The Wire's Top Releases of 2019
2019 Rewind: the year in underground music : The Wire ’s review of the last 12 months in underground sound and music. From the releases of the year to the reflections and analyses of critics, this is your guide to the audio culture highs and lows of the year. Plus, Invisible Jukebox with Hildur Guðnadóttir , Empath , Pod Blotz , Adam de la Cour , Global Ear: Mexico City , The Inner Sleeve chosen by Joe Muggs , Epiphanies by Ben Ponton of :zoviet*france: , 100s of reviews and more
Source
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | I Was Real | 75 Dollar Bill | Jun-28-2019, Psychedelic Rock |
| #2 | The Oracle | Angel Bat Dawid | Feb-08-2019, Spiritual Jazz |
| #3 | We Are on the Edge: A 50th Anniversary Celebration | The Art Ensemble of Chicago | Apr-26-2019, |
| #4 | Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes | Moor Mother | Nov-08-2019, Industrial Hip Hop |
| #5 | Morton Feldman Piano | Philip Thomas, Morton Feldman | Sep-12-2019, Modern Classical |
| #6 | Lifetime | Klein | Sep-06-2019, Epic Collage |
| #7 | The Sacrificial Code | Kali Malone | Jun-28-2019, Drone |
| #8 | The Mirror | People Like Us | Oct-18-2019, Plunderphonics |
| #9 | Mandatory Reality | Joshua Abrams, Natural Information Society | Apr-12-2019, Post-Minimalism |
| #10 | Life Metal | sunn O))) | Apr-26-2019, Drone Metal |
| #11 | More Arriving | Sarathy Korwar | Jul-26-2019, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #12 | GREY Area | Little Simz | Mar-01-2019, UK Hip Hop |
| #13 | Kubali | Mc Yallah, Debmaster | Sep-23-2019, Industrial Hip Hop |
| #14 | Himalaya | Carl Stone | Sep-20-2019, Plunderphonics |
| #15 | Fly or Die II: Bird Dogs of Paradise | Jaimie Branch | Oct-11-2019, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #16 | Purple Mountains | Purple Mountains | Jul-12-2019, Alt-Country |
| #17 | COIN COIN Chapter Four: Memphis | Matana Roberts | Oct-18-2019, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #18 | No Home Record | Kim Gordon | Oct-11-2019, Post-Industrial |
| #19 | 1000 gecs | 100 gecs | May-31-2019, Hyperpop |
| #20 | All My Heroes Are Cornballs | JPEGMAFIA | Sep-13-2019, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #21 | IGOR | Tyler, The Creator | May-17-2019, Neo-Soul |
| #22 | Songs from the Bardo | Laurie Anderson, Tenzin Choegyal, Jesse Paris Smith | Sep-27-2019, Spoken Word |
| #23 | When I Get Home | Solange | Mar-01-2019, Alternative R&B |
| #24 | Reach the Endless Sea | Tunes of Negation | Oct-18-2019, Tribal Ambient |
| #25 | Where Future Unfolds | Damon Locks, Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble | May-31-2019, Spiritual Jazz |
| #26 | Wrecked | Zonal | Oct-25-2019, Illbient |
| #27 | Baroo | Carl Stone | Mar-01-2019, Plunderphonics |
| #28 | Solitude | King Midas Sound | Feb-15-2019, Spoken Word |
| #30 | Parallel Persia | Sote | Apr-26-2019, Electroacoustic |
| #31 | Illegal Moves | Sunwatchers | Feb-22-2019, Psychedelic Rock |
| #32 | Bandana | Freddie Gibbs, Madlib | Jun-28-2019, Gangsta Rap |
| #33 | For You and I | Loraine James | Sep-20-2019, IDM |
| #34 | James Tenney: Changes - 64 Studies for 6 Harps | Nicholas Deyoe | Mar-15-2019, |
| #35 | Everywhere at the End of Time: Stage 4 | The Caretaker | Apr-05-2018, Sound Collage |
| #36 | Wahala | YATTA | Aug-02-2019, Sound Collage |
| #37 | Pyroclasts | sunn O))) | Oct-25-2019, Drone Metal |
| #38 | All the Many Peopls | Jennifer Walshe | May-31-2019, Spoken Word |
| #39 | LP | Big Stick | Jul-05-2019, |
| #40 | MAGDALENE | FKA twigs | Nov-08-2019, Art Pop |
| #41 | Ecstatic Computation | Caterina Barbieri | May-04-2019, Progressive Electronic |
| #42 | 7 Directions | NKISI | Jan-18-2019, Techno |
| #43 | Ghosteen | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Oct-03-2019, Singer-Songwriter |
| #44 | Hiding Places | Billy Woods, Kenny Segal | Mar-29-2019, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #45 | Folly Bololey (Songs from Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom) | North Sea Radio Orchestra | May-17-2019, |
| #46 | Uingizaji Hewa | Duke | Mar-08-2019, Singeli |
| #47 | There Existed an Addiction to Blood | clipping. | Oct-18-2019, Industrial Hip Hop |
| #48 | Epitaph | Jay Glass Dubs | Jan-25-2019, Ambient Dub |
| #49 | The Flower And The Vessel | Felicia Atkinson | Jul-05-2019, Electroacoustic |
| #50 | Mechanical Flirtations | Saint Abdullah | Jun-13-2019, Post-Industrial |
