Infinite Essence ∞
Infinite Essence ∞
Shuffle Sundays #46 • Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Caetano Veloso, Imminence, Placebo, Korn, Rosalía, The Weeknd, Mikael Owunna, & more!
Hello and welcome to Shuffle Sundays, a weekly newsletter with music recommendations to help you find your next obsession.
This week we’re listening to an instrumental jazz album that is pure joy, watching new videos from a Brazilian legend and a Swedish metalcore band, feeling inspired by mesmerizing portrait photography, checking out some new music released this past week, and more. Enjoy the read!
🎧 Soundtrack: Radiohead - Kid A Mnesia
💽 » Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Jazz
jazz, instrumental, acoustic guitar • 3 songs • 20 minutes
Rodrigo Y Gabriela are a Mexican acoustic guitar duo famous for mixing flamenco into many other genres of music, from pop to heavy metal1. Jazz, released back in May of 2021, is their latest EP and it’s packed with powerful songs, even if in a short number. But 3 songs, spanning a little over 20 minutes, can be just the perfect introduction to their music if you’re not yet familiar with the duo. The EP opens with Lingus, a cover from the also incredible fusion band Snarky Puppy2, and its almost 9 minutes of pure experimentation joy. Then we switch gears to Oblivion, which features guitars from Spanish virtuoso Vicente Amigo, bringing a much welcomed Latin flavor to the mix. Street Fighter Mas, which closes the short album, has Rodrigo playing an electric guitar for a change, while Gabriela continues to master the acoustic instrument. Because it’s such a short record, don’t be surprised if you catch yourself listening to it multiple times in a row, at least that’s what happens to me every time I revisit this inspiring work.
Listen on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
📺 » Caetano Veloso - Anjos Tronchos
Remember how obsessed I am when music videos establish some sort of dialogue with the album art of the record that specific song came from? Here’s my newest addition to the ongoing list! Anjos Tronchos is the first single (and music video) from Caetano Veloso’s 35th studio album Meu Coco. The video, as well as the album cover, sees Caetano surrounded by multiple mirrors, creating a series of interesting (and lots of times surprising) sequences full of reflections while he sings the song. It’s so incredible to see an artist not only continuing to be relevant but still making music as good as in his prime years. Long live!
Watch the video on YouTube
📺 » Imminence - Chasing Shadows & Alleviate
And speaking of obsessions, here’s another metalcore band that has gotten me completely hyped for their upcoming album. Imminence is a Swedish band formed in 2009 that is getting a lot of attention recently for unusually adding violin to their heavy sounds. Not that adding strings to a heavy metal arrangement is anything new or original, but there’s something in the way that Imminence does it that makes it very refreshing. Chasing Shadows & Alleviate is a double-feature single, and will both integrate their upcoming record, Heaven in Hiding, out on November 26th. I just can’t wait!
Watch the video on YouTube
🔀 » Shuffle News
• Soon after releasing Beautiful James, Placebo is back with not only another single, but also an album announcement! Surrounded By Spies is the second single out from their upcoming Never Let Me Go, scheduled for March of 2022.
• Nu-metal veterans of Korn are back with a brand new single called Start The Healing, as part of their upcoming album Requiem, scheduled for February of 2022.
• Rosalía, one of the most interesting names in pop music nowadays3, joined forces with The Weeknd one more time for her new single La Fama, which opens the path for her news album, still to be announced:
⚡️ » Visual Inspiration
Mikael Owunna is a queer Nigerian American multi-media artist exploring the intersections of visual media with engineering, optics, Blackness, and African cosmologies. Check out his website or Instagram for more. Here are some favorites from his series Infinite Essence:
🎶 » New Music
This week’s new albums I'm particularly interested in checking out:
Castello Branco - Niska: Uma Mensagem para Os Tempos de Emergência (Spotify | Apple)
Courtney Barnett - Things Take Time, Take Time (Spotify | Apple)
Damon Albarn - The Nearer The Fountain, More The Stream Flows (Spotify | Apple)
Also, new singles from Tiago Iorc, Dashboard Confessional, Bonobo, and many more. If you’re curious to hear some of these songs and more, make sure to follow my 2021 playlist on Spotify, updated weekly with new releases:
👋🏼 See you next Sunday!
My name is Leo Mascaro and you are receiving this email because you signed up for Shuffle Sundays, a weekly publication that aims to bring music recommendations for people who feel overwhelmed with so much content out there, helping you find your next favorite artist, album, genre, and more. If this email was forwarded to you, subscribe using the box below:
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thanks to Ciyadh Wells for pointing me in their direction!
you’re seriously sleeping on it if you’ve never listened to her music… do yourself a favor and go listen to El Mal Querer right now!