Cult Heroes
Ryūichi Sakamoto
From the electro pop of the 1980s to music for Bertolucci and Almodovar, here is a portrait of a musical chameleon who's turned his hand to everything from Kraftwerk, to Bach, Ravel, Kenny Larkin, and Debussy. Get ready for some classical classics.
A loathsome character but a genius producer who revolutionized pop with his "wall of sound" studio technique, working with the Ronettes, the Beatles, Leonard Cohen and the Ramones, among others.
Exploring the work of cult hero Matthew Herbert, from his early house productions through to his sound art under various monikers.
Charlie Watts, Like a Rolling Stone
The recent passing of Charlie Watts, aged 80, provides us with an opportunity to look at his background and examine his role in the alchemy of the Stones. Who was this gentleman with the elusive personality?
The Under Rated Paul McCartney
Songs written for some, production done for others, rare tracks and star duos. Here we discover the (more or less) hidden side to the career of the former Beatle.
Alan Douglas
In addition to the beginnings of rap with the Last Poets and gangsta rap with Hustler's Convention, to some of the great classics of what is called Jazz, we also owe Alan Douglas for having allowed several generations of music lovers born after 1970 to listen to Jimi Hendrix without moderation.
Kid Creole & Coati Mundi
Before hitting the top of the charts, Kid Creole and his faithful Coati Mundi were the champions of an exciting underground, creating the soundtrack to an era somewhere between the vertigo of swing and the surge of disco.
David Axelrod
A cult figure for generations of samplers weaned on his sounds and celebrated by lovers of the cinemascope format, producer and arranger David Axelrod is still a name that too few have heard.
A cross between synthetic and industrial music, the Venezuelan producer's work can feel like being at a contemporary art exhibition where anything can happen and things might get shaken up. From Björk to Kanye West, Arca is called upon to make music innovative and weird.
Theo Parrish
A look at how Theo Parrish's reputation as a DJ and producer over the past three decades has placed him as a cult figure in dance music
Henri Salvador: The First 10 Years
Henri Salvador sounds like no one else. Here we celebrate the first years of the most beautiful voice to ever sing in French, from crooner to entertainer, cool to upbeat.
A genius producer, Moroder introduced the synth to film scores and revolutionised disco and electro pop with an impressive roster of hits.
Shock G Rest In Beats
Gregory Edward Jacobs, known as Shock G, the frontman for Digital Underground, was found dead on Thursday 22th april in Tampa. He will always be remembered as one of most unique talents in hip-hop history. The world of beats & rhymes owes him a funkin' lot: reviving P-Funk spirit in the 90s, introducing his friend 2Pac to da world, elevating sampling to an art form.
Bruno Pernadas, exotic dreamer
The Portugese composer and guitarist crafts creamy dreamy pop, mixed in with some rather surprising inspirations!
A major figure of the French Touch movement as part of the duos Motorbass and Cassius, Philippe Zdar was also a much sought-after producer in the 2000s for his ability to mix dance, rock, pop and soul.
Myka 9
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Thanks to a flow that's as fast and elusive as the wind, Myka 9 has rubbed shoulders with and inspired everyone from Busta Rhymes to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
Tech N9ne
A living legend on the US rap scene, Tech N9ne has built up an independent empire thanks to his originality and an eclectic taste that stretches from gangsta rap to metal.
Her enigmatic 40-year career has proved that anyone who thought she was a genius at 19 was right.
Out with the truckers and the kickers and the cowboy angels. Hear the story of the infamous Gram Parsons from his tangy fingerprint on music's biggest icons to his fiery desert burial in the sands of Joshua Tree.
From spiritual jazz to deep improvisations, a trippy evocation of the creator who had a masterplan.
Entwined in the history of hardcore, the group Sick Of It All (or SOIA to their friends) is a beacon, the cornerstone of the scene. On the circuit for 34 years the Koller brothers, Craig Ahead and Armand Majidi continue to run the effortless marathon that is hardcore in New York.
Cast your minds back to one of the bands who delighted us the 1990s by forging their own unique path of slacker rock in the wake of the grunge movement. Embark on a road trip in the heart of Americana which kicked off in California but soon spread all over the world.
The Other Side of Metronomy
Let's bring to light all the tracks that have languished in the shadows of The English Riviera, the album that brought Metronomy to fame.
Violinist Rachel Podger has established herself as a leading interpreter of the Baroque and Classical music periods.
Between 1974 and 1989, The Residents, a band whose members have remained anonymous until today, have accumulated the most delirious of musical experiments ever in popular music.
Brigitte Fontaine
A love letter to Brigitte Fontaine, an eternal figure of the French underground with a focus on her Saravah years.
A self-taught guitarist, the Nigerien Mdou Moctar is redefining the boundaries of Tuareg music.
How a dozen or so rapper-skater-antichrists pulled off the most beautiful takeover bid of the 2010s mainstream. Odd Future is dead. Long live Odd Future.
Drexciya
Uncompromising, forward-thinking and elusive: the mysterious duo fostered an unrivaled creative tidal wave in underground electronic music.
The band formed by irascible and unpredictable Mark E Smith in 1976 has become a Manchester post-punk institution. A playlist for both the beginners and the fans.
With their first five albums and an early Peel session in a period of just over three years, Roxy Music shaped the future of music.
From 1993 until today, relive 27 years of music from the iconic British electronic in 3 hours and 10 minutes.
