Soundrotation's Favs of 2024

Yeah, I know I've been M.I.A. In the past few years, so many things happened in my personal life and in my career as a DJ and music historian. Mostly great things but I definitely had a few setbacks as well. I traveled more than I have in years. I am so grateful that my hard work and grinding seem to be paying off. It meant, however, that I needed to take a break in other areas. I'm still a one man machine in every aspect of my career and blogging in this manner can be very time consuming. I just couldn't seem to carve out blocks to do it. The launch of Soundrotation Radio in 2021 allowed me to share music release in a different way, in real time. I'm hoping to relaunch my show in 2025 (fingers crossed).

The day after the election, I posted on social media that I'd never felt so heavy and weighed down in my life. The results weighed so heavy on me that I found myself slipping into a deep depression. In addition to having an amazing circle of friends who help me weather whatever storm, music is always the thing that lift my spirits. In 2024, there was certainly an abundance of amazing musical releases by artists from all over the globe.

With the wild ride we're seemingly headed on in 2025, I think we're gonna have to get louder and prouder about our art, our histories, and the things that uplift our spirits, and our communities. To quote the great Albert Ayler, "Music is the healing force of the universe". So, I offer some of my favorite music releases that I found myself having on repeat in 2024. Releases that raised my vibration. Click on the images to be taken to the links to stream and / or purchase. Happy New Year and happy listening.

Sy Smith "Until We Meet Again

Michael Mayo "Fly"

Nicolay "Terra Firma"

Hiatus Kaiyote "Love Heart Cheat Code"

Sault "Acts Of Faith"

Kaytranada "Timeless"

NxWorries "Why Lawd?"

Bilal "Adjust Brightness"

Musclecars "Sugar Honey Iced Tea!"

Blue Lab Beats "Blue Eclipse"

PJ Morton "Capetown To Cairo"

Kamasi Washington "Fearless Movement"

Ashley Henry "Who We Are"

Samara Joy "Portrait"

Jazzmeia Horn "Messages"

Zacchae'us Paul "Jazz Money"

Jose James "1978"

Lalah Hathaway "VantaBlack"

Darien Brockington "Where Love Grows"

Allysha Joy "The Making Of Silk"

Audrey Powne "From The Fire"

Keyon Harrold "Foreverland"

Marquis Hill "Composers Collective: Beyond The Jukebox"

China Chameleon "Ubuntu"

Sio "Sarang"

Rae Khalil "Cry Baby"

Tank & The Bangas "The Heart, The Mind, The Soul"

Adrian Younge Presents Linear Labs: São Paulo"

Marc Mac Visioneers "Def Radio"

Cat Pack "S/T"

Butterfly Black "Black Pop"

G. Thomas Allen "Love Affair"

Vanisha Gould "She's Not Shiny, She's Not Smooth"

Gareth Donkin "Suite Escape"

Yakul "Gravity Pulls You Home"

Quiet Dawn "Celebrate"

Jackson Shepard "Say Yes To What Is"

Anaiis & Grupo Cosmo "S/T"

Daniel Casimir "Balance"

Jerome Thomas "Submerge"

Moses Sumney "Sophcore"

Nubya Garcia "Odyssey"

Alvin Cobb Jr. "You'll Need This Later"

Morgan Guerin "Tales Of The Facade"

Jharis Yokley "Sometimes Late At Night"

Amy Gadiaga "All Black Everything"

Lynda Dawn "Eleventh Hour"

Rosie Lowe "Lover, Other"

Finn Rees "Dawn is A Melody"

Kokoroko "Get The Message"

Nubiyan Twist "Find Your Flame"

Richard Spaven "Sole Subject"

Linda Sikhakhane “Iladi”

Nduduzo Makhathini "Unomkhubulwane"

Thandiswa Mazwai "Sankofa"

Spumante "Pholas"

Relyae "Unknown"

Brijean "Macro"

Marcos Valle "T​ú​nel Ac​ú​stico"

Lucas Arruda "Ominira"

Aaron Frazer "Into The Blue"