2015: Albums Of The Year
So, another year almost over but what a fuckin' screamer it's been for music, one of the best years I can remember. I know a lot of people can't be doing with lists and 'End of year' reviews but sod 'em....I find it helps put the year into perspective for me. As this year has been a bumper one, I've split albums into ones of new material, compilations/collections and reissues, plus singles/EPs. Anyway, this is my favourite ten albums of the year....could have quite easily been 30. In reverse order:
10. You're Smiling Now But We'll All Turn Into Demons - Population IV (Cardinal Fuzz)
A storming start to the year courtesy of Cardinal Fuzz and the YSNBWATID boys. 'Population IV' was always going to make into my top ten since it's release in January and that is no mean feat bearing in mind what a fine year it's been. The album is a hard rockin', fuzzed out sonic attack from start to finish and still continues to melt my face on listening. (Review)
9. Blown Out - Jet Black Hallucinations (Golden Mantra)
40 minutes, split over 3 tracks, of mind-bending and bowel-loosening psych jamming. A psychedelic, lysergic romp thru' the stars with a band who know exactly how to encapsulate the vastness of the cosmos into one superb freakout of a recording. It doesn't get much heavier and spacier than this (Blown Out released 2 albums this year and both were knockout and it was difficult to choose between this and 'Planetary Engineering' on Oaken Palace) (Review)
8. Lubianka - Cerimònies (Tonzonen)
A stunning album from the Barcelona based Lubianka. Taking in psychedelia, krautrock and jazz, it takes the listener on a journey, allowing them to suspend reality for a while and mentally travel to far off places. One of the most intelligent and musically accomplished albums of the year. (Review)
7. The Myrrors - Arena Negra (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond)
Sun-baked psychedelia from The Myrrors. Rich in drones and shamanic chants, it evokes images of the Sierra Nevadas. The intelligent use of instruments give it real atmosphere. The Myrrors backed up this album with a European tour, which I was lucky enough to catch, and the boys are even better live. (Review)
6. Squadra Omega - Altri Occhi Ci Guardano (Macina Dischi / Sound Of Cobra)
This really is a wonderful album; intelligent, thought-provoking and immensely satisfying. it takes in kraut-inflected,surf-tinged Western soundscapes, foreboding tracts that could soundtrack 'Giallo' movies, skewed, noirish jazz and pastoral-folk inflected acoustic guitars. Stunning! (Review)
5. Evening Fires - Where I’ve Been Is Places And What I’ve Seen Is Things (Sunrise Ocean Bender)
Evening Fires, a "collective of musical shape-shifters, a band, a tribe of mountain-dwelling barn alchemists", gave us an album of bucolic beauty - rich in atmosphere and texture and one that reflects the natural beauty of the band's Appalachian roots. The album covers the full gamut of 'psychedelia' from slow burning rural grooves to some all out badass freakouts, and not missing much of what lies between. (Review)
4. The Band Whose Name Is a Symbol (TBWNIAS) - Masters Of The Molehill (Cardinal Fuzz)
What can you say about Canadian reprobates TBWNIAS - masters of gargantuan, improvised psych, and 'Masters Of The Molehill' is just that; a free-wheeling gallop through some heavy, fuzzed-up psych and krautrock played by dudes who know their onions and have honed their craft over the years...sublime stuff. (Review)
3. Electric Moon - Theory Of Mind (Sulatron)
OK, not technically a studio album, but released for the first time. 'Theory Of Mind' captures an Electric Moon live performance at the 'Kosmodrom' in Heidelberg. EM live are a force of nature, and this album reflects that beautifully; a showcase of acidrock extraordinaire.....hypnotic, psychedelic music at its acme performed by a band who just ooze colours and vibes of a gloriously freaky hue. (Review)
2. Dead Sea Apes - Spectral Domain (Cardinal Fuzz)
Last year's 'High Evolutionary' was the runaway winner for my album of the year - it's cinematic scope, the textures and atmosphere it created and sheer bloody genius resonated with me on an almost instinctive level. This year's 'Spectral Domain' is another superlative effort from Brett and the boys, full of monumental soundscapes and enveloping atmospheres, ambitious in scope and professionally assured in it's musicianship. These guys are at the top of their game and, frankly, it was gonna take something special to prevent 'Spectral Domain' topping my faves list.....(Review)
....and so to my favourite album of the year!
1. Heroin In Tahiti - Sun And Violence (Boring Machines)
Every now and then a record will come along that will completely revitalise my love of music; an record whose innovation, imagination and complete lack of respect for genres or pigeonholing comes as a metaphorical slap in the face of pre-existing ideals and expectations. Heroin In Tahiti's 'Sun And Violence' is one such record. There are flashes of psyche, bits of hauntology, lots of ethnic flourishes, plenty of drones, smatterings of folk, dashes of kosmische and lots of experimentation..... a simply stunning album that continues to give and give on each listening. Not only my album of the year but rapidly becoming one of my favourite albums ever. Magical, thought-provoking and...well...just fuckin' ace! (Review)
Mentioned in dispatches:
There were so many albums that didn't make the top ten but are deserving of a mention: Any of the Fuzz Club releases this year - notably Sonic Jesus' 'Neither Virtue Nor Anger' and Radarmen From The Moon's 'Subversive 1'; Zone Six's 'Love Monster', Hey Colossus' 'In Black And Gold' and many more....it really has been quite a year! Here's to 2016!
