I didn’t get to everything in 2020 but these 15 albums got to me:
- Martina Bertoni – All the Ghosts Are Gone (FALK)
- Aril Brikha – Dance of a Trillion Stars (Mule Musiq)
- Mettaverse – Light Forms (S/R)
- Ak’chamel, The Giver of Illness – The Totemist (Akuphone)
- Wanderwelle – A State of Decrepitude (A Strangely Isolated Place)
- Spirit Fest – Mirage Mirage (Morr Music)
- Chouk Bwa & The Ångströmers – Vodou Alé (Bongo Joe)
- Raymond Richards – The Lost Art of Wandering (ESP Institute)
- Azu Tiwaline – Draw Me a Silence (IOT)
- Flock of Dimes – Like So Much Desire (Sub Pop)
- Greg Foat – Symphonie Pacifique (Strut)
- Skyminds – Shapes & Traces (Internal Rhythm)
- Let It Come Down – Songs We Sang in Our Dreams (Joyful Noise)
- Various Artists – Door to the Cosmos + Dancefloor Sampler (On the Corner)
- Kiln – Astral Welder (Ghostly International)
Plus Five Songs:
- Luke Jenner – “All My Love” – 1 (Manono)
- Wye Oak – “Sky Witness” – No Horizon (Merge)
- Torgeir Waldemar – “Black Ocean” – Love (Jansen)
- Julianna Barwick (ft. Mary Lattimore) – “Oh, Memory” – Healing is a Miracle (Ninja Tune)
- New London Drone Orchestra – “Antisocial Closeness” – Isolation/Collaboration (Enter the Circle)
Megasoup’s Favorite Music from 2020, In Three Lists:
~ Megasoup’s 50 Favorite Albums (plus one fantastic compilation) from 2020 ~
- Ak’Chamel The Giver Of Illness – The Totemist (Akuphone)
- Alabaster DePlume – To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol.1 (International Anthem)
- Alicia Keys – Alicia (RCA / AKW)
- Andrea – Ritorno (Ilian Tape)
- Aril Brikha – Dance of a Trillion Stars (Mule Musiq)
- Aukai – Game Trails (aukaimusic)
- Awkward Corners – Dislocation Songs (Shapes of Rhythm)
- Azu Tiwaline – Draw Me A Silence (IOT)
- Babani Koné – Babani Koné (Discograph)
- Channelers – Isles Beyond (Inner Islands)
- Clap Clap – Liquid Portraits (Black Acre)
- Cleo Soul – Rose In The Dark (Forever Living Originals)
- CS + Kreme – Snoopy (The Trilogy Tapes)
- D.K. – Live At The Edge (12th Isle)
- Emily A Sprague – Hill, Flower, Fog (RVNG)
- Ezra Feinberg – Recumbent Speech (Related States)
- Flying Vipers – Cuttings (Jump Up!)
- Fools – Fools Harp Vol. 1 (Music From Memory)
- Golden Retriever and Chuck Johnson – Rain Shadow (Thrill Jockey)
- Greg Foat – Symphonie Pacifique (Strut)
- Halftribe – Cloud Dreaming And Shadows (Shimmering Moods)
- Heliocentrics – Telemetric Sounds (Madlib Invazion)
- Huerta – Junipero (Voyage Recordings)
- Julianna Barwick – Healing Is A Miracle (Ninja Tune)
- Kenji Kihara – Slow Slope Sleeps (Inner Islands)
- Kiln – Astral Welder (Ghostly International)
- K-Lone – Cape Cira (Wisdom Teeth)
- Koyil – Healing Cycles (DIG)
- Kutiman – Wachaga (Siyal Music)
- Let It Come Down – Songs We Sang In Our Dreams (Joyful Noise)
- Luke Jenner – 1 (Manono)
- Martina Bertoni – All The Ghosts Are Gone (Karlrecords)
- Mary Lattimore – Silver Ladders (Ghostly International)
