As much as I like end-of-the-year lists, I also get a bit anxious about them. As I compile them I keep thinking that I've missed something. Then as I'm re-listening to albums I start thinking "Is this one really that good?" & "Maybe this one deserves a slot...or this one...or this one..." Eventually I realize that these lists aren't anything definitive that I'll be judged on. Unless there's an ambient god in ambient heaven who will let me in or cast me out based on a lifetime of music choices. In that ...
As much as I like end-of-the-year lists, I also get a bit anxious about them. As I compile them I keep thinking that I've missed something. Then as I'm re-listening to albums I start thinking "Is this one really that good?" & "Maybe this one deserves a slot...or this one...or this one..." Eventually I realize that these lists aren't anything definitive that I'll be judged on. Unless there's an ambient god in ambient heaven who will let me in or cast me out based on a lifetime of music choices. In that case I will pay for having listened to so much Enya in the 90s. ;-)
So after that meandering introduction, here is my Best of 2018 list and mix. As you'll see, the list is longer than the mix. That's mostly due to not wanting a 4 hour mix and also to some stuff just not fitting sonically.
It was another good year for music. Between my ambient/electronic fandom and my continued obsession with indie music, I barely have time to breathe sometimes. I'll post some links to Spotify playlists that kept me going this year.
In alphabetical order, here's the list of my favorite ambient albums of 2018:
1. A Strangely Isolated Place - Full Circle
2. Albrecht La'Brooy - Tidal River [2018]
3. Christina Vantzou - no. 4 [2018]
4. Dean McPhee - Four Stones [2018]
5. Delia Derbyshire Appreciation Society - Wow and Flutter [six degrees 2018]
6. Eli Keszler - Stadium
7. Frank Bretschneider - Lunik
8. From the Mouth of the Sun - Sleep Stations
9. G. B. Beckers - Walkman
10. GiGi Masin - kite
11. Halftribe - For The Summer - Or Forever
12. Helios - Veriditas
13. Hibernis - Middle of the Meds
14. Joseph Shabason - Anne
15. Kasper Bjorke Quartet - The Fifty Eleven Project
16. Khruangbin - Con Todo El Mundo
17. Klangriket & Sjors Mans - The Amsterdam Sessions
18. Leon Vynehall - Nothing Is Still
19. Lost Tribe Sound - We Stayed The Path That Fell To Shadow
20. Luton - Black Box Animals
21. Markus Guentner - Empire
22. Monty Adkins - Empire
23. Ocoeur - Inner
24. Olafur Arnalds - Re;member
25. Rival Consoles - Persona
26. Robert Davies - Elemental Shimmer
27. TAYLOR DEUPREE - Fallen
28. The Advisory Circle - Ways of Seeing
29. Triac - departure
30. William Selman - Musica Enterrada
- 00:00 Leon Vynehall - From The Sea It Looms(Nothing is Still)
- 04:12 The Advisory Council - The Soft Dissolve(Ways of Seeing)
- 07:20 Ocoeur - Mother(Inner)
- 12:50 Halftribe - Balm(For The Summer-Or Forever)
- 16:07 Helios - Harmonia(Veriditas)
- 19:30 Delia Derbyshire Appreciation Society - She Brought The Sun(Wow & Flutter)
- 26:28 Klangriket & Sjors Mans - Prinsengracht(The Amsterdam Sessions)
- 31:47 William Selman - The Island Before The Internet(Musica Enterrada)
- 36:11 Eli Keszler - Which Swarms Around It(Stadium)
- 38:46 Taylor Deupree - The Lost Sea(Fallen)
- 43:51 Need A Name - Road to Berlin(A Strangley Isolated Place - Full Circle)
- 49:00 William Ryan Fritch - Burrow(Lost Tribe Sound - We Stayed The Path That Fell To Shadow)
- 53:24 Olafur Arnalds - Undir(Re;member)
- 58:15 Frank Bretschneider - Optik(Lunik)
- 1:01:28 Kasper Bjorke Quartet - Os(The Fifty Eleven Project)
- 1:12:48 Rival Consoles - I Think So(Persona)
- 1:16:58 Markus Guentner - Refraction(Empire)
- 1:25:20 Christina Vaztzou - No. 4 String Quartet(no. 4)
- 1:28:02 Robert Davies - Tangled Undergrowth(Elemental Shimmer)
- 1:35:28 Monty Adkins - Empire(Empire)
- 1:41:31 Triac - departure three(departure)
- 1:45:32 Luton - Ice Museum(Black Box Animals)
- 1:49:22 G.B. Beckers - Klandschwaden(Walkman)
- 1:54:19 Albrecht La'Brooy - Datbreak(Tidal River)
- 1:59:24 end
