Favorite Songs:
- Alt-J – “U&Me” – SINGLE (Atlantic)
- Bitchin Bajas – “Outer Spaceways Inc” – Switched on Ra (Drag City)
- Cold Beat – “See You Again” – The War Garden (S/R)
- Dry Cleaning – “Unsmart Lady” – New Long Leg (4AD)
- House of Yahweh (feat. Lily Konigsberg) – “Glass Realty” – Moon’s Toons Vol.1 (RVNG Intl.)
- Lewis, Molly – “Oceanic Feeling” – The Forgotten Edge (Jagjaguwar)
- Owusu, Genesis – “I Don’t See Color” – Smiling With No Teeth (Ourness)
- Sons of Kemet (feat. Moor Mother & Angel Bat Dawid) – “Pick Up Your Burning Cross” – Black to the Future (Impulse!)
- St Vincent – “Down” – Daddy’s Home (Loma Vista)
Favorite Album:
- Gay, Ben Lamar – Open Arms to Open Us (International Anthem)
Microtone’s Most Memorable from 2021
Microtone’s Most Memorable 25 Albums and + 2 Retrospectives from 2021 (ordered by release date)
- Yu Su 苏玉 – Yellow River Blue (Music from Memory)
- Chuck Johnson – The Cinder Grove (VDSQ)
- A Winged Victory for the Sullen – Invisible Cities (Artificial Pine Arch Manufacturing)
- Dax Pierson – Nerve Bumps (A Queer Divine Dissatisfaction) (Rat Skin/Dark Entries)
- Alex Albrecht – Campfire Stories (Analogue Attic)
- Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra – Promises (Luaka Bop)
- Tomaga – Intimate Immensity (Hands in the Dark)
- Flock of Dimes – Head of Roses (Sub Pop)
- Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble – NOW (International Anthem)
- Howie Lee 李化迪 – Birdy Island 鸟岛 (Mais Um Discos)
- Inhmost – Early Horizons (Huinali)
- Mong Tong 夢東 – Music from Taiwan Mystery 台灣謎景 (WV Sorceror)
- Sarah Neufeld – Detritus (Paper Bag)
- Gianluca Petrella & Pasquale Mirra – Correspondence (Tuk Music)
- Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp – We’re OK. But We’re Lost Anyway (Les Disques Bongo Joe)
- Arushi Jain – Under the Lilac Sky (Leaving)
- Guzz – Seven Days and Twelve Nights 七天十二夜 (S/R)
- Haco – Nova Naturo (Someone Good)
- Li Yilei 李亦蕾 – 之 / Of (Metron)
- Low – HEY WHAT (Sub Pop)
- Hania Rani & Dobrawa Czocher – Inner Symphonies (Deutsche Gramaphon)
- Channelers – Another Entrance (Inner Islands)
- Jon Hopkins – Music for Psychedelic Therapy (Domino)
- Fishdoll 漁 – Moonsense 月感 (S/R)
- Hualun 花伦 – Wuhan Wuhan 武汉武汉 (S/R)
+ Two Retrospectives
- Willie Dunn – Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies (Light in the Attic)
- “Blue” Gene Tyranny – Degrees of Freedom Found (Unseen Worlds)
Megasoup’s Favorites of 2021
~ Megasoup’s Favorite Albums from 2021
- Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad – Instrumentals JID009 (Jazz Is Dead)
- Alex Albrecht pres. Melquiades – Campfire Stories (Analogue Attic)
- Arlo Parks – Collapsed In Sunbeams (Transgressive Records)
- Armand Hammer & The Alchemist – Haram (BackwoodzStudioz)
- Arooj Aftab – Vulture Prince (New Amsterdam Records)
- Arushi Jain – Under the Lilac Sky (Leaving Records)
- Ashan – Sacred Spring (Inner Islands)
- Ashley Bellouin & Ben Bracken – String Songs (Debacle)
- Barrett Martin Group – Stillpoint (Sunyata)
- Bedouine – Waysides (Spacebomb Records)
- Bickram Ghosh – Avijatrik {Soundtrack to “The Wanderlust Of Apu”} (Warner Music India)
- Burkina Azza – Wari bô (Social Joy)
- Cassandra Jenkins – An Overview on Phenomenal Nature (Ba Da Bing!)
