Every year, at the end of December, i publish my list of what i believe to be that year’s best albums; and every year, i’m all too aware of the number of releases there hasn’t been time for me to hear. So, in an attempt to provide something more meaningful in the long-term (as well as to entertain my passion for making lists and wrangling data), below are revised versions of the Best Album of the Year lists, together with the original for comparison. They’ll continue to be updated on a regular but entirely arbitrary basis. NB. From 2021, the Best Albums list has been reduced from 40 to 30 entries, and this extends to the revised lists for earlier years.
Updated: December 2021
2020
Original Top 40
- Witch ‘n’ Monk – Witch ‘n’ Monk
- Clara Iannotta – Earthing
- irr. app. (ext.) – Nocturnal Emissaries
- Katie Gately – Loom
- Catherine Lamb – Prisma Interius VII & VIII
- Nokuit – Live at Cafe OTO
- various artists – Lament
- Gunnar Geisse – TRIPTYCH
- Adam Janota Bzowski – Saint Maud (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Fassine – Forge
- Rebecca Saunders – Musica Viva Vol. 35
- Joel Lavoie – Souvenir.
- Cyrillus Kreek – The Suspended Harp of Babel
- Andrew Liles – Entries of Confusion
- Purity Ring – Womb
- Chris Watson / Georgia Rodgers – Notes from the Forest Floor / Line of Parts
- The Bug feat. Dis Fig – In Blue
- Andrew Leslie Hooker & Nick Janczak – Black Earth / Red Earth
- Olga Neuwirth – …miramondo multiplo…
- Joeri Chipsvingers – De Advonturen van Joeri Chipsvingers
- Somatic Responses – Explorer // Stayin’ home vol 2
- Jónsi – Shiver
- James Tenney – Acoustic Phenomena / Hymnic Sounds
- Tristan Perich – Drift Multiply
- SWR Vokalensemble – Baltikum
- Autechre – SIGN
- Erkki-Sven Tüür – Lost Prayers
- Kevin Gironnay & Julien Vincenot – Neglected Auguries
- Sophie Tassignon – Mysteries Unfold
- Bára Gísladóttir – HĪBER
- Zeynep Gedizlioğlu – Verbinden und Abwenden
- Deborah Walker – Starflux
- Liquid Transmitter – Meander
- Giona Vinti – Niente è Vero, Tutto è Permesso
- Greg Reason – Dreams of Winter Snow
- Ulver – Flowers of Evil
- Jennifer Walshe – A Late Anthology of Early Music Vol. 1: Ancient to Renaissance
- Páll Ragnar Pálsson – Atonement
- Tõnu Kõrvits – You Are Light and Morning
- Marina Kaye – Twisted
Revised Top 30
- Witch ‘n’ Monk – Witch ‘n’ Monk
- Clara Iannotta – Earthing
- irr. app. (ext.) – Nocturnal Emissaries
- Katie Gately – Loom
- Catherine Lamb – Prisma Interius VII & VIII
- Nokuit – Live at Cafe OTO
- various artists – Lament
- Gunnar Geisse – TRIPTYCH
- Adam Janota Bzowski – Saint Maud (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Fassine – Forge
- Rebecca Saunders – Musica Viva #35
- Joel Lavoie – Souvenir.
- Purity Ring – Womb
- Cyrillus Kreek – The Suspended Harp of Babel
- Andrew Liles – Entries of Confusion
- Chris Watson / Georgia Rodgers – Notes from the Forest Floor / Line of Parts
- The Bug ft. Dis Fig – In Blue
- Andrew Leslie Hooker & Nick Janczak – Black Earth / Red Earth
- Olga Neuwirth – …miramondo multiplo…
- Mint Julep – Stray Fantasies
- Joeri Chipsvingers – De Advonturen van Joeri Chipsvingers
- Somatic Responses – Explorer // Stayin’ home vol 2
- Jónsi – Shiver
- James Tenney – Acoustic Phenomena / Hymnic Sounds
- Tristan Perich – Drift Multiply
- SWR Vokalensemble – Baltikum
- Autechre – SIGN
- Erkki-Sven Tüür – Lost Prayers
- Kevin Gironnay & Julien Vincenot – Neglected Auguries
- Sophie Tassignon – Mysteries Unfold
2019
Original Top 40
- Þóranna Björnsdóttir & Federico Placidi – LUCID
- Aurora – A Different Kind of Human (Step 2)
- Bobby Krlic – Midsommar (Original Score)
- The Caretaker – Everywhere at the end of time – Stage 6
- Sigur Rós – Variations on Darkness
- relief – The Gloaming
- Davíð Brynjar Franzson – Longitude
- Stefan Fraunberger – Quellgeister #3 Bussd
- Tim Clément & Lance Austin Olsen – Dark Night On The Black Dog Highway
- Enno Poppe – Rundfunk
- Esa-Pekka Salonen – Cello Concerto
- Jenny Hval – The Practice of Love
- Hildur Guðnadóttir – Chernobyl (Music from the HBO Miniseries)
- The Ballet – Matchy Matchy
- Tanya Barany – Lights Disappear
- Ståle Storløkken – The Haze of Sleeplessness
- Holly Herndon – Proto
- Zbigniew Karkowski – Encumbrance
- Tom Holkenborg – Alita: Battle Angel (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Juhani Silvola – Post-Biological Wildlife
- Joseph Branciforte & Theo Bleckmann – LP1
- Jakob Ullmann – Fremde Zeit Addendum 5
- Quatuor Bozzini – Phill Niblock: Baobab
- Dis Fig – PURGE
- Chelsea Wolfe – Birth of Violence
- John Williams – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Vyacheslav Artyomov – In Memoriam
- Roland Kayn – Scanning
- C Duncan – Health
- Catherine Lamb – Atmospheres Transparent/Opaque
- Rose Elinor Dougall – A New Illusion
- Øyvind Torvund – The Exotica Album
- Clemens von Reusner – Electroacoustic Works
- Ensemble Musikfabrik – Erbe
- Erkki-Sven Tüür – Spectrums
- Sir Babygirl – Crush On Me: BICONIC Edition
- Benge – Forms 7 – Topological Landscapes
- Karin Hellqvist – Flock
- ionnalee – Remember the Future
- The Faint – Egowerk
