best of 2013

[Jamest]

Chris Petit – Museum Of Loneliness: In a year during which literature has significantly over taken music as my main focus, this LP release from the excellent small press Test Centre fittingly combines the two disciplines. Composed of readings from his novels and recent project The Museum of Loneliness, backed by field recordings and soundtracks from his films and all weaved together through some exemplary sound design by Mordant Music.

G*Park – Sub: Long in the making new work from Marc Zeier. An epic 2CD set of deconstructed musique concrete, which at times feels much more like something you’re wading through rather than listening to.

Peter Lanaerts – Silens: Recordings from along the Oodnadatta Track in South Australia, one of the quietest places on the planet. A revelatory listening experience of almost nothing.

Plus ‘Graham Lambkin / Jason Lescalleet – Photographs’, ‘Anne Guthrie / Richard Kamerman ‎– Sinter’ and 'Grisha Shakhnes - leave/trace'. All for the obvious reasons.

[bedouin]

- Two free releases on homophoni by Miguel A. Garcia, One Perjury (For Murayama) and (Coccyx). Garcia releases a lot of low fi stuff that doesn’t really grab me. This one is on the opposite end of the scale @ 24bit super hidef. Unlike his Armiarak (also very strong from a few years back), this one feels more premeditated with a totally immersive sequence going on. Very trippy(!)

My 2 favourite Wandelweisers did not come from Wandelweiser this year:
- Eva-Maria Houben: Decay - More akin to sound installation work than a typical Houben release, but equally mesmerising soft organ background sounds with decaying piano notes on top.
- Shimosaki (Ernesto Rodrigues, Radu Malfatti & Ricardo Guerreiro) has enough grunt and detail to challenge the greatest onkyo releases of the past. Very strong.

- Jamie Drouin - Every Thing Thing and a Drawn Horizon (with O. Hochherz and L.A. Olsen respectively). Jamie Drouin can do nothing wrong for me. The white cover Infrequency discs are ALL essential.

- Rainier Lericolais, Dots Per Image (Broccoli).
On his earlier releases Lericolais has been hinting on something epic, and it sounds like he has it with this one. Love the way voices (in various languages) are intertwined and float at different levels in your head (room). Chamber, electronic, film, music concrete, it’s all there. My best release of the year.

- Fumiya Tanaka, Unknown 3
Techno music usually bores me to tears. But there are exceptions, and this is one of them. ‘Unknown 3’ is moving with hi speed that frequently gets derailed into all sorts of unexpected places. there is a track where he mixes some ocora style indigenous music with his own throbbing beats delirious, delicious!… It includes für Elodie (a total masterpiece).
I feel this music is very cutting edge, though I have a feeling I would look like a total grandpa in a venue that plays it. Still, wicket stuff.

- Some great releases from Neos by the late Luigi Nono. A Pierre… especially. Mostly premieres if I am not mistaken.

- Kudos to Simon R. for keeping the quality of his AT releases very high after the monumental 5 CD set. The Bryn Harrison piano piece is outstanding, thoughtful and thought provoking (as is his interview on the AT site). I just wish Simon could convince one of those master pianists (that usually record for ECM) to come and record for him.

- Talking about piano: Marino Formenti’s compilation ‘Notturni’ on Col Legno is another showcase of the way he handles the most awkward material with such grace and precision (music from Cage, Stockhausen Cerha, Benjamin, etc.). everything feels so natural to him.

- Got a lot more this year including the awesome dance compilation Tanz aus der Reihe. A lot of time on my hands!? Will list them all in the best of year thread…

——

- Best movie I watched -by far- last year’s DISCONNECT. Not a classic in the classic sense but very here and now. Also enjoyed replaying several great oldies (mostly on uTube) - highlight Bergman’s Silence. Unsurpassed.

[negative potential]

lucio capece - less is less - music for flying and pendulating speakers

He employed this concept in a duo with Toshimaru Nakamura a few months ago. Now I have to pick this up.

