Top 10 Things I Heard in 2018

It's list time! Like in previous years it's stuff I heard for the first time in 2018, not necessarily stuff that came out in 2018. Unlike in previous years, it's not in any particular order and there's special shout-outs for mix of the year and gig of the year too.

1. Tyler, The Creator - See You Again (featuring Kali Uchis)

2. Andre 3000 - Me&My (To Bury Your Parents)


3. Aphex Twin - T69 Collapse

4. Nas - Everything (feat. The Dream & Kanye West)

5. Oneohtrix Point Never - Love In The Time Of Lexapro



6. user18081971 (Aphex Twin) - Selected Soundcloud Works

7. Tyler, The Creator - Okra

8. Bicep - Opal (Four Tet Remix)

9. Childish Gambino - This Is America

10. Buddy - Guillotine

Mix of the year: DJ Bus Replacement Service -  RA.610 Mix



Gig of the year: Silent Forum @ The Parrot, Carmarthen

Related posts:

• Top 6 of 2017
• Top 10 of 2013
• Top 10 of 2012
• Top 10 of 2011
• Top 10 of 2010
• Top 10 of 2009

Update: Kinda got a shout out from DJ Bus Replacement but they gave it to Ceephax Acid Crew instead:

Thanks for the shoutout @ceephax! https://t.co/cpxdzoEkxa

Lemme take this opportunity to say that your work at the Bloc Weekend celebrity darts & karaoke are still some of the most entertaining things ever I've seen & heard...

— DJ Bus Replacement Service (@DeeJayBRS) January 7, 2019

5 in 1

Another month, another quick recap of things I've been listening to...

1. Golden Bug feat. Pajaro Sunrise - Taste of Love

In the middle of Juan Atkin's radio show to mark 30 years of Solid Steel, amongst the banging and beautiful techno, was this smear of sad house. It's odd and fuggy and could've come out in 2006 rather than 2016, and I mean that as a huge compliment.

2. Derrick May - Kaotic Harmony

Another member of the Belleville Three now. Here's some pristine, glistening techno from the only proper solo long player May released, way back in 1996.

3. The Jellies - Jive Baby on a Saturday Night

From what I can gather, this was a bit of a novelty record released in 1981, which had a reprint a couple of years ago on Trunk. It's proper Marmite. And for me the clipped vocals, the stripped back feel and that strutting bassline makes it a bit of punk-funk minimal disco classic. Well ESG like. Can't remember whose mix I heard it on but turns out it has also been used on a Smart Energy GB TV advert recently.

4. Devo - What I Must Do

Vex Ruffin's radio show for NTS is always a tip-top listen. During the latest show I made a note of the time to check who this track was by as I didn't recognise it. Turns out it's Devo, thus further cementing my love of Devo.

5. Polygon Window - Portreath Harbour

Went to see my mum down in Cornwall a couple of weeks ago. We went to Portreath to walk the dogs. Of course there's an Aphex Twin track that refers to this beautiful place. Released in 1993 under the Polygon Window moniker as a workaround to release stuff on Warp instead of R&S, Portreath Harbour was added to the 2001 reissue edition along with Redruth School.

Emo Christmas

Okay, with two weeks to go I reckon Christmas music is fair game like.

So here's early blogrock darling Wavves still cranking out the scuzzy surf vibes, this time in a Xmas style.

Even more delightful is the pit artwork and that you can buy it on cassette.

View this post on Instagram

merry xmas 🎅🎅🌲🌲cassettes and stockings have landed over at ghostramp.com

A post shared by WAVVES (@wavves) on Dec 11, 2018 at 10:43am PST

It's as if Wavves knew how to push my buttons.

Nadolig Llawen!

Related post: Says Hello, Wavves Goodbye 

No Brioche, Leave It Alone

I made this last week...



Last summer, in Victoria Park, I heard a young girl scream "Brioche!"

Turns out it was the name of a dog.

I might do more with pitch-shifted vocals. Or not do anything for another year.

Related posts:

• Noor 77 
• Sugarloaf 

Urgh!

Here's some odd-ball new wave, think the B-52s and Devo going at it, for no reason.

This clip of Wall of Voodoo's Back in Flesh is from the 1981 film Urgh! A Music War. A compilation movie of new wave and post punk acts performing in 1980 without context or narration, it's gone straight to the top of my wish list, especially the LaserDisc release. 

Battle Against a Machine

Another December, another redundancy. Unlike last time, this one came out of the blue. I'm trying not to take it personally, half my department lost their jobs too. I was just another number on a spreadsheet. And for all the talk of companies having values and caring about their staff, they're machines. Machines that churn on and through people until they stop making money. Maybe I'm not taking it so well.

But hey, life finds a way. I'll be fine and I now have some time on my hands.

Playing EarthBound or watching The Wire for the umpteenth time was always going to be my plan if I had time to kill. Thing is I got sucked into EarthBound big time a couple of weeks ago. Rightly lauded as a cult classic, I've never played anything like it and the soundtrack is brilliant.

Here's a thirty minute loop of the music when you fight a robot or machine...

16-bit electronic gold from Hirokazu Tanaka, Keiichi Suzuki, and Hiroshi Kanazu.

So the question is now, do I Wire it? Or do I take my dabble with JRPGs onwards to Final Fantasy III on the SNES Mini Classic?

Or y'know get a job?

Related posts:

• Desert Island RoboCop 
• Mute City Mute Blog