Chromesthesia on Freeform Portland

Chromesthesia on Freeform Portland Former (and future?) Freeform Portland radio show. Archived episodes: https://www.mixcloud.com/DJAnsible/

A globe-trotting, genre-hopping, multi-lingual exploration of indie rock, post-punk, power pop, dream-pop, shoegaze, garage rock, experimental, industrial, psychedelic, rap, folk, outlaw country, jazz, R&B, soul, funk, classical, Yé-Yé, Tropicália, MPB, Afrobeat, and more.

Remember when new albums used to drop on Tuesdays? I think they made the change because people were pirating Kanye West ...
03/19/2025

Remember when new albums used to drop on Tuesdays? I think they made the change because people were pirating Kanye West or something? Maybe because of Black Friday? Payday? All of the above? I don't know how I feel about it. Actually, I feel a little rushed. New albums now come out on Friday and singles/EPs seem to trickle in throughout the rest of the week. Sometimes an album comes out on another day. I don't remember how many songs, albums, hours, and minutes worth of music came out last Friday that piqued my interest but I've already skimmed through what I added to my playlist to screen. My favorites so far:

Boogarins: "Boogarins on Audiotree Live"

https://open.spotify.com/album/6c7teFBFk7xzlhfTyVLPpk?si=82eptayqTMm9mpqXosgCrA

I saw them in Portland fairly recently at the Star Theater. Great Brazilian group with a bit of a psychedelic influence.

(Богемный) Люфт: Второй прощальный концерт в клубе "Бездна" - EP

Russian post-punk / no wave. I think their name translates to Bohemians but perhaps one of my Russian-speaking friends can correct me? They remind me of X-Ray Spex much of the time.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5KP0lNCsmVPgqnNuoDO5xO?si=XDr635aRRbOl9AljeA2Ypw

One of their older singles has a cover photo that looks like my cat Hampton (RIP) and features purring sounds behind sexy sax and bass lines, with the singer pulling more of a chanteuse schtick than channeling Poly Styrene. The B-side to that begins and ends with a cat growling and is funkier, like a 70s Blaxploitation soundtrack.

https://open.spotify.com/album/01yWF6lJndOenv08offcQM?si=zm4yuAXFTaatRB8RzZ1Ylw

I need to listen to the rest of their back catalog. I don't know how I stumbled upon them. I thought it was Bandcamp but I can't find them there now.

Ezra Furman: "Jump Out"

From their forthcoming album:

https://ezrafurman.bandcamp.com/album/goodbye-small-head

https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/6hBXDmcyrsLeTcSxzqNNc3?si=a532670a78884ff4

Beirut: "Tuanaki Atoll"

The usual France meets Eastern European folkiness from their forthcoming album:

https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/2Vxa18QIKSw8EdnC9of0oY?si=b79946c7ef2f4110

Francoise Hardy: "La question"

Not new but new to me. I've intended to listen to this for some time now. I love plenty of Françoise Hardy songs and had this album in a playlist of things to catch up on. I was prompted to dive in sooner by a review in Pitchfork.

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/francoise-hardy-la-question/

Bossa nova meets yeyé? Yes yes.

https://open.spotify.com/album/42FkWEwDRihRWbsOdZmLSn?si=QNkLtgRZR0-QQ3NxJKPa-w

I think everything Scratch Acid ever released just got reissued. They're pretty great if you like The Jesus Lizard, Big Black, and other post-hardcore noise rock stuff.

https://scratchacid.bandcamp.com

https://open.spotify.com/artist/219VCiRViG60EbPiocSWJp?si=k7m5ioSvSDiWOxS84-UUeQ

Here's an okay cover of The Velvet Underground's "I'll Be Your Mirror" by a dream pop band from Kyoto called AmovingmoviE. I wasn't that into the rest of their latest EP but might revisit it or check out their earlier stuff.

https://sangorecords.bandcamp.com/track/ill-be-your-mirror-the-velvet-underground-cover

https://open.spotify.com/album/5xhzMS9XIgHXhhb3ftS2H2?si=ELG-nFCfR3WXOniAQuPmjg

Throwing Muses: "Moonlight Concessions"

I saw Kristin Hersh perform for the Live Wire radio show recently and got to briefly chat with her after. She was very nice and I've been looking forward to this album since. In the meantime, she released a solo EP, Clear Pond Sessions, which I wasn't that into. Something about her voice just suits rock better than acoustic sing-songwriter stuff, for me anyway.

https://throwingmuses.bandcamp.com/album/moonlight-concessions

https://open.spotify.com/album/2ftAcFZMDD89fpNo89ZkG6?si=WGloOFE7QGOA9ijZlYuM3A

Anoushka Shankar: "Chapter III: We Return to Light EP"