Sun Ra, the cosmic jazz prophet, inspired several generations of artists.
DEVO produced hits to make us dance, but also to dismantle mankind's pretentiousness, which the band pointed out as being the source of all the violence we are able to commit.
The English group established itself as one of the most important groups to have come out of the punk movement.
Pulp were the band of the underdog: the student, the misfit, the quiet, the shy, the bored.
A Year in Music
Disco Like It's 1979
Dive into one of the best year for disco music.
The Hits of 1966
1966 is a watershed year in music history. A huge amount of songs were big sellers on both sides of the Atlantic and somehow still seep into our bones.
1989-94 Rave On
Lasting more than just one summer, rave music became the soundtrack of the 90s youth who created their own rules of clubbing, and invaded not only the dancefloor but also the charts.
1988 Second Summer of Love
With its acid house and rave parties, 1988 was the year that Europe was introduced to the new hedonistic culture of electronic music and partying, already present in the USA. Clubbing would never be the same again.
Electric Miles
An exploration of a sublime and devilish period for Miles Davis (1968-1975) when, for the sake of the groove, everything went electric.
1972 Rhythm & Soul Version
From Al Green to Fela Kuti via Miles Davis, Ray Baretto and Jorge Ben, let's take a glimpse at 1972's musical landscape – the rhythm & soul edition.
Post-Punk 1979
1979 marks the beginning of what one will call 'post-punk'. Don't expect to hear hits in this playlist as great as they all are, but very minor singles or album tracks.
A Night in 1981
1981 bookmarked the transition into a new world. Listen to the future's foreshadowing while immersing yourself in the Dionysian sweat of a discotheque for a wild ride.
A Day in 1981
With the embryonic stirrings of house, the global wave of the so called world music, the disco/funk turning into hip-hop, 1981 was a year that changed everything.
1968 in Albums
1968 was a year of phenomenal music, a year when the album really begins to become regarded as important for an artist to be able to make a statement.
Mozart, Salieri, Haydn. The musical goings on in Europe were rich in 1789!
1968 in Singles
1968 continues to resonate as a landmark year for rock, pop and soul. Discover our best singles of the year.
Was 1975 that a bad year for pop and a dead zone for new music like the great Bob Stanley says?
The Unheard Classics of 1966
1966 proved to be such a wonderful year for music that it is worth documenting these great tracks that somehow avoided the radar.
New Sounds From
Rich in European, Latin American and Caribbean influences, Buenos Aires is an open-air musical lab where you can go from danceable cumbia-reggaeton to soaring organic electro in a heartbeat.
Built on the heritage of Japanese music's Golden Age (the 60's to the late 80's), the current Tokyo music scene is vast, hosting many genres, subcultures and niches, and making the city one of the most exciting local music scenes in the world.
In Brazil a new generation of artists are fusing rhythms and shaking up established musical codes.
UK Streets
36 smashes amongst the recent productions from the UK scene – more proof that Greater London and her suburbs are still at the top of planet rap.
It's where reggaeton meets sensual pop, MC's scathing flows describe blatant social inequalities and soaring electronica tries to soothe a violent populous. Welcome to the new sounds from Medellín.
The Reggae Planet
An international selection of the best new dancehall and reggae-influenced music from Jamaica in 2021.
A selection of the best new sounds from Jamaica from acoustic reggae to digital dancehall, 2020 to 2021.
Ever since the cultural revival brought about by the Jasmine Revolution, the electro and rap scenes in Tunis have been blooming.
Rap in Morocco
Morrocco's rap scene is setting itself free, establishing itself as a source of inspiration, and developing its own rich soundscape. This is the Winter 2020/21 edition of our New Sounds from Morocco playlist.
Streets of Sydney
Far from its iconic harbour and sun-soaked beaches, Sydney's outer suburbs are home to the beating heart of Australia's burgeoning rap and hip-hop scene.
Neo Perreo in Santiago
Whilst neoperreo, a digital DIY subgenre of reggaeton, might be a child of the internet worldwide, its flame burns brightest in Santiago.
Defeating the stereotypes rooted in Bristol past, this playlist captured the ongoing cultural and experimental buzz of a city in constant evolution and of its multi-faceted underground scenes.
Alté Kids from Lagos
Did you know that Nigeria isn't only the home of afrobeats? Here's a spotlight on some of Lagos' semi-underground artists.
Atlanta New School
The continuously crashing crest of modern pop's wave, found in the up and comers of Atlanta hip-hop.
London Jazz
If jazz has been revived in London then it's on the dancefloors, thanks to a growing audience of twenty-somethings.
"The lusophone sound is coming" – Dino d'Santiago
Kendrick Lamar, Louis Cole, Khadja Bonet, Flying Lotus, Anderson .Paak, Jonwayne and Tyler, The Creator all come from the same place? It seems neither vain nor overrated to remember that everything happens in Los Angeles.
Chicago has all the musical richness of Great Black Music with a remarkable rise in rap and jazz over recent years.
Future Soul in Melbourne
In the beginning there was Hiatus Kaiyote, a quartet of "future soul" formed in Melbourne in 2011...
The Guide To
Tarantino Soundtracks
Music is key to Quentin Tarantino's movies, here we select some of our favourite tracks from his films.
Brazilian Soul
When the dominant musical tide of Black American communities washed up on the shores of Brazil, a whole new rippling wave came to life.
