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Embarrasing lapses of judgment or prescient needle-in-haystack discovery? On this page, I've collected the past few years' worth of year-ending poll entries for some of the mailing lists I've been on. Results are unranked, disturbingly incomplete and above all, presented free of hindsight-induced tampering (aside from the occasional factual clarification/addendum). Thanks to Jim Flannery and Doug Orleans and anyone else who had the burning, irrational desire to track these opinions from a million monkeys with a million different ways of spelling Godspeed You Black Emperor album titles.
Technical stuff: As always, all releases are available on CD unless otherwise indicated. The existence of digitally encoded media does not, however, preclude an analog equivalent. Also, releases with different labels are usually given a listing for the US label unless there are important differences in other editions. Alles klar?
Old Lists (by year)
Or view this year's work-in-progress
Top Twenty-Something
Alphabetical order, no shoving!
The Aislers Set, How I Learned to Write Backwards (Suicide Squeeze, US)
Bukue One and DJ Garon, "Mash It Up (Jungle Remix), (Urban Earth, US)
E-Z Rollers, "Titles of the Unexpected: Outtakes and Missing Breaks Vols. 1 and 2" 2x12"es (Moving Shadow, UK)
EXIAS-J, Electric Conception "Avant-Garde" (PSF, JP)
Heathen Shame, Heathen Shame (Twisted Village, US)
Jutok Kaneko / Takehisa Kikukawa, Wedged Night LP (Siwa, US)
Mandog, Trio (instant composing), 2003 5.4 Yokohama Airgin CD-R 2003
Severiano Martinez, Clocks and Psandas (Shinkoyo, US)
Miminokoto, Miminokoto 2 (Austin ,JP)
Mon'drien, "Live at U.F.O. Club September 1, 2003" CD-R
Mon'drien, "Improvisation April 20, 2003" CD-R
Hiroshi Nar, "Gacharn" and "All I Need" 3" CD-Rs (Hello Good-bye Studio, JP)
Julien Ottavi, Nervure Magnetique (Sigma Editions, AU)
Overhang Party, Out Takes From 1996 to 2003 CD-R (Atelier Himawari, JP)
The Rapture, Echoes (Mercury/DFA, US)
Dizzee Rascal, "I Luv U" (XL, UK)
Wiley feat. Roll Deep Crew, "Ice Rink" (white label, UK)
Skepta, "D.T.I. (Pirate Radio Anthem)" 12" (Dice, UK)
Sticky feat. Viper, "I'm on the Mic" 12" (Social Circles, UK)
Ikuro Takahashi, Drums SoloCD-R (Aura Obscura, JP)
Tuck Tuck Tuck, LP (Skul, US)
Vybz Kartel, Up 2 Di Time (Greensleeves, UK)
Wiley, "Salt Beef" 12" and "Igloo Remix" 12" (white label, UK)
Yura Yura Teikoku, Yura Yura Teikoku no Shibiri and Yura Yura Teikoku no Memai (Midi, JP)
Various Artists, Compositions for Guitars (A Bruit Secret, FR)
Various Artists, La Cosa Nostra 2003, Vol 3 Box Set (La Cosa Nostra, UK)
Various Artists, Wooden Guitar (Locust, US)
Top Five Reissues/Archival
Kim Jung Mi, Now (MVD, KR)
Murahachibu, Underground Tapes 1973 (Hagakure, JP)
Bruce Palmer, The Cycle Is Complete (Collector's Choice, US)
Will Sergeant, Weird As Fish / Le Via Luonge (Ochre, UK)
Spacemen 3, Forged Prescriptions 2CD (Space Age, UK)
For more worthy releases, see the "2003 Current Listening" list.
