Session notes from the booth.

Englishman In New York by Sting lands here because The Pan Piper by Miles Davis & Gil Evans pushes the next turn upward after Something by The Beatles and changes the palette without cutting the thread. Jazz is a real lane in this library, which helps the choice feel rooted instead of random.. The pop, rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. The Pan Piper [Take 1] can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

On ...Nothing Like The Sun (1987), Englishman In New York shows Sting working in a 1980s pocket with pop, rock in the grain. The cut moves with a candlelit drift, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for the pop, rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. It also leaves a lane for The Pan Piper [Take 1] to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

The Pan Piper [Take 1] answers Englishman In New York by Sting with a related tension instead of a copycat move, so the sequence keeps opening out. The jazz edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. A Clean Break (Live) can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

On Sketches Of Spain (1960), The Pan Piper [Take 1] shows Miles Davis & Gil Evans working in a 1960s pocket with jazz in the grain. The cut moves with a steady shoulder-roll, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for the jazz texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. You can hear how it answers Englishman In New York without borrowing the same emotional weight. It also leaves a lane for A Clean Break (Live) to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

A Clean Break (Live) answers The Pan Piper [Take 1] by Miles Davis & Gil Evans with a related tension instead of a copycat move, so the sequence keeps opening out. The alternative / rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match.

On Live: 77 (Live) (2019), A Clean Break (Live) shows Talking Heads working in a 2010s pocket with alternative / rock in the grain. The cut moves with a steady shoulder-roll, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for the alternative / rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. You can hear how it answers The Pan Piper [Take 1] without borrowing the same emotional weight.

Livin' Thing by Electric Light Orchestra lands here because A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) by Talking Heads and The Time Of The Barracudas (2022 Remaster) by Miles Davis provide a sharp two-step that maintains the emotional arc while introducing a new era.. The pop, rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

On A New World Record (1976), Livin' Thing shows Electric Light Orchestra working in a 1970s pocket with pop, rock in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for the pop, rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. It also leaves a lane for A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) answers Livin' Thing by Electric Light Orchestra with a related tension instead of a copycat move, so the sequence keeps opening out. The alternative / indie rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. The Time Of The Barracudas (2022 Remaster) can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

On The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads (Expanded 2004 Remaster) (2004), A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) shows Talking Heads working in a 2000s pocket with alternative / indie rock in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for the alternative / indie rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. You can hear how it answers Livin' Thing without borrowing the same emotional weight. It also leaves a lane for The Time Of The Barracudas (2022 Remaster) to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

The Time Of The Barracudas (2022 Remaster) answers A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) by Talking Heads with a related tension instead of a copycat move, so the sequence keeps opening out. The jazz edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match.

On Quiet Nights (2022), The Time Of The Barracudas (2022 Remaster) shows Miles Davis working in a 2020s pocket with jazz in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

This one is airing as a clipped passage, so listen for the section Mr Rassy chose to stand in for the whole piece. The choice was deliberate: The Time Of The Barracudas is a deep dive into Miles Davis' work, and playing a clip from the middle will give listeners a taste without overwhelming them..

A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) by Talking Heads lands here because The Time Of The Barracudas (2022 Remaster) by Miles Davis and Black Rain by Soundgarden provide a sharp two-step after How Do You Sleep? (The Evolution Documentary) by John Lennon, keeping the feeling of quiet bloom while moving to the next horizon.. The pop, rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. The Time Of The Barracudas (2022 Remaster) can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

On Once in a Lifetime: The Talking Heads Box (2003), A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) shows Talking Heads working in a 2000s pocket with pop, rock in the grain. The cut moves with a bright electric charge, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for the pop, rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. It also leaves a lane for The Time Of The Barracudas (2022 Remaster) to arrive without the segue feeling forced.

The Time Of The Barracudas (2022 Remaster) answers A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live; 2004 Remaster) by Talking Heads with a related tension instead of a copycat move, so the sequence keeps opening out. The jazz edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match. Black Rain can step in after it without the handoff feeling pre-chewed.

On Quiet Nights (2022), The Time Of The Barracudas (2022 Remaster) shows Miles Davis working in a 2020s pocket with jazz in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

This one is airing as a clipped passage, so listen for the section Mr Rassy chose to stand in for the whole piece. The choice was deliberate: The track is a long-form piece that benefits from a middle segment to capture the listener's interest without overwhelming it.. Black Rain is waiting on the far side of that seam.

Black Rain answers The Time Of The Barracudas (2022 Remaster) by Miles Davis with a related tension instead of a copycat move, so the sequence keeps opening out. The pop, rock edge gives the turn a more precise contour than a plain mood match.

On Telephantasm (2010), Black Rain shows Soundgarden working in a 2010s pocket with pop, rock in the grain. The cut moves with a slow-burn glide, which is why it can hold this turn without flattening it.

Listen for the pop, rock texture in the pocket, especially in the way the arrangement keeps color moving under the lead. You can hear how it answers The Time Of The Barracudas (2022 Remaster) without borrowing the same emotional weight.