Best Of 2016 - Top 20 New Albums
What a year 2016 has been....the quality and quantity of material has been staggering and I don't mind telling you that this list has caused much wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth (and this despite the fact that I had already decided to expand the list to 20 from 10). This list is for 'new' albums, published alongside will be another list for Re-Issues / Live / Compilation albums. Cop Out! you cry...well, maybe...but there have been some amazing albums have been re-pressed this year or given a new lease of life in another format and it would be a shame not to recognise this....and their have been some fantastic compilations and some equally good live releases. Anyway, on with the show....ladies and gentlemen, I present the Dayz Of Purple And Orange Top 20 for 2016!
1. - Surya Kris Peters - The Hermit
Reviewed back in March, 'The Hermit' has been an album that has stayed with me since....a beautiful album of sounds influenced by kosmische greats and far eastern melodies..as I said myself "a truly superb album; radiant, beautiful and highly informed.". Right from first listening I pretty much knew, barring anything extraordinary happening, that this was going to top my 2016 list....a truly great album. "It is tranquil and atmospheric, enough influence markers to make it recognisable and yet crafted in a way to make it unsurpassable and always evocative of other places and times...if psychedelia is the experience of altered consciousness then this is one highly psychedelic release...simply sublime" It was released by Electric Magic Records on April 15th with distro handled by World In Sound. This first LP-edition is limited to 100 items of virgin-white vinyl with silkscreened artwork and handwritten labels (and there may be some remaining!)
2. JuJu - JuJu
If there was one album that was going to top 'The Hermit', it was this. As I said back in March ".......atmospheric and thoughtful and made with love and genuine craft. The melding of influences gives the album a well-rounded feel that leads the listener to exotic and fantastic places. It's taken the enthnopsych of Vespero, the hauntology of Broadcast and the fuzzy reverb of JAMC and mixed them all up with lashings of imagination and robust mysticism." JuJu is the brainchild of Gioele Valenti of Lay Llamas and Herself, and it certainly has the feel of much of the fine sounds coming out of Italy at the mo.....brilliant! 'JuJu' was released by the fine folks over at Sunrise Ocean Bender and the vinyl is still available via them (Folks in the UK...I've still got a couple copies over at the Dayz Of Purple shop)
3. Dreamtime - Strange Pleasures
One of my most recent reviews...and boom! straight into the top 5...and deservedly so! As the press blurb said "one of the most ambitiously creative projects the international psychedelic-rock scene has seen in many a moon"....'nuff said. A majestic album that builds on their S/T and 'Sun'albums and mixes things up with a more experimental approach....just gotta wait for the vinyl now! 'Strange Pleasures' is released by Cardinal Fuzz (Europe), Sky Lantern Records (US) and TYM Records (Australia, New Zealand & Japan) on 2nd December, with a limited release of 500 vinyl copies.Seriously...do yerself a favour and score one of these.
4. Primitive Knot - Disciples Of The Black Sun
One of the joys of this reviewing lark is when an album of this quality pops through your virtual letterbox. A band of whom I had never heard, Primitive Knot play "all that I love about music....the insistent kosmische rhythms, some wonderful electronica straight from the Berlin school, dense, cavernous drones and some soaring psychedelic guitars." (read the full review here). 'Disciples...' may have been a bolt from the blue but is firmly entrenched in my fave sounds of the year. The CD and download are available now, with the vinyl (hopefully) coming in December....check it out here.
5. Sherpa - Tanzlinde
As I mentioned in the review, there are some people whose taste and opinions about music I trust and respect implicitly...one of these is Dave Schmidt (Sula Bassana, Electric Moon, Krautzone and many others!) who also runs Sulatron records. He sent me the promo of this and you just know that if it has his seal of approval it's gonna be good. That being said, it took a while for 'Tanzlinde' to grow on me, but once it did, it really took hold. Very much in the pastoral area of psych, it is full of entrancing melodies with shades of Italian Occult Psych, acid folk and even flashes of hauntology...a beautiful album. The CD is available from Sulatron, with the vinyl coming soon.
