2021 Year In Review
This year once again I invited some friends and colleagues to reflect on 2021
JG Thirlwell
Composer Foetus Xordox Manorexia Steroid Maximus Venture Bros Archer
Here are a lot of albums I enjoyed in 2021, in no particular order.
Low Hey What (Sub Pop) Amon Tobin How Do You Live (NoMark) Caterina Barbieri Fantas Variations (Edition Mego) Michael Gordon and Cello Octet Amsterdam 8 (Canteloupe) Gazelle Twin and NYX Deep England (NYX Collective Records) / Gazelle Twin Welcome to the Blumhouse Nocturne OST (Lakeshore) Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders Promises (Luaka Bop) Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble NOW (International Anthem) Murmuüre Murmuüre (Bandcamp) Le Silo 3.27830 (Disc Union) Black Midi Cavalcade (Rough Trade) Red Fang Arrows (Relapse) Gojira Fortitude (Roadrunner) Royal Blood Typhoons (Warners) Alarmist Sequesterer (Small Pond) Melvins Working With God (Ipecac) Danny Elfman Big Mess (ANTI) Gaspard Auge Escapades (Because Music) Noveller Aphantasia (Bandcamp) Cheap Trick Another World (BMG) clipping Visions Of Bodies Being Burned (SubPop) The Bug Fire (Ninja Tune) Pan Daijing Jade (Pan) Blanck Mass Calm With Horses OST (Invada)/ In Ferneaux (Sacred Bones) Converge and Chelsea Wolfe Bloodmoon I (Epitaph) Hiro Kone Silvercoat The Throng (Dais) Space Afrika Honest Labor (Dais) Rob Aiki Aubrey Lowe Candyman OST (Sacred Bones) Andrew WK God Is Partying (Napalm) Jonny Greenwood The Power Of The Dog OST (Invada) The Fraternal Order of the All The Fraternal Order of the All (YouTube) Giant Claw Mirror Guide (Orange Milk) Sourdure De Mort Viva (Les Disques du Festival Permanent) Manchester Orchestra The Million Masks of God (Lomo Vista) Teho Teardo Elipses dans l'Harmonie (Specula) Idles Crawler (Partisan) Suryummy Polynators (Constellation Tatsu) The Armed Ultrapop (Sargent House) VoidDweller Employee (Bandcamp) Daniel Davies Spies (Sacred Bones) Muqata’a Kamil Manqus (Hundebiss Records) Sparks Annette OST (Milan) Caleb Landry Jones Gadzooks Vol 1 (Sacred Bones) Lana Del Rey Blue Banisters (Polydor) Zombi Liquid Crystal EP (Relapse) Ursula Sereghy OK Box (Gin and Platonic) Helm Axis (Dais) Squid Bright Green Field (Warp) Kyoka Is (Is superpowered) (Raster) Bryce Dessner / Ensemble Resonanz Tenebre (Resonanz Raum) All Traps On Earth A Drop of Light (AMS Records) Kemper Norton Troillia (Bandcamp) Real Loud Real Loud (New Focus)
Film and TV
Year of the Dog Bacurau Zola The French Dispatch Pen 15
Live performances
Didn't see too many this year but standouts were Tredici Bacci (three times) Idles Human Impact Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe King Crimson LustSickPuppy Lydia Lunch Tyshawn Sorey
Books
I read a ton of memoirs this year. Standouts were Mark Lanegan Sing Backwards and Weep Duncan Hannah Twentieth Century Boy Bruce Springsteen Born To Run Edward Norton Permanent Record John Lurie The History Of Bones David Crosby Long Time Gone Wayne Kramer The Hard Stuff
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Thurston Moore
Thirty killer recordings I had the pleasure to come across in 2021, all new performances from a galaxy of inspired lights. Keep on shinin’, friends! ---Thurston Moore / Sonic Life
