The Wire's Releases of the Year 2018
On the cover: 2018 Rewind: the year in underground music . Including: Releases of the year : We asked our contributors to nominate their top ten records, CDs, downloads and streams of the year, then we counted up the votes. Critics’ reflections : Our contributors look back on 2018’s cultural highs and lows. Black Noise : Reclaiming the racket. By Moor Mother. Climate Sounds : Blowing hot and cold. By Lewis Gordon. Minimal Rock : Beat the repeat. By Marc Masters. Jazz & Protest : Freedom fighters. By Daniel Spicer. Four/Four : Deconstruction time again. By Chal Ravens. Columnists’ charts : Our specialist critics select music that rocked their corner of the subculture, from avant rock to the outer limits. Artists’ reflections : A cast of 2018’s most active movers and shakers shine the spotlight on their cultural year. Archive releases of the year : Our contributors voted for their top ten archival records, CDs, downloads and streams, and we counted them all up. Plus, Kepla & DeForrest Brown Jr , Still House Plants , Big Joanie , Invisible Jukebox Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore , loads of reviews, and much more.
Source
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Your Queen Is A Reptile | Sons Of Kemet | Mar-30-2018, Afro-Jazz |
| #2 | Terminal | ZULI | Nov-02-2018, Glitch Hop |
| #3 | Downtown Castles Can Never Block the Sun | Ben LaMar Gay | May-04-2018, Electronic |
| #4 | My Mother the Vent | Guttersnipe | Oct-26-2018, Noise Rock |
| #5 | Veteran | JPEGMAFIA | Jan-19-2018, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #6 | Let Night Come On Bells End The Day | Sarah Davachi | Apr-13-2018, Drone |
| #7 | Sujud | Senyawa | Nov-02-2018, Avant-Folk |
| #8 | NTS Sessions 1-4 | Autechre | Apr-26-2018, IDM |
| #9 | The Switch | Body/Head | Jul-13-2018, Experimental Rock |
| #10 | Double Negative | Low | Sep-14-2018, Ambient Pop |
| #11 | Daqa'iq Tudaiq | Jerusalem in My Heart | Oct-05-2018, Arabic Folk Music |
| #12 | Aviary | Julia Holter | Oct-26-2018, Progressive Pop |
| #13 | Stadium | Eli Keszler | Oct-12-2018, Electroacoustic |
| #14 | Insula | Proc Fiskal | Jun-08-2018, Grime |
| #15 | Age Of | Oneohtrix Point Never | Jun-01-2018, Progressive Electronic |
| #16 | Pillars | Tyshawn Sorey | Oct-12-2018, Conducted Improvisation |
| #17 | Metal Aether | Lea Bertucci | Feb-09-2018, Post-Minimalism |
| #18 | DAYTONA | Pusha T | May-25-2018, Hardcore Hip Hop |
| #19 | Irisiri | Eartheater | Jun-08-2018, Post-Industrial |
| #20 | Pylon II | Nordra | Oct-27-2016, Post-Industrial |
| #21 | Devotion | Tirzah | Aug-10-2018, Alternative R&B |
| #22 | Brace Up! | Chris Corsano, Bill Orcutt | Nov-02-2018, Free Improvisation |
| #23 | Tahoe | Dedekind Cut | Feb-23-2018, Ambient |
| #24 | Everything's Fine | Jean Grae, Quelle Chris | Mar-30-2018, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #25 | Talk in a Bit | Hannah Silva | May-09-2018, Poetry |
| #26 | для FOR | Kate NV | Jun-22-2018, Progressive Electronic |
| #27 | Faithful Fairy Harmony | Josephine Foster | Nov-16-2018, Contemporary Folk |
| #28 | Black Helicopters | Agnarkea | Oct-15-2017, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #29 | Lala Belu | Hailu Mergia | Feb-23-2018, Ethio-Jazz |
| #30 | Sleep Like It's Winter | Jim O'Rourke | Jun-06-2018, Ambient |
| #31 | Brass Orchids | Andy Guthrie | Mar-23-2018, Drone |
| #32 | The Dream My Bones Dream | Eiko Ishibashi | Jul-04-2018, Art Pop |
| #33 | Raw Silk Uncut Wood | Laurel Halo | Jul-13-2018, Ambient |
| #34 | Hilja | Cucina Povera | Jan-26-2018, Minimal Synth |
| #35 | The Return | Kamaal Williams | May-25-2018, Jazz-Funk |
| #36 | Queen of Golden Dogs | Vessel | Nov-09-2018, Deconstructed Club |
| #37 | Hydrorion Remnants | Embassador Dulgoon | Aug-22-2018, Tribal Ambient |
| #38 | Room 25 | noname | Sep-14-2018, Jazz Rap |
| #39 | Autobiography (Music from Wayne McGregors Autobiography) | Jlin | Sep-28-2018, |
| #40 | Grid of Points | Grouper | Apr-27-2018, Singer-Songwriter |
| #41 | There’s A Riot Going On | Yo La Tengo | Mar-16-2018, Ambient Pop |
| #42 | Qualm | Helena Hauff | Aug-03-2018, Industrial Techno |
| #43 | The Dark Orchestra | NKISI | Mar-21-2018, Deconstructed Club |
