Round Up! — The Best Albums of 2005
Well its a new year and a new blog - loads of publications have gone crazy for lists - and what better way to give you a taste of whats going to be posted in future than a rundown of some commercially available albums that have really rocked it for me over the past year.
Edan- Beauty & the Beat (Lewis)
Lusine - Serial Hodgepodge (Ghostly International)
Cyne - Evolution Fight (CCO)
Sufjan Stevens - Come on feel the Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty)
Buzzin ' Fly Volume 2 - mixed by Ben Watt (Buzzin' Fly)
Gorillaz - Demon Days (Parlophone)
Jose Gonzales - Veneer (Peace Frog)
Leningrad - Mat (???)
Mulatu Astaqé - Ethiopiques 04 (buda musique)
There you have the Top 9, in no particular order. A fair spread. Some glitch, some folk , some hiphop, house, russian gypsy ska, african jazz & some pop.
Edan - Beauty and the Beat
Great Great British hip-hop album - done by a white boy! I heard some of his earlier stuff and liked it, but wasnt blown away, certainly not like when I heard this the first time! He has come of age. I haven't quite heard a hip hop album like this. Heavily psychedelic, and borrowing from all aspects of that genre. Expect to hear beats and loops made from British Heavy Rock riffs topped with Californian psych-religious vocals. Mental feedback effects and delays give his tracks the same kind of edge as the hendrix experience, and also binds every track until the albums a unified piece of work.
want to know who he his and where he came from read this
Lusine - Serial Hodgepodge
This album was actually released in 2004, but i got it early in 05 and am still finding freshness in it now. The guy is almost a saviour for some people who are getting dismayed by the glitch scene. A lot of it these days, although sounding fantastic and deftly produced, is disappearing up its own arse into a non-rhythmic mulch.
Every bit of hiss, pop, stutter and glitch on this album has its place, all it combines to enhance the groove he set up, not destroy it. Its the best produced album of its genre for a while. You can't even work out what kit he uses , how many channels hes using or what samples he started out with — and its sounds spacious lush and heavenly. Should be bumping a Lusine - Live Slot up on this blog soon - keep your ears open!
Cyne - Evolution Fight
Not much seems to be known about Cyne, they seem to flit around the edges of the hip-hop community, & seem more in tune with the electronica-heads. The first 12" off this album was a wicked 8 track EP with remixes by four tet, released on City Centre Offices - a german label more famous for electronica artist such as arovane. Having links with these sort of people may well explain their thoughtful lyrics and the high level of production they put into their tracks. Its a great flowing album which seems to hark back to a more golden, less materialistic era of rap. All the instrumental backing is super-warm and just comes humming out of your speakers. Roll on summer.
Sufjan Stevens - Come on feel the Illinoise
Now heres one. Not many people make albums like this anymore. Not many outwardly arty people have the budgets to make such a lavish, epic & slightly religious folk record either. This has appeared in a lot of peoples 2005 lists, many who arent normally inclined to his sort of thing, and quite rightly so.
This is just one installment of 52. Sufjan plans to make one based on every state in the US, and I wish him luck. This is the Illinoise offering, which goes some way to explain the religious elements. Theres something lovely in the overtones of defiance and innoncence in the music and lyrics, which display Illinois' outlook to the rest of the States. At points it feels a little like a school Music production with quiet bits & whopping great crescendos, but in a good way. Its reinforces how right and in love with life you could feel at that age with a tambourine and a wooden block. It also is a reminder that you can bash out big silly noises like that today even if it isnt hip, because it feels fucking great when you do it. Just like an Illinoise quaker doesnt care what the outside think, becasue it feels great to them.
Buzzin ' Fly Volume 2 - Ben Watt
Its not often that a silky smooth house slot really cuts it. In fact i'd say that this is the best ive heard since Tom middletons "A Jedis Night out" - and that was about 8 years ago! (feel free to correct me with suggestions in the comments below).
Every track on this mix has its own twist on the house genre (some hardcore, some electro, some deep, some trance, some jazz, some world), yet every track sounds like they know all the others. Every track is superbly produced, and there isnt a bad link on the whole mix. 10/10
Gorillaz - Demon Days
Not much comment as you've already heard it elsewhere. Albarns Think Tank in 2004 was an amazing stew of rock, dub, dance and world styles and this is its cheeky cartoon brother - superb.
