My Top 25 Albums of 2015

What a weird year: Donald Trump runs for president figurehead in what seems like an epic prank turned bad dream turned reality for 'Murica,  Kranky is all over my favorites list, Jim O'rourke shows up on here twice, Grouper started a rock band, cello and violin everywhere, so many ladies killed it this year, Popol Vuh reissues galore, and most importantly... Swans reissue my beloved "White Light from the Mouth of Infinity". Shew... exhausting. Without further adieu, here are my favorites.

25. Helen - The Original Faces (Kranky)





24. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly (Aftermath / Interscope)





23. Kenneth Kirschner - Compressions and Rarefractions (12k)





22. Jlin - Dark energy (Planet Mu)





21. Ducktails - St. Catherine (Domino Recording Co.)





20. Oren Ambarchi / Jim O'Rourke - Behold (Editions Mego)





19. Colin Stetson / Sarah Neufield - Never Were the Way She Was (Constellation)





18. Julia Kent - Asperities (The Leaf Label)





17. Christina Vantzou - #3 (Kranky)





16. Scott Tuma - Eyrie (Immune Recordings)





15. Port St. Willow - Syncope (People Teeth)





14. Floating Points - Elaenia (Luaka Bop)





13. Goldmund - Sometimes (Western Vinyl)





12. Deepchord - Ultraviolet Music (Soma)





11. Fennesz / King Midas Sound - Edition 1 (Ninja Tune)





10. Shaidar Logoth - The Ritualist: Chapter II (Self-released)





09. Helena Hauff - Discreet Desires (Werkdiscs / Ninja Tune)





08. Sean McCann - Ten Impressions for Piano and Strings (Root Strata)





07. Lakker - Tundra (R&S Records)





06. Oneohtrix Point Never - Garden of Delete (Warp)





05. Valet - Nature (Kranky)





04. Jim O'Rourke - Simple songs (Drag City)





03. Zelienople - Show Us the Fire (Immune Recordings)





02. Steve Hauschildt - Where All is Fled (Kranky)





01. Nest Egg - Respectable (Bathetic)




Yup. No bias. Honest. It's simply the most interesting, catchy, intelligent, listenable and rockin' record of 2015. Too many folks sleeping on this one. It's the deepest. And, if you've not seen them live, figure it out.

Peace, Love, and happy 2016. Thank you all for reading. It means so much to me.

Some Favorite Songs of 2015

My albums of the year list will drop within the week. Until then, enjoy this mixtape I made containing 23 of the best songs from 2015. Enjoy.

Some Favorite Songs of 2015: The Nomadic Subject by The Nomadic Subject on Mixcloud

Jamie xx - Loud Places
Arca - Sinner
Nest Egg - Set the GPS for the Heart of the Sun
Scott Tuma - F. March
Zelienople - Sun in the Eyes
Steve Hauschildt - Vicinities
Oneohtrix Point Never - Ezra
Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld - Won't Be a Thing to Come
Helena Hauff - Spur
Julia Kent - Terrain
Deerhunter - Breaker
Helen - Motorcycle
Goldmund - Sometimes
Mark McGuire - True Love (Song for Rachel)
Valet - Clouds
Nils Frahm - A Stolen Car
Lakker - Milch
FKA Twigs - Figure 8
Ducktails - Into the Sky
Sean McCann - Charade
Flying Lotus w/ Kendrick Lamar - Never Catch Me
Christina Vantzou - Robert Earl
Shaidar Logoth - Drink Thine Wretched Wine

Goldmund - Sometimes (Western Vinyl, 2015)

This record is so good it inspired me to write my first post since June. It is sure to appear on some year end lists.

Keith Kenniff is an American composer, multi-instrumentalist, and electronic music producer. He makes ambient/electronic music under the moniker Helios, post-classical piano music under Goldmund, and is a composer for film, television, dance and performance art).

