Kat Says: “I Think Music Peaked in the Late '70s and We’re Still Living in That Shadow.”
Let me explain, but let me also talk about 'Dawn FM' and drop some seriously fire flavor in your ear.
Hey Friends :)
It’s one of my goals for this new year (and I guess the rest of my life in general) to wake up at a pretty early hour. My idea of a pretty early hour is 6 or 6:30 a.m. This idea would make most people who know me audibly guffaw, because this goes against most every natural inclination of my body and personality, but I’ve found I’m happier when I’ve had a nice morning before digging into the day’s work.
My Alexa alarm went off this morning at 6:30, and as I was busy not immediately falling back to sleep, it occurred to me that the sun had not yet risen—and that made it the perfect time to listen to The Weeknd’s new album, Dawn FM.
I assume most people have heard it by now, but if you haven’t, I definitely recommend. It’s a dark, neon, goth-laced synth-pop exploration of the universal fear of death and love. It flows together perfectly. Jim Carrey is instantly iconic as the chummy radio host who poetically lures you to release your grip on life.
I don’t think it’s immediately the smartest or most impressive or important album, but it is incredibly entertaining, thought-provoking, funny and worthy of attention. It’s complex and intriguing, very well produced, and manages to synthesize a wide variety of influences while providing something pretty stand-out and fresh. The Weeknd has definitely won his place as one of the most interesting conceptual artists of the modern age. I’m particularly fond of “Every Angel is Terrifying.” What a good ride.
The sun rose, and I was obviously excited when I saw The Weeknd had released a music video for “Sacrifice.” Actually, it featured Swedish House Mafia, so I assumed it was the song they made together called “Moth to a Flame,” but it wasn’t. The video is cool, but it just made me think of the dance sequence at the beginning of Gaspar Noe’s film Climax (which if you haven’t seen is definitely just a fun movie about a French dance troupe having a party and won’t completely horrify and leave you feeling broken inside—you can trust me).
After finishing the “Sacrifice” video, I watched the Climax scene on YouTube, and I just sat there being AMAZED at Cerrone’s song “Supernature,” which is the song they’re dancing to. I googled it, and that song was released in 1977! It sounds like it could have been a bloghouse classic!
This thought sent me down a spiral where I became utterly CONVINCED that all of music peaked in the last five years of the ‘70s. While I admit enthusiastically that music has evolved and grown and been generally amazing since then, I don’t think there have been radical moments of exponential change or innovation.
Look, the late ‘70s gave us: disco, prog rock, funk, punk and hip-hop. There was even a minimal movement and some kind of extra jazzy jazz things going on. Even wilder, all of this was happening in New York City! Literally what the fuck else is there?
My smart friend Jeff commented on Twitter to me that hip-hop didn’t hit its big wave until the late ‘80s / early ‘90s, and my smart boyfriend said this to, but I still think the un-recorded seeds of hip-hop happening and thriving and growing in Brooklyn and the Bronx at block parties in late ‘70s NYC count toward my theory. Biggie and Snoop are rapping over ‘70s jams anyway, and the evolution of hip-hop is not as world-altering as the literal first time a person rapped or scratched at all, which (again) happened in the ‘70s.
I started jamming to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5 after that, and then “Planet Rock” came on, and for one small second I was like “well, this electro sound is pretty unique in its own way,” BUT THEN I REMEMBERED that “Planet Rock” is just a fucking Kraftwerk sample, and Kraftwerk released “Trans Europe Express” in—you guessed it—1977.
Idk man, 1977 might just be the fucking year of all years. I’ve long believed the 7s are the best years. The proof of 1977 is there. I was born in 1987. Daft Punk released Homework in 1997, then changed the direction of modern music with the Alive tour in 2007. What happened in 2017? I turned 30 and anyone who was there will tell you I was a lil drunk, so you’ll have to fill that one in for me, but the pattern is real. Can’t wait for 2027. WHAT ARE WE IN FOR?!
Did y’all subscribe to this newsletter to listen to me fucking rant? I hope so! And if you want more ‘70s fun, you should tune in to Cutie Club next week as we explore the life and work of disco mastermind and film composer extraordinaire Griogio Moroder.
Alright, on to the jams:
Absolutely Necessary
(This is the part where I share songs that are so good, they’re absolutely necessary to listen to. That’s it. That’s the bar.)
It’s recently come to my attention that not everyone understands. I made two Spotify playlists for this section that you can follow: one weekly playlist updated with just the new stuff every week, and one cumulative playlist that will host every song I pick ever (until Spotify tells me its full). Check them out! I made them for you—and me, but mostly you.