Autotune
The story of how a piece of software intended to correct voices was transformed into an essential part of a record producer's toolkit and a playful way to add effects.
The Roland TB-303
Initially a commercial failure, the Roland TB-303 gained a dance music history after falling into the hands of a group of pioneering electronic producers.
Garage Rock (1967–1969)
Part 2 takes us on a trip to the land of fuzz guitar and farfisas, bang in the middle of the psychedelic boom. This time the direction is due east, from California to New York.²
Part one in our Garage Rock series details a great journey west – from garage rock's beginnings in England, all the way to California, via the Big Apple.
A vital period of music history, given the groups it gave birth to, the ecstatic movement born in Manchester at the end of the 80's is famous for its capacity to marry indie rock with dance music.
African Guitar Heroes
Let's take a few tours and detours all over the continent to discover some of its guitar masters. To hear them at their best you often have to wait until the 1st verse or chorus is over; wait for the song to bloom and for the guitarist to rise.
Countertenor
In search of the lost voice of the castrati, the countertenors who bring to life the fifth voice, and the complex and fascinating genre placing voices somewhere between traditional ideas of 'male' and 'female'. Here we reconnect with a repertoire driven by emotion.
Power-Pop
Take the effectiveness of a well-written pop song and the straightforwardness of punk mixed together in a snappy format and you've got the recipe for a musical trend that's never been fashionable, but is ultimately more lasting than other passing fads.
Ten Years of Vaporwave
For over a decade vaporwave, thought of as zero sum electronic music, inspired many artists through its collage of satire and modern critique.
Outsider Folk
The beautiful, melancholy world of Outsider, or "Private Press" Folk, is being unearthed by new audiences after being stored away in attics and garages for 50 years.
Gilberto Gil, the African Connection
Here we explore the influences of Africa on the career of Gilberto Gil – author, composer, musician, committed politician, and supporter of Black emancipation.
Reggae Soul Ladies: Sorority in Jamaican Vibes
This 'sorority selection' hopefully gives the listener an impressive glimpse into quite how varied and meaningful some recent reggae production has been for women recording artists. Very successful and famous artists are featured alongside the stunning voices of those less well known to the public at large. This is a playlist full of emotion and intensity.
Cumbia to the Power of 420
Cumbia 420 is the musical phenomenon de jour in Argentina. With its skilful blend of cumbia villera and reggaeton, this hybrid sound has millions of young people dancing (under the influence) from the heights of Buenos Aires to the depths of the Pampas.
Ten Years of Minimal Wave (1975-1985)
Without this minimalist and underground style of icy beauty, bands like Actress or Ariel Pink might never have existed.
Developed in the US during the 2010s, this subgenre of rap uses lo-fi electro production to create hazy atmospheres of slow rhythms, and mostly sombre lyrics.
Sung Baroque
Baroque passion, star castrati, vocal pyrotechnics, theatrical storms and strong emotions from Venice to Rome, and from paradise to hell.
Modern Art Beats II
When modern and postmodern artists venture into the realms of Orpheus and break down musical boundaries.
Modern Art Beats
Tracing the porous lines separating Bowie, Miles Davis and Stravinsky from leading figures in the world of modern art like Picasso, Warhol and Dali.
Corridos Tumbados
Corridos tumbados (or trap corridos as it's sometimes referred to – translator's note) forms a musical bridge between the borders of Mexico and the United States, bringing together families separated by exile.
Latin Trap
The birth of a new sub-genre of Latin urban music, from its humble beginnings to its conquest of the international charts.
New ways to play the guitar
No, the guitar is not dead and buried under the exhausting pyrotechnics of Guitar Hero. Other geniuses with a six string are developing subtle, intimate and meditative approaches to the instrument, opening up new paths.
Yacht Rock
Charting the formation and history of the yacht rock genre. Including some of its best and lesser known tracks.
Bollywood Disco
As its popularity in America began to decline, disco-fever raged in 1980s India largely thanks to Bollywood's infatuation with the genre.
Iemanjá, goddess of the Orisha
Mixing drums with the sound of waves and shells, Brazilian folk music celebrates Iemanjá, the mother of all African deities
Dark Psychedelia
Psychedelic music doesn't only exist under a clear, benevolent sky. It also invokes the dark night of the soul, where our deepest anguish is revealed.
Dark Hip-Hop
A fragment of the American hip-hop scene is populated by trailblazers willing to dive deeper than ever into discussions of human suffering, violence, drugs, isolation and racism.
In London and all over the UK at the beginning of the '80s, ex-punks with eccentric looks were getting the party started again, inventing synthetic pop inspired by glam rock and cabaret.
Krautrock 1976 - 1985
The third and final part of 'krautrock' – a jokey name given to one of the most fantastic pop music movements of the end of the 20th century.
The second part of 'krautrock' – a jokey name given to one of the most fantastic pop music movements of the end of the 20th century.
The first part of 'krautrock' – a jokey name given to one of the most fantastic pop music movements of the end of the 20th century.
Italian New Wave
From 1978 to 1983, Italian new wave was undoubtedly influenced by the likes of Bowie, Gary Numan, Japan, Ultravox and Kraftwerk, but filtered all these through a Mediterranean pop vein.
By the dawn of the 70s, the explosion of dancefloor music transformed the Italian pop scene.
Italian Psych Out
In the late 60s, Italian Beat morphed into Psichedelica. Although very short-lived, Italian psychedelia is still distinctively unique.
