Our latest guest playlist comes courtesy of multi-instrumentalist Bastien Keb.

Back when we first raved about the brilliantly talented Keb, our guest playlists feature wasn’t even a thing. So little did we know he would eventually lend his impeccable musical taste to our now-established ongoing series one day!

Anyway, before we get into the playlist, he has a new album out, so let’s talk about Ghouls!

Nineteen tracks of nocturnal mischief, Ghouls haunts like your 3 am thoughts set to psychedelic-chamber-funk, cinematic instrumentals, warped anti-ballads, and ethereal ambience. Bastien Keb abandons samples entirely, instead summoning theremins, harps, and saxophones like some mad musical necromancer. It’s Taxi Driver meets mid-’90s skate videos, soaked in Ethio-jazz and existential dread. Paris-based poet Malik Ameer Crumpler adds lyrical gravitas to Keb’s “half-awake, half-asleep” fever dream. Part soundtrack, part therapy session, part beat tape séance, this is for anyone who notices“distant lights” while doom-scrolling. Beautiful, bizarre, occasionally bewildering—Ghouls proves getting lost never sounded so lush.

Detour over, let’s get back to the playlist, we invited Bastien to guide us through the music that has his ear, and the selections below feature many gems including tracks by The Velvet Underground,  John Carpenter, Modest Mouse and more.

Press play and continue reading to discover more about Bastien’s sublime selections.

I grew up playing in a lot of funk bands and around hip hop. I loved how hip hop producers sample anything from classical and jazz to funk and rock. And from an early age, as a musician, I was more interested in where the samples were coming from rather than the hip hop tracks. I started playing with string arrangements through playing an old cello a friend gave me and began an obsession with Bernard Herrmann.

A lot of music I love I find through films, and look up to Mica Levi and Abel Korzeniowski, when I saw Nocturnal Animals for the first time I was blown away by the score. 

Most of these tracks are from very influential pieces of music I’ve listened to through the past few years (Les dunes d’ostende, Assault on Precinct 13). Then some are just dope tracks with great hooks (Crimson & Clover, Rendezvous). Hope you enjoy!!!!