Fil OK

These are my 15 favourite albums of 2013, in chronological order:

1. David Bowie: The Next Day.
Best comeback in yonks, with a really strong set of songs, interesting placed together, featuring the goooorgeous, heartbreaking 'Where are we now?".

2. Depeche Mode: Delta Machine.
They'll never be as good as they were, but there are some pretty good attempts at it on this. Wouldn't bother with them live these days, but this holds up as a pretty good DM album.

3. James Blake: Overgrown.
Took me a while to warm to him, and his voice can be a bit annoying, but there's no denying he's innovative. Great blend of chillout and dubstep. Just don't confuse him with Blunt.

4. Alison Moyet: The Minutes.
This was quite a surprise. Outstanding production from Guy Sigsworth, majority of interesting songs (with a couple of bloopers), and very very listenable. Again and again.

5. Daft Punk: Random Access Memories.
This album seemed to divide everyone, but I totally loved. Even though it's done in a retro style, it stills sounds totally fresh and mind-expanding. And of course there was that single.

6. Boards Of Canada: Tomorrow's Harvest.
Finally! Some might say it's more of the same old mush, but I think it's a lovely, lush, warm album. They are now top scientific experts at creating their own sonic world.

7. Zomby: With Love.
Snappy and to the point, with tracks less than a minute long, but still interesting, original, atmospheric and gorgeously produced.

8. Sigur Rós: Kveikur.
I just love (almost) everything they do. Not for everyone, but the off-piste instrumentations and arrangements, and Jónsi's voice always send me to the same unique dreamlike altered state. And I like it.

9. James Holden: The Inheritors.
Possibly one of my fave albums...ever. Kind of blew me away with it's sound: dusty electronics + off kilter beats + fragmented melodies = brave experimentation...that totally works. The 'Blackpool Late Eighties' track holds a special heart-place.

10. Fuck Buttons: Slow Focus.
Massively hypnotic, the best ever music to fly to. The dense, repetitive sound blocks everything else out and sends you off somewhere completely different.

11. Moderat: II.
A beautiful record, wonderfully representing Berlin. Good songs, production, voice and general soundscape. And 'Bad Kingdom' is possibly my tune of the year.

12. White Lies: Big TV.
Don't know why, but I love this band. Maybe it's their huge, powerfully produced, simple, linear, straight into the bloodstream big songs. Who knows, but they fill me with joy.

13. Arcade Fire: Reflektor.
Yeah they're well over-hyped, but they do manage to live up to it. This year they churned out another classic album. Always great songs and thoughtful production. Very big band.

14. Fil OK: Electropolis.
Blatant self-promotion I know, but I am quite fond of this one. Took longer than the other two, difficult birth, but I feel it's a special child.

15. Connan Mockasin: Caramel.
Superbly surreal, mind bending stuff. Totally evokes the Tokyo hotel room it was made in. Nothing else like it. Tastes of caramel too.

So that's it, another amazing year for the evolution of recorded noise. Here's to 2014.....Happy New Ears! Fx