End of year boredom list part I

Don't want to whine about my inability to be consistent with writing. Just want to offer some good stuff that I discovered this year that totally deserves attention, in no particular order. It's been the worst year ever. Covid has hit the country where I live very hard (perhaps not as hard as the big European countries, but still too hard given the financial situation and the inexistence of the health system). We have decided to keep our small boy inside home as much as we can in order to protect him, but of course it is psychologically very difficult both for us and him, and I see no end in sight. The thing that is going to stay even when the pandemic dies down is the destruction of working class rights and the right to going on strike and demonstrating. The government has extreme fascist tendencies, clamping down on demonstrations and protests, and has ratified any thing that bosses and capitalists want in order to undermine our rights. Being a working class activist myself, participating in a trade union, I've tried very hard to defend my and my colleagues rights and I have been targeted by my employer, who has threatened not to renew my contract when it expires next June. I don't really hope that things will get better, they will probably get worse, but I still wish everyone safety and sanity. Fight fascism, fight capitalism.

PS: I work as a teacher at a private language school in the afternoon, and last week I was called to work at a state school too in the morning, so even less time...

Beherit - Bardo Exist - Download

It was Christmas 1999 when I spend part of my holiday pocket money on Beast of Beherit - The Complete Works, being entertained by the savagery of amateur blast-beats. In there, there were some really cool ambient tracks of the last Beherit albums before the reunion. This one came totally unexpectedly 11 years after the awesome Engram, and shows again a return to the ambient experiment of Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance. Here we have less spacey stuff and a darker approach that reminds me slightly of MZ412 and Deathprod, with a slight classical influence and lots of Star Wars-like atmospheres.

Apocryphos - Against Civilization - Download

Great melancholic dark ambient. Quite original, with the use of guitars, and non-derivative at all.

William Basinski - Lamentations - Download

While the sounds here are often enthralling and very submersive, it is slightly disappointing as he decided to release a "hit singles" album with small durations. Still it Basinski.

Troum - Vorbei Der Tod - Download

Heavy, but too uplifting for a Troum album. After a series of superb albums in recent years this was a slight let-down.

The Gagmen - The Gagmen - Download

 I was slightly worried by Nate Young's recent "EBM" output fearing that Wolf Eyes are going electro, but this project with Dilloway, Andrew WK and Joachim Nordway puts everything in the correct Michigan horror perspective. Sparse, mind-frying, abandoned house surrounded by zombies in the countryside experimental magnificence.

Stephan Thelen - World Dialogue - Download

Excellent chopping and epic violin compositions performed by Kronos Quartet and Al Pari Quartet.

Blutwurst - Anabasi - Download

Superb minimal classical drone by an Italian collective with acoustic organs and pipe organ. One of the best discoveries of the year.

Dean Hurley - Concrete Feather - Download

Troubled and slimy, oozing synth explorations by the George Lynch collaborator and Twin Peaks contributor.

Dead Melodies & Zenjungle - Anthroposcene - Download

Perfect mix of dark ambient and jazz: imagine Bohren & Der Club of Gore recording for ECM!

Dezron Douglas & Brandee Younger - Force Majeure - Download

Beautiful covid-isolation deep jazz on double bass and harp by these two great Harlem musicians.

Forest Mourning - Coven - Download

Awesome recent addition to the legendary Tyneside drone scene, Forest Mourning collaborates with Möbius and other musicians to create deep zoning natural drones.

Andrew Chalk Timo Van Luijk - Night of the Experimental Film IV - Download

Recorded for a film festival as a score to a Peter Hutton film documenting Icelandic landscapes. As this is a work by the two parts of Elodie, you know to expect dreamy liquid expeditions.

Alex Zhang Hungtai & Pavel Milyakov - STYX - Download

The more Alex Zhang Hungtai grows as a musician, the more I think he tries to match the soundtrack of Vangelis to Blade Runner, and that's a great thing.

Culver - The Razor And Deceit - Download

The coldest harshest drone you'll hear all year round by the Gateshead master.

Bart De Paepe - Melkader - Download

No psych-rock lysergic crawling here, but early electronics-like experiments.

Aaron Turner - Interminable Conniption - Download

Yes, it's really a 2019 release reissued by Sige Records in 2020, but since it's probably the best thing Aaron has released in recent years, and it's close to his glory House of Low Culture/Lotus Eaters days, it deserves a place here.

Acoxaca - In Abeyance the Devouring Flame - Download

Celestial drones on Other Forms Of Consecrated Life, a label that really deserves more attention (and must start releasing physical).

Anna Homler & Alessio Capovilla - Vasi Comunicanti - Download

Sensual ambient post-industrial with ritual undertones, think slightly SPK of Zamia Lehmanni era along with early Chris & Cosey but with a modern edge. Excellent phonetic language invocations.

Anthony Pasquarosa - John Moloney - Jon Collin - Live at Mystery Train - Download

Beautiful psych folk guitar/drums improvisations by the always great Jon Collin along with legendary drummer John Moloney (Boredoms, Vibracathedral Orchestra, Six Organs of Admittance, Thurston Moore) and Anthony Pasquarosa.

KTL - VII - Download

I think this is the best KTL (featuring Stephen O' Malley) album so far, especially the acoustic drones. "The Director" is one of the best tracks of last year, top-notch accordion-driven drone.

Lawrence English - Lassitude - Download

Modular drone but played on a pipe organ. How great is that?

Modelbau & MVK - The Hidden Accord - Download

Grey tunnel drones by the legendary Frans De Waard and co.

Stuart Chalmers - The Heart Of Contemplation - Download

Stuart Chalmers's "The Heart" releases are some of the most beautiful contemporary experimental stuff, focusing on manipulated ambient tape recordings of him playing swarmandal

The Necks & Underworld - Drift - Download

How does it feel to dance to The Necks. It sure is awesome, especially when coupled with some of the most emotional and zoning moments of their career.

Vox Clamantis, Jaan-Eik Tulve - Cyrillus Kreek - The Suspended Harp of Babel - Download 

Vox Clamantis paying tribute to Estonian composer Cyrillus Kreek's religious hymns containing lots of 

folk elements.

Mønic - Trawler Tapes Vol. 1 - Download

This is actually an IDM music project, but this is really deep and minimal ambient drone.

Sarah Davachi - Cantus, Descant - Download

Epic and dizzying pipe organ and mellotron compositions by one of the best composers right now.

Sarah Davachi - For Harpsichord/For Pipe Organ And String Trio - Download

Even more epic pipe organ and string drone.

(To be continued)