The Listening Club - 28th April 2024

Salutations folks,

Hope you're all doing fine. Feeling rather tender here after a pretty raucous Kings Day yesterday, which saw the usual blend of alcohol, loud music and orange clothing take over the country. Happy to contribute to the 2nd of those things with our now-customary day-long tune session, which brought familiar faces from far and wide to our corner, and much mayhem ensuing. So, yea verily, tenderly we continue...

Last Sunday saw @aqidraco in the chair, with a slice of English electronica in the shape of Mesh's "Who Watches Over Me?" from 2002, which went down pretty well with the assembled, I'd say. Many thanks to Aqi for the pick and for sailing the frisb across to @david, who has an extra week to consider their options because...

...yep, end of month means vortex, and this time a rather straightforward, or so it may seem on first inspection, #soundtrackvortex, as lovingly collected and assembled by @saucer. So grab your popcorn and see you down the front - download's here, stream's below:

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) tonight. 

The Listening Club - 21st April 2024

Salutations folks,

Hope you're all doing well and good. An up and down week here in Amsterdam, some things good, some not so good, as befits a week of sunshine and showers, alongside chilly temps thanks to a chilly northerly, which fortunately looks like warming up a bit before Kings Day (current forecast 17°C and partly cloudy, which is fine by me!). Anyhoo, looking forward to seeing folks on Saturday for that, and the whole weekend in general, bring it on!

Speaking of which, next Sunday is End-Of-Month, so make ready with your #vortex suggestions please!

Last Sunday we had @ThatNewSound in the chair for their debut pick, and that turned out to be Pinback's "Blue Screen Life" from 2001, which went down mighty fine with the assembled. Thanks extended for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to @aqidraco for tonight's pick, and here's the intro...

"9784 is the number of scrobbles of this artist at the top of my most listened to songs list on Last.Fm. 

It’s time to recognize the importance this artist had for me over the past decade plus. I probably discovered them in the late 2000s. Even if I haven’t listened as much to them in the recent years, it is hitting all the feels anytime I do. 

It has been quiet around them, the last record came out in 2016. It made it to number 12 on the German charts. I’m happy to report that they are currently on tour in Germany and there is buzz about a new record out there. 

Join me on this nostalgic electronics trip with your favorite drink from the 2010s."

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

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

The Listening Club - 11th April 2024

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing good. Another little heatwave blowing across Amsterdam, so, for the second weekend in a row, it's been clear and warm and all that that entails. The lilac and wisteria out the front are reacting accordingly also, which is grand. Crossing fingers that it maintains the rhythm (and the blossoms), as it's Kings Day in two weeks time, and you know what that means...

Last Sunday saw @corin_ja in the chair, firing out a classic of the slightly-lesser-known category, in the shape of Joan Armatrading's eponymous debut album from 1976, which got the assembled folks grooving and swooning satisfactorily, I'd say. Thanks to Corin for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @ThatNewSound, who's right here with the intro to their debut selection...

"Well... That was as hard as I expected. I listened to a lot of music this week trying to find the right album for a debut pick. It felt like picking the soundtrack to the first 10 seconds of meeting someone for the first time. It took a while to realise I was entirely missing the point by trying to find something everyone else would like so here is something I like. Probably my favourite album by probably my favourite artist. It's an album I found accidentally in my late teens and instantly fell in love with and a band I wish more people knew about. I would love to hear if anyone knows the band or album, and also love to hear if anyone can identify the sample on track 3! I hope you enjoy it.

If you're listening with a beverage the only suggestion has to be your favourite craft IPA."

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

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) tonight for playback.

The Listening Club - 7th April 2024

Salutations folks,

Hope you're doing good. Freakishly warm weather here in Amsterdam, as a slim wave of saharan heat has travelled all the way through Europe up to us, providing a rather lovely weekend, if a little odd for the time of year. Still, the denizens (and tourists) ain't complaining, that's for sure. So, fortified by some prime early-season stoop-sitting and treat-consumption, we continue...

Last Sunday was a rare thing, Easter Sunday and also last Sunday of the month, so a #ComebackVortex made good sense, and who better to welcome back to do the assembly than @JimMcCauley, and the result? A multitude of interpretations, and some mighty fine sounds indeed - thanks to everyone for chipping in.

Looking back we find @Corin_JA holding the frisb with this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"The customary blurb. For this week’s Listening Club I have chosen an album that I really like and that I want to share with you all. The artist was a big deal in their heyday but I feel is currently under-appreciated. I must have first heard them when I was a kid, and I wasn’t that bothered back then, but returning to their work more recently I have found the music comforting and absorbing and clever. I particularly like the lyrical narratives, little stories that are played out in a number of these tracks. The musicianship is also excellent, and the production is superb - apologies if this crappy MP3 doesn’t convey that. So, I invite you to sit back, relax and enjoy this record. Pour a glass of wine, if you take it, but maybe add a little water."

Download's here, stream's below:

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1)