6. Colonel Petrov's Good Judgement - Moral Machine
A staggeringly good album...and completely unhinged! 'Moral Machine' takes in skronky jazz, screaming guitars and deranged prog stylings ...easily one of the most enjoyable albums of the year. As I mentioned in the review, it is an album that needs to be heard to be believed. This was another album that appeared from nowhere....but it has definitely brightened up this year for me. 'Moral Machine' is available from the band's website here (and also some available over at Dayz of Purple )
7. KURO - KURO
KURO are Gareth Turner from psychedelic noiseniks Big Naturals & Anthroprophh, and Agathe Max, a Lyon born classically trained violinist with the gift of creating some ethereal and beautiful soundscapes. What they have made together is a stunning album of "beauty, depth and poignancy" (read the full review here). The interplay between the mournful violin of Sax and some cavernous drone courtesy of Mr Turner makes for an intense but exceptionally rewarding listen. It was released by Rocket recordings and is available from their Bandcamp page here.
8. Solar Music Library - Solar Music library
Without doubt the funkiest, grooviest record of the year. 'Solar Music library' "takes the Giallo soundtracks of the seventies.....and adds bucketfuls of funk and groove all wrapped in a psychedelic patterned paper. I defy anyone to listen to this album and not find their heads nodding and feet tapping....it is positively infectious in places." (full review here)The combination of seventies psychedelic funk with some menacing soundtrack vibes ticked so many boxes for me.....in any other year I think this album would have easily made the top three. It was released by Space Chant records and can be purchased via their webstore here and comes black and purple vinyl (limited to 100 of each colour). The album can be streamed and the download purchased from the band's Bandcamp page here.
9. SPR! - Mental Health
An album that reflects upon some of the most influential electronic music throughout the years - from the Berlin School of the Seventies to the experimental Dadaism of Cabaret Voltaire and Severed Heads. A fantastic album that shows SPR! (Albert Sjöstam and Christoffer Fransson) to be scholars of musical history as well as 2 very creative dudes...great album indeed. It was released by Höga Nord and is available via their webstore.
10. Seedy Jeezus with Isaiah Mitchell - Tranquonauts
Isaiah Mitchell should need no introduction; the purveyor of the most cosmic riffs this side of the Horsehead Nebula and a man capable of THE most humongous acid jamming with Earthless and Golden Void. Come to that, I shouldn't really have to explain that Seedy Jeezus are rapidly becoming one the premier heavy psych/stoner bands on this lump of rock we call home (be sure to have a listen to their self-titled debut album - it rocks hard!). So what happens when the two get together to collaborate on an album? Well, something pretty spectacular. 2 sides and 2 tracks of the most exquisite guitar based psych.......trippy and sublime!
11. Earthling Society - Sweet Chariot
Earthling Society are one of the few bands I can say that, in my opinion, have never put a foot wrong. From their very first album 'Albion' (which had the honour of being Julian Cope's 'Album Of The Month') to last year's 'England Have My Bones' they have plowed their own furrow - taking in krautrock, psych, space rock, jazz and free-form explorations. 'Sweet Chariot' is an album in which every twist takes the listener somewhere else - pastoral folk to heavy psych or from seventies krautrock to experimental musings....another triumph! Released by Clostridium Records and available here.
12. Lamagaia - Lamagaius
Another of those albums that appeared out of nowhere but boy! did it make an impression. A deep and immersive slice of cosmic krautrock and is one huge 28 minute track. There has not been a track of such pure. genuine krautrock released all year...and there are rumblings that some more may appear next year.....deep joy! Check out the band's website for loads more jams etc. (Technically this was a 2015 release but didn't get the coverage it deserved until this year.....deal with it!)
