PDA

View Full Version : 2010 - The Year’s Best in (almost entirely) Free Music



D_Davis
12-17-2010, 03:47 PM
2010 - The Year’s Best in (almost entirely) Free Music

Let's get this out of the way - there was nothing released this year as ambitious and mind blowing as Wixel's 2009 project. For those of you who still for some reason haven't checked that out, go here - now - and bask in the glory of twelve amazing albums (http://2009.bandcamp.com/). This is still the premier example of net-released, indie-pop-folk-ambient-experimental music ever recorded and released.

However, that is not to say that there haven't been a number of incredible net releases this year. Rest assured, there have been many. And many of them are extraordinary. Once again the netlabel artists have proven that net-releases are the place to go if you like ambient, experimental, and electronic music. This niche-of-a-niche community of sound-sculpting, bed-room recorders and producers are the ones pushing the boundaries of the medium and genres.

Not all of the albums listed will be of the ambient-electronic-experimental varieties, but most will. There will also be some hip hop, post-rock and indie-rock scattered throughout. But the vast majority will most definitely be in the non-pop/rock, atmospheric, ambient categories. So if you don’t like the drone, glitch, and softly-ambling-waves-of-sound and densely textured pads and soundscapes, you may not get a whole lot out of this list.

There will be a top 10, but before that will just a bunch of really good albums, and before that will be...

D_Davis
12-17-2010, 03:54 PM
The top songs from albums not appearing on the list.

This doesn’t mean that the albums were bad or anything, it’s just that I found myself listening to only certain songs on them far more than I ever listened to them as a whole.

Again, in no particular order.

****

Adam & Alma, "Smile for Me Sun"
From the EP Back to the Sea (http://www.23seconds.org/043.htm)

O_728Osa1RA

This is the sexiest song about the great ball of cosmic fire that warms our planet that has ever been recorded.

"I take off my clothes, letting you touch me," Alma sings of her experience with the Sun's warming rays.

This is one of my most listened to songs of the entire year. It's a downtempo, electro-pop masterpiece on an EP marred by only one track that I don't care for. And unfortunately that track comes right in the middle, and always kind of spoils my listening mood. However, I highly recommend the EP, because 90% of it is incredible.

endingcredits
12-17-2010, 04:02 PM
I'm excited about this thread.

D_Davis
12-17-2010, 04:22 PM
Bi-Polar Bear, "Love Begins to Die"
From the LP Today I Found Happy

mUQ8ewHO0SA

My favorite hip-hop track of the year. It's got a great '90s new-school vibe to it (reminds me of the old native tongue stuff) and instantly makes me want to dance, bringing a huge smile to my face. It's a total throwback to a kind of hip-hop that just isn't made much any more.

(this was a late-December 2009 release)

D_Davis
12-17-2010, 05:07 PM
Benjamin Dauer, "Burning of Wine"
From the LP, Burning of Wine (http://distancerecordings.com/dist018)

Burning of Wine (http://soundcloud.com/publicspaceslab/benjamin-dauer-burning-of-wine)

Benjamin Dauer's name is synonymous with net-released ambient music, and his latest release is excellent. While the entire album is good, it is this title track that really stands out. Beautiful, shimmering, treated guitar tones meld with bubbling electronics to create a sonic field conjuring images of a cold winter's day when the sun is reflecting off of freshly fallen snow.

http://www.benjamindauer.net/music.php

D_Davis
12-17-2010, 05:16 PM
Hollydrift, "Great Northern Day"
From the EP, Wreath of Algoma (http://www.bfwrecordings.com/releases/Hollydrift-WreathOfAlgoma.php)

http://www.bfwrecordings.com/images/wreath200.jpg (http://ia341302.us.archive.org/2/items/Hollydrift-WreathOfAlgoma/Hollydrift-1GreatNorthernDay.mp3)

What you might get if you were to cross Soul Coughing, Loop, and Dalek. It's a mix of spoken-word vocals, drum machines, and noise wrapped up in a shoegazing package. The entire EP is a little too noisy for me most of the time, but when listening to a song here and a song there I love what this guy has done.

