New Year Eve Party Playlist 2025/2026 Nyårsaftonens spellista

Time to end another year and look forward to the next. 2025 has, frankly, been a sh-t year for the world and in Finland - but a year of fast and interesting transformations - and moves - for me. I hope for a little more time to chill in 2026, and, hopefully, much more peaceful times in the world, more democracy, justice, care for others and freedom for all. No all in new year party this year, just softly chillin’, but of course a new year party playlist!

Det är dags att avsluta ännu ett år och se framåt mot ett nytt. Ärligt talat, 2025 har varit ett sk-t år för världen och i Finland - men ett år med snabba och intressanta förändringar och flyttningar för mig. Jag hoppas få lite mera tid att chilla 2026 och, förhoppningsvis, en mycket mera fridfull tid för världen, mera demokrati, rättvisa, omtanke om andra och frihet för alla. Ingen all in nyårsfest i år, chillar soft istället, men en nyårs-party playlist blir det ändå, såklart!

Peace on Earth! Frid på jorden!

Here is my New Year Eve Party Playlist 2025/2026. Preferably to be played from approx 21 to (almost) 00 turn of the year 2025/2026 (with links for you to videos for almost all songs). Or anytime you like.

Här är min nyårs-spellista, bäst från ca 21 fram till tolvslaget 2025/2026. Eller närhelst du känner för det.

Happy New Year/Gott Nytt År/Gutes Neues Jahr/Onnellista Uutta Vuotta!!!🎉

NEW YEAR EVE PARTY PLAYLIST 2025/2026

Intro: Fridays For Future/Rebekka Karijord & Jon Ekstrand

Welcome To The Show/Laleh

Endzeitstimmung (Live 2024)/Die Fantastischen Vier 

Wir Kommen In Frieden/Feine Sahne Fischfilet

Ilonalle (Sydänlupaus)/Heikki Kuula

Super Sense Block Party (Live Medley) (12”)/Die Fantastischen Vier

Hamburg City (MC)/La Boom

Nie Wieder Krieg/Thomas D

Overcome (The Recapitulation)/RX Bandits

Wann Strahlst Dub/Erobique & Palminger

Radioaktivität (Francois Kevorkian Remix) (12”)/Kraftwerk

Wagging Tongue (Live Mexico City)/Depeche Mode

Hamburg Calling (Live Brotstock 2023)/Fettes Brot

Passing Strangers (Set Movements Live)/Ultravox

Im Arsch (PFL RMX)/Jan Delay

Geboren Um Zu Sterben/Tristan Brusch

Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards (Live)/Billy Bragg

Reeperbahn Dub/Udo Lindenberg feat Jan Delay

The Grosser (Live Brotstock 2023)/Fettes Brot

Nordisch By Nature (Live Brotstock 2023)/Fettes Brot

Come And Get Your Love/Redbone

Pizza (Live 2025)/Antilopen Gang

Super Sense Block Party (Live Medley) (12”B)/Die Fantastischen Vier

Arbeitstitel: Aller Achtung (Instrumental)/Eins Zwo

 

#3/6 Jahre Institut

Kirchturmkandidaten (Live mit der WDF Big Band)/Jan Delay

When The President Talks To God/Bright Eyes

Mach Die Augen Auf/Nena

All You Fascists Bound To Lose/Ghetto 84

Beate Zschäpe Hört U2 (Live 2025)/Antilopen Gang

Where Is The Love?/The Black Eyed Peas

Love (Eimsbusch Dynamite Deluxe RMX)/Patrice

Jein (Live Brotstock 2023)/Fettes Brot

Arbeitstitel: Aller Achtung/Eins Zwo

Liebes Logbuch (Instrumental)/Eins Zwo

Flashbacks (CD-EP)/Niemals

Stay (Live 1979 No Nukes)/Springsteen E Street Band

Everything Counts (Live Mexico City)/Depeche Mode

Zusammen (2022)/Die Fantastischen Vier feat. Clueso

 Lev Nu Dö Sen/Miss Li

Take On Me (The Final Concert Live)/A-Ha

I hear wonderful (live) things 2025!

 (I see) Wonderful things, said Howard Carter when he found the grave vault of Tutankhamun. A travesty of that here and now could be: I hear wonderful things 2025. And many of them on newly released live albums.

