Best of 2009

[JonG]

I believe it is time for some year-end lists. Favorite albums, songs, mixes, live-acts, etc.

I'm not going to rank mine just yet. I think I'll come back to it and edit here and there too. For now, a list of notables.

Martin Schulte - On the Moon [Sinergy Networks]
AGF/Delay - Symptoms [BPitch Control]
Ben Frost - By the Throat [Bedroom Community]
Burial & Four Tet - Moth / Wolf Cub 12" [Text Records]
Giuseppe Ielasi - Aix [12k]
Hannu - Hintergarten [Kesh Recordings]
Various Artists - 5 Years of Hyperdub [Hyperdub, 2009]
Intrusion - The Seduction of Silence [echospace]
2000F & J Kamata - You Don't Know What Love Is from Digidesign / You Don't Know What Love Is 12" [Hyperdub]
King Midas Sound - Waiting For You [Hyperdub]
King Midas Sound - One Ting (Dabrye Remix) from Cool Out EP [Hyperdub]
Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas - II [Eskimo Recordings]
Loscil - Strathcona Variations [Ghostly International]
Luke Hess - Light In The Dark [Echocord]
Lukid - Foma [Werk Discs]
Martyn - Great Lengths [3024]
Brock Van Wey - White Clouds Drift On And On [echospace]
Leyland Kirby - Sadly, the Future Is No Longer What It Was [History Always Favours The Winners]
FaltyDL - Love Is A Liability [Planet Mu]
Meanderthals - Desire Lines [Smalltown Supersound]
Mika Vainio - Aíneen Musta Puhelin / Black Telephone Of Matter [Touch]
Millie & Andrea - Temper Tantrum / Vigilance 12" [Daphne]
Moderat - Moderat [BPitch Control]
Mohlao - Ambrose [Meanwhile]
Mokira - Persona [Type Records]
Moritz von Oswald Trio - Vertical Ascent [Honest Jon's Records]
Oren Ambarchi - Persona [Black Truffle]
Pangaea - Bear Witness / Mosaix 12" [Hotflush Recordings]
Pixel - The Drive [Raster-Noton]
Quantec - Cauldron Subsidence [echocord]
September Collective - Always Breathing Monster [Mosz]
Shackleton - Three EPs [Perlon]
The Sight Below - Murmur EP [Ghostly International]
Sven Weisemann - Xine [wandering]
Tomasz Bednarczyk - Let's Make Better Mistakes Tomorrow [12k]
Variant - The Setting Sun [echospace]
Vladislav Delay - Tummaa [Leaf]
William Basinski - 92982 [2062]
Yagya - Rigning [Sending Orbs]
2562 - Unbalance [Tectonic]

Updated.

[Tiggi]

I've ordered a copy of the King Midas Sound album on the strength of your glowing post, Jon...

[JonG]

I've ordered a copy of the King Midas Sound album on the strength of your glowing post, Jon...

Wow. I hope it doesn't disappoint!

[JonG]

Popmatters Best Electronic Albums of 2009:

10. Brock Van Wey - White Clouds Drift on and On [Echospace]
09. 2562 - Unbalance [Tectonic]
08. Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue [Warp]
07. Gui Boratto - Take My Breath Away [Kompakt]
06. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us [Graveface]
05. Dan Deacon - Bromst [Carpark]
04. Harmonic 313 - When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence [Warp]
03. SND - Atavism [Raster - Noton]
02. Jon Hopkins - Insides [Domino]
01. FaltyDL - Love Is a Liability [Planet Mu]

I have half of these: 9, 7, 3, 2, and 1. Yes they're all great. I want the other five.

[JonG]

Pitchfork's The Year in Techno by Philip Sherburne

--follow the link for his essay and the full list. I'm editing this list down to ones I can vouch for to save space. Even so it is still quite long.