1. Seafoam Walls - XVI (Daydream Library LP) 2. Xopher Davidson - Lux Perpetua (Daydream Library LP) 3. Wobbly - Popular Monitress (Hausu Mountain cassette) 4. Farida Amadou & Pavel Tchikov - Mal De Terre (Trouble In Mind cassette) 5. Luke Stewart - Works For Electric Bass Guitar (Triptickstapes cassette) 6. Ana da Silva & DJ Mooncup - Shouting Out Loud (Noods Radio cassette) 7. Joseph Nechvatal - Selected Sound Works (1981-2021) (Pentiments cassette) 8. Wharton Tiers - Wharton's Expanding Jazz Band (self released digital) 9. Moor Mother - Circuit City (Black Quantum Futurism LP w/ Playbill) 10. Michael R. Bernstein - Blind In Sight (self released cassette) 11. Marshall Trammell & Aaron Turner - Experimental Love I & II (Sige cassette) 12. Jaimie Branch - Fly Or Die Live (International Anthem 2XLP) 13. Twig Harper - Classical Electronics (Radical Documents cassette) 14. Ava Mendoza - New Spells (Relative Pitch cassette) 15. Michael Morley - Electric Guitar (Radical Documents cassette) 16. Gerald Cleaver - Griots - (Positive Elevation LP) 17. Title TK - Metallic TK (self released cassette) 18. Sophie Cooper - Goodbye Gemini (Borley Rectory cassette) 19. Co-ed - s/t (Sludgepeople cassette) 20. Gergesenes - Exorcism of the Gerasene Demoniac (Banner Of Blood cassette) 21. Orphan Fairytale - Titania Moon (Ultra Eczema LP) 22. Joe Morris & Damon Smith - Gusts Against Particles (Open Systems LP) 23. The Bohman Brothers - In Their 70s (Fort Evil Fruit cassette) 24. Natalie Beridze - Mapping Debris (Monika Enterprise cassette) 25. Tasos Stamou & Alan Wilkinson - Whenever (Ikuisuus cassette) 26. Irons - Unto The Kingdom (self released digital) 27. Alan Braufman & Cooper-Moore - Live at WKCR May 22, 1972 (Valley Of Search 12”) 28. Nihilist Spasm Band - Nothing Is Hard To Do (But We Try) (We Are Busy Bodies 7”) 29. Gaahls WYRD - The Humming Mountain (Season Of Mist 10”) 30. White People Killed Them - (Sige LP)
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Tom Recchion
LAFMS
Best of 2021
Music Elephant9 - Arrival Of the New Elders and their whole catalog (Rune Gramophone) Gentle Fire — Explorations (1970 - 1973) (Paradigm Discs PD 35) Allen Ravenstine - Shore Leave & Electron Music (Wave Shaper Media WSM 05.6) Allen Ravenstine - Nautilus & Rue Du Poisson Noir (Wave Shaper Media WSM 07.8) Joni Mitchell - Archive Vol 1 & 2 -plus the whole initiative (I’m waiting on the vinyl for #2) (Rhino) Needlepoint - Walking Up That Valley and their whole catalog David Toop and Ryuichi Sakamoto LIVE (ThirtyThree ThirtyThree Records TTTT0070) David Toop, Akio Suzuki & Lawrence English - “Breathing Spirit Forms” (Room 140 RM4171) Doris Wishman - “The Best Of…” (Modern Harmonic MH-8236) Something Weird Spook Show Spectaular A-Go-Go (Modern Harmonic MH-8205) Psychedelic Sex Kicks -soundtrack (Modern Harmonic MH-8223) CAN - the 2 LIVE albums (MUTE/SPOON) Evind Aarset/Jan Bang - Dream Logic - “Surrender” in particular 2012 (ECM) Thomas Stronon - Mercurial Balm (ECM) Smegma - Name Of the Frame (Molokoplus Records Plus 135) Jefferson Airplane - Acid, Incense and Balloons (RCA 194398442617-RSD) Jimi Hendrix Experience - :Paris 67 (Dagger Records 19439893031) LAFMS - Los Angeles Free Music Society VOD box (Vinyl On Demand VOD171)
Music Rediscoveries/Reappraisals/New Appreciations John Lennon Plastic Ono Band The entire Jefferson Airplane catalog Radu Malfatti/Stephan Wittwer - Und? (FMP 0470)