Revised Top 30
- Þóranna Björnsdóttir & Federico Placidi – LUCID
- Aurora – A Different Kind of Human (Step 2)
- Bobby Krlic – Midsommar (Original Score)
- The Caretaker – Everywhere at the end of time – Stage 6
- Sigur Rós – Variations on Darkness
- relief – The Gloaming
- Giona Vinti – Orc
- Davíð Brynjar Franzson – Longitude
- Stefan Fraunberger – Quellgeister #3 Bussd
- Tim Clément & Lance Austin Olsen – Dark Night On The Black Dog Highway
- Enno Poppe – Rundfunk
- Esa-Pekka Salonen – Cello Concerto
- Jenny Hval – The Practice of Love
- Hildur Guðnadóttir – Chernobyl (Music from the HBO Miniseries)
- The Ballet – Matchy Matchy
- Tanya Barany – Lights Disappear
- Ståle Storløkken – The Haze of Sleeplessness
- Érick d’Orion & Guillaume Cliche – PUNT
- Holly Herndon – Proto
- Zbigniew Karkowski – Encumbrance
- Tom Holkenborg – Alita: Battle Angel (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Juhani Silvola – Post-Biological Wildlife
- Kenneth Kirschner – January 1, 2019
- Joseph Branciforte & Theo Bleckmann – LP1
- Pierre-Luc Lecours – Paysages imaginaires
- Jakob Ullmann – Fremde Zeit Addendum 5
- Quatuor Bozzini – Phill Niblock: Baobab
- Petri Alanko & Martin Stig Andersen – Control (Original Game Soundtrack)
- Dis Fig – PURGE
- Hibou – Halve
2018
Original Top 40
- The Caretaker – Everywhere at the end of time – Stages 4 & 5
- Lee Fraser – Cor Unvers
- Piggy Black Cross – Always Just Out of R.E.A.C.H. (Robotic Eclosion After Coming Hylozoic)
- Morton Feldman – For John Cage
- Lauren Redhead – hearmleoþ—gieddunga
- Fia Fiell – All In The Same Room
- Thom Yorke – Suspiria (Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film)
- ionnalee – Everyone Afraid To Be Forgotten
- Rich Shapero & Elsiane – Rin, Tongue and Dorner
- various artists – Phantom Images
- irr. app. (ext.) – A Transfigured System
- Let’s Eat Grandma – I’m All Ears
- James Newton Howard – Red Sparrow (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Michael Cutting – Stills
- Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir – Choral Works by Schnittke & Pärt
- Coppice – Surreal Air Fortress
- Toivo Tulev – Magnificat
- Ryoji Ikeda – Music For Percussion
- Gottfried Huppertz – Metropolis (Complete Original Motion Picture Score)
- Computer Magic – Danz
- Anna Þorvaldsdóttir – Aequa
- Colin Stetson – Hereditary (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Lance Austin Olsen – Dark Heart
- Chaines – The King
- Erkki-Sven Tüür – Illuminatio/Whistles and Whispers from Uluru/Symphony No. 8
- Rohan Drape & Anthony Pateras – Ellesmere
- Jörg Widmann – Drittes Labyrinth/Polyphone Schatten
- Jóhann Jóhannsson – Mandy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Kenneth Hesketh – In Ictu Oculi – orchestral works
- Erik Friedlander – Thoroughbreds (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Jeffery Alan Jones – Most Beautiful Island (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Dita Von Teese – Dita Von Teese
- Christopher Trapani – Waterlines
- Brian Eno – Music For Installations
- Autechre – NTS Sessions 1–4
- Moritz Eggert – Musica Viva Vol. 30
- Jakob Ullmann – Müntzers stern/solo II
- Þráinn Hjálmarsson – Influence of Buildings on Musical Tone
- Tom Mudd – Gutter Synthesis
- Clarence Barlow – Musica Algorithmica
Revised Top 30
- The Caretaker – Everywhere at the end of time – Stage 4
- Lee Fraser – Cor Unvers
- Piggy Black Cross – Always Just Out of R.E.A.C.H. (Robotic Eclosion After Coming Hylozoic)
- Morton Feldman – For John Cage
- Aurora [Aurora Aksnes] – Infections Of A Different Kind (Step 1)
- Lauren Redhead – hearmleoþ—gieddunga
- Fia Fiell – All In The Same Room
- Thom Yorke – Suspiria (Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film)
- ionnalee – Everyone Afraid To Be Forgotten
- Gottfried Huppertz – Metropolis (Complete Original Motion Picture Score)
- Rich Shapero & Elsiane – Rin, Tongue and Dorner
- various artists – Phantom Images
- irr. app. (ext.) – A Transfigured System
- Let’s Eat Grandma – I’m All Ears
- IAMX – Alive In New Light
- Michael Cutting – Stills
- Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir – Schnittke: Psalms of Repentance / Pärt: Magnificat & Nunc dimittis
- Coppice – Surreal Air Fortress
- Toivo Tulev – Magnificat
- Ryoji Ikeda – Music For Percussion
- Christophe Beck – Ant-Man and The Wasp (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Vyacheslav Artyomov – Requiem
- Peeter Rebane – Vaibamustrimuusika: The music of rug patterns
- Computer Magic – Danz
- Anna Þorvaldsdóttir – Aequa
- Colin Stetson – Hereditary (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Colin Andrew Sheffield – Repair Me Now
- Lance Austin Olsen – Dark Heart
- Chaines – The King
- Erkki-Sven Tüür – Illuminatio / Whistles and Whispers from Uluru / Symphony No. 8
2017
Original Top 40
- Björk – Utopia
- Natasha Barrett – Puzzle Wood
- Anthony Pateras and Erkki Veltheim – The Slow Creep of Convenience
- Köhnen Pandí Duo – Darkness Comes In Two’s
- John Edwards/Mark Sanders/John Wall – FGBH
- Monty Adkins – Shadows and Reflections
