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.

The Listening Club - 13th September 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope all is good in your hood. Back in Amsterdam again after a circuit of travels, and seems like the city has been saving a good few rain showers for our return. Le sigh. Hype Cat is definitely happy to see us back, even if the weather is not to his liking, at least he can get some sympathy and treats. As can we, come to that... *fx - wine being poured into glass*

Last Sunday saw @IamWahl in the chair, hitting a bright pop vibe with his pick of "New Day New World" by Spoons, which got the assembled guessing frenetically and, on the main, incorrectly. Thanks to Mr. W for the pick and for sailing the frisb across to @ogili, who's here with today's intro...

"Remember when the internet wasn’t a relentless torrent of the algorithmically reclaimed cultural ‘pink slime’ of AI, infinite scrolling social media, short form video, monetised propaganda/outrage, clickbait, and the like?

One of the great things about back then, was that it was easier to stumble upon things like this, made 3 years ago, which would have struggled at best to get an ‘official’ release.

On reading the description, I didn't expect to like it, despite loving one of the parts of it.  But it clicked with me on the first listen. There is a chance that I’m ‘late to the party’ here, and a good chunk of you lot have heard it, but I’ll take that risk.  

It’s quite short, and there is a very obvious ‘afterparty’ listen, which I’ll post up with the reveal. 

Drink suggestions?  Oooh, I dunno, something like snakebite made with an American commercial beer like Budweiser?"

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

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

The Listening Club - 6th September 2026

Salutations, folks,

Hope all is going good. Greetings this time from the rolling green hills of Kent, as I'm back in the old country doing a little family visiting and all that, enjoying some good late summer weather zipping around a few small towns and pleasantly sandy coves. More of that to come today, so let's get this tapped out, eh?

Last Sunday saw the assembled bopping down main street to a fine soundtrack as befits a #CarnivalVortex, which contained a good measure of both the joy of the parade and the reflections of the aftermath. Many thanks to everyone for chipping in tunes and to @JimMcCauley for the quality mix work. 

Looking back to regular programming we find @iamwahl clutching the frisb with this to say by way of intrroduction to today's pick...

"This week's offering comes to you courtesy of a visit I made to one of the plethora of independent music stores in my vicinity earlier this year. I don't get to this shop often so came away with a hefty stack. Upon arriving home and making my way through this batch it occurred to me that many of these, each in its unique way, would be worthy of bringing to the ears of #ListeningClub; but now I must choose one… 

While perusing those vinyl bins I found a record I did not know by a band whose discography I thought I had a complete picture of. How had I missed this? I was excited to think I would be hearing something from them I was not familiar with. I was not disappointed. There is a wide sonic spectrum throughout and lots of clues here as to who influenced the band; the sound harkens to another time (if not another place). I hope you enjoy the journey…

For #DrinkingClub, something with some spunk (I'll be having a cappuccino to toast the noon hour)…"

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

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

The Listening Club - 30th August 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay. It's been pissing down pretty solidly for the last few days in Amsterdam, and plenty more is forecast, which would be very annoying if it wasn't for the fact that I'm actually in a town in southern Spain, sipping coffee and gazing out over a rather impressive collection of tiled rooftops, roman theatres, moorish castles and hazy blue skies. So that's all right then, eh? Although spare a thought for Hype Cat, who has been left holding the fort back home, but, given the above forecast, is probably curled up snoozing on a cushion, waiting for a servant to arrive with his dinner and perfectly happy that he's stuck inside rather than out. 

Last Sunday saw @SimonLandmine in the chair, hitting folks hard with his pick of Saul Williams' eponymous 2nd album from back in 2004 which went down pretty good, it seemed. Thanks to Simon for the pick, and for flipping the frisb across to @iamwahl who has an extra week to ponder, because...

... yep, end of the month again, innit, and this time, in celebration of Notting Hill's 60th birthday, and all other similar celebrations across the globe, a #CarnivalVortex has been decreed, and @JimMcCauley has been hard at work assembling the parade of submissions. 

Download's here, and the stream's below:

Hope to see you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) later today for playback and much merriment.