Viewings Succession (HBO) Get Back (Disney+) P.S. Burn This Letter Please (Kanopy) Plan 9 From Outer Space (b/w & colorized) Anytime day or night The Mandalorian (Disney+) The White Lotus (HBO) Blown-Away (Netflix) The Great British Pottery Throw-down (HBO Max) What We Do In The Shadows (EFX) Velvet Underground the Todd Haynes doc (AppleTV) Jorma Kaukonen Quarantine Concerts from Fur Peace Ranch with on occasion Hot Tuna. Streaming performances every Saturday night. For Free. Stunning and so generous. (YouTube)
Books Joe Potts - “Daily Planet” Hesse Press Butte Free Music Society “Sputterring and Distorted/A Reluctant History Of the BUFMS/Butte County Free Music Society/ Encyclopedia Spastica by Fen Addison with S. Glass That's How Strong My Love Is by David Loehr Organic Music Societies by Lawrence Kumpf Along Comes The Association by Russ Giguere Canyon Of Dreams by Harvey Kubernik The World’s Worst: A Guide To the Portsmouth Sinfonia by Christopher M. Reeves, Aaron Walker, et al. The Lyrics of Syd Barrett by Rob Chapman A New Day Yesterday by Mike Barnes Side By Side by Robert Wyatt & Alfie Benge When Can I Fly/The Sleepers, Tuxedo Moon & Beyond by Michael Belfer Creatures of the Night That We Loved So Well/ TV Horror Hosts of Southern California by James M Fetters The Art of John Schroeder - Private Press Bruce Houston - An Exceptional Artist with an Odd Sense Of Humor - Private Press Bruce Houston - Hospital Drawings - Private Press
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Tim Parkinson
Composer
BOOKS Helen Marten - The Boiled In Between Polly Barton - Fifty Sounds The poetry of Jeff Hilson 3 volumes of Picasso biography by John Richardson James Castle: Memory Palace by John Beardsley
MUSIC Minds in Flux by George Lewis Xanadu by Mildred Couper String Quartet No.5 by Matteo Fargion Natural World by Laurence Crane The amazing live performance by Siwan Rhys and Mark Knoop of Çoğluotobüsişletmesi by Clarence Barlow Gated - Alex Ward (Discus) Electric music - John White (ANTS) Pain Olympics - Crack Cloud (Meat Machine) gwneud a gwneud eto/do and do again - Angharad Davies (all that dust) The Boring Music Show (keithfem.com)
TV/FILM P’tit Quinquin In Between Portrait of a Lady on Fire Vivarium Parasite Roma Bacarau Capernaum
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Felix Kubin
Composer
Some wonderful (re-)encounters and sad farewells.
Francoise Cactus (1964 - 2021) The queen of the Berlin underground. A real anarchist and a very dear friend who died much too young.
Peter Rehberg (1968 - 2021) A great personality with a true passion for independent, experimental music and a cutting sense of humour. His brilliant mind will be missed.
Alvin Lucier (1931 - 2021) One of the most important encounters of my life. I interviewed him in 2004 in New York for my radio play „Paralektronoia“. His idea to focus on the room reflections instead of the original sound source changed my view on music profoundly.
Bernd Schurer Suisse Klangkünstler, psycho-acoustician and film composer who I met 20 years ago. One of the last romanticists who has always lived his life to the extreme.
Victoria Keddie A brilliant video artist, musician, telescopist and curator with a glint of flamboyance in her eye.
Matt Wand Genius quick-change artist, transformer and plunderphonic confusionist. A collaborator of things unreal.
Lucrecia Dalt A sculptor of romantic electronic songs on the edge of the unorganic. Our messenger of alien night life. Outlandish, poetic and courageous.