Daughter of Ravi. The third in a series of EPs. I don't know if the previous two didn't impress me or if I overlooked them, so I'm going to circle back and catch up or remind myself. I dug this though.

https://anoushkashankar.bandcamp.com/album/chapter-iii-we-return-to-light

https://open.spotify.com/album/10y2phPg1DNcq2YALjzABR?si=tvUhJjvERAuafo-km2z21A

Gang of Four reissued their 1995 album "Shrinkwrapped"

https://gangoffour.bandcamp.com/album/shrinkwrapped-2025-remaster

It sounds a little tinny to me. I'm not that into guitarist Andy Gill's production choices this outing. I kind of like that singer Joe King croons a bit on it but he's pretty buried in the mix. On the whole, I'm not that into it, but I do like the song "I Parade Myself:"

https://open.spotify.com/track/6EKina1KclL4Muu6GNP6zJ?si=d9e5430a29aa4b89

I also saw Portland band Glitterfox at a Live Wire taping. I want to like them more than I do and can't explain offhand why I'm underwhelmed by them. I'll give them more chances and I'm glad I did this time because their new EP, "Highway Forever," closes with a pretty cool song sung in Basque:

https://open.spotify.com/track/4VShBZDVlmUM0G3mu1P0UI?si=cdb4129523084af3

https://glitterfoxband.bandcamp.com/album/highway-forever

Attaca Quartet released an album of Ravel's String Quartet in F Major. I can't tell you if it's especially noteworthy but I enjoyed it well enough.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1bg69IvoHOmsn6Rcne0tKG?si=2hgPLl3qSo6O8rjsNgiIDA

Phantasm released yet another recording of Bach's "The Art of the Fugue." I keep telling myself I'm not going to bother with such things anymore because there are already so many excellent recordings already but you could do worse if it's new to you:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0PgmKsuZrqjDxfwov6jYWb?si=yQrKnDBwQSmFzsdEoU3lrQ

Similarly, Grace Park put out a recording of "Works for Violin & Orchestra" by Dvořák and Mozart. If I'd only seen the title, I probably would have passed, but I'm a sucker for works arranged for alternate instruments and the second Dvořak piece was not originally composed for violin and orchestra:

https://open.spotify.com/album/4RRRHqclcqUkFEmAv2TJpl?si=zdWPHNFZQHKfTXguKYwAmA

The only jazz release that jumped out at me is a sort of classical hybrid. I assume there's a full-length album coming out eventually but so far it's just two track by pianist Stefano Bollani, who I know I like and is how I came across this, with pianist Iiro Rantala, who I haven't heard before. I'm usually averse to piano duos or works for four hands, as they are too busy for me, but I liked this single, which is the intro to the Verdi opera La Traviata:

https://open.spotify.com/album/3zjL4thP3SpGNWoxiHDWvq?si=fX-oftzuSPSlqPrRFOUGIg

Esther Rose has a new album coming out on May 2 called "Want." I think I like the first two singles off of it but suspect they won't hold up to repeated listenings. We'll see:

https://estherrosemusic.bandcamp.com/album/want

https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/1RpHMoFe2YFonTcJnQdXd8?si=a7ead47f952f474f

Mamalarky's album "Hex Key" comes out on April 11. They're hit and miss for me depending on how much tolerance I have for the vocals but I like what I've heard of it so far:

https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/0srXbkubl8nv0MZZkSn7Cy?si=1d76db20fe4440c1

https://mamalarky.bandcamp.com/album/hex-key

I'm not sure how I found Portuguese artist Jasmim, which is annoying, because it was just earlier today. I like his two most recent singles though:

https://open.spotify.com/album/57GZvCemPWlUgrSyGxYveD?si=BzV53fTgT9-CAwycFNwqyg

I really like "Myself to You," the new album by Portland's Sunbathe. It's got a Laurel Canyon country-rock vibe, with more fuzzy jangling than twang, which is right up my alley. Pretty vocals too.

