ILM’s Top 77 Albums of 2021

my number one. this particular flavor of deadpan ennui spoke to me this year, who could say why

A somewhat related album:

https://i.imgur.com/VNGiI4H.jpg
21. Tirzah - Colourgrade
301 points / 10 votes / 1 #1 vote
Video from the album: “Hive Mind”
Tirzah

I'm not even sure if this is good or not, but I love how weird she got with it

today's run feels like the real ilm-core
(for better or worse)

i love ilm-core

I'm assuming Kacey Musgraves is shut out at this point? I enjoyed that one and had it in the lower reaches of my ballot, but I'm not sure it will make it into the top 20 - something of an upset after she placed #2 in 2018.

Huh I had just assumed ILM doesn't like Men I Trust

you ruled out ILM liking sophistipop?

didn't the previous album also place?

it's because their thread is on ILE

"I like them so therefore ILM won't" was the extent of my calculus, lj

https://i.imgur.com/Jb7e1xC.jpg
20. Koreless - Agor
305 points / 12 votes
Video from the album: “White Picket Fence”
Rolling Re-Re-Reconstructed Club Music 2021

The Mr Twin Sister album is probably fine track-by-track, but what interested me about Beezle is repeated, with extremely limited variation, across every single track here, and the cumulative effect is...well, y'know. If you're into that sort of thing...

Gotta say, after the start I had visions of today being a little less relentless than it's turned out to be. Maybe this Koreless is something idk

I really liked the Koreless Yugen EP in 2013 but didn't keep up with them at all. Hm.

Heard the Koreless record when it came but never got round to going back to it. Vague memories of it sounding a bit like an updated Orbital?

I confuse Men I Trust with Fear of Men...

How apt that Men I Trust and Mr Twin Sister placed back to back

https://i.imgur.com/7pgG5Ms.jpg
19. Grouper - Shade
339 points / 11 votes
Song from the album: “Unclean Mind”
GROUPER "Way Their Crept" --- CONTACT

Koreless basically didn't release between 2013 and 2021! I think he did some performances/commissions with orchestras somewhere in there? The album really grew on me, love the use of vocal samples (which feels like a callback to that post-dubstep era but also very fresh).

Lol @ "official lyric video"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN7anCPkhMA

ilm kore

lyric of the year: e eh eh e e e e e e e eeee ee eee ee eeee ii?? eee ohm ee e e ee e eeeee ehh

love the Grouper record so much

woooo Koreless

lyric of the year: e eh eh e e e e e e e eeee ee eee ee eeee ii?? eee ohm ee e e ee e eeeee ehh

― Indexed, Thursday, February 10, 2022 2:13 PM (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink

these lyrics are so corny, why do people keep posting them???

lol

turn this damn vibe around

https://i.imgur.com/SXNGR4w.jpg
17.(TIE) Sault - Nine
342 points / 13 votes
Video from the album: “Bitter Streets”
Sault - What's the story?

Tirzah album felt to me like this year's equivalent of Pre-Millennial Tension-era Tricky. That's a good metric.

oh damn, i should hear that then

Feels like Sault a bit too high. Easily their weakest album.

Well that's why it's not #1

With Sault it wasn't easy to decide to go with album or tracks. Personally I went with tracks and voted for Bitter Streets. The album is maybe a transition.

Love that Dean Blunt album, the first thing of his I've really gotten into. Voted for Sault too. I agree it's their slightest album, but that's by comparison to four great ones.

the strategy to only make it available for a limited time was a big negative for me

I mean, "available" ... it's not like it's hard to find if you want to listen to it.

Grouper = ILM bait, in a good way.

Change of vibe?

https://i.imgur.com/0h6C9Pf.jpg
17.(TIE) Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
342 points / 13 votes
Video from the album: “Introvert”
Thread of Little Simz

unbelievably this somehow is a welcome change of vibe

inflo tie

Got to run. This is our last one for the day.

Tune in tomorrow for our top 15

https://i.imgur.com/5MFpL6O.jpg
16. Cassandra Jenkins - An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
351 points / 11 votes / 1 #1 vote
Video from the album: “New Bikini”
Cassandra Jenkins - An Overview on Phenomenal Nature

sometimes I might be irritated morelike...but if you can ignore the strings, the interludes and most of the lyrics, there's some potentially banging stuff here, mostly 'protect my energy'

today has been Sophistiday

16. Cassandra Jenkins - An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
17.(TIE) Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
17.(TIE) Sault - Nine
19. Grouper - Shade
20. Koreless - Agor
21. Tirzah - Colourgrade
22. Dean Blunt - Black Metal 2
23. Men I Trust - Untourable Album
24. Mr Twin Sister - Al Mundo Azul
25. Erika de Casier - Sensational
26. Sons of Kemet - Black to the Future
27. Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
28. CFCF - Memoryland
29.(TIE) Lil Ugly Mane - Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern
29.(TIE) The Armed - Ultrapop
31. Snail Mail - Valentine
32. Halsey - If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power
33. Richard Dawson & Circle - Henki
34. The Bug - Fire
35. Wau Wau Collectif - Yaral Sa Doom
36. The Weather Station - Ignorance
37. Jane Weaver - Flock
38. HTRK - Rhinestones
39.(TIE) Lingua Ignota - SINNER GET READY
39.(TIE) Wild Up - Julius Eastman Vol.1: Femenine
41. Rochelle Jordan - Play With the Changes
42. Tyler, the Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
43. Deafheaven - Infinite Granite
44. Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & Jon Randall - Marfa Tapes
45. Rắn Cạp Đuôi Collective - Ngủ Ngày Ngay Ngày Tận Thế
46. Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales
47. aya - im hole
48. Insides - Soft Bonds
49. Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over The Country Club
50. Flock of Dimes - Head of Roses
51. Nite Jewel - No Sun
52. Bicep - Isles
53. Yu Su - Yellow River Blue
54. Joy Orbison - still slipping, vol 1
55. Mogwai - As The Love Continues
56. Loraine James - Reflection
57. Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark
58. Natural Information Society & Evan Parker - descension (Out of Our Constrictions)
59. Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble - NOW
60. Saint Etienne - I've Been Trying To Tell You
61. Mach-Hommy - Pray for Haiti
62. Sarah Davachi - Antiphonals
63. Howie Lee - Birdy Island
64. Black Midi - Cavalcade
65. Vijay Iyer Trio - Uneasy
66. Altın Gün - Yol
67. Kabza de Small, DJ Maphorisa & Tresor - Rumble in the Jungle
68. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END!
69. Can - Live in Stuttgart 1975
70. Vanishing Twin - Ookii Gekkou
71. Eris Drew - Quivering in Time
72. Emeka Ogboh - Beyond the Yellow Haze
73. Spellling - The Turning Wheel
74. Hayley Williams - Flowers for Vases / Descansos
75. Doja Cat - Planet Her
76. Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God
77. Various Artists ‎ - Heisei No Oto- Japanese Left-Field Pop From The CD Age, 1989-1996

re: number 17. same producer, same point#, same votes.

love people calling music on the ILM Top 77 Albums of 2021 poll "ILM bait" or "ILMcore." like ... no shit?

by definition the #1 album will be the most ILMcore album of the year

Sad that my number one won't place, seems like none of you love blissful deep listening masterpieces.

may I maliciously propose 'ilmcore' be renamed 'ilm landfill'