Rolling Stone's 20 Best Avant Albums of 2017

Read our countdown of the 20 best avant-garde albums of 2017, including ambient, noise, out-jazz, experimental electronic music and more.

Published: January 02, 2018 16:33 Source

# 1

The Kid by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith

Album • Oct 06 / 2017 Art Pop Neo-Psychedelia Progressive Electronic Ambient Pop

# 2

World Eater by Blanck Mass

Album • Mar 03 / 2017 Electro-Industrial Post-Industrial

# 3

Paradiso by Chino Amobi

Album • May 05 / 2017 Epic Collage

# 4

Unfold by The Necks

Album • Feb 03 / 2017 Avant-Garde Jazz Free Improvisation

# 5

Far From Over by Vijay Iyer Sextet + Vijay Iyer

Album • Aug 25 / 2017 Post-Bop

# 6

Mnestic Pressure by Lee Gamble

Album • Sep 15 / 2017 IDM Techno

# 7

Rainbow Mirror by Prurient

Album • Dec 01 / 2017 Death Industrial Dark Ambient

# 9

Mario Batkovic by Mario Batkovic

Album • Mar 17 / 2017 Post-Minimalism

# 10

Anthology Resource Vol. I: △△ by Dean Hurley

Album • Aug 06 / 2017 Dark Ambient Television Music

# 11

No Home of the Mind by Bing & Ruth

Album • Feb 17 / 2017 Ambient

# 12

All the Way by Diamanda Galás

Album • Mar 24 / 2017 Vocal Jazz Avant-Garde Jazz

# 14

In a Silent Way by Nico Niquo

Album • Feb 24 / 2017 Progressive Electronic Ambient Utopian Virtual

# 15

Contact by Pharmakon

Album • Mar 31 / 2017 Death Industrial

# 16

async by Ryuichi Sakamoto

Album • Apr 28 / 2017 Ambient

# 18

L'Orange L'Orange by Gregg Kowalsky

Album • Nov 10 / 2017 Ambient Drone

# 20

Bloodroot by Kelly Moran

Album • Mar 24 / 2017 Post-Minimalism Electroacoustic