Album of the year for me is Cleo Sol’s “Mother”. The combination of her superb honeyed voice, Inflo’s production and the understated small ensemble playing make it a rewarding repeat listen. No matter how many times I play this, new colours emerge and make the world a better place.
Other notable favourites were
DJ Format - Devil’s Workshop
Alex Albrecht – Campfire Stories
The Zenmenn - Enter The Zenmenn
El Michels Affair - Yeti Season
Faye Webster - I Know I’m Funny Ha HA
Spencer Cullum - Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection
Sylvie - Sylvie ep
Mia Doi Todd - Music Life
Bremer/ McCoy - Natten
John Carrol Kirby - Septet
Richard Norris - Music For Healing
Reissues/Comps
Spiritualized - Lazer Guided Melodies
VA - Virtual Dreams
VA - Chill Pill III
I really like Lauer’s tunes but when he makes albums I’d prefer to listen on CD, so I can listen all the way through. I suppose I could buy from Bandcamp and make my own CD. I like buying singles on vinyl rather than albums.
With pharaoh clearly still able to play so beautifully, I would have loved to hear him in a more traditional setting rather than smothered in payless-Eno soundscapes.
If the recent Anthony Braxton output suggests anything it’s that these dudes have aged like a good wine and should be enjoyed while they’re still here with us.
Hi all - new to this forum but a longtime fan of the blog and of course a music lover. 2021 was a great year for releases. Narrowing down the list was tough but below are some personal highlights - hopefully some new ones for you all to discover and enjoy. Happy listening!
EPs
Session Victim - Two Crowns [Delusions of Grandeur DOG84]
Moomin - The Snoofer [Oath OATH002]
Hiver - Sequential Circuits [Polifonic PF002]
Upsammy - Bend [Dekmantel DKMTNL 087]
Anunaku - 042 [AD 93 WHYT042]
Tunnelvisions - End of Time [Atomnation ATMV089]
Joaquin Cornejo - Las Frutas [Earthly Measures Local Global Recordings EARTHLY005]
Red Axes - Some Lights [Phantasy Sound PH108]
Fulltone - Love In Space [All Day I Dream ADID069]
Albums
Felipe Gordon - A Landscape Onomatopeya [SHALL NOT FADE SNFLP008]
Joaquin Joe Claussell - Raw Tones [Rekids REKIDS 183]
Roger Fakhr - Fine Anwyway [Habibi Funk Records HABIBI016]
Comps & Reissues
DJ Harvey - Mercury Rising (Volumen Tres) [PIKESLP003]
Planet Love Vol. 1 Early Transmissions 1991 - 1995 [Safe Trip ST 021-1LP]
My first exposure to her was her set at Dekmantel 2018, which blew me away. Mixing ambient, IDM, and experimental cohesively is a unique skill and she does it incredibly well. Not my go-to genres most of the time but I still go back to the set fairly often: Upsammy Dekmantel 2018
feels like no out and out winners this year, certainly I couldn’t really pick a standout on Brewster’s thread. is everything more fragmented because fewer of us are sharing the same moments at the same venues/events? there was that period when Terje or Tensnake swept up year after year with monster crossover tunes but feels like a long time ago now.
