WATMM's 2012 Album Of The Year - VOTING!

  On 1/17/2013 at 1:58 PM, keltoi said:

  On 1/16/2013 at 9:29 PM, compson said:

Why make a fuss about what other people like? Trying to stereotype people who do as a bunch of sheep hipsters seems a bit pointless and distasteful.

 

who's doing that?

maybe I misread this but it seems like awepittance suggested that most watmmers listen to pitchfork to decide what they like instead of thinking for themselves.

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pretty crazy that watmm is going to vote a pitchpork fave #1 album of the year, would i come off as more of a dick if i said totally expected instead?

There's so much on this list that I haven't listened to. There's enough here to keep me busy for months.

Also, no haxan cloak? :(

Go, Galaxy Garden!!!

I heard Vladislav Delay's new album the other day, because of this thread... Fantastic album.

That is why I like these 'best of the year' polls.

  On 1/17/2013 at 9:24 PM, Npoess said:

I heard Vladislav Delay's new album the other day, because of this thread... Fantastic album.

 

That is why I like these 'best of the year' polls.

Same, I like to support music that did a lot for me and its great to see people share similar excitement for the same music that I did, but there is so much music that it is of more importance to hear people share similar excitement for music I haven't heard.

how was this list compiled? 2 albums i mentioned are not included. do they have to be listed twice in the nominations thread?

  On 1/18/2013 at 12:48 AM, Jimmy McMessageboard said:

how was this list compiled? 2 albums i mentioned are not included. do they have to be listed twice in the nominations thread?

yeah, i think so.

  On 1/18/2013 at 12:48 AM, Jimmy McMessageboard said:

how was this list compiled? 2 albums i mentioned are not included. do they have to be listed twice in the nominations thread?

Indeed sir, indeed. I'm moving to at least 3 or 4 nominations per release next year. This list is far too long.

I think Actress is pretty over-perceived; I really don't understand the hype. One of my main complaints is that his tracks don't really go anywhere for the most part. Once the main loop gets established, he pretty much just drones on it for another 5-6 minutes, where he may add/change one or two elements, or drop in some short break section, but it's never enough. Maybe I just don't think the loops are good enough to be hammered on that long? He does have a way with texture and his music has vibe, but I find his harmonic content to be pretty drab (i.e. Shadow of Tartarus, Raven). Let's have more material like Gershwin.

I dont want to place too much emphasis on what's "good" and "bad." I'm tired of defending my opinion like it matters, it doesn't. The Actress album, and no music, can be ripped apart like this. I hate when it becomes some ego procedure.

I love R.I.P. because it has been part of my life in a very serious way. Last summer I was listening to it on my drives around town, at 2 in the morning, from place to place. It's a romantic album, because it enhances your life, and sticks with you.

What happened was, when I was listening to it on and off last summer, I was not really too big on it. I skipped tracks, and felt it was on about the same level as the Lone album.

Then, recently, I put it on, and it was like a friend, an instant friend that I remembered. And it all fit into a puzzle that made perfect sense. Even if it isn't conceptually perfect, and even if there is much better to come, I do think it signals the start of what might be a prosperous period in music, where we go away from too much abstraction and analysis, back toward beauty, romance, life, embracing disaster, and getting off the internet. So that's what it means to me, regardless of whether it is objectively a great album.

I consider this the song of 2012 (summer... different songs for fall, spring, winter)

someone said it's harmonically uninteresting. it is, quite simple, just back and forth between two notes. however, when the string/flutes come in... that's what matters. I consider it more like background, atmosphere, life music than something to listen to really closely for intellectual details.

I really do love that track

I was initially blown away by RIP and still am, if not more so. With music its hard to sometimes pinpoint why I like it so much, just as I used to not understand Burial's appeal much at all but now love his new stuff. But I think it does come to atmosphere that grips my attention these days and RIP is one of those albums that teleports me to imaginary landscapes that warms my soul.

Nothing but love for RIP, although this track by cohort Lukid really blew me away -

It's the closing track on Lonely At The Top, which was/is and excellent album that I'd rate only slightly below RIP, think it was one of bleep's top albums of 2012 too. Worth checking out for fans of Actress.

