BEST LABELS OF 2020

COLEMAN MUMMERY - Divine Wizard, infinite narration, electroacoustic tricks to smash every dimension, died & resurrected many times while listening to Il Mummero.

JESSE OSBORNE-LANTHIER - Left My Brain…. a masterpiece of human music.

LOTO RETINA - loto!!!!!!!! genuine crazy shit, unpredictable, pure flow, music to dance, music to live life.

PASZKA - Eastern Europe really is the home of the weirdest characters around … sweet explosions, a shiny ecosystem of chanting elves, i rarely enjoy this kind of melodic flows… but DAAAAMN.

SENOR SERVICE & REPTILIAN EXPO - Once again in the list… these are real friends, the dumbest & bravest tiny-sounds of the peninsula, sunyttycore, bruh-bass, squeaky mutations… freeform anticlimax, ketch induced hallucinations, frogs in the mud.

SV1 - Fluid blasts, asmr-core, long live the bouncing organic underground!!!

QUANTA QUALIA - One of the few mindblowing live performances of the year… un-explicable, intrigues & secrets from the microworld utopias… tripping balls…..

ZEROXXUIT - Real chaos trap, dungeonmaster of trill & goblinism.

Exiles ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

MA’AM - EGMÁ (self-released)

Pentu - Primary Stasis (bonus edition) (Daddypower)

in silence - CAREFULWITHOUTWALLSOFSTEEL (AM 01:09:69 JUN-05-1970)

Laurine Frost - LENA (LYKA)

Gosheven - Pseudo Equiheptatonic Music (self-released)

Bolcsó Bálint | prell split (Dióbél Kiadó)

J.Mono - Redate II (Dalmata Daniel)

Ábris Gryllus - A.D. (Farbwechsel)

Obwigszyh - Xergiok (Műhely)

Committee - EP1 (self-released)

ROT - Open Dispute About The Meaning Of Life And The Pain Surrounding Us On A Saturday Afternoon (Pure Hate)

VA - Hősök (CRISIS)

Ádám Krasz / AGA2L - BRV002 (BRVTAL)

Cranky Bow - The Blue Ball Session (blindblindblind)

tigrics - Dimensionless (self-released)

Ádám Erdei - 33 (Visionary Mind Records)

V/ADPÖRGÉS (Vadpörgés!)

Genot Centre ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

{arsonist} - Reality Structure (Unifactor)

Aho Ssan - Simulacrum (Subtext)

Dylan Henner - The Invention of the Human (AD93)

Elysia Crampton - ORCORARA 2010 (PAN)

Léo Hoffsaes - J’ai pour eux cet amour qui ne passe jamais, qui ne faiblit pas (Enmossed)

Olli Aarni - Mustikoita ja kissankelloja (Mappa Editions)

Oval - Scis (Thrill Jockey)

sv1 - Field Study (Curiosity Shop)

White Goblin - In the Darkness of the Planet After the Extinction of Gaia (Userlands)

Yelzin - Now That's What I Call Yelzin (Petrola 80)

Gin&Platonic ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Favorite albums:

Avbvrn – Nocturnes (self-released)

BROSHUDA – Contemplative Figuration (Soda Gong)

Prisyaga – Dembelsky Albom (Raw Russian)

My cruelty – The secret weapon (Genot Centre)

Aho Ssan – Simulacrum (Subtext)

trngs – Procedural World - 2,008 Children (60NICE)

Bartuś 419 – Boże błogosław morderców (enjoy life)

Glass – crY (OOH-sounds)

julek ploski – Human Sapiens Ep (Pointless Geometry)

aircode – Effortless (Alien Jams)

Favorite movies:

This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection

Favorite gin:

Beefeater Blood Orange

Tōsh Gin

Hendrick’s

Glamour ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Julian:

Records:

Takashi Watanabe - A collection of film music for Isamu Hirabayashi “the legend of zelda” playful spirit is very much present here

Luis Pestana - Rosa Pano (Orange Milk) Massive, epic epos about satanic ceremonies and my favorite life soundtrack of the year

Ange Halliwell - The Wheel of Time (High Heal) Ultra romantic harp music perfect for feeling things..

Thomas Clay - Fanny Lye Deliver'd (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) let’s go and slay some monsters !!!!!

Movies:

“Uncut Gems” best movie of the year yeah

“Color out of space” drunk “hereditary” and an absolutely epic Richard Stanley comeback !!