D_Davis
12-17-2010, 05:27 PM
Ken Park, "Cycling Through Ikebukuro"
From the LP, Nowhere Home

http://ia600305.us.archive.org/1/items/headphonica.hpcd033/Koen_Park__Nowhere_Home__Cover 03_thumbnail.jpg (http://ia600305.us.archive.org/1/items/headphonica.hpcd033/Koen_Park__Nowhere_Home__03.mp 3)

I enjoy albums that invoke a sense of place and time, and Koen Park's Nowhere Home does this pretty well. However, I think the album as whole is a tad overlong and bloated, and I rarely listen to the entire thing. "Cycling Through Ikebukkuro" is a great track, though, and provides a nice summation of the album.

Koen Park is Ian D. Hawgood, who's album The Fire Will Die at Night (2007) (http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb016-the-fire-will-die-at-night) is also highly recommended.

D_Davis
12-17-2010, 07:00 PM
Next up is a two-for. Play these two tracks back-to-back with a ten-or-so second crossfade.

SpeaK, "As Quiet as You"
From the LP, Once Nomadic

http://music.c-arts.eu/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/nomadic.jpg (http://kahvi.micksam7.com/mp3/kahvi297n_speak-as_quiet_as_you.mp3)


Menion, "Colazione Su Saturno"
From the EP, Out of Silence

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sdz3uwXUCC4/TBO_GvckLYI/AAAAAAAACtQ/DHtMExo5m-Q/s320/OutOfSilenceFront12cm.jpg (http://ia700109.us.archive.org/10/items/Lbn002-Menion-outOfSoundoutOfSilence/01lbn002_01_-_menion_-_colazioneSuSaturno.mp3.mp3)


I really wish that both of these albums were as good as these two tracks, but unfortunately they are not. However, these two tracks never fail to interest me. I always pause and listen whenever one of these tracks is played.

D_Davis
12-17-2010, 07:04 PM
MC Cullah, "How You Like Me Now?"
From the LP, Killah Cullah

http://freemusicarchive.org/file/images/albums/MC_Cullah_-_Killah_Cullah_-_20100514152336780.jpg?method= crop&width=290&height=290 (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/MC_Cullah/Killah_Cullah/09_How_You_Like_Me_Now__1)

And now to pick things up a bit. "How You Like Me Now?" is a killer instrumental hip-hop track. It's got a groovy beat, a killer guitar sample, and some wicked scratching, guaranteed to move your ass.

D_Davis
12-17-2010, 07:12 PM
Elisa Luu, "Marz"
From the EP, The Time of Waiting

http://labelnetlabel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/LBN003_01_The_time_of_waiting_-_front_-_400pxl.jpg (http://labelnetlabel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/02-LBN003_02_-_Elisa_Luu_-_22_-Marz.mp3.mp3)

This track is amazing. It's a miniature epic that moves from sparse acoustic ambiance into a more beat-orientated, electronic finale. Ms. Luu covers a lot of sonic territory in just over four minutes, and each second is composed and arranged to perfection.

D_Davis
12-17-2010, 07:18 PM
Ryan Gregory Tallman, "Eulogy"
From the LP, Meat Piles and the Birds of Appetite

http://ia700100.us.archive.org/4/items/isor030MeatPilesAndTheBirdsOfA ppetite/MeatPilesAndTheBirdsOfAppetite _thumb.jpg?cnt=0 (http://ia700100.us.archive.org/4/items/isor030MeatPilesAndTheBirdsOfA ppetite/03.RyanGregoryTallman-Eulogy.mp3)

Mr. Tallman is an old friend of mine. We learned the ins and outs of home recording together back in the early '90s, and we've each continued to explore the boundaries of sound since then. Ryan has moved fully into more noise-based composition, constructing recreate-able electronic compositions for electronics and treated guitar. He is a modern day composer. While some of his stuff is little too noise-based for me now, every once in a while he creates something like "Eulogy," a track of pure sonic beauty. The LP also has the best title of the year.

D_Davis
12-17-2010, 07:25 PM
Phillip Wilkerson, "A Memory"
From the EP, Daybook

http://www.bfwrecordings.com/images/daybook200.jpg (http://ia341314.us.archive.org/2/items/PhillipWilkerson-Daybook/1_a_memory_daybook_Phillip_Wil kerson.mp3)

Mr. Wilkerson may be the hardest working ambient composer in the game. He is constantly releasing material that is always consistently good. However, it might be a little too consistent. He rarely surprises me, and I almost always know exactly what to expect: traditional, pad-based, slowly evolving soundscapes (he does branch out sometimes with some "side" projects). Whenever I want something AMBIENT, as in the most traditional sense of the genre, I can turn to Mr. Wilkerson and be satisfied, and "A Memory" is a fantastic example of this.

