It’s 2019
This year we are keeping things short and sweet.
Music is a privilege. Spotify is a privilege. To have access to all the creative energy and work that it takes to craft a song x 40 million at the tip of your fingers reminds me of the old allegory about sliced bread and not having to grow the grain let alone mill it, make the dough, bake it and slice it. When things are this easy to consume we often forget their roots.
In 2020 I would like would like music to serve as a compliment to my reality not as a reverie.
If music is being used as a distraction while I engage in another activity that doesn’t require me being present emotionally like running, biking or working, so be it. But when music blocks out my ability to experience my surroundings in the sparse moments that I do get to engage with it such as on walks or while riding the street car then I want to say no.
Below I played a little game to have some fun. I visualized the feeling I get when listening to the albums and wrote it down. If the visualization intrigues you I’d give the album a listen!
For your eyes only, enjoy.
25. Andy Stott | It Should Be Us
You are an ant carrying a small rock in a long line all the way to the pit. The journey is treacherous but all of sudden you gain consciousness and realize that your entire life is dedicated to transporting things from point a to point b.
24. Jenny Hval | The Practice of Love
The moon is full, women have gathered at the hot spring to give birth to life holding hands.
23. Jaden | ERYS
You’re being chased by the cops but you think this is instagram story worthy so you speed up a little for the gram and stick your head out to let your hair out only to then pull over before back up is called.
22. Charli XCX | Charli
You’re 3d printer prints out the ten commandments signing the bottom with -I am God 2019. Whenever you make an immoral decision it prints out the commandment you broke. The catch is you can’t get rid of them and your apartment isn’t that big…
21. Mustard | Perfect Ten
You are one of 10 business analysts doing synchronized mining with large pickaxes symmetrically.
20. Flume | Hi This Is Flume
The sun is beaming and you are dancing as glass is being shattered from the heavens and falling down in static motions.
19. Shura | forevher
You’re playing footsies for the first time in a pool with a special someone. It’s nighttime and the pool lights are on but you'd rather not have others notice.
18. Billie Eilish | WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE ALL GO?
You’re a shark in a downtown manhattan apartment with little square footage and your downstairs neighbour keeps complaining about your noise pollution even though your entire apartment is a well contained aquarium so you plug in your headphones and go along with your day.
17. Tender | Fear of Falling Asleep
You’re all jittery and excited dancing under the sheets of your comfortable bed only to realize that a miniature version of you is performing the same dance moves vertically inside your lava lamp.
16. Tender | Fear of Falling Asleep
Your partner is sleeping and you can’t fall asleep so you get up to go to the study to access your time traveling machine which brings you back to 2019. You see yourself complaining about all the screens back in 2019 and you chuckle.
15. FKA twigs | MAGDALENE
You’re a tree looking for more sunlight only to realize that your branches are working against each other to capture the light of the sun. You tell them if they keep it up they’ll be grounded.
14. Hot Chip | A Bathfull of Ecstasy
You are taking a bath and the drain comes to life and starts singing a soothing melody creating bubbles that rise to the surface.
13. Rex Orange County | Pony
The Canadian bobsled teams middle gets sick the day before the big event and you, a scrawny human, are asked to substitute. Half way down the track you realize it’s a good time to share your feelings with the team.
12. Goldroom Plunge /\ Surface
You have butterflies in your stomach. You are 3/4’s of the way up the ferris wheel. You haven’t kissed yet but you know it’s coming and the associated anxiety has passed.
11. Shlohmo | The End
You are jogging in a virtual world where the darkness that surrounds you slowly turns to life. Green pastures, chirping birds and deer emerge from the corners of your vision.
10. Daniel Caesar | Case Study 001
You’re on a row boat with a good friend being carried by an ever so gentle stream as you both lay back and look at the stars.
9. Jax Jones | Snacks
A line of people facing the window on a busy street are getting foot massages with fishies sucking on their toes. All of sudden they all start stomping their feet to the beat, the second they stop the fishies start swimming up and down to the beat as if they were simulating the motion of the foot stomping in their place.
8. Andrew Bird | My Finest Work Yet
A childhood memory of Mom and Dad drying the whites outside on the farm clothesline as you run through them screaming.
7. Kanye West | Jesus Is King
You’re a locomotive engineer steering a train full of cattle across Canada. You are belting out made up lyrics to well know melodies in the microphone for the cattle.
6. Cashmere Cat | Princess Catgirl
Your cousin is competing at a local hot dog eating competition. You’re filming them and cheering them on but you’re unsure if you want them to do well or call it quits and not feel sick.
5. Hannah Diamond | Reflections
Everything in your house is suddenly covered in bubblewrap that pops into tunes.
4. Burial | Tunes 2011–2019
You are lost in a dark room with a piano playing and a metronome ticking only to realize that your body is the room and metronome is your heart ticking away at the melody of life.
3. Ben Kahn | Ben Kahn
You are deep sea diving only to find a lost city where a tribe of sea people are practicing sacred rituals with 3 eyed elephants.
2. Bon Iver | iMi
A rat ascending to heaven as his rat friends sing him goodbye using their tails as microphones
1. Vampire Weekend | Father of the Bride
You are riding a horse in the plains on a beautiful day. The screen pans out and you realize that the horse is galloping but that you aren't actually moving. You are having too much fun and time flew away. You desperately force a frown on your face to bring back time and continue on your journey.
