Albums of the Year! 10-6!

10. Chvrches - The Bones Of What You Believe

Part Robyn, Part Annie, Part M83. Fully entertaining.

9. The Knife - Shaking The Habitual

The thing with The Knife in the '10s is they aren't interested in conventions. Everything is created to force the listener to dwell in a position of no return. You have to take the fullest journey and try and come out in one piece. No mean feat. But if you do then you'll find great treats on the back end almost as punchy as the initial 1-2.

8. Disclosure - Settle

These guys are not necessarily boundary pushing in the classical sense of the meaning. But the sheer CONFIDENCE on display here ensures this ends up as one of the most flat out enjoyable listens of 2013.

7. Youth Lagoon - Wondrous Bughouse

Widescreen wondrousness. Maybe not as consistent as others on the list but at the moment it's peaks shine brighter.

6. Fuck Buttons - Slow Focus

Ok. Ok. So placing albums in numerical order is stupid. But. When going back to listen to the 60-70 albums that I really enjoyed this year, Slow Focus still felt like my favourite dance/electronic record. Which then means...it's just outside the top 5!

Albums of the Year! Honourable Mentions!

Swiftly on to the top albums of the year!  First the bridesmaids...

Daft Punk - Random Access Memories.  The first dozen or so plays through this album were such a joy!  Just misses out on my top 10 due to the fact that it's not as edgy or eccentric as moments on Homework or Discovery.

Fuck Buttons - Slow Focus.  No let up from this duo.  Textures a-plenty.  Again not quite in the top 10 as it didn't move me as much as Tarot Sport (and other albums in my top 10).

 

Julia Holter - Loud City Song.  If 'Ekstasis' was a wonderful eccentricity, part Laurel Halo part Joni Mitchell.  Then 'Loud City Song' is part Fiona Apple part PJ Harvey.  Beautifully fragmented but set to the heartbeat of the world outside.  Love it.

Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels.  El-P and Killer Mike released pretty awesome LPs back in 2012.  Their collaborative nous came through on both of those albums, however 'Run The Jewels' wears the crown.  Limitless energy and fantastically interesting flows makes this one of the hip hop records of the year.

Forest Swords - Engravings/ The Haxan Cloak - Excavation.  I've put these together because it's difficult to leave either out. Indulgence.  I came across Excavation several months before I actually lisetened to it, managing to pick up a German copy eventually.  It was a great decision (pat on back).  A very intimate dubstep/electronic listen and mememorable in it's audacity.  If I had listened to it a few more times definitely a top 10 shoe in.  With 'Engravings' I recall picking it up and being lost in this one man world.  Then  'Loud City Song' and Janelle Monae' 'Electric Lady' were released and my attention was diverted.  Coming back to it over the last few weeks reminds me what an electronic delight it is.  Forest Swords and The Haxan Cloak released opposing electronic pieces but together they form a reminder of how much depth this genre continues to show.