2020 July Listenings

Oval - Scis

Awesome minimal techno from one of the genre’s finest. This one is easy to listen to and very appealing. In contrast to his older stuff (the stuff inspired by computer components) this one feels more intimate, more approachable, and more expressive.

Release date: 2004-01-01

[8.3/10]

Pulse Emitter - Swirlings

Reminds me of the Japanese new age compilation from last year, but songs are longer and possesses a little less diversity than the said compilation.

Release date: 2020-01-17

[7.9/10]

Robert Haigh - Black Sarabande

Soothing modern classical. I like the track Painted Serpent best because it’s got a heavy bass synth going on and has an unsettling feel. Other than this track the others are less imaginative. I think there are definitely some other contemporary pianists (from Japan? can’t remember) that can achieve the serenity present on this album, but with much less notes.

Release date: 2020-01-24

[7.3/10]

Bohren & Der Club Of Gore - Patchouli Blue

I find it often hard to tell what is “doom-jazz” how to distinguish it from slow paced, somewhat gothic sounding lounge music…

Release date: 2020-01-24

[6.9/10]

Pink Siifu, Yungmorpheus - Bag Talk

Milo and Open Mike Eagle do this kind of hip hop better.

Release date: 2021-06-11

[6.8/10]

Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972

Tim Hecker is king.

Release date: 2011-02-14

[9.5/10]

Pan Sonic - Gravitoni

If there’s a Nobel Price in music Pan Sonic would’ve won it multiple times.

Release date: 2010-06-14

[9.0/10]

William Doyle - Your Wilderness Revisited

Snubbed from last year’s best-of list… awesome folk / indie rock. The songs are very carefully crafted.

Release date: 2019-11-01

[8.7/10]

Ben Vince - Assimilation

Think Matana Roberts but less vocals / more electronica. I think this one is probably one of those albums that once in awhile you’ll remember “ah that one is a good one should stop playing whatever indie pop album I’m listening to right now and play it instead” kind of stuff. Really good modern jazz.

Release date: 2021-01-20

[8.5/10]

The Humble Bee, Offthesky - All Other Voices Gone, Only Yours Remains

Fantastic ambient album. Kinda like The Caretaker but on Spotify.

Release date: 2019-07-19

[8.5/10]

Lonker See - One Eye Sees Red

Awesome jazz fusion / prog rock. Reminiscent of The Mars Volta’s Frances The Mute, with strong sax lead lines and psyched out guitar riffs. Really good.

Release date: 2018-04-05

[8.5/10]

Alameda 4 - Czarna Woda

Another exquisite release from Instant Classic. This is like the prog band Circle, but more enticing (and more black metal).

Release date: 2020-04-23

[8.4/10]

WaqWaq Kingdom - Essaka Hoisa

Esoteric dub / dancehall / chiptune / ambient. This is a kaleidoscopic album… can’t really understand the lyrical themes but according to other reviews on the internet the songs seem pretty profound. I’d say if compared to Tim Hecker’s stuff this one doesn’t sound all that influenced by Japanese folk music, at least much less than it’s influenced by, say, African trap or Jamaican club music. The last song is very good. (If only Meuko! Meuko! can do stuff like this…)

Release date: 2019-11-15

[8.3/10]

Gavilán Rayna Russom - The Envoy

I dig this one. It’s classified as techno / experimental by RA but I feel like it doesn’t really do it much justice… This album is pretty synth / keys heavy and sometimes almost ambient music like. The collaboration track with Cosey Fanni Tutti is spectacular.

Release date: 1982

[8.3/10]

Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell!

I hereby promise that I’ll never ever make fun of people who love LDR from this point on. A respectable, very enjoyable pop album. Strangely the song The Greatest reminds me of Wilco’s The Ghost Is Born…

Release date: 2019-08-30

[8.3/10]

New Rome - New Rome

The more I listen to it the more I dig it… electro-pop / ambient / techno. Very nicely done.

Release date: 2019-11-27

[8.3/10]

Barker - Utility

Missed this until it’s literally the last day of the year… spectacular techno / IDM.

Release date: 2019-09-06

[8.3/10]

Matana Roberts - Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis

Immersive, brooding world / jazz / folk. I didn’t really pay attention to what the female vocalist was singing (was it Roberts?), but listening through the entire album felt pretty absorbing. I think this one is more like an artwork from the fine art museums… you really gotta take the time to sit back and pay attention to every timbre and pronunciations to get a full grasp of what this album is trying to convey.

Release date: 2019-10-18

[8.2/10]

Sporting Life - Black Diamond

Chilling modern hip hop. The song La Sportiva is a real banger. Kids should do this kind of music instead of stupid trap songs filled with triplet flows…

Release date: 2012-11-13

[8.2/10]

ARRM - ARRM

There’s even a song called Horseback on this album, so you know this has got to be a decent psych rock / drone album.

Release date: 1976

[8.2/10]

Michael O’Shea - Michael O’Shea

Psychedelic avant-folk from late Irish guitarist. This is in the same vein with Jack Rose, John Fahey et cetera, but not that virtuosic and perhaps more emphasizing the atmosphere and mood.