Back to the top
Top Twenty-Something
Oren Ambarchi, "Der Kleine Konig" 7" (Tonschacht, DL)
Biosphere, Shenzhou (Touch, UK)
Charalambides, "Spring Leaves Fall" 7" (Time-Lag, US)
Glass Cage, Glass Cage (Paratactile, UK)
Gate, The Lavender Head, v. 3 (Precious Metal, NZ)
Hrvatski, Swarm & Dither (Planet Mu, UK)
LCD Soundsystem, "Give It Up" 7" (DFA, US)
LSD March, Untitled box set (White Elephant, JP)
Mainpal Inv., "Inverted Brand" 7" series (Mainpal Inv., DK)
Matmos, High Live and Dirty (Vague Terrain, US)
Miminokoto, Miminokoto (Gyuune Cassette, US)
Oasis, Heathen Chemistry (Sony, US)
Pure, Noonbugs (Mego, AT)
Bernard Parmegiani, La Memoire des Sons (INA GRM, FR)
The Rapture, "Olio (DFA Remix)" 12" (Output, UK)
Jack Rose, Red Horse, White Mule LP (Eclipse, US)
DJ Shadow, The Private Press (MCA, US)
Tangerine Dream Syndicate, III Violins for III Stooges (Alchemy, JP)
Toshiya Tsunoda, Extract From Field Recording Archive #3: Solid Vibration (Intransitive / Fringes, US/IT)
Yura Yura Teikoku, [new single] 2x3" (Midi, JP)
Various Artists, 5 Sleepers... Baku (360 Degrees, JP)
Various Artists, Colour and Sound (Apestaartje, US)
Various Artists, Improvised Music From Japan box set (Improvised Music From Japan, JP)
Additional note: [February, 2003]
All releases are CDs unless otherwise noted. I've taken the liberty of not including reissues or archival releases because where's the fun in that?
Top Ten Reissues/Archival
Berrocal / Coster / Ferlet, Musiq Musik (Fractal, FR)
Blame, "Music Takes You" 2x12" (Moving Shadow, UK)
Dando Shaft, Anthology 2CD (BGO, UK)
Vincent Gallo, Recordings of Music For Film (Warp, UK)
The Golden Cups, Return of The Golden Cups Vol 8: Fifth Generation LP (P-Vine, JP)
Hiroshi Kamayatsu, Monsieur- The World of Hiroshi Kamayatsu LP
(P-Vine, JP)
Royal Trux, Hand of Glory (Drag City, US)
Masayuki Takayanagi, Theme for Qaddafi (Jinya Disc, JP)
Various Artists, Revue Ou LP box set (Alga Marghen, IT)
Various Artists, Studio One Story 2CD (Soul Jazz, UK)
For more worthy releases, see the "2002 Current Listening" list.
Back to the top
Top Fifteen
Aphex Twin, Drukqs (Sire, US)
Boredoms, Rebore Vol. 0: Vision Recreation by Eye (WEA Japan, JP)
Thomas Brinkmann, "46 Valentino e.p." 12" (Max Ernst, Germany)
Jonathan Coleclough, Period LP (Anomalous, US)
Reissued in 2002 as a 2CD with extra material
Kevin Drumm / Pita, Drumm / Pita LP (BOXmedia, US)
Goodiepal & Friends, Untitled LP (Mainpal, DK)
Minamo, Minamo 2CD (Quakebasket, US)
Reissue of 1999's Wakka + previously unreleased live material. Probably actually released in 2000, oh well...
Mouse on Mars, "Agit Itter It It" (Sonig, Germany)
Radiohead, Amnesiac (Capitol, US)
Ride, Box Set 3CD (Ignition, UK)
The Stars, "Today" (PSF, JP)
Masayoshi Urabe, Rock 'n' Roll Breathing VHS (There, JP)
Keith Fullerton Whitman, "21:30 For Acoustic Guitar..." (Apartment B, US)
Various Artists, Pop Ambient 2001 (Kompakt, Germany)
Various Artists, Unattainable Text #1 (Diskono, UK)
Additional note [January 2002]:
The above records were chosen because (with the exception of the Ride box)
they are impeccable documents of the more-or-less current activities of
extant artists. Following is a list of other notable records released this
year, including a separate section for straight reissues or records
created from archival material. My reasoning for excluding this later
category from the main list is twofold: 1) Repeat licensing and
repackaging has made it very difficult (and to a certain extent,
undesirable) to track these types of releases too closely and 2) I think
the focus of year-end best of lists should remain on living, breathing
artists who can benefit from your attention.
