The 2020 holiday season will be a bit different than the last ones, a bit more lonely maybe for many of us or at least a bit more intimate. And maybe that's not the worst thing to happen in order to return to the core of the Christmas spirit. As always music can be a helpful ally in a time of despair and that's why we stocked up our moody festive playlist with great songs by some of your and our favourite artists. May this selection help you to get through this bleak winter time.
The debut record by the singer and producer Sabrina Bellaouel explores her Algerian-French identity, and crafts personal memories into emotive songs. From euphoric pop to heavy techno-inspired house, singer-songwriter meets electronic distortion, "Al Hadr" is a chameleon of a record. This week, Sabrina shares insight into her influences and the formative aesthetic of Algerian music.
It is not hard to imagine French indie pop darlings Phoenix sitting in a room together. Ideas bubbling. Song sketches effortlessly turning into a bigger picture and the four longtime friends and (soul) brothers spending hours getting lost in the joy of playing music together. All while their music is doing the talking and a subconscious understanding kicks in. With their seventh album to date, Phoenix have returned with a refined and charming sound on "Alpha Zulu". A conversation about the value and stimulating effect of art, the privilege of recording inside a museum and the most rewarding moments of making music together after over two decades.