D_Davis
12-20-2010, 03:39 AM
The Big Sleep in Search of Hades, "I Don't Want to Bring Your Gods Down"
From the LP, Ethos

http://www.23seconds.org/The-big-sleep-in-search-of-hades-Ethos425.jpg (http://www.23seconds.org/01%20-%20I%20dont%20want%20to%20brin g%20your%20gods%20down.mp3)

The Big Sleep in Search of Hades definitely have the most epic band name on this entire list, and "I Don't Want to Bring Your Gods Down" is truly an epic tune; it's a sprawling post-rock, shoegazer rock anthem clocking in at twelve minutes of gloriously dreamy distortion, drum machine, and melody.

D_Davis
12-20-2010, 03:47 AM
Maps & Transit, "Tendrils"
From the LP, Songs for Divining

http://bandcamp.com/files/37/36/3736475038-1.jpg (http://camomille.bandcamp.com/track/tendrils)

Being Brianwilsonesque in its construction and execution, I was naturally drawn to this amazing little tune; I love its modular arrangement and eclectic instrumentation. I wish I liked the entire album more than I do, because this song completely blows me away.

endingcredits
12-20-2010, 11:30 AM
The Big Sleep in Search of Hades, "I Don't Want to Bring Your Gods Down"
From the LP, Ethos

http://www.23seconds.org/The-big-sleep-in-search-of-hades-Ethos425.jpg (http://www.23seconds.org/01%20-%20I%20dont%20want%20to%20brin g%20your%20gods%20down.mp3)

The Big Sleep in Search of Hades definitely have the most epic band name on this entire list, and "I Don't Want to Bring Your Gods Down" is truly an epic tune; it's a sprawling post-rock, shoegazer rock anthem clocking in at twelve minutes of gloriously dreamy distortion, drum machine, and melody.

This is awesome. How's the rest of their stuff?

D_Davis
12-20-2010, 02:07 PM
This is awesome. How's the rest of their stuff?

Most of the album is quite good. It's just really long, and I rarely listen to the whole thing, often loosing interest towards the 3/4 mark.

D_Davis
12-20-2010, 04:20 PM
But again, with anything on this list, it's totally free to give it a try. The only thing it'll cost you is about an hour's worth of time.

D_Davis
12-20-2010, 05:26 PM
And now on to the albums. These first dozen or so albums are all fantastic, and would easily make it on my top ~20-30 for the year. However, I am only putting the top 10 in number order....


Mind Over Midi - Thru EP
Released by Sutemos

http://my.picresize.com/vault/QCKEZCIRK5.jpg (http://www.archive.org/download/sute028/Sutemos028.zip)


Key Tracks

Post-Lunch Dip 1 (http://ia700105.us.archive.org/13/items/sute028/02_Post-Lunch_Dip_1.mp3)
Rebound Sleep (http://ia700105.us.archive.org/13/items/sute028/04_Rebound_Sleep.mp3)

This six-song EP from Mind over MIDI is really just one long composition split into six tracks, or at least the tracks are similar in theme enough to think so. There is not a lot of variation between each individual track, but taken as a whole they take the listener on a journey through murky caves of electronic static, echoes, and mystery. This was a late in the year discover for me, but I've been listening to it daily for the last couple of weeks.

D_Davis
12-20-2010, 05:55 PM
Pilot Cloud - Halcyon EP
Released by Acoustic Fireworks Records

http://ia700209.us.archive.org/19/items/PilotCloud-HalcyonEpafr012/CoverArt.jpg (http://www.archive.org/details/PilotCloud-HalcyonEpafr012)


Key Tracks

The Swell (http://ia700209.us.archive.org/19/items/PilotCloud-HalcyonEpafr012/PilotCloud-TheSwell.mp3)
Meridian (http://ia700209.us.archive.org/19/items/PilotCloud-HalcyonEpafr012/PilotCloud-Meridian.mp3)

Last year Pilot Cloud's In Transition made it on my year-end list, and they've done it again this year - with an even better album. It's a shorter album, and more concise. They've reduced the entire shoegazer/post-rock aesthetic down to its very essence.