Honorable Mentions
Tetuzi Akiyama, Relator (Slub, JP)
David Axelrod, David Axelrod (Mo' Wax, UK)
Jutok Kaneko, Endless Ruins (PSF, JP)
LSD-March, 1997-2001 at Mushroom (Gyuune, JP)
Matmos, A Chance to Cut Is a Chance To Cure (Matador, US)
Mirror, Islands 2LP (Die Stadt, Germany)
Oval, Ovalcommers (Thrill Jockey, US)
Supersilent, Supersilent 5 (Rune Grammofon, NO)
Kate Village & Wayne Rogers, Quits LP (Twisted Village, US)
Various Artists, Matter Dominates Spirit- A Tribute to Jim Shepard 2LP (Meta, US)
Various Artists, Now Thing (Mo' Wax, UK)
Jega remix from "Phonok Remixes" 12" Compilation (Skam, UK)
Reissue of the Year
Intersystems, Number One LP + 7" (Cortical, US)
Other Quality Archival Material
Joe Jones, Solar Music (? Records, US)
Joy Division, Les Bains Douches 18 December 1979 (NMC Music, UK)
Parson Sound, Parson Sound 2CD (Subliminal Sounds, SE)
Hal Russell's Chemical Feast, Elixir (Atavistic, US)
Stalk-Forrest Group, St. Cecilia: The Elektra Recordings (Rhino Handmade, US)
Various Artists, Nigeria 70 (Afro Strut, UK)
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Top Twenty
Oren Ambarchi, Insulation (Touch, UK)
C-Schulz & Hajsch, C-Schulz & Hajsch (Sonig, Germany)
Jonathan Coleclough, Windlass (Korm Plastics, NL)
Dettinger, Oasis (Kompakt, Germany)
Petra Dubach & Mario van Horrik, The Adventures of Toon Scales (Bake Records, NL)
Keiji Haino / Shoji Hano, The Strange Face (Ultra Hard Gel, US)
Hrvatski, "Raume" 7" (Tonschacht, Germany)
Christof Kurzmann / Burkhard Stangl, Schnee (Erstwhile, US)
Major Force West, '93-'97 (Mo' Wax, UK)
Movietone, The Blossom Filled Streets (Drag City, US)
Murahachibu, "Recorded Live '73" (Good Lovin', JP)
Ora, Aureum 2LP (Streamline, Germany)
Oval, Ovalprocess (Thrill Jockey, US)
Overhang Party, Other Side of Overhang Party 2CD + 7" (Pataphysique, JP)
Keith Rowe / Gunter Muller / Taku Sugimoto, The World Turned Upside-Down (Erstwhile, US)
Soul Center, Soul Center (W.v.B Enterprises/NL, Germany)
The second self-titled album (black cover)
Joseph Suchy, "Tau" 7" (Tonschacht, Germany)
Toshiya Tsunoda, Vibrational Movements of Metal Plates LP (Ahora, US)
Masayoshi Urabe, A Brute 2LP (self-released/no label, JP)
Various Artists, O Brother, Where Art Thou? OST (Mercury, US)
Back to the top
Currently MIA
Back to the top
Top Twenty
Agitation Free, Live at the Cliffs of River Rhine (Garden of Delights, Germany)
Beach Boys, Endless Harmony (Capitol, US)
Peter Brotzman, The Chicago Octet/Tentet 3CD (Okka, US)
Neil Campbell, These Premises Are No Longer Bugged LP (Giardia, US)
Edgardo Canto, Promenade d'Ete d'Utils NASA (Nepless, IT)
Cat Power, Moon Pix (Matador, US)
Don't Dolby, Don't Dolby (Gefriem, Germany)
Arnold Dreyblatt, The Sound of One String (Table of the Elements, US)
Fennesz, "Plays" 7" (Mego, AT)
Brion Gysin, Pool K III (Alga Marghen, IT)
Brother JT, Dosed and Confused (Bedlam, US)
K. Salvatore, Four Impossible Puns 2LP (Siwa, US)
Joe Maneri, Paniots Nine (Avant, JP)
Hermann Nitsch, Musik der 66 Aktion 2CD (Alga Marghen, IT)
Osso Exotico, Church Organ Works (Sonoris, FR)
Oval, Dok (Thrill Jockey, US)
Supersilent, 1-3 3CD (Rune Grammofon, NO)
Tonalamotl, Tonalamotl LP (Bobby J, US)
V-3, Pimping in the 90s LP (Iron Press, US)
Various Artists, Attention: Cats LP (Reckankreuzungs Klankewerkzeuge, US)
Notable Reissues
Apocalypsis, Apocalypsis LP (Lazarus, CA)
Art Ensemble of Chicago, Go Home, Bap-Tizum, Fanfare for the Warriors CDs (latter two on Atlantic, US)
Gal Costa, Gal Costa (Philips Japan, JP)
Miles Davis Quintet, Miles Davis Quintet 1965-1968 6CD (Columbia, US)
Kim Fowley, Outlaw Superman (Bacchus Archives, US)
Four Freshmen, Voices In Love / Love Lost (Collector's Choice, US)
Fushitsusha, Double Live (aka PSF 3/4) 2CD (PSF, JP)
Gilberto Gil, Cerebro Eletronico (Philips Japan, JP)
Jimmy Giuffre, Free Fall (Columbia, US)
Gruppo di Improvisazione Nuova Consonanza, Musica Su Schemi (EMI Italy, IT)
The entire Impulse! New Thing reissue series (Impulse!, US)
Jacks, Karappo No Sekai (Columbia Japan, JP)
Bill Keith, Something Auld, Something Newgrass, Something Borrowed, Something Bluegrass (Rounder)
Kinks reissue series (Essential, UK)
Limbus 4, Mandalas (Spalax, FR)
Hermann Nitsch, Island 4CD (Cortical, US)
(no, my list didn't get truncated)
Special award for most terribly botched issue of timeless material (aka
collectors will complain about anything)- John Coltrane "Classic
Quartet"- The Complete Impulse! Studio Recordings 8CD (Impulse!)
