it is definitely Huge and overwhelming and I am also familiar with out-of-placeness as a state of being; sorry for swarming you after the show

I'm thrilled to have seen it and met you though, I had not imagined I'd get that opportunity, and you've been a very positive influence on me and my work

thank you and your brother for being champions of experimental music! it was great to meet you both too : )

if you read through all this, thanks! I hope these albums and tunes are such a well of inspiration for you as they were for me! music is so cool! it was fantastic in 2025 and it will no doubt continue to be in 2026! much love. feel free to share with me some of your favorites too! byeee

one more and then I gotta stop! "Brother Rat / What Slayde Says" by NoMeansNo, which features front-and-center some super compelling lyrical storytelling that sets a captivating, tense atmosphere. the tension builds into an absolutely demented fever and emerges spent, irreparably charred to a crisp.

a beautiful and expressive ballad - "$0" by Cameron Winter from Heavy Metal. a raw cathartic song that makes me marvel at the ways musical performance taps into something profound about the human condition. also, the subject's lyrical framing around money resonates through our hypercapitalist lives.

now, an unbelievable combo - if you never considered the possibility that samba, screamo and chamber pop could all coexist, Gingerbee's "Samba do Nosso Céu" (from Apiary) will force you to reckon with this new reality. an admirable fusion of inspirations, hearts bleeding out under the summer sunset.

here's a challenging one - Anthony Braxton's "N-WH-70 (Opus 38A)". Braxton's work straddles the line between jazz and contemporary classical in a way I find deeply compelling. the juxtaposition and interplay between the two textures here (clarinet & synthesizer) is greater than the sum of its parts.

next, "Rubber Tree Dance" by SML (from Small Medium Large). this track sent me down a tremendously rewarding rabbit hole of electronic avant-jazz after I heard it on our local radio, and its members, all powerful experimental improvisational forces, kept appearing serendipitously in my explorations.

now for a few very special songs:

first, the most beautiful song I heard all year, "Arrested" by Lucy Liyou from her equally excellent 2025 record. a supremely vulnerable and intimate piece; it speaks to the power & value of music as a vehicle for laying bare the heart. the climax is gut-wrenching.

Björk - Biophilia (2011)

incredibly artful pop record; songs that build whole entire worlds each. Björk's sound design and atmosphere are completely unmatched, and her writing is intensely evocative, ethereal, otherworldly while also remaining visceral and arresting. unreal amount of artistry!

Sunny Kim & Ben Monder - The Dream of the Earth (2016)

stunningly beautiful "jazz as art song" vocalist + jazz guitarist collab. contemplative ambient meditations punctuated by intimate ballads. a haunting spiritual salve for an ailing planet, a theme that really resonates with me (and my music).

This Is Lorelei - Box for Buddy, Box for Star (2024)

it's been years since an indie folk rock album got me this excited! I could not put this one down. direct and catchy songwriting, very well developed lyrics, excellent pacing, just enough experimentation. a cult favorite's deserved breakout hit.

Hank Heaven - Loaded Dice (2024)

jazz guitarist turned indie singer-songwriter... such a cool pipeline! this album became my most-listened of 2025 in Dec alone - the songs are absolute earworms! loosely gambling themed, varied in style and tone, it ultimately feels like a very intimate gaze inward.

sueter7 - diario (2025)

an endearing, catchy, emotional EP of Argentine glitchy indietronica. everything about this album gels so well and hits so hard! the arrangements are a mix of emo-poppy guitars, synths, electronic drum sequencing, and crunchy bitcrushed vocals. sounds like your best friend.

first things first, here's the top 5 alby list all together with links:

1. sueter7 - diario [bandcamp]
2. Hank Heaven - Loaded Dice [bandcamp]
3. This Is Lorelei - Box for Buddy, Box for Star [bandcamp]
4. Sunny Kim & Ben Monder - The Dream of the Earth [youtube, cd]
5. Björk - Biophilia [bandcamp]

many thanks friend, literally already having revelations in one hour of fucking around, it's great

demand better treatment and compensation for the artists who make your streaming platforms worthwhile - *all* artists, not just the ones who are already millionaires. until then, you can find me on bandcamp, where both of my 2025 records were released exclusively 💗