ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2020

same, I'm even wondering if maybe only one taylor placed? could that happen??

― stimmy stimmy yah (Simon H.), Thursday, February 4, 2021 2:34 PM (nine minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

it could happen and maybe everyone else would be relieved but i would be upset :)

oh yeah, rob, Cleo did place, I forgot.

you're right about the Azana album being miles ahead of the Simmy and Sun-El sophomores. like Simmy's debut, it works perfectly as an album, every song works, there's no padding. the Simmy and Sun-El however (disclaimer: these albums do contain some of the most beautiful music of the year! Sun-El may have had the best run of singles of anyone in 2020!) feel more like folders to me: "we just put everything in there, you pick and choose your own favourites, okay?"

the approach works well with those equally long-ass amapiano albums, but not with the Sun-El sound*, I feel. maybe it's because amapiano is more beat-driven and these albums work as collections of very rewarding variations? they allow you to just immerse yourself and luxuriate in the wonderful sameness of it all, but you can also choose to focus on your favourites (which I tend to do with the Kabza albums, for instance), whatever suits you best. the Sun-El sound is too dependent on those gorgeous melodies and he doesn't have enough of them to sustain such long albums, and there's too much mundaneness creeping in. a little trimming would have gone such a long way.

*please do not confuse the Sun-El sound with amapiano!

(sorry for my rambling, i'm terrible at coherently describing music)

If Taylor Swift wins I'm quitting ILX

Are we just assuming Evermore makes the top 15? I think there's a fair chance it won't

No Biffy Clyro?

Just listened to the Azana album while taking a rare bubblebath. Excellent soundtrack. I enjoyed Your Love last year but burnt out in it, which is maybe why I didn't bother with the album til now. Enjoyed the more Sade-like moments

i don't think taylor has a chance of winning in the year that jessie ware released ILM: The Album

Good post breastcrawl, and reading it I had the thought that part of the problem is the "folder" approach runs so counter to the spirit of the house-sun-el scene. Part of its appeal is the sense you get of a sophisticated, thoughtful elegance presiding over everything. It's like someone serving you a complex, delicious cocktail and then they bring you a full pitcher of them.

I'm new to these polls but thought it would have been fitting if Alabaster dePlume could have won.

I made it my #1 essentially for that reason -- people swooning over it was one of the nicer ILM moments in 2020 for me. In retrospect, I kind of wish I'd switched it with Pa Salieu.

Great post upthread re: sun-el sound, breastcrawl. That's exactly what I took from Azana - it was nice background music for me but there were particular moments that stood out. While "wallpaper" might sound like a diss, it's not so in this case

Pa Salieu def a brilliant discovery

CS + Kreme, J Hus & Beatrice Dillon were the ones to place from my ballot today. CS + Kreme I had at number 3 & I think might be the album that I spent the most time listening to last year.

Still wading my way through the lower placings. Listened to the Deftones album earlier: they're a band I've only ever heard bits & pieces by, but I enjoyed the album quite a bit. It felt very 90s, in an enjoyable way. It did maybe start to drag for me in the second half but that's likely to be down to me more than the music.
Just finished the Lido Pimienta album: this was one where I definitely felt I was missing the full context for it, but that didn't stop me enjoying it a lot. Can see myself coming back to it, there's a lot going on.

It's like someone serving you a complex, delicious cocktail and then they bring you a full pitcher of them.

this, more or less

it was nice background music for me but there were particular moments that stood out. While "wallpaper" might sound like a diss, it's not so in this case

*with a little help by Simon H.

Maybe I misread. Haven't been firing on all cylinders this week

it has been said before, amazing run of albums - i didn't know beforehand - tonight. hugs to you all!

Ah when you said "wonderful sameness" I thought you meant Azana. But look, I had it on fairly quietly while taking a bath and I've put it right back on again and it's sounding a lot more fuller and diverse this time round, despite having a unifying sound

enjoy your bath in the wonderfully rich and diverse but unifying sound, dog latin!

again, I love Sun-El, but I think he overplayed his hand this time.
the best way to experience the new project is probably the "virtual concert" (with wonderful retro-futuristic imagery) that coincided with the album's release:

46 well-spent minutes for everyone involved, and that includes the viewer - if this had been the extent of the album, it probably would have placed

I expect both Taylors to place. Really hope Owen does (even though my vote for him was only in tracks). I was fully expecting Backxwash to place but I can't see that being top 15, bah.