- Centuries of Roses – Centuries of Roses (Qame Feraq)
- Channelers – Another Entrance (Inner Islands)
- Chuck Johnson – The Cinder Grove (Vin Du Select Qualitite)
- Cochemea – Vol II: Baca Sewa (Daptone)
- Combo Lulo – Neotropic Dream (Names You Can Trust)
- Dax Pierson – Nerve Bumps {A Queer Divine Dissatisfaction} (Ratskin)
- Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek – Dost 1 (Les Disques Bongo Joe / Catapulte Records)
- D.K. – Eighteen Movements (Abstrakce)
- El Michels Affair – Yeti Season (Big Crown Records)
- Felinto – Futuro Antigo Perpétuo (Bokeh Versions)
- Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders – Promises (Luaka Bop)
- Folest – XI (Bandcamp)
- Gianluca Petrella & Pasquale Mirra – Correspondence (Tǔk Air)
- Golden Brown – Gems and Minerals (Inner Islands)
- Hassan Wargui – Tiddukla (Hive Mind)
- Inhmost – Early Horizons (Huinali Recordings)
- J Foerster / N Kramer – Habitat (LEAVING)
- Jane Weaver – Flock (Fire)
- Li Yilei – 之 / Of (Metron)
- Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (Age 101)
- Mas Aya – Máscaras (Telephone Explosion)
- Matthew Halsall – Salute to the Sun {Live at Hallé St Peter’s} (Gondwana)
- Men I Trust – Untourable Album (Return To Analog)
- Michael Harrison – Seven Sacred Names (Cantaloupe)
- N Chambers – Spectrum Garden (Soft Profile)
- Nala Sinephro – Space 1.8 (Warp)
- Nat Birchall – Ancient Africa (Ancient Archive of Sound)
- Nimbudala – Universal Compassion (Inner Islands)
- Okuté – Okuté (Chulo)
- Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp – We’re OK. But We’re Lost Anyway. (Les Disques Bongo Joe)
- Orquesta Akokán – 16 Rayos (Daptone)
- Pachyman – The Return of… (ATO)
- Panabrite – Sub-Aquatic Meditation Vol. 2 (Muzan Editions)
- Petrona Martinez – Ancestras (Chaco World Music)
- Pino Palladino & Blake Mills – Notes With Attachments (Impulse / New Deal)
- Populous – Stasi (La Tempesta Dischi)
- Quantic & Nidia Góngora – Almas Conectadas (Tru Thoughts)
- Salamanda – Allez (Good Morning Tapes)
- Sean La’brooy – Out Moving Windows (Analogue Attic)
- Sleep D x Ad Lib Collective – Flashed Glass (Play On)
- Sunhiilow – Beyond The Cycle (Ikuisuus)
- Tomaga – Intimate Immensity (Hands In The Dark)
- Vanishing Twin – Ookii Gekkou (Fire)
- Wau Wau Collectif – Yaral Sa Doom (Sahel Sounds)
- Yasmin Williams – Urban Driftwood (Spinster Sounds)
- Yola – Stand for Myself (Easy Eye Sound)
- Yu Su 苏玉 – Yellow River Blue (Music From Memory)
~ Megasoup’s Favorite Singles, EPs, and Mini-Albums (30 minutes or less) from 2021 :
- Carmen Villain – Sketch for Winter IX: Perlita (Geographic North)
- Chari Chari – Suburban Ethnology Vol.1 EP (Groovement Organic Series)
- CZN – Commutator (Offen Music)
- Dijf Sanders – Lichen (Unday)
- D.K. – Gate Of Enlightenment (Worship)
- Guazú & Terror/Cactus – Botanas (Shika Shika)
- Holy Tongue – II (Amidah)
- Kiln – Tungsten (Ghostly International)
- Light The Fuse – King Of Funk / Give The Horns Some (Mukatsuku Record)
- Lorde – Te Ao Mārama (Universal)
- Mitchum Yacoub – Cumbia Divina / Bansuri (All-Town Sound)
- Nicolas Repac – Rhapsodic Suite (No Format!)
