Music is about feeling. And is best described through it. Even the words are written for the heart more than the head. My last decade has been defined primarily by music, curating here and at TuneIn, but more recently I’ve shifted towards spoken word. Podcasts, not specifically poetry.
Podcasts have the buzz these days, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have the substance. They’ve got more of it for the head than music does. The insights from the conversations and questions that come out of podcasts are only matched by the feelings I get from music. But I can find dozens of new inspiring podcast episodes each day. I can’t say the same for music. Music has a greater barrier to greatness and is far more subjective as an art, but the ones I do love I can listen to forever. All the more reason why curation is so important to music. People need as much context and connection when discovering something.
Most of the new music I found in 2019 came from SXSW and I guess that’s how I found Channel Tres. He wasn’t at the 2019 showcase, for all I know, but he was there in 2017 supporting Duckwrth. It was one of the most memorable shows of my life. Dudes could dance, in unison.
Channel Tres has grown into his own thing since then and I was so honored to see him at the Starline Social Club in Oakland this last December. The presence him and his dancers, Jessie & Nique, embodied on stage reflected in his audience. Their routines livened the whole club up. A progression from his dance moves with Duckwrth just two years ago. It felt like something out of a movie. The whole experience. It’ll be etched in my body forever. And the music even more so.
Trying to describe in words something that is far deeper is challenging. I’ll keep it simple, Channel Tres can make a Jew from Minnesota feel like a cool ass black dude from Compton. And it’s mostly through his beat. Empathy at its finest.
Channel Tres tracklist
Jet Black
Sexy Black Timberlake
Top Down
Brilliant Nigga
Glide
Controller
Sexy Black Timberlake (SG Lewis Remix)
EARFQUAKE (Remix of Tyler, the Creator)
Duckwrth – Blow My Mind
Duckwrth – Rare Panther + Beach House
Why Her Not Me (Remix of Grace Carter)
Tangerine (Remix of Aaron Childs)
Stay Safe (Remix of Rhye)
The End (Remix of DMA’s)
Duckwrth – Throwyoassout
Duckwrth – Tamagotchi
Duckwrth – Look at the Time?
BAAUER – READY TO GO
Duckwrth – Blakk Rager
Duckwrth – 100 Days
Who I Am (Remix of Toro y Moi)
Late Night Feeling (Remix of Mark Ronson & Lykke Li)
Blood on My Hands (feat. Smino) (Remix of August 08)
Project Redo (Remix of Winston Surfshirt)
Ianbrucey aka DadGod – Inside Of Me (with @ianbrucey)