I have been on a Brainwaltzera kick for the past few years. I discovered Isobutane recently and all of the tracks scratch the same itch. Melodic, warm, with foundations in braindance, IDM, and drum & bass. "Frost4," despite its name, is quite the warm track with its full pads and crispy percussion.

Whenever I'm at a loss for what to listen to, I often go back to an album or genre from the past. This week it's been the lo-fi downtempo sounds of the early cassette resurgence with Opal Tapes. Patricia's debut album Body Issues is usually the first I reach for when looking for something lo-fi. "Waiting for Alexis" is a perfect opening track into the sound.

A song from your teenage years.

The album Mellow Gold by Beck was a staple of my teenage years. It was bizarro hippie hip-hop and folk music with mind-bending lyrics. "Beercan" in particular is an aural spinning sensation.

Shout out to Apple Music for this discovery. "Then the Morning Comes" by Clocolan is a great find, reminiscent of a more minimal Boards of Canada sound. It leans into pure ambient territory. The whole album, When the Emptying Sun Filled the Sky, is lovely.

What's a song that instantly makes you smile?

A simple, toy-like melody repeats over a driving drum loop, slowly gathering more and more instruments into the melodic fold. It expands to other accompanying melody lines along the way, and a seriously funky pounding bass line kicks in. "Lipton Service Boy" by Eero Johannes is instant happiness.

A wonderfully melodic closer to the album Bilious Paths by µ-Ziq. It always ends leaving me wanting to repeat it.

A song off the last album you paid money for.

Boards of Canada's Inferno is still fresh and undiscovered for me. A few songs are starting to stand out, with "Age of Capricorn" being one of them. The album has more time-corrected vocals and processing than previous albums, which makes it feel different from the rest. This track is heavy in its cult speak. It's slow, melodic, and beautiful.

What is a song that makes you think of your first job?

My first job began in early fall when dew would start forming on the car windows. I remember misty windshields as I drove to the sticker factory. The CD in the car was Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror by Harold Budd and Brian Eno. The first track, "First Light," was the soundtrack to my early morning drives.

What is the oldest song you like?

It's amazing that electronic music from the 1960s can sound this modern. "The Bass-Line Generator" is not just a track title but the name of the machine Raymond Scott built to continuously develop pitches into evolving rhythms and melodies. Scott was way before his time.

A song from the 2010s that you like or means something to you.

Aphex Twin's "minipops 67 [120.2][source field mix]" rides the edge between outsider electronic music and accessible pop spectacularly. It includes semi-distinguishable vocals that almost force the listener to sing along with whatever interpretation they choose. The track is peak Aphex Twin acid, drums, and melody that will stay in my head for years to come.