if u know u know: favourite songs of 2023
From kinetic techno to pastoral soft rock, here are this year’s songs I loved the most.
Hi everybody, long time no talk! It feels like an eternity since I’ve tended to my newsletter. While I’ve been busy assembling a media writing portfolio, I’ve been letting the ideas for this site brew in my head. Those thoughts are now ready to be unleashed, so it’s time to briefly divert my attention back to my own headspace. I figured there’s no better way to do it than in the most ‘me’ way possible—taking the trivial Spotify Wrapped further by discussing some favourite songs that topped my list in 2023.
Admittedly, my actual top 10 would look very different—this isn’t a ‘best of’ curation. Rather, this is a handful of favourites: discoveries from both friends and the algorithm. Some songs have even secured their permanent spot in my daily rotation. I figured a fun list like this is a good excuse to make the site more lively, but also provide an opportunity for self-reflection. To say that ‘a lot happened this year’ would be a severe understatement, but somehow I’m still here. The fact that I can still exercise creatively despite any obstacles must account for something, right? So, I intend on branching out further, rather than slowing down. By publicly immortalising that goal into text, I hope I’ll stick to it.
I’ve noticed that, for me, the month of December always brings on tumultuous change. Whether it’s something in or out of my control, the sudden adjustments that occur gear me towards entering the coming year. This time, I’m moving into it with cautious optimism—unsure of how the future is going to play out, but excited nonetheless. I’ll have more to say at the end, but for now, here are the songs that amped me up to that point.
Much love, Dom
Baths – Projecting a Life
As Baths, Will Wiesenfeld crafts superb ambient and glitch pop songs. Ever since 2017’s Romaplasm, he’s increasingly melded this indulging atmosphere with personal and fantastical homoeroticism. Wiesenfeld’s drawing board of inspirations, which includes music, anime, and video games, inspires my own creative process. To then witness his return to the alias once again is wonderful. Baths’ 2023 output saw a trio of singles: the gorgeously apathetic ‘Slut Hymn’, the galloping self-loathing ‘Do I Make the World Worse’, and the buoyant ‘Projecting a Life’, of which is my favourite.
On this bubbly tune, Wiesenfeld’s intimate poeticism is in full swing, but devastatingly so. As the narrator, he fawns over a lover and idyllically imagines him fulfilling his life goals: “Does he love what you like? / Does he think of your dreams?” But in the chorus, he questions those intrusive thoughts—that he is displacing his feelings onto this partner: “Oh that I might, what right have I? / I don’t know what I’m saying”. Young love is fickle, certainly, so this ‘second-guessing’ behaviour is nothing short of volatile. Therefore, I’m stunned at how eloquently explored this is despite the song’s brevity. It’s hard to understate the pertinence that these lyrics have regarding my own entanglements. Wiesenfeld has, once again, delivered a narrative that has made me whole.
Mac DeMarco – Chicago 2
Watching Mac DeMarco operate in his new self-reliant artistic mindset is inspiring. Today, he’s making art for the sake of making something. The 199-track One Wayne G shows how far that resolve can be stretched, but that cathartic creative release owes itself to the initial liberation of January’s Five Easy Hot Dogs. Despite his famed stature and prolonged success, to him, that’s all second to making art. By dismissing prosperity, DeMarco is at his most enigmatic and honest.
And that honesty is the crux of Five Easy Hot Dogs. It’s curiously minimal and hypnotic, with a tinge of melancholia—just look at the cover’s unsettling drab photograph. Each song marks a destination during his road trip from Los Angeles to New York, during which he recorded the album. Anyone can make a case for which of these pastoral tunes is their favourite, but mine is ‘Chicago 2’ for its cradling nature. That alone best describes how us as the audience are comfortable experiencing DeMarco’s nomadic trip through our ears.
Mount Kimbie feat. King Krule – Boxing
‘Dubsteppers turned indie rockers’ describes the Mount Kimbie of today. King Krule aka Andy Marshall is revered for his iconic, monstrous bellows. The combined intellect of the two acts is always remarkable, and their latest offering ‘Boxing’ is no exception. Unlike 2017’s ‘Blue Train Lines’, there is no cathartic drop; this is a pleasant jam. A steady, drum loop-heavy groove conjuring Stereolab enables Marshall to calmly narrate above the reverb-drenched art pop jingles. Soon, the shoegazing guitars dissipate into monolithic feedback, inviting one question: ‘what’s to come next?’
On another note, I’m gutted that I missed out on buying the 7” physical release. To spin this chillout session on the decks for others would’ve been fantastic. Oh well, hopefully whenever ‘Boxing’ hits streaming, more can treat themselves to its mesmerising genius. It’s safe to say that Mount Kimbie is still oozing with ambition.
ML Buch – Dust beam
I had the opportunity to cover ML Buch for Merry-Go-Round Magazine in November, which you should read, but I’ll simply reiterate: her newest album, Suntub, really is a marvel. It’s both tonally organic with new wave-esque guitars, and digitised for its metallic, warping synths. Their seamless integration alludes to how we as people operate in real life: the tools of technology, such as social media, are extensions of our human interactions.
Outside of that hyperbole though is a serene journey in cosmic electronic pop. Yet, it’s funny that Suntub’s beauty shines best in the most stripped back cut, ’Dust beam’. Nowhere are the album’s distinct drum machines and wobbly synthesisers to be found. Instead, pensive guitar chords that ring with the same allure as The Police’s Andy Summers fill the musical space. In this one moment that doesn’t sound synthetic, Buch’s ‘80s-inspired guitar jangle is truly homely.
