2008: A Retrospective
So it’s January 2009 and everyone gets to exercise their secret listmania and here at Soundscaping we fare no worse. In a year that has included everything from remarkable DIY-releases to re-issues of timeless classics, we have been out to pick the brains of our peers on the Norwegian electronic music scene and bring you a well-meaning, feel-good selection of favourites from the year that passed.
DJ Indiana Ross – top albums
- Flying Lotus – Los Angeles [Warp Records]
- John Robinson – Who Is This Man? [Project: Mooncircle]
- Onra – Chinoseries [Favorite]
- Richard Skelton – Marking Time [Preservation]
- Gas – Nah Und Fern [Kompakt]
- Christopher Willits + Ryuichi Sakamoto – Ocean Fire [12k]
- Jonas Reinhardt – Jonas Reinhardt [Kranky]
- Nite Jewel – Good Evening [Gloriette]
- Ponytail – Themes For Cops [Tuulanauhat]
- Ras G And The Afrikan Space Program – Ghetto Sci-Fi [Poo-Bah]
Alexander Rishaug – top albums in no particular order
- Polly Jean Harvey - White Chalk
- Deadbeat - Roots and Wire
- Evangelista – Hello Voyager
- Flying Lotus – Los Angeles
- Oren Ambarchi – The Pendulum’s Embrace
- Vladislav Delay – Whistleblower
- The Field – From Here We Go Sublime
- David Grubbs – An Optimist Notes the Dusk
- Skatebård – Cosmos
- Blevin Blectum – Gular Flutter
Jostein Dahl Gjelsvik (of Pjusk and Circular) – top listening in no particular order
- Rumpistol – Mere Rum
- Taylor Deupree – Northern
- Mike Sheridan – I syv sind
- Porn Sword Tobacco – New Exclusive Olympic Heights
- Loscil – Plume
- Carbon Based Lifeforms – World of Sleepers
- Solar Fields – Leaving Home
- Lusine ICL – Language Barrier
- Stars of The Lid – And Their Refinement of the Decline
- Bola – Kroungrine
Helge Tømmervåg (Mind Over MIDI) – top albums in no particular order
- Murcof – The Versailles Sessions [Leaf]
- Fennesz – Black Sea [Touch]
- Carl Craig & Moritz von Oswald – Recomposed [Universal]
- Ezekiel Honig – Surfaces of a Broken Marching Band [Anticipate]
- DJ Olive – Triage [room40]
- Saddleback – Everything’s a Love Letter [Preservation]
- The Fun Years – Baby, It’s Cold Inside [Barge Recordings]
- Amplifier Machine – Her Mouth is an Outlaw [12k]
- Gas – Nah Und Fern [Kompakt]
- Luomo – Convivial [Huume Rec]
- Christopher Willits + Ryuichi Sakamoto – Ocean Fire [12k]
- Richard Skelton – Marking Time [Preservation]
- Koen Holtkamp – Field Rituals [Type]
- Helios – Caesura [Type]
- Alva Noto – Unitxt [Raster Noton]
- Svarte Greiner – Man Bird Dress [SMGT]
- Elegi – Varde [Miasmah]
- Fever Ray – Fever Ray [Mute]
- Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion [Domino]
- Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light [Rough Trade]
- Glasvegas – Glasvegas [Columbia/Sony BMG]
- David Sylvian – Blemish [Samadhi Sound]
- Kraftwerk – Trans Europa Express [EMI Electrola/EMI]
Benjamin (Beneva vs. Clark Nova) – top 11 albums in no particular order
- Robert Hampson – Hearken (Onement-label)
- GAS – Nah und Fern (Reissue, Box Set, Kompakt Germany)
- Autechre – Quaristice (Warp)
- Greg Haines and Wouter van Veldhoven – Three Days of Fever (eat this media)
- Grouper – Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill (Type)
- Terry Riley – The Last Camel In Paris, Live (Reissue, Elision Fields)
- Alva Noto – Unitxt (Raster Noton)
- Tape – Luminarum (Hapna)
- Flying Lotus – Los Angeles (Warp)
- Autistici – Volume Objects (12 k)
- Fennesz – Black Sea (Touch)
Erik Knive Skodvin (Svarte Greiner, Deaf Center) – top albums
- The Sight Below – Glider [Ghostly]
- Grouper – Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill [Type]
- Johann Johannsson – Fordlandia [Touch]