- Chiyoko Szlavnics – During a Lifetime
- Stefan Węgłowski – Contemporary Jewish Music
- Annette Vande Gorne – Yawar Fiesta
- The Caretaker – Everywhere at the end of time – Stage 3
- Benge – Forms 6 – Works On Paper
- Nordic Affect – Raindamage
- Wayne Siegel – Celebration
- irr. app. (ext.) – Future Reveries of the Eoarchaean Biomass, Volume One
- Kimmig-Studer-Zimmerlin – Im Hellen
- Tõnu Kõrvits – Moorland Elegies
- Milica Djordjević – Edition Zeitgenössische Musik
- Benjamin Thigpen – Flux
- Demen – Nektyr
- Daniel Hart – A Ghost Story (Original Soundtrack Album)
- Sleep Party People – Lingering
- Roland Kayn – A Little Electronic Milky Way of Sound
- Giulio Aldinucci & Francis M. Gri – Segmenti
- John Williams – Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Peter Raeburn – Woodshock (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Andrea Belfi – Ore
- Allar Kaasik – Timeless Light: Estonian cello works
- Ensemble Musikfabrik – Edition Musikfabrik 12: Stille
- Ming Tsao – Plus Minus
- Onutė Narbutaitė – no yesterday, no tomorrow
- Chelsea Wolfe – Hiss Spun
- Lana Del Rey – Lust For Life
- various artists – New Estonian Choral Music
- Markus Reuter – Falling For Ascension
- Chaya Czernowin – HIDDEN
- Michael Begg – TITAN: A Crane Is A Bridge
- Trio Aristos – Nordsending
- Goldfrapp – Silver Eye
- Allie X – CollXtion II
- Cristobal Tapia De Veer – The Girl With All The Gifts (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Revised Top 30
- Björk – Utopia
- Natasha Barrett – Puzzle Wood
- Anthony Pateras & Erkki Veltheim – The Slow Creep of Convenience
- Köhnen Pandí Duo – Darkness Comes In Two’s
- John Edwards, Mark Sanders & John Wall – FGBH
- The Caretaker – Everywhere at the end of time – Stage 3
- Mirjam Tally – Interferences
- Monty Adkins – Shadows and Reflections
- Chiyoko Szlavnics – During a Lifetime
- Ulver – The Assassination of Julius Caesar
- John Williams – Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Stefan Węgłowski – Contemporary Jewish Music
- Annette Vande Gorne – Yawar Fiesta
- Chelsea Wolfe – Hiss Spun
- Benge – Forms 6 – Works On Paper
- Nordic Affect – Raindamage
- Subsea – Untitled V
- Dan Powell – At Cuckmere
- Wayne Siegel – Celebration
- irr. app. (ext.) – Future Reveries of the Eoarchaean Biomass, Volume One
- Kimmig-Studer-Zimmerlin – Im Hellen
- Tõnu Kõrvits – Moorland Elegies
- Milica Djordjević – Edition Zeitgenössische Musik
- Benjamin Thigpen – Flux
- Demen – Nektyr
- Daniel Hart – A Ghost Story (Original Soundtrack Album)
- Sleep Party People – Lingering
- Roland Kayn – A Little Electronic Milky Way of Sound
- Giulio Aldinucci & Francis M. Gri – Segmenti
- Peter Raeburn – Woodshock (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
2016
Original Top 40
- Kayo Dot – Plastic House on Base of Sky
- Autechre – elseq 2
- Christian Fennesz & Jim O’Rourke – It’s Hard For Me To Say I’m Sorry
- C Duncan – The Midnight Sun
- Sleigh Bells – Jessica Rabbit
- Katie Gately – Color
- Three Trapped Tigers – Silent Earthling
- Francis Dhomont – Le cri du Choucas
- Stefan Fraunberger – Quellgeister #2 ‘Wurmloch’
- Jonty Harrison – Voyages
- Daniel Wohl – Holographic
- John Wall – Muta Variations
- Claude Vivier – Kopernikus
- Chaya Czernowin – The Quiet: works for orchestra
- Cliff Martinez – The Neon Demon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Ladyhawke – Wild Things
- The Natural History Museum – Attenborough
- Supersilent – 13
- Matmos – Ultimate Care II
- Fritz Hauser – Different Beat
- SPC ECO – All We Have Is Now
- Robin Foster – Anthropoid (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Clara Iannotta – A Failed Entertainment: Werke 2009–2014
- Zahn | Hatami | McClure – Veerian
- Bent Sørensen – Snowbells
- Richard Barrett – Music for cello and electronics
- Mark Korven – The Witch (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Michael Moser – Antiphon Stein
- Seth Parker Woods – asinglewordisnotenough
- James O’Callaghan – Espaces tautologiques
- Oy – Space Diaspora
- Wendy Bevan – Rose and Thorn
- Necro Deathmort – The Capsule
- Maïa Vidal – You’re the Waves
- Kroy – Scavenger
- Jenny Hval – Blood Bitch
- Olga Neuwirth – Goodnight Mommy (Original Soundtrack)
- Bear McCreary – The Forest (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Me and My Drummer – Love is a Fridge
- Mitski – Puberty 2
Revised Top 30
- Kayo Dot – Plastic House on Base of Sky
- Autechre – elseq 2
- Christian Fennesz & Jim O’Rourke – It’s Hard For Me To Say I’m Sorry
- Fia Fiell – A Hair, A Heap
- Adam Basanta – from here to there in one straight line
- C Duncan – The Midnight Sun
- Fassine – Dialectik
- Bitch ‘n’ Monk – We Are Peering Over
- John Wall – 2005–14
- Sleigh Bells – Jessica Rabbit
- The Caretaker – Everywhere at the end of time – Stage 1
- Katie Gately – Color
- Three Trapped Tigers – Silent Earthling
- John Williams – The BFG (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Francis Dhomont – Le cri du Choucas
- Per Nørgård – Symphonies 2 & 6 [Oslo Philharmonic / Storgårds]
- Aurora [Aurora Aksnes] – All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend
