— Caribou Ducktails Tame Impala A-Trak and more —
best of the year
10
SUPERCHUNK MAJESTY SHREDDING “…puts the pedal to the metal with youthful abandon.” — Time Out Chicago
ARCADE FIRE THE SUBURBS “The Suburbs makes the promise that hope isn’t just another spiritual cul-de-sac.” —Spin Magazine
CARIBOU SWIM Swim is Caribou’s masterpiece, an album that absorbs club culture sounds weaved within subtle pop frameworks, and the record Dan Snaith has wanted to bring to fruition for as long as he has been making music.
SPOON TRANSFERENCE “Transference is the most exciting album Spoon has ever made.” — Nylon Guys
www.mergerecords.com
Editor-in-Chief / Publisher Andrew Parks, Pop Mart Media aparks@self-titledmag.com Art Director / Senior Editor Aaron Richter (M.R.S.) arichter@self-titledmag.com Managing Editor Arye Dworken adworken@self-titledmag.com Photo Editor Sarah Maxwell smaxwell@self-titledmag.com Staff Photographer Travis Huggett Contributing Writers Ilirjana Alushaj, Cassie Marketos Contributing Photographers Shawn Brackbill, Jessie Craig, Ninelle Efremova, Emir Eralp, Adam Golfer, Nick Helderman, Hobo, Adri Law, Turkishomework, Alexander Wagner, Elizabeth Weinberg Intern Ezra J. Teboul Advertising, Submissions & Other Inquiries Andrew Parks / self-titled 685 Metropolitan Ave. #1 Brooklyn, NY 11211 718-499-3983 aparks@self-titledmag.com
Display through forever—we’re digital, remember? Published by Pop Mart Media. All self-titled content is property of Pop Mart Media. Please do not use without permission. Copyright 2010, Pop Mart Media. Cover photography by Jessie Craig.
Andrew’s “Getting Shit Done” Playlist
350 WORDS OR LESS From the Editor:
1. Forest Swords, “Miarches” 2. Pariah, “Crossed Out” 3. Caribou, “Odesssa” 4. Four Tet, “Love Cry” 5. These New Puritans, “Attack Music”
Laurel Halo and Gonjasufi. Nearly every genre of interest to self-titled is represented, and if that isn’t enough, we also asked A-Trak to tackle 25 of 2010’s most talked-about singles. Let’s just say As much as I love debating music to death, I’ve never enjoyed the clinical nature of year-end lists. he’s not a fan of Salem. As for the other features in self-titled’s 10th Or as Tim Harrington told us while submitting a issue, they include a killer Ducktails interview rather lengthy rundown of 2010 records, “I will not say these are the TOP TEN; I don’t believe in and photo shoot in Jersey, Flying Lotus’ that sequential, Eurocentric, cataloging bull-sha- commentary on the greatest mind-fuck film of the year, and a cover story with Caribou, the it’smamie.” about-time success story of the past 12 months. The other problem is how predictable music One last thing before we ring in the new year: critics can be. So rather than add to the static I’d like to personally thank self-titled’s small staff with a Top 40 countdown that ends in Kanye, for helping us develop a product that’s excels Deerhunter or Ariel Pink—all great records, past much larger publications. And I’d like to mind you (but great records for very different thank you for sticking with us as we’ve developed reasons)—we’ve asked our favorite musicians to throughout our first 10 issues. Now that we have a share what moved them. Some got really specific proper iPad edition up and running, we’re more (see: Xeno & Oaklander’s top synth-driven songs, than ready to disprove the knee-jerk notion that Daedelus’ favorite producers from four different magazines are a dying art form. cities), but most had no problem filing a general Now grab a glass and let’s have a toast to guide to 2010’s best songs and/or albums. To keep our playlist-padded retrospective from another 10 issues, shall we? sounding redundant, we asked for contributions from a wide range of artists, from familiar faces such as Underworld, Converge, Liars and Hot Andrew Parks, Editor-in-Chief / Publisher Chip to rising stars such as Washed Out, MNDR,
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Best of t featuring
xeno & oakl hot chip washed underworld a-trak jamie lidell owen soft metals c dum dum girls lind ducktails mndr warp twin sister tim harring scuba twin shadow four tet laurel john roberts tame daedelus the gaslamp
the year
klander frankie rose out steve moore k andrew w.k. pallett gonjasufi converge nobunny ndstrøm phantogram paint liars yeasayer ngton toro y moi tombs sam amidon caribou halo nite jewel e impala no age mp killer flying lotus
best of the year
Songs.
Photography tUrKishoMeWorK
XeNo & oaKLaNDe
ER
Nagamatzu, “Lift Off”
A cassette gem that was rereleased on vinyl. Such a joy to listen to after years of playing it in our car, driving down lone roads at night.
Automelodi, “Limite Malade”
A beautifully melancholic song, which descends like drifts of smoke. The epitome of Xavier Paradis’ quiet sense of elegance and Montreal charm, with a touch of androgyny through a subtle interplay of male and female vocals.
Further Reductions, “Not Unknown”
Hypnotically transporting, like an ’80s Italian horror-film soundtrack.
Frank (Just Frank), “The Closet Song”
The Nice/Paris/London trio take us on a private journey into the confines of that most romantic and forgotten chamber—the closet.
She Past Away, “Kasvetli Kutlama”
Recalling the halcyon days of the mid- to late’80s sound of French bands like Resistance and Leitmotiv, this Turkish duo inspires somber celebration.
Epee du Bois, “Bodies”
No one can render morose half-step chord changes with as much beatitude and yearning as Epee du Bois. Crafted in Brooklyn, “Bodies” is a kind of call and answer between the tenebrous voice of the undead and the effervescence of the newly crowned king of Switzerland. All analog, all Korg, and always thoroughly corporeal.
best of the year
Songs.
fraNKie rose Photography aDri LaW
This playlist is made up of songs I wanted to hear over and over this year. They are all moody, a little dreamy and maybe even a bit sad. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Wild Nothing, “Confirmation” Deerhunter, “helicopter” Washed out, “New theory” tamaryn, “Love fade” Puro instinct, “Luv Goon” ariel Pink, “fright Night”
Nochexxx, “Timepiece” Strange melody; lovely, soft production.
Arthur Russell and the Flying Hearts (feat. Allen Ginsberg), “Ballad of the Lights”
My favorite of the hundreds of Arthur Russell reissues in the past few years. Used in the documentary film about him and finally issued; just discovered the release; can’t stop playing.
Rihanna, “Sexuality”
Prince’s Controversy LP ripped off brilliantly. Not sure why this never came out; maybe the answer is in the previous sentence.
Hot Chip’s
alexis taylor
Hot City, “No More”
The first of many Hot City tunes I heard and got really excited by this year. Played it out every time I have DJ’d; very brutal but clean production.
Paul McCartney and Wings, “Silly Love Songs (Justus Köhncke Re-Edit)” You’d think that people would have had enough of silly love songs...
Photography travis huggett
best of the year
Songs.
the samps, “Peppergood”
The entire Samps EP is great. This is probably the closest they’ll ever come to a three-minute pop jam. True innovators. I can see traces of influences (mainly Aphex Twin) on their sound, but they have created their own brand of kitschy psych. They have a couple of mixes online worth checking out as well.
Games, “shadows in bloom”
I think they are much indebted to the Samps, but this song is pretty great. I’ll leave the hardcore analysis for the critics, but this whole lost ’80s recontextualization movement is my total jam. It feels both oddly new and familiar.
summer Camp, “round the Moon”
about it is great, including the video. So pop. Nice and simple. Every part serves the song.
toro y Moi, “timed Pleasure”
I might be getting a little predictable by now, but this song is pretty special and sadly overlooked. Chaz Budnick’s sound is constantly changing (which is good), but I wish he would have made an entire record of songs like this.
Deerhunter, “revival”
I’ve got to give credit where credit is due. Production is flawless. Perfect jangly pop on the high end. Really interesting/innovative low end (check the buzz in the chorus). Couple this with a catchy, well-written song, and you’ve got a pretty big hit. This song will probably be a template for many ripoffs in the near future.
I haven’t been as impressed with the other songs I’ve heard of theirs, but “Round the Moon” is definitely my favorite song of the year. Everything
WasheD oUt
Photography shawn brackbill
best of the year
Songs.
Martial Canterel, “you today”
This one just came out, but it’s already my favorite new song of the year. I love the haunting bridge after the choruses.
Chateau Marmont, “Nibiru”
This would be a good song for a scene where somebody is trying to disarm a bomb, but maybe also being seduced at the same time.
jonas reinhardt, “orbiter Dicta” Jesse, you’re a good dude, but I may have to murder you for this one. Song is just too good.
Populette, “Populace (Gavin russom remix)”
Complete vulgar display of power here. Who does this guy think he is? Eleven-plus minutes of synth arpeggios and no beats whatsoever?! Russom is a dangerous man.
Maserati, “Pyramid of the sun”
A very heavy tune for many reasons. It’s one of the few songs I had the pleasure of seeing my buddy Jerry Fuchs perform live before his tragic passing last year. I miss you, Jer.
Gatekeeper, “serpent”
The mystical pan-flute lead kills me.
Photography shaWN braCKbiLL
steve Moore
James Blake, “Limit to Your Love”
Untold’s material drew us to the forward-thinking dubstep label Hemlock, and Appleblim turned us on to James Blake. “Limit to Your Love” has a future-soul vibe and took us by surprise because the other material we’d heard by James was pretty twisted.
Katy Perry, “California Gurls”
Heard this first while on holiday in LA. Spent weeks driving around, and this came on the radio every half an hour. The kids loved it first, and then I was quickly won over. When we arrived home, it was the first tune we heard driving home from the airport.
Delphic, “Halcyon”
Heard their early material on R&S when they asked us to remix a song. We didn’t have time but liked them straight away.