- GAS – Nah und Fehrn [Kompakt]
- Rockettothesky – Medea [Trustme]
- Valet – Naked City [Kranky]
- Daniel Padden – Pause For The Jet [Dekorder]
- Richard Skelton – Marking Time [Preservation]
- Vast Aire – Douces Wild [One records]
- Distance – Repercussions [Planet Mu]
Erik Eriksson aka DJ Friendly (NRK P3) – top Norwegian-produced singles
- Ugress feat Christine Litle – Redrum [http://redrum.ugress.com / Uncanny Planet]
- Frifot – Huldras lokkesang [Houselective]
- Of Norway – Rosemarys baby [Afro Art Records / www.ofnorway.no]
- Dobbelmono – Amazone [http://www.nrk.no/urort/Artist/dobbelmono/]
- Ralph Myerz – The dancer [Beatservice]
- Jonny Ruler – Hemlighet [http://www.nrk.no/urort/Artist/JonnyRuler/]
- Silje Nes- Drown [FatCat]
- Gatas Parlament feat Supa Sayed – Til ungdommen [MBN]
- Bermuda Triangle – Breathe freely [Finetune / Planet Noise]
- Lindstrøm – The long way home/Prins Thomas edit [Smalltown * Supersound / Feedelity]
- The Opiates – Anatomy of a plastic girl [Opiates]
- Ost & Kjex vs Solomun- Federgewicht/edit [Diynamic]
- Vegard Dyvik & Preben Olram- Running out (of things to blame)/edit [Afro Art Records]
- Christian Sol – Thanks [Viva Music]
- Syntax Erik – Negen [cdr]
- Vinter In Hollywood – Virus/edit [http://www.nrk.no/urort/]
- Ralph Myerz feat Wells & Elise- Summertime heat [Beatservice]
- Annie – I know ur girlfriend hates me/Get Shakes rmx [Island Records]
- Simon Baker: Plastik/Todd Terje türkatech rmx [Playhouse]
- Wade Nichols – Wanda rode again [Rvng Int’l]
- Bjørn Kaarud & John Moss- Moods of Cayumba [Haiti Groove]
- Ørjan Nilsen – La guitarra [Armind]
- Xerxes – The lotus variation [http://www.xerxes-music.com]
Jørgen Brauti (of Fenêtre Records) – top albums + top compilations unordered
Albums
- Greg Haines & Wouter van Veldhoven – Three Days of Fever [Eat This Media]
- Eivind Opsvik – Overseas III [Loyal Label]
- Christophe Bailleau – Air Resort [Soundscaping]
- Jacaszek – Treny [Miasmah]
- Richard Skelton – Marking Time [Preservation]
- Atomic – Retrograde [Smalltown Superjazzz]
- The Sight Below – Glider [Ghostly]
- Toumani Diabaté – The Mandé Variations [World Circuit]
- Humvee – Humvee [Jazzland]
- Lizzy Parks – Raise the Roof [Tru Thoughts]
Compilations
- Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro Sound & Nigerian Blues 1970-76 [Soundway]
- Nigeria Disco Funk Special: The Sound of the Underground Lagos Dancefloor 1974-79 [Soundway]
- Nigeria Rock Special: Psychedelic Afro-Rock & Fuzz Funk in 1970’s Nigeria [Soundway]
- African Scream Contest: Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sound from Benin & Togo 70’s [Analog Africa]
- Nostalgia 77 – One Offs, Remixes & B-sides [Tru Thoughts]
- Nicola Conte presents Viagem: A Collection of 60’s Brazilian Bossa Nova & Jazz Samba [Far Out]
- Spiritual Jazz: Esoteric Modal & Deep Jazz from the Underground 1968-79 [Jazzman]
- On the Spot v.2: A Peek at the 60’s Danish Jazz Scene [Ricky-Tick]
- Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou – The Voudoun Effect: 1973-1975 Funk & Sato from Benin’s Obscure Labels [Analog Africa]
- African Pearls: Mali ’70, Electric Mali [Syllart]
Trym @ Soundscaping – top releases in no particular order
- Lawrence English – Kiri No Oto [Touch]
- Clouwbeck – A Moraine [Sustain-Release]
- Jacaszek – Treny [Miasmah]
- Jasper Leyland – Wake (Carbon Series Volume 5) [12×50 Recordings]
- The Sight Below – Glider [Ghostly]
- Christophe Bailleau – Air Resort [Soundscaping] (ed. ok, I’m biased!)
- Taylor Deupree – Northern (re-issue) [12k]
- Samamidon – All Is Well [Bedroom Community]
- Electric President – Sleep Well [Morr Music]
- Peter Broderick – Home [Bella Union/Type]