[disposablehead]

I've been really, really, really out of the loop on current stuff this year but out of my limited recent experience, these really shined (and are jumping to my mind at the moment):

Rashad Becker - Traditional Music Of Notional Species Vol. I (Pan)
Alexander Lewis - A Luminous Veil (BEB)
Aaron Dilloway - Opened Door CS (Chondritic)

[roger.haddad.]

I'll add myself to the list of "out of the loop" folks but these are some I've enjoyed thus far:

My Bloody Valentine - M B V - for sentimental reasons
Bill Orcutt - A History of Everyone - I've really enjoyed Bill's frenetic/idiosyncratic solo style until now but this one finally has the fidelity to really let the whole idea shine imho
Kevin Drumm - Tannenbaum - my bedtime music of 2013
Taku Sugimoto & Moe Kamura - Live in Saritote - because I love when Sugimoto chooses to play guitar

[shirt]

Big thanks to Jon for the DiSanto recommendation, lovely stuff. That and Making A really hit the sweet spot that watching ASMR videos on youtube does for me.

A lot of my favorites have already been mentioned... Making A, Dedalus, Photographs, Temperament as Waveform, etc. I heard Less Is Less - Music for Flying and Pendulating Speakers (Intonema), Variable Formations (Another Timbre), Radi d'Or (Another Timbre), and Piano Solo (OTOroku) recently and all of those were enjoyable but I need to revisit them more. Have yet to hear Live In Saritote but I expect it to be great based on the previous two releases and the fact that Sugimoto is always great. Shiiin released a collection of (what I believe to be unreleased) works from Luc Ferrari & Brunhild Ferrari entitled Contes sentimentaux that I also still need to get around to. It's been a really great year in music!

Some quick recommendations for things that haven't been mentioned yet:

Gaspar Claus - Jo Ha Kyu :: Big fan of a lot of the artists who contributed to this piece and hearing/recognizing the individual components made the execution of the concept feel even more successful in my opinion. It's a very grand and theatrical album and the elegance of the performance, as well as how the album's mixed, really makes the entire experience feel very engaging.

Martin Bedard - Topographies :: Reminds me a lot of Luc Ferrari in the sense that there's a very organic and accessible coming-together of found sound/field recordings and electroacoustic composition. Just really "melodic" and gorgeous pieces here.

Johnny Chang & Stefan Thut - Two Strings And Boxes :: I was really surprised by this one... didn't think it would be so affecting but the interaction of the strings on the boxes is extremely calming (definitely reminds me of why I love ASMR videos). And the quiet hum of the zithers just added that extra meditative appeal to the album.

Toshimaru Nakamura, Tomoyoshi Date, & Ken Ikeda - Green Heights :: Simply just a really pretty ambient album.

Yannick Dauby - Wa Jiè Méng Xun :: I'm usually drawn to more "pure", untouched field recordings but I just couldn't resist the charm of this chorus of frogs! Dauby adds a bunch of playful edits and his synth manages to fit perfectly with the frogs!

~

On the pop side of things, this is the first year in a while in which I might have enjoyed more Western pop than K-Pop. A bit disappointed with the K-Pop output year and there was far less interesting things of note with regards to cultural expectations, gender roles, sexuality, fan/artist relations, etc. that one could usually gather from music videos (among other things). With that said, the best pop albums this year for me are definitely:

Drake - Nothing Was The Same :: Drake will always be associated with the feminine side of the hip hop world and I find it so funny that he's often ridiculed for it. The funny thing is, he's more aggressive than most rappers nowadays and nobody notices because he does it in a way that's familiar to him. And this is especially true on this record -- you can sense that he's genuinely angry about the current state of his family, friends, and lovers. He's always cared about those relationships than his own fame and riches (cf. the many times he's happy about being rich in order to help out his mom or make his friends happy) and it really comes through on a few of the tracks. Drake is also passive aggressive and very emotionally manipulative/abusive and this often parallels the production (cf. Shot For Me, the most clear example) but you get a sense, and on this album especially, that this is very much related to his own selfishness and/or how much he cares about how he's perceived by others. What is probably the most amusing thing to me is how Hold On, We're Going Home is his most straightforward pop single yet still manages to be "classic Drake" with the line "I know exactly who you could be" -- as if this girl he's addressing needs to change before he can love her!

