There we all were—scrolling and scrolling. Catalogue number after catalogue number, a seemingly endless list of treasured sounds from across the world. The task seemed vast, a reminder of all the music yet to be listened to. These picks reflect a variety of sonic continuums. Parallels are drawn between the banjo-like instrumental traditions of Appalachia and Senegal. The Levantine Oud and Flamenco Guitar are paired, with their Romani melismas and historical modal connection to the Islamic world. There is extreme virtuosity in both the so-called ‘high’ classic music of Ali Akbar Khan and in the takamba folk music of the Malian Tuaregs. This virtuosity also manifests in Henry Cowell’s piano music—a small taste of the Western avant-garde grappling with modernity.

There are of course many human voices singing together—a sound so powerful it is often what we cite as the benchmark for music’s affective potential. Vedic recitation, Japanese Imperial court music and the euphoric hymns of the Old Regular Baptists are punctuated by the vocal musics of Britain and Ireland, which draw together our joint practice as musicians. Even Allen Ginsberg gets his place - another small taste of the utopian avant-garde milieu in which Moses Asch and Harry Smith moved.