In our Headphones: February 2023

[Joan]

In Our Headphones: February 2023

 

Hi everybody! 

It's February - the month of romance some might say. Hopefully by now we've gotten used to the fact that the year's number has been incremented by 1 and are writing it correctly and hopefully all aftereffects of January partying - physical, financial or otherwise - are now behind us. It's the season of snowstorms, sensuality and strategizing for the rest of the year. And for any of those occasions and many more, an appropriate soundtrack is in order 🎧 🔥

So without further delay, let's get this show on the road!

Starting with @Lyubka who is definitely feeling the love tonight, with a whole array of tracks loaded with passion!

This new release caught my heart from the very beginning. I should say that I listened to this song almost the whole month of February. With all these Love vibes around 14th Feb, this song was all over me - in the shops, in my house, in Spotify's playlist in the car, pretty much everywhere.. and I like it very much, Miley is one good artist and I adore her since I was a child.

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I can't stop listen to this song, it's like.. we are obsessed with this Artist (Sam Smith) in our home.

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This song reminds me of my past, but the version is re-worked and it's even better than the original itself. I've recently discover it and it's on my number one songs to listen since then.

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Thank you very much Lyubka for the awesome songs! Here's some more mood and motivation, courtesy of @Alex

I heard this song in a bar last week and it immediately found it's place in my Liked Songs. I love discovering new music and I really like the songs from Asaf Avidan, so go check them out.

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One of my all time favorites. It's a super relaxing tune, perfect for lying on the ground and reading on a rainy afternoon.

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Who doesn't like a nice chillout session? I know I could use one. Thanks for the tunes, Alex! Let's keep the vibes going strong, so I'm passing the aux cord over to @Kiril 

Discovered this by accident from the Radio, but really liked the vibe 🙂 Also it's kind of relevant for the folks working in support  🙂

Hope people take heed and talk to us nice!

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Then we continue the vibes with this piece that was again suggested totally at random, but fits so well and feels like cruising in a Lambo.

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An then we trap it all down like we're Big in Japan! 

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Cheers to that, Kiro! And while we're cruising through the Land of the Rising Sun, @Dian is here to brings some thematically fitting nostalgic tunes with a modern twist.

The 90s disco intro is a lie, this song is a true modern masterpiece. A mix of Blind Guardian and Pet Shop Boys.

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Thanks Dian for the bopping tune, always love creative genre-bending music. And while we've got the beat going, to help counter the cold weather, @Vasil is here to turn up the heat.

This month almost left me with no time to listen to anything except some podcasts on burning topics that are NOT on Spotify  😄 I did however have the time to do some occasional Instagram swipes and the platform does like to share with me some musical propositions and I saved a few.
Here's the ones I feel I enjoy most  😄

They're not from famous artists btw!

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Thank you Vasko for the good vibes and wide array of emotions. And now as we are broading our aural pallette while also slowly turning up the intesity, let's keep the ball rolling. Here is @Elena with something truly special.

This month my brain has had no break from one band - it's a constant tune in the background of all activities and it's none other than the incredible Sleep Token. I'd heard some songs from those guys before and enjoyed it quite a lot, but this (and last) month I spiraled quite deep in their discography and I have no regrets.  With their heavy haunting riffs, slow and soul breaking build-ups and a mix of the perfect vocals I've got nothing more to add than give them a listen - you're in for a treat!

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Right, I reckon that's enough lovey dovey stuff for one month, time to bring the power for real and who better to do it than @Yordan. Let's tear it up!

Lately I've been in a death metal spree (at least more than usual). Defeated Sanity, one of the most respected bands in the genre, has been killing it for nearly 30 years now, and on their 3rd release Chapters or Repugnance the band feels like they have the most fun playing. Every song pushes the intensity to its absolute limits: from the brutal assault of the blast beats and the insanely technical fills to the pulverizing, rage-inducing guitar chugs, this album simply offers everything necessary to put a smile on my face.

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In preparation for an upcoming show in my hometown, I've had Vomitory's discography on repeat for the past few weeks. These swedes just know how to write great songs, but it's the title track from Blood Rapture that holds a special place in my heart and I always come back to, with its ridiculously low-tuned kick drums that rattle my whole apartment. A classic death metal perfection.

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Horns up, Dan! And to put the final exclamation point, here are my entries. Winds appear to be blowing in a similar direction as just like Dan, I too have been on a death metal spree, since around mid December I would say. I just kept getting drawn to it, dunno why. I've also doubled down on working out recently and listening to violent, aggressive music is just the perfect motivator. Just imagining ripping and tearing your own body to shreds just to rebuild it better than before, that really gets the blood flowing. Anyway, here's some examples in no particular order.

I too listened to a lot from Swedish titans Vomitory, for the same reason as Dan. It's true, these guys have just distilled death metal to its purest form and are absolute masters of it. Can't wait to tear it up at their show:

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Then there's Polish veterans Vader. I mentioned them in the December IOH but I'm mentioning them again now. These guys are just so consistent! Between the relentless whirlwinds of eclectic guitar riffs and a hellfire of blast beats, I really like it when the band slows down and play these almost oldschool heavy metal tracks akin to Accept or Judas Priest. They're ridiculously catchy and show the wide range of styles the band has mastered over their illustrious career:

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The brutal butchers from Vienna, Austria called Pungent Stench also rocked my brain recently. I just can't get enough of how they can make songs about the most disgusting, revolting and perverse topics and then still make them super catchy and uplifting. Always a fun time:

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Nile are an absolute classic in the death metal sphere. Their technical prowess and songwriting complexity is second to none and their unique Ancient Egyptian aesthetic is just the cherry on top. You can never go wrong with more ancient desert death metal:

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Scottish party animals Party Cannon were also a favourite. Despite their comedic aesthetic and hilarious song titles, these guys take their songwriting very seriously. With amazing riffs, fantastic musicianship, diverse and varied songwriting and great energy from beginning to end on every album, they have made some of the best death metal to come out in the last few years. They are among the young bands that will carry the torch onward from the veterans like the ones mentioned above. Also their funky colourful logo always stands out among their peers whenever they're on a festival poster. That to me is just great marketing:

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And just to prove that I am not a one dimensional metal dude, here is some non-metal things I blasted this month. I accidentally discovered a band called Gnome - a Belgian stoner rock outfit who play whimsical and groovy songs while wearing pointy red hats. I mean, do I even need to elaborate on why this is amazing?

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Additionally, Mega Drive released a new EP recently. Very little is known about the person behind this moniker but I can tell you one thing for certain - he is the king of cyberpunk synthwave. If you need some tracks to transport yourself to a neon-soaked dystopian future, this is it. I love this kind of aesthetic and Mega Drive's insanely catchy and energetic music really hits the nail on the head every time. This new EP is more of the epicness that I've come to expect. I have a sneaking suspicion that some of these tracks might have already made it to my Wrapped for next year:

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And going out with a bang, this list is finished and it's time to depart. We hope you had a wonderful time this month and let's march together towards new adventures in...well, March.

All the best, everyone! Cheers!

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