Tinie Tempah, “Pass Out”
Tune of the year. Great lyrics with a real UK vibe. It’s always great when there’s a real connection for people in this country rather than hearing about whats happening over the pond. Production is first class and really loved the switch to drum ’n’ bass.
Calvin Harris, “You Used to Hold Me”
We’ve enjoyed everything Calvin’s done this year and could have picked any number of different singles. It’s great pop with a fantastic understanding of dance music, which isn’t that easy to do. “You Used to Hold Me” is such a great title for a dance tune. I think someone’s used it before though!
Karl Hyde of
und e r w orld Photography Andrew Parks
best of the year
Songs.
a-traK The DJ and producer reviews 25 of the year’s top tracks. Interview iLirjaNa aLUshaj Photography eLiZabeth WeiNberG
best of the year
Songs. 1. toro y Moi, “blessa”
This is cool. I first heard about Toro Y Moi when I was in the UK working on music with [producer] Paul Epworth. We were listening to Washed Out in the studio. A few weeks later, he sent me this album saying, “I know you like Madlib, but I know you also like Washed Out, so you gotta listen to this album.” I get the relation, but I am not really into it. I think it’s some of the more interesting music being made this year, though.
2. best Coast, “boyfriend”
This is more stuff I don’t listen to myself. It’ll show up on a lot of year-end lists, but I am not going to pretend that I really know their album or anything. I think they are one of the better bands in that sound, but I didn’t really get into it.
3. salem, “King Night”
Oh, boy... I don’t like them. Best Coast, I respect, but I don’t like Salem at all.
4. Caribou, “odessa”
A
-Trak won five worldchampionship DJ titles before he even turned 18. So between that, six years of part-time work with Kanye West, and the strong curatorial sense he’s brought to Fool’s Gold Records (see: key releases by Kid Cudi, Crookers, and A-Trak’s own Duck Sauce project with Armand van Helden), we’re sure he knows how to move a crowd. But what does he think of the songs everyone couldn’t stop talking about in 2010? We played 25 of the year’s most memorable tracks for the DJ at his Brooklyn apartment and recorded his thoughts.
Now this is good. I think it’s one of my top three albums this year. It’s emotional and has feeling, but with good beats and great execution.
5. sleigh bells, “tell ’em”
I know this song. I don’t really listen to Sleigh Bells, but I like them because they are an example of a successful indie band with a new sound.
6. Delorean, “real Love”
This is cool, but similar to my reaction to Best Coast. This is a band in the upper echelons of the genre, but I don’t really listen to it myself.
7. Crystal Castles, “Celestica”
Their music doesn’t speak to me, but I really like that song Crystal Castles did with Robert Smith [“Not in Love”]. I always had a sense there was more musicality to them and that they chose this minimalist approach [instead].
best of the year
Songs.
8. ikonika, “idiot”
Nick Catchdubs is a big fan of this. It’s postdubstep—more abstract.
9. four tet, “Love Cry”
[Nodding head] Four Tet. I’m glad he’s back.
10. how to Dress Well, “ready for the World”
Pitchfork music. It’s cool. I love that his influences are groups like Jodeci, but I don’t think it needs to be so lo-fi. And this is coming from a hip-hop guy who likes grimey production.
11. Mount Kimbie, “Would Know”
I like this James Blake-ish feel. I also like the fact that young people are making such interesting music. Not that I am young anymore, but the 15-year-old DMC championship winner in me is all “Yay, young people!”
12. Cee-Lo, “fuck you”
A guilty pleasure—kinda gimmicky but catchy. I’ve been a fan of Cee-Lo for years, since the Goodie Mob and his early solo stuff. He is one of those musicians who is talented but sometimes is surrounded by people who don’t tell him things like, “Dude, you’ve gone too far!” or “Maybe only rap once on your album.” I am not a fan of Gnarls Barkley or what he has done in the last 10 years. A lot of it kind of rubs me the wrong way.
13. MNDr, “i Go away”
One of the best new talents of the year.
14. Matthew Dear, “Little People (black City)”
Oh, something with a beat! Everything has been so chill so far. There’s always a point in electronic music where producers start thinking of other ways to do their music, and Mathew Dear did it right. [Black City] is a good album. very Bowie.
“This nee
eds proper speakers.�
best of the year
Songs.
15. Kanye West, “Power”
Ha! I don’t need to listen to this. Before this album dropped, people had been hearing stories of Kanye making a true hip-hop album, and then “Power” came out over the summer, giving a true idea of how grandiose and baroque this album was going to be. I love hearing Kanye being so macho. For years, he and Pharrell were champions of nerds, and made it okay for rappers to be into fashion and talk about their vulnerabilities. Now he is getting older and entering a new phase where he’s all “fuck it.” Every album before was a stepby-step evolution, and this album feels like the culmination—like he pulled all those parts together to use on one common project. He is killing everybody.
16. Gonjasufi, “Sheep”
version of that. Some of the tracks also sound like Hall & Oates. It’s lo-fi, but isn’t just chords and muffled beats. There is musicality behind it.
20. Teengirl Fantasy, “Dancing in Slow Motion”
More Pitchfork music. It is interesting to see all these Brooklyn indie bands suddenly have black R&B influences in their tracks. It’s cool.
21. Tyler, the Creator, “Parade”
This is dope. I like Odd Future. They put out so much music that you can find fault in it, but that isn’t the point. It reminds me of Dr. Octagon and Gravediggaz. I like the fact they are so young and do everything themselves. It’s a new niche in rap, which will last longer than others I think.
This is good, and he has a unique voice.
23. Flying Lotus, “MmmHmm”
17. Beach House, “Walk in the Park”
23. Twin Shadow, “Slow”
This is girlfriend music. As a single man, I have no urge to listen to this.
18. LCD Soundsystem, “Change”
This Is Happening will be in everyone’s top albums of the year. It isn’t perfect; there are a couple moments of sheer genius and a couple of tracks that didn’t need to be there. I am sure James knew what he was doing, but some of it sounds like they were jamming. When the album came out, I was like, “Oh shit, this is the first time he has put out an album that had some lower points on it.” But then he turned into the touring force of the year. This album made more sense when I saw him live. I was all, “Bow down to this incredible man.”
19. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, “Round and Round”
It is like from another era, without being dated. It reminds me of when you would listen to a Zappa album; there are all these songs in a bunch of different genres and references. This is a modern
Probably one of the best songs of the year.
I bought this album. I think it’s good, though I wouldn’t say it is one of my favorites. It’s still rough around the edges, but I am interested to hear his second record.
24. James Blake, “Limit to Your Love”
I don’t think I know this song, but I have a lot of James Blake tracks. All that Pitchfork stuff—those lush sounds—is fine on laptops, but this needs proper speakers.
25. Das Racist, “Who’s That Brown”
Um, what to say about Das Racist? The moments of cleverness are cool, but I can’t say that about everything they do. I empathize with them being called joke rap, but a lot of it kinda is. I feel like the level of praise they got from their mixtape was probably more from people who don’t listen to rap, but I don’t want to over-criticize. They are part of a new crop [of artists that are] expanding the horizons of rap. //
best of the year
Albums. Ke$ha, Animal (rCa)
This album is packed with joy, excitement and party attitude, and it has an overall young-atheart vibe that everyone should weave into their personal day-to-day. This is a star-quality album.
Lil b, Red Flame (self-released)
Red Flame is out of control. It’s totally creative and edgy. The entire album makes perfect sense in a way I couldn’t have imagined possible. I’m really excited to see what Lil B has planned for the future.
rick ross, Teflon Don (Def jam)
Teflon Don is hearty and packed with amazing beats, and Ross’ raps are on-point. This is the kind of album that helps me get ready for a sophisticated night out in NYC.
soulja boy, The DeAndre Way (interscope)
I love this album. The track “Pretty Boy Swag” is a 100 percent hit. It’s amazing how it immediately generated such a great response from other amazing artists, like Ciara with “Pretty Girl Swag” and Gucci Mane’s remix. “This. Right Here. Is My. New Lambo.” It’s proof of incredible work.
Lil jon, Crunk Rock (republic)
Lil Jon’s solo debut album is an energy machine. Just like Lil Jon says, Crunk Rock is a lifestyle; it truly is! The beats and vocals are crisp and to the point. Perfect to hype people up to party!
aND
Photography ALEXANDER WAGNER
ndrew w.k.
best of the year
Albums.
jaMie LiDeLL Gonjasufi, A Sufi and a Killer (Warp)
I recall getting a stack of disks from Warp, and I was in one of those moods where the ears were closed, you know? Just in some horrible “impress me” state... This record came on, and it stopped me in my tracks. That voice is so gone, I was captive. It threw me into a a stormy rainbow for its duration, and I’ve found it a good companion on the road. At last, a record that really does bust a little head.
Deerhunter, Halcyon Digest (4aD)
First things first: I know Bradford a little from bumping into him at shows and hanging, and I love the man. He just has an incredible energy. His solo show as Atlas Sound blew us all away when we played at Bumbershoot this year and this Deerhunter record is sweet as memory pie. I grew up in the ’80s in an English school surrounded by common room jams. This slots into the dream like a cloud.
Photography travis hUGGett
Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh (Motown)
Catty and dirty, and I’m sitting and saying, “Yes, Erykah, you are correct on this one.”
Scout Niblett, The Calcination of Scout Niblett (Drag City) S-C-O-U-T makes the most useful music. You can do anything while it’s playing.
Sufjan Stevens, The Age of Adz (Asthmatic Kitty)
Most people who loved Less Than Zero hated Glamorama. And vice versa, right?
Burning Star Core, Papercuts Theater (No Quarter)
Thank you, Dusted, for keeping me in the loop while on tour.
Photography emir eralp
owen pallett
Swans, My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky (Young God) “Could you please stop that? Thank you. Now, where were we?”
best of the year
Albums.
Photography ninelle efremova
The Gaslamp Killer, Deathgate EP (Brainfeeder)
GLK is more than a muthafuckin’ DJ! This record bangs!
