It can be tough to classify the music of L.A. Salami. Packed into the 14 tracks on his new LP Ottoline are dizzying raps, stripped-down acoustic ballads, and spoken-word interludes, with ambient electronic soundscapes hazily blending countless additional genres gluing the whole piece together. Yet Ottoline feels less like the post-genre statement Gorillaz and their widening array of disciples have been making for two decades now, and more so a varied palette of an artist always on the search for the best musical medium for conveying important messages on the rapid decline of Western civilization and the desperate pursuit of peace of mind that comes with it.
This variety of sounds can also, of course, be chalked up to Lookman Adekunle Salami’s all-too-relatable genre-defying musical diet, his consumption of Dylanesque balladeers like Andy Shauf rubbing up against binge listens to new records by rap standard bearers Maxo Kream and Conway the Machine. These artists and more make their way onto the songwriter’s playlist he’s sharing with us which spells out the influences he took in while crafting Ottoline, which additionally include new music from Paul McCartney, a new favorite by Crumb, an old favorite by Mac DeMarco, and a dash of Ethiopian funk courtesy of Hailu Mergia.
Check out Ottoline here, and stream L.A. Salami’s playlist featured below, along with writeups on each song he chose.
Adriane Younge, “Stranger by the Sea”
During the thought process of making this record—the muddled, pondering preamble—Voices of Gemma by Adriane Younge was on repeat. Despite the record being stunning in its entirety, the instrumental side is what glued me to it. The sweeping narratives of the arrangements allow the mind to get lost in temporal worlds that match it. “Stranger by the Sea” was constantly inspiring.
Maxo Kream, “Meet Again”
The record Brandon Banks LP by Maxo Kream is another one that was constantly being played. A style that I guess one might generally describe as trap music due to the triplet drums and the vocal pocket Maxo Kream puts it down in—that itself makes it pop and become head-boppingly addictive material. Beyond that, though, it was the stories he tells whilst he's in that pocket that really got me hooked. The first track is an example of these hypnotic rhythms that lightly disguise these very intricate lines that paint detailed pictures of Maxo Kream’s life experiences.
Crumb, “Faces”
Crumb have fast become one of my favorite bands in the last few years. The melodies have introverted profundity and the sonic atmosphere is captivating. “Faces” is a great example of it.
Bob Dylan, “Lay Lady Lay Take 2”
Another year, another collection of unheard Dylan cuts. The Travelin’ Thru, 1967-1969 Bootleg Series was a favorite at the time of pondering about Ottoline and was generally on in the background a lot. Those particular years were around the time where Dylan was making records like John Wesly Harding, Nashville Skyline, and Basement Tapes, which are just genius records. These remnants of that period were a constant inspiration.
Kendrick Lamar, “YAH.”
Ah, Kendrick Lamar—he's so great. This song has stuck with me since DAMN. came out, and this differently was an inspiration seed that got planted in my head that eventually came out in some fashion somewhere.
Hailu Mergia, “Wede Harer Guzo”
Another record that was constantly on in the background during the conjuring of Ottoline is Wede Harer Guzo. All of Hailu Mergia's records were being listened to over and over again, in fact, so the entry in this circumstance is interchangeable with many of his other records. They all sound like they grew naturally from the earth.
Conway the Machine, “Gold BBS's”
I was listening to Conway the Machine a lot during that period. Listening to his records is as vivid as watching a movie, and “Gold BBS's” is no exception.
Mac DeMarco, “Ode to Viceroy”
This is another song that planted itself in my head ever since it came out. I love Mac DeMarco's soundscapes. Hardest working man in alternative indie!
Ghetts feat. Jaykae & Moonchild Sanelly, “Mozambique”
I've lost count of how many days I just had this on repeat. I think it's a masterpiece.
Paul McCartney, “Dominoes”
A man who’s used to casually making masterpieces, Paul McCartney pulls another one out the bag with “Dominoes.” It was floating in the bowels of my mind at the time.
Isaac Hayes, “Walk on By”
An undisputed masterpiece. There were parts of Ottoline where I wanted to capture the detailed atmosphere whilst maintaining the space of a song in the sort of way this record does.
Andy Shauf, “The Magician”
I was listening to Andy Shauf's masterpiece record, The Party, a lot at the time of concocting Ottoline. All the sounds add up so beautifully, and the songs are so great. It was a reference for sure.
Jessica Winter, “Sad Music”
I was listening to a lot of Jessica Winter during the process of creating Ottoline. “Sad Music” especially. It's such an understated, perfectly crafted masterpiece. The song “Lady Winter” on my new record has an approach to the soundscape that’s a reference to Jessica Winter's style of songcraft, filtered through my perspective of reality.
