The Living Music List #16: On the Pursuit of Passion(s)

The renaissance man mentality is inside us all. Passionate about music? Here's some from William Basinski, James Bernard, SOPHIE, The Cure, Lady Gaga, and more

Currently listening to: The State of It All by Melted Form

Revisiting our old work is fun, isn’t it? Or weird, or uncomfortable. As years pass, we grow and change and improve in skill. It’s odd tapping back into the state of our consciousness all those years ago. But it’s important to remember where and how we started, to recognize how much passion we displayed in those beginnings. It reaffirms the new form of that passion we possess today. Today’s featured track is a spoken word poem I wrote more than 4 years ago set to ambient loops I made using iPhone recordings of an old Casio keyboard and edited in Audacity. The tools were as rudimentary as my knowledge of music production was at the time, and yet I still find this song and video to be such an important representation of my identity as an artist. I truly believe that the tools we use to make art don’t define its value—we can make something from nothing with the right amount of passion and ingenuity.

Reflection

Hello, friend.

What is your biggest passion in life?

And a follow-up question—how quickly were you able to answer that?

If you’re like me, you may still be searching for your answer. If you’re continuing on with reading this letter to avoid actually answering it, you are not alone. It’s not just a tough ask, but a frightening one.

There are many notable folks out there I admire for their seemingly singular passions transcending the threshold between their dreams and their realities. So often we plaster faces on dramatically lit magazine cover photos or fictionalize origin stories in biopics, iconizing a person as the face of their passion.

He was born to sing. She was put on this earth to be a nurse. They were destined for greatness as a CEO of a global conglomerate.

We inadvertently pigeonhole each other all the time, when what we really mean to do is acknowledge someone’s talent, proficiency, or dedication to a certain pursuit. We know, however, that nobody is truly singleminded. In fact, I think humans are biologically incapable of possessing just one passion.

Passion is not programming. We are not robots wired to achieve one specific thing. We don’t have power buttons flicked on at birth that begin our lifelong processes to accomplish tasks that serve a predestined passion.

Have you ever noticed how sometimes we are really talented at some activity, but it just doesn’t do it for us? Like when a kid is raised playing a sport their whole life, but when they approach adulthood, they leave it behind, even if they could have gone pro. As they gained full control over their consciousness and began to consider which way their inner compass was pointing, they realized that maybe their parent’s passion was actually driving their involvement in the sport instead of their own. People may see this decision as ludicrous—the kid is throwing their whole life away!

Passion is, in many ways, a synonym for purpose. Or at least, that’s a conflation we’ve come to accept.

If you are uber passionate about music, chances are you’re going to spend much of your time listening to, curating, and creating music. That passion defines the way you live your life and colors the mark you make on the lives of others. But you can’t be passionate about music (or gardening, or sales) without also being passionate about the reward—the reason you have a passion in the first place.

I love music because it touches my soul when I hear it. Music delivers insight into the deeply personal thoughts and emotions of others that often resonate with my own. It’s a profound joy that, when shared, reminds me of my connection to and gratitude for everyone and everything. This is the root of my passion for music.

I also feel a great passion for films in a similar sense. And for watching sports, and learning about space or ancient history. A couple of years ago, I set a goal for myself to publish a book, release an album, and make a feature film all within my lifetime—these are all representative of different art forms that inspire passion in me.

So are any one of those things—or all of them—my purpose? Personally, I believe that’s a pedestal to which I will never elevate any passion.

Do those passions greatly affect the shape and direction of my life? Absolutely, and each in their own ways.

And sure, one of those passions is big enough that I feel compelled to write a weekly newsletter about it. Yet, when I began writing to you, my expectations for the words on music that would come ended up significantly different from those that followed. I’ve shared words on technology, human suffering, processing trauma, wasting time, and loneliness. Those things are not inherently about music, and yet, I’ve molded each of those topics into reflections on how my passion for music and art has impacted my life.

Now at risk of making the word “passion” look unrecognizable due to overuse, I’m arriving at my point: I hope that you and I never forget the beautiful variety innate to our humanity. We were born on this earth to feel strongly, almost incontrollably, passionate about many different things, because there is simply so much in this world worthy of passion.

We make art in appreciation of the world around us, our relationships with each other, and our capability to make art. We build entire businesses to serve the needs of others. We toil, we study, we practice, and we perform in the pursuit of passion, because it feels necessary, it feels right.

Once we find something worthy of pursuit—something that lights a fire in our heart and drives us to take action every day—there’s no question remaining. We’re going to do it. And that is a thrilling, liberating experience unlike any other.

The most exciting part? We get to relive that experience over and over again, until the end of our days, as long as we let ourselves do so, because our capacity for passion is endless… because the desires of the entire universe are contained within us… because we are stardust.

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Music Recommendations

Hello again, friend.

Thank you for reading today’s post. I hope you enjoyed the reflection—and I hope it helped you consider what passion(s) drive you to get out of bed in the morning. On to the new music recommendations. Do you have any new releases you already feel passionate about? Share them in the comments!

FYI: Be sure to check out this week’s Label Spotlight section, just below the music lists. There’s some really fun and weird music from our friends at Ingrown Records!

Happy listening.

The Living Music List—Ambient

Note: Most of the below ambient projects are available on Bandcamp, except for #12, which is available on major streaming services. * and bold denotes reader-submitted work—thank you!

