Hi everyone and welcome to our last mixtape of the decade! 

            Sounds important, doesn’t it. Yet, to many people, including me, 1stof January is just another date in the calendar. Although, I have to admit that some aspects of life need to be framed, counted up and summarized in order to move on. Sometimes it feels right to close one chapter and open a new with a clean slate. 

            I’m still in the Christmas mode, though, and it wouldn’t be Christmastime if there weren’t more gifts for you. As promised, the second playlist I have prepared this month contains a ragtag selection of December released latecomers as well as tracks found on the other people’s “the best of” lists (here: MURDER CAPITAL, PECAS, SATEEN, DRY CLEANING). December is usually a blind spot when it comes to music releases; most of the track won’t make it to the end-of-the-year reviews and there’s a chance they won’t get included into following year résumés, either. And as you might have already noticed, I do like to chronicle my music in quite detailed way. 

Speaking of gifts, the Canadian electronic producer extraordinaire, Louis Kevin Celestin aka KAYTRANADA, was another artist this year to release a surprise album. The guest-heavy “BUBBA” features vocal appearances by TINASHE, ESTELLE and PHARELL WILLIAMS among others. Although not a new phenomenon, dropping a surprise album became more frequent in 2019. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Solange, Kanye, Coldplay and DIRTY PROJECTORS managed to keep their plans a secret until the relaase. Music fans have been spoiled to the point that I get slightly irritated when I don’t wake up to the news of the arrival of yet another surprise album by one of my favourite artists. In 2019 anticipation became so passé. Still, there are bands, singers and producers (i.e. TAME IMPALA, M.WARD, CARIBOU, ALICE BOMAN, GRIMES, MOSES SUMNEY, CORNERSHOP) who decided to torture their fans and making them wait another couple of months for more of their music. Elsewhere, MGMT, MAGGIE ROGERS, TYCHO, THE VOIDZ, Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien (as EOB) and HAIM have sent out a little reminder of their existence to the world by dropping one off tracks without a upcoming release in sight. That means more anxious waiting. Thanks, guys.

Around this time of the year musicians also like to “gift” their fans with expanded anniversary editions of their previous LP’s (THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS, NENEH CHERRY), compilations (BURIAL),  remix albums (ST. VINCENT, HOT CHIP, GUSGUS, NIEMOC, METRONOMY, FEVER RAY, JAROMIR KAMINSKI, AM ARCHITECT, SEB WILDBLOOD) or live albums or EP’s (IDLES, ONUKA, COURTNEY BARNETT, THE FLAMING LIPS, JMSN, VULFPECK). You still have to pay for those gifts, mind you. 

            But don’t think of the contents of this playlist as mere leftovers, because there are some serious gems here: LEON BRIDGES/KHRUANGBIN unexcepted duet; new, incredibly timid, single by Julian Casablancas’ other band, THE VOIDZ, co-produced by Mac De Marco; second song by the mysterious Israeli electro hip-hop duo, MEGAPHONIM; or WOJTEK MAZOLEWSKI QUINTET paying tribute to Polish jazz legend, Krzysztof Komeda, on “When Angels Fall”. Hardly a slow season, December is still able to muster really good music. 

Finally, to sum it up in few words, 2019 belonged to the ladies. Led by the amazing BILLIE EILISH, it was the female artists who delivered the most important and creative material this year. Lo-fi style has still been very persistent with both electronic music, especially house, and indie. At least in my yard. Judging by the large amount of material (initially, the long list of my favourite tracks of 2019 accommodated nearly 400 tracks), it has been a very generous year for music fans. I hope most of you felt that way, too.

Here’s the list of my favourite sounds of 2019:

Favourite Albums (random order):

Angel Olsen – All Mirrors (indie, rock; USA)

Sławek Jaskułke – The Son (neoclassical, ambient; Poland)

Jessica Pratt – Quiet Signs (folk, singer-songstress; USA)

Thom Yorke – ANIMA (electronic, indie; UK)

SAULT – 5 (funk, indie; ???)

FONTAINES D.C. – Dogrel (post-punk, indie rock; Ireland)

Rina Mushonga – In A Galaxy (indie, pop; Holland/Zimbabwe)

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen (indie rock, poetry; UK/Australia)

Toro Y Moi – Outer Peace (electronic, pop; USA)

James Blake – Assume Form (electronic; UK)

Ralph Kamiński – Młodość (indie pop; Poland)

Nilufer Yanya – Miss Universe (indie pop; UK)

SASAMI – SASAMI (Indie rock; USA)

Jaromir Kamiński – Powoli (electronic, Poland)

Hot Chip – A Bath Full of Ecstasy (electronic, dance; UK) 

Beth Gibbons & The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra - Henryk Górecki: Symphony No. 3 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs) (classical, UK/Poland);

 Favourite Pop Tune: Mark Ronson feat Lykke Li – Late Nite Feeling;

Favourite Irish Track: Mount Alaska - Lunar,

Favourite Polish Track: Mery Spolsky – Bigotka,

Favourite Indie Track: Richard Dawson – Jogging,

Best Dance Track: The Chemical Brothers - Eve of Destruction,

Best Remix: Luke Slater – Love (Burial Remix);

As I raise my glass for the last time in 2019, here’s to more great music in 2020, to amazing concerts and inspiring moments in arts and life in general. My new year’s resolutions include to eat healthy, read more, exercise more and listen to more hip-hop. 

I will catch you next month, year, decade.

Piotrek