“Fanny Lye Deliver’d” home invasion, melodramatic amalgam of everything i love in cinema. haven’t seen anything so fresh for a long time..

“I’m thinking of ending things” Charlie Kaufman is The Bro

“Wisdom Tooth” if you like “Burning” .. you gonna love this movie ! ALSO

Czacha & Gucio my guinea pigs -- i love them so much !!!!!

Natalia:

Records:

Amiina - Attic Series 1 (amiina)

Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin kynsi (Nuclear Blast)

Myrkur - Folksange (Relapse)

Rockabye Baby - Lullaby renditions of Pitbull

Movies:

Saint Maud - Rose Glass

Dark Waters - Todd Haynes (made us buy a new set of frying pans…)

Il traditore - Marco Bellocchio DAU

Natasha - Ilya Khrzhanovskiy

Hoge tapes ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

GEZAN - 狂 (KLUE) (十三月)

G Sudden - Bunout Boss (Duppy Gun)

Howie Lee - 7 Weapons Serious (Maloca)

Le Makeup - 微熱 (pure boyage) (CD from EM Records)

Moment Joon - Passport & Garcon (GROW UP UNDERGROUND RECORDS)

Pisitakun - Absolute C.O.U.P. (CHINABOT)

Sun Araw - Rock Sutra (SUN ARK)

V.A. - S.D.S =零= (Subscription Double Suicide =Zero=) (EM Records)

食品まつり a.k.a foodman - Doukutsu (Highball Records)

冥丁 - 古風 (KITCHEN. LABEL)

International Winners ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

P A T H - Dissolving Light EP (self-released)

Gamayun - ГОСТ014: Гамаюн "Фильтреализм" (Gost Zvuk)

Serpente - Fé/Vazio (ECSTATIC)

Synalegg - Beating The Odds (Conditional)

Gated Boyhood - Gated Boyhood EP (BRKN Rec.)

Muqata'a - Ikhtiraq (from V/A - In Search Of Hope) (NoSR - No Suit Records)

Toiret Status - #80 (Slagwerk)

Aho Ssan - Simulacrum (Subtext)

Zoe Mc Pherson - States of Fugue (SFX)

Powell - aƒ18 ➜ flash across the intervals_lp (Diagonal)

i.u. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Victor/Gibby-dj:

Lumpex - DOGTAPE VOL.7 (Lost Dogs Entertainment)

Roger Tellier-Craig - Études (Second Editions)

Metro Zee - Metro Zee EP (Ritual Poison)

Adum Brate - Checkin Up on Curly Vince (Expressionless Objects)

Brood Ma - Blueprint (self-released)

Lawrence/hogobogobogo:

Dane Law - Algorithmic Music for Synthesised Strings (Astral Plane Recordings)

Dylan Henner - The Invention of the Human (AD 93)

Carl Stone - Stolen Car (Unseen Worlds)

Lol K - The Breeze (Halcyon Veil)

Phew - Vertigo KO (Disciples)

Jollies ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Moor Mother and Olof Melander - ANTHOLOGI 01 (Don Giovanni Records)

Bandido Del Futuro - Las Flores Especiales (Self Released)

Sentry - A Minimum Wage Employee Named Ham (Self Released)

No Home - Fucking Hell (Self Released)

Dutch Courage - Peter (Self Released)

Reinartz - Ravecoil (Corrupt Data)

Sabrina - the negative (Jaringan Records)

The Neighbourhood Character - There Will Be Magic (WOOD // WORK)

Morast - Drawing Figures into Negative Space (Baba Vanga)

Dip Friso - If The Worm Turns It Could Turn Ugly (Real Landscape)

Kumo Communication ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

徳利 - INA (Self-Released)

Tohji - Oreo (Self-Released)

Slauson Malone - Vergangenheitsbewältigung (Crater Speak) (Grand Closing)

japanraingoggle

dismiss yourself (dismiss yourself)*Youtube Channel

african kids - KIZZ DANIEL FT AFRCAN KIDS_CHEK (OFFICIAL DANCE VIDEO)a.k.a47 (african kids) *Youtube Channel

Ichiko Aoba - 海底のエデン (Choe ver.) (hermine)

Pomme - quarantine phone sessions (Polydor)

Various Artists - S.D.S =零= (Subscription Double Suicide) (EM Records)

ピアノ男 - 2020/10/17 Hyper-relax MEGAMIX (Self-Released)