Notable Releases of 2009

St. Plomb: Escape Run [Brut!]
DJ Koze: "Mrs. Bojangels / Dr. ****" [Circus Company]
Matias Aguayo: "Bo Jack" [Cómeme]
Rebolledo: "Pitaya Frenesi [ft. Matias Aguayo]" [Cómeme]
Thomas Brinkmann: "Isch (+ Soulphiction Remisch)" [Petite]
Adam Marshall: North at Night [Cynosure]
Millie: "Sample Clearance / Path to Hell" [Daphne]
Andrea & Mille: "Temper Tantrum / Vigilance" [Daphne]
Levon Vincent: Invisible Bitchslap EP [Deconstruct Music]
Newworldaquarium: The Force (Ame Remixes) [NWAQ]
Newworldaquarium: "Trespassers" (Repress) [Delsin]
Redshape: The Dance Paradox [Delsin]
Carl Craig & Moritz von Oswald: ReComposed [Deutsche Grammophon]
Marcel Dettmann: "Helix" [Diamonds & Pearls]
Mikkel Metal: "Kenton" / "Kenton (Marcel Dettmann Remix)" [Echocord Colour]
Omar-S: "In Side My Head" [FXHE]
Omar-S: Still Serious Nic EP [FXHE]
Hauntologists: EP1 [Hauntologists]
Hauntologists: EP2 [Hauntologists]
Monolake: "Atlas" / "Titan" [Imbalance Computer Music]
Monolake: "T++ Remixes" [Imbalance Computer Music]
The Mole: "For the Lost" / "There's Hope" [Internasjonal]
Moodymann: Anotha Black Sunday [KDJ]
Moodymann: "Freaki Mutha F cker" [KDJ]
Mugwump: "Fears Inc." [Kompakt]
Burger/Voigt: Wand Aus Klang Remixes [Kompakt]
Matias Aguayo: Ay Ay Ay [Kompakt]
Motor City Drum Ensemble: "Raw Cuts #5/6" [MCDE]
Marcel Dettmann: MDR 06 [MDR]
Andy Stott: "Brief Encounter" / "Drippin" [Modern Love]
Andy Stott: "Night Jewel" [Modern Love]
MLZ: One Cycle [Modern Love]
Claro Intelecto: Chadderton EP [Modern Love]
DJ Sprinkles: "Grand Central Part I (Deep Into the Bowel of House)(MCDE Remixes)" [Mule Musiq]
Levon Vincent: "The Medium Is the Message" [Novel Sound]
Levon Vincent / DJ Jus-Ed: These Games EP [Novel Sound] (2008)
Nick Höppner: "Makeover" / "Foundling" [Ostgut Tonträger]
Ben Klock: Remixes [Ostgut Tonträger]
Basic Soul Unit / Lerosa: Panorama Bar 02 | Part I [Ostgut Tonträger]
Levon Vincent / Steffi: Panorama Bar 02 | Part II [Ostgut Tonträger]
Tony Lionni / Radio Slave: Berghain 03 | Part I [Ostgut Tonträger]
John Tejada / Josh Humphrey: "Concrete Safari" [Palette]
John Tejada: Vertex EP [Palette]
FaltyDL: To London EP [Ramp]
Radio Slave: "RJ" [Running Back]
Function: Remixed [Sandwell District]
Van Rivers: "Stretched Out on Pavement" [SD Records]
Will Saul & Tam Cooper: "3000AD (I:Cube Remixes)" [Simple]
Meanderthals: "Andromeda (Idjut Boys Mix)" [Smalltown Supersound]
STL: "Silent State" [Smallville]
Various: And Suddenly It's Morning [Smallville]
Osborne: Hovercrafting EP [Spectral Sound]
Tortoise: "Gigantes Version (Mark Ernestus Remix)" [Thrill Jockey]
Donato Dozzy & Cio D'or: "Menta" [Time to Express]
DJ Jus-Ed: GV-255 Step Up [Underground Quality]

[JonG]

Resident Advisor Top 20 Labels of 2009

20. FXHE
19. Cécille Records
18. Permanent Vacation
17. BPitch Control
16. Warp Records
15. Innervisions
14. 20:20 Vision
13. Crosstown Rebels
12. Mule Musiq
11. Perlon
10. Smallville
09. Sandwell District
08. DFA Records
07. Running Back
06. Underground Quality
05. Kompakt
04. Hotflush Recordings
03. Wolf + Lamb
02. Ostgut Ton
01. Hyperdub

[JonG]

Textura 2009 Top 20 Albums

01. Leyland Kirby: Sadly The Future Is No Longer What It Was [History Always Favours the Winners]
02. Brock Van Wey: White Clouds Drift On and On [Echospace (Detroit)]
03. orchestramaxfieldparrish presents ÆRA: To The Last Man / Index of Dreaming [Faith Strange]
04. Intrusion: The Seduction of Silence [Echospace (Detroit)]
05. James Blackshaw: The Glass Bead Game [Young God]
06. Alexander Turnquist: As the Twilight Crane Dreams in Colour [VHF]
07. Gareth Dickson: Collected Recordings [Drifting Falling]
08. David Åhlén: We Sprout in Thy Soil [Compunctio]
09. Bvdub: We Were the Sun [Quietus]
10. The Lickets: Her Name Came On Arrows / They Turned Our Desert Into Fire [International Corporation / Gandhara]
11. Balmorhea: All is Wild, All is Silent [Western Vinyl]
12. Aspidistrafly: I Hold a Wish For You [Kitchen.]
13. Rameses III: I Could Not Love You More [Type]
14. CYNE: Water From Mars [Hometapes]
15. Celer: Engaged Touches [Home Normal]
16. AREA C: Planetarium Project [Sedimental]
17. Rickard Jäverling: The Valleys [Kning Disk]
18. Jasper TX: Singing Stones [Fang Bomb]
19. Anduin: Abandoned in Sleep [SMTG]
20. Motohiro Nakamisha: We Hum on the Way Home [Schole]

This website favors the "home-listening" crowd. I don't think there is a dance record in the bunch. In fact not all of these are "electronic" per se, more just experimental. Some are more drone, folk, psych, post-rock etc.