- Nilotika Cultural Ensemble – Ejokawulida (Nyege Nyege Tapes)
- Parva Karkhaneh – Shabe Lajevardi (Qame Feraq)
- Sophia Nzayisenga & Andi Otto – Abagore Barashoboye (YNFND)
- SUSS – Night Suite (Northern Spy)
- Tape – Apt E Vol 3 (Apt E)
- Tristan Arp – Sculpturegardening (Wisdom Teeth)
- Winter – Lua {feat. Nailah Hunter} (Leaving)
- V/A – All Welcome Volume III (Good Morning Tapes)
~ Megasoup’s Favorite Reissues & Archival Releases from 2021
- Aurita Y Su Conjunto – Chambacu (Mississippi)
- Baligh Hamdi – Instrumental Modal Pop of 1970’s Egypt (Sublime Frequencies)
- The Beach Boys – Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf’s Up Sessions 1969-1971 (Capitol / Brother)
- Emeka Ogboh– Beyond The Yellow Haze (A-TON)
- Grand Kalle & African Jazz with Manu Dibango – Joseph Kabasele And The Creation Of Surboum African Jazz (Planet Ilunga)
- Hailu Mergia & The Walias Band – Tezeta (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
- Hany Mehanna – Music For Airplanes – A Collection of Instrumental Showpieces and Scores for Egyptian Films and TV-series {1973-1980} (Souma)
- Juana Molina – Segundo (Crammed Discs)
- Kenji Kihara – Scenes of Scapes (Inner Islands)
- Kiko Kids Jazz – Tanganyika Na Uhuru (Mississippi)
- Manzanita y su Conjunto – Trujillo, Perú 1971-1974 (Analog Africa)
- Mario Rui Silva – Stories from Another Time 1982-1988 (Time Capsule)
- Mary Lattimore – Collected Pieces: 2015-2020 (Ghostly International)
- Masahiko Sato – Belladonna Of Sadness (Finders Keepers)
- Phương Tâm – Magical Nights – Saigon Surf Twist & Soul {1964-1966} (Sublime Frequencies)
- Robin Saville – Public Flowers (Abstrakce)
- Roger Webb – Bartleby {Original Soundtrack Recording} (Trunk)
- Salah Ragab & The Cairo Jazz Band – Egypt Strut (Strut)
- Seefeel – Rupt and Flex (Warp)
- The KLF – Come Down Dawn (KLF Communications)
- The Poets Of Rhythm – Discern/Define (Daptone)
- The Pretty Things – Live at the BBC (Repertoire)
- X.Y.R. – Waves Tapes (Constellation Tatsu)
- V/A – When the Moon Goes Down in the Valley of Time: African-American Gospel, 1939-52 (Canary)
- V/A – Written On the Wall : American Soul Music 1958-1974 (Cairo)
Meatypaws best of 2021
Best Discoveries and Re-Discoveries of the Great Pandemic of 2020 & 2021
(Some new songs and some old ones that I forgot about until I found them again).
<not ordered>
- Robert Earl Keen “I’m the Man Around Here”
- Jesse Ashlock “My Bank Account is Gone”
- Joe West “Keeper of the Light”
- JD McPherson “Bloodhound Rock”
- Hank Williams III “D.Ray White (Rebel Yell)”
- Maria McKee “Ways to be Wicked”
- Los Straitjackets “Popcorn”
- Grover Anderson “Handle the Lonely”
- Meat Puppets “Warranty”
- Grace Chang “I Want Your Love”
- Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn “Banjo Guzheng Pickin Girl”
- Petty Booka “Bla Bla Bla Cha Cha Cha”
- Moonlighters “Big Times”
- Kitty Rose “Halleluia”
- Albert Lee “Rainbows All Over Your Blues”
- Margo Price “Since You Put Me Down”
- Rachel Brooke “The Loneliness in Me”
- Peter Cooper “The Last Laugh”
- Rodney Crowell “Stars on the Water”
- Cristina “Whats a Girl to Do?”
- Trixie and the Trainwrecks “No Good Town”
- Elizabeth Cook “All the Time”
- Pistol Annies “Got My Name Changed Back”
- Sarah Shook & the Disarmers “Nothin Feels Right but Doin Wrong”
- Alex the Astronaut “San Francisco”
- SOL “Coma Queen”
- Aquadolls “Mine”
- Gorillaz “On Melancholy Hill”
- Fruit Bats “The Balcony”
Majority Whip’s Favorites of 2021
Majority Whip’s Favorite Albums of 2021
- Acid Twilight — “S/T” (Not Not Fun)
- Akai Solo & Navy Blue — “True Sky” (S/R)
- Marina Allen — “Candlepower” (Fire)
- David Allred — “Felt The Transion” (Erased Tapes)
- Fatima Al Qadiri — “Medieval Femme” (Hyperdub)
- Anika — “Change” (Sacred Bones)
- Yuko Araki — “End Of Trilogy” (Room 40)
- Arszyn — “Bop” (S/R)
- Awkward Corners & Kitty Whitelaw — “Amateur Dramatics” (Shapes Of Rhythm)
- Bacchus Harsh — “Caveat Tumultum” (Heavy Machinery)
- Beautify Junkyards — “Cosmorama” (Ghost Box)
- Blawan — “Under Belly” (XL)
- BLK ODYSSY — “BLK VINTAGE” (After School)
- Camera — “Prosthuman” (Bureau B)
- Çhâñt Éle?trónïqùe — “Çhâñt Éle?trónïqùe Vol. 1” (Rika Muzika)
- Colleen — “The Tunnel And The Clearing” (Rocket)
- Cucina Povera — “Lumme” (Primordial Void)
- Dame Area — “Ondas Tribales” (Mannequin)
- Dark Time Sunshine — “Lore” (Fake Four)
- Marta Del Grandi — “Until We Fossilize” (Fire)
- Lana Del Rey — “Chemtrails Over The Country Club” (Interscope)
- Dialect — “Under~Between” (RVNG Intl.)