KRAAK / KRUT ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Bass Clef ~ Orezero (Slip)

Beatriz Fereyra ~ Echo’s + (Room 40)

Container ~ Scramblers (Alter)

Goldblum ~ Goldblum (Het Generiek)

Guilhem All ~ Morbig (Complex Holiday)

Dominique Grimaud ~ 19 Feedbacks (Discrepant)

Les Halles ~ Elsewhere Is A Negative Mirror (Compilation) (self-released)

Hiele - Sings (Ultra Eczema)

Magik Markers ~ Isolated from Exterior Time: 2020 (Drag City)

Matts Balance Volumes ~ A Year Closer (Penultimate Press)

Mentos Gulgendo ~ Mentos Gulgendo (Slip)

Priscilla Ermel ~ Origins Da Luz (Music From Memory)

Radio Hito ~ Non Sono Sole (Midi Fish)

Radio Moondawn (mixtapes of all sorts by Matt Krefting)

Timelash (Hare Akedod)

Tulips ~ Hipólito (Stenze Quo)

Új Bála ~ How The Cookie Crumbles (czaszka (rec.))

Valentina Goncharova ~ Recordings 1987-1991 Vol. 1 (Shukai)

Various ~ Scanty Canteen Music (Swallowing Helmets)

Vica Pacheco & Apulati Bien Kiosk Radio Cumbia Rebajada mix 02.12.20

Mondoj ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

A random list of some of our favorite 2020 heavy hitters:

Reservoir of memory from the hum of your veiled voice by Jake Muir (Sferic)

Perpetual Motion from A Thing in Middle Distance by Nick Malkin (self-released)

Ao Romper da Bela Aurora from Rosa Pano by Luis Pestana (Orange Milk Records)

Rhododendron Forest Rescue from Excision After Love Collapses by FRKTL (self-released)

it was always worth it by claire rousay (Longform Editions)

Pantofelek Gluon by Paszka (Noumenal Loom)

pomello serape from music for a living water by G.S. Sultan (Orange Milk Records)

gender dysphoria trauma bonding (ft. amulets) from Mari by More Eaze (Orange Milk Records)

No. 5 from Lettere Animali by Rosso Polare (Klammklang)

Full Squid from New Topographics by Matt Evans (Whatever’s Clever)

Tuchulcha from Etrusca 3D by Etrusca 3D (Pacific City Sound Visions)

I Watched them Jump into the Creek from The Invention of the Human by Dylan Henner (AD 93)

Responsive Design from Someone (Most Likely You) / Responsive Design by Space Heater (self-released)

Along the Causeway from Fuubutsushi (風物詩) by Jusell, Prymek, Sage, Shiroishi (Cached Media)

No Species from Blue Marble Agony by Euglossine (Genot Centre)

Rim from Lira by Vic Bang (Kit Records)

Time flys from Creepy Crawly by Felicity Mangan (mappa)

Music from New Love Music by Marta Forsberg (Warm Winters Ltd.)

w tej piosence probowalem zapomniec o stresie from house ze skrzypcami w tle by ehh hahah (𝓰𝓵𝓪𝓶𝓸𝓾𝓻.𝓁𝒶𝒷𝑒𝓁)

Temporary by Koeosaeme (Orange Milk Records)

Most Dismal Swamp ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

My list this year proved difficult to cohere into any kind of ranking or to even feel like a complete list. Life in quarantine-haze and my own workflow slowing down significantly meant experiencing more of a diffuse, tough no less intense, appreciation for a great many releases as well as exhibtions, presentations, and events of all kinds by artists that I found important at different times through the year. I also found to important to cling to some old familiar favourites which played a certain role but maybe also resulted in sleeping on a lot of amazing new work, which I'm now discovering via others EOY lists...