- Stefan Fraunberger – Quellgeister #2 ‘Wurmloch’
- Þóranna Björnsdóttir – Tónlist fyrir þungt og létt andrúmsloft
- Rashad Becker – Traditional Music of Notional Species Vol. II
- Matmos – Ultimate Care II
- Jonty Harrison – Voyages
- Eivør, Peter Jensen & The Danish Radio Big Band, The Danish National Vocal Ensemble – At the Heart of a Selkie
- Daniel Wohl – Holographic
- Claude Vivier – Kopernikus
- Chaya Czernowin – The Quiet: works for orchestra
- Haruo Okada & Fabio Perletta – Genkai
- Cliff Martinez – The Neon Demon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Galina Grigorjeva – Nature Morte
- Ladyhawke – Wild Things
2015
Original Top 40
- Susanne Sundfør – Ten Love Songs
- John Wall & Alex Rodgers – Work 2011–2014
- Mark Andre – … auf …
- Autechre – AE_LIVE
- Volker Hennes – Emperor Ambassador
- John Williams – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Veli-Matti Puumala – Anna Liisa
- Monty Adkins – Unfurling Streams
- Kenneth Kirschner – Compressions & Rarefactions
- Disasterpeace – It Follows (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Syl Kougaï – ΙΧΘΥΣ
- Sunken Foal – Friday Syndrome Vol. 3
- Brian Gascoigne – Phase IV (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Jacek Sienkiewicz – Nomatter
- C Duncan – Architect
- Man Without Country – Maximum Entropy
- Anna Þorvaldsdóttir – In the Light of Air
- Julia Holter – Have You In My Wilderness
- Line Katcho – Pulsions
- James Newton Howard – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Coppice – Spans: Three Perspectival Accounts + Cores/Eruct + Matches
- Gilles Gobeil – Les lointains
- Cemeteries – Barrow
- Björk – Vulnicura
- Kreng – The Summoner
- Purity Ring – Another Eternity
- Steven Wilson – Hand. Cannot. Erase.
- Somatic Responses – The Motor of Decay
- Ingar Zach & Miguel Angel Tolosa – Loner
- Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow – Ex_Machina (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Vanbot – Perfect Storm
- various artists – Historical Documents of the Irish Avant-Garde
- Lana Del Rey – Honeymoon
- Eivør – Slør
- East India Youth – Culture of Volume
- Alva Noto – Xerrox Vol. 3
- IAMX – Metanoia
- Kate Havnevik – &i
- Benge – Forms 4 – Moor Music
- Andrew Liles – Miscellany – Lussuoso (Electronics: 1990 to 2015)
Revised Top 30
- Susanne Sundfør – Ten Love Songs
- Autechre – AE_LIVE_KATOWICE_210815
- John Wall & Alex Rodgers – Work 2011–2014
- Mark Andre – … auf …
- Kenneth Kirschner – May 29, 2015
- Eivør – Bridges
- Brian Reitzell – Hannibal: Season 3 Volume 2 (Original Television Soundtrack)
- Volker Hennes – Emperor Ambassador
- John Williams – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- East India Youth – Culture of Volume
- Veli-Matti Puumala – Anna Liisa
- Monty Adkins – Unfurling Streams
- Chelsea Wolfe – Abyss
- Disasterpeace – It Follows (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Syl Kougaï – ΙΧΘΥΣ
- Sunken Foal – Friday Syndrome Vol. 3
- Brian Gascoigne – Phase IV (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Olivia Block – Aberration of Light
- Tim Wright – Algorithms for Electronics, Fake Woodwind & Strings (Third Collection)
- Jacek Sienkiewicz – Nomatter
- Man Without Country – Maximum Entropy
- C Duncan – Architect
- Anna Þorvaldsdóttir – In the Light of Air
- Julia Holter – Have You In My Wilderness
- Line Katcho – Pulsions
- Ensemble Musikfabrik – Edition Musikfabrik 09: Scherben
- Gilles Gobeil – Les lointains
- Björk – Vulnicura
- Cemeteries – Barrow
- Coppice – Spans: Three Perspectival Accounts
2014
Original Top 40
- Lee Fraser – Dark Camber
- Gareth Davis & Machinefabriek – Lucier: Memory Space
- Tim Hodgkinson – Onsets
- The Bad Plus – The Rite of Spring
- iamamiwhoami – Blue
- David Brynjar Franzson – The Negotiation of Context
- V/Vm – The Death of Rave (A Partial Flashback)
- Arlene Sierra – Game of Attrition
- Alfredo Costa Monteiro – Insula
- Monty Adkins – Rift Patterns
- John Cage – Works for Two Keyboards • 2 [Pestova/Meyer Piano Duo]
- St. Vincent – St. Vincent
- Markus Reuter – Sultry Kissing Lounge (Crimson ProjeKCt Tour 2014)
- Joseph Trapanese, Aria Prayogi & Fajar Yuskemal – The Raid 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- John Pickard – Gaia Symphony / Eden [Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag]
- Senko – Dronetudes
- OY – No Problem Saloon
- irr. app. (ext.) – The Jennies Made Me Do It {1}
- Bass Communion – Box Set
- Salvatore Sciarrino – Cantare con silenzio
- Mica Levi – Under the Skin (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- The Noisettes – Elegant Electronic Entrées
- Richard Causton – Millennium Scenes
- Duologue – Never Get Lost
- Motion Sickness of Time Travel – Alpha Piscium
- Sea Oleena – Shallow
- Aphex Twin – Syro
- Howard Shore – Maps to the Stars (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Markus Reuter – Todmorden 513
- Kristin Øhrn Dyrud – Coherence (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Poemss – Poemss
- Gazelle Twin – Unflesh
- Paul Dolden – Who Has the Biggest Sound?
