shakey graves

folky goodness, use of banjo, strong voice. more @ bandcamp

dimlite

One of the great musical tragedies of the 00's is that Swiss beat magician Dimlite did not set ablaze the electronic/hip hop world. Perhaps it is better to say that he did set it ablaze, only everyone is asleep and have yet to realize the impending doom. Time to wake up people.

2006's This Is Embracing was and is a monumental release. I like FlyLo as much as the next guy but those who write off Dimlite as an imitation, as many have, are confused. Flying Lotus' album 1983 came out the same year, which musically is a few steps removed from Dimlite's "sound." It wasn't until a couple years later with Los Angeles that FlyLo started gravitating toward a similar, more nuanced, creative and cosmic style. Either way, for my ears, where FlyLo sometimes sounds forced Dimlite sounds organic and effortless. Not to mention his creativity is off the charts. But I digress...

After years of waiting and only getting an EP and a handful of tracks, Dimlite has returned in 2011 with Grimm Reality. Whereas Embracing was refreshing and new in 2006, this year Dimlite continues to do things his own way and dismiss more conventional approaches to electronic and hip hop. I'm not much into reviewing albums these days, thus I will merely tell you that Grimm Reality is fucking great and provide you with a few cuts from the album so that you can see what you think.

moon wiring club

Often times December releases get forgotten in the rush for magazines to publish their end-of-year lists. In the end who really cares, other than that projects like the enigmatic Moon Wiring Club get less recognition than they deserve. Earlier this year MWC released Somewhere A Fox Is Getting Married, a rather strange tribute (perhaps?) to the Royal wedding. Quite frankly it was underwhelming, but here in December we have received Clutch It Like A Gonk which sounds much more fine-tuned, if you will. At any rate, it's among the best of MWC's work and is keeping electronic music interesting.



Gotta love the strange video as well.

andy stott, laurel halo

Despite seeing Passed Me By all over the place this year, I slept on it until December. This year has definitely seen techno and house music make a bolder statement, what with Laurel Halo, Surgeon and others dropping releases that have been quite excellent. Andy Stott deserves a nod for his contributions as well. Dark, dub techno goodness. Don't forget to turn up the volume.



edit: might as well include a track from Laurel Halo's Hour Logic EP. Very good.

shilpa ray & her happy hookers

From Teenage and Torture.

jack allett, glenn jones

We all know that there is not shortage of acoustic guitarists peddling whatever gimmick they choose, the great many of them done over and over throughout the decades. And yet this over-saturation makes those who stand out all the more important. Jack Allett's style is familiar, but so well done it's worth some attention. In the video below his style is similar to James Blackshaw but overall I'd say Allett brings a more diverse set of sounds on his debut, The Collapsing Middle. Here he is playing live earlier this year.



You can hear more of his music on soundcloud.

With that said, Glenn Jones cast a shadow that is damn near inimitable. You've probably seen his album The Wanting on many year-end lists.

talvihorros

From talvihorros.com:

Talvihorros is the guitar driven moniker of British composer Ben Chatwin. Exploring numerous techniques to coax a myriad of sounds from both electric and acoustic guitars. He creates dense and dark sound collages augmented with organ, harmonium, mandolin, bells, synthesizer and waves of electronic static. Talvihorros performs live with just an electric guitar and an array of effects pedals, he has previously shared the stage with the likes of Tim Hecker, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Stephan Mathieu and Ian Hawgood.


Hallowed by Talvihorros

2011's Descent Into Delta is quite impressive.

blood box

The best of dark ambient. Solo project of Michael JV Hensley (Yen Pox). New release this year called Funeral In An Empty Room which is phenomenal.


BLOOD BOX - Funeral In An Empty Room (megamix) by BLOOD BOX

peaking lights

lo-fi, psych-pop duo Peaking Lights put out a rather nice album this year, 936. Here's a cut off that album:

ga'an

Ga’an play dark, meditative drone-prog using minimalism, poly-rhythms, and incantatory vocals to entrance the listener with its oppressive, and enveloping sound. Their new album “Black Equus” due out 11/29/2011 on Captcha Records. Their first self titled album is out on Captcha Records which features their original line-up.
last.fm

I very much was into their debut with the original line-up so it's nice to see that they put out something just as massively rockin' with a three-piece. Clearly they can pull it off live as well.

thee oh sees

Among Thee Oh Sees releases from this year is Carrion Crawler/The Dream. Garage rock that despite being nothing novel is rather fun and exciting.

Hip Hop 2011

Welcome! Since the end of the year is nigh I will begin this blog by taking a look at the music released in 2011. Starting in January I will begin posting on current music that needs your attention. No point wasting more time. Here's a look at some of the notable hip hop that came out this year.

Danny Brown - XXX

Danny Brown is a Detroit MC that has been hittin' the mic for years and yet this year XXX caused more of us to take notice. His eccentric and style shines through with his often hilarious lyrics that much of the time can be thought provoking as well. The variation in his 'hybrid' style adds a fresh dynamic, along with a more modern hip hop production. Excellent album following his other releases that had already set the bar exceedingly high.



Which is also to say, don't forget to check out the EP Danny Brown did with another Detroit producer and MC you should already know, Black Milk. The EP is quite simply titled Black & Brown



Has-Lo - In Case I Don't Make It



Main Attrakionz - 808s & Dark Grapes II

Main Attrakionz dropped so much good music this year it's almost overwhelming. This album is a great place to start but other releases such as the Blackberry Kush EP, Mondre's Dope Since '91 mixtape and the Greenova collective's Chandalier need not be slept on. Keep your eye on these fellas.



Which brings us to...

ASAP Rocky - LiveLoveA$AP



Cyrus Malachi - Ancient Future

You won't see this MC on many lists this year. UK hip hop remains largely in its' own bubble despite gaining popularity. Cyrus Malachi shows why we need to keep an ear open for hip hop coming from outside of the US as well.



Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire - Lost In Translation



Shabazz Palaces - Black Up



The Doppelgangaz - Lone Sharks