2020 music releases

Ange Halliwel - The Wheel of Time (High Heal)

Otro - Untitled (Live From Nowhere) (Eastern Nurseries)

Jorrdan - Atra (self-released)

Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts V: Together (The Null Corporation)

Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts VI: Locusts (The Null Corporation)

Holly Childs & Gediminas Žygus - Hydrangea (Subtext)

Nexcyia - Crawl (Alien Jams)

Ur III & Iceboy Violet - Bloch (Mutualism)

Elysia Crampton - ORCORARA 2010 (PAN)

Flora Yin Wong - Holy Palm (self-released)

Drew McDowall - Agalma (Dais)

Aho Ssan - Simulacrum (Subtext)

Star Searchers - Avatar Blue (Discrepant)

Salem - Heavens on Fire (self-released)

Echinacea - some other wonder (Inner Most)

LIGH TN ING - Fantasy Violence (Ashida Park)

Our.v - A U K (Neoplasm)

Thammudu & Mishti - Matters of Ascension (TT (fka Tobago Tracks))

enchanted lands - Cryptic Island Eco-Sanctuary (Quantum Natives)

7777 の天使 - Bruised Grills Eternal Tears (Soul Feeder)

sv1 - Field Study (self-released)

Duma - Duma (Nyege Nyege)

Violent Magic Orchestra - Principle of Light Speed Invariance (Never Sleep)

Kassel Jaeger - Swamp/Things (Shelter Press)

111X - Envy (Changeless)

bod [包家巷] - Music For Self-Esteem (YEAR0001)

NWIII - Снежные Травы (Fuselab)

FRKTL - Excision After Love Collapses (self-released)

ssaliva - God Room (Luik)

Jennifer Walton - Flash On (All Centre)

Sightless Pit - Grave of a Dog (Thrill Jockey)

Dane Law - Algorithmic Music for Synthesised Strings (Astral Plane)

Æthereal Anthropod - Pantheon Fossil (self-released)

Seven Orbits - EP0001 (SVBKVLT)

Never Worse - Hell (Steep Incline)

Sol Ring - I Close the Door Upon Myself (Jerome)

Canaan Balsam - Cruise Utopia (Modern Obscure)

Space Afrika - hybtwibt? (self-released)

Jasmine Guffond - Microphone Permission (Editions Mego)

Dahjyn - High I Caught (self-released)

An Trinse - Atlantic Elements (self-released)

Oxhy - storing meat in the belly of my brother (5 GATE TEMPLE)

Arca - @@@@@

Fange - Pudeur (self-released)

Kelly Moran/Prurient - Chain Reaction at Dusk (Hospital)

Primitive Man - Immersion (Relapse)

The Bug & Dis Fig - In Blue (Hyperdub)

Laurel Halo - Possessed OST (Decca)

Jesse Osborne-Lanthier - Left My Brain @ Can Paixano (La Xampanyeria) OST (Haunter)

Autechre - SIGN (Warp)

Liturgy - Origin of the Alimonies (self-released)

Eartheater - Phoenix: Flames are Dew Upon My Skin (PAN)

Yves Tumor - Heaven to a Tortured Mind (Warp)

Other important work from 2020, and some that I hope to see in 2021

This list is a shoutout to favourite artworks, events, platforms, artists, designers clubs, venues, crews, and more. Many of whom I've been chatting to about the coming year.

Portals to an Enchanted Commons by Cobweaver may have been my favourite artwork

Interdependence podcast

@slid.fromthefabricflaps

Confraternity of Neoflagellants

Last Yearz Interesting Negro

Ormside Projects

Nonlocal Research ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

RECORDS (in no particular order):

Berangere Maximin - Land Of Waves (self-released)

Vica Pacheco - Symplegmata (KRAAK)

Cristina Vantzou - Multi Natural (Edicoes CN)

Orphan Fairytale - Titania Moon (Ultra Eczema)

Loto Retina - 2022 (Promesses)

Galen Tipton - carepackage (self-released)

Señor Service - Pollo Gordo (Pampsychia)

Vic Bang - Lira (Kit Recs)

Jean-Marie Mercimek - La Flourenn En Mars (Aguirre)

Liz Durette - For now (self-released)

sohsie LAN - Life is painful, hilarious (Bánh Mì Verlag)

Kuupuu - Plz Tell Me (KRAAK)

Li Yilei - Unabled Form (LTR)

Qoa - Achiyaku (Aural Canyon)

VA - To Bloom, To Glow (HDMR) – fundraiser compilation in support of Russian LGBTQIA+ community

Oi Les Ox - Crooner Qui Coule Sous Les Clous (Primordial Void)

OAKMILK - Loquacious frother, madude `;.^) (self-released)

Jacob Sachs-Mishalaine - Scribble (Mondoj)

RUOH - melon? (self-released)

Folder - New path (Experiences Ltd.)

