--- title: "2022 In Music" date: '2022-12-19T11:05:00+01:00' tags: - music - lists - yearnote categories: - braindump --- 2022 was the year when... I turned my back on streaming services and got back into [digital music curation](/post/2022/03/how-to-stream-your-own-music-reprise/); Bandcamp was acquired by Epic Games; I discovered brick stores that still sell CDs---you know, those shiny round things you hang in your Christmas tree; bought as much soundtracks accompanying the games I liked during Bandcamp Fridays as I could; noticed other bloggers paying more attention to supporting musicians as well; and attended a classical music symphony event in London equipped with a choir that chanted Final Fantasy tunes and Skyrim's Dragonborn theme. Navidrome has a "hidden feature" where the `ListenBrainz.BaseURL` property can be set to a custom URL that's not ListenBrainz but compatible with their API---for instance, [Maloja](https://github.com/krateng/maloja). I haven't tested it yet---sorry, no cool useless stats this time---but for those eager to replicate the much discussed [Spotify Wrapped reports](https://www.spotify.com/us/wrapped/) while owning your data, it's there. Here's a collage of albums bought and listened to in 2022: ![](../musicof2022.jpg "2022 In Music.") This excludes a re-buying spree of [hip-hop albums](/post/2022/03/a-personal-intro-to-gentle-hip-hop/) (Deltron 3030, The Roots, Jurassic 5, ...) and other classics (Pink Floyd, Genesis, Alphaville, ...), eighties compilations and other stuff that I inherited from my parents. You could break down the image in a few different categories such as: - Flemish hip-hop (_[Bosbessen Marmelade](https://marmaladeproductions.bandcamp.com/)_, _[C Mij Da](https://donluca.bandcamp.com/album/c-mij-da)_, _Brutaal_) - International hip-hop, Wu spin-offs (_Czarface_, _Kendrick Lamar_, _Wu-Chronicles_, _Looptroop Rockers_, ...) - Groovy stuff (_[Toejam & Earl: Back in the Groove!](https://funkotron.bandcamp.com/album/toejam-earl-back-in-the-groove-soundtrack)_, _[Cory & The Wongnotes](https://corywong.bandcamp.com/album/cory-and-the-wongnotes)_, _New Orleans Funk_, _[Shredder's Revenge](https://kidkatanarecords.bandcamp.com/album/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-shredders-revenge-original-game-soundtrack)_) - Classic game soundtracks (_[Apogee MIDI Soundtracks](https://mdvhimself.bandcamp.com/album/duke-nukem-ii)_) On second thought, that collage looks _weird_. Most albums I listened to aren't even on there since they're older and I tend to get in a flow-listen-state of repeat mode. These include: Quantic, The 5th Exotic; Castlevania, Portrait of Ruin Soundtrack; Diablo II, Soundtrack; GTA Vice City, All Radio Stations; Ancient Astronauts, Into Bass And Time; The Messenger, Soundtrack; Wu-Tang Clan, Enter The Wu-tang. If there's work to do---real, dont-interrupt-me work---then a game soundtrack or funky album without much voices such as RJD2 or Cory & The Wongnotes will be put on. If there's more mundane cleanup-but-whatever kind of work to do, then a GTA Radio Station or one of the chattier hip-hop ones is put on. I regret buying Zwangere Guy's CDs (I prefer the West Coast influence of deep basses like in [Into Bass And Time](https://switchstancerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/into-bass-and-time)) and Wu-Chronicles Chapter II (it turned out to be a very mediocre compilation). I still have to listen to Lamar's _To Pimp A Butterfly_ and Looptroop's _Professional Dreamers_ a couple of times to make up my mind on those. As for the _best ofs_ of 2022, that's easy: - πŸ’– Cory & The Wongnotes (2021)---Simply a-ma-zing! [Thank you Ruben](https://rubenerd.com/tag/music-monday/). Watch the [full recording session](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvMUDLyMCf4) and tell me you've been able to sit still. - πŸ’– Czarface, Czarmageddon! (2022)---Inspectah Deck is one of the only Wu members still rocking it. Just [listen to Walk Thru Walls](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfOPsty3jw4). - πŸ’– Bosbessen Marmelade (2015)---a supergroup of young rappers within Limburg including the more well-known Don Luca that contains many hidden gems. Don's [In De CitΓ©s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdTYcIQQIR0) of _C Mij Da_ is also great. - πŸ’– Shredder's Revenge (2022)---[I already talked about that one](/post/2022/06/shredders-revenges-soundtrack-is-amazing/). A honorable mention goes to RJD2's _The Colossus_ (2010) which isn't as good as 2002's _Deadringer_ or 2004's _Since We Last Spoke_, and to Greg Johnson's "refunkified" Toejam & Earl soundtrack. I didn't play the latest game but remember SEGA Mega Drive game well enough to get back into the groove with this album.