- Black Swan – Tone Poetry
- Deerhoof – La Isla Bonita
- Jenny Hval & Susanna – Meshes of Voice
- Gwenno – Y Dydd Olaf
- Weeping Willows – The Time Has Come
- Anna Þorvaldsdóttir – Aerial
- Bora Yoon – Sunken Cathedral
Revised Top 30
- Brian Reitzell – Hannibal: Season 1 Volume 1 (Original Television Soundtrack)
- Lee Fraser – Dark Camber
- Motion Sickness of Time Travel – Ballade for a Buck Moon
- Gareth Davis & Machinefabriek – Lucier: Memory Space
- Stefan Fraunberger – Quellgeister #1
- Coppice – Vantage / Cordoned
- Wolftöne – Descent
- Zbigniew Karkowski – Live In Lyon
- Wolves in the Throne Room – Celestite
- Tim Hodgkinson – Onsets
- The Bad Plus – The Rite of Spring
- iamamiwhoami – Blue
- David Brynjar Franzson – The Negotiation of Context
- Press Charges – Press Charges
- V/Vm – The Death of Rave (A Partial Flashback)
- Supersilent – 12
- Erik Nyström – Morphogenèse
- Arlene Sierra – Vol. 2: Game of Attrition
- Henrik Nordvargr Björkk – Wermland Atonal 1
- Alfredo Costa Monteiro – Insula
- John Cage – Works for Two Keyboards • 2 [Pestova/Meyer Piano Duo]
- Monty Adkins – Rift Patterns
- The Whalers Collective – Nantucket (I – VI)
- Shivers – Shivers
- Michael Tanner – The Sussex Workings Volume 1: Nine Of Swords
- St. Vincent – St. Vincent
- SWR Vokalensemble – Russia
- John Zorn – The Hermetic Organ Vol. 2: St. Paul’s Chapel, NYC
- Markus Reuter – Sultry Kissing Lounge (Crimson ProjeKCt Tour 2014)
- Joseph Trapanese, Aria Prayogi & Fajar Yuskemal – The Raid 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
2013
Original Top 40
- Philippe Petit – Needles in Pain
- The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation – Roadburn
- Main – Ablation
- Xopher Davidson + Zbigniew Karkowski – Processor
- Jakob Ullmann – fremde zeit addendum 4
- Stephan Mathieu – The Falling Rocket
- irr. app. (ext.) – Tuberpendicular
- Paul Jebanasam – Rites
- iamamiwhoami – bounty
- Aidan Baker & Troum – Nihtes Niht
- Black Swan – Redemption
- Bloodgroup – Tracing Echoes
- Igor Stravinsky – Le Sacre du Printemps [Simon Rattle/Berlin Philharmoniker]
- These New Puritans – Field of Reeds
- Michael Finnissy – The History of Photography in Sound
- Liza Lim – Tongue of the Invisible
- Secret Chiefs 3 – Book Of Souls Folio A
- How To Destroy Angels – Welcome oblivion
- Autechre – Exai
- Ryoji Ikeda – supercodex
- CocoRosie – Tales of a Grass Widow
- Flat Earth Society – 13
- Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks (Audiophile Mastered Version)
- Rashad Becker – Traditional Music of Notional Species Vol. I
- Motion Sickness of Time Travel – Eclipse Studies
- Cliff Martinez – Only God Forgives (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Deluxe Edition]
- The Knife – Shaking The Habitual
- Emmy Rossum – Sentimental Journey
- Ben Lukas Boysen – Mother Nature
- Marsheaux – Inhale
- James Newton Howard – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Original Motion Picture Score)
- Tomas Phillips/Kenneth Kirschner – Five Transpositions
- Roly Porter – Life Cycle of a Massive Star
- Ulver – Messe I.X-VI.X
- Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe
- Chiyoko Szlavnics – Gradients of Detail
- Shane Carruth – Upstream Color (Original Motion Picture Score)
- Chubby Wolf – The Last Voices
- Andrew Liles – INCOMMENSURABLE MAGNITUDES (СУМЕРЕЧНОЕ СОСТОЯНИЕ СОЗНАНИЯ)
- Blue Hawaii – Untogether
Revised Top 30
- Philippe Petit – Needles in Pain
- Stephan Mathieu – The Falling Rocket
- The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation – Roadburn
- Main – Ablation
- Xopher Davidson & Zbigniew Karkowski – Processor
- Jakob Ullmann – fremde zeit addendum 4
- irr. app. (ext.) – Tuberpendicular
- Coppice – Compound Form
- Kenneth Kirschner – April 16, 2013
- Paul Jebanasam – Rites
- iamamiwhoami – bounty
- Aidan Baker & Troum – Nihtes Niht
- Black Swan – Redemption
- Bloodgroup – Tracing Echoes
- Altus – Sleep Theory Volume 2
- Aufgang – Istiklaliya
- These New Puritans – Field of Reeds
- Michael Finnissy – The History of Photography in Sound
- Liza Lim – Tongue of the Invisible
- Secret Chiefs 3 – Book Of Souls Folio A
- Autechre – Exai
- Ryoji Ikeda – supercodex
- CocoRosie – Tales of a Grass Widow
- Flat Earth Society – 13
- James Newton Howard – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Original Motion Picture Score)
- The Noisettes – Live at Haluduvo Malinska Hotel, 1972
- Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks (Audiophile Mastered Version)
- Chelsea Wolfe – Pain Is Beauty
- Motion Sickness of Time Travel – Eclipse Studies
