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ElectronicAlternative

When it comes to music, we usually begin with the educational part: the genres, movements, eras, and influences that shaped a particular sound. With this playlist, however, the story is slightly different.

Music for the Dunes brings together four seemingly separate worlds: global sounds, indie and alternative music, Balearic culture, and electronic music. Even the timeline doesn't fit neatly into one category, moving across decades and combining older tracks with much more recent releases.

What makes it work is that the tracks are not connected by genre or era. Instead, they are linked by what they evoke: space, movement, heat, solitude, and vastness. So next time you are heading out to the desert for a walk among the dunes (though perhaps not right now — it is already far too hot), make sure to bring this playlist along. And, ideally, a pair of wired headphones — because apparently they are cool again.

Like any good landscape, the playlist is made up of different layers. And each artist contributes something distinct to the picture.

  • Ahmed Mukhtar brings the oud into a contemporary context, adding a strong cultural dimension to the journey.
  • Jai Paul introduces experimental R&B and alternative pop through his distinctive fragmented structures and unconventional production, bringing a sense of mystery and modernity.
  • SBTRKT follows with soulful vocals and emotionally driven songwriting, showing how electronic music can feel deeply personal without losing its sense of movement.
  • And then comes Arthur Russell, one of the most influential cult musicians of the past century. Moving between disco, folk, minimalism, and the avant-garde, Russell spent his career ignoring genre boundaries long before it became common practice. His music forms the emotional centre of the playlist, grounding its more atmospheric moments in something deeply human.