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Old 2015.12.07, 04:11 PM   #31
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3. Susanne Sundfør- Ten Love Songs



The latest release from Sussanne Sundfor is one of the most compelling, challenging and satisfying pop releases I have heard in years. It's emotionally draining and musically it's both stunningly beautiful and hard hitting. While it may not seem like a 'huge' album at first- it will indeed likely take a few spins for it to fully reveal itself to you- it truly is an unforgetable release. It's an album that has been crafted as an ALBUM. The songs all play off each other- and they're all anchored by a swooping, 10 minute ballad. Whether it be punchy 80s inspired electro (hell, I can hear Kraftwerk in some moments of this album) or more orchestral balladry, nothing seems out of place or worth skipping.

I have spent a great deal of time with this release, definitely one of the most 'out of nowhere' releases for me this year- and that's probably why it makes it all the more rewarding- it feels like a great discovery. This album is truly "alive". While it does have a heavy amount of electronic work, it never feels cold. It's always organic and warm- and this is what keeps me coming back. And I think the same will happen if anyone gives it some real time to absorb.

Well deserving of the bronze medal for 2015.

Read me gush about it more here.


Sundfor


This track: Eat your fucking heart out CHVRCHES :-p
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Old 2015.12.07, 04:33 PM   #32
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2. Sa Dingding- The Butterfly Dream



Anyone who's been on EMF for a little while/has known me for a bit knows about my love affair with Sa Dingding. Her last album, The Coming Ones was my favorite album of 2012- and I still listen and adore it frequently and it still manages to give me goosebumps. So you can just imagine my excitement when I heard she was releasing a new one this year. And damn did she deliver.

Recorded in both Mumbai and London, Dingding went for a more contemporary song-by-song approach this time round (instead of going for a big concept album). At first I was worried about this a little bit- but the quality has not dipped because of it. It actually makes the album that much more compelling. It gives Dingding a new world of sounds to experiment with- and it works a charm. The new flavor she has here did perplex me as an older fan for initial spins- but also highly excited me. As for a newcomer- I think this is easily her most approachable work yet.

Production is great- all the beats and flourishes really hammer home. Vocals, well, it's Sa Dingding and once again she is absoulutely wonderful. She tries new things out and reaches highs that I didn't know she had in her on some of these tracks. Hear her on songs like "Dingding Sa" (I love the audaciousness of naming the opening track after yourself- and she manages to pull it off- this seems to be one of the most widely revered tracks on this particular release) and "Play"- never has she delivered anything quite like it. The track "Origins of Sound" is another great example of her vocal range.

Instrumentally, it, like her other albums, offers a rich mix of contemporary rock/electronica with traditional instrumentation. Not only has she used traditional Chinese instruments but also traditional Indian instruments too this time. She also has added quite a bit of trance elements- see the closing track "Good Luck Song"- which not only is a beast of a closer, but also nods back to her pre-Sa Dingding moniker era (when she was under her real name "Zhou Peng").

Overall though, another great release by who I think is mainland China's most exciting musical export. She deserves all the success she gets from this album and I hope people really get into it. This album's addictiveness is like Pringles- once you pop you can't stop. Another great album from the great Sa Dingding.

Read my full review here

*NO VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE, but you can stream whole album on Spotify*
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Old 2015.12.07, 04:44 PM   #33
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1. Bokutachi no Iru Tokoro.- Kono Yo ni Umarete Kita Koto ga Somosomo Machigai Datta kara



Over the course of this top 20 I have mentioned many albums that are highly innovative, experimental, and trying new things. However, my number 1 choice does NONE of these things. It does not even attempt to hide that it's stuff we're all familiar with- but, BUT it does it so well that it's hard not to shed a tear when listening to it. This is the best rock album all year and I have no doubt in my mind when I make that call. Infact, I've spent so much time with it that I have no problem giving it the much revered Number 1 Spot for 2015.