Brotstock, a tripple live album by Hamburg hiphop legends Fettes Brot, is out this year. A great celebration of the unfortunately final Fettes Brot concert, from 2023. RSD 3LP vinyl version is on tripple-colour vinyl, cool. A magnificent live album, with all hits, and then some,  included. Jeun is a fine, groovy start and one of my favorite segments is Hamburg Calling followed by a magnificent The Grosser, that really makes your body move. And of course Nordisch by Nature does so too, but the vibe is great throughout. The album title is also wonderfully fun, so tongue-in-cheek. A beautiful last statement from the ”Fat Breads”. And bonus info: König Boris has also released a book ” FC St. Pauli - eine Liebeserklärung”, in 2025. Early bird signed copies could be bought at FC StP club shop on Reeperbahn. So Cool.

And who can neglect Depeche Mode? M and Memento Mori: Mexico City (live) were both very high on my waiting list this Fall, both the 4LP version and the 2 Blueray + 2 CD version. One of the most important bands on my radar, and they didn’t disappoint this December. M is the movie version, and the only regret is that they could have played out more widely with the Mexican theme, perhaps prolonged the film with 15-20 mins to get some more depth into the material between the live scores. Fine as it is, it could have been even better. Especially as the whole concert material is  also available as such in the same package, and a great concert film it is too. 

Yes, the vinyls and cd:s are also stunning, great new songs performed live and some very cool and refreshed versions of classics like Everything counts. Showstarter My Cosmos Is Mine was a surprise (on the tour), but opened strongly for a refreshed DM concert experience. Too sad that the concert that I had tickets to on the Memento Mori tour was cancelled, but instead a free DM club night was organized for fans and that surprisingly turned out to be one of the best club night experiences ever. Danced for five hours straight. And had so fun that I nearly didn’t mind that the concert was cancelled. DM fans form a great community. 

Now, on formally released live album and film(s) from the tour, we hear and see DM, currently only a (power)duo, but well-assisted on stage by two great veteran live band members, sounding amazingly fresh. 

A must, no less.

A third new live album out now is Antilopen Gang and their Anti Alles Aktion Live. Interestingly, their controversial political hit Oktober in Europa is not included, perhaps not performed during this tour. Nevermind, it is still a great live hiphop/punk album. Antilopen Gang has combined these genres successfully on studio albums and now show how great the combination also works live. Pizza and Beate Zschäpe Hört U2, Weg Von Hier and Muttertag, are among the impressive highlights, before it all ends in an intense live finale, Anti Alles Aktion. 

Potent, powerful and highly entertaining.

A wonderful catalogue live find from 2021 must also be mentioned. Springsteen E Street Band, performing live on legendary No Nukes festival 1979. I’ve had it on vinyl for years, but this Fall bought the Blueray/2CD version that first came out in 2021. And this is just mindblowing stuff. Bruce and the band are exceptional live artists, personally I have seen them live on three occasions, all superb performances. But this really is exceptional stuff. This is right up there with the very best. Before the megastardom of Born in the USA, when Bruce was big but not yet the biggest rock star, the band already was  among the very best. Frenetic energy, strong showman- and musicianships and the pure happiness of performing live results in a stellar set. And all for a good cause too. My personal favorite moment is when they invite Jackson Browne & co on stage for a spectacular version of Stay. 

Yes, please, stay, just a little bit longer! 

Well worth hearing - and seeing.

Many music pearls for this Christmastime were live (on album), but not all.

A most certain coming classic is the impressive compilation album King Size Dub Hamburg. And already a rarity. Both the LP and the double-cd are limited to 500 ex. Prices will rise. Not only because it is limited, but because it is sooo good. Many will want this album. Many will need this album.  Even more will not yet know that they would want and need this album. Brilliant. Magnificent stuff, and lots of it. Vinyl version is only a single album, not covering more than half of CD one. That’s why I opted for the double CD version, as many of the best dubs are not on the vinyl. Had it been a 2 LP set, I would have bought that. But, in retrospect, I probably still should have bought the single vinyl LP too. 

Tracks from this compilation, and these live albums, will most likely be heard on my playlists in 2026.