Opera And Coloratura
At the opera, coloratura is a voice capable of great ornamental virtuosity, especially with vocalisations and trills.
Coming from California in the 90s, here's some cool gangsta-rap with George Clinton style funk instrumentation.
Starting in the 90s, a sort of post-digital electronic music has emerged from artists putting glitches and errors at the center of their compositions, something quite different from mainstream techno.
Heavy Music For Grown-Up Kids
The guide to post-metal from the early 2000s onwards.
Dominican Dembow
A story about producers from the Dominican Republic whose desire to get their neighbourhood dancing got the whole world to move.
Tanzanian Singeli
How did this frantic music from the street parties of Dar es Salaam emerge as a niche global genre?
Music's yesteryear is R&B's tomorrow.
Psychedelic Airlines Vol.1
The guide to psychedelic music over the world.
How modern R&B artists manage to touch every corner of today's musical world.
Golden Age Hip-Hop
The story of the unlikely actors who, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, reinvented American music and ushered in the Golden Age of Hip-Hop.
UK Jazz Age
A history of jazz in the UK up to the present trend.
Deepnotic
When deep house gets hypnotic.
Brazilian Mystery Tour
A ticket to the Clube da Esquina.
Trip do Mundo
Native productions, remixes, wild disco, afro-house… here is a tour of the world's non-traditional world music.
Get Up Kids!
Kids Countryside
As people are getting away from the cities, it's time to have a look at the natural world – both real and imagined – through words and music.
Electronic Music to Share with Your Kids
The perfect playlist to get your kids dancing, open them up to the world, and help them develop the same impeccable taste in electronic music as you.
Hard Rock to Share with Your Kids
Hard rock is still alive and well and is a genre that the whole family can enjoy.
Electronica to Share with Your Kids
Born in the 90s, this is the playful and soothing side of electronic music, matching your wildest dreams and maybe even fulfilling them.
Aphex Twin for Children
Children understand Aphex Twin better than grown-ups...
Punk & Alternative to Share with Your Kids
The perfect playlist to help your kids develop the same impeccable taste in punk and alternative rock as you.
Classical Music to Share with Your Kids
The perfect playlist to help your kids develop the same impeccable taste in classical music as you.
Don't Kill the Kids
Long drives can easily become a nightmare if the kids get bored…
1 Hour to Discover
The incredible journey of the Mael brothers, from their first TV show to their latest soundtrack for Leos Carax.
Juls, Afrobeats Genius
Spotlight on London-based producer Juls, creator of modern Afrobeats, whose unique sound bridges the gap between 20th century highlife, and the digital Afropop that has clubs all over the continent dancing today.
Eclectic Brazilian pop diva Marisa Monte undoubtedly had one of the most successful careers in the history of this musical continent.
Bespectacled punk geek has proved over four decades that he is one of the all-time great songwriters.
Discover the 'bluesologist' who paved the way for a generation of hip-hop artists.
It was the soul singers who spoke up for those who'd been condemned to silence under segregation. And it was in his denunciation of segregation that Curtis Mayfield sent a message as open and visionary as his music.
Known as O Bruxo (the Wizard), the white-bearded Brazilian composer and multi-instrumentalist is a cultural icon.
An icon of Britain's Swinging Sixties.
Discover the fabulous history of the haunting traditional American folk song made famous by Lead Belly and Nirvana, "In the Pines (Where Did You Sleep Last Night?".
There is only one ELVIS (always spelt in capital letters).
João Gilberto was a pioneer of bossa nova. Mixing traditional and modern musical influences, he inspired generations of musicians.
John Coltrane's career reminds us how much the essence of jazz requires a permanent mise en abyme.
The Violin
"May God keep us safe from the bad neighbor, and from the novice violinist," says an Italian proverb.
An hour is a pretty short amount of time to cover the tracks left by the late Bill Withers, one of the greatest soul folk singers ever.
Michel Legrand played the full spectrum of feelings in the same way he played the full scale of the 88 black and white keys.
Brian Wilson not only founded North America's Beatles and wrote their songs, he changed the way music could be heard.
The Berimbau
Less is more, and I think no instrument proves it better than the berimbau.
A Life in Music
Elza Soares, God is a woman
60 years of Elza Soares' career as the voice of the millennium.
John Dwyer
For twenty years the American John Dwyer has applied himself with Herculean effort to the resurrection of 70s psychedelic rock.
Rarely has a musician been so wholly eclectic and cosmopolitan. We take a look back at the astonishing career of the jazz trumpeter who was always at the service of world music.
Miles Davis: Birth of the Legend (1945–1955)
In the space of just ten years Miles did it all: played with Parker, confronted Monk's cubist silences, invented cool jazz, and even got off heroin. These were crucial years for understanding the experiences that shaped the man who would soon become known as the 'Prince of Darkness'.
Miles Davis: Miles Ahead (1955–1960)
The first Golden Age with Coltrane's famous quintet. Miles was now writing jazz history. The legend was set in stone one night in Paris, as he improvised over the images of a Louis Malle film.
Miles Davis: Seven Years to Heaven (1961–1968)
After Coltrane's departure Miles felt helpless. But some young recruits would step in to give him a new lease of life. Together, in telepathic symbiosis, they would sketch the limits of chaos.
Miles Davis: Funky Monk, Dark Satin (1969–1970)
6 tracks • 1h27
Two pivotal years of superhuman creativity. Miles Davis listens to Hendrix and James Brown and gives birth to jazz-rock, supported by a group of exceptional musicians.