- Aaron Dilloway & Lucrecia Dalt — “Lucy And Aaron” (Hanson)
- Niña Dioz — “Amor, Locura Y Otros Vicios” (Nacional)
- Disrupt — “Under Triple Suns” (Zonedog)
- McKinley Dixon — “For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her” (Spacebomb)
- DJ Manny — “Signals In My Head” (Planet Mu)
- Erika Dohi — “I Castopollux” (37d03d)
- Dom La Nena — “Tempo” (Six Degrees)
- Dry Cleaning — “New Long Leg” (4AD)
- Ducks Ltd — “Get Bleak” (Carpark)
- Dummy — “Mandatory Enjoyment” (Trouble In Mind)
- Leon Duncan — “Fuck A Rosetta Stone For My Brainwaves” (Hakuna Kulala)
- Editrix — “Tell Me I’m Bad” (Exploding In Sound)
- El Michels Affair — “Yeti Season” (Big Crown)
- Emamouse — “Distorted Bayer” (S/R)
- Evolfo — “Site Out Of Mind” (Royal Potato Family)
- Thomas Fehlmann — “Böser Herbst” (Kompakt)
- Fimber Bravo — “Lunar Tredd” (Moshi Moshi)
- Flesh Of Morning — “Here In Heaven” (Blind Rage)
- Floresta Oblíqua — “A” (Fungo)
- Mabe Fratti — “Será Que Ahora Podremos Entendernos” (Tin Angel)
- Freelove Fenner — “The Punishment Zone” (Moone)
- Garage A Trois — “Calm Down Cologne” (Royal Potato Family)
- Golden Hallway Music — “Rules & Chance Vol. 2” (Not Not Fun)
- Jose Gonzalez — “Local Valley” (Mute)
- Armand Hammer — “Haram” (Backwoodzstudioz)
- Tim Hecker — “The North Water (Original Score)” (Lakeshore)
- Robert Hood — “Mirror Man” (Rekids)
- HTRK — “Rhinestones” (N&J Blueberries)
- Jaco — “Los Misterios” (Màgia Roja)
- Loraine James — “Reflection” (Hyperdub)
- Omar Joesoef — “Rituals Of Gorontalo” (Hard Fist)
- Mikado Koko — “Maza Gusu” (Fringe Biology)
- La Femme — “Paradigmes” (Disque Point)
- Lavender Diamond — “Now Is The Time” (Petaluma)
- L’Eclair — “Confusions” (Bongo Joe)
- Leopardo — “Malcantone” (Feel It)
- Lisel — “Mycelial Echo” (Luminelle)
- L’Orange & Namir Blade — “Imaginary Everything” (Mello)
- Los Pirañas — “Infame Golpazo En Keroxen” (Discrepant)
- Louisahhh — “The Practice Of Freedom” (He.She.They)
- Low — “Hey What” (Sub Pop)
- Madlib — “Sounds Ancestors” (Madlib Invazion)
- Mandy, Indiana — “EP” (Fire Talk)
- Mirry — “Miry” (Dinked Edition)
- Emile Mosseri & Han Ye-Ri — “Minari (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” (Sony)
- Multiform Palace — “S/T” (Specious Arts)
- David Lee Myers — “Room In A Moon House” (Pulsewidth)
- Lael Neale — “Aquainted With Night” (Sub Pop)
- Maarja Nuut — “Hinged” (S/R)
- Ora The Molecule — “Human Safari” (Mute)
- Orquesta Akokán — “16 Rayos ” (Daptone)
- Pachyman — “The Return Of Pachyman” (ATO)
- Palberta — “Palberta5000” (Wharf Cat)
- PG Six & Louise Bock — “All Summer Long Is Gone” (Feeding Tube)
- Podium — “S/T” (God Unknown)
- Porest — “Cancer In The Soft Breeze” (Discrepant)
- QOW — “Dawafer” (Genot Centre)
- Rival Consoles — “Overflow” (Erased Tapes)
- Run Logan Run — “For A Brief Moment We Could Smell The Flowers” (Worm Discs)
- Sault — “Nine” (Forever Living Originals)
- Scalping — “Flood EP” (Houndstooth)
- Samuel Sharp — “Patterns Various” (Boot Cycle Audio)
- Nala Sinephro — “Space 1.8” (Warp)
- Smoke Bellow — “Open For Business” (Trouble In Mind)
- Snapped Ankles — “Forest Of Your Problems” (Leaf)
- Solemn Brigham — “South Sinner Street” (Mello)
- Sons Of Kemet — “Black To The Future” (Impulse!)