D_Davis
12-20-2010, 06:59 PM
Specta Ciera - Wind Shift
Released by Luxas-Arctica

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fpf1YtJ-0b4/S9yQJpbs5gI/AAAAAAAAAug/qJPE9WXSzsk/s200/LUXXAr051801-01_front.jpg (http://www.archive.org/details/LUXXAr051801-01)

Key Tracks

OIAyzIfqWKM

She Bought It (http://soundcloud.com/specta_ciera/specta-ciera-she-bought-it-wind-shift-lp)

Devin Underwood uses sound to paint mental images. He also comes up with some damn original song titles like, "Well I'm Not, Wait a Minute," "What Lunch Does She Have?" and "No Good Coffee to Speak of."

Wind Shift is Mr. Underwood's most consistently-good album to date. It is, if anything, really interesting. He has a unique sound and aesthetic, one that is truly hard to describe.

D_Davis
12-20-2010, 07:20 PM
The Roots of Orchis - Empty Lands Ahead and Behind
Self Release

http://rootsoforchis.net/backgrounds/roots-cover-1.jpg (http://rootsoforchis.net/)

Key Tracks

Waxing (http://rootsoforchis.net/Waxwing.mp3)
Bishop's Hostel (http://rootsoforchis.net/Bishop%27s-Hostel.mp3)

The Roots of Orchis are a prototypical post-rock band. Empty Lands... will sound familiar and welcoming to those versed in the genre. It will not surprise or amaze with anything new and/or groundbreaking. It securely follows the trail blazed by Mogwai and Tortoise. However, what it lacks in originality it makes up for with confidence, solid execution, and expert instrumentation.

D_Davis
12-21-2010, 03:28 AM
False Awakening - So Far, So Close
Released by BFW Recordings

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GSTkcFN7zdo/S8FyPtDcnUI/AAAAAAAAA2U/Uz5wbH3I5bc/s320/1.300.jpg (http://www.bfwrecordings.com/releases/FalseAwakening-SoFarSoClose.php)

Key Tracks

Happy Endings (http://media.b4.sonicsquirrel.net/BFWrecordings/BFW041/5HappyEndings.mp3)
We're Doing Fine (http://media.b4.sonicsquirrel.net/BFWrecordings/BFW041/2WereDoingFine.mp3)


False Awakening's So Far, So Close is the perfect soundtrack for an imaginary '90s American indie film. It's a little twee, entirely earnest, introspective, and comprised largely of chord-based acoustic guitar work augmented by simple leads and some subtle vocal work. Reminds me of something straight out of Chasing Amy.

D_Davis
12-21-2010, 06:30 PM
Lexithimie - Leontopodium
Released by Resting Bell

http://www.restingbell.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/rb077_leontopodium-276x276.jpg (http://www.restingbell.net/releases/rb077-leontopodium)

Drone-based ambient is an (un)interesting beast. Sometimes this style of music fits my mood perfectly, and creates a calming and tranquil mood, allowing me to get lost in the wall of sound; sometimes the droning sound gets on my nerves and drives me crazy. However, no matter what mood I am in, this two-track EP is always welcoming to my ears. The tones are just perfect, and there is enough variation in sound (at least relative to other drone) that it is also an interesting listen.

Can't really pick a key track for this, as the two tracks really should be listened to from beginning to end in their entirety.

D_Davis
12-22-2010, 07:49 PM
Denshi - 10pts
Released by Test Tube

http://testtube.monocromatica.com/releases/tube198/tube198_460.jpg (http://testtube.monocromatica.com/releases/tube198.htm)

Key Tracks

... (http://testtube.monocromatica.com/releases/tube198/tube198-03-denshi_-_3.mp3)
..... (http://testtube.monocromatica.com/releases/tube198/tube198-05-denshi_-_5.mp3)

Denshi's 10pts is the most purely experimental album I've heard all year. It's experimental in execution and in practice. As I said before, I think it's best to just let the label explain the album:


The story behind this album goes back to 2001, when this japanese musician called Yori Denshi found an old mexican vinyl record in the garbage. This record had 10 holes along the grooves (which were obviously some kind of decorative element). So he fed his computer the audio information between the holes via max/msp. And when the needle from the tonearm dropped in a hole, it switched the feeding cycle in the computer.

Denshi then layered the audio tracks in his sequencer and bended, stretched, added echoes and flanger, and turned this otherwise bland recording into a micro-dub, micro-techno album.