Sam Gendel - Satin Doll (Nonesuch)

Efraín Rozas - I Enjoy The World (Futura Resistenza)

Khaki Blazer - Content with the Hole You Fell In (Sun Ark)

Maarja Nuut & Sun Araw - Fantasias for Violin & Guitar (self-released)

Tulips - Matas Flores y Algo Más (Planet Rescue)

Polonius - Pisces (Ikuisuus)

Francesca Heart - Ianassa Alga Miraggio (Ingrown)

Mondoriviera - Il Tempio degli Uomini Granchio (self-released)

Rainbow Island - Illmatrix (Artetetra)

Babau - Stock Fantasy Zone (VOLUM E BOOTLEG)

xàr num - The Nameless City (Communion)

KUTHI JIN - KMAJIK 23 (Clam Pressure)

Y.a.M.A - Drive (GORGE.IN)

Yunzero - Blurry Ant (Lillerne)

Mister Water Wet - Compost (Lillerne)

Post Moves - Cut Into Your Own Dimension (Noumenal Loom)

Marja Ahti - The Current Inside (self-released)

Red Brut - Cloaked Travells (Lal Lal Lal)

Mukqs - Water Levels (self-released)

Cassini Division - Eta Carinae (Ultra Eczema)

D.D. Dobson - Cycles Of Celebration (Lal Lal Lal)

Francesco Cavaliere - Alata Onda (self-released)

Etrusca 3D - Etrusca 3D (Pacific City Sound Visions)

Cole Pulice - Gloam (Moon Glyph)

Nils Quak/Flamingo Creatures - Nils Quak/Flamingo Creatures (Crash Symbols)

Cool Person - Another Person (self-released)

JC Leisure - Mutations For (Warm Winters Ltd.)

Sage Alyte - Paume de pierre (vlek)

Everything on Kraak’s sub label Kruut

EVENTS

Kraak Festival 2020 with sets by Aylu, Vica Pacheco, Orphan Fairytale, Quanta Qualia, Mesías Maiguashca amongst others. It was great to work together with Lizzy Vandirendonk on the visual decor of the fest as well.

Kraak’s Spring Brakers series of virtual concerts which are still available to watch online here:
https://vimeo.com/user50024974

All editions of Musa Ullakolla on SWGBO (a cracked version of finish virtual social platform Habbo Hotel). These events were important in reaffirming the connectedness between freaks from the experimental music scenes of Finland, Belgium, USA, and beyond during the dark times of pandemic isolation. Held by the wonderful Suomi elves Samuli Tanner and Heta Bilaletdin. Insane allstar lineups!
Here a video from Kuupuu’s new record, featuring scenes from her concert in the venue where this all took place:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um3RxrJ4fbw

Samuli’s and Heta’s concerts in our house in the beginning of the year were also major highlights, here an excerpt of Tanner’s game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDTnbZI4p3M

Clarice Calvo-Pinsolle’s (aka Lamina) brain melting set @ Q-O2
(Look for her music in one of the releases on KRUT along two other grand high witches, and in the sound sorcery episode of Spring Brakers < ; ^ )

Roxane Métayer & Kaito’s concert on a boat under a bridge in the outskirts of Brussels to the backdrop of a setting sun reflecting pink on the rippling canal and a puffin nuclear plant styled chimney.

Dreamy Timidi’s concert in the oh so magickal closing night of Nuova Atlantide.

Playing a hidden concert with my hermanos Ernesto Gonzalez (Bear Bones Lay Low), Tony Marie (Loto Retina) and Daniel Dariel

Screening of Henri Michaux’s psychedelic films @ Cinematek Brussels. One of the most visually accurate representations of these mental states that I’ve seen.

BOOKS

Alina Popa - Square of Will in Square of Love
Alina Popa & Florin Flueras - Unsorcery
Clarice Lispector - The Passion According to G.H.
CCRU - Writings 1997 - 2003
Vilém Flusser - Vampyrotheutis Infernalis
Caetano Veloso - Tropical Truth

MOVIES

Milieu - Damien Faure
Beautiful documentary on the life of people in relation to their environment on a small Japanese island regularly hit by typhoons. A lovely example of life in a slow rhythm with reverence for the unspeakable, sometimes represented as spirits. Great soundtrack sets the tone without imposing itself on the “silence” of “nature”.

Split - Chris Shaw
Mind boggling hidden gem of independent Gringo Sci-fi, a story about a guy in his struggle against Control and Order armed with a mysterious substance that sets your mind free. Funky visual effects and sampledelic soundtrack that sounds like it could have been made by Spencer Clark. Smash the Apollonian shell and let Chaos pour through the cracks!

