Best Albums of 2015

Ben_j · Nov 07, 2015, 00:47

2015 is coming to an end and was a pretty good year, music-wise. What's your top 10 (or top 5, or top whatever number) ? Your top tracks ? What were your biggest disapointments ?

10. Two Fingers - Six Rhythms

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It's an EP, so not technically an album, but what the hell. It's a beast of an EP !

09. Grasscut - Everyone was a bird

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Beautiful album

08. Eskmo - SOL

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Eskmo always has some very interesting sounds, and this album on the theme of Sun is a gem

07. Etienne De Crecy - SuperDiscount 3

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At long last, Superdiscount has been resurected in the form of a funky album !

06. Jamie xx - In Colours

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Gosh is one of the best tracks I've heard those last years, and the whole album of Jamie xx is really refreshing

05. Tame Impala - Currents

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Even if the whole album is not perfect, Let it happen is one of the best things I've heard in my life

04. Phace - Shape the Random

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I like Drum'n'bass. I love Neurofunk. But often, drum'n'bass albums are boring and sound the same from start to finish (*cough* SPOR *cough*). Shape the Random is nothing like that and each track is better than the other.

03. The Chemical Brothers - Born in the Echoes

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Whaaaat ? Born in the Echoes is not number one ?
It's far from being my favourite Chems album, and it's not the album of the year in my opinion. It's pretty good nonetheless, and the first half is excellent.

02. Paul Kalkbrenner - 7

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I'm not a huge Paul K. fan, but this album is pretty much perfect.

01. Caravan Palace - <I°_°I>

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It might be a bit rushed, since it's only been a few weeks since the album is out, but I love it ! Great variety in the tracks, great "feel good" vibe, puts a smile on your face and makes you want to dance ! Much like Paul K's album actually...

Runner-ups:
8:58 - 8:58
Leftfield - Alternative Light Source
Nadastrom - Nadastrom
The Shoes - Chemicals

Best tracks :
5. Two Fingers - Saint Rhythm
4. The Chemical Brothers - EML Ritual
3. Caravan Palace - Midnight
2. Jamie xx - Gosh
1. Tame Impala - Let It Happen

Biggest Disapointments :
The Prodigy - The Night Is My Friend

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What a mess, a parody of The Prodigy. I really hope Howlett will recover the inspiration he has always had before making this...

Disclosure - Caracal

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After their awesome first album, I had high hopes, but again, just a travesty of everything good they brought in the first album. Still a couple of good tracks though.

Rone - Creatures

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Too... meh...

Fine Time · Nov 20, 2015, 10:58 #1

Some of my favourite tracks i encountered in 2015 . . . .

8:58 (Paul Hartnol) - Broken Up

Ghost Culture - Giudecca (dub mix)

Tinashe - The Last Night on Earth (Giraffage remix)

Toyboy & Robin - Motions

Leftfield - Bilocation

The Chemical Brothers - Go (especially live versions where Tom is warping & bending the fuck out of it )

The Chemical Brothers - EML Ritual

The Prodigy - Wild Frontier / Get Your Fight On / The Day is My Enemy

Django Django - Reflections

Blackalicious - Imani Vol 1 (album)

ThePumisher · Nov 21, 2015, 20:50 #2

Album (in no particular order):
Leftfield - Alternative Light Source
Tame Impala - Currents
Noel Gallaghers HFB - Chasing Yesterday
(wasn't a good year in albums for me)

Songs (in no particular order):
Leftfield - Bilocation
Chemical Brothers - Go
St. Vincent - Digital Witness (ok, it's from '14, but i've listened to it a lot this year)
Weezer - Back To The Shack (ok, it's from '14, but i've listened to it a lot this year)
Royal Blood - Figure It Out (ok, it's from '14, but i've listened to it a lot this year)
Kiko Bun - Where I'm From
The Prodigy vs. Public Enemy - Shut 'Em Up
Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová - Falling Slowly (ok, it's from '07, but i've listened to it a lot this year)

Biggest disapointment:
Born In The Echoes
Sam Smith - Writings On The Wall

WhiteNoise · Nov 22, 2015, 05:37 #3

Everything Everything's Get To Heaven this year was huge for me.
Beat Connection's Product 3 is amazing, it's basically everything pop music should be and isn't, and is the most underrated album of the year.
8:58 was solid but a bit gothic and, I don't know, navel-gazey, a lot more vocal collabs than normal. Looking forward to the next from Paul, he's mentioned wanting to go more straightforward electronic.
And Born in the Echoes... yeah this deserves a full review now that I've had so long to think about it. Equally great and hugely disappointing.