If you like micro-tonal music, this is your album. It's lowercase music taken to the extreme depths of the lowercase movement.

D_Davis
12-22-2010, 07:59 PM
r6 - The Senses
Released by Circlesandlines

http://www.circlesandlines.org/images/candl25_artwork.jpg (http://www.circlesandlines.org/candl25.html)

The Senses is one of the most purely creative and unique albums I heard all year. It's ambient with the focal-point being on the human voice and spoken word. Each track features a different vocalist. Some of the vocal parts have been treated beyond recognition, while others are left relatively intact. The minimal music wraps the vocal work in a sonic cocoon, and the entire package is the very definition of the word "haunting."

(unfortunately, I can't find a place with individual tracks to stream, but the link above provides a stream of the whole album as well as the dl)

Derek
12-22-2010, 08:10 PM
Hollydrift, "Great Northern Day"
From the EP, Wreath of Algoma (http://www.bfwrecordings.com/releases/Hollydrift-WreathOfAlgoma.php)


Ken Park, "Cycling Through Ikebukuro"
From the LP, Nowhere Home


Menion, "Colazione Su Saturno"
From the EP, Out of Silence

Really liked these 3. I listened to the Hollydrift EP and the first two tracks are fantastic. Loses steam with the last 3, but like you, I really like his sound.

D_Davis
12-22-2010, 09:58 PM
Atlas Sound - Bedroom Data Bank V.1-4
Self Release

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H1KBN_lPevE/TOpDyXE60fI/AAAAAAAABSM/9Fv5oDAPAdA/s320/Atlas_Sound_Bedroom_Databank.j pg (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Atlas_Sound/)

Key Tracks

Mona Lisa (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Atlas_Sound/Bedroom_Databank_Vol_3/01_Mona_Lisa)
Afternoon Drive (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Atlas_Sound/Bedroom_Databank_Vol1/08_Afternoon_Drive)
Talent Show (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Atlas_Sound/Bedroom_Databank_Vol_4/04_Talent_Show)
Here Come the Trains (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Atlas_Sound/Bedroom_Databank_Vol2/16_Here_Come_the_Trains)

When I first posted the link to this amazing collection of tunes, I thought the music fans here at Match Cut would go bonkers. I mean, there are quite a few Deerhunter fans around here (at least from what I can tell), and here there are four free albums from Mr. Cox containing all kinds of cool little tunes and songs. And yet I didn't hear a thing from anyone. There seems to still be a stigma against legitimately free music, and I wonder why? I like each of these four albums more than I like the most recently released Deerhunter album, and I know that album has been highly praised among the Internet blogs. So get these. They're really awesome.

D_Davis
12-23-2010, 04:16 PM
Rushus - Stories
Released by Accessory Takes

http://freemusicarchive.org/file/images/albums/Rushus_-_Stories_-_2009113013554522.jpg?width=29 0&height=290 (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rushus/Stories)

Key Tracks

Crimson Turtles (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rushus/Stories/crimson_turtles)
29 (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rushus/Stories/29)

And now for something completely different....
Rushus is a a Russian progressive/jazz/fusion trio consisting of an electric guitarist, bassist, and percussionist. This EP has a really nice vibe, and is unlike anything else I listened to this year. While it does sometimes come dangerously close to being the kind of dreadful contemporary jazz that plagues adult radio stations and dentists offices, it stays just on the cool side of that very thin line. The syncopated rhythms often remind me of later-period King Crimson, and the arrangements are minimal enough to avoid that kind of cheesy over-production so prevalent in smooth jazz.

D_Davis
12-23-2010, 04:32 PM
Altus - Black Trees Among Amber Skies
Self Release

http://hypnagoguereviews.files.wordpr ess.com/2010/10/blacktreescover-e1286633108138.jpg?w=175&h=175 (http://www.altusmusic.ca/blacktrees.html)

Mike Carss is a Canadian-based ambient composer, and this is his best album to date. I don't know if he was trying to conjure the work of Angelo Badalamenti here, but he totally did. Each one of the tracks on this album could easily find itself being played during one of those achingly beautiful moments in a David Lynch film; I can easily imagine this music being played as Laura Palmer sees the angel at the end of Fire Walk With Me, or during the theater performance of Silencio in Mulholland Dr. The music is somber and melancholy, but not dark or scary. It's one of the best pure-ambient albums of the year.

