Wir schreiben den 21. Dezember, Wintersonnenwende. Ein Tag, auf den ich jeden Winter warte, weil es ab dem endlich wieder „bergauf“ geht. Die Tage werden wieder länger, auch wenn der Sommer noch in weiter Ferne liegt. Es wird.

Außerdem ist 4. Advent. Mono & Kusten zünden uns zu diesem akustisch die vierte Kerze an, die Wärme durch den Raum trägt. Organische Elektronik, die dem Anlass angemessen, auf die Bremse tritt ohne schläfrig zu machen. Da ist noch Energie, um die letzten Tage vor dem Fest alles zu sortieren, Essenspläne zu finalisieren, Geschenke einzupacken vielleicht. Oder auch einfach zu chillen, wie das hier heute laufen wird. Und viel mehr gelaufen wird heute nicht.

Style: Organic Electronic
Length: 01:13:38
Quality: 320 kBit/s

Tracklist:
1. Lee Jones – Embolden
2. Günther Lause – Mountain
3. Kincaid – Cairn
4. Ufordian Edits – Ufordia
5. Peter Power Edit – White Rabbit
6. Rapossa – My Rock-n-Roll
7. Sam Cooke vs. Kalabrese – Lost & Lookin‘ (M.Rux Edit)
8. Alex Kaminski – Raureif
9. Andreas Balicki – Everything that’s gone
10. Rival Consoles – Looming
11. Weval – You’re Mine (Kasper Bjørke Remix)
12, Kincaid – Oud To Joy (Duet)
13. Grandbrothers – Bloodflow (Christian Löffler Remix)
14. Solomun feat. Isolation Berlin – Kreatur der Nacht (Stimming & Johannes Brecht Remix)
15. Lanark Artefact – Touch Absence (Intimidating Stillness Mix)
16. Jennifer Cardini, Shonky – Tuesday Paranoia (Acapella)

Alle der diesjährigen Kalendermixe finden sich hier.

Today we have a podcast interview! I spoke to Kim Crawley and Ryan Wilson from StopGenAI.com. 32 minutes. Contains mild salty language concerning generative AI.

You can hear it on LibSyn, Apple Podcasts, and all the rest — or you can watch the Zoom video on YouTube.

$5-and-up patrons saw the raw video last night, of course!

Kommen wir nun zu etwas ganz anderem. Es ist ja so, dass wenn du kleine Kinder hast, du Musik, ob du willst oder nicht, ganz anders hörst als ohne. Ich weiß das, auch wenn das bei mir jetzt doch schon sehr lange zurückliegt, erinnere ich mich gut daran. Auf langen Reisen entscheiden dann eben die Kinder, was gehört wird. Das kann mitunter leider halt auch sehr triviales Zeug sein. mogreens, der noch kleine Kinder hat, zeigt hiermit, dass es auch durchaus anders geht. (Nicht nur) Kinderlieder, die Normen, Werte und Haltungen zu vermitteln versuchen. In Zeiten wie diesen wichtig, auch wenn man damit natürlich nicht alle erreichen wird, aber das war ja nie anders.

Ich jedenfalls finde die kleine Reise in ein Genre, aus dem ich lange nichts gehört habe, tatsächlich schöner, als ich mir das vorher vorgestellt habe. Ohrwürmer sind garantiert und ich mag die Idee, die hinter diesem Mix steht, wirklich außerordentlich gerne. Toll!

Style: Kinderlieder
Length: 00:49:39
Quality: 320 kBit/s

Tracklist:
Surprise, surprise.

Alle der diesjährigen Kalendermixe finden sich hier.

As with all my previous ‘Reflection’ year-end mixes, I begin with a collection of albums, EPs, and compilations that resonated with me over the past year. From there, I curate tracks to build the mix - a process that’s as much about omission as inclusion. Inevitably, many of my favorite tracks and albums don’t make the final cut, simply because they don’t fit the flow of the mix or get lost along the way. There are plenty of albums I played on repeat that aren’t included here, but I enjoy this process much more than creating lists.

