22stacks #1 - Caribou, Or:la, Joya Mooi, Masalo, Elkan, Foushée - 04/10
A new bi-weekly musical list of favourite recent songs, mixes, opinions.
Max Richter on Music: “We have this moment of encounter with another mind, how that other mind experienced being alive, and being in the world.. It’s a really big and important part of the human story. We’re fundamentally musical creatures.“ -
full quote in this great video.
Hi and welcome to my first Substack!
I’m Vincent Reinders aka Venz, just turned 40 and have been on the radio for exactly 50% of my life now - 20 years and counting. In 2009 I started music discovery platform 22tracks (it died in 2017 because of the advertising based business model and tough licensing deals), in 2018 I started underground electronic music club (and now also community radio station) Radio Radio in Amsterdam which is still flourishing.
In ‘22stacks’ I’ll share some views, opinions, links, but mainly 11 current favourite tunes: from electronic records and mixes to downtempo tunes I also share in my Relax Only Venz Spotify list, to wonderful new pop, R&B, hip hop and afro tracks.
Whenever possible I’ll use Bandcamp links, since buying a tune supports an artist a hundreds of times more than a stream. Enjoy this first stack and let me know which tunes you love most :)
11 tracks
Caribou played a pop up show (for free!) for 250 super fans in Radio Radio in June. He arrived solo, casually walking without an entourage, manager or tour manager. Just a headphone and a smile: love it.
He did these smaller shows all around the world, in anticipation of his brand new record Honey, out today. And the way he shared his previews to hype the album up.. just too endearing (and smart). No artwork, no media team, just our nerdy professor having fun on Instagram before he starts to do another gigantic world tour. Refreshing! [Dance]
Climbing is the standout ‘hands in he air happy vibes Inspector Norse of 2024’.
One of Europe’s best festivals turned ten this year: our local pride Dekmantel.
They released a celebratory and impeccable 43 (!) tracks spanning compilation. Amsterdam's Masalo Star Cloud 777 is perfect, and shows why he was allowed to debut his live set on the main stage. [Dance]
A wonderful, more electronic pop/R&B record from the incredible Joya Mooi, perfectly produced by South African duo Easy Freak. Our record of the month September in Wat Anders on 3FM! [Pop, R&B]
New, fresh, jazzy, bouncey goodness by Ezra Collective from the UK. Recorded in the legendary Abbey Road studios. Vibes. [Jazz, Afro]
A new star is born in Amsterdam: what a debut album by Elkan!
Magnificent musican, released by the notorious Nous’klaer. Great DJ as well. [IDM]
Why is everything on Belgian label Stroom so wonderfully weird hypnotizing?
Much love to labelhead (and former 22tracks friend) Nosedrip for curating another release I can’t stop listening to: Antwerp’s Milan W with a brand new record that feels like a perfect obscure find from the 80s. So well produced and mixed too!
Or:la’s exquisite debut is out! Eliza Rose (the baddest of them all..) joins her on this dubby beast slayer. We’ve booked Or:la in Radio Radio for a special event on October 18 with Cinthie (b2b Dam Swindle) and Danielle (b2b Monty DJ).
Lush landscapes by Reymour’s NoLand on the great label Knekelhuis. A warm bath of French whispers and captivating keys. [Psychy ambient pop]
Next year.. headlining Lowlands festival? Why not. Asake’s Lungu Boy features Wizkid, Travis Scott, Central Cee and Stormzy.. and keeps a good vibe from start to finish. His recent AFAS Live show was apparently 10/10 so if you’re not familiar yet.. start! [Afro]
Mustafa aka Mustafa the Poet… has the best voice, lyrics, production.. and now a full album. Dunya is an unmissable winner in this year’s best of lists. [Pop]
Foushée gaves us ne of the nicest pop songs of the year! She went from the Voice (2018) to working with James Blake, Lil Yachty, and this absolute gem produced by Steve Lacy & Kareem Riggins! [R&B]
Quote
It’s an interesting viral thread DJ Man Power got going on. The UK went from 1500 clubs to 500 clubs in a flash and 5 clubs per WEEK close down there now. These are fragile spaces, clearly under threat. In Berlin specifically through wealthy landlords owning hundreds of properties, doubling the rent and effectively forcing an end to Watergate and Wilde Renate recently. In Amsterdam we still seem to do OK, but as a club owner I can only hope that bigger names will keep on lowering fees to play the small grassroots venues every now and then. It’s where the next generation of DJs needs to blossom and the spaces where you can get your first full dancefloors or closing sets as an upcoming DJ are very rare.
Mixes & More
That’s it for now, 11 tracks!
I’m happy to end the first stack with three recent favourite mixes and a bonus playlist:
One of my festival highlights was Dekmantel Ten’s closing by Dutch legend Steffi. What a trip this was in the Amsterdam forest. Dekmantel now uploaded 71 (!) sets of their ten day madness, so there’s so much to dive in. What’s your recommendation? And WHAT is that tune around the 16th minute??
Wildeburg also killed it with uploading 40 festival recordings.
The extra good news.. Oceanic shared the entire tracklist! (In a time where more and more discussions arise about DJs keeping tracks for themselves. After the closing of DVS1’s platform Aslice, where DJs would share a percentage of their fees to the creators of the music. Almost no one did it.. :( Share the wealth (literally). Or at least share the tracklist! <3
We did a summer special with RRFM in the park, on a special location called Het Meterhuisje. Supported by AFK and Westergas Foundation. You could join a session or workshop, hang out to support / meet the DJs. All sets to be found here, from Berton to Dam Swindle to Jameszoo to Lolo Batten to Nedda Sou to Slimfit to Tsepo to Wes Lee and many more. I’m highlighting this one by Andy, such a breeeeze.
Bonus tip: still to be enjoyed, my Only Venz playlist, fka 22tracks Relax.
From mediative dance music to dreamy pop records, with a special shoutout to
The Hague’s Tomlaan with the brand new Slow and an album on the way.
Enjoy all the great music and see you in two weeks! <3 Vincent
Lists
How I looove lists… it’s not a surprise maybe, having been addicted to 22 playlists for years. But the end of the year is coming, and I’m looking forward to all those end of year lists where you can discover what you missed (which is my fun mainly). For now Pitchfork dropped a list of the 100 Best ‘Songs’ and ‘Albums’ of the 2020s so far
Kendrick’s Not Like Us is a top 5 tune already!?