Jose Gonzales - Veneer
There are alot of folk imitators out there today, who, when they lay it down to tape, lose something. 90% of this album is just him his guitar and his husky whispers. The riffs he plays are just hypnotic simple loops, which go someway to explain why hes so in with the ageing club crowd (& signed to Peacefrog). The songs seem like short exercises but are also complete. His lyrics are poignant yet meaningless (the best sort). He even meanders into bossa and flamenco without trying or sounding like a pastiche. The whole album just oozes a certain time and emotion. — Made me cry more than anything else all year! Lovely.
Leningrad - Mat
I need to know more about this band but can't read Russian! I havent visited the Eastern Bloc yet so could build a trip around seeing them pay live.
A girl on the ninjaboard put me onto this (sorry forgotten who it was!). Who had a tape she bought from a market, and through some strange threads someone else (sorry forgotten who it was!) found this which is the whole album for you to enjoy!
She originally called it SomeRussian Criminal Shit, which pretty much nails it on the head. Its like a 4 or 5 piece drunken-Russian-Gypsy-Ska band, who dont bother tuning their instruments too tightly & know how to get rowdy. Its perfect pissed & hangover music. Theres even a song called "Algoholik" which at one point goes "i-lubba-lub beera, I lubba-lub WODKA!" & theres another where the chorus is "something, something, something, MOTHERFUCKER!!" - brilliant.
Mulatu Astaqé - Ethiopiques 04
This was a chance find. I was hugely impressed with a Mulatu 10" which came out on Soundway earlier this year. Soundway are a Brighton based label whose mission is to "release underground tropical dance music with a funky flavour". And although this is out on "buda musique" thats completely what this is!
Theres a few different styles on here. Most is pretty raw dirty loose funky jazz. With some seriously wonky rhodes sounds and honking saxes. In fact theres all standard jazz instruments appearing at one point or another, but occassionally theres a wicked twist like an arabic sounding solo on the sax. Some of the most beautiful moments are actually traditional ethiopian compostions which have been given a little Mulatu treatment and turned into lilting wandering jazz tunes for you to daydream to at work. Ahh.
Edan- Beauty & the Beat (Lewis)
Lusine - Serial Hodgepodge (Ghostly International)
Cyne - Evolution Fight (CCO)
Sufjan Stevens - Come on feel the Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty)
Buzzin ' Fly Volume 2 - mixed by Ben Watt (Buzzin' Fly)
Gorillaz - Demon Days (Parlophone)
Jose Gonzales - Veneer (Peace Frog)
Leningrad - Mat (???)
Mulatu Astaqé - Ethiopiques 04 (buda musique)
There you have the Top 9, in no particular order. A fair spread. Some glitch, some folk , some hiphop, house, russian gypsy ska, african jazz & some pop.
Edan - Beauty and the Beat
Great Great British hip-hop album - done by a white boy! I heard some of his earlier stuff and liked it, but wasnt blown away, certainly not like when I heard this the first time! He has come of age. I haven't quite heard a hip hop album like this. Heavily psychedelic, and borrowing from all aspects of that genre. Expect to hear beats and loops made from British Heavy Rock riffs topped with Californian psych-religious vocals. Mental feedback effects and delays give his tracks the same kind of edge as the hendrix experience, and also binds every track until the albums a unified piece of work.
want to know who he his and where he came from read this
Lusine - Serial Hodgepodge
This album was actually released in 2004, but i got it early in 05 and am still finding freshness in it now. The guy is almost a saviour for some people who are getting dismayed by the glitch scene. A lot of it these days, although sounding fantastic and deftly produced, is disappearing up its own arse into a non-rhythmic mulch.
Every bit of hiss, pop, stutter and glitch on this album has its place, all it combines to enhance the groove he set up, not destroy it. Its the best produced album of its genre for a while. You can't even work out what kit he uses , how many channels hes using or what samples he started out with — and its sounds spacious lush and heavenly. Should be bumping a Lusine - Live Slot up on this blog soon - keep your ears open!