Habitat - René Daalder
In a post apocalyptic world, where your skin boils if exposed to the unfiltered solar radiation, an outlandish family turns the outside-in by making their house into a living environment and “giving evolution a kick in the butt”. Deep and unlikely treatment of the genre (William Blake quote included ;)

Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Rewatched this childhood classic and was very pleasantly surprised. A clever critique on capitalism and surveillance society. Packed with meta-meta jokes on Hollywood culture. It even laughs at the now very familiar trend of “green” capitalism. Still relevant!

GAMES

Myst III: Exile
The gameplay might not be the most fluent, considering it’s point and click, but the futuristic-elven-art-nouveau-punk aesthetics, the trippy ambient soundtrack, the challenging and sophisticated mind game puzzles and the fact that it all takes place in worlds that are books, where a character messes things up to take revenge on their writter/creator, all make it a great piece of art to me. Wish I could live in there, at least while the plague is here.

Orange Milk ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Keith:

Elysia Crampton - ORCORARA 2010 (PAN)

Feu St-Antoine - L’eau par la soif (Éditions Appærent)

Namco Sounds - Tekken 7 OST

NCT U - RESONANCE Pt. 2

bean boy - Creature (Dog Show)

{arsonist} - Reality Structure (unifactor)

RMR - Rascal

RXM Reality - blood blood blood blood (Hausu Mountain)

CVN - egg (self-released)

A.G. Cook - 7G (PC Music)

Blacksea Não Maya - Máquina de Vénus (Príncipe)

Eartheater - Pheonix: Flames Are Dew Upon My Skin (PAN)

Palmistry - Post Eternity (Fool's Gold)

Antonina Nowacka - Lamunan (Mondoj)

sv1 - field study (self-released)

peb - A Blade of Grass has the Status of a Flower (Mutualism)

DV-i - implementation (MALTINE)

CONTAINER - SCRAMBLERS (A L T E R)

Leo Takami - Felis Cats and Silence (Unseen Worlds)

Lorenzo Senni - Scacco Matto (Warp)

Jesse Lanza - All The Time (Hyperdub)

Machine Girl - U-Void (self-released)

Seth:

Elysia Crampton - ORCORARA 2010 (PAN)

Feu St-Antoine - L’eau par la soif (Éditions Appærent)

ssaliva - IM THE ONE WITH NO SOUL (self-released)

Metoronori - Evenings (self-released)

Liturgy - Origin of the Alimonies (self-released)

Ashley Paul - Ray (Slip)

Duma - Duma (Nyege Nyege)

Lauren Bousfield - Palimpsest (Deathbomb Arc)

Dreamcrusher - Panopticon! (PTP)

Beatrice Dillon - Workaround (PAN)

Outlines ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Wojciech Traczyk - Runo (Pawlacz Perski)

Qba Janicki & Obsequies - Autolysis (Pointless Geometry)

julek ploski - Human Sapiens EP (Pointless Geometry)

Maciej Maciągowski - TURB0_0BRUT (𝓰𝓵𝓪𝓶𝓸𝓾𝓻.𝓁𝒶𝒷𝑒𝓁)

Automatisme - Alter- vol. 2 (Mille Plateaux)

Ifs - Tambur (Patalax)

Fischerle - Kaznodzieja (Patalax)

CRZKNY - 暴力街 (don’tkillmyvibes)

Skip Club Orchestra - Musubi (Dubliminal Bounce)

otomoni - su (self-released)

Kindohm - Deserted / Reclaimed (Gin&Platonic)

160PPM - CODE160 (co-dependent)

Star Searchers - Avatar Blue vol 1/vol2 (Discrepant)

DJ Godfather - Electro Beats For Freaks (Databass Records)

nnirror - fenestral split (self-released)

mww & monkey 20 present mind phreak (Water Works)

Space Afrika - hybtwibt? (self-released)

Jabu - Sweet Company (do you have peace?)

