Prestige Format Picks 🐦‍⬛ 14 October 2025

a new-to-me 90s classic, two albums of fun, dense pop, and an insane mix

Author

Ryan Ruppe
October 14, 2025 • Read this in about: 5 minutes

Sorry, the last post had the wrong date in the subject line

I guess I was ready for Friday

Luna - Penthouse

There was so much incredible music that came out in the 1990s that I’m still discovering stuff that lands on my top list as soon as I finally hear it. This album rules, it’s got those legendary 90s laid back vibes but there’s some serious shredding (Television’s Tom Verlaine plays on two tracks!). It has a lot of great moments but two of my favorites are the unending rhythm section chug and guitar noodling on the back half of 23 Minutes in Brussels and the bonus track that’s a Serge Gainsbourg cover featuring Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier.

This is a side project from childhood friends Joel Ford (from band Tigercity, who I need to check out), and Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never). It’s a collection of tracks heavily rooted in 80s and 90s nostalgia that balances sample-heavy on-hold music instrumental jams with some incredible pop songs. Essential listening. Check out New Planet for the former and Emergency Room for the latter.

Are you ready for some dense, layered, bedroom synth pop? Fantasy Something is packed full of gorgeous moments and also moments where you’re not quite sure what’s happening. This album absolutely rewards multiple listens, and bits of it will keep drifting around your head for days.

I found this on freegalmusic.com. Check and see if your library has access!

A kind of insane mix from 2018, commissioned to catalog the 25 years of music from Norwegian label Smalltown Supersound. It starts slow and goes lots and lots of places. I think my favorite moments are Dungen’s reverb-drenched guitar cover of Aphex Twin’s Alberto Balsam (track 18), and Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s funky cover of Lindstrøm’s track Raakost. But in my opinion, it’s better to let this 40-track mix make its way there rather than picking and choosing.

I saw Autechre this weekend. It was absolutely insane.

the show was pitch black, this was when they turned on the lights

Thanks for reading!

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