13. Psychic Lemon - Psychic Lemon
Psychic Lemon were a bit of a phenomenon this year, rising from being an internet sensation amongst the more psych/kraut leaning websurfers to having this, there debut album, lovingly released by the excellent Drone Rock records (and such is the quality that it has sold out!). The album is packed with krautrock goodness (complete with flute!) and some wonderful psych guitar...it is a winner from the first to the last note. The download and CD are still available from the band's Bandcamp page here.
14. Hotel Wrecking City Traders - Phantamonium
A huge leviathan of a record....four tracks of improvised, fuzzy and as heavy as hell psych from Australia's HCWT. They are becoming a perennial part of my end of year lists having topped last year's Best Tracks list with their split 12" with Hey Colossus. "Phantamonium" is such a monumental album, oozing attitude and cojones and contains "acid jamming of the highest order, ripping a hole in the space-time continuum...fucking huge!" (full review here). The vinyl was released by Evil Hoodoo (check it out here) and that is one label who know how to 'present' an album.
15. Blown Out - New Cruiser
Let's face it...no end of year 'psych' list would be complete without at least one Blown Out record. 'New Cruiser' was given to us courtesy of the venerable Riot Season label and, as ever, went on to scramble our little brains with their signature brand of gargantuan, cosmic psych - "blistering, fuzzy wah-wah, jackhammer drums and undulating bass all coming together to create an Heironymous Bosch like vision of hell" (full review here). Blown Out have a prodigious work/release rate, but thank christ for that 'cos without Blown Out the psych scene would be so much the poorer! Available from Riot Season here.
16. Big Naturals & Anthroprophh - S/T
The union of Big Naturals Jesse Webb (drums) and Gareth Turner (bass/electronics) with the maestro of fuzzy psych/kraut guitar Paul Allen was always gonna be a winner, but this surpassed my expectations...."This is a HUGE album...all my expectations were met, hell...even surpassed! From start to finish it is a barrage of wonderful, unrelenting noise. For all its bleakness (not a Heathcliff standing on the wind ravaged Yorkshire Moors bleak, rather a Ballardian urban dystopia bleak) it is an exhilarating ride through the dark recesses of the minds of Allen, Webb and Turner. It may ball gag you and beat you into submission, but you'll still say 'more please' when it finishes - like the dark mistress of your dreams (or is that just me?)" (full review here). Released by the ever brilliant Cardinal Fuzz it has long sold out!
17. Wooden Indian Burial Ground - How's Your Favorite Dreamer?
an album that is "a heady brew of garage punk that also takes in dark surf, freaked out psychedelia, electronic noodlings and even some creepy hauntology...however, as fucked-up as that sounds, just take a listen to the album and prepare to pick your jaw up from the floor." (full review here). I'm sure many will tag this as just a garage punk album, but it is a whole lot more than that...Available from EXAG records here.
18. Mugstar - Magnetic Seasons
It is testament to what a fantastic year it has been for music that Mugstar, one of my fave ever bands, don't even make it into the top 10, but that doesn't mean that 'Magnetic Seasons' is a below par effort..au contraire....it sees the band at the height of their powers and more willing to mix things up, adding a more experimental bent to their psychedelic/krautrock improvisations with flourishes of icy ambience a la Tim Hecker and flashes of Tangerine Dream like kosmische.
19. Lee Van Cleef - Holy Smoke
A real winner from the White Dwarf label. Heavy acid jamming in the same vein as Earthless and Black Bombain, this is 5 tracks of absolutely top class heavy psych from Lee Van Cleef and definitely a worthy addition to any End Of Year list......smoking stuff! It is available from White Dwarf here (unfortunately the lush purple vinyl has already sold out)
20. Camel Driver / Moewn - Rites Of Passage / Aestus
Pink Tank records are always a source of high quality hard/stoner/psych rock and with this split they have excelled themselves. The Camel Driver side, 'Rites Of Passage' is a superior brand of stoner rock, displaying an experimental, jazzy side to the genre...excellent. Moewn's side, 'Aestrus', is equally as good but more surging post rock. Two sides of different, but fantastic, music. It also comes packaged with some quality artwork.....available from Pink Tank Records here.
