What We’re Listening to This Week (5.22.26)

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What We’re Listening to This Week (3.1.26) · What We’re Listening to This Week (3.11.26) · What We’re Listening to This Week (4.2.26) · What We’re Listening to This Week (4.15.26) · What We’re Listening to This Week (4.23.26) · What We’re Listening to This Week (5.4.26) · What We’re Listening to This Week (5.12.26)

sleepover dreams by cardamommyy

It’s an ambient kind of week for me. I read a lot about regime change and coup d’etats, so at this point I judge ambient music by how well it lets me absorb the mechanics of dictatorships without my brain trying to crawl out of my skull. I listened to sleepover dreams while reading about how Park Chung Hee consolidated power. cardamommyy‘s album is tremendous if you like that old world ambient. A good portion of you who actually read this stuff will definitely understand what I mean by that. Looking forward to more work from them.

Tuff Times Never Last by Kokoroko

And now for a sharp turn into sunlight. God, I’m so glad I stumbled upon Kokoroko because this short record was literally made me close my eyes and just … go with it. It’s afrobeat, it’s jazz, it’s beautiful. What’s amazing about this album is that it was a one-take session. The vocals are especially impressive in that context – they carry an emotional clarity while the instrumentation moves around with the utmost confidence. Cannot wait to dive into their discography – what a wonderful find.

Unconsciousness Silence by Chihei Hatakeyama

Back to the dread board. I’m not picky about ambient music in the broad sense, but I become very particular about what I let into the room on a Friday night. Technically, I first listened to Unconsciousness Silence on a Thursday night, but it found its way back into my rotation tonight, so the record has passed the proper threshold. Having spent time on the outskirts of Tokyo myself, I felt an immediate connection to the album’s sense of distance and it struck a chord with me on an emotional level. It’s six pieces of semi-long form ambient. Very old school and just the way I need my dread on a Friday night: served beautifully.

Rem(a)inders by AMULETS

I’ve been a vague fan of AMULETS for a while, but I’ve really started to get into their music over the last month or so because I noticed they did an artist residency at my favorite little lodge in Seaview, WA: the Sou’wester. Watching AMULETS make music and stay in the same room I stayed in made me feel a bit closer to them – that sound had passed through a place already stored somewhere in my memory banks. Their music is perfect for a dark Friday night and, dare I say, for a stroll on a windy Seaview beach at dusk where the only thing separating you from the megafauna moving beneath that black water is whatever thin thread of restraint you brought with you. Rem(a)inders is dark as fuck and makes me want to jump into an ancient whale’s mouth.

El Tren by Orquestra Pacifico Tropical

I have been craving cumbia lately and Orquestra Pacifico Tropical has been that satiating force in my life. Portland talks about community constantly, but this band actually embodies it. With more than nineteen contributing artists involved in the project over the years, Orquestra Pacifico Tropical is like a living musical organism. They have a steady tour schedule that you can check out here – and while you look at that, I’m going to listen to Flor De Oro (track 2) on repeat for the foreseeable future. Absolute banger of an album.