Flying Lotus, Cosmogramma (Warp) His timing and the space in his sound allows others to grow with him!
Shabazz Palaces, Shabazz Palaces (Sub Pop) BRO! Most slept-on shit this year! Ish has too much steez G! The new new I’ve heard from him is bananas!
Massive Attack, Heligoland (Virgin) I should have been on this record!
gonjasufi
best of the year
Albums.
s o f t M e ta L s Photography tUrKishoMeWorK
PATRICIA HALL (VOCALS, SYNTHS)
Innergaze, We Are Strange Loops EP (Touch Your Life) To me, these are exciting songs about people newly in love who are exploring each other, exploring music and traveling through space and time via vintage synths. Reporter, Time Incredible (Holocene Music) With an introspective tone, pleading vocals, discordant post-punk melodies and an irresistible electronic dance groove, these songs seem simultaneously solemn and celebratory toward our incredible time alive on Earth. The Miracles Club, Light of Love 12-inch (self-released) The Miracles Club makes heavenly, healing house music that gently raise my spirits from my dancing feet upward.
IAN HICKS (SYNTHS)
Neon Judgement, Early Tapes (Dark Entries) Raw Belgian synth punk/new wave reissued on San Francisco’s Dark Entries label. I love how this stuff was recorded; it’s hazy and chaotic, but still fist-pumping good. Deux, Decadence (Minimal Wave) Electronic pop/new wave from early-’80s France. Love these catchy, melancholic pop tunes— created on plenty of drool-worthy gear, I’m sure. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Social Network (The Null Corporation) This one really surprised me. I haven’t seen the movie, but I’m really digging this soundtrack full of raw, dark, memorable synth sketches, sometimes with a touch of dance-music influence.
best of the year
Albums.
Neil young, Le Noise (reprise)
A contemporary classic from an icon. A very human album from someone who doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone.
true Widow, True Widow (end sounds)
A laid-back indie-rock experience that brings to mind Codeine and Slint. Right up my alley.
horseback, Invisible Mountain (relapse)
A fantastic reissue. Glad more people will experience this. Post-everything darkness; truly awesome stuff.
starkweather, This Sheltering Night (Deathwish)
Dense/complex post-metal. They continue to take the genre in new and exciting directions.
Zola jesus, Stridulum eP / Valusia eP (sacred bones)
A huge step forward for her. Infectious and emotional, and likely the next big thing in 2011.
triptykon, Eparistera Daimones / Shatter eP (Century Media)
Tom G. Warrior reborn and better than ever. Heady doom and dirge from a true visionary.
swans, My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky (young God)
Pioneers reinvigorated, and still as massive sounding as ever.
Photography ALEXANDER WAGNER
Converge’s
jacob bannon
best of the year
Albums.
NobUNNy Photography aaroN riChter
strange boys, Be Brave (in the red) They don’t make records like this anymore...unless you are the Strange Boys. Fairly traditional ’60s music—rock, R&B, folk and country—is all represented, along with bits of the boys’ noise and some Texas trash. Throw in singer Ryan Sambol’s love-it-or-hateit voice and you’ve got yourself something special ovah heah. This record reminds me of Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones, and you could do a lot worse than sounding like those guys.
Peach Kelli Pop, Peach Kelli Pop (Going Gaga)
The best DIY album of the year and about as cute as it gets. Every instrument on this LP was played by Allie Pookie, aka Peach, who also wrote and recorded everything. Bouncy bass lines, growler guitars and Peach’s girly vocals make up most of this record, with dreamy bits and ukulele drips sprinkled throughout. It’s music for kittens to eat ice cream to.
Kim Fowley, One Man’s Garbage (Norton)
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday (Sub Pop)
Like a kiddie ELO or music for the reptiles ball, Kyle Thomas’ Happy Birthday is a welcome progression from last year’s King Tuff project. Far from cookie-cutter and remaining completely accessible, this LP has something for everyone. Seriously, this album always reminds me of Buffalo Bill dancing with his penis tucked away in Silence of the Lambs. Somehow that is a good thing.
Personal & the Pizzas, Raw Pie (1234GO)
Yabba-dabba, do me! This band rules! This record rules! Mostly a collection of out-of-print 7-inches from these Jersey jerks, Raw Pie serves up hits, baby! Hits! These songs have been my personal soundtrack for the past two years. Think Ramones. Think Dictators. Think Stooges. Okay, now stop thinking. With songs this catchy, you don’t need to think. With songs this stupid, you will be unable to think. May I suggest you dance ’n’ drink instead? C’mahn! Geez!
Dee Dee of dum dum girls Tamaryn, The Waves (Mexican Summer)
Everything about this record is gorgeous. It’s my driving/sleeping/walking/thinking music. “Dawning” is my favorite.
Deerhunter, Halcyon Digest (4AD)
Been in the car stereo for a week straight now. Saw Bradford Cox from afar at Amoeba in San Francisco recently and had a mild freakout. “Memory Boy” is my favorite.
Crocodiles, Sleep Forever (Fat Possum)
Did anyone else notice the closing song, “All My Hate and Hexes Are for You,” is the most beautiful song about hatred ever written?
Heavy Hawaii, HH EP (Art Fag)
So great to see friends record with friends and turn out something so great. “Teen Angel” is my favorite.
Photography aaron richter
On your knees, dog; meet God, aka Kim Fowley. The fine folks at Norton Records did the world a solid by releasing this (and its companion piece, Another Man’s Gold) Kim Fowley compilation of golden gobs and polished turds. A collection of 45s and unreleased demos (including Kim’s awesome “Surf Pigs”) from the visionary producer and shameless hustler. This record is worth owning for the liner notes by the underground animal himself. Plus, it includes, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... “The Worse(sic) Record Ever Made” by Althea and the Memories on Rubbish Records. U wanna get laid? Buy this record!
best of the year
Albums.
L i N D s t røM Photography LiN steNsrUD
F
or reasons I don’t really understand, a lot of people regard this year’s MGMt album, Congratulations (Columbia) as weaker than the band’s debut, because it’s too experimental or something. I couldn’t disagree more. That’s exactly why this is album of the year for me. More of this for 2011 please. I wasn’t aware of edward Larry Gordon before Soul Jazz rereleased his Celestial Vibration record. Later, I found out that he’s all over Brian Eno’s ambient albums, which made me revisit a lot of them. Seems like Eno is everywhere this year— the MGMT album, the new Bryan Ferry and his new solo album, which I have yet to hear. There’s even a great new music magazine here in Norway, which took the name Eno. The superb label True Panther released Ring by Glasser from LA a few months ago, and it’s one great debut. Her vocals sometimes remind
me of Elizabeth Fraser, and the arrangements could be unreleased demos from a mid-’80s Peter Gabriel. Certainly not a bad combo. I’ve been a massive fan of producer and performer Daniel Lanois for more than 15 years, so I was looking forward to Neil young’s Le Noise (Reprise). I really like the concept of the album— his voice backed with only guitars and Lanois’ signature sound. It’s the electric-guitar tracks that stand out for me; sometimes I wish there were even more noise and experimentalism on the album. serena Maneesh’s 4AD debut, No. 2: Abyss in B Minor, is also a fantastic album. It’s pure, wellconstructed pop music, wrapped in weird sounds and noise. I was lucky enough to get a Lindstrøm & Christabelle remix from them. And I got exactly what I was hoping for. (I’m pretty sure the new sufjan stevens album should have been on my list, but since the vinyl version isn’t out yet, I haven’t had a good proper listen.)
Baths, Cerulean (Anticon.)
This record makes my insides melt in the best way possible. The saturated tones travel right through my bones, and I feel like I’m floating through the sounds from song to song.
Caribou, Swim (Merge)
Futuristic/retro psychedelia. I’m a huge fan of all of Daniel Snaith’s records. He is always reinventing his sound to keep his fans on the edge of their record tables. This album makes me want to stare at the sun and jump rope at the same time.
Avi Buffalo, Avi Buffalo (Sub Pop) These kids write music like they are a bunch of middle-age veteran rock stars that are trapped inside teenagers’ bodies. Their songs are honest, real and raw. It’s hard to find that these days.
Zola Jesus, Stridulum II (Sacred Bones)
Normally an album emphasizes or magnifies my emotions, but this one completely changed them. I went from positively content to enjoyably depressed. There is such desperation in her voice that it truly sounds as though she’s crying to you personally. Like I was the one who broke her heart...but I didn’t. I swear.
Oh No, Dr. No’s Ethiopium (Stones Throw)
This came out one month before 2010, but it has to be recognized as one of my favorites. It makes me want to rent a Bollywood film from the ’70s and smoke a blunt.
