My top 10, 2004

In no particular order.

• Arve Henriksen – Chiaroscuro
  heartfelt like nobody else
• Tim Wright – Thirst
  big, dirty, energising fuck-off techno/UKG hybrid
• Triosk – Moment Returns
  electronica/jazz hybrid, leaning towards the former
• Wibutee – Playmachine
  electronica/jazz hybrid, leaning towards the latter
• Hu Vibrational – Beautiful
  sublime acoustic rhythm tricknology
• Audun Kleive/Generator X – Ωagoddabl
  electric jazz clatters into new life
• Beans – Shock City Maverick
  rap for tomorrow, today
• Akira Rabelais – Spellewauerynsherde
  sublime, haunting
• Recon – White Label
  grime techno that gets grimier and more impressive with every listen
• Vijay Iyer & Mike Ladd – In What Language?
  brilliant musical collage approach to racial injustice
• Scorch Trio – Luggumt
  build up of wax? You need Scorch Trio
• Bernd Schurer – Vexations
  Satie’s original reflected in myriad pieces of broken glass
• Thomas Koner – Daikan
  Deeper and deeper. And then deeper still.
• Skyphone – Fabula
  rewarding debut from a Danish Tortoise, languidly lovely.
• Harold Budd – Avalon Sutra
  Bittersweet (with an emphasis upon the former) meditation and apparent closing of a chapter.

Late Entry

• Bjork – Medulla
  Bought for Is’s Chrissie present, but I’ve been really taken by this the four times I’ve listened to it in the car, amazing menagerie of sounds, genuinely original so far.

And yep, I know that’s sixteen…