EXPERIMENTAL HIP-HOP
Since I discovered Vince in 2014 I was left astonished by his fantastic flow and how progressive his sound was, last year he released one of the best EPs of 2016 "Primadonna" and with it, he kinda started teasing something big was coming. The result is a concise but spectacular album in every sense of the word, teaming up with electronic / PC producers he delivers the sickest beats he's ever worked with, each and every single track is super catchy and make you feel like you were in a party of the future. He did it again, #Kendrickisover
▲ Homage / Yeah Right / Big Fish / Crabs In a Bucket / SAMO ▼ n/a
ART POP / ELECTRONICA
Björk's so-called "Tinder Record" is more than just a love album, is an album that shows Björk rediscovering herself, the lyrics are insanely personal and showcase the process of loving and receiving love and also touch very sensitive themes like divorce and the fight for what you've earned. Even when some people were not that happy with Arca being a producer, his production here fits excellent delivering charming yet super distorted beats showcasing how beautiful but also ****ed-up the world is right now urging us the need to look up for Utopia.
▲ Arisen My Senses / The Gate / Future Forever / Utopia / Body Memory ▼ n/a
ALTERNATIVE R&B
The so awaited debut album by Kelela is more than just any Alt R&B album, is sensual, is hooky, is bold, and it also makes a powerful statement of who Kelela is. Kelela's vocals are strong yet seductive. The production is immaculate, and even with various producer working on numerous single tracks, that does not threaten the cohesiveness of the album, weaving many ideas into one seamless listening experience. It also contains the most infectious bops of the past year. A legend is born.
▲ Frontline / LMK / Blue Light / Altadena / Onanon ▼ n/a
ART POP
Mike Hadreas is back with his most daring, experimental, diverse and vital album yet. The album kicks off with "Otherside" which seems like a minimalistic piano ballad like the ones on "Put Your Back N 2 It", but as the song stars growing you find yourself into a diverse, explosive track filled with synths and guitars, from that moment on you know this is going to be an intense experience. Full of variety it may be his less cohesive album, but every track follows its pat, each track is a whole different experience to the previous one which makes you feel the many shapes of Mike. You can also sense how in love he is right now and that he doesn't keep that love to himself but spreads it with others through a warm and colorful listen that brings joy and hope to one's ears. With this album, Perfume shows how much he has grown as an artist and as a person.
▲ Wreath / Slip Away / Die 4 You / Valley / Sides ▼ n/a
And the #1 album of 2017 is.....
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EXPERIMENTAL ROCK
Back in the day when "A Promise" was released I fell in love with Xiu Xiu for the first time, their distorted abrasive sound captivated my ears and made me feel oddly disgusted. Time has passed, and Xiu Xiu has faced many line-up changes with only Jamie being the only remaining member since the foundation of the group. Of course, Jamie is the soul of Xiu Xiu, so line-up variations don't necessarily affect the sound or direction of any of their records. But when "Angel Guts: Red Classroom" was released I felt it was maybe enough of Xiu Xiu for me; their sound wasn't as innovative, and the abrasiveness wasn't as enjoyable as it used to be. But just a year and some months before they announced they were releasing an album with Twin Peaks covers (Twin Peaks is my favorite show ever, and the AB soundtracks are essential for me), that kind of hyped me to get back into them. Plays the Music of Twin Peaks ended up being my #2 record of 2016 and left me intrigued what Xiu Xiu was going to do next. Not much time passed, and the announced this album with the lead single being "Wondering," it was love at first listen, it was like I was listening to a brand new Xiu Xiu, but the essence of it was still there. Given how pop-y "Wondering" was I was sort of worried it was going to be something generic (by the standards of Xiu Xiu of course.) The album ended up leaking, and I didn't think twice, and I listened to it and OH MY GOD. The album was ASTONISHING in every sense of the word, the topics were so obscure, but Jamie enlightened them with such grace, the experimental abrasive Xiu Xiu was still there, super distorted beats, sparse vocals but everything was just in place. A super insane and scary listen, but I just couldn't stop listening to it. This album is the album you can indeed never FORGET.
"Everyone hates youPain has just begun"
▲ Wondering / Forget / Get Up / Hay Choco Bananas / Queen of the Losers ▼ n/a