Sarah D. Barthel of
phantogram
Photography aaron richter
Beach House, Teen Dream (Sub Pop)
The textures along with the beats make me feel like I’m slowly sinking into a pool of Pop Rocks while watching a Japanamation video game. Dead serious.
best of the year
ducktails the self-titled interview
Interview Cassie Marketos Photography ELIZABETH WEINBERG
best of the year
F
from the undertow chords of Real Estate to the solo beachcomber cuts of Ducktails, Matt Mondanile makes pop music that’s as breezy and blurry as a cherished postcard collection’s sepia-toned snapshots. His latest, Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics (Woodsist), is the closest the musician’s ever come to a set of straight-laced songs—done how only Ducktails can, of course. We caught up with Mondanile in Brooklyn to talk about being a child of the ’80s and how he plans to keep things weird in the months ahead. When did you first play as Ducktails? When I was in college, I did a study-abroad trip to Berlin and met three guys the first week: James Ferraro and Spencer Clark from the Skaters, and this guy named Steve Earle. They all played beautiful, drone-y music that was really weird and New Age. We became good friends because we all spoke English and we didn’t know anybody else who lived in Berlin. They were putting a lot of cassettes out, and I was like, “This is the coolest thing in the world.” When I came back, I was living in this house that had a tool shed in the backyard with electricity. I recorded a cassette there with a little
amp and wrote ducktails on it. Then I made like 15 copies of the tape, gave it to my friends, and performed under that name, really sparsely, in Western Massachusetts. I kept making cassettes in college and sending them out to record stores and musicians I liked. I was trading a lot of cassettes, too. As soon as I graduated, I flew to California and did a tour there. The guy that runs Not Not Fun came to the LA show, and he bought all my cassettes. A week later, he said, “Do you want to do a record?” Did you have an agenda for what you wanted to sound like? I always made four-track recordings, so it was kind of natural to do that. But I wanted it to sound like an imaginary cartoon band from the past that plays memory rock music. That’s kind of my whole thing. It hasn’t really evolved that much from there. are you improvisational in your compositions? It’s raw. I make songs up on the spot. It’s all about not planning things out; it’s train-of-thought music. How it sounds together as a whole is the thing—that’s the picture, the postcard. how do you differentiate between your two bands creatively? It’s kind of hard. With the first Real Estate record, two of the songs [were first] released as Ducktails. But then we recorded them in our friend’s studio as a band, and they became Real Estate songs. Now I’m trying to write songs with [frontman] Martin [Courtney] before we present them to the band together, but if I present a song to the band, I kind of want to play it in Ducktails, too. So it goes back and forth. Like there’s a song that’s on my next record, “Art vandelay,” and Real Estate plays that live. There’s overlap like that. Do you ever record a song, play it live, and then it becomes something else later on? Nah. A record is like a bunch of little postcards—a photo album, or something like that. And then live, I want it to be the same thing, this weird hodgepodge presentation. your newest record sounds more like actual songs. I’m really into making pop music that sounds like it could be in the background all the time, like ambient music or weird drones. That will always
best of the year
be there. That’s why the song thing doesn’t really matter for me. Some guy could be playing a song in a bar, and you could be like “That’s sick!” but you’re not really paying that much attention to it. It’s just always there. People assign a lot of genre names to the music you make. I think it’s really funny. How would you want your music to be identified? Um. I dunno… Hearing an ’80s song in your car; watching ‘80s movies—that affects your musical upbringing. A lot of people had the same interests at the same time, so I don’t mind the genre name hypnagogic pop. It seemed the right thing to call it, if you were going to call it something. I really don’t like the term chillwave, though. It’s kind of ironic in a hipster way, which it shouldn’t be, whereas hypanogic pop is a little too academic. But who cares about that? I think it’s great when you see an entire generation draw from the same pool of influences and produce completely different kinds of art with it. Exactly. If you think about “Louie Louie”—it’s a bunch of retards in a garage making a song, and it still sounds really cool. Did you always know you wanted to do everything yourself? I was always into record labels and finding stuff out like that—even cassette labels. I totally nerded out about all that stuff, and how people just do that on their own. It’s their own little world. Right now, Real Estate is getting these bigger shows, and these bigger indie labels are getting interested in them, but I kind of always want to put out records. I’ve toured a lot over the past three years, and I’ve met so many people making great music. I want to put it out. I always want to release physical objects in the world. Like what? Cassettes? I’m kind of done with cassettes for now. I was just cleaning out my parents’ basement because I’m moving, and I have like 700 cassettes—300 of which I didn’t listen to. It’s like, am I going to keep these? Is this going to be a yard sale? Should I put these on eBay? I have no idea! I want to do vinyl, and I want to do art books.
best of the year
“ ‘Louie Louie’—it’s a bunch of retards in a garage...and it still sounds really cool.” What kind of art do you do? I’m a photographer. I think I’m going to do a book of photos that I did on tour over the past four years. It’s going to be called call Backyards. It’s just photos of people’s backyards that I’ve stayed at. But I have so many of them! Why is it so important to make physical objects? I want to make enough cassettes that at least a couple end up in a thrift store in Kentucky and some weird kid finds them. I think the reason I really like Ducktails, and the reason I keep doing it, is because I started it so small. I sent five cassettes to this distribution company in North Carolina in an empty pizza box. Kids still write me and send me random cassettes. Random people! It comes to my parents’ house, and I’m like “Who are these people?!” Do you write songs with narratives in mind? “Hamilton Road” is about being at my house. It’s the name of the street I grew up on. There’s another song called “Little Window”—it’s literally about looking out a little window, playing the guitar. “Killing the Vibe” is about how everywhere you go, there’s always somebody who kills the vibe. “Don’t Make Plans” is about how you shouldn’t make plans for anything; you should just hang out. Do what you will. Some of my favorite pop records are healing, easy-listening pop—even the ones that sound dark and moody. The Beach Boys, on their record Friends, they have a song called “Anna Lee, The
Healer,” and it’s about this healing woman they go to. It’s super pretty. But the whole record, there’s the sound of waves and the ocean crashing. It’s like a New Age record, but with pop songs. That explains your beach-y vibe. It’s more like an imaginary place you go in your head. I’m from the suburbs, like an hour and a half from the beach. I never go there. Whenever I’m on the beach, I’m like, “This is sick; I love it,” but it’s not my zone or anything. My new record really has nothing to do with the beach, but you could still use imagery to describe it, like “a sunny day” or “somebody sitting in a hammock.” Does it weird you out that your music conjures up so much personal nostalgia for people? No! I’ve done that to so many records. If anybody has a good time with my music, I’m glad. One of the last pop cassettes I did was called Ducktails II, and that was two years ago. I finished it in the summertime in my basement, and I remember walking outside with headphones on and a tape player, and I was barefoot. And I walked around my block so many times that I got back to my house and my feet were all fucked and cut up, because I was just walking suburban streets in the middle of the night. It was just super quiet, and I just kept listening to it over and over again. And I was like “Alright, it’s done.” // Click here to read the extended version of this interview.
best of the year
Albums.
Photography tUrKishoMeWorK
Dj Nate, Da Track Genious (Planet Mu)
DJ Nate is the next extension of IDM. I haven’t heard dance music this progressive (and I don’t mean progressive house) in a long time. Serious marriage of footwork, Chicago ghetto tech, juke and IDM. Thank you, and may you make tracks forever.
Mahjongg, The Long Shadow of the Paper Tiger (K)
I would argue I have a near unhealthy love for Mahjongg. I even have a tribute post to all of their releases on my blog. Yes, I do.
Cave, Pure Moods eP (Drag City)
MNDr
Krautrock via Chicago. Two of the best things life has to offer combined.
ellen allien, Dust (bPitch Control)
This is yet another masterpiece made by DJ/producer Ellen Allien. She will also be celebrating 15 years of her label BPitch Control with a comp out in early 2011.
Jenny Lee Lindberg of
I
wa r pa i n t
would have to say that Plastic Beach (Virgin) by Gorillaz would be one of the best albums of 2010. It’s a wide variety of fluid, smooth grooves—the kind of record you can listen to anytime and anywhere. It just makes me happy, plain and simple. If a record can do just that, and I mean the entire album, then it’s got to be a pretty damn good job. Next on my list is My Jenny by Dot Hacker. This is a self-released album by a band in LA. Four boys, nearly men, are what make up this experimental...hmm, I’m not even gonna go there... I don’t know what this music is, or where it came from. I just know that it has the best bass
lines you’ve ever heard and the prettiest guitar melodies that will make you cry. You’d think this would be more than enough, but then the vocals come in and pierce your heart a thousand times, leaving a strong trace of vulnerability and a subtle sadness. Passion, truth, adrenaline, love, pain and whatever comes along with “feelings” is what drives this music. I’ve been on tour most of the year, with lots of van time, and this record remains on heavy rotation. I find myself always writing in my journal whilst listening.
Photography nick helderman
best of the year
Albums.
L i a r s Photography aLeXaNDer WaGNer
jULiaN Gross (DrUMs)
aaroN heMPhiLL (GUitars, syNths, PerCUssioN)
beach house, Teen Dream (sub Pop) the Legendary Pink Dots, For some reason, I haven’t really Seconds Late for the Brighton listened to new music this year. Line (roir) The only record that comes As inventive and refreshingly to mind is Beach House. We inspired as their earliest played some shows with them in album—and my personal England, and I was captivated. favorite—Only Dreaming. Her voice is just amazing, and It’s annoying that such an I love the simple drum beats incredibly vital group is often and percussion. Their music relegated to the “cult band feels like a beautifully sad slowgenre.” If only cult referred to motion shot in a John Hughes the depth of their impact, it may movie. be more accurate.
aNGUs aNDreW (voCaLs, GUitar)
earl sweatshirt, Earl (self-released) I’m a fan of the whole Odd Future collective but Earl is my favorite. When I heard this record, I was excited about hiphop for the first time in ages. Finally some real shit! Earl’s rhymes and word usage are more interesting than anything I’ve heard in years. Real creative and intelligent.
Suckers, Wild Smile (Frenchkiss)
Javelin, No Mas (Luaka Bop)
Delicate Steve, Wondervisions (Luaka Bop)
Ken Seeno, Open Window (Olde English Spelling Bee)
Suckers continued to prove themselves as the greatest song makers of the 21st century. They should be a really huge band, but I guess these things take time. A classic album of memorable pop songs from start to finish.
My favorite discovery this year. Steve handed me his record at an Entrance show we were both attending, and I couldn’t stop listening to it afterward. It revived my interest in the sonic potential of the guitar.
Das Racist, Sit Down, Man (Greedhead/Mad Decent)
This mixtape is even better than their first [Shut Up, Dude]—better beats, better hooks, better rhymes, better recording quality, better guest appearances. These guys will be stars, and I heard that they were starting to get played on Hot 97.
A lot of the instrumental tracks on this album are augmented with vocals when these guys perform, so they’re even better live. Javelin engages in an insane dialogue with popular music throughout the ages, and they always keep the fans dancing.