[JonG]

Resident Advisor Top 20 Albums of 2009

01. DJ Sprinkles - Midtown 120 Blues [Mule Musiq]
02. Fever Ray - Fever Ray [Rabid Records / Mute]
03. Martyn - Great Lengths [3024]
04. Moritz von Oswald Trio - Vertical Ascent [Honest Jon's Records]
05. Shackleton - Three EP's [Perlon]
06. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion [Domino]
07. Matias Aguayo - Ay Ay Ay [Kompakt]
08. Ben Klock - One [Ostgut Tonträger]
09. Redshape - The Dance Paradox [Delsin / Present]
10. 2562 - Unbalance [Tectonic]
11. F*ck Buttons - Tarot Sport [ATP Recordings]
12. The Field - Yesterday and Today [Kompakt]
13. Black Meteoric Star - Black Meteoric Star [DFA]
14. Lawrence - Until Then, Goodbye [Mule Electronic]
15. Dinky - Anemik [Wagon Repair]
16. Ben Frost - By The Throat [Bedroom Community]
17. Bvdub: We Were the Sun [Quietus]
18. Black Jazz Consortium - Structure [Soul People Music]
19. Peverelist - Jarvik Mindstate [Punch Drunk]
20. Moderat - Moderat [BPitch Control]

I have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 17 and 20. They're all super.

[JonG]

Anyone else listen to new electronic music in 2009? What are your favorites? Or what about electronic music that was new to you in 2009?

[JonG]

Basic_Sounds Best of 2009

martin schulte / depth of soul / lantern
- My new favourite artist discovery this year is Russian producer, Marat Shibaev aka Martin Schulte. Twenty-one year old, Martin Schulte successfully delivers delicious dub-inspired techno intertwined with floating ambient textures and atmospheric field recordings.

pablo bolivar / recall / regular
-Spanish producer, Pablo Bolivar develops clinical sequences into divine warm melodies and stunning techno grooves.

ametsub / the nothings of the north / progressive form
- 25 year old Tokyo-based musician Ametsub delivers satisfying glitchy IDM melodies.

lusine / a certain distance / ghostly
- Seattle based, Lusine aka Jeff McIlwain combines sophisticated pop structures with warm melodic IDM melodies.

jonathan johansson / en hand i himlen / hybris
- Jonathan Johansson creates infectious nostalgic Swedish synth-pop. I've become that annoying sixteen year-old high school girl that plays her favourite pop song over and over again.

quantec / cauldron subsidence / echocord
- Quantec aka Sven Schienhammer, delivers his second full length release with outstanding deep pulsating dub ambiance.

fluxion / constant limber / resopal schallware
- Fluxion combines deep delicious dub sounds over driven 4/4 beats.

pendle coven / self assessment / modern love
- Pendle Coven, known for being half of MLZ, presents his first full-length debut. Well produced dub techno with some straightforward dubstep, broken beat and shimmering ambiance.

pleq / the metamorphosis / u-cover
- Pleq constructs well-crafted glitchy ambiance, full of delicate shifting micro sounds, percussion clicks and orchestral sentiments.

brock van wey (aka bvdub) / white clouds drift on and on / echospace
- Brock Van Wey produces beautiful sentimental ambient music and is the first Echospace outsider to be accepted on the label.

black to comm / alphabet 1968 / type
- Beautiful drone ambient album full of haunting loops, distant lullabies and psychedelic classical structures.

lowfish / frozen and broken / noise factory
- Gregory de Rocher aka Lowfish produces quality grooving analogue synth-electro/techno full of catchy melodies.

ólafur arnalds / found songs / erased tapes
- Minimalist Icelandic composer, Ólafur Arnalds brilliantly managed to produce this sentimental classical album in seven days.

rone / spanish breakfast / infine
- French producer, Rone aka Erwan Castex, delivers a driving tech-house album full of cinematic overtones.

port-royal / dying in time / n5md
- Port-Royal deliver their original, emotionally elevated shoegaze ambience while incorporating distortions of techno and synth pop.

redshape / the dance paradox / delsin
- Redshape produces driven acid basslines with futuristic analogue warmth.

dj sprinkles / midtown 120 blues / mule
- Terre Thaemlitz aka Dj Sprinkles delivers a solid deep house album with a pinch of melancholy.

louderbach / autumn / m_nus
- Troy Pierce and Gibby Miller combines Miller's vocals with Pierce's dark minimal techno productions for clinical driven basslines and robotic introspective sounding love songs.

yagya / rigning / sending orbs
- Icelandic producer, Yagya aka Aalsteinn Gumundsson, delivers his third full-length release of hypnotizing melancholy ambient beats.

marconi union / tokyo / bine
- Minimalist ambient soundscapes with micro-beats and glitchy percussion.