Listmania!
2008 Jan-June
Night FlightsNight Flights by Christina Kubisch
Buy new: £11.98
Re-released in December 2007. Stunning sound art, truly deep-listening. Lengthy excursions into other worlds.
QuaristiceQuaristice by Autechre
Buy new: £6.98 / Used from: £5.45
On first hearing I was disappointed by this new release. Then a car journey, put it on. Suddenly it made absolute sense. Persevere - It's worth it.
ChallengerChallenger by Burning Star Core
On recommendation from Second Layer. I'm glad I got it. Drone, noise and ambient compositions, with the beautiful colliding with the dissonant.
StringsStrings by COH
Buy new: £12.69
Why do all my favourites not have images? Well, this is Coh's Strings, and it's a minimalist, pulsing creature created purely by electronically manipulating stringed instruments. Energetic, moving.
ETERNAL JEWELETERNAL JEWEL by Darsombra
Buy new: £10.79 / Used from: £7.04
The doom/drone guitar sound, mixed with Ligeti, Terry Riley, and even a little NWOBHM. Recommended to anyone interested in the further reaches of guitar music, and the Metal palette.
Death of a TypographerDeath of a Typographer by Byetone
Buy used from: £21.95
Byetone's album is phenomenal. Minimal beats constructed by a master. Following Raster Noton's release of Senking's List, a 2007 highlight, this is contender for Best of 2008.
Imperial DistortionImperial Distortion by Kevin Drumm
Not even sure how to describe this. It's funereal, slow, calming, haunting and remarkable. Like Eno's On Land, but through a darker glass.
WrolnWroln by Qebo
If Autechre won't make a record like they used to, someone else is going to have a pretty good stab at it. Step up - Qebo. "Cancer", in particular, is a quite remarkable composition.
Heavy WaterHeavy Water by Crackle
Buy new: £12.69 / Used from: £6.71
Crackle - Jazz, tribal, dub, rhythmic soundscapes. All in one. Currently playing this record to death.
LuminariumLuminarium by Tape
Buy used from: £14.98
Best album so far from Swedish masters Tape. Like Hulk and Amina, delicate and almost naive compositions that need no visuals to paint their picture.
Rise of a Mystery TideRise of a Mystery Tide by Hulk
Buy new: £8.79 / Used from: £8.00
Rise of the Mystery Tide - it's beautiful, but unfortunately doesn't quite hit the heights of his debut Silver Thread of Ghosts, whiich felt far more composed. Nevertheless, haunting album.
The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's SkullThe Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull by Earth
Buy new: £11.98 / Used from: £5.79
A more positive tone on this album, though still steeped in a Lynchian nether-world - bar music in an infernal lodge. Just a bit more upbeat, this time. Road music, even...
Ringer EPRinger EP by Four Tet
Buy new: £4.98
A by-product of Electronic music running out of steam a little is that artists will go backward to move forward. But Ringer is an example of this when it works. Early IDM and Kraftwerk influenced gem
Kluster: 1970-1971Kluster: 1970-1971 by Kluster
Buy new: £23.99 / Used from: £18.09
At last - all three Kluster albums reissued. Klofzeichen is my personal favourite. Conrad Schnitzler's importance is highlighted here...Cluster were never as industrial or dissonant a proposition.
DescensionDescension by Aluk Todolo
Buy new: £9.98
Okay - from late 07. but I didn't get it till this year. Murky, bleak instrumental sludge rock which just incessantly moves onward.
Turning DragonTurning Dragon by Clark
Buy new: £6.98 / Used from: £5.70
Another successful step both backwards and forwards. None of the organic quality of Body Riddle, but instead a kind of Hardcore IDM. "Penultimate Persian" track of the year so far.