Doug Shipton Doug, half of Finders Keepers Records and half a cypress tree. His friendship is a constant breeze of fresh air in my mental locker.
Booty Carrell One of my oldest friends. A fantastic (radio) DJ and archaeologist of the obscure paths of world music. Also a great supporter of young musicians. I need to visit him soon.
Knut Aufermann & Sarah Washington The most inventive and (in the best possible sense) megalomaniac radio artists and curators I know. Close friends and wine enthusiasts, too.
Lucile Desamory A supernatural film maker, performer, martial arts fighter and telepathic friend.
Marie Losier My dear Marie! A brilliant film artist who breaks all the rules with a thunderous laughter.
Sven-Åke Johansson A genius performing artist who - at the age of 78 - constantly amazes with inventive, bizarre and cheeky ways of playing his "exploded drum set".
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Teho Teardo
Composer
I dreamt the pandemic would have stopped us all being able to learn. Like a fracture, a refusal to absorb anything further. We didn’t understand it was happening. Unconsciously I guess I’ve been looking for answers in books, films, music. More than ever. Here’s something I think I’ve found:
3 books Claire Keegan - Small things like these Max Porter - The death of Francis Bacon Ernesto De Martino - La fine del mondo
3 music books John Lurie - The History of Bones Gilbert Rouget - La musique et la transe. Esquisse d’une théorie générale des relations de la musique et de la possession Eliane Radigue - Intermediary spaces
3 books I gave as presents Carlo Ginzburg - I Benandanti Chandra Candiani - Questo immenso non sapere Graham Duff - Foreground Music
3 books given to me Claire Keegan - Foster Kae Tempest - On connection Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing - The mushroom at the end of the world
3 albums Lump - Animal Masma Dream World - Play at Night Richard Skelton - Four Workings
3 albums I gave as presents Matt Sweeney & Bonnie Prince Billy - Superwolves Giancarlo Toniutti - Batlahatli David Shea - The Art of Memory
3 albums given to me Luigi Maramotti - Knot Music Xordox - Omniverse Massimo Toniutti - Il museo selvatico (reprint)
3 songs I wish I had written Pino Daniele - Appocundria (Because of my reoccurring dream in which I call a friend in Napoli pretending to speak neapolitan) Robbie Basho - Blue Crystal Fire The Ghost of Sauris (I suppose I wrote it, but I dreamt it was written by someone else, since I couldn’t fine anyone who has written it I guess it came to me as a dream, but I keep thinking it belongs to someone else)
3 songs discovered by chance using Shazam Charlie Megira - The Coochimama Swingers (bookstore in Brooklyn) Lee Scratch Perry - Having a Party (record store in Roma) Blake Mills - Vanishing Twin (taylor in Roma)
3 films L’isola di Arturo (Damiano Damiani) The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion) Todo Modo (Elio Petri)
3 albums I’ve just picked up from a shelf using a random numeric generator Vivenza - Réalités Servomécaniques P16D4 & Swimming Behaviour of the Human Infant - Nicht Niemand Nirgends Nie! Steroid Maximus - Quilombo
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MV Carbon
Composer / Perfromer
2020-2021 Abounding Sound
impaired data declares achievement sensitive souls drown in bereavement maskless spew infiltrates dew hope maneuvers the residue spike proteins, vaccines gouge our arm hinting we are far from harm delusions dissolve contemplation assumptions contaminate the population social media distorts our sense with vapid poses of self pretense grotesque beauty smears the screens comparing bodies, achievements, dreams deep fakes intimidate misinformation procures high rates speculations bubble on exposed lips supply chains coagulate with skewed ships consumerism blasts junk into space the wheezing earth melts in place landscapes rise like a tainted lung repulsions leech onto songs unsung games of stillness heal stress friendships seek more realness constrained voices contend to shout compassion eradicates fear and doubt rhyme rhythm music meaning dancing kissing crying gleaming abounding sound inspired together shifts life altogether
-MV Carbon
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Steve Moore
composer, Zombi
2021
I don’t know too many people who can honestly say they had a great year. I certainly can’t, but here are some things that helped get me through this mess.