Its funny that RIP has the most votes but is the least well received in the thread. Did people just vote for it because everyone listened to it?

  On 1/23/2013 at 8:43 PM, Danny O Flannagin said:

Its funny that RIP has the most votes but is the least well received in the thread. Did people just vote for it because everyone listened to it?

I noticed this as well, I voted for it cause I bought it and love it. Its characteristic of watmmers to hate on what is popular as well.

edit: @Bob, yeah really enjoyed that Lukid album.

My List: Actress, Aleksi, Deepchord, Global Goon, Lukid, The Host, Jam City, Photodementia, Raime ... would also include Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's Mature Themes, James Ferraro's SUSHI and probably a bunch more that have slipped my mind atm.

  On 1/23/2013 at 8:44 PM, compson said:

  On 1/23/2013 at 8:43 PM, Danny O Flannagin said:

Its funny that RIP has the most votes but is the least well received in the thread. Did people just vote for it because everyone listened to it?

 

I noticed this as well, I voted for it cause I bought it and love it. Its characteristic of watmmers to hate on what is popular as well.

 

edit: @Bob, yeah really enjoyed that Lukid album.

 

My List: Actress, Aleksi, Deepchord, Global Goon, Lukid, The Host, Jam City, Photodementia, Raime ... would also include Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's Mature Themes, James Ferraro's SUSHI and probably a bunch more that have slipped my mind atm.

This is applicable to most of the internet.

  On 1/23/2013 at 8:52 PM, Danny O Flannagin said:

  On 1/23/2013 at 8:44 PM, compson said:

  On 1/23/2013 at 8:43 PM, Danny O Flannagin said:

Its funny that RIP has the most votes but is the least well received in the thread. Did people just vote for it because everyone listened to it?

 

I noticed this as well, I voted for it cause I bought it and love it. Its characteristic of watmmers to hate on what is popular as well.

 

edit: @Bob, yeah really enjoyed that Lukid album.

 

My List: Actress, Aleksi, Deepchord, Global Goon, Lukid, The Host, Jam City, Photodementia, Raime ... would also include Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's Mature Themes, James Ferraro's SUSHI and probably a bunch more that have slipped my mind atm.

 

This is applicable to most of the internet.

True, but I am not saying people don't genuinely dislike RIP, just that its directed to the most heat because it is on top. People like their "underdog" to win.

I just wish RIP had more tracks like this, this is one of my favorite individual songs of 2012

that actress album should have been called 'attempts'

  On 1/23/2013 at 9:06 PM, Jimmy McMessageboard said:

that actress album should have been called 'attempts'

zing!

also yeah, caves of paradise is good, but overall I agree with the sentiment that RIP doesn't really go anywhere, and a lot of tracks are way too long for just having one rather uninteresting element repeating over and over...

on the other hand though, I don't really think Photodementia or any of the other albums in the lineup deserve the historic title of being "album of the year" either... I guess 2012 was just kind of underwhelming after Room(s) and An Empty Bliss Beyond This World blew me away in 2012.

Still sticking with my early 2012 favorites Hipcatch, and Patience (After Sebald), because I immersed myself so deeply in them when they came out, in a hazy, unique time in my life.

  On 1/23/2013 at 9:02 PM, Danny O Flannagin said:

I just wish RIP had more tracks like this, this is one of my favorite individual songs of 2012

 

This is one of my favorites as well but I rarely listen to RIP out of context/individual tracks. Never in my life have I heard album that takes such care and patience to guide me on a journey from death to rebirth. IWAAD being the track that is akin to waking up from a dream.

Voted.

These need some more love imo:

Others are doing well. Not a fan of ufabulum though.

RIP is also getting way more votes than I expected, but that's fine by moi.

And where is NHK'Koyxen, no love for the dance classics:

Or Tim Hecker and Daniel Lopatin - Instrumental Tourist:

Or Clams Casino - Instrumental Mixtape:

Also I nominate "Ochre - National Ignition" for "watmms 2013 album of the year" ^_^

Well, at least I've got a list of albums to check out.