The Wire's Releases of the Year 2021
On the cover : Rewind 2021 : The year in sound and music: Releases Of The Year : We asked our contributors to nominate their top ten records, CDs, downloads and streams of the year, then we added up the votes. Critics’ Reflections : Our contributors reflect on where we are now via 2021’s cultural highs and lows. Tunings : Not to scale. By Clive Bell. Disability & Inclusion : Open systems. By Robyn Steward. Columnists’ Charts : Our specialist critics select music that shook their corner of the subculture, from avant rock to noise. Formats : Vinyl frontiers. By Rob Turner. Fourth Worlds : Rootless music. By Neil Kulkarni. 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: Invisible Jukebox: Loré Lixenberg × Elaine Mitchener : The two experimental vocalists subject each other to a mystery record selection. Also inside this issue: Saadet Türköz ; Klankvorm ; Giant Claw ; Matthias Muche ; Global Ear in Seoul ; Unlimited Editions smallest functional unit ; Unofficial Channels Contextual Dissemination ; The Inner Sleeve by Reiko & Tori Kudo ; Epiphanies by Circuit Des Yeux ; hundreds of reviews and much more!
Source
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Fatigue | L’Rain | Jun-25-2021, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #2 | Black Encyclopedia of the Air | Moor Mother | Sep-17-2021, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #3 | Promises | Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders | Mar-26-2021, Post-Minimalism |
| #4 | HEY WHAT | Low | Sep-10-2021, Post-Industrial |
| #5 | Axacan | Daniel Bachman | May-07-2021, Free Folk |
| #6 | Number Pieces | Apartment House, John Cage | Aug-13-2021, Chamber Music |
| #7 | Some Good News | Hamid Drake, Elaine Mitchener, William Parker, Orphy Robinson, Pat Thomas | Feb-26-2021, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #8 | Painful Enlightenment | Jana Rush | Aug-13-2021, Footwork |
| #9 | -io | Circuit des Yeux | Oct-22-2021, Neoclassical Darkwave |
| #10 | New Decade | Phew | Oct-22-2021, Electronic |
| #11 | New Long Leg | Dry Cleaning | Apr-02-2021, Post-Punk |
| #12 | Hush Harbor Mixtape Vol. 1 Doxology | Angel Bat Dawid | Jun-19-2021, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #13 | Jesup Wagon | James Brandon Lewis | May-07-2021, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #14 | Made Out of Sound | Chris Corsano, Bill Orcutt | Mar-26-2021, Free Improvisation |
| #15 | At Pioneer Works | Les Filles de Illighadad | Jul-09-2021, Tishoumaren |
| #16 | Intimate Immensity | Tomaga | Mar-26-2021, Post-Minimalism |
| #17 | 12 Comp (Zim) 2017 | Anthony Braxton | Jul-01-2021, Chamber Music |
| #18 | Fire | The Bug | Aug-27-2021, Grime |
| #19 | Black To The Future | Sons Of Kemet | May-14-2021, Afro-Jazz |
| #20 | Creative Contradiction: Poetry, Story, Song & Sound | Maggie Nicols | Dec-09-2020, |
| #21 | Symphonies | BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins, William Walton | Jul-01-2011, Symphony |
| #22 | Kamil Manqus | Muqata'a | Feb-05-2021, |
| #23 | CHUCKLE | Alpha Maid | Mar-19-2021, Experimental Rock |
| #24 | Trencadis: a selection from Migration of Silence Into and Out of The Tone World | William Parker | Jan-29-2021, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #25 | Lucy & Aaron | Aaron Dilloway, Lucrecia Dalt | Jul-13-2021, Tape Music |
| #26 | Honest Labour | Space Afrika | Aug-27-2021, Sound Collage |
| #27 | The Voyager | Clarissa Connelly | Nov-13-2020, Art Pop |
| #28 | How Much Time it is Between You and Me? | Perila | Jun-25-2021, Ambient |
| #29 | Shade | Grouper | Oct-22-2021, Contemporary Folk |
| #30 | De mòrt viva | Sourdure | Apr-02-2020, Auvergnat Folk Music |
| #31 | Sound Ancestors | Madlib | Jan-29-2021, Instrumental Hip Hop |
| #32 | Brass | Moor Mother, Billy Woods | Dec-24-2020, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #33 | Gas Lit | Divide And Dissolve | Jan-29-2021, Drone Metal |
| #34 | Established! | RP Boo | Sep-17-2021, Footwork |
| #35 | Occam Ocean 3 | Deborah Walker, Silvia Tarozzi, Julia Eckhardt, Eliane Radigue | Aug-27-2021, Drone |
| #36 | Al Azraqayn | Karkhana | Jul-09-2021, Experimental Rock |
| #37 | Angel Tears in Sunlight | Pauline Anna Strom | Feb-19-2021, Ambient |
| #38 | A Secret Code | Pamela Z | Jun-18-2021, Opera |
| #39 | Maquishti | Patricia Brennan | Jan-15-2021, Free Improvisation |
| #40 | parallel systems | Rambutan | Jun-17-2021, |
| #41 | Afrique Victime | Mdou Moctar | May-21-2021, Tishoumaren |
| #42 | Glen Echo | Azita | Mar-05-2021, Art Pop |
| #43 | Archeophony | Raed Yassin | Nov-27-2020, Sound Collage |
| #44 | NOW | Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble | Apr-09-2021, Spiritual Jazz |
