Here is our blogpost titled "In Our Headphones":
Essay on the importance of headphones in the Spotify Community:
Music is a universal language that connects people from all walks of life. It has the power to evoke emotions, transport us to different places and times, and bring people together. With the advent of digital music streaming platforms like Spotify, music has become more accessible than ever before. However, to truly immerse ourselves in the world of music, we need a good pair of headphones.
Whether you're a casual listener or an audiophile, headphones are an essential part of the music experience. They allow us to hear every detail, from the subtlest nuances in a song to the deep, rumbling bass in our favorite beats. They also provide a more immersive and personal listening experience, allowing us to block out distractions and focus on the music.
In the Spotify community, headphones are especially important. With millions of users around the world, the community is a hub for music lovers to discover new artists, share their favorite playlists, and connect with other fans. Headphones are the key to fully experiencing everything the community has to offer.
No, no, not this one. I meant "What did you guys listened to mostly on repeat during the past month and want to share with us?". Those fresh idioms like "In Our Headphones" are tricky, aren't they?
@Elena , what have you?
This month has gone over the reign of an old fave - the boys from Greta van Fleet. They are the perfect addition to every good road trip and for me March was such a month. Give them a listen next time you're in the car (We sure did listen to this song in a car and can confirm the suitability of the song for road trips)
https://open.spotify.com/track/0zlaa4AmbFE7MVDijsyD9Q?si=9fdc6ef83ca04c07
@Yordan What have you prepared for us?
https://open.spotify.com/track/1hfTVN0aPtUG10fn4fKzOG?si=fb88a13e1cb547ff
Hailing from Poland, Horda play some of the fiercest and most aggressive black metal on the planet and definitely rank among the top bands the country has spawned. This album is one of those hidden gems that you stumble upon by accident every now and then. Searing guitars pummeling drums deliver savage brutality, with lots of tempo and rhythm changes to keep things interesting.
https://open.spotify.com/track/2AD3faozZmU71dxlpPO4PJ?si=f401fe000d0843fe
Let's be honest. No metal song, not even the utmost brutal, crushing, head-splitting death metal track slaps anywhere as hard as this one does. The combo of Florin Salam + Costi, two Romanian titans, is just unrivaled, and paired with the enchanting voice of Emilia, the track lulls you into an uncontrollable dance frenzy that you simply cannot resist. It's the musical equivalent to the cordyceps, and I'm a sucker for its spores.
Give it up to Dancho to mix black metal with chalga. Next up: @Joan . This time the format is description first, song second. Enjoy!
This month, my death metal wave continues and I've been going from new things to the genre's roots. Death are befittingly the godfathers of the genre and their albums remain the gold standard for it to this day. It's also so heartwarming to see young people listen to their music and appreciate it even though the band itself has ceased to exist for over 20 years at this point. Whenever I see a 15 year old with a Death T-shirt at concerts, I just feel all warm and
fuzzy.
spotify:track:0BO5g7FXNhZgQuC8xIORDm
Pestilence are a Dutch band that have been around almost as long as Death and released some of their first albums around the same time. They are pioneers of the genre in their own right and among the first from continental Europe. It's weird to me that Pestilence are not talked about more, as they have released not one, not two but three of the best death metal albums ever that have also served as cornerstones of the genre. Their later proggier stuff is still amazing, but the oldschool stuff is just unmatched. The songwriting is varied and engaging, the musicianship is impeccable and the lyrics are more interesting than some of their contemporaries This band is criminally underappreciated in my opinion and whenever there is discussion about early death metal, they need to be in that conversation. It's also very apt that two of the pioneering bands of the genre bear the names of two of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.Besides the point, I've been revisiting the classic Pestilence albums, as well as their new material. Their first record has one of the coolest names ever - Malleus Maleficarum. That sounds like it's straight out of Warhammer 40K. It's actually the name of a 15th century book by a German clergyman detailing how and why witches need to be prosecuted. It's essentially the user manual for witch hunting. The title literally means "Hammer of Witches". It's a really cool name with a cool backstory and it was inevitable that a metal band would pick it up and Pestilence definitely did it justice with their fast and aggressive songs about war, death and disease.
spotify:track:2vgDChloANCRD9a1DrmTOL
Their second album is generally considered their best, rightfully so. Can we just talk about the album art for a second? I wanna know the conversation that went down when choosing this: "Hey, you know what would be the best most brutal thing for our death metal album? Ants! A guy covered in ants!". It's goofy, but it's memorable and iconic and I love it.
spotify:track:7xjmmJr6cp1x9R49azqj11
Moving away from metal, I listened to plenty of other things too. I actually had a little bit of disco fever for a few days going through things like Boney M, Modern Talking, Roxette, Abba, etc. These are timeless songs that be forever beloved. They really don't make pop music like they used to.
spotify:track:4YkkDVwUJKEjpOa4TlS1MP
By the way, did you know that Boney M have a song called "We kill the world" and it has some pretty heavy lyrics about nuclear war? I definitely missed it. It's a really good song too. Also shows that it's not just metal that talks about nasty "taboo" topics and serious issues. All music can learn a bit from this track and be more honest with it's message.
spotify:track:5CYIQyZDsNtD4b1J0KLVEQ
Good stuff, @Joan , good stuff my friend! You've clearly enjoyed your headphones in the past month. @Kiril What's in your bag of goodies? We're switching the format again. Songs first, description later:
https://open.spotify.com/track/6KGggJ08SRmMuJojRYM4Lv?si=1baac5735b704986
https://open.spotify.com/track/2NOpmvOnJUm7qA7jhfGZ2Y?si=bc5a9be7c3304696
https://open.spotify.com/track/6cYJBIE9FC1QAoPw5EhdLA?si=abe8af8b0bf74eec
Max Romeo (age 78) is a veteran in the reggae music and one of the most iconic artists in the whole Reggae Universe! Throughout his musical career he's worked and produced with musical titans like the Rolling Stones and the composer of the tribal-rock musical "Hair". Last but not least he was bootlegged into modern days music by the likes of Prodigy with their smash hit "Out of Space"! I am extremely happy that a group of friends and I'll be able to travel to Greece in few days time and attend a show from his "Farewell" tour in Europe. The title of the tour hints that most probably this will be his final international tour and so on 1st of April I'll be in Thessaloniki to enjoy his great musical talent live! What a niceness! Be sure to check out Max Romeo's musical legacy as well, because his son Azizzi and daughter Xana are also as talented as their father! They will be touring along as well, so this month I'm setting my mood right for the upcoming gig! Irie!
Wow, that was quite the journey. It looked like this blog wrote itself, ain't it so?
Stay fresh and keep up the funk,
avoid foods from the category "junk",
stay regularly hydrated
and enjoy
the Easter holidays long awaited!
Cheers!
Here is the playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6lv6DjjryalvuDqg0oirRb?si=03ecf211ecab4fc6