D_Davis
12-23-2010, 05:19 PM
Durlin Lurt - Him Jenson
Released by Leaving Records

http://leavingrecords.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/1HJ_resize.jpg (http://leavingrecords.com/releases/lrf002-him-jenson/)

Key Tracks

CRpm04MIFTs
CPvidV6K7Kw


Durlin Lurt's Him Jenson was originally an underground release back in 2008, but it now has a digital home where more people can be exposed to the barely-controlled chaos and insanity. Durlin Lurt covers the entire alphabet here, from "Aahh" to "Junk," and from "Magic" to "Zowie," the album has 26 tracts, each corresponding to a certain letter. And let's get one thing straight - the album is totally insane. It's dirty, grimey, and filthy, featuring super lo-fi beats and samples, rhymes, and a fuck-it-all attitude. It's a mash-up of styles and genres, and is pretty much a perfect album for these modern times. It represents how creative music is made today.

D_Davis
12-23-2010, 06:10 PM
Maps and Diagrams - Cubiculo and Tintinnbulate
Released by Fluid-Audio and Audio Gourmet respectively

http://bandcamp.com/files/69/53/695368106-1.jpg (http://fluiddigital.bandcamp.com/)

http://bandcamp.com/files/42/44/4244289202-1.jpg (http://music.audiogourmet.co.uk/album/tintinnbulate)

Key Tracks

Komagataella (http://music.audiogourmet.co.uk/track/komagataella)
The Melancholy of Weavers (http://fluiddigital.bandcamp.com/track/the-melancholy-of-the-weavers)

Maps and Diagrams had an incredible year in 2010, as made clear by these stunning EPs, and an LP to be mentioned much later. MaD are at the vanguard of this style of ambient music, a mix of dark, dense drones, glitch, static, and subtle melodies.

I'd also like to draw special attention to the Audio Gourmey netlabel. They have an interesting philosophy in releasing coffee break ambient albums, or ambient albums running 15 minutes in length that can be listened to while enjoying a single cup of coffee. They've put out a ton of great stuff this year, most of which is worth exploring.

http://music.audiogourmet.co.uk/

D_Davis
12-23-2010, 06:53 PM
A few more releases before we get to the top 10.

SineRider - December Embers
Released by BFW Recordings

http://www.bfwrecordings.com/images/embers200.jpg (http://www.bfwrecordings.com/releases/SineRider-DecemberEmbers.php)

Key Tracks

The Finer Things of Lines (http://media.sosq.net/BFWrecordings/BFW036/01TheFinerThingsofLines.mp3)
A Walk (http://media.sosq.net/BFWrecordings/BFW036/02Much.mp3)
You Lose, Good Day Sir! (http://media.sosq.net/BFWrecordings/BFW036/09YouLoseGoodDaySir.mp3)

SineRider's December Embers EP is a beautiful collection of guitar-based instrumental (with one exception) compositions ranging from aggressive post-rock to introspective acoustic pieces. What's best about the EP is how it is arranged. "The Finer Things of Lines" kicks things off with a bang, and then the album becomes far more subtle and quiet before ending with a couple of tracks that again pick things up. There is a huge variation in dynamics, and thus it makes for an interesting listen.

D_Davis
12-23-2010, 07:35 PM
Variex - Quitting Tomorrow
Self release

http://bandcamp.com/files/33/21/3321596226-1.jpg (http://variex.bandcamp.com/album/quitting-tomorrow)

Key Tracks

Reside in Waves (http://variex.bandcamp.com/track/reside-in-waves)
Hypnagogic Shrapnel (http://variex.bandcamp.com/track/hypnagogic-shrapnel)

I didn't hear a lot of netlabel hip hop this year, and that's all my fault. I just didn't explore many of the releases. But it makes sense that the best thing I did hear would come from Variex, or at least from someone from the New Cocoon collective - these dudes are awesome (http://www.newcocoon.com/ collective (http://www.newcocoon.com/)). I prefer indie, experimental hip hop. I don't get the love for artists like Kanye West - he especially bores me to tears. I think Quitting Tomorrow is a superior release to West's latest. The music and production is far more interesting, and Variex's delivery is great. It's just more my style.