 

Danke, Hamburg, Thank you

 Leaving Hamburg just before Christmas leaves me with a Finnish feeling in my soul, you know, a vibe and song that is strong on minor chords. Sad, even sentimental, but melancholy with a Northern twist.

My home away from home, I use to say.

Hansestadt Hamburg. 

An open, friendly, supercool, liberal-minded and cultural city, a musical metropolis. 

Really, what’s there not to like.

Last weekend in Hamburg; Gluhwein with friends at the Christmas market on Allendeplatz in Rotherbaum and  fondue dinner in Ottensen with closest friends, friendly abschied until next time by great staff at cozy, supercool plattenläden. Wonderful kinos, shops and, especially, the people. Goodbye Hamburg, for this visit, I miss you already. 

Had also time to visit Berlin and Bremen, including cool districts Neukölln and Viertel. As always worthwhile to visit record store Black Plastic in Bremen and check out a cool pop-up art exhibition, this time near Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. And of course highly interesting to walk the streets of Neukölln.

I bring with me from Hamburg some great music, cool clothes and inspiring books and journals. As well as new knowledge on learning and urban culture and transformation. Like on every other visit. And, as always, a part of my heart is left in HSH, HanseStadt Hamburg. 

Bis nächtes mal!

To all my friends - here, there and everywhere!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Frohe Weinachten und ein Gutes Neues Jahr!

God Jul och Gott Nytt År!

Hyvää Joulua ja Onnellista Uutta Vuotta!

Hiphop is the new punk

 Hiphop is the new punk.

Just when most of rock, pop, and yes, even punk, seems to have lost momentum and mostly resemble money-machines without substance, we have to rely on hiphop for some punk attitude. Social commentary is otherwise rare and mostly something that only 60+ artists seem to think about, so, where are you, young rebels, rebellious youth? The world is crumbling and you are silent? 

At least hiphop continues the important vital function as critical voices for democracy, diversity and social justice. They report from run-down neighborhoods and districts where mainstream media only visits to demonize, if ever. Hiphop reports from these districts, they are the news channels from within, and from everywhere.

Bands like Antilopen Gang even produce double-albums with hiphop and punk. An important band, Antilopen Gang.

Bands like Waving The Guns, in turn, are hiphop through and through, but also fabulously and totally punk in attitude. 

Yes, Waving The Guns. 

What can you say? 

Brilliant hiphop. Voices from the underground, and from the unheard, forgotten masses.

Have all their albums. Great on vinyl. The cd-versions are also superb value for money, for example double cd with old WTG albums Eine Hand Bricht Die Andere and Totschlagargumente. For 9,90 €! 

Wish they would publish their raps (texts) with the albums. This is serious, strong stuff, delivered with attitude and force, set to catching grooves and beats.

Feine Sahne Fischfilets performed live in Hamburg in December, a Rostock punk band with a great trumpet soloist. The trumpetist also did a fine hiphop rap during the set. Another way to celebrate the connection. And everybody cheered.

Hiphop is the new punk.

Eins Zwo Delay and what else? - och vad mera?

 Eins Zwo is a legendary hiphop-duo from Hamburg. I bought their great debut album on cd earlier, but even cooler is the fantastic double-vinyl with instrumental tracks of the record. Have only seen it once in store, in Groove City, where I listened to it, and, wow, it is so insanely good that I bought it. Expensive, yes, but so fu—in great. Full party mood, grooves that makes you move, and keep on moving, amazing stuff. Also bought their debut maxi, Sport, but on cd, also good, of course.

There just is something about Hamburg and hiphop. Also found Jan Delay’s Mercedes-Dance box set (2 CD + DVD). The fine original album I have in both LP and CD-version, and even an limited two-disc version, but this one includes many fine remixes and live tracks. Like Christmas candy for me.

And, there is also something about Stuttgart and hiphop. Especially Fanta4, Die Fantastischen Vier, genre giants and just great music. Also on my last German trip, to Hamburg, I bought a Fanta-album, this time triple-vinyl Heimspiel, a fine live album from their 20th anniversary concert (2009). They also have a new live album put out in 2025, Long Player on tour, which I have on cd and dvd, and it too is worth to have on vinyl.

And, if you have the chance, the December number of Musikexpress (1/26) includes a fine cd, Mixtape 2025, that is almost worth the price in itself, eight strong tracks from the year that is soon ending.