- Matthew Halsall – Salute To The Sun (Gondwanna)
- Mourning [A] BLKstar – The Cycle (Don Giovanni)
- Nat Birchall Meets Al Breadwinner – Tradition Disc In Dub (Tradition Disc)
- Nihiloxica – Kaloli (Crammed Discs)
- Numün – Voyage Au Soleil (Musique Impossible)
- Ocoeur – Everything (n5MD)
- Plant Lab – Plant Lab (Crash Symbols)
- Run The Jewels – RTJ4 (BMG)
- Sault – Untitled (Rise) (Forever Living Originals)
- Sarah Davachi – Cantus Descant (Late Music)
- Siti Muharam – Siti of Unguja: Romance Revolution on Zanzibar (On The Corner)
- Sven Wunder – Wabi Sabi (Piano Piano)
- The Sorcerers – In Search Of The Lost City Of The Monkey God (ATA)
- Vagues Imaginaires – L’île D’or (Not Not Fun)
- Vestals – Holy Origin (Dust Editions)
- Wanderwelle – A State of Decrepitude (A Strangely Isolated Place)
- X.Y.R. – Pilgrimage (Not Not Fun)
- V/A – A Little Night Music: Aural Apparitions from the Geographic North (Geographic North)
~ Megasoup’s 10 Favorite EPs & 12″ singles from 2020 ~
- Azu Tiwaline – Magnetic Service (Livity Sound)
- Dengue Dengue Dengue – Continentes Perdidos (On The Corner)
- Deradoorian – Cosmic Garden EP (Self Released)
- D.K. – The Ancient Kingdom (Good Morning Tapes)
- Green House – Six Songs For Invisible Gardens (Leaving)
- Nicola Cruz – Hybridism (Multi Culti)
- Penya Na Msafiri Zawose – Penya Safari E.P. (On The Corner)
- Planets Don’t Last – Planets Don’t Last (Aural Canyon)
- Sugarloaf Gangsters – Temarasa / Chor Gway (G.A.M.M.)
- V/A – Espectrum 2, Ep1 (AvantRoots)
~ Megasoup’s 20 Favorite Reissues / Archival Releases from 2020 ~
- Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – Just Coolin’ (Blue Note)
- Brian Eno – Film Music 1976-2020 (UMe)
- Global Communication – Transmissions (Evolution)
- Hiroshi Yoshimura – Green (Light In The Attic)
- Intergalactic Federation – 1 / 2 (Fantasy Enhancing)
- Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry with Seskain Molenga & Kalo Kawongolo – Roots From The Congo (Planet Ilunga)
- OK Jazz – Pas Un Pas Sans (Planet Ilunga)
- Orchestra Baobab – Mouhamadou Bamba (Syllart)
- Orchestra Baobab – Viva Bawobab S1/Si Bou Odja (Syllart)
- Prince – Sign O’ The Times: Super Deluxe Edition (Warner)
- Priscilla Ermel – Origens Da Luz (Music From Memory)
- Ranil – Ranil y su Conjunto Tropical (Analog Africa)
- V/A – 12 Bombazos Bailables (Vampi Soul)
- V/A – Cadence Revolution: Disques Debs International Vol. 2 (Strut)
- V/A – Color De Tropico: Compiled by El Dragon Criollo & El Palmas (El Palmas)
- V/A – Excavated Shellac: An Alternate History Of The World’s Music (Dust To Digital)
- V/A – Oriental Rare Groove: Rare Funky Songs From The Arabic World (Wagram)
- V/A – Guasa, Cununo y Marimba – Afro-Colombian Music From The Pacific Coast (Vampi Soul)
- V/A – The World Is A Cafeteria: American Soul Music (and one song from Ghana) 1955-1998 (Cairo)
- V/A – Time, Tone, & Texture (Invisible, Inc.)