Miles Davis: He Is Finally Under Arrest (1971–1993)
Miles' music felt both sumptuous and cursed. In order to live it he dove into drugs, giving everything of himself, even to the point of almost dying and not being able to play anymore. When he came back in the early 1980s, some saw it as a resurrection.
The story of Talk Talk is the story of one of the most fascinating transformations in British pop music, beginning just over 40 years ago. Or it's the story of how fake Duran Duran clones turned into post-rock heralds.
The Working Life of Brian Eno (From 2005 to the future)
The fourth and final installment, in which we take a chronological look at the career of one of the most influential artists of pop (and avant-garde) music.
The Working Life of Brian Eno (1986 - 2005)
Part three, in which we take a chronological look at the career of one of the most influential artists of pop (and avant-garde) music.
The Working Life of Brian Eno (1977-1985)
Part two. Dive into the work of one of the most influential artists of pop (and avant-garde).
Part one. Dive into the work of one of the most influential artists of pop (and avant-garde).
DMX's music and legacy as the ultimate transmitter of energy and pain
Zappa's Guitar Explorations
Zappa wasn't only a genius composer, he was also one of the most incredible guitarists. So, to paraphrase one of his albums, 'shut up and listen to his guitar'!
Max Cavalera
Through his various bands, the mixed metal singer Max Cavalera has never stopped moving in and out of his native Brazil.
The Wrecking Crew (1960-66)
We salute the anonymous musicians behind almost every US pop hit of the era. Part one.
Part two of our tribute to the anonymous musicians behind almost every US pop hit of the era.
He could have become a footballer, but a twist of fate led him to make his mark on an altogether different terrain – the sound machine. With just a handful of records, Darren Cunningham has become the go to for fans of a slightly skewed electro beat [or sound].
Under a cryptic pseudonym, the New York producer Daniel Lopatin has invented a certain style of contemporary electronic music that feeds on the past without ever becoming overly nostalgic.
Having emerged from the shadows after keeping his identity a secret for so long, the London-based producer has established himself as a key force in electronic music. His dark and fascinating music is the ideal soundtrack to the fears of a new century.
Eric Dolphy, the Liminal Sideman
Dolphy's career as a sideman bore witness to a great musical journey – one that has contributed to the history of jazz.
Through his producing, his remixing and his thrilling DJ sets alongside his band The xx, this London artist has established himself as one of the past decade's most exciting and inventive players on the electro scene.
How a kid from Atlanta's Zone 3 became the world's ultimate rap mogul.
Four Tet at Work
An absolutely vital producer of the noughties' indie scene, Four Tet was soon being asked to work for other artists. This playlist explores Kieran Hebden's prolific remixes and collaborations.
Four Tet at Home
From his post-rock band Fridge to his solo project Four Tet, the master of sound manipulation, Englishman Kieran Hebden took the road less travelled as he gradually left the lands of electronic folk to get closer to the dancefloor.
Martin Hannett
A guide to the obsessive British producer behind some of the most memorable records of the punk and post-punk era.
Tony Allen, the masterful drummer who invented Afrobeat along with Fela, knew how to marry his original groove with every musical genre and each new musical generation.
Why it is wrong to describe Frank Zappa as a brainiac and cynical musician...
Ian Dury was a hero, a mad performer, a pantomime villain, a sharp lyricist, a cripple, a lover and a rocker all rolled into one person.
The legendary producer has creatively guided the likes of Johnny Cash, the Beastie Boys, Adele, and Kanye West over the last three decades.
From Manitoba to Caribou, Canadian producer Dan Snaith has made the fascinating transition from alt rock to electro without losing any of his abilities as a songwriter.
J Dilla Beats
Taken from us far too young, J Dilla remains one of hip hop's most influential producers ever.
Atlanta: The City of Oz
Praising the value of demo tapes and original recordings from bands, exploring how they provide an insight into the creative process behind legendary songs.
Icelandic Soundscapes
Surrounded by ice and fire, a geyser of gorgeous music.
The Sound of Detroit
In the shadow of the big cities of New York and Chicago, the Motor City has spawned generations of musicians fuelled in creating Great Black Music.
British Roots
Why is it, that in this muddled island, music always feels so vital and so at home? This is my own personal guide to British folk music: a selection of songs with deep soul and British roots.
A musical travelogue through London, a city that I love and that has been my home for 7 years. Mind the gap!
Beirut's Alternative Scene
Beyond its sticky sweet pop and more traditional sounds, a powerful alternative music scene is thriving in Lebanon.
The Sound of Sheffield
Following the explosion of electronic music, this northern English city invented its own electronic sound influenced by its industrial past.
Nigerian Pop
Heritage, influence, and the ongoing dialectic of Nigerian Pop.
Keep Portland Weird
D-beat, ultra-streamlined pop, and Space Disco. In Portland there's more than 1 indie band per 1000 inhabitants. Welcome to Portlandia, America's musical exception.
Behind the Fame
Bowie Covers
Bowie's death on 10th January 2016 was a shared moment of trauma for every music lover. But some musicians are keeping the legend alive through vaulting covers.
Saint-Saëns and the Belle Époque
The Swan, The Carnival of the Animals, the Organ Symphony, Samson and Delilah, all peaks in the oeuvre of Camille Saint-Saëns, a popular composer whose death 100 years ago is being commemorated by the Paris Opera. But behind the fame there was a secret, revealed by the author of the celebrated book, Vertige de l'hélice.
