On Friday, we heard Take Me There‘s end of year round up. Today, the composer of this year’s phenomenal Deep Stasis, Exit Chamber, is weighing in with the 5 albums that have made the biggest impact on him this year!
Each post from this series will see the 5 albums added to the “Our Favourite Albums of the Passed Year” playlist – so you can listen along with each post as we count down to the end of the year!
Blood Incantation – Timewave Zero (Century Media, 2022)
Not so much a gear change as a full change of transportation method from a band previously known for some pretty ferocious death metal. 40 minutes of classic analog-synth based ambience/kosmiche in the style of Tangerine Dream et all that has been my go-to working music for quite some time.
Elizabeth Crompton – Problems of Other Minds (Werra Foxma, 2022)
Delicate and emotive female-vocal led piano and electronic ambience. Elizabeth’s vocals remind me of Beth Gibbons at times, powerful yet fragile. Deserves to be massive.
Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan – Districts, Roads, Open Spaces (Castles in Space, 2022)
A (mostly) ambient synth album based on a 70’s UK new town project? Sure, why not, particularly when it’s this good. Top tier hauntology, music for the future we could have had.
Panaiotis, Pauline Oliveros and Stuart Dempster – Deep Listening (New Albion, 1989)
Not sure what I can say about this that hasn’t already been said, but it’s an album that’s really resonated with me this year. Very much deserves headphones and the dark.
Final Light – Final Light (Red Creek, 2022)
Something a little different to finish, a collaboration between Perturbator (IMO the undisputed king of the more industrial end of synthwave) and Johannes Persson of Cult of Luna. Epic cinematic synths from the former and thunderous guitar and vocals from the latter makes for the perfect combination. Hopefully this won’t be their only collaboration.
And that’s it! We’ll be aiming to release these posts every weekend, so keep an eye out for your favourite album! We’re looking forward to hearing your views on this years releases from Passed Recordings too – maybe there’s even time for one more release before the end of the year…
P.S. Make sure to still check out those releases from these lists that don’t make their way to Spotify! Specifically, Susumu Hirasawa & Elizabeth Crompton so far – but that list is bound to grow!