Release date: 2019-02-01

[8.1/10]

Vilod - The Clouds Know

A year ago I felt I probably would never figure out how to appreciate Ricardo Villalobos’ music. Now I think I do. This album is just like all the other ECM albums you’ve heard before: cryptic, loaded with jazz influences minimal techno music.

Release date:

[8.1/10]

Iron Curtis - And The Temper

Dope deep house / ambient.

Release date:

[8.1/10]

Lana Del Rabies - Shadow World

Intense yet enjoyable noise / experimental music. Proof that noise albums aren’t necessary difficult to listen to.

Release date: 2015-08-21

[8.1/10]

Danny Scott Lane - How To Empty A Cup

You’d dig this if you dig Ernest Hood.

Release date:

[8.1/10]

Abul Mogard - Kimberlin (Original Soundtrack)

Another stellar release from ambient maestro.

Release date: 2019-10-18

[8.1/10]

Floating Spectrum - A Point Between

Enticing ambient music.

Release date:

[8.1/10]

Emanuele Errante - This World

Ambient music. Executed very nicely.

Release date: 2018-04-18

[8.0/10]

Complete Walkthru - Scrolls

Neat IDM. I like the bass on the track Believe I Can Do This.

Release date: 2013-01-31

[8.0/10]

Deafkids - metaprogramação

The Quietus is right in saying this sounds somewhat reminiscent of Motorhead’s stuff, only trippier and way wonkier. Good stuff.

Release date: 2019-03-15

[8.0/10]

Shapednoise - Aesthesis

Droning, deep techno / rave. Borderline harsh noise, if you will.

Release date: 2015-08-14

[8.0/10]

Vaura - Sables

Proggy post-punk. The guitar player also plays in Gorguts and Dysrhythmia. The drums on this album sound pretty lifeless as if they’re programmed instead of using real drums. Other than that the songs are really nicely written and thoroughly enjoyable.

Release date: 2016-04-20

[8.0/10]

Música Esporádica, Suso Saiz, Orquesta De Las Nubes - Música Esporádica

This is like the Japanese ambient tracks with a lot more rhythm section. Pretty fun to listen to.

Release date: 2019-11-29

[7.9/10]

Yamaneko - Spirals Heaven Wide

Ambient / trance album. The artist made an album named Spa Commissions in 2017…

Release date: 2019-11-15

[7.9/10]

Frail Body - A Brief Memoriam

Tight, bombastic screamo. Pretty jangly sometimes. Not too much innovations on this album but still a pretty enjoyable album.

Release date: 2019-11-01

[7.9/10]

Serpent Column - Mirror In Darkness

Intense death metal / black metal. I almost shat myself hearing the first half of this record. As the album progresses the intensity becomes a bit tiring.

Release date: 2019-09-09

[7.8/10]

Moor Mother - Analog Fluids Of Sonic Black Holes

Kinda like King Midas Sound, but with much more emphatic vocals. Or like clipping but even more abrasive.

Release date: 2019-11-08

[7.8/10]

Ebo Taylor - Yen Ara

More than an hour of afrobeat / funk. To be honest towards the end of the album I was a bit tired… but I’d still say it’s a pretty stellar afrobeat release. Definitely recommended for those who dig this kind of stuff.

Release date: 2018-04-06

[7.8/10]

Pursuit Grooves - Bess

Bassy house / techno. Quite groovy.

Release date: 2021-01-07

[7.8/10]

Adrian Corker - Music For Lock Grooves

Glitchy modern composition. Kinda like Pole meets William Basinski. The screeching violins are pretty gnarly.

Release date:

[7.8/10]

Nanook Of The North - Nanook Of The North

Atmospheric, pulsating ambient / electronica.

Release date: 2018-03-01

[7.8/10]

Rutger Hauser - The Swim

Fun, bizarre free jazz-ish improvisation music / post-rock. Though not particularly catchy or mesmerizing the whole album offers a fun yet unsettling atmosphere. There are songs that remind me of earlier Fly Pan Am stuff, so if that’s your jam then do check this one out.

Release date: 2001-04-03

[7.8/10]

Long Distance Poison - Technical Mentality

Droning ambient. Pretty long songs but instead of being mind-numbingly drawn out they manage to incorporate a somewhat organic vibe into the heavy synth / industrial samples, which is quite nice.

Release date:

[7.8/10]

Stara Rzeka - Zamknęły Się Oczy Ziemi

Sounds kinda like a more psychedelic Sólstafir if you ask me… then again Sólstafir is a decent band that’s hard to beat. This record is on par with them if not better.

Release date: 2015-10-22

[7.7/10]

Teebs - Anicca

Pretty soothing mellow beat electronica. This is like a softer, less rhythmic, more melodic lofi hip hop collection of songs.

Release date: 2019-10-25

[7.7/10]

Various Artists - Kulør 001

Percussive techno compilation from the Denmark label. More uplifting and danceable than the often-grim-sounding old school techno stuff. Pretty decent.