Special award for most odious "reissue" of 1998- Marble Sheep and the
Run-Down Sun's Children s/t LP ("fan club" pressing)
Back to the top
Top Twenty
Beach Boys, Pet Sounds Sessions 4CD (Capitol, US)
Belle & Sebastian, If You're Feeling Sinister (Enclave, US)
Anthony Braxton, Quartet (Santa Cruz) 1994 2CD (hatART, SW)
John Coltrane, Complete 1961 Village Vanguard 4CD (Impulse!, US)
Tony Conrad, Early Minimalism, Vol 1 4CD (Table of the Elements, US)
DKV Trio with Fred Anderson, DKV Trio with Fred Anderson (Okka, US)
Dom & Rob, "Distorted Dreams" 12" (a-side) (Moving Shadow, UK)
Ego Summit, The Room Isn't Big Enough LP (No Age/Old Age, US)
Fushitsusha, The Time Is Nigh (Tokuma, JP)
Garbage & the Flowers, Eyes Rind As If Beggars 2LP (Now Sound, US)
Bernard Heidsieck, Vaduz LP (Alga Marghen, IT)
Gyorgy Ligeti, Keyboard Works (Sony Classical, US)
Maciunas Ensemble with Kanary Grand Band, Live With Birds (Het Apollohuis, NL)
Raphe Malik, The Short Form (Eremite, US)
Paradox, contributions to various artists compilations Distorted Reality and Renegade Continuum (Renegade Hardware, UK)
Red Krayola, Deliverance (Unknown label, US)
Robert Rutman, Music To Sleep By (Tresor, BE)
Shortkut & Q-Bert, Coming To America CS (Invisible Skratch Piklz, US)
Taku Sugimoto, Fragments of Paradise (Creativeman, JP)
Various Artists, Return of the DJ, Vol II (Bomb Hip-Hop, US)
Back to the top
Top Eighteen
Albert Ayler, Albert Smiles With Sunny 2CD (In Respect, Germany)
Ash Ra Tempel, Private Tapes, Vol. 3 (Manikin, Germany)
Tony Conrad, Four Violins (1964) LP (Table of the Elements, US)
Miles Davis / Gil Evans, The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings 6CD (Columbia, US)
Alec Empire, Hypermodern Jazz 2000.5 (Mille Plateaux, Germany)
Musica Transonic, Second Album (PSF, JP)
Mike Rep, Treestump Named Desire (Anyway, US)
RLW, untitled (Table of the Elements, US)
DJ Shadow, Endtroducing... (Mo' Wax, UK)
Spring Heel Jack, 68 Million Shades of... (Island, UK)
Sun Ra, The Singles (Evidence, US)
Trad Gras Och Stenar, Gardet 12.6.1970 (Subliminal, SE)
Twenty Six, This Skin Is Rust 2LP (Bobby J, US)
V-3, "Elevator to the Gas Chamber e.p." 7" (Spirit of Orr, US)
V-3, "Russian Roulette" 7" (Birdman, US)
Various Artists, Growin' Up Too Fast- The Girl Group Anthology 2CD (Mercury, US)
Various Artists, Headz 2B (Mo' Wax, UK)
Various Artists, The Lowest Form of Music 10CD (RRR/Cortical, US)
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