The Listening Club - 30th November 2025

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Another blah weather week in Amsterdam, the grey almost unchanging, the sog coming and going. It is what it is. Fortunately there's plenty of activities to keep us going inside, making good sounds and tastes, planning for future fun, and being grateful for that, for sure. Hype cat approves, of course, as he buries himself ever deeper, and warmer, into his beanbag.

Last Sunday saw @akx taking us for a trip to unusual places with his pick of "Groove of ESSR: Funk, Soul, Disco, Jazz and Easy Listening from Estonia from 1971-1984", which saw the assembled grooving accordingly. Thanks to Aarni for the pick and for sailing the friab over to @AccordionBruce, who has an extra week to ponder because...

Yep, end-of-month means #vortex, and this time, influnced by the sad passing of The Stone Roses' Mani, the assembled decided it was time to highlight the bass in all things, so a #LowEndVortex it is! Thanks to everyone who chipped in a tune, @Saucer has been busy connecting and blending, and you can download the result here, or stream it below:

See you 20:00 GMT for playback!

The Listening Club - 23rd November 2025

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay. A bit of a same-old-same-old week here in Amsterdam, as the temps plummet and the wet stuff continues to fall from the sky, inside it's one big blanket pile with humans here and there and hype cat somewhere near the top. Just as well there's always something good to listen to, eh? 

Reminder that it's end-of-month next Sunday, so we're looking for a #vortex theme as always - bring your ideas to the hashtag later on today and we'll see what's what.

Last Sunday saw @Holette in the chair, dosing everyone up with Anna von Hauswollff's "Iconoclasts", which garnered a pretty solid thumbs-up from the assembled, I'd say, Thanks to Sarah for the pick, and for flipping the frisb across to @akx, who's here with today's intro...

"I came across the penultimate track here by accident on Spotify this summer, and it's been on heavy rotation since (both in my head and aloud). The rest is a quick 17-track collage off the three compilations in the series (it'll make sense, trust me), so as to keep the selection around an hour instead of more than two. Be prepared for some folk-funk, a wild cover or three (maybe four?) (including a track salvaged off an advertisement film for the Summer Olympics in [location redacted]), and a whole bunch of groove.

#drinkingclub, and a clue: Pour 4cl chilled Vana Tallinn liqueur into a flute and top it with" the sparkling wine (for historical accuracy, Sovetskoye Shampanskoye, but prosecco would work)."

Right then, download's here (right-click, save as) and stream's below:

See you 20:00 GMT later today.

The Listening Club - 16th November 2025

Hey folks,

Hope you're doing okay. @kleptones here, back from the crazy world of Le Guess Who? with many a new tale to tell and earworm to share - very pleased that the wintery weather held off for the duration of the festival, but it's hit with full force on our returm, as temperatures and leaves drop and the mighty sog returns. Hype cat is decidedly unimpressed by the changing of the seasons as always, but the addition of another blanket to his growing slumber pile is keeping him sleepily cheerful. For now, anyways. 

Last Sunday, thanks to @JimMcCauley and a last minute @EmmaPrice for holding the show together in our absence, and to @Vinomadic for his double whammy pick of Cream's "Fresh Cream" and "Disraeli Gears", which rocked and spaced out the assembled in equal measures. Thanks extended for the pick and for sailing the frisb across the seas to @Holette, who's right here with today's intro...

"I came across this artist when my partner read a recent rave review and said "this sounds like the sort of weird shit you'd like". I gave it a try and damn it turns out he was right.

Apparently this album represents a more pop direction for the artist. I'd say it's pretty far out pop but maybe in the sense of say, St Vincent, rather than Ms Swift.

There's melodies that kind of explode and dissipate, trancey builds and massive drums all going on in an ecstatic tsunami. Floating over it all are wondrous, witchy vocals.

Listen out for two guests vocalists, one of whom is unmistakable, the other was new to me - although their 1M Instagram followers would suggest I'm late to the party on that one. Above all listen out for the stunning range of instruments which add so much texture.

It runs a little over the usual hour, but the variety of moods kept me fully immersed so I hope you'll indulge me.

#DrinkingClub: a poky Margarita could be the thing"

Right then, download's here and stream's below:

See you 20:00 GMT later today.

The Listening Club – 9th November 2025

Hey-hey!

It's me, @JimMcCauley, sitting in for @kleptones who's away somewhere, and who asked the other day if I could step in, and with me apparently not being called for a rehearsal today I said, yeah, why not? Well, wouldn't you just know it, my director made a mistake and I do have a rehearsal later, so here I am typing this out before lunch. Hope you're all doing good, I'm busy learning lines while scoping out a potential next play to direct after my recent triumph with an incredible slice of Stoppard.

Last week, then, it was the ever-splendid @Nessiest at the decks, giving everyone's brains a thorough sonic rinse with "In E" by Water Damage and completely surprising the entire room when it threw in a second chord after the one-hour mark. Top work, so thanks to V for the pick and for a well-aimed frisb pass to @vinomadic, who will address you after the following ellipsis...

"Well...how about a double-play?? Didn't realize I had the first record album by the act with the sophomore release waiting in the Listening Club wings for a couple of years...

Said second album, released November 1967, wouldn't be much of a mystery after the second track, a massive hit, plays, so... this way, you get the lesser known original 'mission statement' from the band, where they hew fairly close to the blues-rock trends of the day. Then, the second album expands into psychedelic territory & elsewhere-- quite a varied set of tracks, if I say so myself! 