I played this at one of [Yeasayer bassist] Ira [Wolf Tuton’s] backyard parties this summer. The whole evening, we were on the edge of a storm, and every time there was a gust of wind, the branches of the trees would part and let in all this sun, and the lighting of the party would change. The album was such a perfect accompaniment. At a certain party, you don’t need music with vocals because the people talking are providing that lyrical layer. People kept asking what it was and kept telling me not to change it, that it was perfect music.
Photography elizabeth weinberg
Anand Wilder of
yeasayer
best of the year
Albums.
Dev GUPta (KeyboarDs) ava Luna, Services eP (environmental aesthetics) I was excited when I heard they’d be putting it up for free for the first 24 hours. Come midnight, I was anxiously refreshing their various online presences, vainly hunting for an elusive download link. I fell asleep waiting for it to come, and was relieved to find it online the next morning. Listening to it for the first time was a revelation. Their vocal harmonies hit as one instrument and are supported by a airtight rhythm section that likes to indulge in noise freakouts.
Gabe D’aMiCo (bass)
tonetta, 777 (black tent Press) 777 is a well-selected sampling of Toronto freakazoid Tonetta’s gigantic catalog. His songs are melodically classic but lyrically wild. Sonically, the music is inbred in the best way; there’s a small group of sounds that are used almost exclusively on the album. Tonetta is the sort of guy whose catalog you either enjoy in its entirety or reject. I am of the former category.
eriC CarDoNa (GUitar, voCaLs)
Mountain Man, Made the Harbor (Partisan) We were lucky enough to spend half of July touring with these girls. One night we were staying at a friend’s house who had bought their vinyl, and he put it on the next morning. I was just blown away—so happy I could peek into their little world. At first it was the simplicity of the songs I connected with, but after some time,
certain harmonies would pop into my head that would almost baffle me. It’s so easy to listen to, and it doesn’t get old. I don’t know what else to say, I love it!
aNDrea esteLLa (voCaLs)
avoxblue, Promo sampler fall 2010 (self-released) I can’t stop listening to these three songs. It’s the first thing I play when I put on my headphones. The songs themselves are pretty dark, full of mysterious bells, crystals, cave noises. Jimmy Rossi Jr. is from Boston and has a strong live solo performance. Everything he does impresses me. His music is something I have been waiting to stumble upon for so long, and I can’t wait for his full album.
tWiN
Photography adam golfer
BRYAN UJUETA (DRUMS)
Lost Boy?, MTV (White Moon Recordings) If I heard MTV when I was in seventh grade, Davey Jones would have become another idol with a picture on my wall—right next to my bed, between my Kurt Cobain poster and my electricblue lava lamp. Track for track, MTV feels like a record you know you’ve heard before, yet it couldn’t feel more fresh.
sister
best of the year
Photography aaroN riChter
tim harrington’s 10, maybe 16 albums from 2010—NOT TO BE USED WITHOUT THE FOLLOWING D IS C L AI M ER : I will not say these are the TOP TEN; I don’t believe in that
sequential,
cataloging
Eurocentric,
bull-sha-mamie.
best of the year
Liars, Sisterworld (Mute)
Liars are a great band. Sisterworld is maybe my favorite of their records yet. “Scarecrows on a Killer Slant” would have been enough, but across the whole record, I admire the the band’s ability to marry the violent intensity of their earlier stuff with the more moody atmospheric stuff they’ve done recently. Which, FWIW, I believe they recorded in part as a fuck off to the “disco punchers” who thought they had something in common with Hot Hot Heat.
Pvt, Church With No Magic (Warp)
Keeping the Australian theme going, Pivot lost their vowels but gained a much better focus on Church with No Magic. It’s weird; I might not technically list this on a “Top 10 list” because it’s not some big, blustering Dark Twisted Fantasy bullshit, but the fact is, I listened to this record a lot since I got turned on to it.
Grinderman, Grinderman 2 (Mute)
Hard music—fuck yes! I’m not really into the Bad Seeds, but when I heard “No Pussy Blues” on the first Grinderman, I was giddy. Sadly, as the record went on, it got milder and lost me. Again with this one, I’m forced to forgive the Neil Diamond vibe of “Palaces of Montezuma” and whatever the fuck “When My Baby Comes” is about, but “Heathen Child,” “Evil,” “Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man,” “Worm Tamer” and “Bellringer Blues” are nice and sinister. Also, dude’s Australian—maybe Angus Andrew’s dad?
Walsh, Smoke Weed About It eP (amdiscs)
I think this is from 2010. I don’t really know. I heard this one song and tracked down the whole thing. It is great. The best way to describe it is Ariel Pink doing instrumental hip-hop. But not. It is one of the only reverb-drenched 2010 releases I don’t want to disembowel and feed to senior citizens. There are plenty.
ariel Pink’s haunted Graffiti, Before Today (4aD)
So this is the other reverb-drenched record that doesn’t make me puke nails. Sometime’s feeling good feels good, and “Bright Lit Blue Skies” will fix whatever.
of Montreal, False Priest (Polyvinyl)
Some people had a hard time getting into this record. They’ll say it is too Prince. Is there really such a thing? I love the song “Famine Affair” so much. The rawness and directness of the beginning lyric (“I don’t want you anymore / I don’t love you anymore / Go ’way / Go ’way”) is so well counterpointed by the obtuse, wordy verse/rap things. This is the dude’s magic serum, I think. Real sincere anguish trying to worm its way out of the overeducated, analytical mind. Like, if Henry Higgins got his hands on Bigfoot for a few years, it would come out Of Montreal.
rUN DMt, Bong Voyage mix (self-released)
I don’t know how I got this; it was on my iPod one day. Maybe my wife liked the band name? When I found out that I’d just missed a show of theirs at Glasslands in Brooklyn, which is about 200 yards from my house, I realized that I really liked this band. Are they Dan Deacon protégés or Man Man protégés?
Les savy fav, Root for Ruin (frenchkiss)
If I didn’t think this record ruled, we wouldn’t have released it. Listening to and performing these songs gives me such pleasure. When we began recording, there was a consensus that we wanted to make kind of a party record. We nailed it. I think by shedding the veil of some of our more obtuse recordings, we hit upon something with a direct energy, which really pleases me.
beach house, Teen Dream (sub Pop)
Yes, this is a damn good record—even if it is music for clothing designers to feel cashmere to.
“It is a pimp —it loves you up all sexy and then slaps you.” Caribou, Swim (Merge)
Somewhere along the way, I got Caribou somehow crisscrossed with Deerhunter and didn’t pay attention. Not that I don’t like Deerhunter, but maybe I thought it was a Bradford Cox side project. That said, yes to Arthur Russell business all the time.
Tristan Perich, 1-Bit Symphony (Cantaloupe Music)
This release is a CD case with a circuit inside and a headphone jack, and when you plug headphones into it, it plays a symphony by a tiny synthesizer chip that Perich programmed. It is great to think that each time I’m listening to it, I’m hearing the actual instrument the songs were written on.
Titus Andronicus, The Monitor (XL)
I’m not really one to go nuts for their Pogues business, but the vibe on this record is pretty sweet. I’m also often despondent about the general lack of spastic energy coming from the kids these days, so hearing this big, loud, unpretentious record was a real treat.
Crystal Castles, Crystal Castles (Polydor)
I didn’t pay attention to this band till about August of this year. Somehow their name made me think they would suck. It also sort of seemed like a lot of people with questionable taste were too into them. When I finally listened, I remembered why it is so stupid to pay any
attention to the music press or hype. This record is so awesome! “Doe Deer” gives me a Braniacflavored hard-on big time. It is a pimp—it loves you up all sexy and then slaps you.
Sleigh Bells, Treats (N.E.E.T./Mom & Pop)
I somehow decided this band was some yawner Vampire Weekend-type jazz, and that was that. Just before Thanksgiving, we were on tour and played this festival in Leeds, where they were also performing. A friend told me they were the loudest band he’d heard. I was like, “Them? No, they are a four-piece of nerd-boy indie-poppers.” Oops. M’bad. They were pretty sweet and very loud. Gotta start actually knowing something about a band before I get all old-man jaded.
HEALTH, Disco2 (Lovepump United)
On a grumpy day, I might be persuaded to categorize this record as “Clothing Store Music” which is no compliment; the truth is that it’s more inventive then a lot of similar stuff, and though it doesn’t abuse my ears, it’s still real good.
La Roux, La Roux (Polydor)
Is this from 2010? I don’t know, but I love it. If you want to rip off Yaz, it will always be cool with me. Luckily I didn’t see that upsetting red hairdo until after I’d decided I loved it. One thing I feel about this record is that we share a lyrical sensibility. I’m particularly drawn to the “What is love without lust?” business of “In for the Kill.” Her songs have gotten so many parties going, and she is as unlikely a party animal as I am. //
best of the year
Albums.
t o r o y Moi Photography tUrKishoMeWorK
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Before Today (4AD)
I’ve liked Ariel Pink for a while. When I first heard this album, I was really happy for him. He balances weirdness and accessibility really well. It makes me want to get weirder with my own music—structure wise, not personality wise. He’s a big inspiration.
James Blake, CMYK / Klavierwerke EPs (R&S) I don’t relate too much to dubstep. It’s a little too dark for me, and some of the synths are a little too crisp, but I find myself relating to James Blake a lot. The way he samples his own vocals is awesome. People aren’t sure if he’s going for a pop thing or more of a dubstep/DJ thing. He’s in a good gray area.
Old Disco Records
What I like about the ’70s and ’60s is the sound quality—that soft, warm tape sound. It’s not just because of the technology. People can use that equipment now, but it comes off as sounding clearer nowadays.
Four Tet, There Is Love in You (Domino)
I didn’t connect with Four Tet’s older material as much. It just didn’t hit me like this record, which has more of a groove to it.