- A-Sun Amissa – You Stood Up For Victory, We Stood Up For Less
2012
Original Top 40
- Kreng – Works for Abattoir Fermé 2007 – 2011
- Richard Barrett – Dark Matter
- Black Swan – Heaven
- Jakob Ullmann – fremde zeit addendum
- Edward Ka-Spel – Ghost Logik & This Saturated Land
- Monty Adkins – Four Shibusa
- iamamiwhoami – kin
- Evan Caminiti – Dreamless Sleep
- Aaron Cassidy – The Crutch of Memory
- K2 – Funeral Songs
- Beach House – Bloom
- Greg Haines – Digressions
- Claire Chase – Terrestre
- Helm – Impossible Symmetry
- Chubby Wolf – Seasick
- Sarah Blasko – I Awake
- David Byrne & St. Vincent – Love This Giant
- Ben Lukas Boysen – Restive (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Gareth Davis & Frances-Marie Uitti – Gramercy
- Scott Walker – Bish Bosch
- Deerhoof – Breakup Song
- Julia Holter – Ekstasis
- Scott Miller & Carla Rees – Devices and Desires
- Ramon Humet – Niwa. Chamber works
- The Legendary Pink Dots – The Creature that Tasted Sound
- Sunken Foal – Friday Syndrome Vol.1
- Susanne Sundfør – The Silicone Veil
- voidesque – moving walls and simpler things
- Kenneth Kirschner – January 10, 2012
- Yeti Lane – The Echo Show
- Kettel & Secede – When Can
- of Montreal – Paralytic Stalks
- The Flashbulb – Opus At The End Of Everything
- Dai Fujikura – Secret Forest
- irr. app. (ext.) – Their Little Bones, Becoming Sharp, Find Repose But Fail To Avoid Worrying A Breach In The Ghostly Skin Which Separates That Above From That Below (This Being The Last And Final Seal) And Whereupon All Light Evacuated The Furnace. Several Consequences Ensue.
- Lindstrøm – Six Cups of Rebel
- Hanne Hukkelberg – Featherbrain
- Au – Both Lights
- Metric – Synthetica
- Sleep Party People – We Were Drifting on a Sad Song
Revised Top 30
- Kreng – Works for Abattoir Fermé 2007 – 2011
- Richard Barrett – Dark Matter
- Black Swan – Heaven
- Jakob Ullmann – fremde zeit addendum
- Monty Adkins – Four Shibusa
- Chubby Wolf – Seasick
- Keith Fullerton Whitman – Occlusions
- Kenneth Kirschner – September 13, 2012
- Gareth Davis & Frances-Marie Uitti – Terra Incognita
- Philippe Petit – The Extraordinary Tale Of A Lemon Girl trilogy : Chapter II: Fire-Walking To Wonderland
- Edward Ka-Spel – This Saturated Land
- iamamiwhoami – kin
- aTelecine – Entkopplung
- The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation – Egor
- Evan Caminiti – Dreamless Sleep
- John Wall & Mark Durgan – 139
- Ben Lukas Boysen – Restive (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Aaron Cassidy – The Crutch of Memory
- Henrik Nordvargr Björkk – Music for N,N-Dimetyltryptamin
- K2 – Funeral Songs
- Beach House – Bloom
- Greg Haines – Digressions
- Claire Chase – Terrestre
- Helm – Impossible Symmetry
- Sarah Blasko – I Awake
- David Byrne & St. Vincent – Love This Giant
- Scott Walker – Bish Bosch
- Deerhoof – Breakup Song
- Chelsea Wolfe – Live at Roadburn
- Julia Holter – Ekstasis
2011
Original Top 40
- The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation – Anthropomorphic
- Three Trapped Tigers – Route One Or Die
- Monty Adkins – Fragile.Flicker.Fragment
- Indignant Senility – Blemished Breasts
- Fovea Hex – Here Is Where We Used To Sing
- Black Swan – The Quiet Divide
- Xela – Exorcism
- Grutronic And Evan Parker – Together In Zero Space
- Access to Arasaka – Geosynchron
- Svarte Greiner – Twin
- Ektoise – Kiyomizu
- Björk – Biophilia
- Jenny Hval – Viscera
- Hecq – Avenger
- Tartar Lamb II – Polyimage of Known Exits
- Akita / Gustafsson / O’Rourke – One Bird Two Bird
- aTelecine – A Cassette Tape Culture Phase Two
- Chubby Wolf – Los que No Son Gentos
- Ulver – Wars of the Roses
- Merzbow – Kamadhenu
- Celer – Noctilucent Clouds
- Leyland Kirby – Intrigue & Stuff (Vol. 2)
- Frank Zappa – Feeding The Monkies At Ma Maison
- Stephan Mathieu – A Static Place
- Christopher William Anderson – Moskenstraumen
- Talvihorros – Descent Into Delta
- Deerhoof – Deerhoof vs. Evil
- Braids – Native Speaker
- Roly Porter – Aftertime
- Patrick Wolf – Lupercalia
- David Lynch – INLAND EMPIRE (Original Motion Picture Score)
- Autechre & The Hafler Trio – ae3o3
- John Cage – 108/109/110
- Arlene Sierra – Arlene Sierra Vol. 1
- Kate Wax – Dust Collision
- Aleks Kolkowski & Ute Wassermann – Squall Line
- Kate Havnevik – You
- Philippe Petit – Nyctalopia
- This Will Destroy You – Tunnel Blanket
- Uh Huh Her – Nocturnes
Revised Top 30
- The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation – Anthropomorphic
- Three Trapped Tigers – Route One Or Die
- Monty Adkins – Fragile.Flicker.Fragment
