#76: Life Lately

Looking for the little, fun moments in life to counteract the doom. Still creating, still listening, still looking around.

Currently listening to: Melted Mix #1: “Cerebellum” by Various Artists

Melted Mix #1: "Cerebellum"

Earlier this week, I released the first Melted Mix of 2026 exclusively for paid subscribers. Today, however, I’ve dropped the paywall for this weekend only. Give it a listen! :)

In this mix, you’ll find a variety of vibes across ~35 minutes of music, from atmospheric indie songs to piano ballads, from ambient deep cuts to dance tracks.

Paid subscribers will get 1 new mix every month, so consider upgrading if you want to hear more! I hope you enjoy it, friend.

Hello, friend.

I’ll be honest—I don’t have much energy to reflect today. There is a lot of heartbreak I’m feeling at the moment between the departures of some close colleagues and the fascist state of the USA. So I’m just gonna go the old school letter route and update you on some random good/fun stuff in my life because it’s important to look for these things and keep creating despite negative developments.

• I was at a video shoot for my day job last week. Shoots are one of the most fun parts of my job, but they’re also rarities. As a film lover and a writer, it is such a treat to sit beside a real director and watch the ideas I’ve written be brought to life on set.

  

• I saw the 4+ hour extended edition of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003) in theaters last weekend. Such a treat to witness the majesty of that film in a real theater again. I got butterflies when Howard Shore’s score soared over the seats as lines of the Rohirrim cavalry charged toward a terrified frontline of orcs on the Pelennor Fields.

  

• I spent a handful of days at my parents’ home in Pennsylvania taking care of my younger sister while they were away. This happened to coincide with the massive snowstorm we got here in the eastern US, and my sister got 2 days off of school while I shoveled and snow-blowed us out of 2+ feet of icy powder. With Valentine’s Day coming up and my sister being a crochet maniac lately, I commissioned her to make this little coaster/bouquet thing as a little gift for my wife. My sis is so talented!

  

  

• I secured Harry Styles tickets for one show during his upcoming residency at Madison Square Garden. Cannot wait!!

  

• My wife and I got our pottery back from our honeymoon in Italy. We each made our own bowl (hers is the green one, mine is the yellow scalloped one), but we also bought a custom wall tile (to go in our future dream kitchen backsplash) and a decorative plate. Plus, our kind hosts gifted us a ceramic rose as a token of celebration of our marriage. If you ever have the chance to travel to Tuscany, visit Montelupo and meet Matteo. Unforgettable experience!

  

  

  

• Recent watchlist: TRAIN DREAMS (2025), MAD MEN (S1, 2007), INDUSTRY (S4, 2026), BRIDGERTON (S4, 2026), HOUSE OF GUINNESS (S1, 2025) AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH (2025), MARTY SUPREME (2025)

  

  TRAIN DREAMS (dir. Clint Bentley, DP Adolpho Veloso) has some of the most beautiful cinematography I’ve seen in a film in a long time.

• Some doodles and a not-so-great-but-decent-practice painting of my wife. It doesn’t really look like her but that’s fine. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

  

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The Living Music List

Hello again, friend. Let’s check out some new music, shall we?

Happy listening.

1. On Brutal Soil, We Grow by Markus Guentner (album / drone) [Affin]^

   My regular readers may recall that, a few weeks ago, I expressed my desire to move people with my work, whether music or writing. I love the idea of the way our art stimulates and almost requires an observer to change upon engaging with it. So I found this quote from 25+ year ambient veteran Markus Guentner fascinating:

   “Sometimes quiet movements are the most powerful. I'm not trying to move anyone. I'm just making a place where you can stand for a while."

   Upon hearing Guentner’s latest LP, I understand where the artist is coming from. One lens of ambient music, particularly drone, is suited to stillness, introspection, solitude. It’s an invitation to sit, pause, and reflect, with the key being that one does not actually disconnect from everything else. No, here, Guentner’s rich drone pieces simply place an arm around your shoulders and share the load with you, slowing your heart rate, counseling patience, reminding you that, despite the odds, you’ve already come such a long way. This is not the end.

