Artist Picks #25: Errors' albums of 2010
"One of 2010's most enigmatically satisfying long-players," Errors' Come Down With Me was a fixture on most reputable end-of-year lists, and ours was no different. Here, in no particular order, is the Scots own year-end list: (Full list of artist picks)
Moon Duo is the side project of one of the guys from Wooden Shjips who I also really like. I saw Moon Duo live earlier this year and liked the stripped down nature of their live show- just a synth, drum machine and guitar with effect-heavy vocals.
This was one of the first great albums of the year for me. The first time I heard "Three Thousand" I put it back to the start and listened to it again 3 more times. Something about the delivery of the vocals really struck a chord. The production of the entire album is pretty unusual, there isn't really anyone else who is currently making music as original as this.
This is lo-fi space-krautrock. Prins Thomas has collaborated on disco projects a lot with Lindstrom but this is his debut solo album. Featuring good vintage synth sounds, amateurish drums and Michael Rother-stlye flanged guitar melodies- each track continues forever, as it should.
Arp reminds me of a lot of the mid-late 70s German music I'm really into like Roedelius and Harmonia. Pretty relaxing and contemplative music, good for reading a book to.
In 2010 I was confidently able to spell the word 'psychedelic' for the first time, thanks to Psychic Ills and other bands that were part of the revival of the genre ie Wooden Shjips and Sun Araw. This is one of my favourite psychedelic albums of the year. The fact that they are still pretty much unknown is psychedelic in itself.
I have a good memory of sitting on the beach at Ardrossan on one of the hottest days this year listening to this record and realising that this is exactly what this music was made for (we had a Barbeque in the park afterwards). It's pretty simple music. Simple drum-beats, pretty melodies, guitars with 60s reverb and delayed vocals sounding all Crystal Stilts.
Oneohtrix is from New York. It reminds me of Tangerine Dream and other late 70s/ early 80s German music. Pretty transcendental and hypnotic stuff. I've got a soft spot for anything with arpeggiated synth particularly (like on this) if the synth is from the olden days.
This is probably what Animal Collective sound like but I wouldn't really know. Very good and unusual melodies. I'm into it.
At the bottom of the pile of layers of noise and feedback that help to form Cloudland Canyon's music there are brilliant pop songs lurking. It's the sound of the Velvet Underground if they were trapped in an cave and forced to make music with the locals.
Again more music reminiscent of Germany in the 70s. Very Tangerine Dream/ Mark Shreeve and again definitely referencing Michael Rother's solo output in the 80s. Really thoughtful post-drone synth music which actually has sections and movement in it.
Other artist's top tens
All these lists were compiled into one Artist's top ten albums of the decade poll. But here are all the individual lists that went into it...
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