25 Favourite Physical Releases in alphabetical order
- Leila Abdul-Rauf – Phantasiai (Cyclic Law)
- Liz Allbee – Rille (Relative Pitch)
- Marisa Anderson & William Tyler – Lost Futures (Thrill Jockey)
- Angel Archer – LightRay Variations (S/R)
- Anoice – The Hidden Forest (Ricco)
- The Body and Big|Brave – Leaving None But Small Birds (Thrill Jockey)
- Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Carnage (Goliath)
- Chloe Foy – Where Shall We Begin (S/R)
- Circuit Des Yeux – -io (Matador)
- Clara Engel – Dressed in Borrowed Light (S/R)
- Val Esway + Global Spider Community – No One Ever Said This Would Be Pretty (S/R)
- R.K. Faulhaber – Dugong Weeps (Helen Scarsdale)
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor – G_d’s Pee At State’s End! (Constellation)
- Adrian Lane – Slow Autumn at my Window (Preserved Sound)
- Cheryl E. Leonard – Schism (mappa)
- Lime Rickey – F U T U R E F A I T H (S/R)
- Low – Hey What (Sub Pop)
- Jessica Moss – Phosphenes (Constellation)
- Marissa Nadler – The Path of the Clouds (Sacred Bones)
- Sarah Neufeld – Detritus (Paper Bag)
- Nurse With Wound – Opium Cabaret (ICR)
- Dax Pierson – Nerve Bumps (A Queer Divine Dissatisfaction) (Ratskin)
- Rudimentary Peni – Great War (Sealed Records)
- Tele Novella – Mervyn Belle (Kill Rock Stars)
- Yat-Kha – We Will Never Die (The Lollipop Shoppe)
25 Favourite Digital/Ephemeral Releases in alphabetical order
- Kate Carr – Making Do #1, #2 (S/R) Damon and Naomi – A Sky Record (20|20|20)
- Dark Leaves – Laid Under Leaf, Under Branches (S/R)
- Thomas Dimuzio – Sculpting Electric: In the Ice Phase (Gench) Alexander Hacke, Danielle De Picciotto, Mick O’Shea – Tricephalus (Ground0)
- Ionophore – Knells (S/R) Irr. app. (ext.) – Legends of Frogtown digital single series (S/R)
- Julia Kent – Stories From The Sea Original Soundtrack (S/R)
- Carla Kihlstedt and Rafael Osés – Necessary Monsters (S/R)
- Andrews Liles – 1221 (S/R)
- My Heart, An inverted Flame – A Collection Of Essays… series (S/R)
- Kemper Norton – Troillia (S/R)
- The Owl Service – (Love Is Like A) Railway Station (Hobby Horse)
- Poisoning Wave – As Fog In Sunlight (S/R) Potter / Coleclough / Hill – Rituals of Breath and Bone (ICR)
- Prueba de Aislamiento – Response No. 3 (S/R)
- Rabbit Rabbit – Rabbit Rabbit Radio Volume 4: The Animal I Am (S/R)
- The Redwood Flowers – The Redwood Flowers (S/R)
- Diana Rogerson – Blue Bottle in a Jam Jar (S/R)
- Geneva Skeen – Universal Building Supply (Superpang)
- Southeast of Rain – 42 Days (S/R)
- Stephen Vitiello – Soundtracks for Lynne Sachs (Room40)
- Various – Make Noise Myanmar (S/R)
- Various – Lost In Catland: A Cat Compendium (S/R)
- Various – All Creatures (Polar Seas)
The Almighty Kaballa-Bonga Top Ten of 2021
- William Basinski – Watermusic
- Cabaret Voltaire – Shadow of Fear
- The Clash – Sandinista!
- Miles Davis – “He Loved Him Madly”
- Lana del Rey – Chemtrails Over the Country Club
- John Hassell RIP
- Sylvere Lotringer RIP
- Jim O’Rourke – Sleep Like It’s Winter
- Taylor Swift – Evermore
- Tex and the Horseheads – “Oh Mother”
Squyd – Best of 2021
Best Albums of 2021:
- Driftmachine – Spume & Recollection (Umor Rex)
- Craven Faults – Enclosures (Nov. 2020 – Leaf)
- Renaldo & the Loaf – Hardly Gurning While the World is Turning (Klanggalerie)
- Terror/Cactus & Guazú – Botanas: Guazú & Terror Cactus EP (Shika Shika)
- Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp – We’re OK. But We’re Lost Anyway (Les Disques Bongo Joe)
- LNS & DJ Sotofett – Sputters (Tresor)
- Blectum From Blechdom – DeepBone (Deathbomb Arc)
- Anna von Hausswolff – All Thoughts Fly (Sept 2020 – Southern Lord)
- Jessica Moss – Phosphenes (Constellation)
Notable Mention 2021:
- Damiana – Vines (Hausu Mountain)
- D’Eon – Rhododendron (Hausu Mountain)
- Meridian Brothers, Conjunto Media Luna – Paz En La Tierra (Les Disques Bongo Joe)
- Fresnel Lens – EP#2 (Fresnel Lens)
- Smoke Bellow – Open For Business (Trouble In Mind)
- Zombi – Liquid Crystal EP (Relapse)
- El Búho – Cumbias Imaquinarias EP (Earthly Measures)
- Unknown Me – Bishintai (Not Not Fun)
- Sarah Neufeld – Detritus (Paper Bag)
- Low – Hey What (Sub Pop)
- Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime (Matador)
- Suryummy – Polynators (Constellation Tatsu)
Sparkle Motion’s Faves of 2021
SPARKLE MOTION’S FAVE ALBUMS OF 2021 in no particular order
MUSIC WITHOUT WORDS (mostly)
- Vijay Iyer Trio [with Linda May Han Oh & Tyshawn Sorey] – Uneasy (ECM)
