A 4CD set that spans over a decade of work. At once formless and precise, these multi-textured experimental pieces feel touched with real life. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes disturbed.

Jim O'Rourke at the production helm again, and a fine collection of traditional and somewhat experimental recordings, though perhaps not as far out as you may have been lead to believe.

Two whole discs of Nick Cave right back at the top of his game after the somewhat uneven Nocturama. Beautifully presented too.

Black Dice pushed themselves even further from conventional noise-making here to create something truly unearthly and unique.

MF Doom and Madlib combine their talents on this instant classic. A real grower of an album, but aren't they always the best ones?

An ethereal semi-ambient record that plays on minimal instrumentation, soft whispers and electronic drones. Sounds great on a train, oddly.

The second entry on this list from Devendra Banhart gives you some indication of the remarkable impression his little ditties have had on me. Warm and embracing.

The second in their 'white' series sees Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley continuing to explore and refine their doom-drone metal. Thunderously hypnotic.

It's been a pretty good year for those acts on Constellation records who aren't so much in the limelight. The second album from Re: provides some tasty avant-garde food for the experimental consumer.

Beautiful, bizarre and eclectic throughout. Brazenly bobbing between genres and ultimately extremely uplifting left-field rock with an Eastern lilt.

Mansun's glorious 'unfinished' 4th album provided a fair few highlights for the year and proved to be a worthy bow-out for the band.

must admit, it took me a little while to embrace this album fully. At first it's child-like quirkiness stalled me, but now these breathy enthused chants and doodles have me converted.