Enjoy.

Eins Zwo, legendarisk hiphop-duo från Hamburg. Nämnde jag köpt deras första album på cd, suveränt. Men ännu häftigare är nog dubbel-vinylen med instrumentalspåren av samma album. Har sett det exakt en gång, på Groove City. Och lyssnat i butiken, så sjukt bra, så jag köpte det. Dyrt, ja, men helt fantastiskt, otroligt bra. Fullt drag, fullt party, lyfter, lyfter. Blev också inköp av deras debut-maxi, men på cd, Sport. Bra, förstås.

Det är något med Hamburg och hiphop. Köpte också Jan Delays Mercedes-Dance boxversion (2 CD + DVD), normalalbumet har jag förstås från förr på både vinyl och cd och som en limiterad 2-disc version. Grymt album. Boxen bjuder på en hel del fina remixar och livespår. Det är julgodis för mig.

Det är nåt med Stuttgart och hiphop också. Fanta4, Die Fantastischen Vier, är genrens giganter. Har blivit ett Fanta-album (fina trippel-vinylen Heimspiel, som starkt dokumenterar bandets 20-årsjubileum 2009) också på senaste Tysklandsresan till Hamburg.

Och får ni chans att köpa december-numret av tyska Musikexpress (01/26) så kan det nästan vara värt det bara för medföljande fina cd:n Mixtape 2025. Åtta sköna spår från året som snart är till ända.

Njut.

Jaco, anti-war and Kraftwerk - while waiting for Depeche

 A new live album by Depeche Mode is out right now, December 5th. An interesting concert from Mexico City during the Memento Mori tour. Also out is the M film, with the concert. Needless to say, I bought both the 4 LP-box and the 2 Blueray + 2 CD-box. However, I will give it a few listenings and watchings before doing a review. So, I will be back shortly! In the meantime, there are some other ”not so new but new to me” nice music finds to report.

Jaco Pastorius: Truth, Liberty & Soul - Live in NYC 1982 - came out on remastered 2 CD with an impressive booklet already in 2017, I bought it in November. Jaco was for bass players what Jimi Hendrix was for guitar players. An unbelievable talent, a genius. Of course he is center stage here, but it is a wonderful jazz big band performing and a truly great concert. Should have bought it years ago, happy to hear it now, and from now on. An essential jazz recording by the true Mr Bassman. Breathtaking stuff.

Compilation albums can easily be a combination of hits and misses, same with theme albums. If you want to hear an important anti-war album, which is not that very well-known but comes with a multitude of great tracks I can recommend the wonderful Body of War - Songs that inspired an Iraq war veteran. A tripple-LP album that is truly amazing. War Veterans Against the War is behind it and a superb list of artists and songs are included; from Springsteen, Neil Young, Roger Waters, Pearl Jam and Lennon to Bad Religion, Public Enemy, Rage Against The Machine, System of A Down, Dilated People, Bouncing Souls, and Tori Amos. Eddie Vedder & Ben Harper plays No More Live, which is sort of the title song here. Spellbinding from starting ballad Hero’s Song by Brendan James to ending Day After Tomorrow by Tom Waits. Perhaps the best album I have heard this Fall. Great stuff.

Found also some nice german hiphop when visiting some of the great record shops in Hamburg, where prices can be significantly lower than in Finland. And, of course, the supply is fantastic! Visited also a record fair there, but, sadly, it was one of the worst ever, had difficulties finding even one really interesting record. Made the finds at Zardoz, Freiheit & Roosen, Filmgarten this time, and even Media Markt, that really has an impressive width of new records and films. But for the real vinyl finds it is the cool genuine record stores that counts most and they are quite a few in Hamburg. Zardoz and Groove are the best, Filmgarten the friendliest, and Freiheit & Roosen is also a must, but I have also had many great times at Plattenrille, Michelle and Fischkopp. And it doesn’t end there. I truly love Hamburg as a music metropolis, a world center of music.

I already bought Thomas D:s latest mini-album Mega D on cd during summertime, but it is so great that I had to have it on vinyl, in the limited RSD edition, unnecessary expensive of course, but superb. Nie wieder krieg is possibly my favorite song in 2025. Just like the Tocotronic song with the same song was best song in 2024. Got the point? 

