Babylon Music Mix: April 2025
At Babylon Radio, we’re all about celebrating culture, creativity, and the unstoppable power of music. Every month, our Babylon Music Mix turns up the volume on fresh sounds from all over the world. From high-energy tunes to meditative, introspective sounds, this is our monthly hour-long mix of music representing new, bold ideas, and global rhythms. Whether you’re hunting for your next favourite song or just ready to break out of your usual playlist, we’ve got you covered. Hit play on this month’s Babylon Mix and get ready for a musical adventure without borders.
This month’s music mix opens with “Anhedonia,” a standout track from Hex Key, the latest album by American indie rockers Mamalarky. Band member Livvy Bennett describes it as “a song about feeling god-awful.” Next is “Virgen y Volcán,” the first single from Ecuadorian singer-songwriter Grecia Albán’s upcoming album Nubes Selva (“Cloud Jungle”), a project rooted in Ecuadorian folklore and enriched by Latin American, jazz, and technological influences. Folk and string band pioneers Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson also reunite on What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, a new album featuring 18 traditional North Carolina fiddle and banjo tunes, including “Hook and Line,” recorded at the home of their late mentor Joe Thompson, a pivotal figure in the revival of the Black string band tradition.
Jazz pianist Hiromi returns with Out There, the second full-length with her Sonicwonder project, featuring the Miles Davis-inspired “Balloon Pop.” “There’s Always Gonna Be Something,” the first release from British rockers Stereophonics’ new album Make ‘Em Laugh, Make ‘Em Cry, Make ‘Em Wait, blends their signature rock sound with soaring melodies and introspective lyrics. “Tessellations,” meanwhile, comes from British composer Nainita Desai’s soundtrack for FOSO (Fiber Optic Orchestra), a large-scale immersive music-and-light installation by visual artist Bruce Munro at Sensorio in Paso Robles, California. “Paradox” is the first single from Jamael Dean’s forthcoming solo piano album Oriki Duuru, which means “piano poems” in Yoruba. The LP was recorded live last year at 2220 Arts + Archives in Los Angeles, California.
International artist collective Cushla bring a fresh perspective to the classic folk ballad with “7 Years,” blending traditional Irish sounds with modern electronic textures, and featured on their new album, Tech Duinn. Paris-based keys and didgeridoo player Richard Poher offers a glimpse of his upcoming album Constellations with “Aboriginal Gypsies,” a vibrant sonic tapestry where the earthy resonance of the didgeridoo weaves through cascading tango piano lines. Also in this month’s playlist, acclaimed Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade, teaming up with David Aguilar on “Como Quisiera Quererte,” a tender ballad of longing from her latest album Cancionera. This particular track was born from an intimate night of conversation, storytelling, and shared inspiration.
“Scene 3” comes from The Film, a brand new collaborative album between post-metal supergroup SUMAC and sound artist and poet Moor Mother, who describes the project as creating “a moment outside of convention.” Kwashibu Area Band pay tribute to Ghanaian legend Nana Ampadu on “M’akoma Nnwom,” blending the slow, minor-key style of Highlife with modern influences on their latest release, Love Warrior’s Anthem. Closing out this month’s music mix is composer and former Police drummer Stewart Copeland, whose latest project, Wild Concerto, pioneers a fusion of orchestral music with authentic animal sounds, recorded in the field by renowned British naturalist Martyn Stewart. The album begins with the uplifting “White Throated Sparrow (Is Happy on the Glacier).”