Caribou, Swim (Merge)
I went on tour with Dan and have his whole discography now, but I really like this record. He found a way of making dance music that doesn’t sound too overproduced or futuristic. It comes off really well live. The way he works with such minimal instrumentation is really inspiring.
best of the year
Albums.
triptykon, Eparistera Daimones (Century Media)
I was excited about this record before I heard the first note and it did not let me down when I spun it for the first time. You can’t go wrong with Tom G (except for the Celtic Frost album Cold Lake).
swans, My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky (young God)
The heaviest record of the year in my opinion. Michael Gira doesn’t have to rely on loud guitars to make his point. As much as I love this record, it’s still not as intense as The Burning World, though.
Mike Hill of
toMbs
Deathspell omega, Paracletus (season of Mist)
Simply a great record, even if you’re not a blackmetal fan. The playing on this is top-notch, and the songs are epics.
Unearthly trance, V (relapse)
These guys have never put out a bad record, but this one really blew me away. Heavy and intense with a dark message.
Planks, The Darkest of Grays (Per Koro)
Dark, German and heavy. After being on the road with these guys in Europe and the US, and seeing these songs played live, this record has a personal significance to me.
CLiCK here to see the PiCKs by DrUMMer aNDreW herNaNDeZ aND bassist CarsoN DaNieL jaMes.
Photography aaroN riChter
Photography megan cullen
scuba Best Album
Mount Kimbie, Crooks & Lovers (Hotflush) Modesty forbids any selfnominations here, of course. Taking things as objectively as possible, I enjoyed listening to this more than any other album this year.
Best Surprise
Blkmarket Membership I turned up in New York in August to play what I thought was going to be an underground party in Brooklyn. The promoters got in touch to say the venue had been changed at the last minute to an address on Broadway in Manhattan. It turned out to be a recently vacated gym, which had been equipped with a proper system, Berlin-style LEDs and interesting toilet arrangements. It went on till 11 am. Definitely one of the best gigs of the year.
Best Tune
Addison Groove, “Footcrab VIP” The original is great, obviously, but he absolutely nailed it with the VIP. It’s been so influential, as well, with loads of people jumping on the bandwagon after they heard this. There’s another Addison Groove tune called “Work It,” which I’ve actually played more than “Footcrab” just because it became so ubiquitous.
best of the year
Albums.
tWiN shaDoW Photography hobo
Tame Impala, Innerspeaker (Modular)
This record is perfect—so much so that I don’t even like to listen to it. We’ve been spinning it in the tour van, but I mostly dig it (sparingly) on my alone time. It makes me feel like I should spend my time sitting Indian style on the bed, tongue out, adding my own little guitar parts and wishing I was in the band.
This takes me back to the good bits of living in Florida: skating rinks, Alicia, Alissa, Heather, Sandra, Kinsey and the list goes on—all the little ghetto Florida girls I used to chase around. We had this club called Da Vibe, and they used to let in underage kids, so we went every Friday. You better believe all the dirty South that was in that place is all over these records. Also, one of the hardest things to put in a record these days is humor. Everyone takes themselves too seriously. Love King is the balance of hilarious and serious.
Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Def Jam)
I am glad I slacked on getting this end-ofthe-year list taken care of because now I get to express my excitement for Kanye’s new record. I’m shocked and excited that I am finally into a Kanye record. I’ve listened to it cover to cover twice, so I can’t say much other than, this is gonna be my record of the rest of the year. My holiday jams.
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Before Today (4AD)
I don’t have anything to say about this record other than I love it, and people should listen to it, and I think they already are.
sam amidon Listening.
1. Justin Bieber, “Runaway Love” 2. Grace Jones, “Nightclubbing” 3. Stevie Nicks, “Wild Heart” 4. Erykah Badu, “Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long” 5. Not music. Just ride the train and look out the window and eavesdrop on the conversations around you instead. 6. Tracy Thorn, “Oh, the Divorces” 7. Marc Ribot, Silent Movies 8. Owen Pallett, “A Man with No Ankles” 9. That melody you were humming this morning while making breakfast and you can’t remember what song it’s from. 10. Tony Barrand and Keith Murphy, On the Banks of the Coldbrook: Atwood Family Songs from the Hills of Vermont
Photography samantha west
The-Dream, Love King (Def Jam)
best of the year
Breakthrough.
CariboU Interview aNDreW ParKs Photography jessie CraiG
Technology is working for you now, instead of the other way around. Exactly. When we tried doing this kind of thing five years ago, the computer would just grind to a halt. The software wasn’t there yet.
T
he slow-burn success of Caribou finally spiked this year, as Dan Snaith’s decadeold project traded the psych-rock direction of his previous LP, 2007’s Andorra, for the shifty samples and heady dance hooks of Swim— kind of like Arthur Russell for the Facebook generation. We shot portraits of Snaith on the day of a sold-out, 2,600-capacity show at the Coronet in London—easily one of his biggest gigs yet—then caught up with the Canadian expat in the middle of his never-ending world tour to reflect on his breakthrough year. self-titled: Have you had time to put the past 12 months into perspective yet? Some obvious changes have happened, like we’re playing to bigger crowds who are reacting differently than they have on previous records. Maybe because it’s more danceable? I never went out of my way to make popular music, but it’s nice that it’s happening now rather than totally out of the blue. It’s feels much more natural. Have playing these songs with your live band made you rethink your sound at all? Yes and no. Recording by myself means there’s no time pressure and I can feel free to try anything that comes to mind. Andorra made a lot of sense as a show because the record already sounded like it was a band. But with this one, the nicest surprise has been how well it’s translated live. We’re genuinely interacting up there, not just playing over a backing track or whatever.
Have you worked within limitations for much of your career? Definitely. I used [the basic music-editing program] ACID up until this album. People think I’m technologically advanced because of my math background [Ed. note: Snaith holds a PhD in mathematics], but I’m not a tech-y person really. You’ve had a nice group of friends since the beginning—people like Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden and Junior Boys. I’ve known Jeremy [Greenspan, of Junior Boys] since high school. As for Kieran, I approached him directly because I loved his music so much. What’s the story with that? I was working in the UK for the summer, so I went to this festival where [Hebden’s rock trio] Fridge was playing and went up to them afterward. I must have seemed like the weird guy who appears out of nowhere and just starts talking. But we got along really well, and when I got back to Canada at the end of the summer, I e-mailed Kieran about DJing a club night in Toronto. We had such an awesome time. He stayed here for a week, and it quickly became obvious that we had a musical kinship. What record was he working on back then? He was still working on [the second Four Tet album] Pause, so he played demoes of that for me, and I shared some of my first record, Start Breaking My Heart. He then gave it to Leaf, and they ended up being my label for a few years. What was the deal with that DJ night? It was when we were still at university. Jeremy played it, as well. He was the only guy playing 2-step/UK garage in Canada back then. I remember hearing that music and thinking it was from outer space. It also cleared the room. When Kieran showed up, we expected to hear Alice Coltrane or something, but he played Armand Van Helden, the Beastie Boys and some of the biggest party songs you’ve ever heard. It left us scratching our heads, for sure.
best of the year
Breakthrough.
“Everything just clicked for some reason.”
best of the year
Breakthrough.
“I remember hearing that music and thinking it was from outer space.” Dj gigs must have helped you keep up with dance music throughout the years. Yeah. When Andorra came out, I didn’t DJ as much because people didn’t think of me that way. But with Swim, I was so excited to [DJ again]. The catalyst was seeing Theo Parrish play a little club called Plastic People in London. He reinvigorated my excitement about weird dance music. That’s one of the main reasons Swim ended up the way it did—because I was making those kind of tracks for DJ sets. so you didn’t even plan on releasing these songs at first? Exactly. There were two batches of music, really. “Sun” wasn’t going to go on the album until the last few weeks, literally. I just saw it as separate from the album for a while. In retrospect, it’s actually pretty natural. When was “odessa” done? That came together earlier in the process. It took a day essentially. I remember making the basic loop, throwing a dummy vocal over it, and everything just clicked. Do you labor over your records a lot? There’s definitely several hundred different tracks in varying degrees of being finished [from the Swim sessions]. Songs like “Odessa” went through two or three versions, but then something like “Found Out,” it was one of the first things I made for the record and one of the last that I finished. There must have been 40 or 50 versions—different sections and stuff.
Do you enjoy working like that? The most enjoyable time for me is when I start a record, when there’s no pressure whatsoever. Inevitably, there are frustrating times, where I feel like I’ll never finish a track in a way that I’ll like. Having done five albums and always wishing that this’ll be the one that gets done in three months, I think there’s a reason that never happens. Does this feel like a full-circle record? some might think you just discovered dance music, but Start Breaking My Heart was a really electronic record. it sounded like boards of Canada in a lot of ways. It’s funny. A song like “Bowls” has a harp sample, a house-y rhythm, and a palette of sounds from spiritual jazz records, and that’s the same kind of thing I was trying to do on [my first album]. I haven’t listened to that record in a long time, but there’s definitely some commonalities with it. The intentions are different, though. These tracks are supposed to be something people would dance to or play in a club, whereas the first record used the techniques of dance music to make something you’d listen to in your living room. My music has varied over the years, but it all inhabits the same universe in a way. has there always been a conscious effort to making everything “sound like Caribou”? As an obsessive fan, I’ve always wanted to unlock the music that I love. With Andorra, people kept saying, “Oh, this guy must really like the ’60s.” I didn’t want to get painted into that corner, so I set out to make music that’s distinctly me.