Massari’s 2020 Faves
- Novelist – “Stay With Me” (S/R)
- Coby Sey – River (Curl)
- Krust – The Edge of Everything (Crosstown Rebels)
- Katya Yonder – Multiply Intentions (Métron Records)
- V/A – HOA010 & HOA011 (HAUS of ALTR)
- Parris – Polychrome Swim (The Trilogy Tapes)
- Parris – Terrapin (Wisdom Teeth)
- Josey Rebelle – Josey In Space (Beats In Space)
- EquiknoxxMusic – Equiknoxx Music in 2020(EquiknoxxMusic)
- Upsammy – Zoom (Delmantel)
- Nailah Hunter – Spells (Leaving Records)
- Good Bad Happy Sad – Shades (Textile Records)
- Beatrice Dillon – Workaround (Pan)
- Call Super – Every Mouth Teeth Missing (Incienso)
- Autechre – Sign (Warp Records)
- Nidia – Não Fales Nela Que A Mentes (Príncipe)
- Magnetizer – Soulseeker (S/R)
- Duval Timothy – Help (Carrying Colour)
- Laura Groves – A Private Road (Bella Union)
- Speaker Music – Black Nationalist Sonic Weaponry (Planet Mu)
- Vague Imaginaires – L’Île Sous l’Eau (12th Isle)
- Actress – 88 (S/R)
- Actress – Karma & Desire (Ninja Tune)
- Actress – Unseen_Werk No.1 (Braindead)
- Lafawndah – The Fifth Season (Latency)
- LOG – LOG ET3RNAL (Experiences Ltd.)
- Klein – Frozen (S/R)
- Overmono – Everything U Need (XL Recordings)
- Molero – Ficciones Del Trópico (Holuzam)
- Space Afrika – hybtwibt? (S/R)
- Niagara – Pais & Filhos (Príncipe)
- U – Lowlands (Where To Now?)
- Ulla – Tumbling Towards A Wall (Experiences Ltd.)
- CS + Kreme – Snoopy (The Trilogy Tapes)
- dBridge – Inhibited (Exit Records)
- KeiyaA – Forever, Ya Girl (Keiya)
- Jonnine – Blue Hills (Boomkat Editions)
- John Carroll Kirby – My Garden (Stones Throw Records)
- Minor Science – Second Language (Whities)
- Bullion – We Had A Good Time (Deek Recordings)
- Loraine James – Nothing (Hyperdub)
- Karl D’Silva – Disapear (S/R)
- Novelist – Quantum Leap (S/R)
Majority Whip’s Favorite Albums of 2020, Listed Alphabetically
- Actress – Karma & Desire (Ninja Tune)
- Ammar 808 – Global Control / Invisible Invasion (Glitterbeat)
- Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters (Epic)
- William Basinski – Lamentations (Temporary Residence)
- Andrew Bird – Panthology Songs (S/R)
- Bo Ningen – Sudden Fiction (Alcopop!)
- Louise Bock – Abyss for Cello (Geographic North)
- Rose Bonica – Tears for The Tea Maker (Roses are Red)
- Café Ale – Third Age (Simballrec)
- Sonia Calico – Simulation of An Overloaded World (More Time)
- Clap Clap – Liquid Portraits (Black Acre)
- Cocina Povera – Tyyni (Night School)
- Cold Beat – Mother (DFA)
- Cornershop – England Is A Garden (Ample Play)
- Cults – Host (Sinderlyn)
- Philippe Doray & Les Asociaux Associes – Nouveaux Modes Industriels (Souffle Continu)
- Steve Earle – Ghosts Of West Virginia (New West)
- Matt Evans – New Topographics (Whatever’s Clever)
- Fatwires – The Wicked Path (Depth of Field)
- Four Tet – Sixteen Oceans (Text)
- M. Geddes Gengras – Time Makes Nothing Happen (Hausu Mountin)
- Guedra Guedra – Sun of Son (On the Corner)
- Lilly Hiatt – Walking Proof (New West)
- Anna Homler – D? Ya Sa´ Di D? (A Sonic Geography) (Berlston)
- Boldy James/Sterling Toles – Manger on Mcnichols (Sector 7-G)
- Jiony – Sí Y No (Drosssel)
- Kaleema – Nómada (Tropical Twista)
- Faten Kanaan – A Mythology of Circles (Fire)
- Kassa Overall – I Think I’m Good (Brownswood)
- Madeline Kenney – Sucker’s Lunch (Carpark)
- Mikado Koko – The Japanese Rimbaud (S/R)
- Various Artists – Komposisi Kompos (Divis162)
- Kraus – A Golden Brain (S/R)
- Sophia Loizou – Untold (Houndstooth)
- Loma – Don’t Shy Away (Sub Pop)
- Mapache – From Liberty Street (Yep Roc)
- Ela Minus – Acts of Rebellions (Domino)
- Moodymann – Taken Away (KDJ)
- Moon Wiring Club – Tabitha Reverb (S/R)
- Mukdad Rothenberg Lankow – In the Wake Of Memories (Clermont Music)
- Sascha Muhr – Fuive Part 2 (S/R)
- Naked Roommate – Do the Duvet (Trouble in Mind)
- Nape Neck – Nape Neck (Gringo)
- Thiago Nassif – Mente (Gearbox)
- Nazar – End of Guerilla (S/R)
- North Americans – Roped In (Third Man)
- Novellor – Arrow (Ba Da Bing!)
