Twenty Sixteen

posted in: 2016, What's Rad Today | 0

Its November, so if you didn’t already decide on your 2016 Best Of’s, here are some suggestions on albums that were particularly well received from my camp (so far – there’s still another five albums to come out this year).

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - EARS - Artwork

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith ‘EARS’
(Western Vinyl)

“Beguiling, kaleidoscopic, spiritual synth visions” Mojo ★★★★
“A special record” Uncut 8/10
“Perfect and beautiful” Crack Magazine 8/10
“An impressive feat by any standard” Resident Advisor 4.1/5
“A magnificent, exploratory new album” Clash 8/10
“Stunning” FACT
“A richly mastered convoy of drones of both acoustic and electronic provenance” The Wire
Listen at Bandcamp

ATFA021 art 1400

Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band ‘Wede Harer Guzo’
(Awesome Tapes From Africa)

“Beautifully chilled…very fine indeed” Mojo ★★★★
“Wonderful” Uncut 8/10
“Will attract the late night listeners it deserves” Crack Magazine 7/10
“Further amplifies Mergia’s justly growing stature” The Wire
“Ethio-soul a go-go” Record Collector ★★★★
“A trove of such dazzling quality” Irish Times
“Infectious and timeless” London In Stereo
“Ethiopian soul at its most pure and heartfelt” FACT
Listen at Bandcamp

Clark - The Last Panthers - Artwork

Clark ‘The Last Panthers’
(Warp
)
“His most complete and focused work” Mojo ★★★★
“One of his best albums yet” Mixmag 8/10
“Ranks amongst the very best of its kind” Drowned In Sound 8/10
“Not only one of the finest scores in recent memory but is also Clark’s finest hour to date” Louder Than War 8/10
“Ebbs and flows with sinuous grace” Uncut 7/10
“The perfect movie soundtrack is one that accommodates the picture perfectly but works without it. The Last Panthers goes further, illustrating a picture of its own” Resident Advisor 3.9/5
Listen at Spotify

Reginald Omas Mamode IV - Artwork

Reginald Omas Mamode IV ‘S/T’
(Five Easy Pieces)

“A brand-new-retro delight” Mojo ★★★★
“Peckham beat brilliance” Mixmag 8/10
“Equal parts D’Angelo to J Dilla, here was soul music sweet and smooth enough for the 70s groover, but glitchy enough for the broken beat head” Record Collector ★★★
“Unshakeable earworm material” Electronic Sound
“Mamode’s music always manages to translate that feeling of bathing in the sun when your vision gets a little fuzzy with real fervour” Stamp The Wax
Listen at Bandcamp

Print

V/A ‘Late Night Tales: David Holmes
(Late Night Tales)

“A truly magical journey” Q Magazine ★★★★★
“Powerfully evocative, engaging and moving sound essays” Irish Times ★★★★
“An exemplary collection” Record Collector ★★★★★
“The perfect fit for the always impressive Late Night Tales series” DJ Mag 9/10
“A true lesson in the seemingly lost art of the DJ” Electronic Sound
“An ideal choice to contribute to the Late Night Tales series” Drowned In Sound
“This is music to cleanse the soul” Mixmag 7/10
“Heart stopping” Mary Anne Hobbs
Listen at Bandcamp

VA - Gqom Oh The Sound Of Durban Vol 1 - Artwork

V/A ‘Gqom Oh! The Sound Of Durban’
(Gqom Oh!)

“The largest and most thoughtful survey of the genre available to western audiences to date” Pitchfork 8.1
“The foot-stomping new sound of South Africa’s townships” Guardian
“A selection of the absolute best” FACT
“Utterly mesmeric” Boiler Room
“One of the hottest genres around” THUMP
“Gets very addictive, very quickly” Mixmag 8/10
“Genuinely without precedent” DJ Mag 7/10
“Crackling with volatile energy” The Wire
“Gathers the attention it deserves” The Quietus
Listen at Bandcamp

Honorary Mention

hairy hands final artwork

Hairy Hands ‘Magic’
(Tape Club Records)

Even though this seemed to pass most people by in September, its one of my favourite albums this year. Who doesn’t like wonky RnB-space-pop jams about the destruction of Earth and searching the Universe for a new home? Tom Ravenscroft played the heck out of it. Amazing Radio put it on their playlist. SPIN dug it. So did Clash. Indie Shuffle loved the album and Electronic Sound described it “as warm as it is deep”. Cult album of the year 2065.
Listen and Read Bandcamp Album of the Day