1. Floating Ice Dampens Waves by Jaakko Metsäpelto (album / electroacoustic, experimental) [Independent / Bandcamp]*

2. Ultima Materia by Plake 64 & the Hexagrams (album / psybient, experimental [also heavy elements of glitch, noise]) [Ingrown Records / Bandcamp]*

3. \VIDEO//\DRONED// by Black Wick (album / experimental, drone [note: some more electronic, less ambient tracks like the opener, but plenty ambient]) [Ingrown Records / Bandcamp]*

4. September 23rd by William Basinski (album / dark ambient, noise) [Temporary Residence Ltd. / Bandcamp]

5. Atmospherics [30th Anniversary Edition] by James Bernard & bvdub (album / dark ambient, electronica) [Past Inside the Present / Bandcamp]

6. Darkness meets red by Aglaia (album / electroacoustic, dark ambient) [Projekt Records / Bandcamp]

7. I ett annat land by Henrik Meierkord & Knivtid (album / neoclassical, electroacoustic) [whitelabrecs / Bandcamp]

8. reveries by doris dana (album / experimental, dark ambient) [Somewhere Press / Bandcamp]

9. Parallel (Reflection) by Warmth (album / drone) [ARCHIVES / Bandcamp]

10. Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes by kyle bobby dunn (album / drone) [Independent / Bandcamp]

11. Jazz Plates by Perila and Ulla (album / jazz, experimental) [Independent / Bandcamp]

12. Joker: Folie à Deux (Score from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Hildur Guðnadóttir (album / soundtrack) [WaterTower Music]

The Living Music List—All Genres

Note: All of the below projects are available on major streaming services.

1. SOPHIE by SOPHIE (album / electronic)

2. Bloom by Ben Böhmer (album / electronic)

3. Sad Girl by TSHA (album / electronic)

4. Dreamscapes by Eli & Fur (album / electronic)

5. Alone by The Cure (single / alternative)

6. Harlequin by Lady Gaga (album / jazz)

7. Dance, No One’s Watching by Ezra Collective (album / jazz)

8. Call for Winter II: Resonance by Daniel Herskedal (album / jazz)

9. New Arrangements And Duets by Van Morrison (album / jazz)

10. Journey of Han by John Chin (album / jazz)

11. Smitten by Pale Waves (album / alternative)

12. Songs From A Thousand Frames of Mind by Kate Bollinger (album / indie pop)

13. Classical Soul, Vol. 1 by Alexis Ffrench (album / classical crossover)

14. Zinc. by Gallant (album / R&B/soul)

15. MUTT by Leon Thomas (album / R&B/soul)

16. FOR THE BOY IN ME by Dylan Sinclair (album / R&B/soul)

17. Idols & Vices (Vol. 1) by Kimbra (album / R&B/soul)

18. CHARLOTTE by Montell Fish (album / R&B/soul)

19. LSZEE by CloZee & LSDREAM (album / bass)

20. Escapism, Vol. 1 by Levity (album / dance)

21. The Fray Is Back by The Fray (EP / rock)

22. DIVE by almost monday (album / alternative)

23. Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild by Merce Lemon (album / alternative)

24. Another Side of Skinshape by Skinshape (album / indie psych)

25. 13” Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips by Xiu Xiu (album / experimental indie rock)

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Label Spotlight: Ingrown Records

One of my favorite parts of writing this newsletter is getting in touch with owners of small labels like Ryan, who runs the ambient/experimental Ingrown Records. In Ryan’s own words:

I am disabled since birth and lost my job back in 2021, but the label is my greatest mission and life's work. We don't claim ownership or monetization of the music. In fact, we have rejected streaming and licensing outright. We rely almost entirely on word of mouth, radio shows, and music blogs to get the word out. My goal is to get these artists heard by as many people as possible, they deserve it!

I sincerely appreciate Ryan’s dedication and wholeheartedly agree with his last sentiment after hearing a couple of Ingrown’s recent releases, including Ultima Materia by Plake 64 & the Hexagrams and \VIDEO//\DRONED// by Black Wick (both featured in today’s ambient list). Ingrown seems to have a consistent flavor: weird, psychedelic, left-field synth music that oscillates between multiple realms, but primarily rests in the ambient space (this is genre-defying music across the board, though).

Ingrown Records is approaching their fifteenth year of operation, so please consider supporting their work to help them continue to promote their artists. They have a huge back catalog of almost 90 releases ready for listening on Bandcamp, including recent drops like:

• Zone Out Not Fade Away by Anubis Rude

• Sum / mer / cury by tttc

• High Notes by Neverending Audit

• Pool Party by tttc

Keep an eye out for future Ingrown releases on the way from artists like NYC-based MIL KDU DES and North Carolina-based Heaven Topology.

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

Your friend,

Melted Form

Remember to listen to the hum, buzz, & hiss of the world around you—there is music to be heard there.

Read the previous issue of The Living Music List:

The Living Music List #15: On Black Mirrors and the Black Hole

Afterword—Let’s Get In Touch

Are you an artist, a label owner, or a member of the press? Want to share an in-depth feature of your upcoming release, an advertisement, or a guest post for a future Hum, Buzz, & Hiss issue? Get in touch with me at meltedform@gmail.com. As always, I would love to hear and recommend your music, especially if it’s new and ambient/experimental.

Also, you can keep up with me and hear more of the music I’m listening to by following me on Substack Notes. Join our community of music-loving writers and readers discussing the latest releases, old gems, and everything in between.