His "Goldmund" project has always been stellar, but he outdoes himself here. Ethereal and sparse piano compositions just do not get anymore lovely and moving than this. Theses pieces are utterly beautiful.

Stream on Soundcloud here: Goldmund - Sometimes

Homeboy Sandman - Hallways (Stones Throw, 2014)

Hip hop is alive. well and more interesting than ever. For real. Queens rapper Homeboy Sandman dropped this album nine months ago and I'm just now getting around to recommending it. Shame on me.

With difficult, educated, and challenging rhymes, he embodies a sort of verbal psychedelia that is few and far between in the rap world these days. His sense of reflection and light hearted-ness is both honest and refreshing. Intelligent, savvy and hip, both the lyrics and production make fun of you, me and him. The joke's on us all.

"I'm a vegan but they never stop callin' me big cheese."

Villages - Procession Acts (Bathetic, 2015)

The decade long evolution of Villages (William Ross Gentry) has been a fascinating one. It's been a privilege to watch this personality unfurl. At an impressive fifteen releases, each has growth that is very apparent, one that is indicative of hard work, and a discerning ear.

His initial offering, the lovely and delicate "The Last Whole Earth" in 2010, seems homage to his heroes, a cold yet delicate droning piece that calls to mind artists such as Eno, Stars of the Lid, and Labradford. As his palatte refined, Villages moved in a less ambient / drone direction. At each moment, there is a subtle maturity. The Spilling Past showed leaps and bounds in production, Theories of Ageing sees a shift, not only to cinematic frontier, but a more rhythmic direction with clean piano, acoustic guitar, and banjo, signifying an attempt to distinguish his motif as an accessible music separate from the drone genre. He escaped the pigeon hole only to be dubbed "Appalachian Drone" by several writers.

With "Procession Acts", the ten year oeuvre seems to reach a pinnacle of emotion and individual characteristics. with a production excellence that would inspire all who make music themselves.

If you're a fan of classical music, you know that often it is possible to recognize imagery and incidents the writer was contemplating during the creative process. Gentry's subtleties and nuances are full forward, and he wears his influences on his sleeve: Jonny Greenwood, Cliff Martinez, and Nick Cave & Warren Ellis scores, Type Records artists such as Peter Broderick and Goldmund, western guitar drone and blues from Steven R. Smith to Mississippi John Hurt. All of these elements combine to make a perfect album, and the culmination of an excellent repertoire.

Act One

Beginnings in Dust
Devouring the Whole
The Luddite
Tell the Butcher
Coat of Arms
Pillars in Half Light

Act Two

Open in Reverse
Out of the Mines
Predecessors
Slow Successors
Endings in Rust

Purchase your copy from the wonderful Bathetic Records HERE. Vinyl will go fast!!!

Stream on Spotify HERE.

Listen to a mix he made of his influences for the latest album HERE

Happy Birthday Jay Dee!

The music world will never stop lamenting the loss of one of the best beat makers / producers hip hop has ever known. A stellar musician loved by all, and one even now recognized by the Smithsonian Institute. His MPC will be on display soon.

Happy Dilla Day!

Klaus Schulze, German Genius and Hero: An Early Work Primer

Today I just want to take a moment to talk about one of my musical heroes, Klaus Schulze. For most music nerds, a mere visit to his Wikipedia Page is enough to stop you in your tracks and fall on your knees. Here are some highlights from his early career: Started Tangerine Dream with Edgar Froese, founding member of Ash Ra Tempel (the first record from them being my ultimate kraut rock record) with Manuel Gottsching, the father of techno, created over sixty albums over five decades, most of which are pretty good, several of which are considered ambient masterpieces. This resume makes my head spin.

Anyway, I reviewed my favorite of his solo records, Mirage, a few years ago, so I just want to post links to some of my other favorites from him. This is simply a primer to his early work, everything after is hit or miss, as anyone would be over fifty years of making music. I hope you take the time to really dig in. It pays off!

