Top 50 for 2015

Hi Everyone, and Merry Xmas / Happy Holidays!

 

These are the 50 records I liked best in 2015. As in years past I've endeavored not to include the works of fellow band members, friends, artists I've worked with, labels who've issued my infallible masterpieces, or humanoids whose albums I've released - it just makes the process less fraught with the usual insider-y back-slapping self-congratulatory bullshit. That noted, kudos to those pals who've kicked ass in the past twelve. (A few of their gnarled moray maws chewed into a placement regardless, as I am weak and profoundly sentimental.)

In no particular order, apart from the top three, which are the best, no, fuck YOU, and fuck your hippie rock and roll, hippie rocker. My predilection is to favor year-end releases, as they're usually rather more evocative of the year than those issued earlier, the majority of which were likely created in 2014. I so liked the Arovane album (released in February) that I included as a necessary corrective against myself.

 

Manni Dee - Behaviour Cycles (Earwiggle)
Mønic - Parsons Hill (Tresor)
Killawatt - Émigré Reworked (Osiris)

Ansome - Hells Bells and Buckets of Blood (Mindcut)
VA - Derelicht Sampler EP (Derelicht)
RP Boo - Fingers, Bank Pads and Shoe Prints (Planet Mu)
Appleblim - Avebury (Tempa)
Plukkk - First Pitch (Sombra)
AraabMUZIK - Goon Loops (AraabMUZIK)
Jeremih - Late Nights (Def Jam) (imperfect, but...)

CVK - CVK (Amok) * (I am friends with Wouter and we make music together but this was great, so...)
Dolgener - Violenteer (Reloading)
Effy - Fernweh (No Logo)
Drvg Cvltvre - Clocked & Dehumanized (Amok) * (cheers again to WJ)
Bruno Furlan - K.O. (Dirtybird)
Chevel - Blurse Remixed (Stroboscopic Artefacts) ** (that's how they spell it)
Consolate - Black Narcissus (Portals Editions)
Gaunt - MSTRY 006 EP (Mistry)
GXi - Sososo / Semele (Crazylegs)
Joachim Nordwall - Soul Music 2 (Entr'acte)

Osynlig Fetma / Your Planet Is Next - Graffiti Tapes #3 (Graffiti Tapes)
Marco Faraone - Rotaryknobs (Uncage)
Modeselektor - Trees (50Weapons)
Niagara - Mustor & Falcão (FTD)
Nug / Your Planet Is Next - Graffiti Tapes #2 (Graffiti Tapes)
Seni - Graffiti Tapes #4 (Graffiti Tapes) (this fledgling imprint is off to a killer start)
The Recognition - Sound Sweep (Skudge White)
VA - Awareness EP (LiveJam) (very good, feat. John Swing, EMG, etc.)
Cienfuegos - A Los Mártires (Precept)
Donato Dozzy / Retina.it - Officine Di Efesto (Semantica)

Eliane Radigue - Occam Ocean (Fake Music)
Testset - Dirge Grid (PLZ Make It Ruins)
Eril Fjord - Excalibur (Farbwechsel)
Patrik Carrera - Loop Mode Remixed 02 (Muzrec)
Gabriela Penn - Phase (Detroit Underground)
Laddio Bolocko - Live & Unreleased 1997-2000 (No Quarter)
Kentaro Minoura - First and Last (Doddadsee)
T.E.S.O. - No. 3 Obliate (Aperture)
Basses Terres - A Darker Rain (Brothers from Different Mothers)
Beat Spacek - I Wanna Know / I Want You Remixes (Ninja Tune)

Arovane - Lyid Skor (Arovane)
Daniel Avery - Sensation / Clear (Phantasy Sound)
Drax - The 3rd Decade (Perc Trax Limited)
Fjaak / Rødhåd - Super Smash / Oblivion (50Weapons)
DJ Taye - Break It Down (Hyperdub) (excellent - Taye is one of my current heroes)
Michal Turtle - Are You Psychic? / Astral Decoy (Music from Memory)
Nas1 - Habana Village (Bosconi Extra Virgin)
Kinlaw - YMA/KK (Seagrave)
Amnesia Scanner - Cyber Monday (AS)
Keith Rowe & John Tilbury - Enough Still Not to Know (Sofa) *** (rel. 2015, def. from 2014, but FTW)

This is all just the hairy nipple atop the apex of the clumsy iceberg metaphor. There's so much superb music out there that there's no bloody way to quantify it. I just follow my rotten instincts and keep trudging forward. I liked these things and many others.

 

Best, as ever,

 

Tom