ILM’s Top 77 Albums of 2021

i remember listening to this and it was a bit limp, then i put Yanqui UXO on and it whirled me around the cosmos, but YMMV i guessssssss

It reminds me of Dave Brubeck, but maybe in a really explicit "let's write a song over the Take Five groove" that works for it, idk.

It's not to take away from anyone's enjoyment, it's just my pet peeve that 90% of songs in 5/4 default to that same Take Five/Mission Impossible pattern. I just appreciate hearing anything else.

xp

The Eris Drew record is really fun, it just missed my ballot unfortunately

Godspeed I voted for, with Can I voted for the Brighton set

i forget but also love how much angrier the albums rollout is

The first half of the Godspeed was stronger but it needs to be heard as a whole, their best record in a few

Can album is awesome. I forgot to vote for it, then decided that anything I might remove to make space for it would need the vote more, so left it. Wonderful album, though.

re: Can, have been mollified by explanations that this stuff really is 'new'. it then becomes purely a question of taste and voting decisions

My personal voting policy is no rereleases / no compilations, and I voted for Live in Stuttgart because it's novel and it rocks

77. Various Artists ‎ - Heisei No Oto- Japanese Left-Field Pop From The CD Age, 1989-1996

This is outstanding, I've only been playing one track from it Dream Dolphin - Take No Michi. Very taken with that, hopefully a couple of the others follow suit

https://i.imgur.com/LmtCqsX.jpg
67. Kabza de Small, DJ Maphorisa & Tresor - Rumble in the Jungle
141 points / 5 votes
Song from the album: “Stimela”
🎹🎹PİANO! PİANO!🎹🎹 - a song appreciation thread for “eMcimbini” by Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa ft. Aymos, Samthing Soweto, Mas Musiq & Myztro

I was a little on the fence about it, but I did vote for a different newly-issued live album that was recorded decades ago

it then becomes purely a question of taste

is your argument that CAN is bad, actually?

not arguing there!

ok THAT is unexpected

though maybe just because I voted for Motion and not this

FYI there is a dedicated Tresor thread too: TRESOR, the Congolese-South African singer with the heavenly voice

imago arguing that Can is bad, saying old GYBE is better and bringing up Fantano is enough reason to ban him from this thread tbh

i was not arguing that Can are bad ffs

The only Tresor I would vote for

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0xCfOeOnvA

are you guys competing to get banned

rob clearly a false believer

https://i.imgur.com/cSvaVmf.jpg
66. Altın Gün - Yol
142 points / 4 votes
Video from the album: “Ordunun Dereleri”
Rolling Global Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2021 Thread (Often African bands)

rob clearly a false believer

― Nabozo, Monday, February 7, 2022 1:32 PM (four minutes ago)

lol looking at my ballot I def could have made room for it, chalk it up to deciding to spend as little time as poss on my ballot. fwiw the amapiano tracks on Motion made me re-appreciate Rumble a lot

I know it’s not an “i” but couldn’t get the typography to do that letter

Guessing we’ll see the Coltrane reissue here as well.

(Or not reissue but first-time issue of A Love Supreme live in Seattle.)

That Can live album was my #1 go-to background album for working last year. Didn't vote for it though.

Well, our next album is not Coltrane but it is Jazz.

https://i.imgur.com/I7ehEl7.jpg
65. Vijay Iyer Trio - Uneasy
144 points / 6 votes
Video from the album: “Combat Breathing”
Vijay Iyer - C/D, S & D

rumble in the jungle is so good. i do not endorse whiney's fav tresor, tho.

I haven't listened to a full Altın Gün album but I do like a bunch of their stuff so I may well check that out.

what genre is Altın Gün?

Oooh, the Altin Gün record is cool. Don't think I voted for it, but generally their output has had some lovely moments. Hey Nari was my fave from this one.

Didn't spot the new Vanishing Twin this year!

My favorite part of the "Ice Cream Whine" Tik-Tok is the third character that's just some dude walking by and getting caught up by the beat

Ooh nice. First album from my ballot to place.

what genre is Altın Gün?

― rob

Turkish psych-folk

Ooh something I voted for placed: love the Altın Gün record. Pleased to see Vanishing Twin place too although it just missed my ballot.

https://i.imgur.com/UrkX2HM.jpg
64. Black Midi - Cavalcade
146 points / 4 votes
Video from the album: “John L”
black midi - anyone been tracking these?

Imago is going to love this lol

re Altin Gun: “Ordunun Dereleri” was my #1 track so check it out. It's a bit more chill/normy than e.g. Paavoharju but not way off, very satisfying.

ok yes good

this was my #5 it is sick. prog doesn't just live, it thrives, and the kids love it

Still refusing to listen to Black Midi because they're not actual black midi.

After finding the first Black Midi album a bit half-baked and not really committing enough to any of its many ideas, this one was a pleasant surprise. More measured, but just as ambitious. Didn't vote for it, but I could have.

really love the Altin Gun artwork and Yuce Dag Basinda is so infectious

I want to use Moka's images for this poll as a set of Tarot cards.

otm, classic indie bait and switch

xpppp to e.mily

what genre is Altın Gün?

― rob

Turkish psych-folk

I'm curious about this, since the tracks I've heard through the poll are much more synth pop/Italo sounding?

Their previous albums were a bit folkier, but this one blends in plenty of synthpop too, you're right.

altin gun is a band that i listen to occasionally but would prob be blown away by in a live setting