Great list, as usual, at least judged from the stuff I know. I figured the Sundfor album would be somewhere, but #1 came as a surprise for me. But it’s kinda funny, because in a year where albums like Arca’s “Mutant” and the new Oneohtrix Point Never receive glowing reviews all around, I’m kinda tired of all the noise-infused electronic music and found myself more enamored with Purity Ring, Susanne Sundfor or even Chvrches. From your list I seem to sense a similar trend, but I might be mistaken… I also like that you put IAMX up there. His overly dramatic presentation is often times too much for me, but there’s always at least one track on every album which is just perfect (this time: “Insomnia”).
Thanks for the comment David, and i’m glad you like the list. i really don’t rate Oneohtrix Point Never at all—i liked Returnal a few years back, but everything since seems thoroughly lacking in cogent ideas—but Arca’s Mutant very nearly made it onto the list, i think it’s very impressive. The Chvrches album left me a bit crestfallen, it didn’t seem to live up to their first, which i think remains something very special. Whether any of this amounts to a ‘trend’ or not, i don’t know, although i was surprised after i’d collated my list how many songwriters were featured. For me, Sundfør just had to come top; not only because it was pretty much the only 5-star disc i’d encountered all year, but also because i’ve returned to it again and again and again (not a week goes by when i don’t revisit it), and it leaves me just as breathless and exhilarated every single time. i haven’t checked around to see if it’s topped anyone else’s list, but i really hope it’s up there in a few of the less partisan of them (i avoid most end of the year lists precisely because they are so transparently partisan).
David
8 years ago
I agree with your on Oneohtrix. Terribly inconsistent, although always perfectly produced. But there’s always at least one track that blows me away, this time it’s “Mutant Standard”, an 8 minute megamix of sorts which somehow develops into a ring-modulated rave hymn and back. Can’t agree with you on Chvrches though, found their latest to be really good, although maybe a bit “over-produced”, smoothing the rough edges a bit too much which the first one still had.
Anyway, I’m slowly catching up with your list, and as always I find great stuff there I’ve never heard of before. This time: Eivør. Begins innocent enough, but then “I Tokuni” nearly killed my woofer and the remaining tracks completely blew me away. Especially the last track reminds me of Dead Can Dance (when they still mattered, that is).
i’ll check out that Oneohtrix track David – thanks for singling it out. Chvrches: i suspect what i found problematic is precisely what you say about it being “over-produced”; i liked the grittiness and the sense of being “home-made” that you can hear on their first album – maybe i found the new one’s just a bit too slick. But i still really enjoyed it.
i’m really glad you’re enjoying Eivør (and that your woofer’s still okay!) – it’s a splendid album, but surprisingly different from most of her earlier stuff. It’ll be interesting to see whether she follows this up or if it turns out to be a glorious one-off experiment…
chris_c
8 years ago
the mix looks great thank you; a good aid to help me know what to buy from last year. am listening to mc schmidt’s batu malablab for prepared piano, flute and electronics; sounds good to me – especially the gamelan vibe, a definite recommendation.
thanks for the blog.
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Great list, as usual, at least judged from the stuff I know. I figured the Sundfor album would be somewhere, but #1 came as a surprise for me. But it’s kinda funny, because in a year where albums like Arca’s “Mutant” and the new Oneohtrix Point Never receive glowing reviews all around, I’m kinda tired of all the noise-infused electronic music and found myself more enamored with Purity Ring, Susanne Sundfor or even Chvrches. From your list I seem to sense a similar trend, but I might be mistaken… I also like that you put IAMX up there. His overly dramatic presentation is often times too much for me, but there’s always at least one track on every album which is just perfect (this time: “Insomnia”).
Thanks for the comment David, and i’m glad you like the list. i really don’t rate Oneohtrix Point Never at all—i liked Returnal a few years back, but everything since seems thoroughly lacking in cogent ideas—but Arca’s Mutant very nearly made it onto the list, i think it’s very impressive. The Chvrches album left me a bit crestfallen, it didn’t seem to live up to their first, which i think remains something very special. Whether any of this amounts to a ‘trend’ or not, i don’t know, although i was surprised after i’d collated my list how many songwriters were featured. For me, Sundfør just had to come top; not only because it was pretty much the only 5-star disc i’d encountered all year, but also because i’ve returned to it again and again and again (not a week goes by when i don’t revisit it), and it leaves me just as breathless and exhilarated every single time. i haven’t checked around to see if it’s topped anyone else’s list, but i really hope it’s up there in a few of the less partisan of them (i avoid most end of the year lists precisely because they are so transparently partisan).
I agree with your on Oneohtrix. Terribly inconsistent, although always perfectly produced. But there’s always at least one track that blows me away, this time it’s “Mutant Standard”, an 8 minute megamix of sorts which somehow develops into a ring-modulated rave hymn and back. Can’t agree with you on Chvrches though, found their latest to be really good, although maybe a bit “over-produced”, smoothing the rough edges a bit too much which the first one still had.
Anyway, I’m slowly catching up with your list, and as always I find great stuff there I’ve never heard of before. This time: Eivør. Begins innocent enough, but then “I Tokuni” nearly killed my woofer and the remaining tracks completely blew me away. Especially the last track reminds me of Dead Can Dance (when they still mattered, that is).
i’ll check out that Oneohtrix track David – thanks for singling it out. Chvrches: i suspect what i found problematic is precisely what you say about it being “over-produced”; i liked the grittiness and the sense of being “home-made” that you can hear on their first album – maybe i found the new one’s just a bit too slick. But i still really enjoyed it.
i’m really glad you’re enjoying Eivør (and that your woofer’s still okay!) – it’s a splendid album, but surprisingly different from most of her earlier stuff. It’ll be interesting to see whether she follows this up or if it turns out to be a glorious one-off experiment…
the mix looks great thank you; a good aid to help me know what to buy from last year. am listening to mc schmidt’s batu malablab for prepared piano, flute and electronics; sounds good to me – especially the gamelan vibe, a definite recommendation.
thanks for the blog.