Drink softly – an update

Hi everyone,

As you have noticed, things have been a bit quiet here. There are two reasons for that.

One is my new job. I’ve joined the great Vin & Natur and our first big project has been launching our very own online shop, which you can find at vinnatur.shop. Swedes only, sorry. Säg till om du vill ha vintips! 🍷

The second is just the general state of the world, in a sense – and Spotify’s place within it in particular. I’ve been iffy about using that service for a while now, and as the owners keep making more money, the artists keep getting less, and the owners’ money – which I am giving them – gets funneled into weapons (or “defense tech”) and fascism (or “the US president”)… man, I don’t know. Plays Softly is a pacifist newsletter that firmly supports punching Nazis, so the combination feels harder and harder to justify.

So, we’ll see. Perhaps sharing just the names of seven great songs, to be listened to wherever, however you listen to music. Perhaps a switch to another service – personally, I’m using Qobuz, which is an awful name for a pretty great service. Or perhaps just let it sleep for a while longer. Let me know what you prefer.

Anyway. Here’s Curtis Mayfield and friends at the Marcus Garvey Centre, Nottingham, UK, on February 13, 1984. Not that YouTube – and Google – are any better platforms than Spotify. But Curtis transcends all.

Bisou,
Jacob