The Student Playlist

Showcasing the Best New Music, Curating the Classics

Tag 25th anniversary

CULT ’90s: Dr. Octagon – ‘Dr. Octagonecologyst’

Fabulously inventive in its wordplay and sonic world-building, Kool Keith and Dan The Automator’s ‘Dr. Octagonecologyst’ pushed hip-hop to weird places.

CULT ’90s: Underworld – ‘Second Toughest In The Infants’

Sophisticated and cool but also hedonistic and primal, Underworld’s ‘Second Toughest In The Infants’ is one of British dance music’s finest album-length achievements.

CULT ’90s: Sparklehorse – ‘Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot’

Mark Linkous’s first Sparklehorse album, ‘Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot’ is split between spacy folk-rock and scuffed, lo-fi indie.

CULT ’90s: Scott Walker – ‘Tilt’

One of the most challenging and avant-garde albums from a major artist of all time, Scott Walker’s malevolent ‘Tilt’ turns 25 years old.

CLASSIC ’90s: Elastica – ‘Elastica’

Elastica’s skillful, accessible reconstitution of their obvious post-punk influences made their 1995 self-titled debut one of the fastest-selling albums in UK history.

CULT ’90s: Tricky – ‘Maxinquaye’

25 years on, Tricky’s dense, paranoid and beautiful debut album ‘Maxinquaye’ feels like an avenue that artists are only just starting to explore.

CLASSIC ’90s: Leftfield – ‘Leftism’

Leftfield’s 1995 debut album ‘Leftism’ was one of the finest major achievements in British electronica, as influenced by dub reggae as much as house.

CLASSIC ’90s: Weezer – ‘Weezer’ (‘The Blue Album’)

An album of endearing yet emotionally sharp power-pop that’s resonated with generations of outcasts, Weezer’s ‘The Blue Album’ turns 25.

CLASSIC ’90s: Blur – ‘Parklife’

Representing one of the commercial apexes of Britpop in the mid-Nineties, ‘Parklife’ was the realisation of Damon Albarn’s vision for Blur’s music.

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