boomkat top 100 albums of the year

59... Just got sent down for drowning his girlfriend in a river.

No real surprises.

Number 30 is where it's at... Leron Carson, compilation re-engineered by Omar S, Deep stuff!

Awepittance, two "importants" "ambient" releases that convince me drone was a very strong thing during the 2000s.

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=72378&highlight=72391

whole glorious track on video for free:

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=65712&highlight=65720

i really like xerrox2. one of the nicest stuff i've heard this year. (Utp was released in august 2008 in japan)

even though we often don't enjoy the same releases i think we have pretty similar tastes in the outer edges of electronic music, so i will check out these recommendations

I managed 5/100 - I feel like a total fashion victim compared to all you 1/100-ers

I've heard 0 out of the top 10, and 6 out of the total 100. One of them sucks, the others range from good to great.

  On 12/16/2009 at 12:12 AM, k h o v said:

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=65712&highlight=65720

Oohh BJ Nilsen's - The Short Night, now that is a cracker of an album. I used to listen to that constantly a few months ago whilst playing Ginormo Sword (which gives me RSI just thinking about it) - http://babarageo.com/flash/ginormo/ . Bizarrely I found the two seemed to fit together quite well, although looking back I'm not entirely sure why ....

Have you heard BJ Nilsen & Stilluppsteypa - Man From Deep River ( http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=185784 ). One of the most visual albums I've heard since TBA - Size and Tears. Without sounding too obvious it really seems to convey some person stuck real deep in the amazon hallucinating like crazy through fever or something. It's well nice !

i have about 30 or 40 of those albums.

I thought the Zomby album was assembled with a lot more style and vibe than the Bong-Ra one, feels a lot more like some bootleg mixtape from back in the day, with the odd knowing nod to dubstep characteristics... the Bong-Ra one was OK, but a lot more unmemorable in terms of riffs, etc. Felt a lot more Ableton-y too, whilst the Zomby was made on old Atari's, etc.

As far as One Foot goes, I think it's good but probably undeserving of a slot that high. I really liked it, but I know a lot of people didn't, all my friends absolutely hated it when it came out.

Part of me really respects Boomkat for digging out loads of music I've never heard, part of me thinks they try to be willfully difficult and obscure to sell you a load of old tat. Probably a mixture of both. Either way, they're not the best to deal with as a company, after too many botched and expensive orders I gave up on buying from them a long time ago.

  On 12/16/2009 at 1:30 AM, Fred McGriff said:

i have about 30 or 40 of those albums.

but how many of your own albums this year did you release

  On 12/16/2009 at 1:43 AM, Solo Strike said:

after too many botched and expensive orders I gave up on buying from them a long time ago.

That's strange, certainly they're not the cheapest out there but I've been ordering from them for about 5 years now and never had a single damaged, delayed or incorrect item delivered to me...

  On 12/16/2009 at 1:50 AM, mcbpete said:

  On 12/16/2009 at 1:43 AM, Solo Strike said:

after too many botched and expensive orders I gave up on buying from them a long time ago.

That's strange, certainly they're not the cheapest out there but I've been ordering from them for about 5 years now and never had a single damaged, delayed or incorrect item delivered to me...

They're a massive pain in the arse. As you say, they're expensive, and I ordered from them SO many times, only to have an email a week later saying half the order was out of stock, and the rest had been finally sent. Obviously with some white label things, etc, this would mean it would go out of stock everywhere else too. I use Redeye Records now, mostly for dubstep, hiphop and anything else electronic and current, and Norman Records for everything else. Both send your stuff out in a day, and reply to your emails in minutes usually, unlike the DAYS I've had to wait for Boomkat to reply. I think they just have terrible customer service, they have the flashiest website, but there's a lot better out there. Redeye for instance, only charge a maximum of £1.90 for next day P&P.... Boomkat have their £50+ free postage thing, but any less than that and they'll totally rape the shit out of you

  On 12/16/2009 at 1:43 AM, Solo Strike said:

I thought the Zomby album was assembled with a lot more style and vibe than the Bong-Ra one, feels a lot more like some bootleg mixtape from back in the day, with the odd knowing nod to dubstep characteristics... the Bong-Ra one was OK, but a lot more unmemorable in terms of riffs, etc. Felt a lot more Ableton-y too, whilst the Zomby was made on old Atari's, etc.

