A lot of weird stuff in my list but there is easily something for everybody. I added a brief description and fave songs just in case someone might want to check the artist/album out or not.

Can't wait to see some of your lists so I can check out some stuff I haven't heard before.



1. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

This year didn't really have that one fantasticaly great album for me, but Bitte Orca seemed to edge out the rest of the list. Weird that one of the few indie rock albums on the list and that I've listened to ends up first as well. Favourite song would have to be the ever so catchy Stillness is the Move.



2. Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez - Solar Gambling

The multi-talented and crazy guitarist from The Mars Volta released 9 LP's this year ranging from solo albums to the TMV album. Never really got into any of them except for this one. A mix of slower, lighter songs filled with pretty piano parts and faster, more guitar oriented songs (minus Omar's expected prog wankery) makes this one of the most played albums for me. Ximena Sarinana Rivera does an awesome job on the vocals, which are all in Spanish. Favourite song: Las Flores Con Limón.



3. Ólafur Arnalds - Found Songs

Falls into the Neo-Classical genre. Really slow and beautiful piano pieces. Only 7 tracks but definitely worth a listen. Favourite song: Lost Song.



4. Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue

Hard to place in a genre but some songs are Indie Rock/Pop and some are glitch-hop/folktronica.. not sure if that is any help at all.. lol. Favourite song: Sugaratte

5. Redshape - The Dance Paradox

"Enter Redshape, a mysterious masked man from Berlin whose debut full-length just might provide the techno world with the true north it so desperately needs. Many techno producers struggle with the album format, but The Dance Paradox is urgent, spooky, and absolutely essential." Fave song: Bound (Part 1 and 2)

6. Martyn - Great Lengths and Martyn - Fabric 50

Interesting and fresh dubstep sounds on Great Lengths and a mix of dubstep, bass and UK Funky on his Fabric 50 studio set. Favourite song: Krdl-T-Grv.

7. Hildur Gudnadóttir - Without Sinking

Neoclassical stuff with more of a focus on strings. Highly recommended. Fave song: Errupted Light.

8. Dom and Roland - No Strings Attached

Best Drum n Bass album of the year for me. Hard and darker stuff then what I usually listen to but it has been a while since I've heard such a solid dnb album. Fave song: Mind Feeders.


(crazy ass album art)

9. Hudson Mohawke - Butter

Impossible to put into a genre.. people are calling it aqua-crunk-step? to glitch-hop. "HudMo's ADD cutting and splicing gives his 21st-century digital R&B a hyperactive feel that borders on overwhelming. That said, Butter's playful spirit and choppy crunk bounce are a real breath of fresh air. And when he calms down a bit, the results are absolutely sublime—"FUSE" is in the running for song of the year and "Star Crackout" sounds like DJ Shadow's Endtroducing updated for Generation Twitter."

10. Volcano Choir - Unmap

Not really sure how to explain this except that its good stuff so I took this from Wiki. "Volcano Choir are a progressive post rock and indie band and collaboration by Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and Collections of Colonies of Bees. Their music combines Vernon's soft vocals with Collections of Colonies of Bees' math rock sound." Fave song: Island, IS.

11. Five Years of Hyperdub [CD1]

Basically a compilation of new songs from Hyperdub artists. A mix of electronic genres in here with fantastic tracks by Burial, Flying lotus and Zomby. Definitely a must for the electronic and dubstep fan.

12. Beirut - March of the Zapotec

Usually Eastern European folk mixed with Western pop songs but this one is more heavily influenced from the leads trip to Mexico. Hanged out with a trumpet band there and came back with this album. Fave song: Akara.


13. A Hawk and a Hacksaw - Deliverance

Traditional folk music from Jeremy Barnes, the drummer of Neutral Milk Hotel, and talented violinist Heather Trost. "The music is inspired by eastern European and particularly Balkan traditions, and is mostly instrumental with occasional vocals, shouts and cheers." Fave song: Turkiye.

14. The Field - Yesterday And Today

Good laidback techno sounds which is better for lounging around then dancing. Really enjoyed his rendition of Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime.

15. Bell Orchestre - Who Designs Nature's How

Various remixes of Bell Orchestre tracks. Features remixes and edits from Tim Hecker, Kid Koala and Mad Professor.