This week for Billboard Dance, I wrote about Klingande and Merk & Kremont’s “Planet in the Sky” feat. MKLA, as well as a new piano house tune from Nervo and Midnight City called “Flames”. Read all about those jams in First Spin!
The Knocks - “Walking on Water” Feat. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
If you’ve never seen TEED’s name before, I’ll give you a minute to get over how inane and awesome it is (and if you think that’s crazy, his real name is fucking Orlando Higginbottom). Now, dig into this wonky bounce courtesy of the brilliant bloke and NYC duo The Knocks. This is the kind of song you wanna listen to 20 times in a row while walking through a sunny wood. I happen to know TEED is putting out a new album this year, and he has agreed to be on Kat Calls Season 3!! Yay!!!
Apashe - “Distance” (Tony Romero Remix)
Y’all know I like Justice, right? This is some Justice-ass shit right here, mixed with Apashe’s grand-epic instrumentalism and some good old-fashioned tension. Btw, check out Kat Calls: Apashe (but don’t mind the terrible video quality. Internet was bad that day, sorry!).
Aluna, Diplo & Durante - “Forget About Me”
In 2009, this kid Kevin used to send me his productions and ask me if I thought they were any good. He went by the name Brother Wolf, and they were always amazing. He was like 19 and went to the University of Florida where I went to school. A couple years later, he dropped out of college and moved to LA without ever having been there. He worked for Skrillex’ label and eventually started making music under his real last name. Today, Durante dropped a song with Diplo and Aluna. I’m so fucking proud of that kid.
Beshken - “Social Suicide”
My friend Ali first introduced me to Beshken when I visited him in Scotland, and I have not stopped listening to Beshken ever since. He’s an artist based in NYC who makes slightly-psychedelic but somehow introspective electronic music, and he sings over it all in this very recognizable voice. This is one of the most energetic songs I’ve heard from him. The video is inspired by both Alice in Wonderland and NFTs. It makes me think of OseanWorld’s art.
tstewart - “isle of the blest”
I recently watched Witcher season 2, and this definitely sounds like something that would be on that show. Tsewart is a new alias from the artist MachineDrum who I personally love (and interviewed back in 2016). He’s known for breakneck synth work, and that tendency shows in this more organic work but comes across in a much softer way. Excited to explore this new iteration of a great artist. I’d love to have him on Kat Calls this season!
Jacques Greene - “Taurus”
Fun fact: Jacques Greene was the first person to turn me on to Yung Lean, and that has gone on to be a long-standing musical fandom for me. This song is moody and mystical and murky in nature. It sounds like a club underwater. I like it.
Vlossom - “Open Your Mind”
This is a new project from Empire of the Sun Nicholas Littlemore and his friend Alister Wright of Cloud Control, and you can hear the Empire vibes in the wonderfully luxurious landscape of this song’s wall of sound. There’s something Fleetwood Macian about this (late ‘70s, anyone?). Get lost in these soundscapes and rediscover your inner child.
Fontaines D.C. - “Jackie Down The Line”
Switching it up on you fuckers. I grew up on post-punk and I’m still goth af, so I’m putting this delicious slice of morose Irish brooding in your face. I discovered DC Fontaine’s through a Soulwax remix, and this is giving me Smashing Pumpkins meets Sonic Youth. I’m so here for it.
LOVE X STEREO - ALL3
Damn, I guess we entered the goth stage of the newsletter. It’s not a phase, mom and dad! THIS IS WHO I AM. Anyway, Love x Stereo is an electro duo from Seoul and this is moody af.
POPOF - Serenity (Booka Shade Remix)
I’m not gonna lie; I’m a little wine drunk and this song is pretty long, but I really like it and I think it’s the sort of thing you’re gonna put on and end up just having a whole fucking adventure in your mind while listening to.
Okay, I’m done! Also my roommate just came home with food and I’m huuuuungry. Thanks for rocking with me. Feel free to share this email with people you think might like it, or respond to it and let me know how wrong you think my theory about the ‘70s is. I LOVE YOU.
Here’s what’s coming up.
Next Week:
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 7 pm ET / 4 pm PT: Cutie Club: Giorgio Moroder. “I Feel Love,” Blondie’s “Call Me,” The Neverending Story theme song and more are 100 percent on the menu. I’m pretty sure Zach’s even going to show up this time LOL <3 Watch both my YouTube and my Twitch page to see which one we stream to.
Thanks for tuning into my newsletter. Listen to the playlists on Spotify. One is updated weekly with all the songs from each edition. The other is cumulative with all the updates ever!