In Heavy Rotation (2025)

17 February 2026

In my slow, ongoing process of attempting to cultivate this as a space for more free-form, less-refined, work-in-progress thoughts / ideas / experiments, here is a list of a few records I enjoyed listening to in 2025, in alphabetical order. This list is mostly an excuse for me to finally play around with three.js, and React Three Fiber.

(click on each record for a fun little surprise!)

Blawan: SickElixir

I first heard of Blawan via Hessle Audio and the very fun Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage? in 2014. While the music he's put out since has been fun, hectic and just straight up unique: this album is uniquely relentless, abrasive, and very much not a dance music record. If his music speaks to you, this interview he did with Zane Lowe on the album is well worth your time.

Blood Incantation: Absolute Elsewhere

Since the mid 2010s, I've been (mostly) checked out of newer metal releases (except for Meshuggah, obviously), but Absolute Elsewhere pulled me right back in. The Message [Tablet II] that wouldn't feel out of place on a Pink Floyd record, and The Stargate [Tablet II] could slot into an Opeth album without raising an eyebrow. Paul Riedl, the lead singer and guitarist of the band described it as "70s prog album played by a 90s death metal band from the future", which sums it up better than I could.

Deftones: private music

Your favorite band's favorite band were at it again in 2025. I don't know if reuniting with the producer behind Diamond Eyes and Koi No Yokan was what did it, but private music is an absolute treat to listen to. The riffs are just the right amount of weighty, and Chino's vocal range is on full display. Keeps getting better with every listen.

Sofia Kourtesis: Volver

Volver (named after Almodóvar's 2006 film) is a strong follow-up to the deeply personal Madres. It carries the same intimacy—personal and cultural—while remaining deeply political: the album dedicated to the LGBT+ community and specifically trans women. And yet, it's bouncy, fun, and unapologetic about being a dance record. Unidos, featuring Daphni(/Caribou), is a reliable feel-good heater, and Corazón is warm and fuzzy like La Perla, but puts Kourtesis's vocals front and center: louder, clearer, more self-assured.

Turnstile: NEVER ENOUGH

There's so much to love about Turnstile: they've got a relentless, positive, community-first energy that feels rare for a hardcore band. While NEVER ENOUGH may not be my favorite Turnstile record after having gone through their back catalogue, it is the record that I stumbled into, and I'm so glad that I did. And as someone that flew back out to LA to watch Shabaka perform Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders' Promises in full, his guest appearance on Sunshower was a nice surprise.

Made in Brooklyn, New York.

Last updated July 28, 2026.