The White Album Covered
Is this the best album by the best band of all time? We'll leave it to everyone's individual taste to answer that thorny question. In the meantime, The Beatles aka 'the white album' is an iconic double-album whose influence has reigned supreme over the record world since 1968.
Stevie Wonder: Songs for Others
Singer, multi-instrumentalist, charismatic public figure, universal brother-father-granddad to most music loving human beings, here's how it can sound when Stevie Wonder, the composer, lyricist, producer and duettist, offers other artists a piece of Wonderland.
The Music that Made Kurt Cobain
Nirvana's lead singer never hid his influences and, more than that, he spent his life promoting all the bands and artists who'd inspired him.
The Music That Made Kendrick Lamar
Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was Kendrick Lamar. Dive into the sounds of those who shaped the rapper from Compton.
Bach Eternal Swing, Electro Ostinato
In terms of music, he is Our Father. No need for a calling card, his immense works, even more than that of Mozart, speaks to everyone. Whether you want to meditate or dance amongst the stars, Bach is there, the master of rhythm and enchantment. The proof comes in the number of musical genres that continue to pay tribute to him.
Jimi Hendrix, a Room Full Of Covers
Jimi Hendrix, a Room Full Of Covers, a selection inviting you to rediscover the great composer behind the famous guitarist.
Prince under covers
One might feel guilty at enjoying Prince covers, as he openly despised the idea of it and having no say to prevent them. Defying any eternal damnation, here's a carefully selected bunch of guilty pleasures.
Prince's Galaxy and Satellites
Prince penned, gave or/and contributed, openly, incognito or under a moniker, songs to an impressive and eclectic list of fellow artists. Here's a joyful playlist to reveal the tip of that iceberg.
Lifting the wig on the Grand Siècle
Lully's trumpets, Rameau's musical revolution, Couperin's and Poulenc's melancholy... join us on a journey behind the scenes of this founding century of French aesthetics.
This is Radio Clash
Welcome to an imaginary radio show with The Clash at the (complete) controls. We have cover versions from all over the world, songs that inspired the band, artists that collaborated with them as well as a few Clash originals here and there.
The Music that Made Blur
We look at the artists who left their mark on Blur without whom their pop may not have tasted quite so delicious.
Autechre's Jukebox
The music that shaped Autechre.
The Music that Made Led Zeppelin
One of the greatest rock bands of all time draws its inspiration from blues as much as folk and the psychedelic scene. Sometimes, the influence was subtle, sometimes it was more obvious…
The Music that Made David Bowie
Legendary, unknown, or unexpected, hear some of the musicians who have inspired David Bowie all along his incredible journey.
Kraftwerk's Variations
From 1991 onwards, Kraftwerk has favoured reworking, restructuring and constantly updating their former compositions.
Cult Labels
The majority of independent labels are linked to musical trends. Much rarer are those embracing a wider range of genres. Mute Records belongs to this latter category, reflecting the diversity of British, European and global new-wave for over forty years.
Music From Memory is impossible to pigeonhole and always naturally ahead of the curve. Don't be surprised if the next favourite album that you haven't heard yet is released on the label.
Elenco, the boss of Bossa Nova
A major Bossa Nova label whose elegant vinyl sleeves reflected its desire for precision and intimacy, Elenco was the work of one man: Aloysio de Oliveira.
High Focus Records
In just 10 years High Focus Records has become a cult label in the UK both as guardians of boom bap and as trailblazers for new sounds.
It started with turntables and steadily grew to include a huge range of production methods. The first two decades of Ninja Tune were spent ahead of the curve, laying the groundwork for the future of music.
Numero Group
Away from major labels and the flavours of the month that rule over them, Chicago's Numero Group are flying the flag for unsung artists and musical oddities.
Stiff Records
The iconic indie label Stiff Records was home to some of the great music of the 70s and 80s. It gave us Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, Madness, and others.
Ostinato Records
'Afrophone stories from the Atlantic and Indian Ocean.' This is how the New York label Ostinato Records describes itself.
A major independent label focussing on the most notable new musical genre of the 21st century – dubstep – Hyperdub have built a fascinating back catalogue with Burial and the label's boss Kode9 as figureheads.
During the 2000s the Cologne label established itself as one of the most important houses of electro music, managing to unite rigid techno, sensuality, and ambient beauty.
InFiné
InFiné, the multifaceted recording group will celebrate its fifteenth year of musical activism next year. Meet the label behind Rone, Arandel, Bachar Mar-Khalifé, Bruce Brubaker, Murcof, Vanessa Wagner or Deena Abdelwahed.
U.S. punk rock on a silver platter.
Deram Records
Decca's offshoot label showcased some of Britain's most happening pop, psychedelic and progressive artists of the late 60s.
1017 Brick Squad Records
Enter the Infamous Brick Squad.
F Communications
Founded in 1994 by Laurent Garnier and Eric Morand, the Paris-based label contributed greatly to France's emerging electro scene, before closing its doors in 2008.
How Tim Armstrong, the lead singer of Rancid and a figurehead of Californian punk, proved to be perfect Artistic Director for Hellcat Records, a subsidiary of Epitaph.
The label that brings to light forgotten gems of the Arab world.
Discover the British avant-garde crate-digging label run by Andy Votel and Doug Shipton.