It is a sign of the quality of this year that what I did not put in the list are the likes of The Myrrors, Kikagaku Moyo and Terminal Cheesecake....fantastic albums all.
1. - Surya Kris Peters - The Hermit
Reviewed back in March, 'The Hermit' has been an album that has stayed with me since....a beautiful album of sounds influenced by kosmische greats and far eastern melodies..as I said myself "a truly superb album; radiant, beautiful and highly informed.". Right from first listening I pretty much knew, barring anything extraordinary happening, that this was going to top my 2016 list....a truly great album. "It is tranquil and atmospheric, enough influence markers to make it recognisable and yet crafted in a way to make it unsurpassable and always evocative of other places and times...if psychedelia is the experience of altered consciousness then this is one highly psychedelic release...simply sublime" It was released by Electric Magic Records on April 15th with distro handled by World In Sound. This first LP-edition is limited to 100 items of virgin-white vinyl with silkscreened artwork and handwritten labels (and there may be some remaining!)
2. JuJu - JuJu
If there was one album that was going to top 'The Hermit', it was this. As I said back in March ".......atmospheric and thoughtful and made with love and genuine craft. The melding of influences gives the album a well-rounded feel that leads the listener to exotic and fantastic places. It's taken the enthnopsych of Vespero, the hauntology of Broadcast and the fuzzy reverb of JAMC and mixed them all up with lashings of imagination and robust mysticism." JuJu is the brainchild of Gioele Valenti of Lay Llamas and Herself, and it certainly has the feel of much of the fine sounds coming out of Italy at the mo.....brilliant! 'JuJu' was released by the fine folks over at Sunrise Ocean Bender and the vinyl is still available via them (Folks in the UK...I've still got a couple copies over at the Dayz Of Purple shop)
3. Dreamtime - Strange Pleasures
One of my most recent reviews...and boom! straight into the top 5...and deservedly so! As the press blurb said "one of the most ambitiously creative projects the international psychedelic-rock scene has seen in many a moon"....'nuff said. A majestic album that builds on their S/T and 'Sun'albums and mixes things up with a more experimental approach....just gotta wait for the vinyl now! 'Strange Pleasures' is released by Cardinal Fuzz (Europe), Sky Lantern Records (US) and TYM Records (Australia, New Zealand & Japan) on 2nd December, with a limited release of 500 vinyl copies.Seriously...do yerself a favour and score one of these.
4. Primitive Knot - Disciples Of The Black Sun
One of the joys of this reviewing lark is when an album of this quality pops through your virtual letterbox. A band of whom I had never heard, Primitive Knot play "all that I love about music....the insistent kosmische rhythms, some wonderful electronica straight from the Berlin school, dense, cavernous drones and some soaring psychedelic guitars." (read the full review here). 'Disciples...' may have been a bolt from the blue but is firmly entrenched in my fave sounds of the year. The CD and download are available now, with the vinyl (hopefully) coming in December....check it out here.
5. Sherpa - Tanzlinde
As I mentioned in the review, there are some people whose taste and opinions about music I trust and respect implicitly...one of these is Dave Schmidt (Sula Bassana, Electric Moon, Krautzone and many others!) who also runs Sulatron records. He sent me the promo of this and you just know that if it has his seal of approval it's gonna be good. That being said, it took a while for 'Tanzlinde' to grow on me, but once it did, it really took hold. Very much in the pastoral area of psych, it is full of entrancing melodies with shades of Italian Occult Psych, acid folk and even flashes of hauntology...a beautiful album. The CD is available from Sulatron, with the vinyl coming soon.
