New Subscriber Playlist: “A Misremembered Musical History”

I’m always drawn to record labels with very defined and recognizable identities and aesthetics. 4AD, Cold Meat Industries, Constellation, Kranky, Projekt… From their artist rosters to the actual music, from the design and packaging of their releases to their marketing and PR, these labels have created artistic universes that are entirely their own thing, and unmistakable as anyone else’s.

Another such label is Ghost Box Records, a British label that has spent the last two decades conjuring up a strange and utterly fascinating musical universe that’s influenced by everything from cosmic horror and analog synthesizers to English folklore and post-WW2 British culture. My latest subscriber playlist, “A Misremembered Musical History,” is a 90-minute journey through Ghost Box’s bizarre and beguiling music.

Accompanying the playlist is the latest episode of my “Playlist Breakdown” podcast, in which I spotlight one of the playlist’s songs and why it’s so special and meaningful. In the latest episode, I talk about “Puzzlewood,” the title track song from Plone’s most recent album, and an analog synth wonderland.

Both of these are little bonuses for subscribers who support Opus financially. If you’d like to get access to them (and more), subscribe to Opus for $5/month or $50/year. (Also, if you just want to check it out, you can subscribe for free and get weekend reading recommendations.)