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City :: Another album that finds the artist themselves feeling very concerned about how they're perceived and it being presented in more than just lyrics. Vampire Weekend have always been an amusing and innocuous band but this album really hits hard with its lyrics about the expectations that people often feel like they have to meet and how we may feel aversion towards fulfilling them. Yet at the cost of not wanting to be bound by any categorization or ideology, there's still a very strong desire to be bound to something. In this case, it's of course a relationship with a lover (e.g. Hannah Hunt). What's even more appealing is that these ideas are tackled with sincerity, humor, and an obvious sense of self-awareness. I'm a big fan of Girls and I enjoyed Frances Ha so I think it makes sense why I love this album.

Ariana Grande - Yours Truly :: I'm a huge fan of K-Pop, 60s Brill Building girl groups, and teen pop in general because of the added contextual appeal of actual young people making music about idealized pictures of life, love, and relationships. I'm a ridiculously huge fan of Mariah Carey so naturally I have a huge affinity towards the deliriously amorous tracks on here or ones that feature falsetto/whistle register. I'm also a huge fan of R&B in general because of how bluntly it presents lyrics regarding sex without becoming too schmaltzy, obnoxious, or cheesy. What's interesting though is that when the confluence of these two things can often be really interesting when it doesn't fall into Kidz Bop "clean for the whole family!" territory. Ariana has a good amount of trouble enunciating her words but what's interesting is that it makes the album feel very familiar, echoing the nostalgic feelings of an inspired karaoke night or days in a mediocre (but still very fun) band in high school. There's still an obvious sense of youth to the album -- Mac Miller namedropping Bruce Almighty in The Way, lyrics like "I'm gonna say things... like shut up and kiss me!" -- but Ariana still manages to give tribute to pop trends of the past in a way that seems very endearing (e.g. doo-wop on Tattooed Heart). There's a whole thing I could say about how "manufactured" pop is very appealing to me on a contextual level but I'm already writing too much.

Some similarities between my top 3 pop albums I think. There are some underlying themes present -- paying tribute to heroes, anxiety related to the security and perception of one's image and identity, a sincere desire to proclaim a specific message in a relatable and inoffensive manner, discovering how indelible a lost love can be in one's mind. And humor is definitely utilized on albums from Drake and Vampire Weekend.

[jon abbey]

Shiiin released a collection of (what I believe to be unreleased) works from Luc Ferrari & Brunhild Ferrari entitled Contes sentimentaux that I also still need to get around to.

also they just (in the last week or so) put out a triple CD of Eliane Radigue-Naldjorlak I-III, yet another example of why there is no need to make a final list before January at the earliest (not that I've heard it yet, but I saw those live a few years back and I'm sure it will be great).

that Chang/Thut is a good one, that is on both my and Yuko's lists.

[Dan Warburton]

Shiiin released a collection of (what I believe to be unreleased) works from Luc Ferrari & Brunhild Ferrari entitled Contes sentimentaux that I also still need to get around to.

also they just (in the last week or so) put out a triple CD of Eliane Radigue-Naldjorlak I-III, yet another example of why there is no need to make a final list before January at the earliest

Knowing Stéphane Roux (Shiiin) I confidently expect these to appear in time for my Best Of 2014 list

[Dan Warburton]

Happy as a pig in shit here, gloating over the Ferrari and Radigue Shiiins (it's my good fortune to live five minutes walk away from Stéphane Roux's office) - a (very) casual skip through the latter confirms my suspicion: keep a space open for this on your Best Of 2013 lists, folks --

[jon abbey]

man, I wish I'd said that. )

[Gil Sansón]

Great year for contemprary piano composition. Cage's Solo for Piano (the piano part for the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra) performed by Sabine Liebner on Wergo has to be heard to be believed. The longest version on record, a must if you adhere to the idea that Cage's work has much beauty in it if you treat it with the proper care and consideration. Lots of clever references to other pieces by him add to the enjoyment, seventy minutes that fly away in a whim.