I keep a running list of my Top 25 All-Time Favorite Albums In No Particular Order that I continuously change and lock in at the end of each year. Only a few of these are actually from 2015, but that's how I listen to new stuff anyway:

1. The Chemical Brothers - Exit Planet Dust
2. Underworld - Second Toughest In The Infants
3. Akron/Family - Akron/Family II (The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT)
4. The Postal Service - Give Up
5. Bombay Dub Orchestra - Bombay Dub Orchestra
6. Gold Panda - Lucky Shiner
7. Steve Reich - Music For 18 Musicians (GVSU New Music Ensemble)
8. Orbital - Snivilisation
9. Massive Attack - Mezzanine
10 Ulrich Schnauss - A Strangely Isolated Place
11 Everything Everything - Get To Heaven
12 Cocteau Twins - Treasure
13 Karl Hyde/Leo Abrahams - Edgeland
14 Jagwar Ma - Howlin
15 BT - This Binary Universe
16 Caribou - Up In Flames
17 Neat Beats - Cosmic Surgery
18 Reptar - Lurid Glow
19 The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
20 Fatboy Slim - Better Living Through Chemistry
21 Arrested Development - 3 Years 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of...
22 Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
23 David Crowder Band - Sunsets and Sushi (Experiments in Spectral Deconstruction)
24 U2 - Boy
25 Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas
(and 10 just under)
26 Sasha - Airdrawndagger
27 Classixx - Hanging Gardens
28 Shinichi Osawa - The One
29 Soichi Terada - Ape Escape Originape Soundtracks
30 Fluke - Six Wheels On My Wagon
31 The Orb - Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld
32 Beat Connection - Product 3
33 Owl City - All Things Bright and Beautiful
34 I Break Horses - Hearts
35 Steve Burns - Songs for Dustmites

Enjoyed · Dec 05, 2015, 01:04 #4

Quote from: WhiteNoise on Nov 22, 2015, 05:37

Everything Everything's Get To Heaven this year was huge for me.

LOVE this album. I caught their second set at Glastonbury where they played almost exclusively songs from the new album. They were great. I was pleasantly pleasantly surprised with this. Going to pop it on now actually.

Quote from: WhiteNoise on Nov 22, 2015, 05:37

26 Sasha - Airdrawndagger

THIS. Such an underrated album. Sasha owes a big debt to Charlie May for this. And the other collaborators. James Holden for example.
Still, a top top album.

Quote from: WhiteNoise on Nov 22, 2015, 05:37

30 Fluke - Six Wheels On My Wagon

Over Rissotto? Interesting.

For 2015 I'd have to go with (in no particular order):
The Chemical Brothers - Born In The Echoes
BRAIDS - In The Iris
Chad Valley - Entirely New Blue
Tame Impala - Currents
Hiatus Kaiyote - Choose Your Weapon
Here We Go Magic - Be Small
Leftfield - Alternative Light Source
Panda Bear - Meets The Grim Reaper
샤이니 (SHINee) - Married To The Music
Various Artists - Anjunadeep 07

Joslyn · Dec 06, 2015, 23:06 #5

Editors - In Dreams
by far the best album of the year. Only 2 track are good, the rest is great. Album closer "Marching Orders" is superb perfection with a mantra I can listen endlessly to. Which also is my favorite track of the year.

(and this includes a year of new albums from my favorite bands Chemical Brothers and Prodigy and a re-issue of another dance classic Second Toughest in the Infants (which I haven't heard, just keep playing my 'original' one))

Earthbound · Dec 07, 2015, 21:45 #6

fav albums/EPs:

Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss
Slaves – Are You Satisfied
Jamie XX - In Colour
Scuba – Claustrophobia
Vessels – Dilate
Odessa – Odessa
Songhoy Blues – Music In Exile
Fuzz – II
Lion Babe – Lion Babe EP
Aphex Twin – Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt2 EP (played on 45 rpm)

fav tracks:

My Favorite Robot - Glass To The End

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