We start with 'Kagabas', a song from Lion’s Drums (a.k.a. Abstraxtion, a.k.a. Harold Boué), taken from his 2021 debut album of the same title. Recorded at a Kogis' village in the Sierra Nevada mountain of Santa Marta, it reminded me of my visit to Colombia back in 2014, when I briefly interacted with this fascinating indigenous community and witnessed how deep their connection to nature and music goes.
Four songs in, we depart from low-key sounds and begin our ascent with a slow, sad and melancholic song by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai. It gets better after every listen, and serves as a great ending to As The Love Continues, their 10th studio album released earlier this month.
Elvis Costello was part of the first wave of the 1970s British punk movement but his sense of adventure and musical appetite led him to explore a variety of genres from rock, to hip-hop, new wave and power pop. This song is part of his 2020 album Hey Clockface, and Costello is as brilliant as ever on it.
Another one on repeat this month was Moodyman’s 'Do Wrong', and what a mood! Crank up that sub level and blast the song on a good sound system at an afternoon house party with your favorite people grooving around. Or until indoor gatherings are a thing again, try to imagine what this would feel like. 'Taken Away' is another one from the same album that stood out.
When I compile the mixtapes, I sometimes find myself listening over and over again to adjacent songs that fit well together. Throughout the month, as songs are added to the initial selection, mini-chapters gradually come together to shape the final structure of the mixtape. The next three songs form such a chapter. On 'Addis to London', the London-based 12-piece collective Nubiyan Twist is joined by Ethiopian jazz vibraphone legend Mulatu Astatke for one hell of a jam.