I had heard some small rumblings from inside the alt/indie scene about this group- and then seeing comparisons to Midori sent my curiosity over the edge. I had been thinking for a while 'we're really missing a band like Midori right now', so why not, I gave it a shot. What can I say but DAMN. It not only surpassed expectations, it left me gobsmacked. The band plays loose and hard, youth energy hits every corner and crevice, punk attitude punches your ears. Every single track is perfect, the short running time in this case, plain inspired. The hooks and melodies are instantly memorable and leaves a hard impression. You can tell the band, while young and perhaps not as refined as those on major labels, are playing their goddamn hearts out. And this kind of love for making music for the sake of music creates dedicated fan bases.

Bokutachi no iru Tokoro's album is the little album that COULD. It sears the heart, it's classic dirty rock at it's finest. The vocal performance from lead singer Jinsei Dame Ko is impeccable- she brings equal parts Jun Togawa and Mariko Goto, all the while adding her own unique charm to the mix- and damn this girl can sing well- I'm not talking about unabashed wailing- this girl wails AND hits the notes she's going for, her range is ASTONISHING- just listen to her in "Anata wa Shinamasen", the song that got the most "mad feels" from me all year.

I'm shocked that the group is not better known of. With a little luck I hope this will change- they are really underrated and deserve every bit of spotlight they get.

The most welcome reminder of why we fucking listened to rock music to begin with. And yeah. Swearing was totally called for. Let this band set your heart on fire. You won't regret a second of it.

Album of the fucking year.

Bokutachi

Bokutachi


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Old 2015.12.08, 02:46 PM   #34
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Anyway. Hope some other people decide to make a list for me to read. Love reading what other people's top albums are. Hope Jihad's gonna be doing one this year.

I also have a short list of disappointments, do people want me to post?
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Old 2015.12.09, 12:48 PM   #35
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Gonna have to check some of your top 20. Not going to have a list myself this year, but I may be able to pick some albums I enjoyed. I didn't have a lot of time to listen to new music on the account of being busy with school work, the fact that my ear buds broke and me not making an effort to buy new ones. I usually listen to music as I'm commuting.

On that note, I downloaded tons of music I didn't listen to at all. Time to hit that backlog.
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Old 2015.12.09, 03:27 PM   #36
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My top 20 of 2015: Yolanda, Kimi, Kitty, Candice, Barbie, Erika, Scarlet, Aurora, Vivian, Candy, Cici, Lush, Ada, Kama, Yumi, Tiffany, Tina, Lulu...
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Old 2015.12.09, 03:56 PM   #37
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Might put a short list together later, I've got a few records i wouldnt mind talking about. No order though, can't be bothered thinking about it. Let's see that list of disappointments, too.
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Old 2015.12.10, 06:56 PM   #38
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Disappointments list

Yasuha Kominami- Boku wo Sukuttekurenakatta Kimi he: Just dull, dull, dull. Read my review for something more detailed

Anything related to Shiina Ringo- a pretty damn off year, nothing she put out lasted in my playlist for longer than a week or two. Was fun to bitch about/watch people go nuts over trash though. Does anyone even remember A Life Supreme, honestly?

Susumu Hirasawa- Hologram wo Noboru Otoko- yeah, so its not a bad album. But it's not a particularly memorable one either. Sorry Susumu, this one floated over me pretty fast :-(

CHVRCHES/Purity Ring albums- both paled in comparisons to their debuts, both had no shelf life.

3776- 3776 wo Kikanai Riyuu ga Aru to Sureba- the hype was real. The album was not.

BILLIE IDLE- ROCK N ROLL IDLE-
damn that single cooked. The rest was lukewarm.

Kayoko Yoshizawa- Himitsu Koen- Really sweet single, nice sleep when listening to the album

Nagisa Kuroki album- Wow, this one fell well and truly flat. To the point I cant even remember albums name.
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Old 2015.12.10, 07:49 PM   #39
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What do you think are the top lives this year?
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Old 2015.12.10, 08:33 PM   #40
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Do you mean DVDs or shows I went to?

DVDs
Seiko Oomoris is my obvious choice. That's stunning stuff.
Other than that the Passepied DVD is pretty good

Live
Boris still lingers hard in my memory
There was another good one but I'm embarrassed to admit I went haha. I'll just say I'm still trying to Shake it Off.
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