Glenn Astro Music Playlist: Guest Selector
A key player in the fuzzy jazz hubbub coming out of Berlin, the young German is joining forces with IMYRMIND again to spawn the ninth instalment of Box Aus Holz. Here are nine of his favourite LPs in celebration
Dabrye – Two/Three [Ghostly International]
I remember buying this album just by looking at the feature list. I wasn't really familiar with Ghostly International or Dabrye at that time. But after seeing Wildchild, Beans – being a big Anti-Pop Consortium fan – Doom, Waajeed and Dilla featured on the same record I just went for it without listening to it in the store. Turned out to be one of the wisest record purchases I ever made! I was completely blown away on first listen. I think this record, along with Flying Lotus's 1983 was really the blueprint for the whole beat/instrumental scene that was evolving from then on.
Cassius – 1999 [Virgin]
Another record where I had very little idea what I was buying into! I think it was around 2000, so I was about 13 years old, but for some reason I had some money and blindly bought the record. The only thing I knew was the video to Feeling for You, and I kinda liked the song. I wasn't really blown away by the album at that time, I guess I was a bit too young… but I kept coming back to that record throughout the years and gradually fell in love with it. I realised what a piece of art it was in terms of sampling, and that French house sound in general.
King Krule – 6 Feet Beneath the Moon [True Panther Sounds]
This is definitely what I'd consider a future classic! The overall sound on this album is just amazing, and music-wise there's nothing I really can compare this to. You can hear a big hip-hop influence paired with jazz, rock, psychedelic and blues. Incredible songwriting and arrangements. This dude is a genius, really.
Pharoah Sanders – Pharoah [India Navigation]
It's all about Harvest Time for me on this record. The whole thing is amazing, of course, but in my opinion Harvest Time is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever made. Playing for little more than 20 minutes, it's not exactly a short affair, but definitely puts you in a different mind-state. Very beautifully simple and tender playing by Sanders, and when that harmonium comes in... goosebump alert!
Alex Malheiros & Banda Utopia – The Wave [Far Out]
Alex Malheiros is the bass player in a legendary Brazil samba/jazz/funk band called Azymuth, which also happens to be one of my absolute favourite bands. I guess if it wasn't for Madlib I would’ve never found out about this incredible trio, but that's a whole other story! Very underrated artist, I myself only found out about this a couple of years after it actually came out. Top notch samba with extremely funky basslines – really recommended!
The Cure – Standing on a Beach – The Singles [Fiction]
Die-hard Cure fans will probably laugh at me for picking a best of album as my favourite Cure record, haha. But this is just a perfect compilation of all the Cure tracks I like!
Jaylib – Champion Sound [Stones Throw]
I could have chosen any other record by Dilla or Madlib, but this, unfortunately, is the only record combining those absolute legends on one full length album. I remember when at that time my best friend and I heard there was going to be a collaboration album, we almost freaked out. Even more incredible was that everything we were expecting from this album was fulfilled! I just recently watched the Stones Throw anniversary documentary where it was said that this record was a commercial flop compared to the Madvillain album, which is kind of weird because this particular album had the power of an epiphany.
Air – Moon Safari [Source/Virgin]
This will always be one of my all-time favourites. I think I bought the CD around the year 2001, quite a few years after it actually came out. I'm not really into the stuff that came after Moon Safari, it kinda felt like they never really reached that level they had on this one again! It's just a magical album throughout, stunning arrangements and absolutely beautiful, warm sound. Samples and own sounds fit perfectly together, I love the fact that you almost can't tell if something is sampled or played on.
The Streets – Original Pirate Material [679]
Mike Skinner's first and, in my opinion, best record he ever made. Very simple but also timeless productions! Definitely one of my favourite albums. And come one, seriously, who didn't buzz when Has It Come to This came out?! It could come out today and still be as fresh, and probably more relevant, than most other stuff coming out nowadays. Weak Become Heroes also remains one of the truest love letters to club culture.