- Space Afrika — “Honest Labour” (Dais)
- Still Corners — “The Last Exit” (Wrecking Light)
- Pauline Anna Strom — “Angel Tears In Sunlight” (RVNG Intl.)
- Yu Su — “Yellow River Blue” (Bié)
- Tele Novella — “Merlynn Belle” (Kill Rock Stars)
- Various Artists — “This Is Tehran?” (30M)
- Tirzah — “Colourgrade” (Domino)
- Tomaga — “Intimate Immensity” (Hands In The Dark)
- Vanishing Twin — “Ookii Gekkou” (Fire)
- Whirlynn — “Yakakeitiwa” (Popnihil)
- Zedashe — “Silver Sanctuary” (Electric Cowbell)
Majority Whip’s Favorite Songs of 2021
- Fatima Al Qadiri—”Qasmuna” Medieval Femme (Hyperdub)
- Anika—”Finger Pies” Change (Sacred Bones)
- Beautify Junkyards—”Reverie” Cosmorama (Ghost Box)
- Blawan—”Under Belly” Under Belly (XL)
- BLK ODYSSY—”Murda” BLK VINTAGE (After School)
- Niña Dioz—”Mezcal” Amor, Locura Y Otros Vicios (Nacional)
- DJ Manny—”Signals In My Head” Signals In My Head (Planet Mu)
- Dry Cleaning—”Scratchcard Lanyard” New Long Leg (4AD)
- Editrix—”Tell Me I’m Bad” Tell Me I’m Bad (Exploding In Sound)
- Mabe Fratti—”Nadie Sabe” Será Que Ahora Podremos Entendernos (Tin Angel)
- H.E.R.—”Bloody Waters” Back Of My Mind (RCA)
- Homeboy Sandman—”Fyi” Anjelitu (Mello)
- Jordana—”I’ll Take It Boring” Something To Say To You (Grand Jury)
- Louisahhh—”Like A Shot” The Practice Of Freedom (He.She.They.)
- Low—”All Night” Hey What (Sub Pop)
- Moonshine & Ahadadream—”Woah” SMS For Location, Vol. 4 (Foreseen)
- Lael Neale—”Every Star Shivers In The Dark” Acquainted With Night (Sub Pop)
- Orquesta Akokán—”Mi Conga Es De Akokán” 16 Rayos (Daptone)
- Pachyman—”Big Energy” The Return Of Pachyman (ATO)
- Sault—”London Gangs” Nine (Forever Living Originals)
- Sons Of Kemet—”To Never Forget The Source” Black To The Future (Impulse!)
- Still Corners—”Crying” The Last Exit (Wrecking Light)
- Torres—”Are You Sleepwalking?” Thirstier (Merge)
- Vanishing Twin—”Big Moonlight” Ookii Gekkou (Fire)
- Amanda Whiting—”Just Blue” After Dark (Jazzman)
Leftfield Lance 2021 Favorites
7″
- CDG – Unconditional (Domestic Departure)
- Friendly Boyfriend – Pick Up! (Happiest Place)
- Set Top Box – Max Headroom (Polaks)
- Snooper – Snõõper (Goodbye Boozy)
- Snoozers – S/T (No Town)
- Tee Vee Repairman – Patterns (Warttmann Inc.)
- Warm Exit – S/T (Belly Button)
12″
- BRNDA – Do You Like Salt? (Crafted Sounds)
- Dry Cleaning – New Long Leng (4AD)
- Dummy – Mandatory Enjoyment (Trouble In Mind)
- Fake Fruit – S/T (Rocks In Your Head)
- Hits – Cielo Nublado (Paisley Shirt)
- Smirk – Smirk EP (Total Punk)
- Spread Joy – S/T (Feel It)
Tapes, Postcard Flexis, etc.
- April Magazine – Sunday Music For An Overpass (Paisley Shirt)
- Blues Lawyer – Scenic Route (S/R)
- Toe Ring – Collapsed Mine (S/R)
- Famous Mammals – S/T (S/R)
- Fugitive Bubble – No Outside (Impotent Fetus)
- Mesh – S/T (Born Yesterday)