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@mofimadness 

Good question. The database covers millions of artists and is continuously updated, so most bands are in there. The challenge with "Charlie" is that it's a very common name, so the search may be showing other artists named Charlie instead of the 70s/80s UK band.

Try typing "Charlie" in the search box and scrolling through the dropdown suggestions. You should see different entries with descriptions underneath to help identify the right one. Look for something like "Charlie" with a reference to Terry Thomas or the UK, or try "Charlie Band."

Also if the

If you still can't find them, let me know and I'll look into it on my end.

Alessandro

Nothing with "Charlie" works.  Using just "Charlie" it returns only "disco"/italo disco/electronic", nothing even close.  The pop down menu doesn't list just "Charlie".

Terry Thomas returns just "jazz" artists.

"Charlie UK" just spins.

It's not a big issue, I just wondered what we do when we encounter them.

Appreciate you trying different searches. Unfortunately, some lesser-known bands from that era aren't in the database yet. Charlie is one of those cases.

The database covers millions of artists but there are gaps, particularly with bands that had a smaller catalog or limited digital presence. It's something that improves over time as the system grows.

Big update live today. I overhauled how Sonic Oracle builds playlists at the Essential level. The results are night and day.

What changed

The recommendation engine was pulling in too many loosely-connected artists at Essential, diluting the quality. A Beatles Essential shouldn't include obscure side projects. It should give you The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix.

Here's what shipped today:

Smarter filtering across every genre

Jazz seeds like Miles Davis now return only trumpet players at Essential: Chet Baker, Clifford Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Morgan. The engine understands the instrument defines the artist in jazz.

Same for blues. B.B. King Essential gives you blues guitarists: John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Albert King.

Rock, soul, country, metal, punk. Every genre now has tighter, genre-aware quality gates.

Better stage progression

Essential: Surgical. Only the closest, most undeniable connections. Balanced: Wider circle, broader exploration. Adventurous: Full exploration with cross-genre surprises.

Each stage feels meaningfully different now. Moving the dial changes what you discover.

Deeper data

I deployed a massive expansion to the recommendation database. The engine now covers over 10 million artists with significantly richer relationship data. Better connections and more interesting deep cuts, especially at Balanced and Adventurous.

Try these and see the difference

Miles Davis Essential: every result is a trumpet legend. John Coltrane Essential: all tenor sax players. Beatles Essential: pure 60s rock royalty. Johnny Cash Essential: classic country hall of fame. Ramones Essential: nothing but punk. Black Sabbath Essential: pure metal.

No playlist tool on the market does what Essential does now. Spotify's "fans also like" is a popularity contest. Last.fm's similar artists are a decade stale. Sonic Oracle understands Miles Davis Essential means trumpet players only, Bill Evans means jazz pianists, Ramones means punk and nothing else.

That's not an algorithm. That's musical intelligence.

Your feedback drives everything I build. Try some seeds and let me know what you think.

Alessandro

"That's not an algorithm. That's musical intelligence."

Sounds like a Tee-Shirt to me!  

I'd buy one!