Mads Emil Nielsen + Katja Gretzinger + Nicola Ratti - Framework 3 (arbitrary)

Mark Fell and WIll Guthrie - Infoldings (NAKID)

Pampsychia ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Ace $now$ - wait (self-released)

BABAU - STOCK FANTASY ZONE (VOLUM E BOOTLEG)

Kuthi Jin - Bee Extinction (Artetetra)

CHAMBRY - Le Vent, l'Air et l'Atmosphère (Cindys Tapes)

Charles Verni, aircode - Daily (air code remix) (Edited Arts)

coleman mummery - 1a (self-released)

Loto Retina - 2022 (Promesses)

Non Local Society - Exiled from Wireworld (Nonlocal Research)

VIC BANG - LIRA (Kit Recs)

VORONHIL - FANTASIA EXFORMATION PRINCIPLE (Clam)

Pointless Geometry ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1988 - Ring The Alarm (Latarnia Records)

Fischerle - Kaznodzieja (Patalax)

hæra & distope - light pollution (BAS)

CLINAMEN - The Tropisms of Spring (Brutality Garden)

FOQL & Fischerle - Personal Wastelands (Paralaxe Editions)

Malediwy - Dolce Tsunami (Coastline Northern Cuts)

Młody Kotek & Niemy Dotyk - New Age Speedball (Enjoy Life)

FKA Micromelancolie & Tutti Harp aka Garb (DYM)

Lensk - Unseen, Uncertain, Whole (TAR)

Antonina Nowacka - Lamunan (Mondoj)

Mchy i Porosty - Нассать на мир [Piss On The World] (Not Not Fun Records)

Paszka - Gluon (Noumenal Loom)

Adam Gołębiewski / Pierre Jodlowski - τελετές (Uznam)

Genetics and Windsurfing - Recording Session of Waveform Poems (Orange Milk Records)

and absolutely total, with three releases from 𝓰𝓵𝓪𝓶𝓸𝓾𝓻.𝓁𝒶𝒷𝑒𝓁 :)

ehh hahah - house ze skrzypcami w tle

Michał Olczak - zgubiłem się

Maciej Maciągowski - TURB0_0BRUT

Primordial Void ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Easy Way” by Surface to Air Missive is my favorite song of 2020. The harmonies on this track are to die for. The whole thing is like a dream. Frontman Taylor Ross reminds me a lot of Alex Chilton; both are charming Southern boys with highly distinctive vocal and songwriting styles. Surface to Air Missive are quite possibly the best thing to come out of Athens since R.E.M./Love Tractor.

Along with “Easy Way,” I also enjoyed Legio X’s 19 Quarantine Beats and Mark Kozelek’s All the Best, Isaac Hayes. Truth be told, I didn’t listen to a whole lot of music from this year that wasn’t released on Primordial Void.

2020 has been a horrible, confusing mess. I have music and my dearest friends to thank for helping me get through this tough year.

Quantum Natives ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Best of 2020 - awe IX (Quantum Natives)

Calm Music | Hibernate with the Moomins | Winter Livestream

Was a 98-day live stream at the beginning of the year, now a 3 hour loop of the valley

HDMIRROR Rinse FM January 17th

The shape of trance to come, helped me cycle to work on time

Cool Mom w/ Jynkx Monsoon

Not a regular mom

Nargie’s Mongolian Cuisine

Nargie’s tour of traditional & nomadic cuisine, the Boodog goat barbeque and horse-milk vodka are other favourites

Animal crossing: New Horizons

The big one, helped commune through the quarantine and separation from loved ones, led to this compilation https://quantumnatives.bandcamp.com/album/nu-horizons which was one of the more heartening collaborations this year

Scary Things

UK Drill reports & banter, full of heard it firsts like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq9KX1P7JSk

Dorohedoro

Gyoza slipknot in kowloon wonderland.

10 LEVELS of math rock/midwest emo guitar

A resurgence of this genre’s styles. Something i listened to a lot 15 years ago, never with the technical ability to recreate, nice to see the architecture of it being assembled layer by layer

VS Code

Mainly for the collaborative live share, might not be better than other alternative programs, here as a stand-in for the empowerment of being able to write bare words and make machines of them.

Calbee Sayaendo Green Pea Snack

Ata a lot drizzled in chilli oil, crisps that emulate the bar snack peas you get at meals

Gusto

A family restaurant in japan, cheap, tables with power outlets and wifi, free refills on coffee, real haven for my partner & I for studying, working, watching youtube.

