Top Tracks 2014 Part IX 29 - 20
29. Sólstafir – Lágnætti
(Ótta)
The first few minutes Lágnætti could be a spoken word effort by some obscure Icelandic poet, but hitting the three minutes mark you are reminded that Sólstafir still have some metal music infused with their mindset. The instrumental turns apocalyptic as do the vocals and then the real drama unfurls. The Sigur Rós influence is a given here, but the band distinguishes itself through a abrasiveness that Sigur Rós in all their angelic notions couldn´t even reach in Kveikur. The power ballad here is further evidence of Sólstafir having a deeper connection to folk music as they do to metal.
Watch / Listen here.
28. Watter – Seawater (This World)
This song had me sold by the mere thought of Tony Levin from King Crimson contributing. You get vibes from every direction: The massively psychedelic from members of Grails, the sparsity of Slint and the progressive rock nature of King Crimson. Seawater is a slow building, focused meditation with instruments. I shout "Ascension!" and Watter reply.
27. This Will Destroy You – Dustism (Another Language)
Progression and growth is the biggest obstacle in post-rock music. Either a band goes through ground-breaking change or stays stagnant in a way. Apart from Mogwai I´d name This Will Destroy You as a band sticking to their guns and developing by themselves. While in the past "Dustism" would have been an 11 minute track or even 3 tracks on their own, TWDY managed to pull off all their musical ideas in less than seven minutes. The result is a pleasing piece going from driving energy, to speculative nostalgia and bursting into a heartwarming crescendo.
26. Eno & Hyde – Mother Of A Dog (Someday World)
The status of Brian Eno as a musical genius and vanguard of electronic music is undeniable. So the collaboration with Karl Hyde, a techno master himself, promised great things. As Mother Of A Dog proves, the expectations were met. Every little inch of the instrumental fits while still allowing for some acoustic elements to lend space and ambiance. Eno & Hyde go from dark and tortured to blissful crooning; catharsis as a throwback to the electronic music world of the 80´s.
Listen to an excerpt here.
25. Oneohtrix Point Never – Meet Your Creator (Commissions I)
I had the huge privilege of witnessing Oneo live and it was a grand moment of my life. He pushes you, your attention span, your level of hearing and the boundaries of what can be called electronic music contrasting to noise on kitsch. Meet Your Creator follows in the same lane as last year’s R Plus Seven adding a more organic vibe on behalf of the clunky beating of muted keys and sudden switch to gracious space music transporting you to heavens antechambers. Lopatin cannot fail.
Listen here.
24. Perfume Genius – Fool (Too Bright)
Glittery disco, crushing ambiance and Mike Hadreas, this is Too Bright and especially Fool in a sentence. Hadreas reemerged this year with sassy confidence and new found strength in self to deliver us from evil with his blend of fragility and plastic pop.
23. Pallbearer – The Ghost I Used To Be (Foundations Of Burden)
Deeper than any image of hell lie this year’s Foundations Of Burden as given to us by Pallbearer. The Ghost I Used To Be asphyxiates you from the first second, you become recluse from any light of hope and sense of uprising as the guitars doom you in their progression towards Brett Campells devoid monologue and the two minute outro reconciles nothing the band took away from you.
22. Lily & Madeleine – Can´t Admit It (Fumes)
Harmonizing sisters Lily & Madeleine returned with Fumes this year and my awe from last year’s self-titled effort was reloaded. The organ vibe and the slow hums before starting Can´t Admit It gives me the goose bumps every listen. The narrative of a relationship turned bad can be felt by almost everybody and the sisters hit it home with the huge emphasis on their voice over the instrumentation in the closing of the track.
21. Kevin Gates – Movie (By Any Means)
Life is an upwards battle, and the moments that remind you of the ascending notion are the ones to cherish just as much as the pain when of the descent. Kevin Gates recounts the birth of his children and the pace his life has taken overwhelming his notion to be there for his family. For all the voices saying that rap music is bad at becoming emotional, Gates proves them wrong.
20. Childish Gambino – Money Baby / Telegraph Ave. (STN MTN Kauai Mixtape / Because The Interent)
Strictly speaking Telegraph Ave. and Because The Internet are from 2013. But as I didn´t get to incorporate them in my list or even listen to the record until late December, it just has to be mentioned now. With his mixtape and EP Gambino also delivered another great set of songs with great variety. Telegraph Ave. puts you directly in the car with Childish as he starts to take over the song by Lloyd and is one of the best love songs I heard over the course of this year. Money Baby for the Gangsta Grillz tape is the perfect combination of clean trap production and confident singing Gambino excels in.
