Halftime: June 2025
Welcome to Halftime, June 2025 edition! Bro the Sun can’t be deadass with this heat. I hope you’re all staying cool and hydrated. Let these picks accompany your crusade against this blistering heat.
Sandy B - Amajovi Jovi (1994)
Post-apartheid South African club/house that was inspired by Snoop Dogg and G-funk. The kwaito synthlines are so juicy it makes you want one of those chilled 40s from “Gin and Juice”.
RIYL: Mr. Fingers, Dee-Lite, DJ Quik, Penny Penny
A Brief History of Variation and Development in Ethiopian Music (1961-1980)
Made for Norwegian Radio Nova, this is a miraculous collection of mid-century Ethiopian music in its various forms. Gospel tunes, house bands, celebratory jaunts, orchestras, it’s life-affirming music, the kind of stuff that makes you want to travel back in time to 70s Addis Ababa.
RIYL: Alemayehu Eshete, Eritrean Orthodox, gamelan, Ethio-jazz
Ekaterina Yakovleva - Pozovi Menya v Noch (1991)
Great cheesy Soviet pop. Not going to pretend like I know any Cyrillic, but it’s dope to hear how the language translates the bombastic American singing style. Very sharp intonations, with that trademark Russian scratchiness in her voice. It’s some fun stuff.
RIYL: Cyndi Lauper, Pet Shop Boys, Paula Abdul, Laura Branigan
3dl – From Still To The Birth (1987)
Pardon me for being “Thing, Japan” again, but what else can you say about avant 80s Japan other than Holy Shit. Eiji Yoshizawa does wonders with an NEC sound chip, flitting between art-pop, wacked-out Muzak, and weird remedial hip-hop…? It’s a true hidden gem.
RIYL: Yapoos, Ramellezee, Haroumi Hosono, Russ Freeman
BURQA BOYZ - أسلحة ضخ جاف حدب (ARMS PUMPING / DRY HUMPING) (2017)
Look past the annoying irony name and get into this bumping Baltimore club/ghettotech hybrid. Regardless if this is actually Libyan-based or native internet brainrot, it’s a hella good time.
RIYL: DJ Assault, DJ Technics, Bitch Ass Darius, Limp Pumpo
CECIL - 夏時計 (Summer Clock) (2002)
Flowery summer Shibuya-kei meant for daydreaming about crushes or laying about in the sun.
RIYL: Kahimi Karie, Lamp, Perfume, Citrus
River Master – The Angler's Dream (2023)
An original batch of tunes made from fishing games themselves, it’s both curationally astute and slides neatly into the type of vaporwave evoking hyper-specific niches like SimCity or Microsoft Flight Simulator.
RIYL: Prismcorp Virtual Enterprises, Tetris CD-i, Aquazone, the creek
Datavis - Ethics (2012)
One of the most underrated projects from the internet’s most underrated producer, Robin Burnett, Ethics is deep, wistful drone that pokes and probes amidst crackling soundscapes. Both easy to zone out to and to lock in with.
RIYL: Infinite Body, Tim Hecker, Andy Stott, Laurel Halo
Pablo Gad - Hard Times (1980)
Classic dub reggae from an underrated Roots legend. I know I got weed smokers who follow me, spark up to this hoe.
RIYL: Bunny & the Wailers, Peter Tosh, Freddie MacGregor, Fred Locks
Thanks for reading! If you ever want to throw me some funds, Ko-fi is below. Love you all.