Bryn Harrison's Vessels, as performed by Phillip Thomas for Another Timbre is very, very good. After four replays retains intact its disorienting feeling; not the memory games Feldman plays on us in Triadic Memories, but rather the illusion of stasis even when our ears tell otherwise.

[jon abbey]

also the first recording of Dennis Johnson's November!!

[Gil Sansón]

Oh yeah, definitely. Fantastic record and a very importaant one from the historical point of view alone. I've only heard a couple of hours on streaming, more than enough to easily put it among this year's best piano records.

[javier4w]

Great year for contemprary piano composition. Cage's Solo for Piano (the piano part for the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra) performed by Sabine Liebner on Wergo has to be heard to be believed. The longest version on record, a must if you adhere to the idea that Cage's work has much beauty in it if you treat it with the proper care and consideration. Lots of clever references to other pieces by him add to the enjoyment, seventy minutes that fly away in a whim.

Bryn Harrison's Vessels, as performed by Phillip Thomas for Another Timbre is very, very good. After four replays retains intact its disorienting feeling; not the memory games Feldman plays on us in Triadic Memories, but rather the illusion of stasis even when our ears tell otherwise.

And don't forget (or don't miss) Sabine Liebner's Cd "Morton Feldman Early piano pieces", released by Wergo in December 2012. Another great playing by Liebner, my favorite pianist for contemporary music.

[Gil Sansón]

Great year for contemprary piano composition. Cage's Solo for Piano (the piano part for the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra) performed by Sabine Liebner on Wergo has to be heard to be believed. The longest version on record, a must if you adhere to the idea that Cage's work has much beauty in it if you treat it with the proper care and consideration. Lots of clever references to other pieces by him add to the enjoyment, seventy minutes that fly away in a whim.

Bryn Harrison's Vessels, as performed by Phillip Thomas for Another Timbre is very, very good. After four replays retains intact its disorienting feeling; not the memory games Feldman plays on us in Triadic Memories, but rather the illusion of stasis even when our ears tell otherwise.

And don't forget (or don't miss) Sabine Liebner's Cd "Morton Feldman Early piano pieces", released by Wergo in December 2012. Another great playing by Liebner, my favorite pianist for contemporary music.

Will definitely track that one, Javier, and will put this fine pianist on my radar. We are talking about an artist on the same level as Tilbury and Tudor.

[javier4w]

Great year for contemprary piano composition. Cage's Solo for Piano (the piano part for the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra) performed by Sabine Liebner on Wergo has to be heard to be believed. The longest version on record, a must if you adhere to the idea that Cage's work has much beauty in it if you treat it with the proper care and consideration. Lots of clever references to other pieces by him add to the enjoyment, seventy minutes that fly away in a whim.

Bryn Harrison's Vessels, as performed by Phillip Thomas for Another Timbre is very, very good. After four replays retains intact its disorienting feeling; not the memory games Feldman plays on us in Triadic Memories, but rather the illusion of stasis even when our ears tell otherwise.

And don't forget (or don't miss) Sabine Liebner's Cd "Morton Feldman Early piano pieces", released by Wergo in December 2012. Another great playing by Liebner, my favorite pianist for contemporary music.

Will definitely track that one, Javier, and will put this fine pianist on my radar. We are talking about an artist on the same level as Tilbury and Tudor.

Her eleven cds (two for Ohems, five for Neos and four for Wergo) are excellent. She plays compositions by Cage, Feldman, Brown, Wolff and Ustvolskaya longer than other pianists, which make her playing spare, slow and beautiful.

