A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS OF 2024

Before the year concludes I thought I’d share a little list of some of the things I really enjoyed over the past twelve months. I know that the majority of this stuff came out before 2024 but a lot of it didn’t reach me until this year.

Adelhard Roidinger “Computer & Jazz Project I” - A cult electronic jazz fusion album from 1984. Very precise yet restrained. Immaculately recorded. At times it reminds me of Roxy Music Avalon era instrumentals, or even Miami Vice with Jaco Pastorius. The sound of slender Austrian dudes dressed in billowy high-waisted trousers and tank tops and it’s funky as hell. I’m here for it. Sadly this is not on the big streaming sites but you can check it out on bandcamp and also order the vinyl there. Why not add some Adelhard to your day?

Khan Jamal “Infinity” - Beautiful vibraphone and flute heavy jazz album originally released in 1984. I have no words to describe it other than just gorgeous and uplifting. At times it reminds me of early 70’s Pharaoh Sanders and/or Alice Coltrane. Reissued in 2021. Check it out for yourself here on youtube. I just discovered that it’s also on the streaming services but make sure you search and select the KHAN JAMAL artist in ALL CAPS.

ML Buch “Suntub” - If you’re a regular here you’ve already seen me rave about this album. I just think it is some of the greatest new music I’ve heard in eons. Never would I have ever thought that I would hear 90’s Polvo guitar riffs mixed with Tori Amos and crisp Conny Plank style production. But really there’s so much more happening here. Exquisite production and songwriting from a woman who appears like she just dropped in from the Ann Demeulemeester runway. So elegant but tough. This album is perfection. I can’t wait to hear what ML Buch does next. Here is a bandcamp link.

Jeff Schroeder “Metanoia” - I adore this album. I’ve played it so much on repeat this year. Something about the frequencies relax my dogs. Something about the frequencies relax me too. A lazy reference point would be Fripp & Eno but Metanoia is entirely its own thing and also feels more feminine than Fripp & Eno but just as pastoral, open, and inviting. This album is a complete environment for you to lose yourself inside of. And I love getting lost in it. You can find this record on the streaming services or better yet support it on bandcamp.

Naomi Klein “Doppelgänger” - It doesn’t feel right to say that I enjoyed this book because it terrified me. In order to correct systemic problems you first need to be able to identify what those problems are, and this book really does that. It’s just not the most uplifting analysis to receive. I’m gonna quote what I wrote about it on instagram back in January of this year….. It’s terrifying and I can’t put it down. This book does a superb job exploring how we’ve reached this precipice in our culture and in our political systems. Where truth matters less and less, and clout in the mirror world has become the ultimate currency. Eloquently written and personal, Klein is able to break down big concepts in a way that even a reader like me can understand. I cannot stress how important this book is to comprehending this point in our collective history. I can’t proclaim it’s a cheerful, uplifting read but it’s an essential one for myself and anybody interested in trying to make sense of this world we’re inhabiting.

A few years ago the music producer Joe Boyd wrote a biography of his life working in music titled White Bicycles. I relished this book and have been planning on rereading it for awhile now. Boyd has a new book out titled “And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain” (which I have yet to read) but he did an interview with Marc Maron on WTF to plug the new book and talk about his career and it was captivating. Here’s a link to that interview. I could’ve listened to three more hours of an interview with Joe Boyd. For those who may not know Joe Boyd was involved in producing incredible music by Nico, Nick Drake, Pink Floyd, the list goes on…

The Bulwark Podcast - Never in a million years would I have ever thought that I’d be reaching for political analysis by a show stocked with many former Reagan republicans but I really appreciate the discourse that occurs on this program. It’s the main place I go to for political news these days. Hosted by departed republican operative Tim Miller and a variety of daily guests, it’s on five days a week and I usually end up listening to every episode each week. Each episode leaves me with lots to think about.

Armin Van Buuren’s interview on Moby Pod. - I don’t know much about Armin Van Buuren other than I see his name everywhere, usually on billboards sprinkled across Hollywood for Vegas hotel DJ residencies. But there was a lot of real talk about musicians and mental health in this episode that I found very thoughtful and moving. Worth listening to!

That’s all for now friends. I would just like to take a moment to say thank you so much to all of you who read this substack, follow me on the things, those who support and play Chromatics, Inner Magic, and my solo work. In a world where disparate forces are constantly sparring for a sliver of our attention it means the world that you would opt to share any of your precious time with me. May we each continue to do our best to shine under the lights of truth, love, and empathy. I’ll leave you all to begin the new year with a quote by Aldous Huxley that I really love. “The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.”

Amen to that. Happy new year!

Sincerely, Adam

Photo by Vice Cooler