Advent Day 11: Psychologist

Every single bit of output from Psychologist - down to the last quivering note -  has been sublime, and Come in Waves is one of the best songs of the last 12 months.

He doesn't let you down on the video front either.

Psychologist - Come In Waves

Advent Day 10: Goldmund

History and ambient folk. Two of my favourite things in the world.

Anyone looking for a revisionist take on American history should check out the album, All Will Prosper.

Goldmund - The Death of General Wolfe
 Goldmund-The Death of General Wolfe by Keith Kenniff - Helios

Advent day 9: Tangled Hair

I have eulogised before about, Colour, half of whose members have made it in to Tangled Hair.

Their Apples EP came out a while ago and has great tunes and some intriguing lyrics:

'Sing Midas, sing, shout your golden notes cause not a single sound is worthless.'

Tangled Hair - Daylight #2

Advent day 8: Three Trapped Tigers

Three Trapped Tigers made one of my favourite albums of the year and one of my favourite videos as well. Enjoy.

Three Trapped Tigers - Reset

Advent day 7: Mark McGuire

Brought out a double album and a cracking EP (Get Lost) which featured the awesome lyrics : "It must resolve, we try and evolve."

Wonder what 2012 will bring...

Mark McGuire - Another Dead End
 Mark McGuire - Another Dead End by Chico Dub

Advent Day 6: Phanes

Lucky Woman has proved to be a bit of a hit for Phanes.

A quick listen, followed by a click of the repeat button, tells you why.

A vid that analogue hipsters will love as well.

Phanes - Lucky Woman

Advent day 5: Loscil

Carrying on from the Endless Falls album, Loscil continued to push ambient boundaries this year with the Coast/Range/Arc EP.

it's a sparse and haunting offering. Enjoy.

Loscil - Neve
 Loscil - Névé by MoLLy

Advent day 4: Explosions in the Sky

Highlight of the year = seeing this band live.

Amongst the hour and a half set, which bled from one track to the next, was this song.

For me it's the best one off the album.

Explosions in the Sky - Let Me Back In

Advent day 3: Halls and Sun Glitters

Halls, whose EP's make up some of the best music I have heard this year, and Sun Glitters, whose album Everything Could Be Fine is another classic, released a split EP. Bliss.

Here's a Sun Glitter's Remix of a Halls track.

Halls - Chakra Drums (Sun Glitters Remix)

Advent Day 2: Dakota Suite

This song is proof that you can make great music with very little.

It's the first track from the 2011, jazz infused, Hearts of Empty album.

The song, the whole album, is a treat, enjoy.

Dakota Suite - Easy Steps

 Dakota Suite - Easy Steps by Fluid Radio 

Advent day 1: Codes in the Clouds

To start with then a band who produced a solid album this year (As the Spirit Wanes), which has one exceptional track.

For lovers of surf-rock. Enjoy.

Codes in the Clouds - Look Back, Look Up
 Codes In The Clouds – Look Back, Look Up by erasedtapes

LP's of the year/advent

In any old order here are my favourite, full length, LP’s from 2011:

Balam Acab - WANDER/WONDER

Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Brontide – Sans Souci

BvDub – One Last Look at the Sea

Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX – We’re New Here

Ghostpoet – Peanut Butter and Melancholy Jam

Hurray for the Riff Raff – Hurray for the Riff Raff

Iceage - New Brigade

Jamie Woon  - Mirrorwriting

Jeniferever – Silesia

Kanye West and Jay Z – Watch the Throne

Sun Glitters – Everything Could Be Fine

SBTRKT – SBTRKT

Three Trapped Tigers – Route One or Die

Tubelord – Romance

Wild Beasts – Smother

Forgotten a big one no doubt.

Every day in December I’ll be posting a song from the last year that I have loved and appreciated. Not surprisingly many will derive from this list – but a lot has come from EP’s and what not.

It will be a mish mash of different stuff, much of which has been on the blog before, much of which you may have heard somewhere else.

Hopefully the music and the rationale will resonate.

BUFFALO TIDE

Buffalo Tide (aka Chris Oliver) is a producer and musician who straddles two continents, having a base in North America (Vancouver) and Europe (Brighton).

As well as the Buffalo Tide project Oliver is also the co-founder of the music collective BLBX.

His latest EP, Arabia, is out now. So how to describe the latest work:

'Arabia' was intended as night music, it was written at night, and for the most part, to be listened to at night. On this record I also sampled my voice a lot to add the human element of sleeplessness. I like a lot of space in my music to allow it to breathe better. Not loads of clutter. It's electronic music at the core.

Such a nice, dance and electronic vibe here: the lead track, Divine Tide, for example, starts off with a fairly standard beat before injecting an eccentric 80’s synth style overtone from a minute and a half onwards. Great stuff.

Fans should check out Geneva another of his tracks which is on Soundcloud.

Arabia, Geneva, bit of a geography theme developing here, so Buffalo Tide – man of two worlds – are you city or country?

Hard one, I love the country side at home where I grew up, and I especially love the countryside a lot in Asia where I've spent time travelling, I'm definitely a wildlife man at heart. But, I live in Vancouver, and there's certainly something that's quite evocative and understated about walking through an empty city at night/early morning. The lights here are ridiculously beautiful.

I’ve never been to Vancouver, but it’s on my list, and the chance to walk empty streets like something out of28 Days Later is an added plus.

Here’s more on BLBX. Enjoy.

 Divine Lions by BUFFALO TIDE 

more ARTHUR

Here is the latest track from Arthur, it's called Finally though I don't think the wait has been that long.

The future for this Swedish artist, whose music is wider and more broader than any label is big, so big thanks to him for letting me expose him. 

  Arthur - Finally by Arthurr

ARTHUR

After a brief hiatus this blog is back with a bang.

Arthur (Linus Johnsson) is a Swedish post-dubstep artist, who hates all the post-dubstep labels. Primarily because he doesn't fit in to any of them.

His music is right up this alley though. Danceable, but with an element of stoicism and coolness about it. He might not have a label but does he have a place in the Stockholm scene?

Not sure where I'd fit into the scene here, we have quite a few underground dubstep clubs here that are going more into experimental sounds so I guess there!

Anyone with an ear for this kind of music, after having listened to Arthur, won’t need this question answering. But I asked it anyway. Arthur, who from the UK are big influences on your music?

Burial, obviously. He's been a HUGE inspiration on my music. Jamie XX is also one of the biggest influences.

Good lad. With influences like that it would be hard to go wrong. Wonder if he has other, wider influences and interest. Arthur, what was the last book you read?

That would be The Talisman by Stephen King. 

Arthur has a fair few songs on Soundcloud. I’ve put You on here. It battles with Sea for being my favourite tune. Enjoy.  

 Arthur - You by Arthurr