D_Davis
12-23-2010, 07:53 PM
Gaston Arevalo - Marea
Released by Passage

http://www.passagemusic.net/assets/images/pass004_mid.jpg (http://www.passagemusic.net/index.php?id=27)

Key Tracks

Latitude (http://www.passagemusic.net/assets/releases/pass004/pass004_-_03_gaston_arevalo_-_latitud.mp3)
Hielo Norte (http://www.passagemusic.net/assets/releases/pass004/pass004_-_02_gaston_arevalo_-_hielo_norte.mp3)

We will be hearing again from Mr. Arevalo and the Passage netlabel, but for now lets sink deep into the dense and textured soundscapes of Marea. Gaston Arevalo was at the top of the heap in the minimal techno genre with a number of amazing releases over the last few years. However, in 2010 he switched gears, and ditched the 4/4 beats, kick drums, and sparse electro-percussion in favor of this new, more experimental style. I'm really not sure what to call this subtle, glitch-style ambient music...it's like soft noise, or light drone, and yet it also contains sonic details that offset the dense and murky backdrop.

D_Davis
12-26-2010, 04:54 PM
And now on to the Top 10....

#10


Ballpen - The Dreams Trilogy
Released by La Bel, Netlabel

http://sensingsounds.files.wordpress. com/2010/10/cover-front-400x4001.jpg?w=400&h=400 (http://www.archive.org/download/lbn005Ballpen-TheDreamsTrilogy-october112010/lbn005_-_ballpen_-_theDreamsTrilogy.zip)

Key Tracks

The Sea Dream (http://labelnetlabel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/The-sea-dream.mp3)
Pass the Ball and Sail the Days (http://labelnetlabel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Pass-the-ball-sail-the-days.mp3)
The Bus Stop Dream (http://labelnetlabel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/The-bus-stop-dream.mp3)

Broken beats, chill vibes, fragmented samples, and acoustic guitar leads combine to form one of the most interesting and enjoyable releases of the year. It's a bit of the old mixed with the new. Ten years ago, this album could've easily been included on Touch and Go's exclusive label, as it borrows heavily from the sound design of Tortoise, Sea and Cake, and even some Trans Am. However, Ballpen also has their own unique take on this kind of collage-based sound recording - it's totally of today and takes advantage of modern, non-linear editing and recording. The songs sound as if they were composed and arranged with found memories washed up on the shores of the nostalgia beach, simultaneously echoing back the days of indie-past and looking forward into the future of DIY recording.

D_Davis
12-26-2010, 08:54 PM
#9

IG88 - EP
Self release

http://bandcamp.com/files/41/60/4160811830-1.jpg (http://ig88.bandcamp.com/album/ep)

Key Tracks

Limp Notes (http://ig88.bandcamp.com/track/limp-notes)
Cardboard Houses (http://ig88.bandcamp.com/track/cardboard-houses)

IG88's Brandon Clarke is one of the most talented young producers currently rocking the IDM/electronica scene. And the reason is simple: he is, first and foremost, a musician interested in songs, melody, and harmony. He just so happens to work with DAWs, knobs, and sliders as his instruments of choice. His compositions have a unique propulsive drive to them; they are constantly moving forward, evolving, and morphing into new sonic territories. Mr. Clarke is one to watch - I have a feeling he's really going somewhere.

D_Davis
12-27-2010, 04:47 PM
#8

Language of Landscape - Memories Fade Under a Shallow Autumn Snow
Self release (http://languageoflandscape.bandcamp.c om/)

http://bandcamp.com/files/44/09/440933151-1.jpg (http://languageoflandscape.bandcamp.c om/)

Key Track

...and the rain embraced our closing words (http://languageoflandscape.bandcamp.c om/track/and-the-rain-embraced-our-closing-words)

Albums released in January often get forgotten about when the end of the year comes. That this album - released on January 1, 2010 - has stayed with me for twelve months is a testament to its lasting appeal and expert craftsmanship. By far the most minimal thing I've heard all year, Language of Landscape gives Philip Glass a run for his money in the minimalist department. Sometimes the album is so quiet that I forget it's on, the pauses so long that I can't tell if it's a rest in the composition or a break between tracks. The album is over 45 minutes in length, and has only three tracks. The compositions are made up of piano, sustained guitar, and a few sparse samples. Each note, passage, and sound was chosen with skill, and each serves its optimal purpose. There is nothing superfluous at all here. Truly one of the most beautiful and artfully constructed albums of the year.