Even Getup Gets the Mood
The stress of the compulsory Christmas parties, childhood dreams turned to dust, the anxiety of one's family, the lack of interest in a holiday devoid of values...For some, Christmas is like a nightmare that comes back to haunt them every year. They shouldn't feel alone, as there's plenty of music that would also like to throw Santa's presents back in his face. A guaranteed Mariah Carey-free zone.
Party on the Block
Take a trip back to a long hot summer afternoon in early 90s New York, and immerse yourself in the sounds of a typical block party.
Tired of the same old songs every Halloween? We've headed out into music's dark and shadowy corners to unearth some horrifyingly good Halloween sounds.
At the Beach Bar
A soundtrack and accompanying story for a lazy afternoon spent in a bar by the beach.
Mbira Magic
A tour of the different ways in which the sub-Saharan thumb piano has been employed, from reimagined versions of "All Blues" to "Love Supreme".
Feel Like Having Sex
Are you ready for this selection that makes sex even better?
Eating Drinking Laughing and Dancing on a Chair
30 songs to get a killer party your guests will never forget… While respecting prevention measures… Winter edition. Happy New Year 2021!
A Warm Gnossienne Bath
The fleeting thoughts that arise whilst bathing with Satie and Ravel.
How to Get Ready for a Party
Here are 30 songs you need to listen before going out to party… While respecting prevention measures… This is our very latest summer edition.
Summer Evening Vol. 1
It's cocktail time on the terrace. This selection will give you a neck massage and will slowly make you move your hips.
Sunset on the Beach
From down to mid-up tempo, from Jamaica to Brazil with a French twist, from the 1960s to the 2010s, a selection to warm you up.
In the Early Morning
Songs to walk home to in the early morning.
Imaginary Soundtracks
A New Year Is Coming
Disco, gospel, Bach, Chinese groove, a splash of the organ and a twist of New Year groove for this very eclectic end-of-year cocktail.
The femme fatale... A classic figure in novels and operas or a macho fantasy? Circe, Dalila, Manon and Medea (to name but a few) have traversed our imagination for centuries. Ancient man (and bourgeois writers) expressed fear and passion for the 'eternal feminine' via La Traviata, Salome and Lulu in the 19th century. For contemporary life we have Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears and Tina Turner, adored as much as they're sacrificed.
Music for the bedroom – for lovers, poets and kings. Featuring Purcell, Verdi, Léo Ferré, Depeche Mode, Monteverdi, Charles Trenet, Mel Bonis, Gérard Manset and Prokofiev.
Midnight, a Nightclub, a Whiskey
Midnight in the semi-darkness of a nightclub. You're sitting on a stool, effortlessly leaning against the bar.
Dark Night 2
Our latest night time journey will take you far from the realms of human existence and is best listened to somewhere between midnight and 5am.
Take a nighttime voyage through various styles of electronic music (dubstep, IDM, vaporwave, micro-house, techno, ambient). To be listened to between the hours of midnight and 5am.
A celebration of the music that accompanied hundreds of cop shows and films from the 50s to the 70s.
Solar da Malhada
It was by entering Solar da Malhada that Lucy's getaway would turn into a really formative experience. Read the story. Then listen to the soundtrack and close your eyes. The film will unfold in front of you….
Lynchian Vibes
Create your own David Lynch film by listening to some music that, albeit unintentionally, reflects some of the disquieting strangeness that exists in all of his films.
The Coolest Summer
This is a movie for your imagination to watch as it wishes. In fact, you're starring in it.
In the Same Room
Imagine a room in an unknown city. The sounds of the city are muffled and distant. Time stands still.
The Imaginary Western
Here is the music, it's up to you to imagine the movie!
Ships and oceans
Over rivers and seas, human adventure can always be found on boats and much can be imagined there. All aboard for a musical tour of the islands and oceans!
The Love Power of Stones
As a rule, semi-precious energy stones are used for meditation and healing. Of course, each one also represents love... either for oneself or for others.
March, the month of flowers budding, of returning light. For the Romans it was the month of war, and of a mysterious world little known to us humans.
I've Known Volcanoes
Even in the crater of a volcano you can find melodies...
Birdsong (Episode 3)
Our three-playlist series 'Birdsong' is a journey following the many influences of birds throughout the history of music. This is the third and last episode: From inspiration to freedom.
Our three-playlist series 'Birdsong' is a journey following the many influences of birds throughout the history of music. This is the second episode: From ornithology to Absolute.
Our three-playlist series 'Birdsong' is a journey following the many influences of birds throughout the history of music. This is the first episode: From love to death.
In the Rain
Rain-soaked classics are undoubtedly fewer in number than those celebrating the sun, but there are still some famous ones. The rain doesn't only make things hazy – it carries clouds of sound along with it.
Somewhere between euphoric trips and contemplative strolls, tales of the desert can be told in music – from contemporary light pop to arid rock and feverish psychedelia...
Legendary Artists
Immerse yourself into the wild back catalog of Thomas Jenkinson, the ingenious one man band behind the Warp label.
We explore the work of the Bahian composer and founder of the Tropicalismo movement on the occasion of the release of his new album Meu Coco, which will be available on streaming platforms from 21st October.
There are countless anthologies, compilations and best ofs, but oddly enough, not many that deliberately choose to focus on Stevie's unique ability to fill a dancefloor and keep its fire hotter than it was minutes before.