Release date: 2018-10-11

[7.7/10]

Brockhampton - Ginger

Alright hip hop album. VHS-influenced trap rap, if you will. Not bad but not spectacular either.

Release date: 2019-08-23

[7.6/10]

Solange - When I Get Home

I actually prefer A Seat At The Table to this one. IMO this one just isn’t that catchy or memorable.

Release date: 2019-03-01

[7.6/10]

Vegyn - Only Diamonds Cut Diamonds

Cute, choppy hypnagogic techno / hip hop. There’s a Jpegmafia feature on this album, but I don’t think it fits too well… The standout track on this album has got to be You Owe Me, the speed change and the beats on that track is pretty dope. Other than that the rest of the songs are pretty decent but not mindblowing or especially memorable.

Release date: 2019-11-08

[7.5/10]

Function - Incubation

Techno. Grim sounds. Dude seemed to want to do a techno OST to an imaginary sci-fi thriller film with this release. In that respect the album is quite successful in bringing out the atmosphere, but the album does feel a bit monotonous at times.

Release date: 2021-04-30

[7.5/10]

Lightning Bolt - Sonic Citadel

I think Lightning Bolt is one of those bands that are just decent but not overwhelmingly astonishing when listening to their album, but crush their audiences with huge sounds and abrasive performances when they play live. This one definitely has the kicks but after some time I grow a bit tired…

Release date: 2019-10-11

[7.5/10]

Sassy J - Patchwork (Compiled By Sassy J)

There are nu jazz and funk tracks, which I dig, but there are also club-friendly electronica tracks or big beat bangers, which I don’t really dig.

Release date: 2019-12-13

[7.5/10]

Kristen - LAS

Ritualistic psych rock. Not really a fan of the major chords… but still pretty good.

Release date: 2021-06-04

[7.4/10]

Cybernetic Witch Cult - Absurdum Ad Nauseam

I don’t really dig the vocals but the riffage is just too good… stellar stoner rock. Sick guitar tones and groovy AF. But then the vocals really isn’t right up my alley.

Release date:

[7.4/10]

Chihei Hatakeyama - Forgotten Hill

Typical ambient album. Very atmospheric, not a lot of experimentation or exploration going on.

Release date: 2019-09-20

[7.3/10]

Herbert - I Hadn’t Known (I Only Heard) / So Now…

Sleek, sexy house music.

Release date: 2019-10-11

[7.3/10]

Magda Drozd - Songs For Plants

Ambient / electronica / dub / dark pop. The concept is quite interesting: using sound samples of flicking the leaves of cacti and incorporate them into ambient songs. However I do think this album isn’t all that memorable.

Release date:

[7.2/10]

Double Mixte - Romance Noire

Dance / electronica / electro-pop. I like the instrumental tracks more than the ones with vocals. But then there are better electronica albums out there.

Release date: 2019-02-14

[7.1/10]

Jacques Greene - Dawn Chorus

House + clubby pop / R&B. Probably more suitable as dancefloor bangers than stuff to listen to while at work.

Release date: 2020-12-10

[7.0/10]

Ekin Fil - Language

Dreamy ambient music.

Release date: 2014-07-01

[7.0/10]

TNGHT - II

Hyperactive trap / glitch hop. Too much going on here… I can’t handle this…

Release date: 2019-09-13

[7.0/10]

Pelada - Movimiento Para Cambio

Club / techno / house. Very danceable, a bit too much for my taste… RA said the lyrics and themes are very politically aware and are pretty awesome, but I couldn’t understand Spanish so all there is to me is probably the almost punk rock-ish sense of yelling resistance.

Release date: 2019-08-15

[6.9/10]

Elizabeth Colour Wheel - Nocebo

Sounds like what would happen if Shina Ringo decides to do sludgey doom metal. There are some shoegazy songs on this album.

Release date: 2021-01-15

[6.8/10]

Caroline Polachek - Pang

Alright pop album. Not a bad one, but compared with all the other spectacular pop releases in 2019 (cue FKA Twigs, Jenny Hval and Charli XCX) this one just seems harmless.

Release date: 2019-10-18

[6.7/10]

Gaika - Machine

Trap rap. Some deep bass heavy tracks on this album but I just have too little love for the genre.

Release date: 2020-09-25

[6.6/10]

Thomas Brinkmann - Raupenbahn

Maybe this is the true form of industrial music, this is just repetitive mechanic sounds. I don’t get it…

Release date: 2020-09-24

[6.5/10]

Death Cab For Cutie - The Blue EP

It’s not really that bad… but Ben Gibbard’s vocals on this EP is borderline off putting. The instrumentation is pretty nice though.

Release date: 2019-09-06

[6.0/10]

S-Type - Beat

Club / hip hop. Too over the top and cliche. Don’t really dig it.

Release date:

[5.5/10]

Anoice - Ghost In The Clocks

Cliche ambient / post rock. Didn’t finish, neither would bother to…

Release date: 2019-08-09

[4.0/10]