Peter Gabriel – This Is Home (Dark-Side Mix)
Being delivered a masterpiece to my Spotify inbox was not how I envisioned discovering ‘This Is Home’. Peter Gabriel had already been gearing up for the release of i/o since the beginning of 2023, using the lunar phases—new and full moons—to direct his release schedule. Fun, but kooky. As a casual fan, it was hard to keep up with the output. So, you can imagine my surprise when I was floored from playing this song for the first time.
When I first explored New Order’s discography outside of ‘Blue Monday’, I entered a whole new world. I remember being in my old room, still fresh in high school, hearing the thunderous echoes of ‘Age of Consent’ blast through my shit Bluetooth stereo system from ALDI. In that moment, its electricity irreversibly altered my musical palette, so that I’d forever adore alternative dance.
‘This Is Home’ brought me back to that moment. It has the same charm as Gabriel’s material during his heyday, but hearing his alt-dance authenticity in the modern era is such a pleasure. It’s like when I was obsessed with New Order’s ‘reunion’ album, Music Complete—the casual listener will label it a ‘far cry’ from the synthpop band’s zenith, but its imprint on my music taste is what draws me back to it. ‘This Is Home’ feels like it’s cut from that same cloth.
Moreover, why the ‘Dark-Side’ mix? The percussion is more stilted and dignified, making it a tad more subdued than the ‘Bright-Side’ counterpart, which features jollier percussion. When you consider my preference and anecdote, you can see why ‘This Is Home’ becomes something graceful.
The Replacements – Having Fun
If I tried contextualising The Replacements’ significance, we’d be here all day. I’ll try to keep it short: the Tim reissue is a musical revelation. The album’s original muddy mix has been given a new life thanks to Ed Stasium, and his is now the definitive version. What you hear on Stasium’s revision—every minute detail sounding like it was recorded today—is what die-hard fans have been hearing since Tim’s release in 1985. Tim was always my favourite Replacements record, so hearing it done justice like this is unbelievable just as it is heartbreaking.
A phrase that best captures The Replacements’ story is: ‘what could’ve been’. The new lease of life only exemplifies the band’s copious missed opportunities for making it big. It hurts the most on ‘Having Fun’, an unearthed outtake that rocks as hard as the album proper. It also hurts because of its poignant lyrics: “A sad vacation I can’t wait to end / I sit here lonely now / I’m sure to lose another friend”. Being a social recluse is already a big fear of mine, so seeing this life-affirming band touch on it under the guise of an upbeat rock song is equally comforting and harrowing.
That cognitive dissonance, though, is what made The Replacements themselves. While it’s sad that this song will never receive the flowers it deserves, those who do stumble upon this lost alt-rock hit will cherish it forever.
Underworld – denver luna
This is the immovable one; a song so good that you can’t believe it’s real. My admiration for Underworld is no secret—I’d already fawned over them in an extensive article for Toppermost in November. I will always welcome new music from the duo.
But ‘denver luna’ … It leaves me speechless. It’s been nearly half a decade since Drift—the techno godfathers’ project in which they released a song every week for a year—and they haven’t left that mindset. ‘denver luna’ is somehow a cut above the Drift output, which already unleashed numerous career bests. It is, and I say this earnestly, just as good as Underworld’s ‘90s material. That is no joke.
What does it mean when any band’s song from today can justifiably stand alongside one from thirty years ago? It obviously means that their creativity is unparalleled. ‘denver luna’ carries strands from all across Underworld’s 40-year oeuvre: an unrelenting build-up like Drift’s hard-hitting highlight ‘Border Country’, a constant layering of sounds like in ‘Spoonman’, and free-form poetry that recalls many of the band’s past motifs, such as “moon in the water” and “tube hole tube snake”. However, the propulsive energy—the core of the track—isn’t dissimilar to ‘Cowgirl’ or even ‘Born Slippy .NUXX’. For that, it is weapons-grade Underworld.
Its brilliance really makes you wonder, ‘where can they go from here, this far into their career?’ The answer is more of the usual until they turn to dust—being the best electronic band on the planet.
Water From Your Eyes – Barley
How do I even begin to describe ‘Barley’? It’s wrong to approach it conventionally because it’s that unconventional. This is unlike anything else I’ve heard this year. It has some no wave leanings, and Rachel Brown’s deadpanned delivery saves it from being entirely abstruse, but it’s still so unusual. Only one word describes its eccentricities: ‘dissonance’.
But that’s why it’s so good. Its conflicting melodies such as electric guitar burps, cascading pianos, and wailing buzzers shouldn’t work when mashed together. Yet they culminate into a peculiar wall of abrasive texture that doesn’t pierce the ears. ‘Barley’ actually sounds groovy—that’s the dance-punk element seeping in, and probably the cowbell. I can always go with more of that, and Water From Your Eyes too—they’re that thrilling, and this bizarre pop song proves it.
That’s the list! I hope you enjoyed the read and the songs. Obviously, I made many more discoveries this year, but these were the few that compelled me the most. Perhaps next year I’ll curate even more entries, who knows?
That leads me to my next point: there will be an explosion of me on the cards. I typed that up so I can stick to that promise. Although this year was strange, it has reaped rewards. I’ve never felt so fulfilled with my writing endeavours. It’s thanks to my friends, family, peers, and the anonymous readers who keep their eyes peeled on my output. Without this combined support, I probably wouldn’t be writing at all. It genuinely means a lot. Moving forward, I will have much more to show.
Cheers to another year of exciting music, but most importantly, positive change. The bolt of creative inspiration has only just struck me. I can’t wait for you all to see that in action. Thanks so much, and please check back soon.