soundscape 003
love yourself again, twin
pollen has colored everything with its signature shade of yellow, but that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying spring’s arrival. March was pretty eventful, so i’ll begin with a few highlights from the past month:
i participated in two amazing album club meetings
the first one was on K.T.S.E by Teyana Taylor (discussion led by Alex Lewis)
the second was about The House is Burning by Isaiah Rashad (facilitated by Ebanē Marquice)
i received a scholarship for an online course i’d previously been waitlisted for
i obtained a new seasonal work contract
a ladybug landed on me during a walk and stayed for most of the trip
i spent quality time at a vision board party with my day ones
my fiancé and i completed Mad Men (i gotta update my favorite TV show rankings because this one is now in the top 5)
i incorporated meat back into my diet after a decade-plus of vegetarianism. i went pescatarian within the last year, but still ate mostly plant-based. one major change i’ve noticed is that my skin doesn’t break out as much as it once did (correlation, not causation, but worth noting)
i filed my taxes in record time (and in one sitting!)
i attended “Black Women Writers at Work: The Salon,” hosted by The Word, for the session about Ntozake Shange
of course, i listened to ample music through it all. this third installment of soundscape recaps my playback history, anticipates my music queue for the months ahead, and offers a glimpse into my watchlist. enjoy!
music i missed last year
AKA finding out about tunes that might have made my 2025 year-end lists had i heard them earlier. this section will be featured throughout the springtime.
St. Panther — Strange World (EP)
it’s only getting stranger by the day
Shungu — Faith in the Unknown
full of features already in my rotation
ASA MOTO — Music for Disk Jockeys Pt. 1 (EP)
RIYL: Jitwam, Ross From Friends, Charlotte Adigéry
Precious — Flop Queen
RIYL: Rochelle Jordan, Little Dragon, Kelis
Greg Banks — NÜ (EP)
i would love to experience this live
Whatever the Weather — Whatever the Weather II
check the forecast for ambient sound collage!
Falamoun — Nu Cairo (EP)
short and sweet with great features
Ashley Gill — GRAB THE WHEEL
a new favorite discovery of sonic proportions
XINA — IRON X
RIYL: IAMDDB, duendita, The BGVs, JGRREY
Dagmar Zuniga — in filth your mystery is kingdom / far smile peasant in yellow music
psych-folk poetry in motion
new releases
tracking music from the current calendar year, which will help me build my mid-year and yearly roundups in advance. like the section above, most albums include a summary of up to seven words (think: esoteric word associations, standout lyrics, similar artists, descriptions of how i experienced the music, etc). my #1 play of the month is explored with more depth.
Owelu Dreamhouse — Owelu Dreamhouse
funky poetic cinematic soul
alt-summary: “i am my own dreams realized”
AJRadico — …say it again ?
my fiancé put me on
PHABO — Ratchet & Blues
this project got a lil Jaheim to it
Ms. Ray — MELT (EP)
transports me to the ‘80s (complimentary)
Terrace Martin — PURPOSE
recognize when the purpose has been served
Terrace Martin — PERSPECTIVE
my favorite movement from the four-part suite
Ashley Gill — +*starLET!*~ (EP)
a sound collagist’s ode to Black women
alt-summary: Natanya, Vayda, Jadagrace, and SALIMATA mentioned 😍
GUM — Blue Gum Way
Jay Watson: Australian psych rock’s heartbeat
ELIZA — The Darkening Green
i will gladly run this one back
Leven Kali — LK99
he sings the thoughts we don’t share
SUUTOO — STARFIRE (EP)
pro-tip: play while walking and disassociating
PVA — No More Like This
i wanna hear way more like this
Puma Blue — Croak Dream
mysterious in theory, soul-baring in action
Arima Ederra — A Rush to Nowhere
her voice stops me in my tracks
alt-summary: an early album of the year contender
waterbaby — Memory Be A Blade
instantaneously captivating and memorable
The Orielles — Only You Left
i enter a trance while listening (complimentary)
Sans Soucis — trans (EP)
knowing oneself is a gift
ZENA — TEMESGEN (EP)
somebody teach me how to eskista
Witch Prophet — Words Are Spells, Thoughts Are Magic
i’m mesmerized by her as always
Yeek — Zodiac (EP)
the stars have aligned
Haute & Freddy — Big Disgrace
great alt-pop album with fun lyrical themes
alt-summary: the sovereign audite put me on
Shabaka — Of The Earth
spiritual jazz is alive and well
Justine Skye — CANDY (EP)
bad b*tch music (complimentary)
alt-summary: big spenders ain’t safe around her
rum.gold — Is There Anybody Home?
ample room for grief to breathe
Robyn — Sexistential
the Swedish electropop queen continues her reign
Samara Cyn — Detour (EP)
Detour is my #1 play of the month! i’ve had it on repeat since the day it dropped. i love the visceral and cinematic sound design of Samara Cyn’s latest EP, and it prompts a synesthetic experience. on one listen, i was dashing across the street trying to make it to my bus stop, while hiking my dress up to prevent it from dragging on the ground. at that exact moment, the industrial beat switch on “FREE” kicked in. the moment felt like a thrilling movie scene.
my favorite track is “over influence” as that transition from this song from “BUSHWICK” bears repeating. another highlight? “BUSHWICK” being a second banger of a collab between Cyn and Ovrkast.—i kept “Small Talk” in heavy rotation last year. truth be told, there really ain’t nobody else doing it like Cyn.
my seven-word summary of Detour is: potent blend of rapping, singing, & spoken word.
music to look forward to
HONEY DIJON — The Nightlife (4/17)
Jai’Len Josey — Serial Romantic (4/24)
Alabaster DePlume — Dear Children of Our Children, I Knew: Epilogue (EP) (5/5)
The Lemon Twigs — Look For Your Mind (5/8)
Genesis Owusu — REDSTAR WU & WORLDWIDE SCOURGE (5/15)
aja monet — the color of rain (5/22)
Thee Marloes — Di Hotel Malibu (5/22)
Widowspeak — Roses (6/5)
Kelsey Lu — So Help Me God (6/12)
Alewya — ZERO (6/26)
Devon Gilfillian — Time Will Tell (6/26)
Jungle — Sunshine (8/14)
let’s run that back
PHOX — “Evil”
Isaiah Rashad — The House is Burning
Chloe & Halle — “Down”
Aaliyah ft. Static Major — “Loose Rap”
Durand Jones & The Indications ft. Y La Bamba — “Cruisin’ to the Parque”
Dijon — “jesse”
required listening to know me
Kelela — Cut 4 Me
Dirty Projectors — Swing Lo Magellan
Warpaint — The Fool
Daft Punk — Discovery
Discovery (2001)
Industry S4E7 opens with a brief snippet of “Veridis Quo” by Daft Punk. for viewers like me, this sparks an overwhelming sense of joy and arousal, despite anticipation of the series’ complicated narratives. i yearn for the song to play extensively to absorb myself in the rhythm.
sights to see
Ayo Edebiri for PAPER Magazine, photographed by Jaša Müller
Wildcard Kitchen
Martinez & Mu | Feasting on $50
soundscape 003: the playlist
the notes: nuance, duality, walking contradictions, shaking the table, dogwood trees, cocoa butter, a graveyard of disposable vapes scattered on the ground, agarwood, antiheroes, absurdity, whimsy.
I really liked the waterbaby album - and listened to the PVA several times this week! It didn’t catch me at first, but on a whim went back to it this week and love it!!
Absolutely obsessed with the Leven Kali project! I play it all the way through every time. Also, loved that you loved the Samara Cyn project! Everything she does continues to be awesome