https://thisissunbathe.bandcamp.com/album/myself-to-you

I like 4 songs from "Gaman," the debut album by Bay Area band Star 99. They're maybe a bit too pop-punk or emo for me sometimes and, predictably, some dude sings instead of a woman every now and then and f***s things up. That's all too common in emo. See: Rainer Maria. Anyway, I don't know how well the 4 songs I liked so far will hold up. Maybe others will grow on me. The lyrics either seemed clever or trite, so I fear they'll wear out their welcome. Maybe you'll be more into them:

https://open.spotify.com/album/2yKtncNYgsI6U62w243r9i?si=K1ZedmzaQaWI58GgX1TAig

https://star99.bandcamp.com/album/gaman

I think I've saved the best for last. Sunbathe might have earned a draw but I'm biased because I already know and love Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek. Their new album "Yarın Yoksa" combines Anatolian folk with psychedelic soul:

https://deryayildirimandgrupsimsek.bandcamp.com/album/yar-n-yoksa

https://open.spotify.com/album/5l7ypUMco5BLsIYBjIYWay?si=YMNTeDhsRnWCha1vSEXEBA

I'm going to re-listen to a couple of new songs by El Michaels Affair but they're instrumental and I'm not as into that as when Piya Malik from Say Sue Me sings for them (incidentally, I'm not as into Piya Malik when she sings for Say Sue Me). There will probably be some more things that come out between now and Friday, so I could add to this, but this is what I've been digging so far this week.

Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek · Album · 2025 · 11 songs

03/13/2025

I've worked my way through all of the new music releases from March 7th and those I've added since, up until now.

The original working playlist totaled 1,121 songs, 82 hours and 34 minutes long.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1MGoaTJqUcxJMJxLNDHVi5?si=7b317f84f4294fa9

I definitely did not listen to every second of this. There was some duplication from previous weeks, as earlier songs were appended to the new singles from forthcoming albums. I ignored those or listened to them again if I enjoyed them or was trying to give them a second chance.

I first listened to singles (sometimes standalone tracks, otherwise early samples from forthcoming albums), and skimmed classical and jazz releases, deleting what I didn't like, moving what I enjoyed into a playlist of things to listen to in their entirety, and moving some other things into a Second Chance Pile Playlist to revisit when I'm in a different mood, maybe. I trust my first pass at things more and more, and I don't have much time to second guess myself. The Second Chance Pile also includes stragglers, songs that didn't impress me from albums I otherwise liked. Maybe I just wasn't feeling them yet but these can end up being tie-breakers when I'm compiling my year end lists of favorites.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2zuv2oAmdiDEDoNHyzuCU8?si=f86b6ba533d8465c

Next, I listened to artists I wasn't familiar with at all, again deleting what I didn't like and moving other things into appropriate playlists. Then, I listened to new albums by artists I know I like or things that made a good first impression on me based on earlier singles. Lastly, I listened to those classical and jazz albums that made a good impression when I skimmed them all the way through. From this I ended up with a playlist of things that I like, released since March 7, that is 326 songs, 27 hours and 13 minutes long. 237 songs, 22 hours and 34 minutes, was classical or jazz music. You can see how I haven't had time yet to listen to much of anything more than once, especially as closely as I'd like. I don't normally listen and organize this self-consciously or save weekly or monthly playlists, but I wanted to share my process.

When I did my radio show, I spent a fair amount of time, especially the night before, picking out singles or one song from each album, then narrowing things down to a playlist usually between 1 hour and 35 to 1 hour and 50 minutes long, which allowed me time to talk between songs. I would also have a few alternates in case my timing was off and always ended my show with a song that could be faded out as the next DJ went live. I set rules for myself to try to play songs from different genres, in different languages, with a representation of male and female musicians, especially vocalists.

I'll put lists of singles, albums, and anthologies/reissues that I most enjoyed this past week in the comments. Here's a Spotify playlist of them:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4TqM97GavlI4bsiOTDOXEi?si=9d1b2a181ccc4aa5

Old but new to me. Found via comments in New Bands for Old Heads. https://meandtimory.substack.comhttps://youtu.be/QW0i1...
03/09/2025

Old but new to me. Found via comments in New Bands for Old Heads. https://meandtimory.substack.com

https://youtu.be/QW0i1U4u0KE

instagram.com/bandamaisbonitaMúsica de Leo Fressato.pré-produção & conceito: Cassiana MaranhaUyara TorrenteVinícius Nisi direção: Vinícius Nisifotografia:And...

I'm going to try to stay more on top of sharing the music I'm enjoying as I listen, rather than waiting to make end of t...
03/04/2025

I'm going to try to stay more on top of sharing the music I'm enjoying as I listen, rather than waiting to make end of the year playlists. This will probably be weekly at the quickest but maybe I'll share something in the moment if I'm especially excited about it. Someday, maybe I'll try to put this kind of thing on another platform. I have a Substack I'm not posting on because I'm not committed to it yet and haven't organized it or anything. For now, here's what came out in February that I most enjoyed:

Shannon Wright: Reservoir of Love
Denison Witmer: Anything at All
Robert Ascroft: Echo Still Remains
Art d’Ecco: Serene Demon
Deep Sea Diver: Billboard Heart
Doves: Constellations for the Lonely
Squid: Cowards
Cloakroom: Last Leg of the Human Table
Horsegirl: Phonetics On and On
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
Guided by Voices: Universe Room

