It’s been a great year so far – I think this would be a decent year-end top 10 to be honest:
Slomo – Transits. Brilliant dark ambient drone. The shorter tracks (3x 20+ mins) make the ideas more concise compared to previous albums and each track is class.
Six Organs of Admittance – Burning the Threshold. Chasny is mainly on acoustic guitar here. A beautiful record that grows with each listen.
Grails – Chalice Hymnal. More cinematic soundscapes from Emil Amos and co. I wouldn’t say it’s as good as Deep Politics but still a wonderful set with loads of ideas and great production as ever.
Zu – Jhator. A veteran Italian band I’d never heard. But saw a review and then the write up on the label site by Jimmy Martin so took a punt. Defies genres as it kind of blends ambient, rock, modern composition etc. Two side long tracks inspired by sky burial rituals.
Gnod – Just say no… Heavy and angry, great repetitive riffs and classic Gnod rhythm with rudimentary Comets on Fire electronics. Love it.
Kleefstra/Bakker/Kleefstra – Dize. Ambient guitar and effects with expressionist Friesen poetry.
Blown Out – Superior Venus. More classic power trio meditations from Mike Vest and co. Like all the others but they seem to get slightly better on each release! A recent purchase on heavy rotation.
Avec le Soleil Sortant de sa Bouche – Pas Pire Pop (I love you so much). This is great fun. A kind of afro-beat-funk meets krautrock played by 4 musicians from the Montreal avante-garde scene. Check the glowing reviews on Quietus and Closer Listen. Watch out for blasts of noise but it flows from idea to idea through it’s 40 minutes, and in the main is catchy as hell.
Gnoomes – Tschak! Wasn’t going to get this but picked it up in the Rocket Recordings spring sale and I love it. Interesting and inventive electronic songs.
The Necks – Unfold. Wonderful double vinyl released by Stephen O’Malley. Blue Mountain is probably my favourite track of the year (competing with a couple of the Slomo pieces).
And I promised to limit myself to 10 so no room for Lawrence English, Richard Pinhas, Pigs x 7! And two Cope releases that I've enjoyed.
Live it’s been good too. Thoroughly enjoyed Cope (Roundhouse and Newcastle), the intimate Six Organs gig in St Pancras church where Chasny played tracks from the new album live for the first time. Grails weren’t the best I’ve seen them but reached a few great highs. Was at Fat Out Fest (Islington Mill) at the weekend featuring a streamlined TOTS three-piece, Blown Out, the marvellous acoustic guitar of Filho da Mae, Data Quack featuring Charles Hayward on drums and an incredible set by a Japanese band called Qujaku who seemed to blow everyone away!
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