The Listening Club - 1st November 2026

Greetings folks, pinch and a punch and all that.

Hope you're doing okay. A quiet day here in Amsterdam, following a rather busy halloween night for a change - some years there's nary a ghost to be seen but last night the streets were filled with a variety of outfits, from the classic home made to the (rather crass, imho) shop-bought inflatables. Maybe being a Saturday made a difference, I dunno... 

Anyhoo, tapping this out early as i've got a bunch of things to do, topped off with a show (Shearwater + Loma, hooray!), so I'll not be around for playback later today - nor will I be around next Sunday, as it's Le Guess Who? time, so advance thanks go out to @JimMcCauley who will be taking care of things here in my absence.

Last Sunday we #vortexed the time of year in a slightly more traditional manner with a #SamhainVortex, which brought forth as wide a range of interpretations as you'd expect. Thanks to everyone for chipping in tunes, and double plus thanks to @saucer for the fine mix work. Looking back to regular programming, we find @giflian holding the frisb with this to say by way of introduction to today's pick...

"Hi everyone,

In the midst of these “interesting times” I still worried over what music to choose for us this week. For my first pass with the frisbaton, it was easy enough to pick something strange and be fine with the consequences, but now I’ve participated in enough #ListeningClub Sundays to care whether you all enjoy, or don’t suffer unduly from, my musical tastes.

But like with my first frisbaton, my choice this week came from my vinyl collection, and I would’ve saved myself some stress if I’d just looked there first. 

I picked up this album last year from a local record store that specializes in jazz, J-pop, electronica, and indie music; the sort of shop I have to escape from before I spend more money. I hadn’t heard of the artist, who’s relatively new, and I’m a sucker for synthesizers, electronic textures and the avant-garde. 

I think I saw the album labeled as dream pop in an interview. The lyrics are about life and love in a time of technology, which I think is pretty fitting for a group listen over Mastodon. 

It’s short for a full length album so I’ve added a track from the artist’s second album to get it all over 30 minutes. "

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

See you 20:00 GMT later today.

The Listening Club - 25th October 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay. Sheesh, end of October already? Time doth fly and all that. There's been planty of stuff flying around outside for sure as it's been consistently stormy and rainy all weekend, which has me feeling a little sorry for the several hundred thousand folks that have decended on the city for the glorified trade fair that is Amsterdam Dance Event, and who will be spending the weekend keeping Uber's surge pricing algorithms very busy indeed, to say the least.

Speaking of city fests, second reminder that I'm away in 2 Sunday's time at Le Guess Who? and am still looking for a helping hand to run things here in my absence, so if you can be that helping hand please let me know, thanks! 

Last Sunday we had @soundclamp in the chair, zoning out the assembled in a lovely way with their pick of "Of Psalms" by Date Palms from 2010. Thanks to Mr. S for the pick and for flipping the frisb over to @giflian, who has an extra week to ponder because... 

Yip, #vortex time, innit. And for once, a seasonal topic we haven't (quite) covered, a #SamhaimVortex, so let's look @saucer-wards, where a selection is calling...

...and lo, download's here, stream's below:

CLOCKS HAVE CHANGED FOR US! So we'll be seeing you 20:00 GMT from now until the end of March next year!

The Listening Club - 18th October 2026

Greetings folks,

Running a little late today, for no reason in particular, but you know how it is sometimes, eh? Let's get on...

Last Sunday we had @spiny in the chair, ratcheting up the mood with "An Age Of Chance" by Au-Turn which got the positive attention of the assembled for sure. Thanks to Mr S for the pick and for flipping the frisb over to @soundclamp, who's here with today's intro...

"We’re in our fourth or fifth summer right now, can you believe it? Everything’s fucken upside down and the crazy keeps ratcheting up. Therefore… I think it’s time for some Sunday coming down music. How’s about we blend some East and West. Toss in a little folkways, sprinkle in some kosmische. Let it simmer until it’s just mellow enough. Originally a duo, this was released in 2010 and is long out of print.

Drinking club? Tuck yourself in with a hot cider and get comfy."

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

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) later today.

The Listening Club - 11th October 2026

 Howdy folks,

Hope you're doing good. Pretty soggy here in Amsterdam, as autumn takes a firm hold on the surroundings. Haven't had to turn the heating on yet though, but I think that day is not far off at all. Brr.

Speaking of the changing of the seasons and all that, advance notice that, as always, I'll be toddling off to Le Guess Who? in a few weeks, so will be looking for someone to run things here on Sunday 8th November; I will remind again, but let me know if you can help out, I'd be very grateful.

Last Sunday we had @nessiest in the chair, delivering a solid slice of Oceanic culture in the shape of Marlon Williams' "Te Whare Tīwekaweka" which went down rather well. Thanks to Ness for the pick and for flipping the frisb over to @spiny, who's here with today's intro...

"Good evening fellow listeners.

My pick for this week is from a new band formed by someone from an old band.

This is their most recent album, from last year, they have done a few more EPs since, which I tried to figure out a way to add, but it would have made it too long.

Anyway, I 'discovered' that this project existed while googling what the band members were up to these days, and found a few singles, which were fantastic, then nothing for ages. 

Bandcamp helpfully emailed me with news on this release, which I dutifully bought, and now present to you.