The Listening Club - 23rd August 2026

Salutations folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Another cool and wet week here in Amsterdam, which is not the best news for one of the biggest summer festival weekends of the year here (and the Grand Prix too), and has already got folks proclaiming Summer being "over". Fingers crossed it's not, for me and hype cat's sake at the very least...

Speaking of time passing, end-of-the-month is coming soon, which means time again for a #vortex, so if you have theme ideas, bring 'em to the hashtag later on and shout 'em out!

Last Sunday saw @das_ulicorn in the chair delivering Kae Tempest's most recent waxing, "Self-Titled", which hit the spot for many of the assembled. Thanks extended for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to @SimonLandmine, who's right here with today's intro...

"Another quandary as to who to pick from my overlong 'shortlist', but I narrowed it down to two. Listening through the other album, it was quite 'samey', and I do like to provide a bit of a variety. So you're getting this, possibly partly as an odd kind of response to last week's pick. It's someone who I've seen live, although possibly not supporting an artist you'd necessarily expect them to (and I think it was equally surprising to some in the audience).

This was the artist's second album, and features some potentially unexpected guest appearances. Since this one, they've gone on to release several more, as well as apparently making their mark as an actor.

Warn the cats that this does involve the kind of language that would get it one of those 'PARENTAL ADVISORY' stickers, including some use of the 'n'-word.

Drinking club - gin and juice? Too-warm Red Stripe? Communion wine? Cheap venue lager in a too-thin plastic 'glass' that will spray the contents the moment someone collides with you? Who knows?"

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

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

The Listening Club - 16th August 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay - finally a decent rain shower and a bit of cooling off in Amsterdam, which is very much appreciated as the place was starting to pong a bit. Very quiet and gentle chez K as we're feeling the after effects of a friend's birthday party last night. A restorative curry is in order, I think...

Last Sunday we had @saucer in the chair, getting funky and conscious with his pick of "Voice Of The Revolution" by The Neighborhood Kids, which got the assembled bopping and pondering in equal measures. Thanks to Mr. S for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to @das_ulicorn, who's back after having been away for a good long sabbatical and a change of moniker, and has this to say by way of introduction to today's pick...

"Happy Sunday, all of y'all, I hope you didn't collectively melt into puddles in the current temperature extravaganza.

Last week, Simon and I discussed how hip hop and spoken word art intersect, so maybe today is another data point in the lyrics-forward area of music. Discogs thinks today's album is both "Hip Hop" and

"Non-Music", supporting some people in the notion that Hip Hop is not music. (Personally, I'd say this album isn't very Hip Hop, but what do I know.)

Singer, writer, poet, Glastonbury regular, yet, I guess, not very widely known outside the UK, the artist has been on LC before, a looong time ago, long before my first time around here. (Y'all have been doing this for ages, haven't you?)  A lot has happened since, so it's time to catch up, catch a deep breath, pause and reflect.

And then open the floodgates, because this has the whole range of emotions, from rage and defiance to love and regret and hopelessness and heartbreaking sadness. I could say I didn't cry the first time I

listened to this all the way through, that I didn't sit stunned, but I'd be a liar.

LibationClub: a shot of tea. (Or pop some E, whichever way you're inclined.)"

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

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

The Listening Club - 9th August 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay. Hot one here today in Amsterdam, and it's a day of doing for me, so let's get this tapped out early and struck off the do list, eh?

Last Sunday saw @ThatNewSound in the chair, delivering some modern art rock in the shape of William Doyle's "Your Wilderness Revisited" from 2019, which went down very well indeed with many of the assembled. Thanks extended for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @saucer, who's got this to say by way of introduction to today's pick...

"Even though the world was/is/always-will-be rough (Buddha, Kierkegaard, Bernd das Brot), lately it's a bit much with all the geopolitical bullshit, deadly climate change, AI-pilled VC money, ....

The dark pushes me toward distraction or catharsis, and that was the direction this week's pick was headed. 

But there's an album that's been on my rotation that looks at the light... by facing, engaging, standing tall.

So here you go. I hope this gentle labor of love inspires you even half as much as it does me. 

Drinking suggestion: something hydrating and tasty."

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

Hope to see you at 20:00 BST later today.