One thing I’ve never read about is your musical background… Koushik is the one who originally introduced me to electronic music, back when I was 14 or 15. He played me a Plastikman record at a time when I was listening to nothing but Yes, Genesis, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. That inverted everything I thought was good about music—the idea that a 15-minute loop could be exciting. I was also aware that it was made really cheaply. When you listen to a Pink Floyd record, you assume you’d need a million dollars and a fancy studio to pull it off. So at that point, I got a keyboard for Christmas, used my dad’s computer and stole a sampler that was collecting dust in my high school music room. I played in bands during high school, but I had the most success playing music on my own. Was it difficult finding people with similar interests in Ontario? It was all about a few particular people, like Koushik, Jeremy from Junior Boys and Ryan [Smith], who plays in Caribou’s live band now. If I had’t met them, I don’t think I’d be making this kind of music. Did you ever go to Toronto to see shows? They did. Most of my friends lived in a small town called Dundas. I lived out even further into the country, so I was stuck out there until I could drive. That led to me playing the piano for hours upon hours at a time. For a while there, I thought I was going to study jazz piano instead of recording my own music, actually. Going back to Swim, what are some dance artists who made you appreciate that music again? There’s a lot of new ones, but there’s also people like Theo Parrish, Moodyman, Carl Craig or Villalobos. I thought I knew what they were up to, but then a record like Villalobos’ “Enfants” comes out, and it’s nothing but a loop of children’s choirs from a French prog-rock record. The sheer strangeness of making a club
Four Tet breaks down Caribou Start Breaking My Heart (2001)
A lot of records coming out at this time were jazz-influenced; this brought that in with influences like Boards of Canada and the first wave of minimal techno and glitchy house music.
Up in Flames (2003)
He worked in a cramped corner of his bedroom; it’s hard to believe that this epic record was made in such a small space. That was important, though—him realizing you could make such a massive sound with a computer.
The Milk of Human Kindness (2005) Dan put a band together. That changed things; the psychedelic, Kraut-rock vibe of Up in Flames was taken to some extremes, as inspired by the live show and bands like the Boredoms. The influence of bands like Neutral Milk Hotel was also starting to come out.
Andorra (2008)
Dan has a soft spot for cheesy trance records; he’ll listen to this radio station called Gaydar—nothing but pumped-up house music. Andorra is psychedelic pop, but the last track [borrows] some of the synths and chords from those trance records.
Swim (2010)
I tried some of these tracks out at my DJ night, and people looked a little confused, but he kept working on them, and once he finished “Odessa,” it was a real turning point— a dance song that has vocals on it, along with some pop elements.
Photography jessie craig
All of your records have a certain vibe to them. The records really document a year of me listening to whatever’s exciting me at the time. For example, this is definitely the Dan’s-beenlistening-to-dance-music record, but I also staked out my own territory within dance music.
best of the year
Breakthrough.
anthem that’s constructed like that is so exciting to me. I’m also into the post-Burial producers, like Joy Orbison and James Blake. It’s nice to see idiosyncrasies in dance music again, after all of that Ed Banger-esque numbskull music. Why do you think so many people were suddenly talking about James Blake this year? The first thing I heard of his sounded totally distinctive, but I didn’t expect him to be on his way to becoming a pop star. There’s a lot of deconstructed takes on dubstep-like music, and his is one of the weirdest. He’s moved into singing recently, too. That’s something you’ve eased into over the years. Are you finally comfortable with it now? [With] Up in Flames, I didn’t sing at all. There were just vocals on a backing track, which seems ridiculous now. I’ve become better at it, but I also have a sense of what my voice can and cannot do.
What about lyrics? In the past, I felt like a fraud—like I’m tacking lyrics on—because it’s all about the music first. But with this album, there was more going on with my life. “Odessa” is about the divorce of someone close to me. My grandparents also passed on. It’s the usual cliché: I’m getting older and have more to write about. Did you have to keep explaining to your wife that the depressing love songs aren’t about her? She’s used to it. [Laughs] From my perspective, there’s a lot of melancholy to the music I make. Generally, I have a happy life, though. Making music almost generates more emotions than it reflects them. It’s not like being a heroin addict and then sitting down to write about that. Does the couple from “Odessa” know that you wrote it about them? I don’t think so, and I think that’s good. //
Caribou’s Top 20 Albums/Singles of the Year 1. Charanjit Singh, 10 Ragas to a Disco Beat (Bombay Connection) 2. Art Department, “Without You” (Crosstown Rebels) 3. Various Artists, Shangaan Electro: New Wave Dance Music from South Africa (Honest Jon’s) 4. James Blake, Klavierwerke EP (R&S) 5. Storm Queen, “Look Right Through” (Environ) 6. Four Tet, There Is Love in You (Domino) 7. Hounds of Hate, “I Like Triangles” (Backyard) 8. Owen Pallett, Heartland (Domino) 9. Kingdom, “You” (Fool’s Gold/Acéphale) 10. Emeralds, Does It Look Like I’m Here? (Editions Mego)
11. Ikonika, Contact, Love, Want, Have (Hyperdub) 12. David Wrench, Spades & Hoes & Plows (Invada) 13. Omar S, “Plesetsk Cosmodrome” (FXHE) 14. Justin Martin & Ardalan, “Mr. Spock” (Dirtybird) 15. Toro Y Moi, Causers of This (Carpark) 16. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Before Today (4AD) 17. Gold Panda, Lucky Shiner (Ghostly) 18. Arp, The Soft Wave (Smalltown Supersound) 19. Group Inerane, Guitars from Agadez Vol. 3 (Sublime Frequencies) 20. Oneohtrix Point Never, Returnal (Editions Mego)
best of the year
YouTube videos.
LaUreL h a L o
Photography shaWN braCKbiLL
Light Asylum, “A Certain Person”
Amazing video for an amazing song. I love how this video solely uses clips of people’s unironic amateur dance videos— glued together by psychedelic filters and the lyrics to the song, blithely guided by a classic bouncing karaoke cue-ball.
There is something infinitely touching about faulty 3-D renders...makes you question the space you yourself occupy and the legitimacy of your physical presence. A simple video comprised of ducks; it’s a well-visited trope, contemplating life while watching the ducks float, skewed so brilliantly.
“Guys and (Their) Dolls”
This is just a sample of several videos and documentaries uploaded about real dolls. Confirms suspicions that people are feeling more and more dissociated from their bodies (see: No. 2). I love how these men have so much affection and care for inanimate plastic women.
“I Feel Fantastic”
A perfect pairing to the real-doll YouTubes. A rigid Swedish pop-staresque robot mannequin singing about how great she feels combined with slowpan footage of fall leaves.
“On a Deck”
I think Ben Sisto’s videos were my favorite finds of this year, so I had to include another one by him. “On a Deck” follows the no-bodies thread. This every(3-D)man gazes at the sea from his Second Life vacation spot, only to meet a special visitor at the end. You question whether he knows if he’s a fabrication of someone with a copy of Bryce.
nite jewel Albums.
Grasslung, Sincere Void (Root Strata)
I took this for a spin when I was at my friend’s apartment, waiting for her to return from work. It felt as if the music were filling the void of space created by distances of people from people. I played it 10 times that day, and each time it ended, it felt as if someone had switched off the light.
The Samps, The Samps EP (Mexican Summer)
Every time I hear a cut from this EP, it hits me in every pleasure spot: intellectual, sexual, sensual. It’s tasty, but tasteful. Informal, but informed.
Brian Eno, Small Craft on a Milk Sea (Warp)
Eno beat me to exactly the kind of album I wanted to make. Luckily, this time he’s only about five years ahead as opposed to 30-plus.
Autechre, Move of Ten (Warp)
It’s dance music for the end of the world. I’ve been thinking about putting “y7” on the eighttrack and singing over that shit while imagining I’m a nightclub singer at a postapocalyptic reptilian bar.
Photography aaron richter
“Duck Rotation”
best of the year
Artists.
Photography Nate harriNGtoN
john roberts
araabMUZIK
Aarab Muzik is about 21 and has an incredible amount of skill with the MPC. He has been producing a lot of tracks for Dipset lately, including one of my favorites of the year “Salute.” If you aren’t familiar, watch some of his videos on YouTube; I like this one of him playing to an almost empty sports bar. He doesn’t seem to care that no one is paying attention and gives a pretty flawless performance. (A couple of senior citizens are watching attentively, though, which is nice.)
DJ Nate
It was nice to see Chicago’s juke/footwork scene get some attention this year. Planet Mu released an extensive collection of DJ Nate’s juke output thus far on Da Trak Genious. “Ga Ga Lord R.I.P.” is a favorite. If you like this, also listen to Bangs & Works Vol. 1, a cross-section of Chicago’s juke scene featuring 14 of its artists.
Nicki Minaj
I had a tough time initially liking Nicki Minaj. Her verse on last year’s Young Money track “Bedrock” was sort of annoying, and then she put out “Your Love,” which was pretty bland. I didn’t like the Harajuku Barbie image that she was trying to brand herself with or the babytalk rapping that she was doing. However, recently I’ve been listening to her verse in Kanye West’s track “Monster.” She
plays multiple personalities off of each other in a morphing but cohesive way; it’s one of the strongest verses of the past 12 months.
