The Top 100 2022

100 Faces from the Top 100 2022, oil on canvas, 24x36" 

The above painting is still in progress. The process of it is establishing the concept for the series of a 100 paintings for the Top 100 2022. The series, like last year, will be double portraits, but the focus will not be on difference but on equality, or similarity, or familiarity. Different too will be that the 100 paintings will not follow the list by the letter. While the list is a ranking of 100 songs, the paintings will not be depending on the rankings. This will give me greater flexibility in my choices of who to paint. The one aspect of following the list I grew tired of last year was that I had to paint certain individuals over and over again. Last year I painted six portraits of Hugo Zemp for example. Even though there are already several duplicate performers in this year's list (that is not even half way compiled), the above painting has no duplicates, yet every song is represented and there are already more than 60 people portrayed (out of a list of 40 songs). The following 10 details are likely to be repeated in the series that will become The Top 100 2022.

Austin Grasmere and Brian Elliot of Cromagnon

The two members of Cromagnon were painted side by side. The song Caledonia is nothing short of spectacular. Experimental garage rock featuring a bagpipe. It has it all. I had never heard of the band but was introduced to them via the No Wave Facebook group. Their record Orgasm (later reissued as Cave Rock) was produced for the New York based ESP records. The 'E' in ESP stands for 'Esperanto'. The label was founded with the intention of releasing recording with lyrics in Esperanto.

Rundi women performing Ubuhuha

One of my favorite tracks from the treasured LP Burundi:Musique Traditionelles is back in the list this year. For earlier paintings (and written commentaries) click on this link.

Klaudia Schiff and Marlene Marder of LiLiPUT

A return after about 15 years to the list for the Swiss post-punk band LiLiPUT. This time not with their high scoring Eisiger Wind, but with the equally exciting single Split. LiLiPUT used to be called Kleenex but had to change their band's name because of the threat of legal action by the company who used Kleenex as a brand name.

Swedish music anthropologists Ake Egevad and Cajsa Lund

The record Musica Sveciae: Fornnordiska Klanger means a lot to me as I'm interested in prehistoric art and the origin of music. Professor Cajsa Lund, who produced the record, and her collaborator Äke Egevad are professionals who research bot interests and use archaeological evidence to reconstruct sounds from the prehistoric era. Two tracks from the album are listed in the top 100: the sound of a bull-roarer and a performance on the Kantflöjter (flute).

Albert Ayler and Sunny Murray

Sunny Murray is the percussionist on Spiritual Unity, an album by Albert Ayler from 1965. Gary Peacock (not depicted) is the third member of the trio. Ghosts, First Variation is the opening track that also features in my continued top 100, which records and adds points for a recording going all the way back to 1983, the year I started the Top 100.