| #44 | Pastoral | Gazelle Twin | Sep-21-2018, Post-Industrial |
| #45 | İstikrarlı Hayal Hakikattir | Gaye Su Akyol | Oct-26-2018, Anatolian Rock |
| #46 | Listening To Pictures (Pentimento Volume One) | Jon Hassell | Jun-08-2018, Tribal Ambient |
| #47 | Ecce homo | Ipek Gorgun | Sep-07-2018, Electroacoustic |
| #48 | Communion | Park Jiha | Mar-02-2018, Post-Minimalism |
| #50 | Safe in the Hands of Love | Yves Tumor | Sep-07-2018, Neo-Psychedelia |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Your Queen Is A Reptile | Sons Of Kemet | Album, Mar-30-2018, Afro-Jazz |
| #2 | Terminal | ZULI | Album, Nov-02-2018, Glitch Hop |
| #3 | Downtown Castles Can Never Block the Sun | Ben LaMar Gay | Album, May-04-2018, Electronic |
| #4 | My Mother the Vent | Guttersnipe | Album, Oct-26-2018, Noise Rock |
| #5 | Veteran | JPEGMAFIA | Album, Jan-19-2018, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #6 | Let Night Come On Bells End The Day | Sarah Davachi | Album, Apr-13-2018, Drone |
| #7 | Sujud | Senyawa | Album, Nov-02-2018, Avant-Folk |
| #8 | NTS Sessions 1-4 | Autechre | Album, Apr-26-2018, IDM |
| #9 | The Switch | Body/Head | Album, Jul-13-2018, Experimental Rock |
| #10 | Double Negative | Low | Album, Sep-14-2018, Ambient Pop |
| #11 | Daqa'iq Tudaiq | Jerusalem in My Heart | Album, Oct-05-2018, Arabic Folk Music |
| #12 | Aviary | Julia Holter | Album, Oct-26-2018, Progressive Pop |
| #13 | Stadium | Eli Keszler | Album, Oct-12-2018, Electroacoustic |
| #14 | Insula | Proc Fiskal | Album, Jun-08-2018, Grime |
| #15 | Age Of | Oneohtrix Point Never | Album, Jun-01-2018, Progressive Electronic |
| #16 | Pillars | Tyshawn Sorey | Album, Oct-12-2018, Conducted Improvisation |
| #17 | Metal Aether | Lea Bertucci | Album, Feb-09-2018, Post-Minimalism |
| #18 | DAYTONA | Pusha T | Album, May-25-2018, Hardcore Hip Hop |
| #19 | Irisiri | Eartheater | Album, Jun-08-2018, Post-Industrial |
| #20 | Pylon II | Nordra | Album, Oct-27-2016, Post-Industrial |
| #21 | Devotion | Tirzah | Album, Aug-10-2018, Alternative R&B |
| #22 | Brace Up! | Chris CorsanoBill Orcutt | Album, Nov-02-2018, Free Improvisation |
| #23 | Tahoe | Dedekind Cut | Album, Feb-23-2018, Ambient |
| #24 | Everything's Fine | Jean GraeQuelle Chris | Album, Mar-30-2018, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #25 | Talk in a Bit | Hannah Silva | Album, May-09-2018, Poetry |
| #26 | для FOR | Kate NV | Album, Jun-22-2018, Progressive Electronic |
| #27 | Faithful Fairy Harmony | Josephine Foster | Album, Nov-16-2018, Contemporary Folk |
| #28 | Black Helicopters | Agnarkea | Album, Oct-15-2017, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #29 | Lala Belu | Hailu Mergia | Album, Feb-23-2018, Ethio-Jazz |
| #30 | Sleep Like It's Winter | Jim O'Rourke | Album, Jun-06-2018, Ambient |
| #31 | Brass Orchids | Andy Guthrie | Album, Mar-23-2018, Drone |
| #32 | The Dream My Bones Dream | Eiko Ishibashi | Album, Jul-04-2018, Art Pop |
| #33 | Raw Silk Uncut Wood | Laurel Halo | Album, Jul-13-2018, Ambient |
| #34 | Hilja | Cucina Povera | Album, Jan-26-2018, Minimal Synth |
| #35 | The Return | Kamaal Williams | Album, May-25-2018, Jazz-Funk |
| #36 | Queen of Golden Dogs | Vessel | Album, Nov-09-2018, Deconstructed Club |
| #37 | Hydrorion Remnants | Embassador Dulgoon | Album, Aug-22-2018, Tribal Ambient |
| #38 | Room 25 | noname | Album, Sep-14-2018, Jazz Rap |
| #39 | Autobiography (Music from Wayne McGregors Autobiography) | Jlin | Album, Sep-28-2018, |
| #40 | Grid of Points | Grouper | Album, Apr-27-2018, Singer-Songwriter |
| #41 | There’s A Riot Going On | Yo La Tengo | Album, Mar-16-2018, Ambient Pop |
| #42 | Qualm | Helena Hauff | Album, Aug-03-2018, Industrial Techno |
| #43 | The Dark Orchestra | NKISI | EP, Mar-21-2018, Deconstructed Club |
| #44 | Pastoral | Gazelle Twin | Album, Sep-21-2018, Post-Industrial |
| #45 | İstikrarlı Hayal Hakikattir | Gaye Su Akyol | Album, Oct-26-2018, Anatolian Rock |
| #46 | Listening To Pictures (Pentimento Volume One) | Jon Hassell | Album, Jun-08-2018, Tribal Ambient |
| #47 | Ecce homo | Ipek Gorgun | Album, Sep-07-2018, Electroacoustic |
| #48 | Communion | Park Jiha | Album, Mar-02-2018, Post-Minimalism |
| #50 | Safe in the Hands of Love | Yves Tumor | Album, Sep-07-2018, Neo-Psychedelia |