Weekly Random 5, 22/01/12
This year, I’m starting to do the weekly random 5 posts on sundays. Why? First of all, because I have more time to compile the list during the weekend and, second of all, because it syncs with last.fm‘s weekly cut-off. This week I list three very interesting and very different albums from 2011, and two classics.
Prefuse 73 – One Word Extinguisher (2003). One of those mandatory albums from Prefuse 73 (along with Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives), “One Word Extinguisher” is one of those “instrumental hip-hop meets idm” efforts. The songs are short and constantly morphing and even if you’re not much into the hip-hop field (as I am not) it should prove an interesting listen.
Grouper – A I A : Dream Loss (2011). Grouper continues where she left us after Dragging a Dead Dear up a Hill with the A I A dual release (Dream Loss and Alien Observer). The two albums are similar in taste. I tend to prefer Dream Loss because of the heavier use of distortions. Expect dark ambient, lo-fi, drone mixed with dreamy soundscapes.
M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (2011). One of my personal favorites from 2011, this is building up as my favorite M83 album as well (surpassing Saturdays = Youth). It’s dream pop at its best, with a taste of ambient and shoegaze. It even has a contribution from Zola Jesus on the “Intro” track, whose voice I find fitting perfectly in the mood M83 usually sets up for his songs.
Hecq – Avenger (2011). Panzer dubstep is the best description I can get for this album (taken from a rating at rym). The mood on Hecq’s albums has always been dark. This time he brings that to the dubstep field, with some huge basslines and a contribution from Matta. A great listen with the headphones on.
Mouse on Mars – Autoditacker (1997). I’m a huge fan of Mouse on Mars. They mix jungle, glitch, idm and ambient with a funky vibe. “Autoditacker” is a perfect example of that, and it features “Tux & Damask”, the first song I ever listened from them.