6. Colonel Petrov's Good Judgement - Moral Machine
A staggeringly good album...and completely unhinged! 'Moral Machine' takes in skronky jazz, screaming guitars and deranged prog stylings ...easily one of the most enjoyable albums of the year. As I mentioned in the review, it is an album that needs to be heard to be believed. This was another album that appeared from nowhere....but it has definitely brightened up this year for me. 'Moral Machine' is available from the band's website here (and also some available over at Dayz of Purple )
7. KURO - KURO
KURO are Gareth Turner from psychedelic noiseniks Big Naturals & Anthroprophh, and Agathe Max, a Lyon born classically trained violinist with the gift of creating some ethereal and beautiful soundscapes. What they have made together is a stunning album of "beauty, depth and poignancy" (read the full review here). The interplay between the mournful violin of Sax and some cavernous drone courtesy of Mr Turner makes for an intense but exceptionally rewarding listen. It was released by Rocket recordings and is available from their Bandcamp page here.
8. Solar Music Library - Solar Music library
Without doubt the funkiest, grooviest record of the year. 'Solar Music library' "takes the Giallo soundtracks of the seventies.....and adds bucketfuls of funk and groove all wrapped in a psychedelic patterned paper. I defy anyone to listen to this album and not find their heads nodding and feet tapping....it is positively infectious in places." (full review here)The combination of seventies psychedelic funk with some menacing soundtrack vibes ticked so many boxes for me.....in any other year I think this album would have easily made the top three. It was released by Space Chant records and can be purchased via their webstore here and comes black and purple vinyl (limited to 100 of each colour). The album can be streamed and the download purchased from the band's Bandcamp page here.
9. SPR! - Mental Health
An album that reflects upon some of the most influential electronic music throughout the years - from the Berlin School of the Seventies to the experimental Dadaism of Cabaret Voltaire and Severed Heads. A fantastic album that shows SPR! (Albert Sjöstam and Christoffer Fransson) to be scholars of musical history as well as 2 very creative dudes...great album indeed. It was released by Höga Nord and is available via their webstore.
10. Seedy Jeezus with Isaiah Mitchell - Tranquonauts
Isaiah Mitchell should need no introduction; the purveyor of the most cosmic riffs this side of the Horsehead Nebula and a man capable of THE most humongous acid jamming with Earthless and Golden Void. Come to that, I shouldn't really have to explain that Seedy Jeezus are rapidly becoming one the premier heavy psych/stoner bands on this lump of rock we call home (be sure to have a listen to their self-titled debut album - it rocks hard!). So what happens when the two get together to collaborate on an album? Well, something pretty spectacular. 2 sides and 2 tracks of the most exquisite guitar based psych.......trippy and sublime!
11. Earthling Society - Sweet Chariot
Earthling Society are one of the few bands I can say that, in my opinion, have never put a foot wrong. From their very first album 'Albion' (which had the honour of being Julian Cope's 'Album Of The Month') to last year's 'England Have My Bones' they have plowed their own furrow - taking in krautrock, psych, space rock, jazz and free-form explorations. 'Sweet Chariot' is an album in which every twist takes the listener somewhere else - pastoral folk to heavy psych or from seventies krautrock to experimental musings....another triumph! Released by Clostridium Records and available here.
12. Lamagaia - Lamagaius
Another of those albums that appeared out of nowhere but boy! did it make an impression. A deep and immersive slice of cosmic krautrock and is one huge 28 minute track. There has not been a track of such pure. genuine krautrock released all year...and there are rumblings that some more may appear next year.....deep joy! Check out the band's website for loads more jams etc. (Technically this was a 2015 release but didn't get the coverage it deserved until this year.....deal with it!)
13. Psychic Lemon - Psychic Lemon
Psychic Lemon were a bit of a phenomenon this year, rising from being an internet sensation amongst the more psych/kraut leaning websurfers to having this, there debut album, lovingly released by the excellent Drone Rock records (and such is the quality that it has sold out!). The album is packed with krautrock goodness (complete with flute!) and some wonderful psych guitar...it is a winner from the first to the last note. The download and CD are still available from the band's Bandcamp page here.