Psycho Goreman It’s funny, violent, gory and even heartwarming at times. Great practical effects and creature design, and the cast was incredible - especially Mimi. Fantastic film, highly recommended.
Marvel’s What If… Full disclosure, most of what I watched this year was with my kids, so that skews things a bit. But having been a fan of the “What If…” comics series as a teen in the late 80’s/early 90’s, I truly appreciated the work they put in on this one. Some episodes are better than others, but the season finale pulls it all together in an incredibly satisfying way. And fun for the whole family!
Keith Mansfield - KPM ‘Vivid Underscores’ This album was originally released in ’77, but it just received a well-deserved reissue from Be With records. Library music is absolutely my jam, and this has been on my want list for years. Evocative underscores that will make your life feel way more exciting. I like to listen to it while cleaning, or driving.
Night Lunch - “House Full of Shit” I don’t know anything about this band and have not heard any of their albums, but a friend hipped me to this tune and it’s incredible. Definitely watch the video.
Pino Palladino + Blake Mills - “Ekuté” My favorite 5 and a half minutes of music released this year. I’ve been a fan of Pino since Paul Young covered Hall & Oates’ “Every Time You Go Away” back in ’85, and I love watching him mature and grow as a musician. The entire album, ‘Notes With Attachments,’ is incredible, but this song really does it for me. I’m a big fan of 70’s West African music and these dudes really nail the groove, and add their own special touch.
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John King
Composer
My 2021 Highlights:
music - (in no particular order)
Future Faith - Lime Rickey International
Dirge - Joanna Mattrey
Work for Upright Bass and Amplifier vol.1 (vol.2 releases 2022)- Luke Stewart
That Was Then, This Is Now - Christina Wheeler
Afrofuturism - Michael Wimberly
Migration of Silence Into and Out of The Tone World – [Volumes 1–10] - William Parker
Wild At Heart - Pauline Kim Harris; Chaconne Project
Cairns - Gelsey Bell
Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis - Matana Roberts (released 2019, acquired 2021)
i was gifted by a friend the complete live Hendrix/Band of Gypsys at Fillmore East 1969-1970 - "Songs for Groovy Children” - spent a good part of Jan/Feb 2021 with my guitar tuned down a half-step, playing along with, re-learning the tunes, licks, solos from this amazing set of 8 LP’s
Before going into live in-person recording sessions in the fall 2021, I re-discovered and also played along with the tunes/energies of: Sonny Sharrock - Black Woman
Black Unity Trio - Al-Fatihah
Julius Hemphill - Dogon A.D.
movies - The Present - Farah Nablusi (BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated) a beautiful 20min long film, which captures the brutal, unjust inhumanity of Apartheid Israel through the reality of what a Palestinian family must go through following “a day in their life”. A MUST SEE FILM.
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” - Ahmir “Qwestlove” Thompson more than a live concert film, this is about an era, the time of a “before/after” moment in culture and society. I hope Qwestlove makes a director’s cut that in 24 hours long, with ALL the live concert footage.