Childish Gambino - Telegraph Ave from Hiro Murai on Vimeo.
The first few minutes Lágnætti could be a spoken word effort by some obscure Icelandic poet, but hitting the three minutes mark you are reminded that Sólstafir still have some metal music infused with their mindset. The instrumental turns apocalyptic as do the vocals and then the real drama unfurls. The Sigur Rós influence is a given here, but the band distinguishes itself through a abrasiveness that Sigur Rós in all their angelic notions couldn´t even reach in Kveikur. The power ballad here is further evidence of Sólstafir having a deeper connection to folk music as they do to metal.
Watch / Listen here.
28. Watter – Seawater (This World)
This song had me sold by the mere thought of Tony Levin from King Crimson contributing. You get vibes from every direction: The massively psychedelic from members of Grails, the sparsity of Slint and the progressive rock nature of King Crimson. Seawater is a slow building, focused meditation with instruments. I shout "Ascension!" and Watter reply.
27. This Will Destroy You – Dustism (Another Language)
Progression and growth is the biggest obstacle in post-rock music. Either a band goes through ground-breaking change or stays stagnant in a way. Apart from Mogwai I´d name This Will Destroy You as a band sticking to their guns and developing by themselves. While in the past "Dustism" would have been an 11 minute track or even 3 tracks on their own, TWDY managed to pull off all their musical ideas in less than seven minutes. The result is a pleasing piece going from driving energy, to speculative nostalgia and bursting into a heartwarming crescendo.
26. Eno & Hyde – Mother Of A Dog (Someday World)
The status of Brian Eno as a musical genius and vanguard of electronic music is undeniable. So the collaboration with Karl Hyde, a techno master himself, promised great things. As Mother Of A Dog proves, the expectations were met. Every little inch of the instrumental fits while still allowing for some acoustic elements to lend space and ambiance. Eno & Hyde go from dark and tortured to blissful crooning; catharsis as a throwback to the electronic music world of the 80´s.
Listen to an excerpt here.
25. Oneohtrix Point Never – Meet Your Creator (Commissions I)
I had the huge privilege of witnessing Oneo live and it was a grand moment of my life. He pushes you, your attention span, your level of hearing and the boundaries of what can be called electronic music contrasting to noise on kitsch. Meet Your Creator follows in the same lane as last year’s R Plus Seven adding a more organic vibe on behalf of the clunky beating of muted keys and sudden switch to gracious space music transporting you to heavens antechambers. Lopatin cannot fail.
Listen here.
24. Perfume Genius – Fool (Too Bright)
Glittery disco, crushing ambiance and Mike Hadreas, this is Too Bright and especially Fool in a sentence. Hadreas reemerged this year with sassy confidence and new found strength in self to deliver us from evil with his blend of fragility and plastic pop.
23. Pallbearer – The Ghost I Used To Be (Foundations Of Burden)
Deeper than any image of hell lie this year’s Foundations Of Burden as given to us by Pallbearer. The Ghost I Used To Be asphyxiates you from the first second, you become recluse from any light of hope and sense of uprising as the guitars doom you in their progression towards Brett Campells devoid monologue and the two minute outro reconciles nothing the band took away from you.
22. Lily & Madeleine – Can´t Admit It (Fumes)
Harmonizing sisters Lily & Madeleine returned with Fumes this year and my awe from last year’s self-titled effort was reloaded. The organ vibe and the slow hums before starting Can´t Admit It gives me the goose bumps every listen. The narrative of a relationship turned bad can be felt by almost everybody and the sisters hit it home with the huge emphasis on their voice over the instrumentation in the closing of the track.
21. Kevin Gates – Movie (By Any Means)
Life is an upwards battle, and the moments that remind you of the ascending notion are the ones to cherish just as much as the pain when of the descent. Kevin Gates recounts the birth of his children and the pace his life has taken overwhelming his notion to be there for his family. For all the voices saying that rap music is bad at becoming emotional, Gates proves them wrong.
20. Childish Gambino – Money Baby / Telegraph Ave. (STN MTN Kauai Mixtape / Because The Interent)
Strictly speaking Telegraph Ave. and Because The Internet are from 2013. But as I didn´t get to incorporate them in my list or even listen to the record until late December, it just has to be mentioned now. With his mixtape and EP Gambino also delivered another great set of songs with great variety. Telegraph Ave. puts you directly in the car with Childish as he starts to take over the song by Lloyd and is one of the best love songs I heard over the course of this year. Money Baby for the Gangsta Grillz tape is the perfect combination of clean trap production and confident singing Gambino excels in.
Childish Gambino - Telegraph Ave from Hiro Murai on Vimeo.
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