March 2021

Below are some albums, mixes, articles and books that I enjoyed in March. I also had some thoughts on each one.

These are my six favourite albums I’ve listened to in month of March. I wrote some initial thoughts on each one if you’re interested.

These are my favorite mixes I’ve listened to in March, as well as some thoughts on each one.

Teki Latex Boiler Room Paris

Listened to quite a bit of Teki Latex in the month of March, I love the way he mixes and his energy. He has such sick wide-ranging selections and works them so well. I chose this one because it gets me hype, but some of my other favourites are his Bérite Club Music and Dekmantel Podcast. I’d also recommend his art of DJing feature which gives more of an insight into his mixing.

Special Request DJ-Kicks

This is one of my favourite DJ-Kicks ever, I’m in love with it. Woolford traverses through a range of genres, showcasing new tracks and remixes in the process. Every track goes hard and takes you on a journey through a variety of emotions, you really need to have a listen!

Sounds Like A Good Mixtape - Danny Goliger

This is probably the mix I’ve listened to most this month, it’s something I put on anytime I need something to listen to. It’s such a feel good mix, which gives off nostalgic but hopeful vibes, so it gets me very excited for summer. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re in need of something to lift the mood.

Warp Tapes 89-93 Pt. 1 - Autechre

It’s always quite hard to navigate through Autechre’s relatively recent work, but I have a lot of love for their first few albums. This mix embodies a lot of that sound which is just unbelievably good as you can imagine. Sean and Rob are geniuses and this mix showcases some of their insane output. I think this was initially broadcast on NTS and is available to download for free here.

001 ❉ Nostalgic ❉ Purple ❉ DJ Voices - Myriad

This is the first episode of Myriad’s nostalgic series, which is such an amazing mix from DJ Voices. It's an array of high tempo, genre-bending tracks which will leave you wanting more. Take 90 minutes out of your day and enter the universe of DJ Voices.

030: Viridian

Managed to produce five mixes this month, which I think is the most I’ve done in that time period. Anyway, this was my favourite from that set of mixes. If you were wondering, viridian is a blue-green pigment and here’s the hex code if you want the specific colour: #40826D.

These are my five favourite articles from the month with a few thoughts on each one.

1.
Highlights From The Comments On Class

This article is based on Astral Codex Ten’s book review on Paul Fussell’s ‘Class’, which I’d recommend because it gives context to this post, but you don’t really need to read it to understand what’s going on. There really is a great comment section on Codex Ten blog posts and this is just a fascinating look into their experiences with the topics explored in the book. This ranges from people in the upper-class that Fussell distinguishes, through to confusion about the hierarchy of flowers. It’s a really good read and insightful to see the comparisons with how class has changed (or not changed) since Fussell’s observations.

2.
How to end stagnation?

The Roots of Progress is a really good blog dedicated to the story of human progress. The posts focus on different aspects of progress and are very insightful. This one on stagnation reminds me a lot of the ideas presented in The Beginning of Infinity and The Singularity Is Near and gives ideas about the causes of progress, and hypotheses for technological stagnation. There’s also further ideas about how to inspire people to pursue progress, both culturally and financially.

3.
Violence and the Sacred: College as an incubator of Girardian terror

It’s hard to beat a good, well-written piece about Girard’s ideas and even better when it’s tied into education. This essay focuses on the ways in which college/university is a perfect incubator for mimetic contagion. The main argument states that prior to university most 18 year olds aren’t that differentiated however once in this environment ‘they get socialised into group environments that usually continue to operate in zero-sum competitive dynamics’.

Wang goes on to state that ‘the lack of external mediation explains why objects of desire on campus can be seen to have such high net worth...and why certain leadership positions on campus are heavily fought over, even though they don’t seem to have much influence. He also covers issues related to this contagion in later life and future careers.

I think this applies more to American universities because going to university in the UK I didn’t really feel any of the competitive aspects, and if there was I felt detached from that because I find it quite cringe. However, I think it shows itself most prominently within business/economics/finance degrees where competition to get to the best internships or to show them off is quite significant and there’s definitely a circle jerk in those subjects and societies.

Wang covers a lot more details about the university system, so I’d recommend having a read and seeing how it relates (or doesn’t relate) to your own experience.

4.
Rei Kawakubo on Anger, Passion and Dissonance

It’s obviously rare to get an interview with Rei Kawakubo, so it’s always a blessing when there is one. She always has an interesting perspective on things and that’s most prominently displayed through her work. In this interview she talks about her experience working through lockdown and aspects of her personal philosophy. It’s always nice to get a more human insight into someone who is so revered.  

5.
What is it like to be a philosopher? - Agnes Callard

This is just a long enjoyable interview with Agnes Callard, whose book, Aspiration, I have on my reading list. It basically just goes through her upbringing, interests and general philosophy chat.

These are the books that I read this month, of which I wrote a few thoughts on if you’re interested.