books - Against The Loveless World - Susan Abulhawa
You Exist Too Much - Zaina Arafat
The Little Edges (pub. 2015, acquired 2021) - Fred Moten
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Jason Berry
Nubdug Ensemble / Vacuum Tree Head
Favorite musical releases of the past year-or-so:
G Calvin Weston - Hydrogen 77 Frank Zappa - 200 Motels (50th Anniversary Box Set) Jair-Rohm Parker Wells / Robert Musso / G Calvin Weston - Wells Musso Weston Prince - Sign 'O' the Times (Box Set) The Galaxy Electric - Tomorrow Was Better Yesterday The Splatter Trio with Steve Benson - It's a Stool Pigeon Universe (book + CD package) Headboggle - Digital Digital Analog Pat Metheny - Side Eye NYC Pas Musique - Psychedelic Talismans Chris Potter Circuits Trio - Sunrise Reprise Dax Pierson - Nerve Bumps Stereolab - Electrically Possessed (Switched On Vol. 4) Pino Palladino and Blake Mills - Notes With Attachments Chansons du Crépuscule (Elliott Sharp + Hélene Breschand) - Aube Henry Threadgill Zooid - Poof Amanda Chaudhary - Meow Meow Band Xordox - Omniverse Interstellar Grains - Cubed
Recent reading, maybe not all were published this past year: Joy Harjo - Poet Warrior: A Memoir Malcolm Gladwell - Talking to Strangers Yuval Noah Harari - Sapiens Colson Whitehead - Harlem Shuffle Elliott Sharp - IrRational Music Jim Woodring - And Now, Sir - Is This Your Missing Gonad?
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DJ Food
Music: Snow Palms - Land Waves LP (Village Green) Robert Fripp - Music for Quiet Moments (DGM) DJ Format - Devil's Workshop LP Trevor Jackson - Underdog 1993-1998 radio mix (NTS) CAVS - CAVS 12" (PHC) The Nevermen - Treat 'Em Right (Boards of Canada remix) DL (Lex) Vanishing Twin - Ookii Gekkou LP (Fire Records) Jay Glass Dubs - Jungle Shuffle 12" (The Wormhole) Brian Eno - The Lighthouse (Sonos HD) Regal Worm - The Hideous Goblink LP (Quatermass) Ternion Sound - Dovetail (Kursa remix) 12” (Next Level)
Podcasts: Martyn Ware - Electronically Yours Ed Piskor / Jim Rugg - Cartoonist Kayfabe (YouTube) Stephen Coates - The Bureau of Lost Culture We Buy Records (Apple podcasts) Matt Black - Pirate TV (Twitch/FB/YouTube)
Gigs / Events: Vanishing Twin - Pensiero Magico live stream Jan 20th Alice In Wonderland @ The V&A Museum, London Savage Pencil @ OrbitalSpace, London The Light Surgeons 'Atemporal' @ Iklectik, London The The's Comeback Special premier @ Troxy Cinema, London Jonny Trunk's Groovy Record Fayre @ Mildmay Club, London People Like Us - Gone, Gone Beyond @The Pit Theatre, Barbican, London Anicka Yi - Aerobes @ Tate Modern, London
Design / Packaging: Hattie Cooke - The Sleepers LP (Spun Out of Control) King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - live bootlegs series LP (Fuzz Club) Une - Spomenik LP (Spun Out Of Control) Cos - Mix LP (Finders Keepers) The Third Man Records shop in Soho, London Pepe Deluxe - The Phantom Cabinet vol.1 LP (Catskills) The Zen Delay (Ninja Tune / Erica Synths) Kingston University Stylophone Orchestra - Stylophonika (Spun Out Of Control) Brian Eno's turntable
Books / Magazines / Comics: Rain Like Hammers - Brandon Graham (Image) Bedroom Beats & B-Sides - Laurent Fintoni (Velocity Press) Decorum - Jonathan Hickman & Mike Huddleston (Image) Ultramega - James Harren (Skybound/Image) Anatomie Narrative - Samplerman The Black Locomotive - Rian Hughes (Picador) Kane & Able - Shaky Kane & Krent Able (Image) Tales To Enlighten - Matt King & James Edward Clark (Kickstarter) The Out - Dan Abnett & Mark Harrison (2000AD) 99 Balls Pond Road - Julie Drower (Scrudge Books)
Film /TV: Bathtubs Over Broadway (Netflix) Wandavision (Disney+) Sisters With Transistors - Lisa Rovener (BFI) What We Do In The Shadows Season 3 (BBC2) Martha: A Picture Story (Projector Films) Records - Alan Zweig (TVO) Big Mouth (Adult Swim)