| #51 | Everywhere at the End of Time: Stage 5 | The Caretaker | Sep-20-2018, Sound Collage |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | I Was Real | 75 Dollar Bill | Album, Jun-28-2019, Psychedelic Rock |
| #2 | The Oracle | Angel Bat Dawid | Album, Feb-08-2019, Spiritual Jazz |
| #3 | We Are on the Edge: A 50th Anniversary Celebration | The Art Ensemble of Chicago | Album, Apr-26-2019, |
| #4 | Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes | Moor Mother | Album, Nov-08-2019, Industrial Hip Hop |
| #5 | Morton Feldman Piano | Philip ThomasMorton Feldman | Album, Sep-12-2019, Modern Classical |
| #6 | Lifetime | Klein | Album, Sep-06-2019, Epic Collage |
| #7 | The Sacrificial Code | Kali Malone | Album, Jun-28-2019, Drone |
| #8 | The Mirror | People Like Us | Album, Oct-18-2019, Plunderphonics |
| #9 | Mandatory Reality | Joshua AbramsNatural Information Society | Album, Apr-12-2019, Post-Minimalism |
| #10 | Life Metal | sunn O))) | Album, Apr-26-2019, Drone Metal |
| #11 | More Arriving | Sarathy Korwar | Album, Jul-26-2019, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #12 | GREY Area | Little Simz | Album, Mar-01-2019, UK Hip Hop |
| #13 | Kubali | Mc YallahDebmaster | Album, Sep-23-2019, Industrial Hip Hop |
| #14 | Himalaya | Carl Stone | Album, Sep-20-2019, Plunderphonics |
| #15 | Fly or Die II: Bird Dogs of Paradise | Jaimie Branch | Album, Oct-11-2019, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #16 | Purple Mountains | Purple Mountains | Album, Jul-12-2019, Alt-Country |
| #17 | COIN COIN Chapter Four: Memphis | Matana Roberts | Album, Oct-18-2019, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #18 | No Home Record | Kim Gordon | Album, Oct-11-2019, Post-Industrial |
| #19 | 1000 gecs | 100 gecs | Album, May-31-2019, Hyperpop |
| #20 | All My Heroes Are Cornballs | JPEGMAFIA | Album, Sep-13-2019, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #21 | IGOR | Tyler, The Creator | Album, May-17-2019, Neo-Soul |
| #22 | Songs from the Bardo | Laurie AndersonTenzin ChoegyalJesse Paris Smith | Album, Sep-27-2019, Spoken Word |
| #23 | When I Get Home | Solange | Album, Mar-01-2019, Alternative R&B |
| #24 | Reach the Endless Sea | Tunes of Negation | Album, Oct-18-2019, Tribal Ambient |
| #25 | Where Future Unfolds | Damon LocksDamon Locks Black Monument Ensemble | Album, May-31-2019, Spiritual Jazz |
| #26 | Wrecked | Zonal | Album, Oct-25-2019, Illbient |
| #27 | Baroo | Carl Stone | Album, Mar-01-2019, Plunderphonics |
| #28 | Solitude | King Midas Sound | Album, Feb-15-2019, Spoken Word |
| #30 | Parallel Persia | Sote | Album, Apr-26-2019, Electroacoustic |
| #31 | Illegal Moves | Sunwatchers | Album, Feb-22-2019, Psychedelic Rock |
| #32 | Bandana | Freddie GibbsMadlib | Album, Jun-28-2019, Gangsta Rap |
| #33 | For You and I | Loraine James | Album, Sep-20-2019, IDM |
| #34 | James Tenney: Changes - 64 Studies for 6 Harps | Nicholas Deyoe | Album, Mar-15-2019, |
| #35 | Everywhere at the End of Time: Stage 4 | The Caretaker | Album, Apr-05-2018, Sound Collage |
| #36 | Wahala | YATTA | Album, Aug-02-2019, Sound Collage |
| #37 | Pyroclasts | sunn O))) | Album, Oct-25-2019, Drone Metal |
| #38 | All the Many Peopls | Jennifer Walshe | Album, May-31-2019, Spoken Word |
| #39 | LP | Big Stick | Album, Jul-05-2019, |
| #40 | MAGDALENE | FKA twigs | Album, Nov-08-2019, Art Pop |
| #41 | Ecstatic Computation | Caterina Barbieri | Album, May-04-2019, Progressive Electronic |
| #42 | 7 Directions | NKISI | Album, Jan-18-2019, Techno |
| #43 | Ghosteen | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Album, Oct-03-2019, Singer-Songwriter |
| #44 | Hiding Places | Billy WoodsKenny Segal | Album, Mar-29-2019, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #45 | Folly Bololey (Songs from Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom) | North Sea Radio Orchestra | Album, May-17-2019, |
| #46 | Uingizaji Hewa | Duke | Album, Mar-08-2019, Singeli |
| #47 | There Existed an Addiction to Blood | clipping. | Album, Oct-18-2019, Industrial Hip Hop |
| #48 | Epitaph | Jay Glass Dubs | Album, Jan-25-2019, Ambient Dub |
| #49 | The Flower And The Vessel | Felicia Atkinson | Album, Jul-05-2019, Electroacoustic |
| #50 | Mechanical Flirtations | Saint Abdullah | Album, Jun-13-2019, Post-Industrial |
| #51 | Everywhere at the End of Time: Stage 5 | The Caretaker | Album, Sep-20-2018, Sound Collage |