PLAYLIST OF THE WEEK 2024 #9

The playlist of the week has a mysterious aura. Dark but not sinister, it leaves just enough space for light to shine in a bit. Now playing.

First, let’s go to Japan, with bass from the abyss and textured vocals to fall for. And I’m head-over-heels for it. OK by SATOH is a new favourite of mine, and its two minutes are worth the repeat. With marked textures too, The Mysterines’ new single Stray is a true and captivating success, as much live as in its studio version. Dark riffs and saturation are moving on the next track with the fun Vibrator by The Baby Seals, ideal for a mosh-pit. And just to make sure it’s all very clear, let’s get the mad energy of Mikki Wood back, with Two Times in a Moment.

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Intoxicating riffs, keeping up with that mystical aura, are coming from Volere by the Lithuanian band Twin Dive. Passion hits the scratchy chorus. Then, Baula’s basses are taking over naturally with mercury in retrograde. The contrast of bass and vocals is what I enjoyed most here. For Sundozer, the rhythm doesn’t weaken on Still Life, carrying its share of mystery in a rock box. To explore more genres, let’s turn to the very catchy Pull the Plug by PIXIEPUNK. From punk to pop and rap, the atmosphere stays ominous.

Pollyanna Blue looks for their inner strength and brings it to the front of the stage with Strong Enough. It’s, for me, a really motivating song that then invites calmer tones to come in. Indeed, here comes It Goes Quiet by Razor Braids – a tad lighter than the rest, I still find some pretty shadows in it. Even softer, but not lighter, Bad Flamingo is back on the blog. This time it’s with Fast, and oh how I adore the vocals! To close the playlist of the week, I trust Ilya Popenko and his voice from another world, on the track The Horse is not Mine. This phrase in Russian-language originally means ‘I have nothing to do with it’ – but playing with words and losing it in translation makes it a fascinating song. Dark, but not sinister.