- Indignant Senility – Blemished Breasts
- Fovea Hex – Here Is Where We Used To Sing
- Black Swan – The Quiet Divide
- Xela – Exorcism
- Grutronic & Evan Parker – Together In Zero Space
- Access to Arasaka – Geosynchron
- Collin Thomas – April Triptych
- Christopher McFall & David Velez – Credence
- Gareth Davis & Machinefabriek – Grower
- Diamond Catalog – Magnified Palette
- Gareth Davis, Jan Kleefstra & Romke Kleefstra – Sieleslyk
- Svarte Greiner – Twin
- Björk – Biophilia
- Jenny Hval – Viscera
- Yugen – Ae’shT’aT’aQ
- Tartar Lamb II – Polyimage of Known Exits
- Akita, Gustafsson & O’Rourke – One Bird Two Bird
- aTelecine – A Cassette Tape Culture Phase Two
- Ulver – Wars of the Roses
- Gazelle Twin – The Entire City
- Celer – Noctilucent Clouds
- Merzbow – Kamadhenu
- Leyland Kirby – Intrigue & Stuff (Vol. 2)
- irr. app. (ext.) – Orgonosis #4
- Stephan Mathieu – A Static Place
- Frank Zappa – Feeding The Monkies At Ma Maison
- Chubby Wolf – Maudlin & Elusive
2010
Original Top 40
- Chubby Wolf – Ornitheology
- The Birthday Massacre – Pins and Needles
- Keith Fullerton Whitman – Disingenuity/Disingenuousness
- Christopher McFall – Lost at sea and seldom found/The Anatomical Submissiveness Of Lions
- Stefano Scodanibbio – Oltracuidansa
- Celer – Dying Star
- Clouwbeck – From Which the River Rises
- United Bible Studies – The Gascoigne Observatory
- Of Montreal – False Priest
- Richard Skelton – Untitled
- Matthew Herbert – Mahler Symphony X Recomposed
- Hans Zimmer – Inception (Music from the Motion Picture)
- Yui Onodera & Celer – Generic City
- CocoRosie – Grey Oceans
- Jonathan Uliel Saldanha – The Earth as a Floating Egg
- Ambarchi/O’Rourke/Haino – Tima Formosa
- Belle and Sebastian – Write About Love
- Celer – Rags Of Contentment/Honey Moon/Panoramic Dreams Bathed In Seldomness/Dwell In Possibility
- Get Well Soon – Vexations
- Anders Brødsgaard – Galaxy
- Svarte Greiner – Penpals Forever (And Ever)
- Demdike Stare – Liberation Through Hearing/Voices of Dust
- Solo Andata – Ritual
- Jónsi – Go
- Benjamin Dauer – Burning of Wine
- Robyn – Body Talk
- O. Children – O. Children
- *AR – Wolf Notes
- Tor Lundvall – Ghost Years
- Clem Leek – Holly Lane
- Oneohtrix Point Never – Returnal
- Autechre – Oversteps
- Ekca Liena – Sleep Paralysis (Expansion Tracks)
- Supersilent – 11
- Noveller – Desert Fires
- The Silesian String Quartet – getString
- Greg Haines – Until the Point of Hushed Support
- Talvihorros – Music in Four Movements
- Supersilent – 10
- Jenks Miller and Nicholas Szczepanik – American Gothic
Revised Top 30
- Kenneth Kirschner – July 17, 2010
- iamamiwhoami – In Concert
- Christopher McFall – Lost at sea and seldom found
- Stefano Scodanibbio – Oltracuidansa
- The Birthday Massacre – Pins and Needles
- United Bible Studies – The Gascoigne Observatory
- Keith Fullerton Whitman – Disingenuity / Disingenuousness
- Chubby Wolf – Ornitheology
- of Montreal – False Priest
- Jónsi – Go
- Gareth Davis & Machinefabriek – Drape
- Hans Zimmer – Inception (Music from the Motion Picture)
- Philippe Petit & Friends – A Scent of Garmambrosia
- Jennifer Walshe – Nature Data
- Charles Tournemire – The Seven Last Words of Christ
- Ambarchi, O’Rourke & Haino – Tima Formosa
- CocoRosie – Grey Oceans
- Ektoise – Ektoise
- Michel Van der Aa – Spaces of Blank
- Jonathan Uliel Saldanha – The Earth as a Floating Egg
- Cyclobe – Wounded Galaxies Tap at the Window
- aTelecine – A Cassette Tape Culture
- Access to Arasaka – void();
- Goldfrapp – Head First
- Belle and Sebastian – Write About Love
- Anders Brødsgaard – Galaxy
- Svarte Greiner – Penpals Forever (And Ever)
- Demdike Stare – Liberation Through Hearing
- Susanne Sundfør – The Brothel
- Solo Andata – Ritual
2009
Original Top 40
- Celer – Engaged Touches/Breeze of Roses/Poulaine/Brittle/Fountain Glider/In Escaping Lakes
- Peter Wright – Snow Blind
- Bass Communion – Chiaroscuro
- irr. app. (ext.) – Kreiselwelle
- Robert Henke – Indigo_Transform
- Steven Wilson – Insurgentes
- SoiSong – xAj3z
- Clouwbeck – Wolfrahm
- Richard Skelton – Landings
- Dragonette – Fixin To Thrill
- Hecq – Steeltongued
- David Sylvian – Manafon
- Alva Noto – Xerrox Vol. 2
- NQ – Like Styrofoam, Bleeding
- Nynke Laverman – Nomade
- Anduin + Jasper TX – The Bending Of Light
- Celer – Compositions for Cassette
- Tim Exile – Listening Tree
- Ambrose Field – Being Dufay
- Polly Scattergood – Polly Scattergood
- Venetian Snares – Filth
- Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto – utp_
- Lustmord – [ B E Y O N D ]
