(03.13.09) [Ref.: AW 2008 Top 10] Following on from Adam’s (belated) Top 10 albums of 2008 list, here are his attempts to justify their presence. Both Autechre and Squarepusher have been covered in these pages, however, now you have even more incentive to head to your local music shop to purchase these gems.
[Autechre :: Quaristice (Warp)] Whilst not quite reaching the dizzying heights of Draft 7.30 or Confield in quality, Quaristice is truly epic in quantity. Not content with the 20 tracks on the vanilla release, the duo threw in an 11-track bonus disc with the first 1000 copies and leaked out another 13 tracks through digital music store Bleep. If all that isn’t enough, one of the best tracks to come from this slew of new music, “Blyz Castl,” is hidden away in an exclusive EP available only through the Japanese iTunes Store. Whilst it was a little unnecessary to release numerous almost identical-sounding versions of the same tracks, Autechre got away with it because they continue to make incredible electronic music and pioneer the genre. [Listen / Purchase
[Ricardo Villalobos :: Vasco (Perlon)] Although this album from the current chief of techno music has only four tracks, it glides easily over the hour mark thanks largely to a 32-minute version of the opener “Minimoonstar.” Fortunately, it was probably the best track of last year and alone earns Vasco a place in this top 10. The other three tracks continue the theme of sprawling, mutating, mind-blowing masterpieces adeptly and further strengthen Ricardo’s reputation as one of the best producers in the world. [Purchase
[Squarepusher :: Just A Souvenir (Warp)] Now that Squarepusher seems to be moving further and further towards instrumentation and away from electronic wizardry, very much in unison with his label Warp Records, the short playtime caused me to expect an album akin to Music Is Rotted One Note (my least favourite) rather than a burst of intense, tight drill ‘n’ bass (a la Go Plastic, my favourite). Squarepusher has always been unpredictable and he has not failed to shock and split opinions again this time around. For me, this is another boundary-pushing experimentation with four standout tracks to cherish forever. Also, check out the follow-up EP Numbers Lucent. It’s a glorious return to the Squarepusher style I am most in love with – melodic drill ‘n’ bass. Five of the six tracks are absolutely brilliant, however sadly the closer is a poor attempt at gabber. [Purchase / Listen
[Last Step :: 1961 (Planet Mu)] Aaron Funk’s more laid-back, formulaic project is an intriguing diversion from his restless output of sonic abuse as Venetian Snares. The usually intense, powerful beatwork calms, allowing the lovely melodies to blossom and funk to further showcase his outrageous talent. As an album this is much better than Detrimentalist. [Purchase
[Mr Oizo :: Lambs Anger (Because Music, Ed Banger)] Quentin Dupieux’s latest full-length album is a self-confessed mixed bag – the first track “Hun” admitting that of the collection of this recorded stuff, “some are good, some are bad and some are just OK.” He’s right, this ranks nowhere near his previous two albums, which are both consistently excellent. It’s still wonderfully exciting, quirky and at times brilliant. Killer tracks include “Z” and “Positif.” [Purchase
[SND :: 4,5,6 (SND)] Astonishingly good experimentations from the duo who returned after a seven-year absence with some clout, supporting Autechre on their Quaristice tour magnificently. Released on their private label and limited to a measly 300 copies, this is a departure from previous albums of atmospheric clicks and cuts on Mille Plateaux. Instead, it’s abstract, austere and exhilarating. The phenomenal “Hpuncture 01,” in particular, sounds like it was brought back from the future. [Purchase]
[Vibert / Simmonds :: Rodulate (Rephlex)] This admirably lives up to their original collaboration, 1993’s classic Weirs. Rodulate is an album of marvellously warm analogue tracks seemingly bolstered significantly by Jeremy Simmonds’ input – I much prefer it to the majority of Luke Vibert’s solo efforts. For me this came out on nowhere as a very pleasant surprise. [Purchase
[Venetian Snares :: Detrimentalist (Planet Mu)] This is by no means a great album by Aaron Funk’s standards, but still good enough to earn its place at number eight. Rather than continuing with the classical theme used in 2007’s My Downfall, Detrimentalist is mostly a return to tongue-in-cheek ragga. Unsurprisingly the album peaks when it strays from this, most evidently in the breath-taking Bebikukorica Nigiri and the sublime closer Miss Balaton. [Purchase / Listen
[B12 :: Last Days of Silence (B12)] The legendary B12 returned with a double-disc album after a decade of silence (sorry) and sent electronic music forums into a bit of a frenzy. The excitement proved to be justified – this is a supremely polished and stylish mixture of IDM and techno. [Purchase
[Starkey :: Ephemeral Exhibits (Planet Mu)] Much like Puzzleweasel’s Exo-Grid last year, this sneaked into my top 10 as somewhat of a surprise. Other parallels with that album include the fact it was not really hyped, is by a relatively unknown artist, is accompanied by awesome artwork and is very, very good. Check “Pressure” and “Spacewalk.” [Purchase
All releases above are out now.
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