As I remind myself each year, this isn’t meant to be a definitive “best-of” list. Instead, it’s a snapshot of some of my favorite music from the year, distilled into one cohesive and listenable format. Compiling these mixes under self-imposed restrictions is my way of revisiting and celebrating the music I’ve loved critically, while sharing it with you in a way that’s both meaningful and accessible. For me, listening back to these mixes is like flipping through an audio photograph, capturing the essence of my year in music and invoking memories from special moments.

I encourage you to use this mix as a jumping-off point—dive into each artist, explore their albums in full, and check out the labels behind the music. You can find a Buy Music Club list linked below to help you dig deeper. If you’re curious about the broader scope of music I’ve supported this year, my Bandcamp collection is always up to date. And for the ASIP year-end label compilation, that’s coming very soon…

~

2025 was nearly the year of breaking point with my time and effort spent on the label. A new job, a third child, and… well that’s enough to do it I guess. So as the year-end drew closer, the idea of completing this mix became laughable in its scope and I thought it might be the first year in over a decade I haven’t completed one.

It’s helped that I haven’t done many mixes this year, so approaching it pulled on some much needed creativity, but even when looking back at what music I had supported on Bandcamp and the records on my shelves, it took me a long time to organize, make sure I had it downloaded, and even pull the trigger on items in my wishlist (my wishlist often revolves around vinyl I’ve picked up with no BC download code offered - gripe). Those who go through this obsessive process know how much time it can take up.

Looking back at the mix now it’s complete, I’ve managed to include around 80% of what was in high rotation for me this year (there’s always some that don’t make it into mix form) and the styles are on point as usual in reflecting my taste over the year. We’re starting with the deep ambient cuts, moving into more IDM and techno, and moving through a lot more energetic tracks towards the end - from Jungle to Trance…

One of the only live gigs I got to emerge from my family life to see was WNDFRM and Patricia Wolf in Seattle, so of course, Patricia’s newest installment on Balmat (who also had another epic year as a label) is included. Related to that event, organizer Raica (Chloe Harris) made a return with two albums this year, I believe - both worthy of praise, but her piece for (another relentless outpost) Quiet Details was the standout. One of the only artists to make a return on this list from last year is MPU101 on Ilian Tape - a BoC-vibe regular who always manages to tickle the right part of my ears. Alex Kassian had about three tracks or remixes in my original shortlist (including the lush remix of Spooky) so I had to do my best to not over-indulge - his remix of a classic Pianoman melody will bring back the Global Communication / Tangerine Dream vibes. Skee Mask is still releasing archive material that defies expectations. In one of the most welcome moves of the year, finding All Possible Worlds on Bandcamp made many people ecstatic, not least because of the full release of Irini’s odyssey, or the random track found on their profile. Light of Cacti got my Schnauss tastebuds tingling. Anushka Chkheidze has been on my radar for a long time now, so it was a treat to see her collaborating with the much-respected Robert Lippok across a very interesting record. OPN landed late in 2025 but arguably released one of his most welcome albums for die-hard fans, hooking me right back into his unique worlds. Simon Littaeur came into my feed through his Instagram videos (normally something that doesn’t always result in a quality album), but his production lived up to the visual hype. The album by jp on emerging label Theory Therapy was full of big tracks, and I did my best to make sure one was included on here. Talking of big, Djrum’s latest didn't disappoint, and he’ll continue to be classed as an innovator with output like this year. I nearly stopped at the Barker track, as it doesn’t get much bigger than that euphoric high, but something told me to bring it back down a little bit more, so into a slight trance we went with a superb debut by Alvar (Teo Bachs) and of course, the masters of hypnotizing techno, Voices from The Lake making a much needed return. The ending comes from vinyl selector Chee Shimizu, a unique piece of music that would bring the sun down on any horizon, and one of two great tracks included in the mix from the ESP LA fundraiser.