Zomby's hardcore take was decent, i liked it . im just surprised not more people talk about the obvious inspiration or stealing (depending on how you look at it). Im just giving credit where i think it's due. I prefer Glowstyx take because it's more referential to that era of music instead of a stripped down garagey version of hardcore. Glowstyx is definity more of a full on retro throwback where as Zomby is taking it into a new context. And about the production techniques, where did you hear Zomby uses an Atari ST to sequence this album? I call bull shit

http://www.discogs.com/release/1529125

It's in the sleevenotes... could be BS, I'd like to think it's true! It certainly has that slightly grainy, lo-fi quality to it a lot of tunes from that era had. As far as similarities between that and Glowstyx goes, certainly well noted! But I'm sure the idea of making rave pastiches isn't new... I'd say it's probably just coincidence. Zomby probably got a lot more attention as his take is a lot more fitting with the electronic zeitgeist over the past year or two.

good points, i just bought it via digital download so i dont have the sleeve . it definitely does have a grainy low quality to it but i don't know if it could be attributed to an Atari ST sequencer, it would be the sound module/sampler hes triggering with it.

edit: he says hes using an Akais2000 for the LP, makes sense. Alot of people still rave about the old Atari ST cubase though, but im not sure if there is anything you can do it in that version that cannot be done in say Cubase SX 5 or Nuendo. It's certainly possible, the album after listening to it briefly again is ridiculously stripped down sounding.

  On 12/15/2009 at 11:19 PM, Awepittance said:

 

i just got an offer for the CD via PM awkward (before you said that) so if that doesn't go through ill bring it to you at the next show i see you at.

 

no probs. what is the next decent upcoming show? i was gonna see lee scratch perry this friday but chris put me off by telling me how much reggaefans stink

  On 12/15/2009 at 11:19 PM, Awepittance said:

 

Zomby seems to have given his own career a nitrous boost by entirely ripping off Bong Ra's concept (even down to the cover art and LP title)

 

(1-2 years before Zomby's lp)

lol that is criminal. unless it was the same artist who designed both cover art

  On 12/16/2009 at 2:35 AM, Benedict Cumberbatch said:

 

 

no probs. what is the next decent upcoming show? i was gonna see lee scratch perry this friday but chris put me off by telling me how much reggaefans stink

 

unfortunately i've sold it to someone online already , but you definitely should come out to the Kata-Spazmas party this friday at the Bordello in Oakland. The Bordello is one of the most interesting and crazy venues ive been to. It resembles the Winchester Mystery House Vs tim burton. Last time i went there i was shocked to see they had a nitrous room, and im only saying this to emphasize how unique and out of control the parties they have there are.

Zomby

Nite Jewel

Broadcast & The Focus Group

Martyn

Dam Funk

The XX

SND

2562

Animal Collective

Maniac

Linkwood

Tortoise

Nosaj Thing

Clubroot

Monolake

Paul White

I've listened to 16 of these, what the hell were you guys listening to this year? lol

The ones I've heard range from brilliant to mediocre, the only one I bought out of these was the new Broadcast but I enjoyed most of them.

  On 12/16/2009 at 2:01 AM, Awepittance said:

I prefer Glowstyx take because it's more referential to that era of music instead of a stripped down garagey version of hardcore. Glowstyx is definity more of a full on retro throwback where as Zomby is taking it into a new context.

if you played me both albums and asked me which one was from 92 I would definitely say Zomby's

actually I'd say neither, but if i had to pick one for arguments sake i would definitely say Zomby's

i don't see how he's "taking it into a new context" or agree that it's a "stripped down garagey version of hardcore" (with the exception of a couple of more obviously garagey tracks.) the bulk of the album comes a lot closer to good old hardcore, which was totally "stripped down" than that bong ra one, which doesn't really float my boat at all, being more of a fan of that darker old school beats and bleeps type stuff like early r&s, moving shadow, 4 hero, hyper on experience etc. than the busier, slightly faster, hands-in-the-air, whistle posse, glowstick waving, piano stabbing, cheesier happier stuff popularised by the prodigy experience, which is the cliched view of old school stuff.