Cyne - Evolution Fight
Not much seems to be known about Cyne, they seem to flit around the edges of the hip-hop community, & seem more in tune with the electronica-heads. The first 12" off this album was a wicked 8 track EP with remixes by four tet, released on City Centre Offices - a german label more famous for electronica artist such as arovane. Having links with these sort of people may well explain their thoughtful lyrics and the high level of production they put into their tracks. Its a great flowing album which seems to hark back to a more golden, less materialistic era of rap. All the instrumental backing is super-warm and just comes humming out of your speakers. Roll on summer.
Sufjan Stevens - Come on feel the Illinoise
Now heres one. Not many people make albums like this anymore. Not many outwardly arty people have the budgets to make such a lavish, epic & slightly religious folk record either. This has appeared in a lot of peoples 2005 lists, many who arent normally inclined to his sort of thing, and quite rightly so.
This is just one installment of 52. Sufjan plans to make one based on every state in the US, and I wish him luck. This is the Illinoise offering, which goes some way to explain the religious elements. Theres something lovely in the overtones of defiance and innoncence in the music and lyrics, which display Illinois' outlook to the rest of the States. At points it feels a little like a school Music production with quiet bits & whopping great crescendos, but in a good way. Its reinforces how right and in love with life you could feel at that age with a tambourine and a wooden block. It also is a reminder that you can bash out big silly noises like that today even if it isnt hip, because it feels fucking great when you do it. Just like an Illinoise quaker doesnt care what the outside think, becasue it feels great to them.
Buzzin ' Fly Volume 2 - Ben Watt
Its not often that a silky smooth house slot really cuts it. In fact i'd say that this is the best ive heard since Tom middletons "A Jedis Night out" - and that was about 8 years ago! (feel free to correct me with suggestions in the comments below).
Every track on this mix has its own twist on the house genre (some hardcore, some electro, some deep, some trance, some jazz, some world), yet every track sounds like they know all the others. Every track is superbly produced, and there isnt a bad link on the whole mix. 10/10
Gorillaz - Demon Days
Not much comment as you've already heard it elsewhere. Albarns Think Tank in 2004 was an amazing stew of rock, dub, dance and world styles and this is its cheeky cartoon brother - superb.
Jose Gonzales - Veneer
There are alot of folk imitators out there today, who, when they lay it down to tape, lose something. 90% of this album is just him his guitar and his husky whispers. The riffs he plays are just hypnotic simple loops, which go someway to explain why hes so in with the ageing club crowd (& signed to Peacefrog). The songs seem like short exercises but are also complete. His lyrics are poignant yet meaningless (the best sort). He even meanders into bossa and flamenco without trying or sounding like a pastiche. The whole album just oozes a certain time and emotion. — Made me cry more than anything else all year! Lovely.
Leningrad - Mat
I need to know more about this band but can't read Russian! I havent visited the Eastern Bloc yet so could build a trip around seeing them pay live.
A girl on the ninjaboard put me onto this (sorry forgotten who it was!). Who had a tape she bought from a market, and through some strange threads someone else (sorry forgotten who it was!) found this which is the whole album for you to enjoy!
She originally called it SomeRussian Criminal Shit, which pretty much nails it on the head. Its like a 4 or 5 piece drunken-Russian-Gypsy-Ska band, who dont bother tuning their instruments too tightly & know how to get rowdy. Its perfect pissed & hangover music. Theres even a song called "Algoholik" which at one point goes "i-lubba-lub beera, I lubba-lub WODKA!" & theres another where the chorus is "something, something, something, MOTHERFUCKER!!" - brilliant.
Mulatu Astaqé - Ethiopiques 04
This was a chance find. I was hugely impressed with a Mulatu 10" which came out on Soundway earlier this year. Soundway are a Brighton based label whose mission is to "release underground tropical dance music with a funky flavour". And although this is out on "buda musique" thats completely what this is!
Theres a few different styles on here. Most is pretty raw dirty loose funky jazz. With some seriously wonky rhodes sounds and honking saxes. In fact theres all standard jazz instruments appearing at one point or another, but occassionally theres a wicked twist like an arabic sounding solo on the sax. Some of the most beautiful moments are actually traditional ethiopian compostions which have been given a little Mulatu treatment and turned into lilting wandering jazz tunes for you to daydream to at work. Ahh.
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