2021 Albums Poll: Thread of States and Balloons

ha ikr! song off that that stole my heart is the second to last track, 'the end of'

That whole label is good by the way and well worth a follow - Into The Light, are based in Athen: https://into-the-light.bandcamp.com/

The Santilli record they put out ('Surface') is also lovely and quite similar to the Gianni Brezzo. I really like the Bartosz Kruczynski & Pulses album too, but that's more of a synth album

Wow, cool, technopolis. Good to know I don't just post into the void.:)

Cool ballot, octobeard.

Thanks to the pollrunners! Mixed ballot

YL Hooi – Untitled
Various Artists - I Stumble And Then I Fall
bassæ – Untitled
Ulla - Limitless Frame
Tara Clerkin Trio - In Spring
Dean Blunt - Black Metal 2
Princess Diana Of Wales - Princess Diana Of Wales
Merope – Salas
Pendant - To All Sides They Will Stretch Out Their Hands

Christos Chondropoulos - Athenian Primitivism
Cucina Povera – Seesteyttää
CZN - Luxury Variations
Eris Drew - Quivering in Time
Joy Orbison - still slipping, vol 1
Sault – Nine
Shackleton - Departing Like Rivers
Various Artists ‎- Heisei No Oto: Japanese Left-Field Pop From The CD Age, 1989-1996
Various Artists - La Ola Interior: Spanish Ambient & Acid Exoticism 1983-1990

Many thanks to those involved with running the poll again this year.

I entered a mixed ballot and the bolded albums didn't place:

Rochelle Jordan - Play With the Changes
Magdalena Bay - Mercurial World
Agnes - Magic Still Exists
Monogem - Gardenia
Ngaiire - 3
Cleo Sol - Mother
Laura Mvula - Pink Noise
Joy Crookes - Skin
Tinashe - 333
Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend
The Weather Station - Ignorance
Princesa Alba - besitos, cuídate
Myra - Bokser & Ballerina
Maple Glider - To Enjoy Is The Only Thing
CHVRCHES - Screen Violence

Art School Girlfriend- Is It Light Where You Are
Cassandra Jenkins - An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
Dawn Richard - Second Line
Erika de Casier - Sensational
Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales
L'Impératrice - Tako Tsubo
L'Rain - Fatigue
Mariah the Scientist - Ry Ry World
Mr Twin Sister - Al Mundo Azul
pinkpantheress - To Hell With It

MIXED

Low - HEY WHAT
Lost Horizons - In Quiet Moments
Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
L'Rain - Fatigue
Leon Vynehall - Rare, Forever

Dawn Richard - Second Line
Vanishing Twin - Ookii Gekkou
Jane Weaver - Flock
Joy Orbison - still slipping, vol 1
Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Cleo Sol - Mother
Nicholas Godin - Concrete and Glass
Magdalena Bay - Mercurial World
Self Esteem - Prioritise Pleasure
Nite Jewel- No Sun
Mogwai - As The Love Continues
Moritz von Oswald Trio - Dissent
Mr Twin Sister - Al Mundo Azul
UNKLE - Rōnin I
Hannah Peel - Fir Wave
John Grant - Boy From Michigan
Halsey - If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power
Octo Octa - She's Calling EP
Danny L Harle - Harlecore
Roísín Murphy- Crooked Machine

Weighted, bold placed.

Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend
Carly Pearce - 29: Written In Stone
Adele - 30
Isaiah Rashad - The House Is Burning
The Staves - Good Woman
Adam Sanders - What If I'm Right
Big Red Machine - How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?
Aly & AJ - a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out and then into the sun
Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks Of God
TORRES - Thirstier
Dawn Richard - Second Line
Halsey - If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power
Doja Cat - Planet Her
Foxing - Draw Down The Moon
Mustafa - When Smoke Rises
The Maine - XOXO: From Love & Anxiety In Real Time
PinKPantheress - to hell with it
CHVRCHES - Screen Violence
Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR
Pale Waves - Who Am I?
Hayley Williams - FLOWERS FOR VASES / descansos
Ashley Monroe - Rosegold
Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales
Tinashe - 333
Ngaiire - 3

Mixed, Bold DNP, Italics Lone voter

Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend
Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God
Cleo Sol - Mother
Mr Twin Sister - Al Mundo Azul
Tems - If Orange Was A Place
Anz - All Hours EP
Loscil - Clara
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra ‎– Promises
Magdalena Bay - Mercurial World
[/i]Lou Hayter - Private Sunshine[/i]
Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Duran Duran - Future Past
UNKLE - Rōnin I

Bicep - Isles
Goat Girl - On All Fours
Hannah Peel - Fir Wave
Various Artists ‎- Heisei No Oto: Japanese Left-Field Pop From The CD Age, 1989-1996
Koreless - Agor
Various Artists - Planet Love Vol. 1: Early Transmissions 1991-95
Roísín Murphy- Crooked Machine
Saint Etienne - I've Been Trying To Tell You
Sault - Nine
Tirzah - Colourgrade
Blank Gloss - Melt
Various Artists - 10 Years of Acid Test

my ballot with the placement, no matter how low!

