Personal rituals become traditional if you keep them going. 2020 had a soundtrack which presented itself with the gradually growing playlist which I include here:
Admittedly, as sharing music is a fragmented business, certain tracks are not available on iTunes or Spotify, so the complete playlist only exists on my computer. One of the most notable omissions is what would be track 11 – Externalities by At-Work. I’ll link it here
I used to love the service ‘8Tracks’ but that got bogged down with legal issues and as far as I can tell, is only just back on its feet in the Americas.
It’s now 2021, I look at the empty looking new playlist for the year ahead and wonder what it will shape up to be and sound like?
Colony Collapse tracklist as follows:
1. Squarepusher – Vortrack (Fracture Remix) /
First tune of the year.
2. Massive Attack – Girl I love You
Driving over to see mum on a rainy weekend in February.
3. The Drums- Money
A meme that made me laugh had this as the soundtrack
4. Jaz Coleman – Adorations
The long awaited ‘symphonic Killing Joke’ delivered beauty in spades.
5. Lindermann – Allesfresser (Unkle Reconstruction)
This appeared in my Twitter feed, I love Rammstein/ I love UNKLE- go figure.
6. Nine Inch Nails – Together
A new, free NIN album. Achingly beautiful, timely during the horror of the spreading pandemic. I read the news and this music just took the edge off the bleakness.
7. Talk Talk- The Rainbow
If going out to immerse yourself in beauty is problematic, you can always listen to it.
8. Consolidated – Capitalism
The discovery that Consolidated had decided that 2020 was their comeback year. Hard-hitting as always, undeniably accurate observations.
9. Etienne Decracy – Solidissimo (EDC Remix)
During a summer’s day during all the madness, this just seemed to capture something lighter.
10. Dave Brubeck – Take Five
Burbeck died, but his gift lives on.
11. At Work – Externalities
I was blown away by this tune by my virtual friend.
12. Queens of the Stoneage -The Lost art of keeping a secret
Digging through things I’d overlooked, this tune resonated.
13. Memorial Home – Earth
I don’t remember how I found this, but I’m glad that I did.
14. Juno Reactor – Into Valhalla
What’s Juno Reactor up to these days? Oh, still making butt-kicking trance.
15. Be My Enemy – All that I love, I destroy
The day I returned to work, this landed. It fit the bill perfectly for distracting audio amusements.
16. Puscifier – Apocalyptical
A timely musical commentary on fuck-wittery and Qanonsense.
17. Alka- Faito
The time I thought that my computer was having a chip-fart.
18. Consolidated – Headgear
I had a summer spell of commuting to the sounds of Consolidated, I’d overlooked their album ‘Dropped’ when It came out. This tune just ticked so many ‘this is why I love Consolidated’ boxes.
19. Samskara – Om Purnam
Attending the Burning Man Festival in VR, I discovered Samskara by Android Jones. This tune in particular moved me as I floated through the cosmos and came face to face with Hindu deity Shiva. My first tear shed in VR.
20. Kruder and Dorfmeister -King Size
I’ve missed K&D over the years, but was delighted to see via their Instagram page, that they’d put out some archival music.
21. Waldeck – Una Promessa
No holidays this year but if we had, Waldeck’s new album would have been part of the soundtrack.
22. Alka – My Heart
This song just made me feel all gooey.
23. Addis Black Widow – Innocent
I thought my daughter would find this track amusing and get stuck in her head. I was right.
24. Icehouse – Hey Little Girl (12” mix)
My longest standing pal Jamieson sent me this track as the year drew to a close. We share a soft-spot for Roxy Music, I couldn’t believe at first that it wasn’t them
25. The Kunts – Boris Johnson is a F***** C***
I found myself agreeing with the general sentiment of this track, so I bought it.