From his debut album, Irrlicht, 1972:



From Cyborg, 1973:



From Blackdance, 1974:



From Picture Music, 1975:





From Timewind, 1975:





From Moondawn, 1976:

 



From the soundtrack to Body Love, 1977:



From Mirage, 1977:

John Luther Adams - Become Ocean (Cantaloupe Music, 2014)

This is one of the most beautiful modern classical recordings I've had the privilege to hear. John Luther Adams composes lush, sparse and epic tales of our relationship with nature. This sounds simple, but the complexity of his musical narratives are stunning, and this is his finest work. In fact, for this piece, he just received the Pulitzer Prize for Music.

I recently discovered Adams on  Q2 Music's Meet The Composer podcast, a program that is beginning to feel essential for me. I encourage you to explore it for yourself.

Listen to folks getting all emotional about things here:



And stream the full piece here:



Or here:



Please visit his website for more information on other recordings as well: http://www.johnlutheradams.com/

Ryan Teague - Block Boundaries (Village Green, 2014)

I am absolutely in love with this record. I was going to write about it but I accidentally read Boomkat's review and realized it perfectly encapsulated all my thoughts regarding it:

"‘Block Boundaries’ is the new album from minimalist composer Ryan Teague, building on his previous releases for Type, Sonic Pieces, and current label Village Green. Inspired by the theme of Psychogeography, the record fuses acoustic instrumentation with electronic and processed material, taking the listener on a hallucinogenic Ballardian journey through from the thrumming urban activity of New York, Amsterdam and London. Brooding opener "Site & Situation" sets the tone with hypnotic guitar and mallet chimes, emotive cello swells and surging bass synth, 'Last Known Position' comes on like a lost Tangerine Dream jam session, spiraling arpeggios and oscillating pulses, while 'Liminal Space' introduces driving percussion around mesmeric synth pulses and a shimmering piano progression. Closer 'End Of The Line ' brings the journey to an end in an introspective mood - a wavering synth figure cut against wistful drone washes that fade into the distance. 'Block Boundaries' is a masterful achievement of melody, form and texture that rewards more with every captivated listen and will assuredly secure Ryan Teague's place alongside his acclaimed contemporaries such as Nils Frahm, Jon Hopkins, Emeralds and Hauschka."

Yeah, I don't know if you're a fan of J.G. Ballard's work but, for my money, ya just can't beat a "Ballardian" journey through anywhere.



Block Boundaries from Leona Kadijević on Vimeo.

Psychonaut 4 - Have a Nice Trip (CS, Depressive Illusions, 2012)

The music of Psychonaut 4 has just about everything black metal could possibly offer: midtempo rhythms, classic blasts, downtempo shoegaze infusion and tremelo riffs. Graf, the vocalist, even comes equipped with onstage self-mutilation and bloodletting (assuring DSBM authenticity), and has an interesting hybrid of all three waves of black metal lineage. As the band hails from the nation of Georgia, there is even an accordion track steeped in traditional Russian folk music. This is a raw feeling album that has a studio quality. I think it's a nice package.

Since the cassette was released on a very underground Ukrainian label, good luck finding it. In the meantime, enjoy the streams below:

My Favorite 50 Albums of 2014

Each year I write a Top 25 list and sometimes it's difficult to compile that many albums I'm actually excited about. This year, the only problem was that there were so many albums I was ecstatic about, I had to do a list of my Top 50. It was a great and very refreshing 52 Tuesdays. I'll also add that it might just be my most diverse list ever. So without further adieu...