D_Davis
12-27-2010, 05:44 PM
#7

Rho - Cedarleaf
Released by No-Source
(http://full-source.com/nosource/netlabel/releases_015.htm)
http://full-source.com/nosource/netlabel/discog/015.jpg (http://full-source.com/nosource/netlabel/releases_015.htm)

Key Tracks

Mississippi (http://www.archive.org/download/NS015/02-NS015-Mississippi.mp3)
Day Into Morning (http://www.archive.org/download/NS015/06-NS015-Day_Into_Morning.mp3)
Day Into Night (http://www.archive.org/download/NS015/10-NS015-Day_Into_Night.mp3)

Last year Rho made by year's end best of list with their album October Turncoat, and this year they've done it again with Cedarleaf, an album that is superior in every way. It is their most accessible, accomplished, and best-produced album to date. In many ways it reminds me of a more rock-orientated Cocteau Twins sans the vocals, with a nice mix of ambiance to smooth things over. The swirling guitars envelope the listener in a blanket of comforting sonic textures, augmented by propulsive bass-lines and some head-bobbing drum programming. "Mississippi" is one of the years best tracks; it never fails to amaze me.

D_Davis
12-28-2010, 07:22 PM
#6

Maps and Diagrams - A Pulsating History
Released by BEKO Digital

http://freemusicarchive.org/file/images/albums/Maps_And_Diagrams_-_A_Pulsating_History_-_20101216164521343.jpg?width=2 90&height=290 (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Maps_And_Diagrams/A_Pulsating_History/)

Key Tracks

Anti-Clockwise (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Maps_And_Diagrams/A_Pulsating_History/a2__anti-clockwise)
On Esquiline Hill (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Maps_And_Diagrams/A_Pulsating_History/b1__on_esquiline_hill_feat_yli d)

The first track on MaD's densely textured masterpiece is "The Modern Century," and that title perfectly captures the sound of this style of music. It is ultra-modern, even futuristic. Ambient music often times looks back to the 1970s for inspiration, but this new style of the genre from artists like MaD, Gaston Arevalo, and Mind Over MIDI, among many others, looks towards to future. I might also call the music here Ballardian, as it expertly captures the tone and feel of one of J.G. Ballard's many masterful science fiction stories. The music is cold and somewhat sterile, and yet also strangely inviting. I feel as though it captures the essence of modern urban living better than any other style of music, or at least it represents the sounds that my ideal kind of modern living would create if it could.

D_Davis
12-28-2010, 10:35 PM
#5

Henrik Jose - The Little Things EP
Released by 23 Seconds (http://www.23seconds.org/041.htm)
http://www.23seconds.org/the%20little%20things%20ep.jpg (http://www.23seconds.org/041.htm)

***

#4

Doyeq - Eyelashes of Lanterns
Released by Passage (http://www.passagemusic.net/index.php?id=22)

http://www.passagemusic.net/assets/images/pass003_mid.jpg (http://www.passagemusic.net/index.php?id=22)

***

#3

Gaston Arevalo - Habitat
Released by Passage (http://www.passagemusic.net/index.php?id=42)

http://www.passagemusic.net/assets/images/pass009_mid.jpg (http://www.passagemusic.net/index.php?id=42)

***

#2

Analog Workshop - Emporium of Broken Toys
Released by Test Tube (http://www.monocromatica.com/netlabel/releases/tube207.htm)

http://www.monocromatica.com/netlabel/releases/tube207/tube207_460.jpg (http://www.monocromatica.com/netlabel/releases/tube207.htm)

***

#1

Magic Man - Real Life Color
Released by Arcade Sound Ltd. (http://magicman.bandcamp.com/album/real-life-color)

http://bandcamp.com/files/35/75/3575956778-1.jpg (http://magicman.bandcamp.com/album/real-life-color)


***

Netlabel of the Year...

http://www.passagemusic.net/assets/templates/fragment/img/logo.gif (http://www.passagemusic.net/)

endingcredits
12-29-2010, 04:58 PM
I'm almost through your list. My favorites so far are Doyeq, which I've heard and love, and Rho, which is new for me. The guitar tracks on Cedarleaf weave a nice warm sonic cocoon around the rhythm lines.

D_Davis
12-29-2010, 05:28 PM
Yeah, Rho is fantastic. Love everything I've heard from those guys. They've just got a really nice sound.