- Operations – You & Atomic Warfare
- Celer – Close Proximity and the Unhindered Care-all
- Tor Lundvall – Sleeping and Hiding
- Bat For Lashes – Two Suns
- Supersilent – 9
- Florence and the Machine – Lungs
- Asher – Miniatures
- Chubby Wolf – L’Histoire
- Carl Sagan’s Ghost – Behind Clouds
- Imogen Heap – Ellipse
- Oneohtrix Point Never – Rifts
- The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble – Here Be Dragons
- Chihei Hatakeyama – The River
- Leyland Kirby – Sadly Future Is No Longer What It Was
- Daisy Chapman – The Green Eyed
- Röyksopp – Junior
- IAMX – Kingdom Of Welcome Addiction
Revised Top 30
- Peter Wright – Snow Blind
- Robert Henke – Indigo_Transform
- Steven Wilson – Insurgentes
- irr. app. (ext.) – kreiselwelle
- Wixel – The End
- John Zorn – Femina
- Alva Noto – Xerrox Vol. 2
- maudlin of the Well – Part The Second
- Purity Device – The Hail
- Christopher McFall – All For The Terror That Sings Sweetly To You In The Night
- Unsuk Chin – Rocaná / Violin Concerto [Orchèstre symphonique de Montréal / Nagano]
- Monty Adkins – Five Panels
- Jean-Guihen Queyras – 21st Century Cello Concertos
- Dragonette – Fixin To Thrill
- David Sylvian – Manafon
- NQ – Like Styrofoam, Bleeding
- Polly Scattergood – Polly Scattergood
- Nynke Laverman – Nomade
- Kreng – L’Autopsie Phénoménale de Dieu
- Aidan Baker – Blue Figures
- Venetian Snares – Filth
- Bass Communion – Chiaroscuro
- Anduin & Jasper TX – The Bending Of Light
- Noveller – Paint on the Shadows
- Tim Exile – Listening Tree
- Tyler Bates – Watchmen (Original Motion Picture Score)
- The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble – Here Be Dragons
- Ambrose Field – Being Dufay
- Operations – Sundevil
- Access to Arasaka – Oppidan
2008
Original Top 40
- Salvatore Sciarrino – Storie di Altre Storie
- Bass Communion – Molotov and Haze
- Nadja – Thaumoradiance
- Steve Peters – Filtered Light (Chamber Music 4)
- Peteris Vasks – Cantus ad pacem
- Colin Andrew Sheffield – Signatures (Special Edition)
- Lawrence English – Kiri No Oto
- Christopher McFall – The City of Almost
- Celer/Mathieu Ruhlmann – Mesoscaphe
- Bersarin Quartett – Belsarin Quartett
- Fennesz – Black Sea
- Autechre – Quaristice.Quadrange.ep.ae
- Mosaique – Filare
- Matmos – Supreme Balloon
- Portishead – Third
- Hammock – Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow
- Parenthetical Girls – Entanglements
- Operations – Collected Anomalies
- Johnny Hollow – Dirty Hands
- Operator Please – Yes Yes Vindictive
- Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I-IV
- Evan Marc & Steve Hillage – Dreamtime Submersible
- Implex Grace – Through Luminescent Passages I
- Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree
- AGF – Dance Floor Drachen
- Of Montreal – Skeletal Lamping
- Beyond Sensory Experience – No Lights In Our Eyes
- Andrew Liles & Daniel Menche – The Progeny of Flies
- Pantaleimon – Heart of the Sun
- Specta Ciera – Mystic Valley Parkway
- Ran Slavin – Nocturnal Rainbow Rising
- Implex Grace – Through Luminescent Passages II
- Stephan Mathieu – Radioland
- Deerhoof – Offend Maggie
- Ladytron – Velocifero
- AGF – Words Are Missing
- Byetone – Death Of A Typographer
- Gregor Samsa – Rest
- Nurse With Wound – Huffin’ Rag Blues
- Squarepusher – Just A Souvenir
Revised Top 30
- Jakob Ullmann – Voice, Book and Fire 3
- Salvatore Sciarrino – Storie di Altre Storie
- Bass Communion – Molotov and Haze
- Celer – I Love You So Much I Can’t Even Title This (The Light That Never Goes Out Went Out)
- Steve Peters – Filtered Light (Chamber Music 4)
- Nadja – Thaumoradiance
- Martin Stig Andersen – Rabbit at the Airport
- Christopher McFall – Sensuality May Be Found At The Mouth Of A Snake
- Tu M’ – Is That You?
- Pēteris Vasks – Cantus ad pacem
- Mathew Adkins – [60]Project
- Lawrence English – Kiri No Oto
- Andrew Liles & Steven Stapleton – Der Brennende Acker
- Helena Tulve – Lijnen
- Zbigniew Karkowski & Tetsuo Furudate – World As War III
- Krzysztof Penderecki – Works for Cellos and Orchestra
- Secret Chiefs 3 – Xaphan: Book of Angels Vol. 9
- Deerhoof – Offend Maggie
- The Caretaker – The Persistent Repetition of Phrases
- Johnny Hollow – Dirty Hands
- Hans Werner Henze – Symphonies 7 & 8 [Berlin Radio SO / Janowski]
- Rebecca Saunders – Stirrings Still
- Matmos – Supreme Balloon
- Portishead – Third
- Camille – Music Hole
- Parenthetical Girls – Entanglements
- Hecq – Night Falls
- Clouwbeck – A Moraine
- Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree
- Evan Marc & Steve Hillage – Dreamtime Submersible