Classic Eins Zwo’s first album is very expensive on vinyl but I found a limited cd for a tenner, and did not hesitate. Great album, a real german hiphop classic. I found that and about ten other interesting hiphop albums at Zardoz, someone obviously had a winter clearout of wonderful german hiphop albums and cd-maxis, including Fettes Brot, Fanta 4, Funf Sterne Deluxe, Schnabel & DJ Meru, Beginner and Denyo 77. I’m certainly not complaining.

A great box set, Ultravox’ classic album Lament (on 7 cd + 1 dvd) gives you all you could possibly want or need of Lament. Not too expensive and very interesting. Original album in two mixes, lots of remixes, and 2 cd’s live, plus an audio-dvd. A nice Christmas present for Ultravox-fans.

And at last a nice 12” maxi from 1991, Kraftwerk: Radioaktivität, with some great mixes from Francois Kevorkian and William Orbit. Yes, it is cool remixes of the Radioaktivität/Radioactivity version on The Mix album, so it is the more modern anti-nuclear version of the great classic. Kraftwerk played live in Helsinki this winter and in Berlin next week, sadly I was not there and will not be there, but I have seen them twice live. Memorable concerts indeed, but now it is only Ralf Hutter left of the greatest, classic line-up. True legends, and this 12” is, of course, magnificent. Bought in Helsinki, where there are also some excellent record shops, like Black & White, Keltainen jäänsärkijä and Levykauppa X. The latter is quite expensive, but also a place where you can make nice finds, especially in their Kallio shop, where there are more interesting used records. Stupido, Music Hunter and Goofin’ can also be worth a visit.

The soundtrack of the Vietnam War - in a large cd-box form

 A documentation of epic proportions.

Yes, it is an absolute mammoth-size project. 13 + 1 (songtext) CD:s and a heavy, over 300 pages, A4-sized book. And still only a portion of the 4000 songs that are said to form the total amount of Vietnam war-connected songs.

But it is, and will most certainly remain, the ultimate compilation of Vietnam War-related songs, including an impressive essay on the war and the music, discussing their significance in and for America. Interesting in a time when the US again is connected to very controversial and imperialistic politics and a time when the reactions in music are still fragmented and small compared to the 1960’s and early 1970’s. That said, this major compilation, Next Stop is Vietnam (1961-2008), is not new but an archive find. Neither is it a one-sided compilation, it is not an overview of Vietnam war-critical music, even though a lot of critical songs are present. Here is also many songs supporting the US, the overseas war campaign, and of course the veterans and soldiers. In that way it is perhaps an even more interesting overview, trying to represent the whole spectrum of songs, even some much later songs specifically about the Vietnam war, like Paul Hardcastle’s 19, are included. This heavy (in content but also physically in pure weight) box set is produced by Bear Family (based in Germany) and their strong links to country, hillbilly, rock’n’roll and old school americana means that this sector is especially well covered. If anything, I would have enjoyed a larger segment of songs from Black America, more soul, funk etc, but some essential and more obscured works are present. Also sad that for example CCR:s Fogerty-written anti-Vietnam war songs are only included in Paul Revere-performed versions, as Bear Family could not get license for the original versions. I have those songs on original albums anyway, but Revere’s versions are new to me, and quite fine too. However, these are minor flaws in a very impressive collection. Included are many hard-to-find songs, extremely seldom heard, as well as very well-known classics, like Masters of War or Where have all the flowers gone or Soldier Boy.

I guess for most it really is overkill to buy a box like this, but it certainly gives an interesting and wide perspective from one of the most controversial periods of political song writing, the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. However, it also makes you think how much we really need popular culture that dare to make a stand and comment what is going on, today, in our world and sinister times. There is much to comment in music in these times, so why is there so few political comments in song? Trumpism and its war on knowledge, learning, free speech, courts, universities and traditional allies, right wing extremism, terrorism, Genocide in Gaza, Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine…

This box set documents a time when music was on the forefront of commenting society. We need voices and songs that take a stand. And democracy means we can have different views, just like the songs from different viewpoints in this ambitious box set. A goldmine for music lovers, and historians, and everyone that wants to understand American society just a little better. The Vietnam War was a major trauma for the US, its heritage is still felt today. And this impressive box set documents the soundtrack of that conflict. Peace!