10. You're Smiling Now But We'll All Turn Into Demons - Population IV (Cardinal Fuzz)
A storming start to the year courtesy of Cardinal Fuzz and the YSNBWATID boys. 'Population IV' was always going to make into my top ten since it's release in January and that is no mean feat bearing in mind what a fine year it's been. The album is a hard rockin', fuzzed out sonic attack from start to finish and still continues to melt my face on listening. (Review)
9. Blown Out - Jet Black Hallucinations (Golden Mantra)
40 minutes, split over 3 tracks, of mind-bending and bowel-loosening psych jamming. A psychedelic, lysergic romp thru' the stars with a band who know exactly how to encapsulate the vastness of the cosmos into one superb freakout of a recording. It doesn't get much heavier and spacier than this (Blown Out released 2 albums this year and both were knockout and it was difficult to choose between this and 'Planetary Engineering' on Oaken Palace) (Review)
8. Lubianka - Cerimònies (Tonzonen)
A stunning album from the Barcelona based Lubianka. Taking in psychedelia, krautrock and jazz, it takes the listener on a journey, allowing them to suspend reality for a while and mentally travel to far off places. One of the most intelligent and musically accomplished albums of the year. (Review)
7. The Myrrors - Arena Negra (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond)
Sun-baked psychedelia from The Myrrors. Rich in drones and shamanic chants, it evokes images of the Sierra Nevadas. The intelligent use of instruments give it real atmosphere. The Myrrors backed up this album with a European tour, which I was lucky enough to catch, and the boys are even better live. (Review)
6. Squadra Omega - Altri Occhi Ci Guardano (Macina Dischi / Sound Of Cobra)
This really is a wonderful album; intelligent, thought-provoking and immensely satisfying. it takes in kraut-inflected,surf-tinged Western soundscapes, foreboding tracts that could soundtrack 'Giallo' movies, skewed, noirish jazz and pastoral-folk inflected acoustic guitars. Stunning! (Review)
5. Evening Fires - Where I’ve Been Is Places And What I’ve Seen Is Things (Sunrise Ocean Bender)
Evening Fires, a "collective of musical shape-shifters, a band, a tribe of mountain-dwelling barn alchemists", gave us an album of bucolic beauty - rich in atmosphere and texture and one that reflects the natural beauty of the band's Appalachian roots. The album covers the full gamut of 'psychedelia' from slow burning rural grooves to some all out badass freakouts, and not missing much of what lies between. (Review)
4. The Band Whose Name Is a Symbol (TBWNIAS) - Masters Of The Molehill (Cardinal Fuzz)
What can you say about Canadian reprobates TBWNIAS - masters of gargantuan, improvised psych, and 'Masters Of The Molehill' is just that; a free-wheeling gallop through some heavy, fuzzed-up psych and krautrock played by dudes who know their onions and have honed their craft over the years...sublime stuff. (Review)
3. Electric Moon - Theory Of Mind (Sulatron)
OK, not technically a studio album, but released for the first time. 'Theory Of Mind' captures an Electric Moon live performance at the 'Kosmodrom' in Heidelberg. EM live are a force of nature, and this album reflects that beautifully; a showcase of acidrock extraordinaire.....hypnotic, psychedelic music at its acme performed by a band who just ooze colours and vibes of a gloriously freaky hue. (Review)
2. Dead Sea Apes - Spectral Domain (Cardinal Fuzz)
Last year's 'High Evolutionary' was the runaway winner for my album of the year - it's cinematic scope, the textures and atmosphere it created and sheer bloody genius resonated with me on an almost instinctive level. This year's 'Spectral Domain' is another superlative effort from Brett and the boys, full of monumental soundscapes and enveloping atmospheres, ambitious in scope and professionally assured in it's musicianship. These guys are at the top of their game and, frankly, it was gonna take something special to prevent 'Spectral Domain' topping my faves list.....(Review)
....and so to my favourite album of the year!
1. Heroin In Tahiti - Sun And Violence (Boring Machines)
Every now and then a record will come along that will completely revitalise my love of music; an record whose innovation, imagination and complete lack of respect for genres or pigeonholing comes as a metaphorical slap in the face of pre-existing ideals and expectations. Heroin In Tahiti's 'Sun And Violence' is one such record. There are flashes of psyche, bits of hauntology, lots of ethnic flourishes, plenty of drones, smatterings of folk, dashes of kosmische and lots of experimentation..... a simply stunning album that continues to give and give on each listening. Not only my album of the year but rapidly becoming one of my favourite albums ever. Magical, thought-provoking and...well...just fuckin' ace! (Review)
Mentioned in dispatches:
There were so many albums that didn't make the top ten but are deserving of a mention: Any of the Fuzz Club releases this year - notably Sonic Jesus' 'Neither Virtue Nor Anger' and Radarmen From The Moon's 'Subversive 1'; Zone Six's 'Love Monster', Hey Colossus' 'In Black And Gold' and many more....it really has been quite a year! Here's to 2016!
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