- Agnes Obel – Myopia (Blue Note)
- Lawrence Pike – Prophecy (Leaf)
- Public Practice – Gentle Grip (Wharf Cat)
- Red Brut – Cloaked Travels (Ikuisuus)
- Lina Raül Refree – Lina Raül Refree (Glitterbeat)
- Romperayo – Uyuyuis (S/R)
- RVG – Feral (Fire)
- Sault – Untitled (Black Is) (Forever Living Originals)
- Seabuckthorn – Through A Vulnerable Occur (Iikki)
- Sevdaliza – Shabrang (Twisted Elegance)
- Shabaka And the Ancestors – We Are Sent Here By History (Impulse!)
- Sufjan Stevens – The Ascension (Asthmatic Kitty)
- Sweeping Promises – (Feel It)
- Sylvan Esso – Free Love (Loma Vista)
- Tl0741 – Refractory (HC3)
- Terror/Cactus – Confluencia (S/R)
- Azu Tiwaline – Magnetic Service (Livity Sound)
- Yosuke Tokunaga – 13 Monotonousness (Audio Visual Atmosphere)
- David Toop – Apparition Paintings (Room40)
- Tvii Son – Tvii Son (Music Inspired)
- Melanie Velarde – Bez (Commend There)
- Winter – Endless Space (Between You & I) (Bar None)
- Women of The Pore – Folk Music (Orb Tapes)
- Woods – Strange to Explain (Woodsist)
- X – Alphabetland (Gat Possum)
- Y-Bayani & Baby Naa And the Band Of Enlightenment – Nsie Nsie (Philopon)
- Zenobia – Halek Halek (Crammed Discs)
Madame X’s Best of 2020
- IDLES – Ultra Mono (Partisan)
- Klo Pelgag – Notre-Dame-Des-Sept-Douleurs (Secret City)
- Fiona Apple – Fetch the Boltcutters (Epic)
- Yelle – L’Ere du Berseau
- Alex the Astronaut – The Theory of Absolutely Nothing (Network)
- Buen Aurelio Malazar – pre.pro.post (Unknown Tone)
- U.S. Girls – Heavy Light (4AD)
- DakhaBrakha – Alambari (S/R)
- Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn – Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn (Smithsonian Folkways)
- The Architect – Une Plage Sur La Lune (Face B)
Leftfield Lance’s 2020 Favorites:
7″
- Aladean Kheroufi – Sorry If I Hurt You (Kimberlite)
- CB Radio Gorgeous – EP (Thrilling Living)
- Lewsberg – Through the Garden (S/R)
- Neutrals – Personal Computing (Slumberland)
- Neutrals – Rent/Your House (Domestic Departure)
- Ribbon Stage – My Favorite Shrine (K)
- Romero – Honey (Cool Death)
- Shark Toys – Out of Time (Chunklet)
- Violent Change – S/T (Sloth Mate)
12″
- Astute Palate – S/T (Petty Bunco)
- Chronophage – Th’ Pig Kiss’d Album (Cleta Patra)
- The Cool Greenhouse – S/T (Melodic)
- Galore – S/T (Rocks in Your Head)
- Lithics – Tower of Age (Toruble in Mind)
- Sweeping Promises – Hunger For A Way Out (Feel It)
Cassettes, Demos, etc.
- Dummy – EP2 (Born Yesterday)
- Hits – Sediment Seen (Paisley Shirt)
- Modern Needs – Survey of the Animal Kingdom (S/R)
- Nape Neck – S/T (S/R)
- Permits – Time Permits (Tenth Court)
- Privay Issues – S/T (S/R)
- The Snogs – Boyfriend’s Dead (Paisley Shirt)