Listen on Soundcloud the ASIP Podcast or the 9128.live iOS and Android app

Download

Tracklist (Artist - Title - Album - Label)

1 - HARZ - 0647 - (polychromatic) [Empty Space]
2 - Roméo Poirier - Picobello - (Off the Record) [Faitiche]
3 - Florian TM Zeisig - Earth Loop - (A New Life) [Stroom]
4 - Patricia Wolf - I’ll Take Care of You - (Hrafnamynd) [Balmat]
5 - Saapato - Active Decay (feat. Patricia Wolf) - (Decomposition: Fox on a Highway) [Constellation Tatsu]
6 - Pianeti Sintetici - Part One - (Space Opera) [Astral Industries]
7 - Heavenchord, Infinity Dots - Entering Landscapes - (Landscapes Of The Soul) [Secret Domain]
8 - placa - cityzen - (in trance it) [Non-transparent]
9 - Area 3 - Grass Turns To Sponge - (View) [Khotin Industries]
10 - Cahl Sel - Leaf - (Traces) [Reflective Records]
11 - Raica - Not There Though, Dive - (The Absence of Being) [Quiet Details]
12 - MPU101 - 3100beta2 - (MPU106) [Ilian Tape]
13 - Jo Johnson - Variance Remnants 3 (field recording) - (Variance - Remnants (Alterations)) [Self]
14 - Pentagrams Of Discordia - < - (Triskaidekaphobia Extd.) [Self]
15 - Alex Kassian - Lost in Hanoi - (ESP Institute XV) [ESP]
16 - all possible worlds - untitled - [all possible worlds]
17 - Skee Mask - 32Crescent - (E) [Self]
18 - Rod Modell - Snowstorm in Naubinway - (Northern Michigan Snowstorms) [Silentes]
19 - Strategy - Earthling - (A Cooler World) [Constellation Tatsu]
20 - µ-Ziq - Peppermint Aero - (Manzana) [Balmat]
21 - Lord Of The Isles - Opalescent - (Signals Aligned) [Self]
22 - Plant43 - Skyway Shadow - (Luminous Machines) [Self]
23 - Xenia Reaper - Drift__ - (Nept Polarisation) [Delsin]
24 - Lord Of The Isles - United Wire - (Signals Aligned) [Self]
25 - Martinou - The Last Hour - (The Glow That Lingers) [FauxPas]
26 - Coatshek - Eternal Lovers - (Sound Bath) [Dark Entries]
27 - Light of Cacti - Washed Away In Pink Skies On Brighton Shores - (Neverland is a State of Mind) [Tonights Dream]
28 - Pianoman - Pasion (Alex Kassian’s Mandarine Dream Mix) - (Pasion) [Planet Strange Love]
29 - Anushka Chkheidze + Robert Lippok - Uncontrollable Thoughts - (Uncontrollable Thoughts) [Morr Music]
30 - Oneohtrix Point Never - Measuring Ruins - (Tranquilizer) [Warp]
31 - Simon Littauer - Phicet - (Modular) [Katharsis]
32 - arcologies - asleep and dreaming - (PARTICLE SHIFT) [Rabbithole Club]
33 - E.L Heath and Karen Vogt - This Is Spirit - (This Is Spirit) [Plenty Wenlock]
34 - Aural Imbalance - Thermal Isolation - (Edge Of Space) [Auxiliary]
35 - jp - planes - (we’re here all the time) [Theory Therapy]
36 - Vivian Koch - September (Gold) - (Colors of September) [Self]
37 - Courtney Bailey - Under The Water - (In Dream) [Music From Memory]
38 - Djrum - Waxcap - (Under Tangled Silence) [Houndstooth]
39 - Roméo Poirier - 12 - Steve A. - (Off the Record) [Faitiche]
40 - Barker - Reframing - (Stochastic Drift) [Smalltown Supersound]
41 - Alvar - Meg og sola - (The Mist LP) [Peak Experience]
42 - irini - The Higher (Lost In Dreams) [all possible worlds]
43 - Voices From The Lake - Aquateo (II) [Spazio Disponibile]
44 - Chee Shimizu - Zeze (ESP Institute XV) [ESP]

Visit this Buy Music Club for all the links to buy and support directly on Bandcamp. Thank you.

Subscribe now

The top titles, unique viewing habits, and actors that defined the year in streaming on Plex

Another Breakout Year in Film, Television, and Streaming Entertainment

When a year kicks off with a Golden Globes spotlighting bold new entries like Emilia Pérez and The Brutalist and reaffirming breakout hits such as Shōgun and Baby Reindeer, you know you’re in for another defining year. No one’s bingo card had KPop Demon Hunters as early-summer breakout ‘stars’ but that’s exactly what happened, and releases like Superman and Wicked: For Good connected hardcore fans in theaters around the world, and Avatar 3 is right on their heels. Prestige TV kept pace, with House of the Dragon, The Bear, and Bridgerton dominating screens and social feeds alike. It was a year that proved, again, just how thrillingly unpredictable entertainment can be. It’s that very surprise that keeps us watching. That very momentum is what keeps us ticking.