*them, sorry

Backxwash's album this year is gonna be the one

dog latin, bubble bath + Ingoma is firmly within figured out how to live thread territory, I congratulate you

that dog latin in full:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6a/c6/b7/6ac6b7f174c92b59233b7cf7ace3dfd1.jpg

First half of the Soft Pink Truth album not remotely my thing. Second half is great! Very confused

I have to report it was dreamy

I tried to listen to that SPT album a wee while back but it was a bit like quiet SunnO))) or an ambient bee orchestra and I wasn't completely sure I understood what I was listening for. Might whack it on now and pay it a bit more attention

Start at 'So' and see how that second half goes for you imo

Horse Lords and dePlume were on my ballot. Glad they made it.

From today's batch, voted for Katie Pruitt. KLO got my vote in the Tracks poll. Looks as if Katie Gately's 'Loom' has missed out, so that's my #78 pick.

Yeah, sucks that Gately won't make it, that was high up my ballot. But ILM in general has never been as into her as I am, so I'm not massively surprised.

J Hus is a good dude to hang out with imo, enjoying this a lot

Oh yeah, I forgot about that Katie Gately record, she's great and I should go back to it.

Also wow, the Soft Pink Truth record is unexpectedly gorgeous.

never got round to the katie gately - got the impression it was all about grief and loss and i really wasn't in the mood for that

Appreciating this SPT album a bit more. It has that In A Silent Way / Laughing Stock vibe and reminds me that I haven't done all that much "deep listening" in lockdown whereas on my commute I would have a lot more opportunity. Most of my listening is done in the house through a Minirig speaker which is great for more immediate or attention-grabbing music, but not so much subtler layered stuff like this. Should invest in some good cans

It's good! But its best track came out in 2019... xp

I guess Jasmine Infiniti didn't make it to the top 77, which is sad, because her album was the most jaw-dropping debut LP I've heard in years. I would've thought her type of hard-banging yet melancholic techno was popular in here, but maybe not a lot of people had simply heard the album?

Loved the Katie Gately but it fell outside my top 25 (her previous one was my number one for that year).

SPT was high on my ballot - definite In A Silent Way vibes, the dronier bits even reminded me of The Necks' Aether a bit.

Otherwise also voted for Azana, Alabaster dePlume, CS + Kreme, Katie Pruitt. Almost voted for Kelly Lee Owens and Beatrice Dillon. Seems my albums ballot was more hivemindy than my tracks ballot.

yeah Color was a front to back banger

Dang is Kathleen Edwards gonna miss the countdown ? That’s a hot album but not really in synch with this year’s poll.

the only reason i'm not convinced taylor is #1 (lover which was much more polarising made it to 11 and folklore is probably her best-received album ever) is possible vote-splitting across the two albums

one album i was kinda expecting to show up already was moses sumney, but top 15 seems pretty high for it

love the Beatrice Dillon, Autechre, and The Soft Pink Truth albums

hadn’t heard the CS + Kreme until today. Its low-key but unsettling atmosphere reminds me of both Shackleton and Coil.

(the 78 artist has now been mentioned, but not named as #78)

xp also listened to the Alabaster DePlume and Azana albums for the first time, they are both beautiful

really good list so far

What a day, so many amazing records. Probably my favorite Thursday rollout yet. SIGN making it to 16 gives me the warm fuzzies. The Soft Pink Truth close behind as well. Great placement. I am pretty resigned at this point to accepting that my #1, Arca's absolutely brilliant KiCk-i, is likely not going to make it.

For those who love the Beatrice Dillon (which I also did, made my top 20 electronic records list, but not my ILM ballot) definitely consider checking out Laurine Frost's LENA.

now you mention it dan, the artwork for the cs + kreme is definitely very reminiscent of the covers that zeke clough did for shackleton and the rest of the skull disco crew

(the 78 artist has now been mentioned, but not named as #78)

― That's not really my scene (I'm 41) (forksclovetofu), Thursday, February 4, 2021 6:43 PM (two minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

megan

Yeah that’s Laurier Frost album is cool too!! Playful and kind of unsettling

(the 78 artist has now been mentioned, but not named as #78)

― That's not really my scene (I'm 41) (forksclovetofu), Thursday, February 4, 2021 6:43 PM (two minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

megan

― tiwa-nty one savage (voodoo chili), Thursday, February 4, 2021 6:46 PM (seven minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Gigi

Laurine xp

I guess I could try again with the SPT because it was kinda freakin me out! Year of brimstead being scared by music lol