the music that made you
Have you done the my9albums challenge yet? On the surface, it's simple: choose a collection of records that shaped your taste in music and life(think Desert Island Discs meets Spotify Wrapped). But I can all but guarantee it's tougher than it appears. How can a lifetime of experiences with music be distilled down into a short list. Does each phase of your life get representation? Was one particular age dominant in defining 'your sound'? One genre? Multiple albums from your favorite artist? Is the total time spent listening more important, or how much it influenced your personality, friend groups, life decisions, spending habits, consumption habits, etc - does that matter more? Deep thoughts! (but also an extremely fun exercise)
And while sharing your taste to social media can sometimes feel performative, I truly believe it's one of the best ways possible to get to know someone.
So here's my set. I'd love to see yours! Welcome to the second edition of ƒriday ƒeels
3 SONGS
"RUNNING" // DAHI X CHILDISH GAMBINO
The producer behind some of the best hip-hop records of this century (ahem..) steps into the spotlight and delivers one of the best albums of the year. Imagine Questlove drumming meets Pete Rock's mastery of sampling, with some peak Gorillaz era caliber of guest features. Love this track especially. And infinite daps if you can name that sample..
"RIDE IT OUT (POOLSIDE REMIX)" // LEISURE
This tempo will make whatever you're doing feel just a bit slinkier, groovier, chiller, sexier... This is the kind of music i play early & often in my NOBU dj sets
"GREATER THINGS" // MixMason x 2'Live BRE
Yes, my record! It appears in NBA 2K27 (please let me know if you hear it in there). I collaborated with the incredible Nashville community leader & artist 2'Live Bre. There's an uptempo version, as well as southern hip-hop mix. streaming everywhere - plus free downloads for you 😚
2 ARTICLES
THE A.I. MUSIC PURGE HAS BEGUN
After a quite serious lawsuit by Universal Music Group, DistroKid (the distributor of four million independent artists) has begun actively deleting songs and artists which its software has deemed to be AI slop. While this is overall a step in the right direction, some legitimate human-made music has been caught up in the crossfires. Much more to come in this space.
RICK RUBIN WRITES A BOOK ON... VIBE CODING?!
I'm a massive fan of Rick (in general) and his book The Creative Act (2023). Honestly, I was a bit shocked to hear (on an excellent DOAC podcast interview) that he felt a calling to dive into vibe coding (which I think many of us do somewhat in secret?). And it's based on the Tao Te Ching (which I've also been reading). Fascinating...
1 MIX OR ALBUM
BONOBO on LOGIN.jp // downtempo ambient electronica mix with Japanese dyers
This DJ mix series channel is truly special. It highlights local Japanese cultural traditions and trades while featuring unique, niche mixes from an eclectic, impressive list of DJs and artists from around the world. This one will take you on a journey!
Thanks for reading! I'm excited you made it to the end ◡̈ I would love to hear what you're listening to and love. I'm also always open to ideas and feedback for this mailer.
Much love,
Jonathan
P.S. you may notice, this is not via Substack - my goal is to cultivate more of a tight-knit community rather than a large group of internet strangers. that said, if there's someone you think would love this, please do forward this to them or add them here. if you or a friend made something great that I should know about - please send! my greatest joy is sharing great art, especially from people I know and care about 🫶