2025 Overview of Tier 1 Albums - Part 12 of 12: The All-Japan Demo

Coming back around for the second year in a row! Featuring:

LITE - Strata (2024) Sheena Ringo - Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana (2003) Melt-Banana - 3+5 (2024) Kohachiro Minyata - Shakuhachi: The Japanese Bamboo Flute (1991)

And the playlist

2025 Overview of Tier 1 Albums - Part 11 of 12: The Hip Hop Show

A collection of albums from hip-hop, rap, and funk artists, including:

Tyler, the Creator - Chromakopia (2024) The El Michaels Affair and Black Thought - Glorious Game (2023) JayWood - Slingshot (2022) Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded (1987)

And the list...

2025 Overview of Tier 1 Albums: Part 10 of 12 - The Metal Post

This is the post for the metalheads out there, including music from:

Opeth - The Last Will and Testament (2024) The Tongue of Eden - Fallow (2024) Devin Townsend - Powernerd (2024) System of a Down - Toxicity (2001)

The 2025 playlist

2025 Overview of Tier 1 Albums - Part 9 of 12: The Jazz/Ambient Continuum

This post explores the space between "jazz" and "ambient" as idealized genres, including:

Count Basie and Quincy Jones - One More Time (1959) Nala Sinephro - Space 1.8 (2018) Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn - Pigments (2022) Colin Stetson - The Love It Took To Leave You (2024)

And for your listening enrichment:

2025 Overview of Tier 1 Albums: Part 8 of 12 - 80s Adjacent Artists

An interesting collection of albums from and about the 80's (well, mostly); The Cure - Songs of a Lost World (2024) Timecop1983- Night Drive (2018) Clarence Clarity - Vanishing Act II: Ultimate Reality (2024) Missing Persons - Spring Session M (1982)

Current playlist

2025 Overview of Tier 1 Albums: Part 7 of 12 - Prog Stuff

What can I say? I like the prog.

Circe Link & Christian Nesmith - Arcana (2024) Meer - Wheels Within Wheels (2024) Soft Machine - Bundles (1975) Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick (1972)

Glerg.

2025 Overview of Tier 1 Albums: Part 6 of 12 - Deep Listening

Its time for some weirder stuff, including:

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,380 Dead (2024) Nick Millevoi - Digital Reaction (2023) TU-Ner - TU-Ner for Lovers (2024) Magma - Üdü Ẁüdü (1976)

And you know....that thing....