Best albums :

In recent years it is getting more difficult than ever to follow new releases as countless laptop artists use the net as a way to blur listener’s heads with their bedroom productions. For some, this is good as it brings creativity but I think there is a lack of sincerity in most of the productions compared to the 90s. After many years into this genre already bringing a big tolerance, it is difficult to keep on giving a chance to every noise produced today as we are more busy in life with less time for this heap of efforts from all over the world coming out everyday. So in 2008, I get to pick only three good albums and I think is an OK number. Because I’m always keeping the pleasure of owning music that I am sure I will be back in future. Consuming the music for short term pleasures has never been my way of listening and buying music.

* Jacaszek – Treny

It’s been a while since most digital processing artists’ works become more and more atonal, which I found dull and with a lack of creativity. But Jacaszek came out with an album including eleven pieces which are a journey into musical richness. Plus a good use of vocal, which is spiritual enough to bring the ethereal feeling of his music in a higher state, is also another factor in this richness. I got the same pleasure few year ago from Scanner’s 2005 release “Messe, Macht Des Klangs / Klang Der Macht’, from beginning to the end. Lament and Taniec are the highlights of the album.

* The Caretaker – Persistent Repetition Of Phrases

Ever since I heard the track Flowerhead by a collaboration of Tetsu Inoue & Uwe Schmidt as DATacide, I’ve been more on more in the interest of blending ballroom music with ambient. After a decade I discovered The Caretaker’s music whose recipe is the same. Creepy yet elegant! His 2008 album starts with few looped pieces but than turns into loungy pieces, with a lot of depth and eerie atmosphere over that 1930’s ballroom samples. False Memory Syndrome is just what I am talking about in Flowerhead example. Those two pieces of music is something I wish I could have produced. Hope to hear and discover more artists into this idea.

* Jóhann Jóhannsson – Fordlandia

Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Fordlandia is not as good as those two release but I can say it’s his best work to my taste. “The Rocketbuilder” and “Melodia iii” really nice works with nice melodies. The rest is a bit loud for my taste as I tend to own calmer pieces of classical music.

Best tracks :

* Felicia Atkinson with Sylvain Chauveau – Aberdeen: Sad, etheral and sublime

* Namlook & Move D – In The Mirror: These two can do no wrong. The opening track from their “Sexoid” album is a long piece starting with a clever use of 303 and turns into Namlook’s moving layer in the last minutes. Pleasure!

* Kuniyuki Takahashi – Flying Music (Rhythm And Trumpet mix); Deep, dark and hot tunes. Quality sound is also a plus in Kuniyuki’s recordings.

* Bootleg Bitches – Dream Bitches; European sounding deep house. Positive vibes.

* Yuri Lewitt – Bombers Acid; Slow mo acid over a deep layer. Reminds me Luke Vibert’s beat programming.

* Delta 9 – Avi Satani; Good return from dave Rodgers. Includes everything for a fine gabber production. A little bit of imagination.Also as a fan of the movie Omen, loved his vocal parts as well. (Beware!)