Favorites of 2021 Rundown

As 2021 draws to a close and after some reflection and coaxing I’ve winnowed down the list of albums which were released this year that spent the most time on my decks. I noticed as I compiled the below mix of some key tracks from these LPs that most are instrumental and contemplative.

Probably best digested while staring out a window, glass of your favorite beverage in hand, and watching the world roll by. I share this with the hope some of these releases are new to you, maybe will resonate in the same way, and hopefully help find some center amidst any madness humming in the background.

May the upcoming year bring just as many choice cuts and new discoveries. Cheers!

  • Yasmin Williams - Urban Driftwood - Spinster Records

  • Gianni Brezzo - Traditional Heart - Into the Light Records

  • Peace Flag Ensemble - Noteland - We are Busybodies

  • J Foerster / N Kramer - Habitat - Leaving Records

  • Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders & the LSO - Luaka Bop

  • Sam Gendel - Fresh Bread - Leaving Records

  • Brandee Younger - Somewhere Different - Impulse

  • Yusef Dayes Trio - Welcome to the Hills - Cashmere Thoughts Records

  • Alfa Mist - Bring Backs - Anti

  • Parquet Courts - Sympathy For Life - Rough Trade

  • Rodrigo Amarante - Drama - Polyvinyl

  • Tigers Jaw - I wont care how you remember me - Hopeless Records (not on mix but I listened to it a lot this year

Mixes

I can remember being a 10 year old rushing to hit record on my tape player boombox to make sure I could catch the beginning of my favorite radio hits, since then I’ve been a huge proponent of the mixtape. Later that evolved to mix CDs for car rides to and from high school, to iPod playlists, then to Spotify.

In what feels like a full circle moment, I’ve been recording some live vinyl mixes culled from my ever growing collection… There is something about the live nature of the recording process of these, the high stakes of transitioning from song to song well, the constraints of using only music I personally own, and the pleasant imperfections of the vinyl medium itself that speak to me. I am happy to share that experience with you.

A couple of those streams can be found on my Mixcloud profile. Don’t hesitate to reach out for downloads of what’s up and some unreleased ones. New ones should be popping up irregularly. Thanks for listening.

https://www.mixcloud.com/harlan-levine/

image.png

Schvitz it out: The East Village's historic Russian Baths

The story of New York’s East Village Russian and Turkish Baths goes all the way back to 1892, but the activities going inside has changed very little – Essentially you get very hot and come out a pure of heart. People come here from all over the city – Uptown, downtown, all the outer boroughs and even New Jersey to spend the day doing what they do best, relax. The demographic of the baths span the ages from those in their freshman year at NYU to Hasidic geriatrics and all in between. There are regulars who swear by the place and those who go once and decide it is not for them.

When you see this sign, stop, you've arrived.​

When you see this sign, stop, you've arrived.​

Many key human interactions play themselves out in this steamy Petri dish, where the close quarters and the physical aspect of shedding one’s garb and perhaps some dead skin make it an ideal substitute for a shrink’s office. Snippets of conversation waft through the thick aromatic steam and in and out of focus behind the white noise of hissing pipes. Life’s most intimate moments can unfold here, from the gentle massage of a husband to his wife’s head, to the break up of a young couple when an unforeseen trigger brings latent feelings to the surface. There are scars, tattoos, and body types worn without shame or judgment. Yuppies who discuss multimillion-dollar mergers and business plans, to people who spend all day because the $35 dollar daily rate is that much dough to them.

One of the very unique things about this business in particular is the way it is run. There are two distinct owners and operating styles. Every other week the business changes hands. Back and forth between an old school immigrant and a second-generation entrepreneur, two big personalities who share the same space but emphasize different aspects and have their own loyal clientele. David is the younger of the two. He and his coworkers are more about bringing in new blood with modern technologies such as email blasts and groupons. His foil is the tough skinned, steely eyed Boris who still operates in old world terms, wheeling and dealing with each customer in a dead pan heavily accent Russian voice. I am curious as to how this bipolar business model works and how it came to be. There is clearly a deep seeded history to be explored here.

​Platza in the radiant heat room

​Platza in the radiant heat room

The fellows who perform platza massages at the baths are a distinct breed as well. A pair of brothers who know how to withstand the 200-degree heat while simultaneously contorting a body into different shapes and scrubbing every inch of it down with bundles of eucalyptus soaked oak leaves. Stop on the roof patio to regroup and feel the breeze on your skin. Maybe have a beer and some traditional delicacies from the kitchen. Once you're in there's no excuse to leave until you're good and ready.

This is a place where you can go to shut your mind off and be present in your own vessel while letting your cares, worries, and everyday routines melt away in the heat behind the hiss of steam. The transition from extravagant curiosity has quickly become a mainstay in my mental and physical health. One of my favorite places in this city.