Jazz:
James Brandon Lewis: Apple Cores
ARTEMIS: ARBORESQUE
Yazz Ahmed: A Paradise in the Hold
Billy Hart Quartet: Just
Petros Klampanis: Latent Info
John Patitucci: Spirit Fall
Sullivan Fortner: Southern Nights
Alex Koo: Blame It On My Chromosomes
Tomer Cohen: Story of a Traveler

Classical:
Timothy Rideout: Telemann - Bach - Britten - Shaw
Tchaikovsky: Suite No 3 and Variations on a Rococo Theme
Mendelssohn: Goldman Quartet
Rossini: Sonatas A Quattro
Scriabin: Complete Piano Sonatas
Lilit Griyorgan: Sonata Facile
Clara Schumann: Un destin romantique
Alexey Shor: Composer’s Notebook
Hyun Mi Kim: Illumination
Norwegian Chamber Orchestra: Shostakovich, Strauss, Biber
Australian Chamber Orchestra: Tchaikovsky/ Shostakovich
Dudok Quartet Amsterdam: Tchaikovsky String Quartets
Marin Marais: Sonnerie
Maurizio Baglini: Heroica
Aurélien Pontier: Piano Arabesques
Maria Deuńas: Paganini: 24 Caprices
Novus Quartet: Brahms: The Complete String Quartets
Danbi Um & Juho Pohjonen: Poème Mystique
Tim Allhoff: BACH
Lapland Chamber Orchestra: Fagerland: Autumn Equinox
Charles RIchard-Hamelin: Échos
Claudio Cruz & Olga Kopylova: Mozart Sonatos for Piano and Violin, Vol 3
Quatuour Strada: R. Schumann Collection - String Quartets and Piano Quintet

Compilations:

Strata-East: The Legacy Begins
Barnyard Beehive

EPs:

Letting Up Despite Great Faults: Forgotten, Vol. 2
Taleen Kali: Covers
Kathleen Edwards: Only Lie Worth Telling
Porridge Radio: The Machine Starts to Sing
Sunbathe: Running Wild��Anthologies & Reissues:
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: Perfect Right Now: A Slumberland Collection 2008-2010
Wilco: A Ghost is Born: Expanded Edition
Sabrina Carpenter: Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe)

Singles: ��Derya Yıldırım: Ceylan
Nusantara Beat: Sifat Manusia
Caleb Nichols: Love Lies
Gabriel Ventura: Fogos
Brave Boy: Pelican Child
The WAEVE: Love Is All Pain�Mamalarky: #1 Best of All Time
Sharp Pins: With a Girl Like Mine
The KVB: Black is Black
Sababa 5, Sophia Solomon: Ranjha�My Raining Stars: Stop the Time
Bananagun: Day by Day
Free Range: Storm
SACRED PAWS: Turn Me Down
Jeremy Bradley Earl, Woods: Let the Snow Fall�Miki Berenyi Trio: Big I Am
Attention Bird Utopia: Infinity Inside a Shopping Cart
Black Country, New Road: Happy Birthday�Fib: Mutuals �Deerhoof: Sparrow Sparrow
Deradoorian: Set Me Free
Chapterhouse: Imaginary Covers / Lady Godivas Operation

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1w5AmAdkfziCHCVOjWR8MP?si=139ec7f2ab2443ff

Playlist · Nick · 654 items · 2 saves

Drum & Bass / Jungle are pretty much where EDM begins and ends for my particular tastes. I was friends with genre DJs ba...
02/21/2025

Drum & Bass / Jungle are pretty much where EDM begins and ends for my particular tastes. I was friends with genre DJs back in the day and those were my only occasions to "rave." I haven't kept up with any of it in years, aside from the ocassional Squarepusher release. I need my EMD cut with jazz, bossa nova, or some other instruments and melodies, for the rhythms to be less predictable and monotonous, and for the beeps, boops, and such to be just the right tones, frequencies, and intervals, if not absent entirley. Just my preferences, not judgments, which I'm not qualified to make. Generally, across genres, my tendency is to like music you can dance to rather than music made specifically for dancing.

Mantra and Double O’s Rupture is a vital force, bridging eras and pushing the sound forward.

Good Looks
02/16/2025

Good Looks

Address

1001 SE Morrison St
Portland, OR
97214

Opening Hours

10pm - 12am

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Chromesthesia on Freeform Portland posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Chromesthesia on Freeform Portland:

Shortcuts

Share

Category