- Dr. Lonnie Smith [ft. Iggy Pop] – Breathe (Blue Note)
- Tyshawn Sorey & King Britt – Tyshawn & King (The Buddy System)
- Chuck Johnson – The Cinder Grove (Vin du Select Qualitite)
- Molly Herron [with Science Ficta] – Through Lines (New Amsterdam)
- Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra – Promises (Luaka Bop)
- Toumani Diabate & London Symphony Orchestra – Korolen EP (World Circuit)
- Nik Bartsch – Entendre (ECM)
- Peter Manning Robinson – Double Helix (Heart Dance)
- Benoit Delbecq – The Weight of Light (Pyroclastic)
- Hannah Peel – Fir Wave (My Own Pleasure)
- Tomaga – Intimate Immensity (Hands in the Dark)
- Lea Bertucci – A Visible Length of Light (S/R)
- Buke and Gase and So Percussion – A Record Of (Brassland)
- Chris Liebing – Another Day (Mute)
- John Dwyer and Bent Arcana – Moon Drenched (Castle Face)
MUSIC WITH WORDS
- Nathan Salsburg – Psalms (No Quarter)
- The Weather Station – Ignorance (Fat Possum)
- Rosalie – No Medium (Spinster)
- Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over the Country Club (Interscope)
- Cassandra Jenkins – An Overview on Phenomenal Nature (Ba Da Bing)
- Yasmin Williams – Urban Driftwood (Spinster)
- Rhiannon Giddens – They’re Calling Me Home (Nonesuch)
- Le Ren – Leftovers (Secretly Canadian)
- Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams (Transgressive)
- Lady Blackbird – Black Acid Soul (Foundation Music)
- L’Rain – Fatigue (Mexican Summer)
- Arooj Aftab – Vulture Prince (Verve)
- Sault – Nine (Forever Living Originals)
- Tirzah – Colourgrade (Domino)
- Lost Girls [Jenny Hval & Havard Volden] – Menneskekollektivet (Smalltown Supersound)
- Low – Hey What (Sub Pop)
- Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg (4AD)
- Shame – Drunk Tank Pink (Dead Oceans)
- Mega Bog – Life, And Another (Paradise of Bachelors)
- Squid – Bright Green Field (Warp)
- Colleen – The Tunnel and The Clearing (Thrill Jockey)
- Jane Weaver – Flock (Fire Records)
- Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds – Swing From the Sean DeLear EP (In The Red)
- Vanishing Twin – Ookii Gekkou (Fire Records)
- Parquet Courts – Sympathy for Life (Rough Trade)
- Suuns – The Witness (Joyful Noise)
- Field Music – Flat White Moon (Memphis Industries)
- Goat Girl – On All Fours (Rough Trade)
- Viagra Boys – Welfare Jazz (YEAR0001)
- RE -ISSUES/COMPS
- Karen Black – Dreaming of You 1971-1976 (Anthology Recordings)
- Akiko Yano – Ai Ga Nakucha Ne (WeWantSounds)
- Lee Morgan – The Complete Live at the Lighthouse (Blue Note)
- Jennifer Castle – Castlemusic 2011(Flemish Eye)
- Leslie Winer – When I Hit You – You’ll Feel It (Light in the Attic)
- ‘Blue’ Gene Tyranny – Out of the Blue 40th Anniversary Remaster (Unseen Worlds)
- Van Der Graaf Generator – The Charisma Years 1970-1978 (Charisma)
- Willie Dunn – Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology (Light in the Attic)
- Seefeel – Rupt and Flex (1994-96) and St/Fr/Sp Eps (Warp)
- Various Artists – Eins Und Swei Und Drei Und Drei Und Vier: Deutsche Experimentelle Pop-Musick 1980-86 (Bureau B)
Renée Black Best of 2021
Renée Black’s Favorite New Releases of 2021
Not in Order
- The Chisel – Retaliation (La Vida Es Un Mus)
- La Femme – Paradigmes (Disque Pointu)
- Oi Boys – S/T (La Vida Es Un Mus)
- Collision – Sur Les Trottoirs (Un Vie Pour Rien)
- The Skinflicks – “Won’t Bend the Knee” (Trisol)
- Mess – Intercity (Mendeku Diskak)
- The Gluts – Ungrateful Heart (Fuzz Club)
- Viagra Boys – Welfare Jazz (Year001)
- Amyl & The Sniffers – Comfort to Me (ATO)
- Chubby & the Gang – The Mutt’s Nut (Partisan)
- Rata Negra – “Desconfía de ese chico” (La Vida Es Un Mus)
- Sweeping Promises – “Pain Without a Touch” (Feel It, Sub Pop)
- Various Compilation – Staring At The Rude Boys (Pressure Drop)
qb(x) Best of 2021
qb(x)’s Favorite Albums of 2021
(unordered)
- The Body & BIG|BRAVE – Leaving None But Small Birds (Thrill Jockey)
- Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra – Promises (Luaka Bop)
- Mary Lattimore – Collected Pieces: 2015-2020 (Ghostly International)
- Damon Locks – Black Monument Ensemble – Now (International Anthem)
- Lingua Ignota – Sinner Get Ready (Sargent House)
- MMMD & Alem – L’âge de l’absolutisme (Antifrost)
- Meitei – Kofū II (KITCHEN. LABEL)
- Mong Tong – Music from Taiwan Mystery (WV Sorcerer Productions)
- TEKE::TEKE – Shirushi (Kill Rock Stars)
- Xochimoki – Temple Of The New Sun (Phantom Limb)