   

2. Strategy of Tension by Exit Chamber (EP / dark ambient, drone) [Passed Recordings]

   I love discovering rabbit holes. So does Exit Chamber, who offers one in the form of Strategy of Tension. Living up to its name, these 6 tracks teeter on a knife’s edge. Mysterious voice recordings allude to some of the real-life lore behind the concept—here is your rabbit hole—and it all feels eerily timely. There’s a cinematic quality to these tracks, and I can imagine them scoring Cold War documentaries or slow-burn thrillers.

   

3. Alliance Rose Croix by Alliance Rose Croix (album / post-metal, drone) [Cruel Nature Records]

   Where one rabbit hole ends, another begins. Dylan Desmond (Bell Witch) and Magpie Corsa (Nonconnah) collaborate as Alliance Rose Croix to deliver this self-titled album with 2 longform pieces that spell the doom of an old cult’s massacred members. Here’s this rabbit hole. Stacked, distorted guitars, synths, and field recordings all mesh to elicit guttural, rising emotions. In the vein of doom metal and dark drone, the sounds here have an almost levitating quality with their vibrating density and thickness. Despite the doom, I came out of it feeling cleansed and clear-headed—as after a trial by fire.

4. Sentimental Value by Hania Rani (album / film score, contemporary classical) [Gondwana Records]

   Extra honorable mention: This film score for one of 2025’s most acclaimed films (still on my watchlist!) is finally available on streaming. Polish pianist and composer Hania Rani actually composed all of this music without any edit of the film to work from—she only worked off of the script and spent some time in the house where much of the film was shot, capturing field recordings and gathering inspiration.

1. The Moment (The Score) by A. G. Cook (album / electronic) [A24 Music]

   A24’s Charli XCX mockumentary about the BRAT era comes with this fun soundtrack of chest-thumping techno tracks courtesy of primary BRAT producer A. G. Cook. There are even a few quieter, ambient moments here (Depth, Removal) amid the kick drums and acid synth sequences. Plus, Dread is an interesting and somewhat eerie flip of Charli’s hit feature on Icona Pop’s I Love It.

   

2. All Tied Together by Ye Vagabonds (album / folk) [River Lea Recordings]

   Dublin’s Ye Vagabonds latest album is satisfying that desire in me for some pure, honest-to-god folk songwriting. Great lyricists always impress me (writing songs is hard, man!) and the brothers Brían and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn know how to tell a tale to ya. They have some really beautiful little harmonies appearing throughout this album atop their strummed guitars. It’s warm, nostalgic, and heartfelt—all qualities that feel much needed at the moment.

   

3. Isle Peaks by Bitchin Bajas (EP / electronic) [Drag City]

   I’ve followed Bitchin Bajas since my friend Eli showed me their album Bajas Fresh back in 2017. Today, they released Isle Peaks, an EP of 2 longform tracks exclusively available on Qobuz. Like many of their past releases, these tracks are evolving, psychedelic kaleidoscopes of bright sounds like kalimbas, chimes, saxophone, and various electronics. The first track is upbeat, spinning along to a tapestry of arpeggios and textured trills. The second track goes more ambient, building from a quiet field recording of crickets and other natural noise into a meditative sound bath.

Music List Reminders: Bold and ^ denote reader-submitted work. Bandcamp links provided first when available—if an album is not on Bandcamp, then YouTube or other streaming links are provided. List format: Title by Artist (release type / approximate genre or subgenres) [Label].

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That’s all for this week’s issue. Thank you for reading. Until next time.

Your friend,

Melted Form

Read the previous issue of The Living Music List:

#75: Time is a Flat Circle

Check out my 2025 EOY list of favorite albums:

10 Albums That Will Endure (EOY 2025)

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