TOP ALBUMS OF 2009 IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER
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Leyland Kirby "Sadly, the Future is No Longer What it Was" (HAFTW)
V/A "Open Strings: 1920's Middle Eastern Virtuoso Recordings" (Honest Jon's)
Iannis Xenakis "Orchestral Works" - Box Set (Timpani)
Thomas Köner "La Barca" (Fario)
SoiSong "qXn94" (Soisong)
Black Dice "Repo" (Paw Tracks)
Mountains "Choral" (Thrill Jockey)
Hildur Gudnadottir "Without Sinking" (Touch)
David Sylvian "Manafon" (Samadhisound)
Alva Noto/Ryuichi Sakamoto "Utp_" (Raster-Noton)
Jim O'Rourke "I'm Happy & I'm Singing..." - Rerelease (Mego)
Broadcast & The Focus Group "Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age" (Warp)
Nadja "When I See the Sun Always Shines on TV" (End)
Bohren & Der Club of Gore "Dolores" (PIAS)
Black to Comm "Alphabet 1968" (Type)
Sunn O))) "Monoliths & Dimensions" (Southern Lord)
Kreng "L'Autopsie Phenomenale De Dieu" (Miasmah)
Max Richter "Waltz with Bashir - Soundtrack" (Virgin France)
Continuing from the films list above... like cinema, the year in sounds
there was the curious repeat theme; 2009 was again a year for diggers.
Wherein, many of the great recordings of the year appeared from otherwise
unknown origins and artists that some years ago were just establishing
themselves, often under other monikers. That much more reason to 'keep
the ears to the ground' as it were and be that much more looking out for
the new and unheard.
Overall again, this was another pretty darn explorative year in sound.
There were many works that took the ears to exciting places, (some, from
new totally unknown sources) that did so in distinct, expressive and
adventurous ways. In particular appearing again in the strange crossroads
where Modern Classical, Musique Concrete, Improv, Metal, 'Noise', Ambient
and academic Avant traditions all meet. Some of these were even witnessed
out in the world in a 3rd Dimension kind of way, performed live, loud and vital.
TOP LIVE MUSIC SHOWS OF 2009
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Frank Breatschnieder - Decibel Festival, Seattle
Mountains - Decibel Festival, Seattle
Benga - Decibel Festival, Seattle
Echospace - Decibel Festival, Seattle
As an aside, once again this year Dubstep & Hip Hop filled in as my musical
candy/junkfood of choice, offering a less 'nutritional' but highly flavorful
counter to the more brainy culinary type sounds listed above - and an ideal
soundtrack to public trekking/transportation in the urban 'scape:
King Midas Sound "Waiting For You" (Hyperdub)
Anti-Pop Consortium "Fluorescent Black" (Big DaDa)
V/A "5: Five Years of Hyperdub" (Hyperdub)
Goth-Trad "Law/The Clown" (Deep Medi)
King Midas Sound/Flying Lotus "Cool Out" (Hyperdub)