It all adds up to an hour & ten or so minutes of British musical history-- near half of the band's total recorded output, by the way. Enjoy!

(PS-- For full disclosure's sake: In a rush, I converted & uploaded a variation on the US release of that first album.)"

That's you told. Download it here or stream it below!

I'll be elsewhere at 8PM GMT, so have fun and don't make a mess.

The Listening Club - 2nd November 2025

Hey everybody,

Hope you're all doing good. Another soggy Sunday here in Amsterdam, which is not pleasing Hype Cat much, although he is getting ever more demanding with his towel-off requests each time he returns from his, ah, toilettes pluvieuses. So it goes. Inside the house, cakes are being baked for the upcoming festive season, which is permeating the place with a rather lovely fruit 'n' spice tang, enough almost to blot out the loud bouts of swearing as I (eventually) successfully replace the battery in one of my Sony earbuds. A normal day, then.

Last Sunday saw @EmmaPrice in the chair, spookily soothing the assembled with "Ghost Notes" by Mattias/Auborn, which charmed everyone quite successfully. Thanks to Em for the pick, and for sailing the frisb back over to @nessiest, who has this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"Oh my dear clubbers. Last week I said what I hear is what you get. This is by far my most played album over the last year. 

Brace yourselves, this isn’t a marmite album. It’s an anchovies and sweated onions on a bed of fish paste album. (Which I love also by the way.)

I listen to this on planes, trains, trams, in the office, at home cooking. Best listened to loud."

Right then. Download's here, stream's below:

See you 20:00 GMT tonight!

The Listening Club - 26th October 2025

Greetings folks, 

Hope you're all doing good. A seriously wet and windy week here in Amsterdam, which has certainly caused this year's ADE (Huge dance music industry event, if you didn't know) to go with quite a soggy squelch, as thousands of unprepared folks from afar scurry from cover to cover, frantically buying raincoats, hats and brollies as they go. A fair chunk of the ADE schedule is not really to my taste, but they do cover a wide range of stuff, and the variable weather means that enterprising locals can pick up cheap last minute tickets if they're lucky, which allowed us to get blown across town by Storm Benjamin to see Asko|Schönberg perform Steve Reich's "Music For 18 Musicians" on Thursday, and mighty fine it was too, yay.

(PSA - Reminder I'm away on Sunday 9th November, still looking for a helping hand to run #LC, let me know if you can help, pls thx.)

=

Last Sunday saw us paying tribute the best way we know how to our fallen comrade @FaberFedor with a splendidly emotional #GroupHugForFaberVortex. Huge thanks to everyone who chipped in a tune or two, and everyone who congregated to listen and share reminiscences of a fine chap. 

I've been asked by Faber's executors to share his obiutuary, which you can find here, and also let everyone know that there will be an online memorial on Sunday 16th November at 12noon ET (which I think is 5pm GMT, 6pm CET). The memorial will be held on Zoom, details here.

Back in the land of regularly-scheduled programming, we find @EmmaPrice holding the frisb, with this to say by way of introduction to her pick...

"Greetings my Listening Club Friends. 

It's been a while since I've been around regularly for Listening Club. I spent the summer in the fields on the festival circuit raising money for Oxfam enjoying the sun on my face with the shared joy of communal music and meeting folks from all walks of life.

Last week's #grouphugforFaber experience hit me pretty hard and I'm not embarrassed to say I wept like a baby thinking of our friend and the memories and connections we've all made via music. If any of you are ever visiting London please let me know and it'd be a pleasure to meet and raise a glass to this fantastic group of people. Thank you for all the moments we've shared and those that are yet to come.

Onto my pick for this week. First things first, I know nothing about the artist behind this album and while I'm writing this intro I'm listening to it for the second time. I bought this album, on vinyl no less, for one reason. The cover.  As I'm listening to it again I'm really glad this has randomly made it into my music collection. I'll explain the story of how I acquired this vinyl during the playback to avoid spoilering up front.

Drinking club: Is it too early for a mulled wine?"

Right then, download's here, stream's below:

See you 20:00 GMT - Yes, the clocks have changed over here!

The Listening Club - 19th October 2025

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay. Another mild week here in Amsterdam, as autumn continues to take hold and the piles of leaves begin to mount up, I'm kinda hoping for a little rain soon to wash the streets down. That said, hoping the temperature stays mild for a little longer, as it's coming close to Le Guess Who? time of year, which of course also means I'm in need of someone to run things here whilst we're away, so if you can help out on Sunday 9th November, please let me know, thanks!

Last Sunday saw @iamwahl in the chair, sending the assembled into a gentle reverie with his pick of Lloyd Cole & The Commotions 1987 album "Mainstream". Thanks extended to him for the pick, and also for sailing the frisb across to @EmmaPrice who has an extra week to ponder...

...as we find ourselves in an unexpected mode, paying tribute to @FaberFedor, a fine friend and long time #LC comrade, who has departed the earth way too soon after many fights with cancer. In the time honoured words of The Warriors DJ, "I guess the only thing we can do is play you a song", So here's a #GroupHugForFaberVortex, sad that he wasn't able to stick around to hear it. Thanks to everyone for chipping in tunes and @kleptones for the mix assembly. Adios, Senor Fedor, your sharp wit and gentle wisdom will be much missed.

Download's here, stream's below (yes, back on Mixcloud, as HearThis now has a free limit of 90 mins, merr):

Hope to see you at 20:00 BST (GMT+1) for playback.