50. Call Super - Suzi Ecto (Five Easy Pieces)



49. Xosar - Immured (Valcrond Video)



48. Karen Gwyer - New Roof (No Pain in Pop)



47. Tinariwen - Emmar (ANTI-)



46. Perc - The Power and the Glory (Perc Trax)



45. Oake - Auferstehung (Downwards)



44. Kemper Norton - Loor (Front and Follow)



43. Klara Lewis - Ett (Editions Mego)



42. D'Angelo & The Vanguard - Black Messiah (RCA)



41. Theo Parrish - American Intelligence (Sound Signature)



40. Dalhous - The Will to be Well (Blackest Ever Black)



39. Russell Haswell - 37 Minute Workout (Diagonal)



38. Merkabah - Moloch (Instant Classic)



37. Lawrence English - Wilderness of Mirrors (Room 40)



36. Shinichi Atobe - Butterfly Effect (Demdike Stare)



35. The Soft Pink Truth - Why Do the Heathen Rage (Thrill Jockey)



34. The Body - I Shall Die Here (RVNG Intl)



33. Kangding Ray - Solens Arc (Raster Noton)



32. Cut Hands - Festival of the Dead (Blackest Ever Black)


CUT HANDS from URSSS on Vimeo.

31. Akkord - HTH020 (Houndstooth)



30. Positive Centre - In Silent Series (Our Circula Sound)



29. A Winged Victory for the Sullen (Kranky)



28. Puce Mary - Persona (Posh Isolation)



27. Neneh Cherry - Blank Project (Smalltown Supersound)



26. Caribou - Our Love (MERGE)



25. Actress - Ghettoville (Werkdiscs / Ninja Tune)



24. Leyland Kirby Presents V/VM - The Death of a Rave: Partial Flashback (History Always Favors         the Winners)



23. Pharmakon - Bestial Burden (Sacred Bones)



22. Lussuria - Industrial Illuminato (Hospital Productions)



21. Jessie Ware - Tough Love (Island Records)



20. Martial Cantarel - Gyors, Lassu (Dais)



19. Lee Gamble - Koch (Pan)



18. Bohren & Der Club of Gore - Piano Nights (PIAS)



17. Einsturzende Neubauten - Lament (BMG)



16. Shabazz Palaces - Lesse Majesty (Sub Pop)



15. Cooly G - Wait 'Til Night (Hyperdub)



14. Woods of Desolation - As the Stars (Northern Silence Productions)



13. Kerridge - A Fallen Empire (Downwards)



12. Kall - S/T (Self-released)



11. Kassem Mosse - Workshop 19 (Workshop)



10. The Inward Circles AKA Richard Skelton - Nimrod Is Lost In Orion And Osyris In The         Doggestarre (Self-released)



09. Wrekmeister Harmonies - Then It All Came Down (Thrill Jockey)



08. Fennesz - Becs (Editions Mego)



07. Ben Frost - AURORA (Bedroom Community)


06. Dean Blunt - Black Metal (Rough Trade)



05. Death Blues - Ensemble (Rhythmplex)



04. Black Rain - Dark Pool (Blackest Ever Black)



03. Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers (Modern Love)



02. Ekoplekz - Unfidelity (Planet Mu)



01. Mica Levi - Under the Skin OST (Rough Trade)

This lady is blowing my mind lately. Not only is this the most wonderfully creepy soundtrack I've heard in ages, but her cassette that just came out on Demdike Stare's label is absolutely brilliant. She seems to be blowing up and I wish her all the success.


Sidenotes:

Label of the year:

Blackest Ever Black

Concert of the year:

Tim Hecker at Big Ears March 28




Thank you for reading. I would greatly appreciate any feedback you have to offer.

XO,

Oh and my song of the year is this...

R.I.P. Mark Bell

I'm really sad to announce that Mark Bell has passed away due to complications from surgery. An electronic pioneer with his work as one half of LFO, his genre bending of house with techno was ahead of the game, and he was one of my favorite album producers of the 90's. Bjork has kept him aboard since he produced her "Homogenic" album. He will be soreley missed.

And...well, Fucking LFO, y'all!!!

R.I.P. Stephen Samuel Gordon AKA The Spaceape

Unfortunately, many of you reading my blog may not be familiar with this name. However, his monolithic voice has appeared on many tracks from the London based Hyperdub label, a massively relevant voice in modern electronic music.

