I listen to music while I work. I listen without lyrics. I mostly just consume what the Apple algorithm feeds me.
So, I’m not going to pretend any ownership over this list. It’s really just a “best of Apple music, 2018/19.” For the record, the stock playlists I prefer are: Untitled, Loops, Headspace, Living in the Library and Vibes.
But: at least I’m listening mostly to music from the past decade, and finding rock and r&b tracks that I like. The flavour of this mix is very low key, suitable to my mood when I put it together in February. It doesn’t really fit with the “brief relief from a coronavirus” that we’re going through now, but whatever.
I’ll be honest: no one else listens to these mixes. I make them mostly for myself, as a way to sift through the best things I’ve heard, take note of the artists I liked best, and branch out to their full albums and other work. The raw material for this mix is a solid 200 tracks that caught my eye, and it was fun to cull them down to this highlights list.
Download a zip of MP3s here, or listen with your favourite streaming service below.
- james blake feat. rosalía. barefoot in the park. pop, 2019.
- nicolas jaar. mi mujer. dub, 2010.
- maribou state. turnmills [edit]. downtempo, 2018.
- pantha du prince. bohemian forest. techno, 2010.
- chet faker. no diggity. r&b, 2012.
- calvin harris feat. frank ocean & migos. slide. r&b, 2017.
- allan rayman feat. jessie reyez. repeat. r&b, 2017.
- art school girlfriend. distance (blank). rock, 2018.
- alex lahey. am i doing it right? rock, 2019.
- cherry glazerr. daddi. rock, 2019.
- two people. something to talk about. trip hop, 2018.
- barr brothers. you would have to lose your mind. rock, 2017.
- ben howard. nica libres at dusk. rock, 2018.
- reuben bidez feat. molly parden. what you really wanted. folk, 2018.
- kimya dawson. tire swing. folk, 2006.
- wildes. illuminate. rock, 2016.
- dusted. all i am. rock, 2018.
- bearcubs. do you feel. electronic, 2018.
- velvet negroni. crybaby. electronic, 2018.
- manila killa & mansionair. wake up call. pop, 2018.
- bicep. vale. techno, 2017.
- major lazer feat. amber coffman. get free. dancehall, 2012.
- floating points. anasickmodular. acid jazz, 2019.
- martin nonstatic. innermost structure. ambient, 2017.
- orbital. tiny foldable cities [edit]. techno, 2018.
- dining rooms. you [quantic soul orchestra version]. acid jazz, 2004.
- alex lustig feat. akacia. in the end. pop, 2018.