14. Hotel Wrecking City Traders - Phantamonium
A huge leviathan of a record....four tracks of improvised, fuzzy and as heavy as hell psych from Australia's HCWT. They are becoming a perennial part of my end of year lists having topped last year's Best Tracks list with their split 12" with Hey Colossus. "Phantamonium" is such a monumental album, oozing attitude and cojones and contains "acid jamming of the highest order, ripping a hole in the space-time continuum...fucking huge!" (full review here). The vinyl was released by Evil Hoodoo (check it out here) and that is one label who know how to 'present' an album.
15. Blown Out - New Cruiser
Let's face it...no end of year 'psych' list would be complete without at least one Blown Out record. 'New Cruiser' was given to us courtesy of the venerable Riot Season label and, as ever, went on to scramble our little brains with their signature brand of gargantuan, cosmic psych - "blistering, fuzzy wah-wah, jackhammer drums and undulating bass all coming together to create an Heironymous Bosch like vision of hell" (full review here). Blown Out have a prodigious work/release rate, but thank christ for that 'cos without Blown Out the psych scene would be so much the poorer! Available from Riot Season here.
16. Big Naturals & Anthroprophh - S/T
The union of Big Naturals Jesse Webb (drums) and Gareth Turner (bass/electronics) with the maestro of fuzzy psych/kraut guitar Paul Allen was always gonna be a winner, but this surpassed my expectations...."This is a HUGE album...all my expectations were met, hell...even surpassed! From start to finish it is a barrage of wonderful, unrelenting noise. For all its bleakness (not a Heathcliff standing on the wind ravaged Yorkshire Moors bleak, rather a Ballardian urban dystopia bleak) it is an exhilarating ride through the dark recesses of the minds of Allen, Webb and Turner. It may ball gag you and beat you into submission, but you'll still say 'more please' when it finishes - like the dark mistress of your dreams (or is that just me?)" (full review here). Released by the ever brilliant Cardinal Fuzz it has long sold out!
17. Wooden Indian Burial Ground - How's Your Favorite Dreamer?
an album that is "a heady brew of garage punk that also takes in dark surf, freaked out psychedelia, electronic noodlings and even some creepy hauntology...however, as fucked-up as that sounds, just take a listen to the album and prepare to pick your jaw up from the floor." (full review here). I'm sure many will tag this as just a garage punk album, but it is a whole lot more than that...Available from EXAG records here.
18. Mugstar - Magnetic Seasons
It is testament to what a fantastic year it has been for music that Mugstar, one of my fave ever bands, don't even make it into the top 10, but that doesn't mean that 'Magnetic Seasons' is a below par effort..au contraire....it sees the band at the height of their powers and more willing to mix things up, adding a more experimental bent to their psychedelic/krautrock improvisations with flourishes of icy ambience a la Tim Hecker and flashes of Tangerine Dream like kosmische.
19. Lee Van Cleef - Holy Smoke
A real winner from the White Dwarf label. Heavy acid jamming in the same vein as Earthless and Black Bombain, this is 5 tracks of absolutely top class heavy psych from Lee Van Cleef and definitely a worthy addition to any End Of Year list......smoking stuff! It is available from White Dwarf here (unfortunately the lush purple vinyl has already sold out)
20. Camel Driver / Moewn - Rites Of Passage / Aestus
Pink Tank records are always a source of high quality hard/stoner/psych rock and with this split they have excelled themselves. The Camel Driver side, 'Rites Of Passage' is a superior brand of stoner rock, displaying an experimental, jazzy side to the genre...excellent. Moewn's side, 'Aestrus', is equally as good but more surging post rock. Two sides of different, but fantastic, music. It also comes packaged with some quality artwork.....available from Pink Tank Records here.
It is a sign of the quality of this year that what I did not put in the list are the likes of The Myrrors, Kikagaku Moyo and Terminal Cheesecake....fantastic albums all.
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