His spoken word appears on what I believe to be one of the most important releases of modern times, Burial's debut album in 2006. That eponymous track, like the rest of the album, does not age. It is timeless. It gets stuck in my head on a regular basis. This news is absolutely crushing. And just before the release of a new ep of his work with Kode9, just released this week.

This from Hyperdub's Facebook page:

We are devastated to announce that on Thursday 2nd October, Stephen Samuel Gordon aka The Spaceape, vocalist, poet and live performer, passed away peacefully after a 5 year struggle with a rare form of cancer. He leaves behind his wife Luciana and 6 year old daughter, Cleo. His first release was the 1st release on Hyperdub, 'Sine of the Dub' in 2004 with Kode9, with whom he also released 2 albums, Memories of the Future (2006) and Black Sun (2011). In 2012 he also self-released the Xorcism EP, appeared on the track 'Spaceape' on Burial's debut album in 2006, and also collaborated with The Bug, Martyn, Jerry Dammers, Redshape, Dub Gabriel, the Echologist and more. Last Monday he released his new EP with Kode9, 'Killing Season' including the video 'Devil is a Liar' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dtc4Y4Xyjo which was filmed in July 2014. Our sincere condolences go out to his family and friends, and all who have been touched by his writings and performances. His Hyperdub family will always miss him.

Take a listen to this mind melting track. Eight years old and it still sounds like the future.




And this is the video from the upcoming release.

John Coltrane - Offering: Live at Temple University,1966 (Resonance, 2014)

Today is my Holy Day, my only holy day. Sept. 23, 1926, my hero, John Coltrane,was born, and there is no better gift to the world than a never before released live concert. This show was unearthed in 2005 and sees its first proper christening today by (Resonance Records).

Recorded just months before his death, This Philly show saw Trane pushing all limits. His health was declining and he knew the end was nigh. Mind you, this is a year or so after McCoy Tyner told someone that Trane was playing so hard that blood was spewing from his mouth. At one point, he removes the sax and begins chanting, and changing vocalization by beating his chest. This was at the point where he felt he had pushed the instrument to its furthest extent, and the only maneuver beyond was to cut out the middle man and push from the depths of his diaphragm.

As far out as he gets here, with Alice Coltrane, Rashied Ali, Pharoah Sanders and a crew of Philly based percussionists, he returns to finish with his rendition of "My Favorite Things", a fan favorite. The drastic departure from the extremes to finish with this was FOR his fans. He never forgot that his spiritual quest could never have launched and finished without those people that loved him.

Trane's body was dying, and the end was soon. He didn't succeed or fail, because,as he would have told you, there is no beginning or end, just the journey.

Recorded November 11, 1966
Mitten Hall, Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Featured Artists: John Coltrane – soprano & tenor saxophones, flute & vocals

Pharoah Sanders – tenor saxophone & piccolo

Alice Coltrane – piano Sonny Johnson – bass

Rashied Ali – drums

Additional musicians include: Steve Knoblauch, Arnold Joyner – alto saxophone Umar Ali, Algie DeWitt, Robert Kenyatta – percussion

Resonance Records, which is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit foundation, will contribute a portion from every sale to the John Coltrane Home (www.thecoltranehome.org), an organization devoted to the preservation of Coltrane’s former home in Dix Hills, New York.

TRACK LIST:

DELUXE 2 CD DIGI-PACK
Disc One
01. Naima (16:28)
02. Crescent (26:11)

Disc Two
03. Leo (21:29)
04. Offering (4:19)
05. My Favorite Things (23:18)

DELUXE 2 LP GATEFOLD
Side A
Naima (16:28)

Side B
Crescent (26:11)

Side C
Leo (21:29)

Side D Offering (4:19) My Favorite Things (23:18)

Nils Frahm - Screws (Erased Tapes, 2012)

I'm welcoming autumn with this wonderfully melancholy piano album from a very gifted composer. In fact, I've listened to it a dozen times today.

