Best of 2012: Electronica/Hip Hop

Seems like there is a growing number of people that aren't into the whole best of the year list thing.  Personally, I like reflecting on the year and showcasing the best that was offered up.  So, yeah, I am going to do it again this year.  I am going to kick things off with the Electronica/Hip Hop section because it is the shortest list and therefore the least time consuming.  Also, I kind of want to revisit the best of 2011 as well eventually because I think after a year of reflection, things may look a lot different.

Couple stipulations: 1) I try to avoid including bands I directly release material for just to be unbiased (so samplers are excluded), 2) I try to only use material that was posted on here, but sometimes there is stuff that is too good to not include, 3) Some really good albums may not make the list just due to time constraints and I am not familiar enough with them.  Consequentially, 4) there will be far less material represented than last year, seeing that there are about half as many albums featured this year compared to last.

5. Koda Vista by Joywave

That's a dad if I ever saw one.

This little EP is catchy as all get out, and I liked it after one listen.  It is the definition of short and sweet.  Not neccesarily ground breaking but I can't deny the amount of time I have listened to this and the waves of joy that went through me each time.  HUZZAH!

4. BBNG002 by Badbadnotgood

Badbadnotgood surfaced in 2011 with really smart music, and some great throwbacks to the music that influenced them.  Jamming out popular music from a different perspective connected people with their album, and it made our best of list for that year.  They continued with a similar approach on their latest album from this year; they remodeled popular material but had enough original material to confirm how legit they were.  In a lot of ways, this release is the complete opposite of the Joywave release.  Instead of a simple approach, these guys have so much technical skill and thrive off intricate compositions.

3. Until the Quiet Comes by Flying Lotus

There is so much to like about the airy and smooth attitude that FlyLo has in each of his albums.  After watching the short video for "Putty Boy Strut", I was hooked.

2. Opus at the End of Everything by The Flashbulb

My love for Benn Jordan and all of his musical endeavors is pretty well-documented, so it should come as no surprise that his latest made it up here.  The only thing holding this one back for me is the length and amount of ambiance that could be argued is just "filler".  Other than that, this one is a trip.

1. Keys to the Kuffs by JJ Doom

My love for DOOM is also very documented very well.  It's amazing though how much this one has grown on me.  This collaboration between Jneiro Jarel and DOOM didn't impress me right off the bat, but the weird beats grew on me.  DOOM has been kind of surrounded in controversy; the latest is his exile in England.  All of the outside stuff aside, it will be nice to see what he does once he gets settled back home.  Until then, this collaboration is somthing to groove to, which I have been listening to much more lately than when it initially came out.  Not only do you get some classic verses from DOOM, but JJ flexes his skill as a producer of many varieties.

Opus at the End of Everything by The Flashbulb (2012)

Nerd alert.

Kind of Like: Cloudkicker, Library Tapes, Venetian Snares

Genres: Electronica, Experimental, Ambient, Breakcore, Jazz
Spotify: Yesh
Preview:


I featured Benn Jordan's last album under his alias, The Flashbulb back earlier last year.  That album, Love as a Cold, Dark Hallway, was heavily jazz influenced; more so than most of his other albums.  Most of his work still has a minimal jazz influence whether it be chords or what not, and this new album is no exception.  However, this album reminds me more of the ambiance of Cloudkicker's latest album, Let Yourself Be Huge.  There is very limited jazz and even very limited breakcore involved in this album which ends up being quite a deviation from what you usually hear from Benn Jordan.  That's probably the best part about this guy's music though is that he is always experimenting with himself and his equipment.

I actually found out this new album dropped last night, and it really helped me get through my studies.  It is simply massive as well.  He just came out with Love about a year ago, and then he drops this hour long 25 track album.  Granted, it isn't his most technical and impressive music I have heard, but I highly recommend all of Benn's work, he is a really great musician/composer.

Listen Here:

Streampad: The Flashbulb - It Never Ends

Best of 2011: Electronica/Hip-Hop

Happy Holidays!  So here is how shit's gonna go down.  Right now: Best of 2011 Electronica/Hip-Hop Edition.  Soon after that: Screamo/Hardcore Edition.  Then on the radio show Tuesday will be the big one: Punk/Indie/Emo Edition.  Let's get this started.

10. 

