Most playlist makers think like radio DJs: song, then another song. Uncle Loco thinks like a film director. The List v012 by Uncle Loco has a three-act structure. It has rising action, a crisis (track #9 GENDEMA), a catharsis (track #11 Jamal), and a resolution.
Furthermore, v012 solved a problem that plagued v008 through v010: genre fatigue. By bouncing between jazz, rap, classical, hardcore, and ambient, Uncle Loco keeps your brain engaged. You cannot passively listen to v012. You have to participate.
As of this writing, Uncle Loco is silent. Rumors suggest v013 is delayed because he is “touring thrift stores for vinyl samples.” But one thing is certain: The List v012 by Uncle Loco has set a new standard. It is the bar against which all future underground compilations will be measured.
Released on the winter solstice of this year, The List v012 by Uncle Loco arrived with a stark redacted header: "Phase Shift Initiated."
Unlike previous versions that focused on monetizable trends (e.g., "buy this genre before it blows up"), v012 takes a darker, more sociological turn. Here are three sections that caused an uproar:
Before we dissect v012 specifically, we need to understand the genesis. Uncle Loco—a mysterious DJ, producer, and tastemaker based somewhere between Berlin and Brooklyn—started “The List” in 2018 as a personal monthly newsletter. The concept was simple yet revolutionary: 20 songs. No skips. No filler. No ads.
Each “version” (v001 through v011) acted as a time capsule. Uncle Loco’s talent lies not in creating music, but in connecting it. He finds the perfect lo-fi hip hop beat to follow a gritty East Coast rap verse, then transitions into a haunting instrumental from a Japanese jazz-hop artist you’ve never heard of. The lists are famous for their “flow score”—a fan-made metric rating how well the tracks bleed into one another emotionally. the list v012 by uncle loco
The List v012 dropped on a quiet Tuesday night in late September 2024. Within 72 hours, links to the tracklist had been shared over 50,000 times on independent music platforms. Why? Because v012 is widely considered "The Rebirth List."
The final block of The List v012 is all about energy and conclusion. Uncle Loco famously said, “A great list leaves you better than it found you.”
13. Little Simz – “Mood for a Day” A triumphant, string-laden banger. Simz raps about self-confidence. The beat switch at 2:15 is considered one of the best moments in List history.
14. Yussef Dayes – “Rust (feat. Tom Misch)” A live drum masterpiece. This is the track you play when you need to remember you are alive. The bass solo will ruin your headphones (in a good way).
15. Boldy James – “Slow Roll” The only “street” rap on the list. It’s gritty but calm. Uncle Loco places this here to ground the euphoria. Life isn’t perfect, but we keep rolling.
16. Hania Rani – “Unexpected” A modern classical piano piece played on a prepared piano (with screws and rubber wedges on the strings). It sounds like rain on a tin roof. A fan-favorite “wind down” track. Most playlist makers think like radio DJs: song,
17. Miso Extra – “Best You Can Do” UK garage meets pop. It’s bouncy, light, and infectious. This is the track that gets stuck in your head for days.
18. Sam Gendel – “Alice” A solo saxophone piece. Just one minute long. It serves as the final moment of reflection before the closer.
19. Fly Anakin – “No Dough” A head-nodding, dusty boom-bap track. The drums are crunchy. The samples are obscure. This is Uncle Loco paying respect to the old school.
20. Kelsey Lu – “Pull the Rope” (Acoustic Outro) The list closes with just a voice and a cello. No beat. No effects. Lu sings, “You made it / You’re still here.” The final chord holds for 12 seconds, then silence. The list is over.
This is the heart of The List v012 by Uncle Loco. Tracks 6 through 12 tell a micro-story of loss and perseverance.
6. Erick the Architect – “Parking Lot Dreams” A slow, Auto-Tuned meditation on nostalgia. The beat is a warped sample of a 90s R&B classic you can’t quite name. This is the “rainy window” track. It has rising action, a crisis (track #9
7. jizue – “petal” (Live at Studio G) A Japanese math-rock band playing a waltz. The time signature changes four times. Uncle Loco once said in an interview that track #7 is always “the test” for new listeners. If you make it past jizue, you are in the cult.
8. Sideshow – “Bowl of Oranges” (Bootleg) A cover of the Bright Eyes classic. This version replaces the emo angst with a dusty MPC loop and a female vocalist who sounds like she’s singing from a fire escape.
9. GENDEMA – “Synthetic Heart” * The controversial pick. This track is pure digital hardcore—distorted kicks, screeching vocals, chaos. When v012 first dropped, many fans hated this placement. But over time, it became the most defended track. The argument: Life isn’t always smooth; sometimes you need the noise.
10. Jono McCleery – “Tomorrow’s Sun” A return to calm. McCleery’s baritone voice is like a weighted blanket. The lyrics are simple: “Hold on / the light is coming.”
11. Rasheed Jamal – “Third Ward Communion” (Unreleased) A spoken word piece over a sparse upright bass. Jamal talks about cooking gumbo with his grandmother. It is three minutes of pure, undistilled humanity. By the time the bass fades out, you will likely have tears in your eyes.
12. Nala Sinephro – “Continuum 12” A 45-second harp interlude. It acts as the bridge between the emotional climax and the resolution.