Girl Unit
I started following the UK label Night Slugs earlier this year after hearing a white label of Girl Unit’s “I.R.L.”—kind of a combination of Pharoahe Monch’s “Simon Says,” a well-mastered juke track and Audion’s “Kisses.” In October he released another EP on Night Slugs called “Wut,” which is amazing in a totally different way. I have no idea where this one fits into the greater UK bass scene, but to me, it functions as a collection of a couple of the best rap/R&B instrumentals I’ve heard all year. If Dipset ever decides to give up on araabMUZIK, they should hire this guy.
best of the year
taMe iMPaLa
Interview arye DWorKeN Photography eLiZabeth WeiNberG
A
s if dropping their Beatles-psych debut full-length, Innerspeaker (Modular), to critical fanfare weren’t enough, Perth, Australia’s Tame Impala has been cropping up as a 2010 favorite of such artists as the Fresh & Onlys and Flying Lotus. Here bassist Dominic Simper, drummer Jay Watson and guitarist Nick Allbrook look back on their big year. self-titled: Your record came out in Australia last May. What was your life like after that? Jay Watson: The record was done in January, so we were prepared for the release for a pretty long time. We’d done a lot of gigging at that point, playing big festivals back home. Nick Allbrook: We first released a [self-titled] EP [in 2008] so that gave us some buzz back home. It didn’t feel like the album came out out of nowhere. Watson: Our lives are pretty much the same as it had been before the album was released. No one’s given us heaps of money yet. Dominic Simper: We have been traveling more—getting out of Australia for the first time. What was the best place you hit? Watson: Japan. They’re very still, very polite. Simper: They stare at you during the songs and then break out into a disciplined applause in between. It’s a strange thing. Allbrook: We played with the Flaming Lips there, but we were there for about a week. We did heaps of shopping there. How were your first shows in New York? Simper: [Frontman] Kevin [Parker] was here to master the album with David Fridmann, but we hadn’t been here before. But it wasn’t an ideal time to be here—the tail end of our American tour—and we were exhausted. Watson: We wanted to go home already. We saw the light at the end of the touring tunnel. Allbrook: It felt really intense last time—all these large parties with lots of people. We played this Intel event on Saturday night, and it was
overwhelming. Too much. Watson: We just got drunk. What’s been your favorite music this year? Allbrook: I found this lovely record by Dignan Porch [Tendrils (Captured Tracks)]. It’s really lo-fi but so, so beautiful. The songs aren’t long—like two minutes—and they’re perfect. Simper: I think we’d all agree on Ariel Pink’s record [Before Today]. It’s brilliant. Love it. We’ve heard that his earlier stuff is harder to listen to. Watson: We’ve heard he reckons this record is like arena rock. So if this one is a stadium record, we can only imagine what the other stuff sounds like. Allbrook: That’s one of the best records I’ve heard in a while. Watson: We’ve also been listening to a really unusual record by Oh No Ono called Eggs. Great record; it kind of has a Sgt. Pepper’s vibe. What was the highlight of the year? Watson: Playing with MGMT. Simper: We love the new record, even though it was shit on in Australia. It’s the kind of record that you need to spend a lot of time with. Allbrook: They’re also really nice guys. Simper: They would go into the crowd after the show and sign stuff for people. Allbrook: And signing stuff is extremely boring. What habits have you picked up on the road? Allbrook: I’ve enjoyed sampling the ginger beers of the world; everywhere we go, I’ll try a ginger beer. Simper: Kombucha. I have one every day now. Watson: I can feel the health in that drink, and I am, as you can deduce, the least healthiest. I’m on a Kurt Cobain diet—milkshakes, pizza, that kind of shit. I don’t have the best bowel system, but we don’t have to go into it.
best of the year
No aGe
Photography NiCK heLDerMaN
Ten of Randy Randall’s favorite things. Neil Young, Le Noise (Reprise)
Man, this guy continues to make incredible music. Long live Neil! No one does it like him.
No Age denim jacket for Altamont [No Age drummer/singer] Dean [Spunt] designed an awesome jean jacket for Altamont. I have been wearing the sample they sent us every day on this tour. It is super comfortable and has so much pocket space. I keep my iPod, camera, wallet, phone, book, passport, granola bar, bottle of water and everything else I need in this thing.
The Chicago Diner
One of my favorite vegan restaurants. The buffalo wings, nachos, five-alarm chili, BBQ bacon cheeseburger and peanut butter chocolate shake are all unbelievable!
Pavement’s reunion
I was insanely freaked out the first night we opened for them. It made me feel like I was watching myself from outside of my body.
Daiya vegan cheese
This vegan cheese does something that all nonvegan cheese eaters take for granted: It melts! I know this probably sounds dumb, but seriously, this stuff is amazing. Vinnie’s Pizzeria on Bedford and North 11th in Brooklyn uses it on their vegan slice, and it kills it so hard!
Mad Men
This [latest] season just kept ratcheting up the tension, and it just got better each episode. I was trying to find a show to follow after Lost, and House just wasn’t keeping me locked in. Mad Men is murder all the way.
Emerica’s Stay Gold video
This is the new skate video by the Emerica team. Jon Miner did such a mind-blowing job capturing and presenting this incredible team.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Finally Nicholas Cage has stoped acting and is just himself in front of the camera. I’ve seen this DVD for sale in so many 7-Elevens and truck stops off the highway. I can’t imagine someone going in to get nachos and a Slurpee and picking this movie up. Really?
Crazy Band
Jessie Spears and the Zen Mafia crew in full effect. Prepare to be schooled!
Hustle Up blog
Stories from people who make their ambitions a reality. In this DIY world, there are a million ways to make ends meet; this blog presents a look at what inspires people to go for it.
best of the year
Producers.
DaeDeLUs
Photography tUrKishoMeWorK
My Dry Wet Mess From: Barcelona
Cherry Chan From: Singapore
Go there for the food or shopping, but this small nation also has a beat scene! Cherry Chan’s daring cross-genre pollinations were put on my radar by the people at the Red Bull Music Academy.
Stagga From: Cardiff
This capital of the ever-creative Wales is always churning excellence. Stagga doesn’t live there anymore (I gather) but makes decidedly compelling bass sounds, largely free from the brah-step overtaking North America, yet it has an edge that frees it from the sleepy dreary.
Sepalcure From: New York
Always wealthy in music (a little quiet in electronics; why is that?). Sepalcure is my pick for best duo in a sub-genre. The mighty Machinedrum and Praveen have made quite a splash, and they are willing to have a good-time dance party, so catch this or their separates.
the gaslamp killer Albums.
Hudson Mohawke, Butter (Warp) / Rustie, Sunburst EP (Warp) Warm, synthesized beats with live drums that have a perfect mix of hip-hop and whatever’s going on now.
Flying Lotus, Cosmogramma (Warp)
Cosmogramma blew my mind this year and broke some boundaries. He also defied all the post-Dilla bullshit that was spilled on him and broke through to a new plateau of electronic music. Now people don’t just sound like Dilla. They sound like Flying Lotus.
Ersen, Ersen (Finder’s Keepers) Everything that Andy Votel reissues is incredible, man. This is a Turkish psych, electronic, fucking freakout.
The Laughing Windows, EP 1 (Battered Ornaments)
More fuzzy, psych, Kraut fusion. A new band that’s really sick and sounds a bit like Can.
Photography Turkishomework
Everyone’s favorite Spanish city is rich in food, festivities and quasi-Socialist Catalonians. A fellow calling himself My Dry Wet Mess also caught my attention— enough that I asked him to release an LP on my label, Magical Properties. In my opinion, he makes music that isn’t for the tchik-tchik technoists in the EU, but I’ve been proven wrong, and in 2011, he’ll probably have that crowd going as crazy.
best of the year
Movies.
fLyiNG LotUs Words aNDreW ParKs Photography eMir eraLP
The LA producer talks about his favorite film of 2010, Enter the Void, and its director, Gaspar Noé.
R
ecords are an opportunity to make movies that don’t exist,” explained Steven Ellison, as we prepared to put the LA producer, best known as Flying Lotus, on the cover of selftitled No. 8. “I like the idea of creating a universe for people to inhabit visually, only through music. It’s whatever you want it to be—very ‘choose your own adventure.’ ” Considering that, we followed up with Ellison about the year in trippy cinema. self-titled: When we first talked, you mentioned some of the strange experiences you’ve had while sleeping, which makes me wonder: Did you see Inception? Yeah, I thought it was going to be my favorite movie. And while it was really cool in a lot of ways, it was also super disappointing in the end. The whole time I was watching it, I thought, “My dreams don’t work like that!” Was it too over the top? I thought it was way too grounded for a movie about dreams, actually. They were playing around with some cool concepts, but all those AK-47s, and that snow battle and shit? Who dreams about stuff like that—about bad James Bond sequences? It had some good ideas though, so
I’m thankful for that. A lot of those concepts blew people’s minds. Did you see Enter the Void? That was my favorite movie of the past five years. I figured it might be. The movie kind of reminded me of you since you’ve experienced some of that DMT stuff before. Oh, you thought of me when you watched it? [Laughs] That’s so sweet! Well, it’s not often that an artist tells you about their intense DMT experiences. Dude, I loved that movie. He nailed it, man. It was definitely the first movie in a while that made me feel fucked up from just watching it. It’s a roller coaster, really. I saw it twice, and it got me every time. Did the director, Gaspar Noé, capture the drug sequences well? The DMT stuff wasn’t as good as it could have been, but nothing compares to that anyway. As far as all of the astral traveling—leaving your body and being able to see a room in 360 degrees—I feel like that was close to that feeling,
best of the year
Movies.
the feeling of being pulled in the direction of whatever you’re thinking about. a lot of the movie was inspired by The Tibetan Book of the Dead. have you read that? Some of it. It’s my airplane book. I’m into it, man. As far as the things I’ve experienced on earth, that’s probably the closest thing out there to it. it’s an easy criticism to call Noé self-indulgent. What’s your take? Good films show a director immersed in this universe. I definitely think that [Noé] is interested in the things he filmed. I wouldn’t want someone to try and make a film about something they weren’t that interested in. Like I wouldn’t want someone to make a big science-fiction robot movie if they’re really more interested in romantic comedies. Obviously, this dude is kind of a fuckin’ perv, kind of a crazy motherfucker. So I want him to show us what he wants to see. I’m down to go the distance with Gaspar, man. I think he’s a visionary. Whatever he puts on the screen, I’ll be in the theater. Would you recommend his other movies? i haven’t seen Irreversible, but i’ve heard it’s hard to make it through the opening sequences because they’re too intense. You know what, man? It’s funny that you said that. Before my mom passed away, I think that’s the last movie we watched together. you watched that movie with your mother? Wow. [Laughs] Yep. Irreversible. And I recommended Enter the Void to my grandma, too. Just because there’s nothing like it. It transcends the usual film experience. That kind of shit needs to be celebrated, as crazy as it is—like the new 2001, some Kubrick shit. You’re watching it, and it’s like, “How is this possible? How did they even get the money to do this?” CLiCK here to reaD More of fLyiNG LotUs’ thoUGhts oN the eNtertaiNMeNt siDe of 2010.
“Obviously, t perv, kin
this dude is kind of a fuckin’ nd of a crazy motherfucker.”
—rip “Sleazy”
Photography shawn brackbill