Top Tracks 2015 Part V 60–51

60. Okada – Vulnerability (Impermanence)

I´ve been a fan of Greg Pappas ever since his zxyzxy projects and I´m glad he resurfaced as Okada. After re-releasing what was originally 2010´s C.A.B as the album Anathema this year, he dropped his 4-part eletronic epic through N5MD in August. His way of mixing various electronic aspects was supereb from his earliest work and on Impermanence he added female vocals for perfection. Vulnerability is definitely a find for every fan of Andy Stott´s latest releases. The dark yearning of the few vocal slivers, while still being understandable as lyrics paired with the sparse and haunting electronics and keys consumes the listener fully. As Stott is on the heavier side and exhausts the perception with a deep gloominess, Vulnerability has a more ambient, more contemplative vibe to it. Be sure to check out the whole project for the whole experience.

59. Hudson Mohawke – Indian Steps feat. Antony (Lantern)

If you got word about the upcoming Anohni release and the single "4 Degrees" and automatically took to the idea of Antony (from Antony and the Johnsons) teaming with Hudson Mohawke and Oneohtrix Point Never, Indian Steps is the prototype to this collaboration. While Hudson Mohawke had some vocal guests on his album Latern, nothing stood as much as Anthony and his baroque vocal work over the sadness of the bleep-banging instrumentals. "4 Degress" take a much more pompous approach and widens the scope of the collab being able to do more than just one-off sad electronica cuts. But Indian Steps captures the skill and perfection of producer and singer almost flawlessly. Can´t wait for the release next year, especially what Oneohtrix will contribute to it all.

58. Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld – With The Dark Hug of Time (Never Were The Way She Was)

Five minutes of tension: Stetson laying the base of a thump with occasional cranked highlights and Neufeld´s strings adding touches of color to the monochrome until a screeching sound is swallowed by one menacing drone. What remains is desolate humming. Something befitting of Silent Hill games or baby murdering children. The technique of circular breathing is detrimental to Stetson unique language of saxophone and in combination with Neufelds precise violin, time, in it´s repetitiveness and eventful chance, is captured hauntingly precise.

57. Walleater – Swallow You (I/II)

Walleater could have had huge success in the 90´s. Their distortion laden pop-rock is something expressing the sentiment of many coming-of-age movies from that time. Not the simpleminded ones, centering around sex, but those that were more concerned with the troubles as well as the light-heartedness of growing up. I am immediately transported – not in time or space – but in feeling, to taking things one step at a time, not thinking about consequences that much and to just hanging around and not paying much mind to all the stressful things around me. It still works in 2015 and is much welcomed between the darker and reflective moments.

56. Flo Morrissey – Show Me (Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful)

Flo Morrissey´s cover for Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful is as strange and trippy as is it beautiful an scary. Her voice on the other hand blew my mind as soon as I pressed play. The nuance, the high pitch of her intonating "Show Me", her wavering of notes, the silent but powerful whisper is an aural lucid dream. Just check out her performance of the song and you´ll be entranced.

55. Rae Sremmurd – Lit Like Big / This Could Be Us (SremmLife)

For this I had to pick two songs. Rae Sremmurd are not in any way making high minded rap music, in a way they can be seen as the jester type of rap stars that is most of the time highly successful in the media. Most of their appeal comes from throwing down their bars to infectious beats, mostly crafted by their label head Mike Will Made It. While Lit Like Big is the suave, trap influenced opener, This Could Be Us bears traces of a funny anti-love anthem. The simple piano running throughout the song transport the laid back and nonchalant vibe as Swea Lee and Slim Jimmy trade somewhat heartbroken but spiteful shots at their exes.

54. Japanese Wallpaper – Forces feat. Airling (Japanese Wallpaper)

Don´t have that much information about Japanese Wallpaper, but be sure to check out their whole project. Paired with different vocal guest, the whole thing plays like a dreamy showcase of the highest moments electronic can deliver. Airling´s sweet, soul and r´n´b influenced contribution to Forces celestial instrumental is impeccable and will leave you a little heartbroken yourself. 

53. Kacey Musgraves – Die Fun (Pageant Material)

Kacey Musgraves has been lauded as the new and fresh voice of country music, delivering contemporary themes while still remaining in the mindset of country-music (i.e. not going full pop and toying with every instrument there is). I´m pretty much a sucker for things using a well played slide-guitar, even hints of it, especially in slow burning songs. Die Fun has the singer touching on the theme of trying to keep some youth in the face of age and death and Musgraves does so by staying pretty realistic and in the solutions of many people: Drink and don´t bother about the ticking clock, we are all going to die anyway; in other words Die Fun.

52. Protomartyr – I Forgive You (The Agent Intellect)

Protomartyr delivering the best album and track of 2014 wasn´t a one time achievement or a whim on my side, and The Agent Intellect is prove of that. This album is denser, has a faster pace and is angrier than Under Color of Official Right. I can´t really say that I get what I Forgive you is about. It is highly energetic, a smack in the face referencing many sights and experiences of Detroit. But the destructive and beaten feeling doesn´t elude me and is the epitome of what post-punk music is in my eyes.

51. Towkio – Oscillate (.Wav Theory)

Towkio, being a member of The Social Experiment and thus in the cosmos of Chance The Rapper and Donnie Trumpet broke with his own project a little before Surf revealed itself to the world and, unfortunately, went a little unrecognized. .Wav Theory had many ideas flowing about and in style came close to what Chance is known for. Not everything worked as well as maybe intended and some joints might come off as too familiar to his peers, but in it´s more experimental and electronically inclined moments, Towkio shines. The closer Oscillate sticks to the title and leads out with oscillating screams, growing in volume and intensity. This elements adds to the song and had me coming back for these short moments numerous times.