ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2012

Like lex, I didn't get into the Silent Servant album as much as I might have expected to - it doesn't seem anywhere as good as earlier Sandwell District stuff. Hopefully the Rrose album will do more for me. (What happened to that? I think it was supposed to come out last year, but afaik it didn't.)

On closer examination, maybe this Rrose album was just something I imagined...

http://i.imgur.com/a9IrErz.png

56. RICARDO VILLALOBOS Dependent and Happy (278 Points, 8 Votes)

I like RV, but I didn't know this had even been released until voting time and it's too huge for me to have gotten through. Which tracks are best?

It's a massive slog with a few nice "bits" AFAIC

I like "I'm Counting". For me the way into this album was the CD version, which is mixed, but I like the individual tracks now, too. I thought this and the singles he released this year were a big return to form for RV, this was my #4.

Admittedly I still stan for everything he did up to and including the Fabric mix.

austere techno doing pretty well huh. time of the year?

i didn't get into this album at all, not even enough to work out whether it was because i couldn't be bothered to give it enough chances or because it was just boring

Never heard this - mixed reviews put me off buying it.

B&W jpgs definitely working for me today btw

also funny that people were bemoaning the lack of bobbins in the trax poll, but the dance crew seems to have been out in full force for the albums

Joining thread late but couldn't let this one lie.

You'll almost certainly disagree with me here, but I think there's an inherent psychological effect of "new decade, need to leave behind the old stuff" in listeners, critics, music marketeers.

This is rubbish, sorry. It's just what happens when bands release records that aren't as good as their last ones.

it's weirdo industrial dance though (not that i'm complaining, i love that aesthetic too at the mo), but it's strange that industrial music seems to be creeping back onto the landscape lately, and managing to be respectable at the same time.

djp batsignal goes up

Loving the warped out skeletal claps on Mochnochich already.

I am a 1x person of simple needs really.

Silent Servant was another one that just missed my ballot by virtue of me discovering it late and deciding to go with albums I'd played incessantly over the year rather than something that jumped out at me at the last minute

It's really fucking good tho

http://i.imgur.com/AIz1ygv.png

55. ORBITAL Wonky (278 Points, 11 Votes) Spotify

\o/

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Orbital cover looks loads better in b&w!

(too low)

I think I have weird expectations of RV because the only track of his I've listened to on repeat was 'Easy Lee'. I'm guessing this doesn't sound like that, right?

This is rubbish, sorry. It's just what happens when bands release records that aren't as good as their last ones.

― Deafening silence (DL), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 14:31 (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I don't think Centipede Hz was THAT much worse than MPP. The standing ovation given to MPP is dramatic compared to the stony silence that greeted Centipede Hz. And it seems to be happening through-and-through with this kind of indie - not just with AC and DP. I think only Simey gave props to Ariel Pink's Mature Themes, elsewhere it was panned (he did say some stupid things in interviews, mind you). It's also probably got a lot to do with the decline of the hipster archetype now that folky indie stuff has made it onto TV adverts and Mumford-style commericalism, suddenly these bands aren't seen as groundbreaking as they were in 2005.

Need to check out the last three entries. Used to be a huge Orbital fan but their last couple of albums were pretty poor.

Didn't love Wonky I'm afraid, sorry. I did want to.

This one is way better than the last couple, although obviously not up there with their best. It's one of those 'greatest hits comprised entirely of new songs' type albums. I like it a lot though.

too low)

― Bel-Air the Fresh Prince, sitting in a chair (DJP), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 14:42 (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Really expected this to be much higher, 25-35 range.

I only have limited experience with Orbital, but Wonky sounds p good to me so far.

I think a better word for latter-day Orbital albums (aside from Wonky) is "complacent"; I still like them tons but they aren't very surprising. One of the things that made Wonky stand out instantly over Blue and The Altogether was the sense that they had rediscovered how to consistently ride in the groove pocket over the course of an entire album as opposed to building a bunch of adequate tracks around two or three killers.

I think my problem with Wonky was that everything was very surface-level. The tracks were quite good fun on first listen, but I wasn't really drawn into hearing them again.

What are we expecting to be top ten/top five? I can't really think of what the big hitters are supposed to be this year.

Should have used the live style mix of 'Where is is it going?' on the album, up there with their best work.

JF you should hear every Orbital album. They are all good to amazing all-time best music (the run from Brown through The Middle of Nowhere is one of the greatest career arcs in modern music)

top 5 kendrick/miguel/frank ocean/taylor swift/???

I haven't heard any Orbital since Orbital 2. It's been a little while.

i really think miguel will beat those other three by some distance

xp

But then again I hadn't heard any of the dance albums that have made the list so far so I'm not exactly in touch with ILX taste.

Oh Swans as well maybe?

really looking forward to the day when Taylor Swift falls out of favor

(I'll probably start liking her then, lol)

If it's not too early, some predictions for top 5/10:

Kaleidoscope Dream
Armor On
Bish Bosch
Fin
Something
The Seer
World Music (maybe?)
Good Kid m.a.a.d. City

forgot Frank Ocean

wonder where something like death grips will place.

But back to the countdown as is, first time playing this Orbital and it's really working for me so I'd be obliged Mr Fever if you would only post albums I have already heard over the next hour so I can continue to enjoy this.

I'd be pretty happy with that list, DL. Don't like all of it by a long shot but it's a good range of things.

i had no idea what Armor On was. had to look it up lol

http://i.imgur.com/vaa10bY.png

54. COOLY G Playin' Me (282 Points, 11 Votes) Spotify

much obliged

ilm favourite that one.

I'd be happy with that top 9 (even though i've come to the conclusion Frank Ocean is just never going to be the one for me), so it's probably wishful thinking.

cooly's leather-clad fist looks very shiny and menacing in b&w

my last post was xposts rE: Armor On