In that same vein, it was another milestone year for Plex. As viewers turned to Plex to navigate an increasingly complex streaming universe, we saw new viewing patterns take shape, unexpected titles rise to the top, and a few beloved stars dominate screens around the world. So before we hit play on another year of discovery, let’s rewind and look at the numbers.

What We Watched and When

2025 Top Movies Each Month on Plex¹

Only 8 different movies topped the list in the eleven months we’re reporting, with several movies dominating two months in a row, based on cumulative minutes streamed on Plex:

• January: Perfect Strangers
• February: The Devil’s Advocate
• March: Lawless
• April: Homefront
• May: Homefront
• June: Kandahar
• July: Angel Has Fallen
• August: Angel Has Fallen
• September: Wrong Turn
• October: Halloween
• November: Halloween

2025 Most Popular Genres on Plex

We needed the laughs this year. Comedy breaks out in 2025 for the first time in five years, dethroning Action as the #2 most-watched genre. Drama is consistently #1 for over five years running.

• 2025: Drama, Comedy, Action
• 2024: Drama, Action, Comedy
• 2023: Drama, Action, Comedy
• 2022: Drama, Action, Comedy
• 2021: Drama, Comedy, Action

¹Based on total minutes streamed between January 1, 2025, and December 12, 2025, for on-demand content available on Plex.

What Ruled Universal Search This Year²

With a wide range of titles searched for every day, no matter what platform they’re on, these titles topped Plex user searches:

1. Squid Game
2. The Summer I Turned Pretty
3. The Rookie
4. Stranger Things
5. Game of Thrones

²Based on cumulative searches for titles searched on Plex between January 1, 2025, and December 12, 2025.

>> Plex users searched for Squid Game 2.6x more than Game of Thrones and 2.3x more than Stranger Things.
>> Romance drives 45% more searches than sci-fi horror.

The Stars Driving Discovery

Even in a world of endless content, viewers continue to follow the stars. In 2025, Plex searches made it clear: familiar faces, comedy staples, and action legends are driving discovery.

Top-Searched Actors and Actresses of 2025³

Actors

1. Adam Sandler
2. Jason Statham
3. Jack Black
4. Tom Cruise
5. Keanu Reeves

Actresses

1. Scarlett Johansson
2. Ana de Armas
3. Jenna Ortega
4. Anya Taylor-Jo
5. Emma Myers

³Based on cumulative searches for actors on Plex between January 1, 2025, and December 12, 2025.

What Pulled Viewers In…and Kept Them Watching

We never know what cultural moments, legends lost, or unexpected hits are going to move viewers to watch more, but this year, it was a bit of everything:

Top U.S. Shows: Knots Landing…at #1⁴

Viewers keep circling the cul-de-sac and can’t get enough of it:

1. Knots Landing
2. Weeds
3. The Drew Carey Show
4. Z Nation
5. The Following

⁴Based on total minutes streamed between January 1, 2025, and December 12, 2025, by U.S.-based users for on-demand content available on Plex.

>> Long-running, episode-dense series are driving year-long engagement.

Trending Moments: Where Culture Spiked Streaming Habits

Wicked

Universal searches for the original Wizard of Oz jumped nearly 3x in November, compared to the month prior, driven by Wicked: For Good in theaters and reminding everyone that there’s no place like Oz.

Louvre Heist

Following the Louvre Heist, streamers were Feelin’ Heisty: 2x more users marked films from the Ocean’s franchise as watched on Plex in the month after the heist compared to the month prior, and there was a more than40% increase in universal searches for the films.

Top Heist Movies Streamed on Plex in 2025 (from our very own Feelin’ Heisty hub):

1. Triple 9
2. Weeds
3. The Maiden Heist
4. Bandits
5. King of Thieves
6. Flawless

Legends Lost but Forever Loved: Keaton + Redford

In the week following Diane Keaton’s passing, minutes watched for titles of hers available on Plex jumped by over 2.5x, compared to the week prior.