Success cat ネコノヒー

Best of the instagram > omni-merch illustration pipeline, has that cultural sensitivity to tiny foibles also seen in stuff like #地味ハロウィン

Lavender steam eye masks

Kinda work like glow sticks, hot perfumed chemical sand that you press on your eyes

Dhalgren - Samuel R Delaney

A book about writing, circular narrative, details like themes in a musical work, imminent creative place to inhabit

Nehorin Pahorin

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/03/03/national/media-national/nhk-puppet-show-offers-rare-glimpse-unconventional-lives/

A late-night national TV show in Japan where people are interviewed as and by puppets about a variety of topics where their anonymity is important. Presented by 2 moles.

Opal Beau - Sites of Humiliations (voiced)

This release requires you to contact the artist in order to get the monologues (intensely personal moral inventory) on top of the beds of sound. The conceptual restriction is an important counterpoint to the more commonplace careerist scheming & image management.

Hackensack - Fountains of Wayne Trixie Mattel cover

Fountains of Wayne Denis was like my 3rd single bought, the singer died of Covid in the early days of the pandemic.

No gang colours - Slave Face East

Put onto this by d0us years late, need this reminder of staying independent as possible in this platform capital music landscape

Somnium - Steve Moore

Love letter to the moon, taking place in 3 layers of time over a pub in Shooters Hill, London

Happy Happy Train

In Osaka Expo Park, there is a small train-car that takes you around the grounds, which has its own soundtrack, “Happy Happy Train”, recorded and looping.

The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Music; Stone Talus Battle

Sounds weirdly like Boyzone before flitting back into playful pomp

Viriconium - M. John Harrison

For the recurring image of a mantid horses skull, vanrnished, halved pomegranates as compound eyes in the sockets.

DJ Davi Kneip feat. MC Anjim e MC Laranjinha - Vem Se Apegar No Vilão

Sounds like 80% of the song was removed leaving just vibe confetti.

d0us - prec1

the sort of atari monophone solo excursion at the end

Windows 95 Startup Sound but an AI attempts to continue the song [OpenAI Jukebox]

A lot of this jukebox ai is exciting but maybe leaves any human creative lost as to where to orient themselves to its endless ferraro-wave

Mist Song (theme from Mist Train Girls)

Beautiful caffeined salary-man phone game dream-pop & my song of the year (thanks fee for showing me x)

researchcore ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Our.v - A U K (Neoplasm)

Beautiful work with stunning soundscapes from one-man-band audiovisual artist Our.v!

silént phil - Just Sounds (Eco Futurism Corporation)

The title says for itself! silént phil really outdone himself with this one, implementing so different sounds into one so playful.

emotegi, 500 - march of bucentaure (proxxywar)

One of the most overlooked singles this year, imo. Beautiful marching track with exagerrated aesthetic of diy dungeon crawlers. Still waiting for emotegi solo album or something!

ZAKLADKI - LOVUSHKA (Trap) (Self-released)

This one is electronic music 4real - carefully assembled nice tunes, which i really adore.

New Sylveon - ULTRA NEW ERA MUTANT DIVING (Self-released)

The one russian hyperpop artist, who takes this genre with his own twist, mixing it up with '00 alternative and russian 2007 emo vibes with outstanding sound-design. The MOST overlooked release in the hyperpop scene this year.

Synthetiq - Internal (#INTERNETGHETTO)

After 3 years of silence and work on his other project, he gifted us with this small, but cute and melodic EP with two remixes from ZAKLADKI and Delight Bureau. I still listen to uncomfy when i'm feeling sad and i want to cheer myself up.

Clear Cast - Spell Tome: Clear Cast (Self-released)

Remember i said Synthetiq worked on his other project? Here it is! Spell Tome is the only album by Clear Cast with Synthetiq on production and Palmraxx on vocals, and this album blends the line between rap and quality jersey club mixed with ethereal pads and melodies. Criminally underrated release.

ICY FLAME - ECLIPSE (Self-released)

Beautiful 17-tracks monolith work, featuring tons of hard deconstructed club tunes to rave to. This one really makes your blood boil up.

Dark0 - ZERO2 (YEAR0001)

Slow-burning album, with trancey synths and hypnotizing rhytms, aesthetically brought to perfection.

Kai Whiston - No World Eternal (Lux)

A bunch of cool remixes of his conceptual album "No World As Good As Mine", just listen to it!

Sacred Medium ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ - High School Blues (Motion Ward)

Aho Ssan – Simulacrum (Subtext)

Carl Stone – Stolen Car (Unseen Worlds)

Clear Path Ensemble – Clear Path Ensemble (Cosmic Compositions)

Détente – Life Is Life (Slagwerk)