Lee Perry, the Legend Who Helped Jamaican Music Go Stratospheric
Having left us for good on 29th August, let's take a look back at the first sounds from this other wordly Jamaican producer, whose work changed recorded music world forever.
A chronological exploration for one of the most influential bands of the last century.
By becoming the most recognisable name in electronic music, the French duo has acquired universal pop star fame and become a major influence for both French producers and international artists.
As he's the one who taught me to listen to jazz, Wes Montgomery is my 'Proust's madeleine' – something that immediately provokes reminiscences of time's past.
Four German electronic music pioneers took over the synthesiser in 1970s and changed pop music forever.
It is the undefinable magic that he lent to the words and music of others that means Frank Sinatra will live on for a very long time.
A pop icon and music legend who has influenced artists such as David Bowie, Thom Yorke, and Leonard Cohen.
Not one of the major metal acts have missed out on the influence of Black Sab', particularly by the band's first three albums.
How the group who knew best how to harness the energy of rock became one of the most important names in the history of rap.
Welcome to the Church of Little Richard aka the Innovator, the Originator and the Architect of rock and roll.
A Ballad with New Order
New Order have never been so sincere as in the melancholy of their ballads, when slowness gave them time to strip down
Legendary Labels
Starting life as a DIY hardcore punk label, SST went on to define the sound of US alternative rock for the 80s and beyond. We look back on their history and extensive back catalog.
Impulse!
One of the most influential labels in jazz, known as "the house that Trane built".
Motown Boys
To accompany our Motown Girls playlist, we salute the guys who shone for the world's greatest pop and soul label.
Detroit had Motown, New York had Atlantic, Memphis Tennessee had Stax.
Motown Girls
While London was Swinging, this Detroit label defined the 60s of America. We celebrate their great female artists.
The rock 'n' roll revolution began with a small independent Memphis record label. It truly changed the world.
Love and Politics
La Tropicália (also known as Tropicalismo) was an iconoclastic vision of Brazilian society in the late 1960s, and two of its heroes are still making headlines: Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil.
The Carnival, bastion of Brazilian resistance
An expression of social and political life, the Carnival is also a liminal space of transgression, offering a celebratory freedom of expression synonymous with challenging the powers that be.
Brazil Is Not For Beginners
Introducing a timeless selection of Brazilian protest songs from Chico Buarque to Linn da Quebrada which remind us that hatred and violence are best fought by love and music.
Get Ready to Brexit
Seriously, Britain? Come on…
Post-Brexit Youth
The indie-disco euphoria has long gone.
Music to Watch Seasons Go By
Season's End
A marvellous Autumn spent in happy melancholy – crocuses, yellowing leaves and magic mushrooms give voice to Brahms and Mouloudji, Strauss, Vivaldi, Miles Davis and Bruckner.
My Summer of Love
There are two ways to hear the summer. One is with the light music of Bach, Beethoven, Haydn and Debussy. The other is with what emerged from the summers of love between 1968 to 1988 where house music and raves emerged. We will see that these two styles are far from being incompatible.
Spring without Vivaldi
Ecstasy and pollen, feverish funk, electro sunrises, songs of change and seasonal dances from Vienna to Manaus.
Winter Wonderlands
Russian winters, icy impressions by Debussy and Joël Grare, northern lights with Sibelius and Saarihao, revisited baroque tremors in electro.
Christmas Is Cancelled This Year
Is Christmas cancelled this year? Hopefully not!
My Autumn in Dakar
A delirium of African voices and sounds for an autumn evening.
A Farewell to Summer
A familiar reminder that happiness can be found anytime, even when the sky is grey.
Strutting Down the Street in Summer
A collection of songs which celebrate summer in perhaps the two most cinematic cities in the world, New York and London.
Kokomo in a Cold Winter
When you know you have a long dull winter ahead of you, this might be the moment to listen to songs about going away.
Music for Walking in the Cold Damp Streets
The golden days of autumn are now over, the leaves have turned brown and summer is but a distant memory.
In the winter, nature goes to sleep, and it's the perfect time to dive into a sea of lively, yet sad songs.
Winter Dream
Seasons, and winter in particular, have always inspired classical music composers.
During the '80s, a bunch of bands focusing on macabre and dark romanticism repainted rock all black. The soundtrack to vampire movies and B-side horror films has an important place in music history.
Classical Hell
20 pieces of classical music inspired by the Devil.
A playlist that gathers spirits, spells and black magic...
Werewolves, vampires, monsters of the lagoon – your delicious transformation will take place step by step as you discover the golden age of demonic rock'n'roll.
1970s Italian Giallo
The unsettling and groovy soundtracks that defined 1970s Italian trademark horror genre: Giallo.
Someone once said that blues is "the melody of a wounded heart looking for a way to heal". With no limits on where the music comes from, this playlist is a series of sad songs, intended to exorcise our pain.
"When the inexpressible had to be expressed, Shakespeare laid down his pen and called for music", Aldous Huxley in Music at Night.
Love Songs for the Collapse
A bittersweet selection of songs of love, loss, longing, and self loathing.
Swan Songs
This playlist focuses on composers' final works: complete or not, abandoned or interrupted by the very death of their authors.
Love to Death
The rise and fall of the Hippie movement following the common stages of an acid trip.
The end is not limited to inescapable and final death. There are other kinds of endings, when we say goodbye or farewell, we leave one another, we depart.
Love to Death (Live Version)
The rise and fall of the hippie movement... on stage.