 Just before it was released, Nils Frahm had broken his thumb. In the despair and fear that naturally came from such an incident, he set off to record a piece each night, before bed. Over the course of nine nights, with nine fingers, and a single microphone, he overcame the seemingly monumental setback, resulting in an improvisational opus of extraordinary beauty. These sparse and intimate portraits, spanning a mere twenty-eight minutes, are powerful, combining the spirit of Satie with some of the best new age piano recordings in the modern compositional canon.

Though he initially released the recording as a free download, not thinking it was worth much at all, he couldn't have been more wrong. I'm deeply moved by this half hour of troubled and beautiful sketches. I hope you will be too.

Below, I've also included some of his other work, so as to showcase his versatility. Be sure to watch the last video, "All Melody" to appreciate his electronic sensibility as well. Enjoy.

New Album Coming from One of My Favorite Artists on My Favorite Record Label.

As you may know, I have a Modern Love addiction. The Manchester label has been running my life for the past few years, and I've just come to accept it. Their somewhat commercially successful artist is Andy Stott. His last album, "Luxury Problems" was my favorite album of 2012.

The new album (Nov. 17) is to be a similar outing in aesthetic, but will include some vocal pop structure more traditional than on the last record. The press release states: “straddles analogue club music and vocal pop songs, somewhere between Ron Hardy, Prefab Sprout, Dome, Actress, Cocteau Twins and Arthur Russell.”

I'm enjoying the sample track. See what you think:

R.I.P. Kenny Wheeler (1930-2014)

The great Canadian jazz trumpeter has passed away. His work in the 90's moved me heavily, particularly with the album "Angel Song", a masterfully melancholy outing released by ECM. He was joined by Bill Frisell, Lee Konitz and Dave Holland, a lineup that, for my money, couldn't be beat. I cherish this as one of my all time favorites. With the sadness of his passing, no music could be more appropriate.

Survival Unit III: Game Theory (Not Two, 2013)

"Joe McPhee: Not selling out since 1967". This was something I jokingly said to a friend a few years ago. Luckily, it still stands. McPhee is 74 years old and continues to shine. He is one of the oldest American jazz icons. You many know him from his work with a multitude of musicians: Pauline Oliveros' "Deep Listening Band", Peter Brotzmann, William Parker, Ken Vandermark, Evan Parker, Mats Gustafson, Jeb Bishop, The Thing, etc. He is a good example of the effect American jazz has had on Europe. Due to his success there, he's never had to sign to a major American label.

With the latest project, he continues to explore. This time, in a phenomenal trio that includes Michael Zerang on drums, and Fred Lonberg-Holm on electronics. "Game Theory" is four tracks of predominantly reserved and controlled experiments. Though intense and busy, it still comes across as meditative, i.e., minimal on the "Brotzmann Bursts". These three know each other extremely well and they definitely push the limits of control. Forward thinking music doesn't get any better than this.

Demdike Stare - The Weight of Culture (Self-released, 2013) CS

One of the finest architects of modern experimental music, the duo of Miles Whittaker and Sean Canty, offers a sampling of crate digging tastes and its even far better than you'd expect.





http://www.discogs.com/Demdike-Stare-The-Weight-Of-Culture/release/4295738

Call Super - Depicta / Acephale II (Houndstooth, 2014)

JR Seaton is back with a couple of serious burners. Side A is a finely honed kick in the ribs of a groove, one that is getting straight to the dancefloor with no bullshit. Side B is a bit spacey and organic but it's not wasting too much time fucking around either. I'm really feeling both.

"Call Super comes back to Fabric X Rob Booth's Houndstooth label with two melancholic, uniquely textured techno drivers. 'Depicta' turns out a tuffened 4/4 groove rent with finely layered harmonics and bristling with atomised electronic structures bound to sound amazing on a big rig. 'Acephale II' is a shade deeper, riding clipped, muffled kicks and fizzing percussion into blue, atmospheric synth zones recalling '90s classics from The Connection Machine or early PAS and The Black Dog." -Boomkat