Top Diane Keton movies watched on Plex in 2025 were:

1. And So It Goes
2. The Big Wedding
3. Mama’s Boy
4. Bandits
5. Smother
6. Love, Weddings, & Other Disasters

Viewers streamed 35% more minutes of Robert Redford titles in the week after his passing, compared to the prior week.

The top Robert Redford movies watched on Plex in 2025 were:

1. All Is Lost
2. Spy Game
3. Mama’s Boy
4. A Walk in the Woods
5. National Parks Adventure
6. Truth

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Since the year isn’t over, there’s still plenty more to fit in before the ball drops.

Holiday Highlights: Festive Favorites Took Over

As the holidays roll in, audiences across the U.S., U.K., and Canada are leaning into seasonal comfort watches – with It’s A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol proving to be universal go-tos – showing just how much tradition shapes what we stream.

Top Holiday Watches by Country⁵

United States:

1. Hallmark Movies & More channel
2. Holiday Favorites by Lifetime channel
3. It’s A Wonderful Life
4. Holiday Baking Championship
5. A Christmas Carol

United Kingdom:

1. Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger!
2. GREAT! Christmas
3. It’s A Wonderful Life
4. A Christmas Carol
5. A Christmas Horror Story

Canada:

1. It’s A Wonderful Life
2. Heartiest Christmas
3. Deck The Halls
4. A Christmas Carol
5. Reindeer Games

⁵Based on total minutes streamed on Plex between November 1, 2025, and December 1, 2025, by U.S., UK, and Canada-based users.

What 2026 will bring is hard to say, but we’re liking this momentum and expecting the unexpected.

About Plex Data & Insights

Plex connects entertainment lovers to their streaming content, no matter where it’s hosted – in their own digital libraries, across any of their premium subscription services, or free streaming content that’s available directly on Plex. So we know what the viewers are searching for, what they want to watch next, and what is inspiring their next watch (no matter where it is). With more than 45k free, on-demand (AVOD) titles and 1,500 FAST channels, streaming free content on Plex is more accessible than ever before. The 25MM monthly active users from across over 240 countries and territories, and a decade and a half in providing streaming viewers access to discover the widest selection of streaming television and film content, Plex data is a true compass for streaming behavior and insights.

The post 2025 Plex Rewind appeared first on Plex.

Glitzeringo aka Jimm Koerk aka Der Käpt’n mit einem Mix, der gespickt ist mit Tracks aus der „schönen Zeit“. Also wenn ich die Frage richtig interpretiere. Eine Antwort auf diese Frage habe ich nicht. Wäre mir jetzt auch ein wenig zu sehr musikphilosophisch Spaß an dem Set habe ich trotzdem – und ziemlich gute Laune noch dazu. Denn heute ein letztes Mal arbeiten in diesem Jahr. Das Wetter ist super, um dahin nochmal die 50 Kilometer auf dem Rad zu machen. Mit eben diesem Sound auf den Ohren. Jetzt schnell noch Gesundheitscheck und danach endlich Urlaub. Könnte alles gerade eigentlich nicht gar schöner sein. Bis darauf, dass mir der hiesige Datenbank-Struggle tierisch auf den Saque geht, aber darum kümmere ich mich dann im Urlaub

Und weil Freitag und wegen allem: Discokugeln und das sich aus denen ergebene Glitzer. Tanzen ist erlaubt. Was wollen wir mehr?

Style: Deep House
Length: 01:02:55
Quality: 320 kBit/s

Tracklist:
Tim Green – Helpless Sun
Frankey & Sandrino – Wandering (Original Mix)
Nandu, Radeckt, Tripolism – Dope Dance (Extended Mix)
Djuma Soundsystem & Aki Bergen – Love Her Madly
Lunar Plane – Children of Rain
Rockin Moroccin – You Got the Love (Original Mix)
Made In TLV, Mano Negra – Sueno De Solentiname (Rampa Version)
WhoMadeWho – Keep Me In My Plane [DJ Koze Hudson River Dub]
Daniel Bortz – Boyz 2 Men (Original Mix)
Martin Eyerer feat. Ruede Hagelstein – Hey Hey

Alle der diesjährigen Kalendermixe finden sich hier.