| #45 | Mayan Space Station | William Parker | Jul-23-2021, Jazz Fusion |
| #46 | Neon Genesis: Soul Into Matter² | Meemo Comma | Mar-19-2021, Ambient |
| #47 | Hidemi | Patrick Shiroishi | Oct-29-2021, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #48 | Nights on Saturn (Communication) | [Ahmed] | Mar-26-2021, Free Jazz |
| #49 | Open Arms to Open Us | Ben LaMar Gay | Nov-19-2021, Nu Jazz |
| #50 | IZ: 路过旧天堂书店 Drop by Old Heaven Books | IZ Band | May-18-2021, |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Fatigue | L’Rain | Album, Jun-25-2021, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #2 | Black Encyclopedia of the Air | Moor Mother | Album, Sep-17-2021, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #3 | Promises | Floating PointsPharoah Sanders | Album, Mar-26-2021, Post-Minimalism |
| #4 | HEY WHAT | Low | Album, Sep-10-2021, Post-Industrial |
| #5 | Axacan | Daniel Bachman | Album, May-07-2021, Free Folk |
| #6 | Number Pieces | Apartment HouseJohn Cage | Album, Aug-13-2021, Chamber Music |
| #7 | Some Good News | Hamid DrakeElaine MitchenerWilliam ParkerOrphy RobinsonPat Thomas | Album, Feb-26-2021, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #8 | Painful Enlightenment | Jana Rush | Album, Aug-13-2021, Footwork |
| #9 | -io | Circuit des Yeux | Album, Oct-22-2021, Neoclassical Darkwave |
| #10 | New Decade | Phew | Album, Oct-22-2021, Electronic |
| #11 | New Long Leg | Dry Cleaning | Album, Apr-02-2021, Post-Punk |
| #12 | Hush Harbor Mixtape Vol. 1 Doxology | Angel Bat Dawid | Album, Jun-19-2021, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #13 | Jesup Wagon | James Brandon Lewis | Album, May-07-2021, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #14 | Made Out of Sound | Chris CorsanoBill Orcutt | Album, Mar-26-2021, Free Improvisation |
| #15 | At Pioneer Works | Les Filles de Illighadad | Album, Jul-09-2021, Tishoumaren |
| #16 | Intimate Immensity | Tomaga | Album, Mar-26-2021, Post-Minimalism |
| #17 | 12 Comp (Zim) 2017 | Anthony Braxton | Album, Jul-01-2021, Chamber Music |
| #18 | Fire | The Bug | Album, Aug-27-2021, Grime |
| #19 | Black To The Future | Sons Of Kemet | Album, May-14-2021, Afro-Jazz |
| #20 | Creative Contradiction: Poetry, Story, Song & Sound | Maggie Nicols | Album, Dec-09-2020, |
| #21 | Symphonies | BBC Scottish Symphony OrchestraMartyn BrabbinsWilliam Walton | Album, Jul-01-2011, Symphony |
| #22 | Kamil Manqus | Muqata'a | Album, Feb-05-2021, |
| #23 | CHUCKLE | Alpha Maid | EP, Mar-19-2021, Experimental Rock |
| #24 | Trencadis: a selection from Migration of Silence Into and Out of The Tone World | William Parker | Album, Jan-29-2021, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #25 | Lucy & Aaron | Aaron DillowayLucrecia Dalt | Album, Jul-13-2021, Tape Music |
| #26 | Honest Labour | Space Afrika | Album, Aug-27-2021, Sound Collage |
| #27 | The Voyager | Clarissa Connelly | Album, Nov-13-2020, Art Pop |
| #28 | How Much Time it is Between You and Me? | Perila | Album, Jun-25-2021, Ambient |
| #29 | Shade | Grouper | Album, Oct-22-2021, Contemporary Folk |
| #30 | De mòrt viva | Sourdure | Album, Apr-02-2020, Auvergnat Folk Music |
| #31 | Sound Ancestors | Madlib | Album, Jan-29-2021, Instrumental Hip Hop |
| #32 | Brass | Moor MotherBilly Woods | Album, Dec-24-2020, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #33 | Gas Lit | Divide And Dissolve | Album, Jan-29-2021, Drone Metal |
| #34 | Established! | RP Boo | Album, Sep-17-2021, Footwork |
| #35 | Occam Ocean 3 | Deborah WalkerSilvia TarozziJulia EckhardtEliane Radigue | Album, Aug-27-2021, Drone |
| #36 | Al Azraqayn | Karkhana | Album, Jul-09-2021, Experimental Rock |
| #37 | Angel Tears in Sunlight | Pauline Anna Strom | Album, Feb-19-2021, Ambient |
| #38 | A Secret Code | Pamela Z | Album, Jun-18-2021, Opera |
| #39 | Maquishti | Patricia Brennan | Album, Jan-15-2021, Free Improvisation |
| #40 | parallel systems | Rambutan | Album, Jun-17-2021, |
| #41 | Afrique Victime | Mdou Moctar | Album, May-21-2021, Tishoumaren |
| #42 | Glen Echo | Azita | Album, Mar-05-2021, Art Pop |
| #43 | Archeophony | Raed Yassin | Album, Nov-27-2020, Sound Collage |
| #44 | NOW | Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble | Album, Apr-09-2021, Spiritual Jazz |
| #45 | Mayan Space Station | William Parker | Album, Jul-23-2021, Jazz Fusion |
| #46 | Neon Genesis: Soul Into Matter² | Meemo Comma | Album, Mar-19-2021, Ambient |
| #47 | Hidemi | Patrick Shiroishi | Album, Oct-29-2021, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #48 | Nights on Saturn (Communication) | [Ahmed] | Album, Mar-26-2021, Free Jazz |
| #49 | Open Arms to Open Us | Ben LaMar Gay | Album, Nov-19-2021, Nu Jazz |
| #50 | IZ: 路过旧天堂书店 Drop by Old Heaven Books | IZ Band | Album, May-18-2021, |