[/ramble]

I've only gotten a few of these physically so far, but these are all awesome:

Thomas Koner - la barca

Black To Comm - alphabet 1968

Emeralds - What Happened

Emeralds - S/T

King Midas Sound - Waiting For You

Hildur Gudnadottir - Without Sinking

Scott Tuma & Mike Weis - Taradiddle

Concern - Truth & Distance

Elm - Nemcatacoa

Zelienople - Give It Up

William Basinski - 92982

Steven R. Smith - Cities

Steven Mathieu & Taylor Deupree - Transcriptions

Barn Owl - The Conjurer

Oneohtrix Point Never - Rifts (deserves to be in the top 10).

2562 - Unbalance

Alva Noto - Xerrox Vol.2

Pan American - White Bird Release

Mountains - Choral

I've heard sweet fuck all from that list.

Loads of interesting ones though.

Awepittance - you should definitely check out the Oren Ambarchi record, I can say that without having heard it. He makes great stuff.

  On 12/16/2009 at 5:09 AM, LUDD said:

  On 12/16/2009 at 2:01 AM, Awepittance said:

I prefer Glowstyx take because it's more referential to that era of music instead of a stripped down garagey version of hardcore. Glowstyx is definity more of a full on retro throwback where as Zomby is taking it into a new context.

 

 

 

if you played me both albums and asked me which one was from 92 I would definitely say Zomby's

actually I'd say neither, but if i had to pick one for arguments sake i would definitely say Zomby's

i don't see how he's "taking it into a new context" or agree that it's a "stripped down garagey version of hardcore" (with the exception of a couple of more obviously garagey tracks.) the bulk of the album comes a lot closer to good old hardcore, which was totally "stripped down" than that bong ra one, which doesn't really float my boat at all, being more of a fan of that darker old school beats and bleeps type stuff like early r&s, moving shadow, 4 hero, hyper on experience etc. than the busier, slightly faster, hands-in-the-air, whistle posse, glowstick waving, piano stabbing, cheesier happier stuff popularised by the prodigy experience, which is the cliched view of old school stuff.

 

[/ramble]

my knowledge of old hardcore music doesn't go very deep, so you are probably right. Where can i hear other stuff similar to the Zomby lp that is actually from the early 90s?

heh you'll probably find my taste in the genre unrefined because i do love the Experience as well as most stuff by Acen. I've heard a lot of stuff on R&S and moving shadow but i haven't heard anything like 'where were u in '92'

edit: the reason i said stripped down is because he seems like he is coming from the dubstep direction and generally speaking that music is quite sparse. so i thought that was probably why. Given your dislike of dubstep i would say im surprised you like this album, but im intrigued by the idea that its not a new context at all but there is acfually old hardcore that sounds this minimalist.

i only own about nine of these albums. i don't know how you guys find the time to make top 50 lists or whatever. you must just listen to an album once and then file it away, or you're listening to music constantly. either way, i can't keep up.

Awepittance - Have you heard Arktau Eos? They have released some stuff on this amazing finnish label called Aural Hypnox. Particularly liked their Mirrorion album from 2006, but they put out a new 2cd this year as well..

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Arktau+Eos

yeah. i guess it's that lastfm mentality. musical otaku.

  On 12/16/2009 at 6:14 AM, flurobox said:

Awepittance - Have you heard Arktau Eos? They have released some stuff on this amazing finnish label called Aural Hypnox. Particularly liked their Mirrorion album from 2006, but they put out a new 2cd this year as well..

 

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Arktau+Eos

no i haven't , thanks