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Sabine+Liebner

[Gil Sansón]

Doing some online research on Liebner I find that she has no time for integral works, but rather plays only what she genuinely likes, just as Sviatovslav Richter did. I have much respect for that work ethic, often those mandatory readings do little to engage the listener as they often feel perfunctory.

Samuel Vriezen and his reading of The Chord Catalogue on Wandelweiser should be on this year's best, I'm sure. It's not on mine for one reason only, but it's a big one: simply put, I don't like the piece. I do like quite some of Tom Johnson's work and his idea of following a process without outsider intervention is one I still find intriguing and worth serious investigation, but The Chord Catalogue simply rubs me the wrong way.

On a related area, Richard Glover's Logical Harmonies, on another timbre, is a fine example of the strict process development that Johnson works with, but in Glover's work (a composer new to me) I detect that english quality in that predilection for chorale voicing that's become associated with tha music of Elgar, Holst or more recently, Skempton or Bryars. Fantastic record, I haven't seen it reviewed yet, easily among this year's best for me. Beautiful playing by everyone involved, both solo and ensemble, my favorite moments at this time being Logical harmonies 1 and 2, beautifully played by Phillip Thomas, and Imperfect Harmony, performed by Dominic lash in a way that has to be heard to be believed. It's that good, on par with his reading of Houben's Nachtstuck from a few years back.

[javier4w]

More piano?
Panorama of American Piano Music: From Antheil to Zappa, 1911 to 1991 (Mode Records 4xCds)
Yvar Mikhashoff plays 62 works for piano by 48 american composers

[bryan]

I'm not sure if there's enough hate in my list, but I wanted to play. Appreciating the favorites here and hope to check out a few things that have been listed so far.

Life demanded stuff that was conducive for driving or being driven. At times where experimental music would have been chosen, silence was preferred.

Albums:

Wolf Eyes – No Answer: Lower Floors
My Bloody Valentine – mbv
Migos – Young Rich Niggas
Kevin Drumm - Earrach
Danny Brown – Old
TM88 & South Side – Crazy 8 x It's A Southside Track 3

Honorables:

Ka – Knight’s Gambit
Underachievers – Indigoism
Curren$y – New Jet City
Mika Vainio - Kilo

Tracks:

My Bloody Valentine – Who Sees You
Kevin Drumm – Earrach A
Young Thug – 2 Cups Stuffed
Gucci Mane – Me
Boards of Canada – Jacquard Causeway
Kanye West – On Sight
Father John Misty - Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings
Meek Mill – Lil Nigga Snupe
Mika Vainio – Scale
Migos – Hanna Montana
Poliça – Chain My Name
Sky Ferreira – You’re Not The One
Blood Orange – You’re Not Good Enough
Death Grips - You might think he loves you for your money but I know what he really loves you for it's your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
Danny Brown – Dubstep
Wolf Eyes – Confession of the Informer
Daft Punk – Doin’ it Right
King Krule – Easy Easy
Vampire Weekend – Step
Phoenix – Entertainment
Lorde – Tennis Court
Mark Kozelek & Desertshore – Mariette
Ka – Our Father
Future – Shit
Zach Farlow – Black Diamonds
Drake – Started From The Bottom
Curren$y - Mary

[joseghast]

One more on the list of "out to the loop" people around. Out of IHM for a long time, also.

I'm a total disaster when it comes to decide the best-of-year lists, but in 2013 there are three particular records I've ejoyed a LOT:

Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance
A real good one that took me by surprise (I wasn't able to finish listening to their two previous records, now I want to correct that) and that shows why this band is so highly regarded in the metal underground. Very 80's but in a good way.

The Dead C - Armed Courage
This one is the record of the year for me, and the best one from these people I've listened to (to be fair, I began with Future Artists and have only listened to a little of their previous output; so maybe this is bound to change).

Carcass - Surgical Steel
When I read about this record, I thought immediately that it wouldn't be up to par with their previous albums (especially with the great Heartwork) but I was wrong. A great one, maybe a little too much genre-oriented but good anyway.