Childish Gambino - "EP"

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Donald Glover has had a pretty amazing year (music-wise, Community got cancelled).  After releasing this EP himself through his website and then doing a comedy/music tour, he skyrocketed into hip-hop community.  He even played this year's Rock the Bells; a huge accomplishment for a hip-hop artist.  I remember when I first heard of this.  His comedy cracked me up, so I had a feeling he would have a sharp tongue in the rap game.  It turned out that he had not only some incredible tongue-in-cheek lines but also a nice set of pipes and good beats.  He went on to release his debut LP "Camp" later on this year, but it didn't really hit me the way this EP did.

9.

Tycho- "Dive"

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This hit this blog a little under a month ago, and although I didn't react to it like it was a big deal initially, it had become something I listen to quite a bit when I am in a relaxed mood.  He is currently touring, and I am really excited to get the live experience next month when he stops around here.  Look to get lost in this one.

8.

The Flashbulb-"Love is a Cold, Dark Hallway"

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The Flashbulb is one of Benn Jordan's many aliases.  With this album he infuses his usual breakcore style with a heavy influence on jazz, and if you read this blog then you know how I have a sweet spot for jazz.  I am currently reading about the history of early jazz, and it is really fascinating.  I guess there was something good that came out of slavery.  Ok, that's horrible.  Anyways, I loved Benn Jordan's approach on this album, and it can be added to a collection of great works by him.

7.

Beastie Boys- "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two"

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When it became clear that this album was going to happen this year, a lot of people were questionable: could the Beastie Boys make a successful comeback?  Although in my eyes this is not one of their best works, the answer for me is yes.  I still watch the half hour long music video that featured a plethora of great actors and comedians.  I think it was a great move by them.  When the album finally did come out, it was bumping in my car for a good while there.

6.

BadBadNotGood- "BBNG"

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This was my introduction to Toronto's BadBadNotGood.  Instead of drawing inspiration from jazz songs for making hip-hop songs, this trio draws inspiration from hip-hop songs (along with many other things like Legend of Zelda, and the Joy Division) for making jazz songs.  This was the second of their two debut albums in 2011, and they have recently been seen on youtube working with Tyler, The Creator.  So, it's a wonder what this band will be up to in this coming year and who else they will collaborate with.

5.

The Roots- "undun"

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This is the latest Roots album that showed the band return to their roots by focusing on struggle and making the best out of situation.  It is a concept album centering around the "semi-fictitious" character, Redford Stephens.  In the album, he is presented with the choice to make something out of himself or turn to a life of money and crime.  He chooses the latter.

4.

Robot Science- "Good Luck"

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I remember the night that I discovered this album, I was about to start an all-nighter in preparation for an exam the next day.  This was on repeat pretty much the whole night.  I found Charlie Yin's chillwave with a 8 bit/Nintendo sentiment incredibly refreshing, and I bopped right along throughout the night.  I don't remember how I did on the test though.  

3. 

Nujabes- "Spiritual State"

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I was first exposed to this artist through somebody that listened to our radio show, and I found out that this had been released very recently.  I featured it on the site, and in the process found out this was a post-humous release from Jun Seba.  This extremely talented Japanese hip-hop producer died in 2010 in a car accident.  Although fans do not consider this is strongest work, it still blows away many other producers and it certainly left an impression on me.

2.

MF DOOM- "Operation: Doomsday" (Remastered)

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Ugh, I know it's not really fair to include this on a best of 2011 because this is a classic that came out 1999, but technically this remaster came out in 2011 and I love it.  Every hip-hop album I pick up lately has been put out by Stones Throw Records and I just want to tell them I love them for their reissues.  I hope that someday I can add this 4 LP set to my collection.  Hopefully sooner rather than later because they are sold out, and they are just going to get more and more expensive on eBay.

1.

Washed Out- "Within and Without"

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At least I do have this one in my collection, along with the limited edition 7 inch.  However, I kinda wish I had known it was in a light blue and light orange option instead of the white one I ended up getting.  Those look a tad better.  This was the debut LP for Ernest Greene's following his acclaimed "Life of Leisure" EP.  When I am looking for something to play on my turntable, I have a tendency to pop this one on quite frequently.  It fits so many moods.  It also wins the award for hottest album cover of 2011.

Love As A Cold Dark Hallway by The Flashbulb (2011)

Kind of Like: Venetian Snares, Benn Jordan, Flexe
Genres: Experimental, Electronica, Breakcore

The Flashbulb is one of the many aliases for the talented idm artist, Benn Jordan.  Benn Jordan has a wide range of styles and it looks like this album is focusing on jazz influences.  It's always a pleasure hearing new stuff from this guy; he is a great guitarist and electronic musician.

Download Here