The end of the year is generally a difficult time to write sleevenotes for all sorts of reasons but in this case, travelling without a computer and too many other things to do. Last year was so busy that, having lined up all of our best songs of the year, there just wasn’t time to write sleevenotes and in the end we never got around to posting the best of 2024 mixtape. We don’t want that to happen this year, so the most important thing is to get the mixtape up so that those who are interested can listen to 30 of the songs which we think are worth taking note of. After all, the music is most important, especially for the musicians who have released music into an ever increasingly difficult terrain. So these sleevenotes focus on listening and perhaps dancing to the music, and don’t include detailed notes on each performer and song.
This mixtape doesn’t include an even cross-section of everything that was released in 2025, but it does especially promote a lot of music which isn’t being listened to much (if listening figures on Youtube, Spotify etc. are anything to go by). If something especially interests you, do some research and find out more about it. Furthermore, we will welcome your participation if you want to write a biography on one of the artists included here who is not already featured among the musicians covered in the encyclopedia on our webpage. You could also suggest updates and corrections on existing ones.
So … this year’s list includes some people who have been around since the last 1970s (Robin Auld, Tim Parr, Radio Rats) and 1980s (Bright Blue, Ian Inx Herman, The Genuines). It includes many songs released as singles but also songs taken from albums or eps not released as singles, there’s a song taken from a film soundtrack (Chris Letcher’s piece from Don’t Let’s Go To The Dogs Tonight), covers of both South African and international songs, and a 1980s recording of the Genuines at Jameson’s in Johannesburg, but released for the first time this year. And of course Tyla – one of South Africa’s most successful artists internationally, ever.
Please go to Bandcamp and look up artists you like and pay for album or song downloads, some even have CD and vinyl releases available. Look out for their live performances and book to go to see them. Support them if you like them! Check to see if they have a social media presence and follow them, contact them, find out how to get hold of their music if you can’t find it. Maybe but their merchandise if they have any – a T-shirt is always useful and fun!
Most of all, enjoy this mixtape!
- Vocabulary Of Grief From Requiem For The Impossible – Lucy Kruger
- How Chimpanzees Reassure Each Other – Ruby Gill
- Malachi’s Dream – Tim Parr
- Smoke In The Air – Ian Inx Herman & Vusi Mahlasela
- Let’s Talk About The Weather – Bright Blue
- Johnny Calls The Chemist – Robin Auld
- Heavy Weather – Radio Rats
- Devil Woman – The Sighs Of Monsters
- Karried Away – Karriers
- Villainous Wasteland – Zondo Commission
- Ska Daddy – Half Price
- Reaching – Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys
- Accidents – Kathryn Georgina
- Leaving The Farm – Chris Letcher
- Mar Vista – Ian Inx Herman, Crystal Monee Hall, Otis McDonald, Dave Schools,
- Sikiru Adepoju, & Gawain Mathews
- Vukani beNguni – Mthuthu
- Ancestral Home – Steve Dyer
- I Know This Place Part 2 – Guy Buttery, Derek Gripper & Jonno Sweetman
- Kea Morata – Abel Selaocoe & Manchester Collective, Fred Thomas, Alan
- Keary, Sidiki Dembélé & Dudu Kouate
- Incantations – Acid Magus
- Pretty Life – A Million Ways To Die
- Sweat And Blood – We Kill Cowboys
- Wilt – Filthy Hippies
- Bless The Idea – Crow Baby
- Whiskey Love – Hannah Ray
- If That’s Love – Mazula
- Grey – Laurie Levine
- Bliss – Tyla
- Sparkle – Alice Phoebe Lou
- Crazy Summer (Live) – The Genuines