CHVRCHES - Screen Violence (7)
Arooj Aftab - Vulture Prince (2)
Tinashe - 333 (10)
Tyler, the Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST (42)
Nala Sinephro - Space 1.8 (14)
Jaubi - Nafs at Peace (183)
CFCF - Memoryland (28)
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra ‎ - Promises (3)
Kero Kero Bonito - Civilisation (220)
Mach-Hommy - Pray for Haiti (61)
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Candy Racer (99)
Nite Jewel - No Sun (51)
Westside Gunn - Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B (242)
Injury Reserve - By the Time I Get to Phoenix (211)
Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (17)
Sault - Nine (17)
Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever (6)
JPEGMAFIA - LP! (191)
Mdou Moctar - Afrique Victime (15)
Sofia Kourtesis - Fresia Magdalena EP (81)
Soccer96 - Dopamine (219)
Flock of Dimes - Head of Roses (50)
Amyl & the Sniffers - Comfort to Me (646)
DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - The Makin' Magick II Album (227)

Mixed, Bold DNP, ^Nominated & Placed, *Sole Voter

^Cassandra Jenkins - An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
Arooj Aftab - Vulture Prince
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra ‎– Promises
Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & Jon Randall - Marfa Tapes
Illuminati Hotties - Let Me Do One More
Dawn Richard - Second Line

*Allison Russell - Outside Child
DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - The Makin' Magick II Album
*Eric Church - Heart & Soul
Flock of Dimes - Head of Roses
Genesis Owusu - Smiling With No Teeth
Indigo de Souza - Any Shape You Take
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
James McMurtry - The Horses and the Hounds
Julian Baker - Little Oblivions
Low - HEY WHAT
Magdalena Bay - Mercurial World
Nala Sinephro - Space 1.8
Sofia Kourtesis - Fresia Magdalena EP
St. Vincent - Daddy's Home
Sun-El Musician - African Electronic Dance Music
The Weather Station - Ignorance
Tinashe - 333
Turnstile - Glow On
Yasmin Williams - Urban Driftwood

Just missed my ballot:

Tirzah - Colourgrade
Iceage - Seek Shelter
Torres - Thirstier
Serpentwithfeet - DEACON
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage

My ballot. *=sole voter

Rosali - No Medium
Deafheaven - Infinite Granite
The Murlocs - Bittersweet Demons
*Ducks Ltd. - Modern Fiction
*Temperance - Diamanti
*Asphyxiate - Altar of Decomposed
*Worm - Foreverglade
*Bill MacKay & Nathan Bowles - Keys
*Snet - Mokvani V Okovech
Lingua Ingnota - SINNER GET READY

my full list of 2021 albums + blurbs: https://voodoochili.tumblr.com/post/672641404920561664/my-favorite-albums-of-2021

only heisei no oto made it!

Electric Party - Play
Ssiege - Meteora
The Zenmenn - Enter the Zenmenn
Froid Dub - An Iceberg Cruising the Jamaican Coastline
Various Artists - And Felt Like...
Michal Turtle & Suso Saiz - Static Journeys
Michel Banabila - Echo Transformations
Various Artists and Tomislav Simović - Visitors From The Galaxy Revisited (Original Soundtrack Remixed)
YNV - Golden Hour Ritual
December - Debut
Martinou - Rift
Prins Emanuel - Vhassal
Various Artists ‎- Heisei No Oto: Japanese Left-Field Pop From The CD Age, 1989-1996
Steve Summers - Generation Loss
MLO - Oumuamua
Gilb'r - On danse comme des fous
downstairs J - basement, etc…
kacey musgraves- star-crossed
Lindsey Buckingham - Lindsey Buckingham
nueen - Circular Sequence
Pavel Milyakov & Yana Pavlova - Blue
RXK Nephew - Slitherman Activated
Various Artists - Planet Love Vol. 1: Early Transmissions 1991-95
Triigroup - Interest In Music
Benedek - Mr Goods

That MLO album was one of my favourites of the year (think I nominated it) but then completely forgot to put it on my ballot 🙈

Bold DNP

Deafheaven - Infinite Granite
Grouper - Shade
Low - HEY WHAT
Magdalena Bay - Mercurial World
Wild Up - Julius Eastman Vol.1: Femenine
Lamp Of Murmuur - Submission And Slavery
BUMMER - Dead Horse
Really From - Really From
The Armed - Ultrapop
Nala Sinephro - Space 1.8
Portal - Hagbulbia
Youth Novel - Youth Novel
Arooj Aftab - Vulture Prince
Senyawa - Alkisah
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END!
Krallice - Demonic Wealth
Playboi Carti - Whole Lotta Red
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
Alister Fawnwoda, Suzanne Ciani, Greg Leisz - Milan
Lingua Ingnota - SINNER GET READY
CHVRCHES - Screen Violence
Victory Over The Sun - Nowherer
Rhododendron - Protozoan Battle Hymns
The HIRS Collective - THE THIRD 100 SONGS
Richard Dawson & Circle - Henki

Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra – Promises
Jana Rush - Painful Enlightenment
The Armed - Ultrapop
Iceage - Seek Shelter
Low - HEY WHAT
BackRoad Gee - Reporting Live (From the Back of the Roads)
Emeka Ogboh - Beyond the Yellow Haze
Teni - WONDALAND
Anna Webber - Idiom
Black Dice - Mod Prog Sic
Danny L Harle - Harlecore
pinkpantheress - To Hell With It
Arca - Kick ii
LLNN - Unmaker
Moor Mother - Black Encyclopedia of the Air
DJ Manny - Signals In My Head
Lantlôs - Wildhund
Caroline Shaw & So Percussion - Let The Soil Play It's Simple Part
SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE - ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
Loraine James - Reflection
Lost Girls - Menneskekollektivet
Uden Ord - Eventyr
Serpentwithfeet - Deacon
Tyler, the Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST

I was the sole voter for Iceage. Didn't see that one coming...