TranscendNoise

 4 0. Prurient – Creationist (The Ultimate Evil) Creationist is a stark addition to the style of noise compositions Prurient excelled at in 2017’s Rainbow Mirror . The idea of doom electronics as music drenched in noise without sacrificing listenability for alienation nor musicality is something that sets apart Prurient from many other noise artists. Conceptual strength and treating his fans with hand-crafted packages full of ephemera and goodies is what makes these sounds of horror and disgust even more enticing. Somewhere between the connection of the creation myth of the bible and references to the New York serial killer dubbed Son of Sam, the different ephemera, for instance in form of an anti-record, become a form of research into a subject expressed in sound by Fernow. In recent years Fernow has begun to split up his three main projects into more distinct wholes. In the case of Prurient this entails largely eschewing any beats or techno-esque structure for long hisses of no...

30. Siavash Amini & Matt Finney – Gospel I've written quite a lot on the sonic world of Clawing and had the incredible chance to pick Matt Finney´s brain about his life and creation. Gospel , however, I didn´t highlight enough and this despite it becoming my favorite Finney moment of 2018 and at that one of the most jarring edifices of abuse and trauma, I ever listened to. With Siavash Amini at the helm, bringing to life three haunting soundscapes that feel like living inside Silent Hill´s hospitals and small neighborhoods, Finney went deeper into his past and explicitly stated what close listening unearthed in his previous work. The horrors of becoming a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of your own father, the aftermath that deals with unheard prayers to God and a religion unable to help in the real violence humans inflict upon each other. Maybe the thing that always pulls me towards Finney´s music is the fact that he is equally at loss as the next victim, his trademar...

20. Playboi Carti – Shoota (feat. Lil Uzi Vert) (Die Lit)  Lil Uzi and Playboi Carti really come off as brothers in spirit, in their solo work and especially in their collaborations. “Shoota” shines in a power that is life-affirming and strongly addictive. In under three minutes Uzi sings a verse that embodies his wild dances on Instagram and his stage show alike and while Carti´s hook slightly fails in topping off the energy, the sketch-like nature of the song, it appearing and closing in the blink of an eye is the singular representation of  youthfulness the two rappers combine on their tracks. Their music never has to be deep and meaningful, but energetic and affective in their simple disregard for structure and hip-hop tropes, a small symphony of improvisation and style and swagger. 19. Nothing – Hail At Palace Pier (Dance On The Blacktop)  Nothing implement a metal or even black metal mindset of songwriting and mood to the most delicate sounds of...