine James
More mood for the spring.
Green Cosmos
Über Dem Berg
New to me. Insane 1983 jazz reissue from the German quartet. The LP is one to listen to from the top.
And on to Techno…
Next six records: Deepchord, Peter Van Hosen, NØRBAK, Planetary Assault Systems, Surgeon, Joel Mull, Marco Faraone…
Basement records I would DJ.
2manydjs
Theme from Banger
If you ever wish your classic Rave records were mastered correctly for hi-fi speakers and not club subs—this modern take does that, and well. Makes me want to see the movie.
Boys Noize & Human Resource
Dominator
Of course Alex. And of course he knows the diamonds. We have the original on a 12” somewhere. Hoping more classics get their due.
And… Miscellaneous…
Maruja
Aon
Jazz meets Psych Metal. Perfect.
Hawkwind
Hurry on Sundown
Back in the game this year. But this is the record if you are new to Hawkwind. I am pretty sure they predicted everything.
Everything is Recorded, Sampha, Florence + the Machine
Never Felt Better
I keep hearing Father Figure by George Michael in this record.
Highland Park Sleep Collective
Luminous (Mixed)
1/2 of the band is Tim Anderson—an LA legend. We’ve worked together for years, and this record is part of a sublime DJ Mix they also put out. What a full circle.
Whatever the Weather
9°C
A beautiful record from a beautiful album. As the the artist name suggests, we keep moving on…
Otis Redding
The Glory of Love
Give a little, take a little...
...
If you've made it this far... Don't feel obligated:
Music & AI
I've started making music again... But I am not sure I would call it that. It's tricky. I have many mixed feelings...
I wrote this correspondence in February listening this song on repeat in amazement, "Hi from Paris. I typed what I wanted, and this song appeared. Not perfect, but close enough to strike a chord. It’s inevitable, like it or not, is all I keep thinking — and fighting it seems like the wrong approach...."
"When I say inevitably, when I look around, I see most if not all of the developments outside of few (Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhust) thinking how artists fit, or don’t, for that matter — it looks like pure innovation, with little sign of slowing down or regard for what has come before…
I have also said this before, "the faster we build software and hardware that encourages the monies paid can be equitably distributed based on the how training data is used in the outputs and derivative works, the better off everyone is. Waiting for the courts to decide and in turn regulatory oversight to start to build is not the answer… I am not sure if @sunomusic is in this mindset, but my instincts think they are following the path of @SoundCloud - eg rasie capital and distro at scale first, negotiate & pay later - and not iTunes/Apple Music - eg figure out how to pay FIRST before taking money to distro others copyrights.”
And I could be wrong in this thesis, but I think it would be pragmatic to explore how these technologies can work versus playing whack-a-mole like in P2P/CD ripping/DRM/early YouTube era and repeat all the same missteps."
Unknown Artist aka Parker Todd Brooks + AI
It Ain't All Flowers (Cover) - Single, 2025, unreleased
https://untitled.stream/library/project/mj8U2nysxvDPUAwv4JFjw