5-Chinese Nü Yr’ (Iglooghost)
Iglooghost's debut EP on Brainfeeder is dense and cerebral as fuck - but still a lot of fun. Weird psychedelic ear candy that I highly recommend to folks who dig things like Fly Lo and stuff on the Brainfeeder label.
3-The Beyond/Where the Giants Roam -Thundercat
Thundercat, caught my ear with his phenomenal debut album from 2011, "The Golden Age of Apocalypse" - and Thundercat continues with his combination of neo-soul, jazz, funk, and future-psychedelia on this 17 minute EP. Flying Lotus is on production on this and there's a bunch of great features (such as Herbie Hancock). This is the darkest release Thundercat has put out so far, lyrically focusing primarily on death - but it's still not afraid to get funky. To get the vibe - check out this crazy music video of "Them Changes" from the EP.
Thundercat, caught my ear with his phenomenal debut album from 2011, "The Golden Age of Apocalypse" - and Thundercat continues with his combination of neo-soul, jazz, funk, and future-psychedelia on this 17 minute EP. Flying Lotus is on production on this and there's a bunch of great features (such as Herbie Hancock). This is the darkest release Thundercat has put out so far, lyrically focusing primarily on death - but it's still not afraid to get funky. To get the vibe - check out this crazy music video of "Them Changes" from the EP.
2-Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments
As you may gather from the title of this record - it consists of acoustic instruments...that are computer controlled (such as piano/prepared piano, drums, and metal and wood percussion). This unique stripped down and more limited sound pallet works really well for Aphex Twin and these tunes that are often as funky as they are strange.
1-Nicolas Jaar - Nymphs (Parts 1, 2, 3, & 4)
So I'm going to kind of cheat on my number 1 EP of the year and combine the 3 EPs and single that Nicolas Jaar released as a series called "Nymphs". Part II begins with the track "The Three Sides of Audrey and Why She's All Alone Now", which is absolutely haunting - it uses space very effectively and accomplishes what his duo Darkside was going for better than anything on that record. And Part III contains the track "Swim", his most accessible and danceable music to date while still creating a really beautiful atmosphere. Although Nicolas Jaar has yet to create his masterpiece, this series of 12 inches is the strongest collection of his music so far.
-youtube playlist (missing part 1)
-itunes: Part 1, Part II, Part III, Part, IV
And here's some honorable mentions for other EPs I really dug this year in no particular order:
Alphabet Rain (Audrey Harrer) - harpist/singer song-writer who makes beautiful poetic art-folk
-bandcamp-
-bandcamp-
Objects Buried (Molt Corps) - dark, weird, hypnotic/meditative electronic/rock psychedelia
Songs of Our Ancestors (Of the Sun) - a collection of covers and reimaginings (with the textural opener being an exception) from Boston based primal/tribal rock and roll Of the Sun
"Full Pentagram" / "Voidhaus" (Voidgod) - live improved experimental blackmetal from the void
-Structure - Activity - Relationship (Solid State Entity) - Atmospheric tripped out electronic music
-bandcamp
-bandcamp
-I Don’t Want to Let you Down (Sharon Van Etten) - singer-songwriter whose orchestration is a cool juxtaposition with her extremely naked and emotional lyrics
-youtuble playlist
-itunes
-youtuble playlist
-itunes
Sush (Coaches) - sludgy, noisy indie rock
Flood Dosed (Guerilla Toss) - fun/danceable noiserock
-bandcamp
Metá Metá EP (Metá Metá) - Groovey psych-rock from Brazil
-youtube
-bandcamp
Metá Metá EP (Metá Metá) - Groovey psych-rock from Brazil
-youtube
Crosswords EP (Panda Bear) - neopsychedelic pop music
four of the five tracks on this are decent, but then the last track, "Cosplay" (previously known as "Marijuana makes my day") is dope - no pun intended (:
-itunes
-youtube playlist
-itunes
-youtube playlist
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