It's somewhat indie leaning, though bandcamp has it tagged 'folktronica',  and as the main member is the guitarist from the 'old band', they have roped in a few other vocalists to help out on a few of the tracks. 

I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do, but if not, thats OK too."

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

Hope to see you on the ol' hashtag at 20:00 BST (GMT+1)

The Listening Club - 4th October 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing good. Another pretty warm and dry week in Amsterdam, as summer keeps eking out it's last moments to pleasureable effect. Therefore there's been time for customary end-of-season activities, an outdoor meal here and there, some gardening and some neighbourly stooping. All very pleasent indeed. Inside though, one of my server hard drives is playing up, which means scanning and replacing most likely. Glad I spotted the trouble before it spread to the backup. Reminder to keep your stuff backed up folks, it's worth it! 

Last Sunday was the last of the month, and by way of tribute to my own (and probably others') failing memory, a #ForgetfulnessVortex was agreed, which produced a fine and mostly cliche-free selection of tunes. Many thanks to everyone who remembered to chip in a tune or two, and to @akx for the fine mix work. Looking back to normal programming,we see @Nessiest holding the frisb and with this to say by way of introduction to today's pick...

"Some artists have a defined artistic voice, some continuously inhabit different characters in their creative journey. This artist is one of the latter and in this album made a bold move homewards and inwards. It’s a risky move by an international artist for reasons that will become apparent. 

Apparently they have struggled with writers block - this core artistic choice was apparently the way through. I’ve had this album on my le club shortlist a while now and hesitated partly for the reasons that will become apparent. I also hesitated because it’s a newish personal favourite that I have not fully figured out yet.

Personal picks are a risk in listening club, but it’s time. I think this is quality. Hope you enjoy and appreciate the experience. Drinking club? A hoppy IPA, a buttery chardonnay, or a good mug of gumboot black tea."

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

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) later today, whilst we still can!

The Listening Club - 27th September 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Summer seems to be hanging in there nicely in Amsterdam, with a very pleasant stretch of warm sunny weather giving us a good few reasons to keep reaching for the sunglasses, iced beverages and garden chairs. Tapping this out a little early as I have not one but two gigs lined up for attendance later today, a matinee acoustic show and an evening punk rock noisefest (been a lot of Sunday gigs lately, it seems), so sadly I won't be around to hear the vortex, looking forward to catching up when I get back!

Last Sunday saw, hey, me @kleptones, spacing the assembled folks out with a #LC First Play™ of Adam Wiltzie & Jóhann Jóhannsson's "Friendship Survival Guide", as released last Friday. Seemed to go down pretty well with most folks, which makes me very happy indeed. All that remained was to flip the frisb across the room to @nessiest, who is well aware that they have an extra week to ponder because...

...yes, of course it's end-of-month, therefore #vortex time, which I plainly forgot about last week in my focus to get the above album sorted - big thanks to @saucer for remembering and therefore triggering a #ForgetfulnessVortex. Here's hoping enough people remembered and submitted tunes, so that @akx has something to mix... we shall find out soon enough..

Download's here, stream's below:

Hope to see you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) later today, don't forget!

The Listening Club - 20th September 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all hanging in there. Bit of a neither / or week in Amsterdam, bit of rain, bit of sun, nothing special, enlivened by a trip out to the Concertgebouw yesterday to hear some lesser-played Steve Reich stuff (and one new commission) on occasion of his soon come 90th birthday. I guess the competition between him and Philip Glass remains solid as they're both celebrating that milestone, and both still writing pretty damn well (as the aforementioned excellent new commission showed). No problem from a listening perspective, natch, here's hoping they both hang in there for their respective centenaries!

Last Sunday we had @ogili in the chair, bamboozling the assembled with his pick of Casper Iskov's 2023 "Commercial Remake" cover version of My Bloody Valentine's "Isn't Anything" album, which definitely showed the album in a different light. Thanks to Oli for the pick and for flipping the frisb across to me, @kleptones, which means it's time to go all italic...

"... right then. As with most long-term LC-ers, I have a rolling list of possible picks; things get added, things get removed, and occasionally one gets given it's freedom for others to hear, and so it was going to be this week, until this new album (freshly released last Friday) entered into my purview, and, well, the list can wait.

So yes, a very new release, although apparently not fully new music, as one of the contributors moved on from this earth a few years ago, leaving behind plenty of raw materials to be developed, and a style of music that, year-on-year, seems to be getting more public attention and popularity, as shown by this release, which is on a so-called "big" label and looks to have a decent promotional budget, or at least it seems so from here. Is that a good thing? I'd like to think so.

So... not wanting to give too much away, and without having heard it myself yet, hem hem - knowing some of the previous work of the participants, this is most likely a "turn up the volume (looking at the waveform this thing has a wide dynamic range, so make the most of it if you can), find a comfortable place between the speakers, lean back and let it wash over you" pick. The kind of thing that gets airtime chez-K in the late evenings and early mornings (interested to see how it fits with your timezones), and that Hype Cat really, really enjoys stretching out on the sofa to, bless 'im. Hoping that it finds an equivalent niche for yourselves also.

Drinking club: for me, probably a glass of red wine, or maybe a favourite whisky. Ymmv, but something to savour would be good, I'd say".

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

Hope to see you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) later today.