Another great album that helps while working. Ambient techno.
Conforce – Dawn Chorus
Soulwax – All Systems Are Lying
Another record that went from zero to a hundred on my listening charts in something like a week. I had listened to it once or twice previously but it hadn’t stuck with me, and then last week it just did, a lot. At this point it has a guaranteed Top 3 spot in my year-end list.
The whole album is sprawling with musical references from so many things that I love. And it’s not just a few specific things but entire aspects of music that I’ve been getting hooked on and have been loving in practically my whole life. From the post-nu jazz of the ’00s with its artistic and electronic reinterpretations, through the big beat sounds of the likes of The Chemical Brothers or The Crystal Method, and electro-infused electronic music that I have often a hard time to put in a box other than “electronic music”, all the way to leftfield pop that is just meant to be blasting from the radio.
I rarely pinpoint single tracks because I usually like the coherent experience of a full album best. And this is an a-ma-zing album as a whole, no question about that. Still, Gimme A Reason is just a hymn, I am floored by this song. To me, this is the ultimate pop hit of this year. I don’t even remember when I put a single track on repeat for such a long time as this one. And after a hundred replays I still get goosebumps at the exact same timestamps. I can’t talk highly enough about this one, it’s an essential track.
Daniel Avery – Tremor
It’s like the ’90s: triphop and industrial, could be a new Portishead record.
Nine Inch Nails – Tron: Ares OST
There are a few nice tracks and hooks, but overall it’s not a king slayer in the realm of NIN soundtracks. Its biggest merit is to get something new that has NIN on it.
TOKiMONSTA – Eternal Reverie
Soulful hiphop, lounging r&b, quality chill-out electronics. It’s such an understated and elegant album, so good to listen to. Perfect soundtrack to a day when I’m just going about my things and want something to keep me smoothly sailing along.
This has quickly become one of the soundtracks of this year, and by yet another fantastic female artist; this is a women’s year, no question about that.
7038634357 – Waterfall Horizon
Soothing glitchy ambient. Mostly with autotune vocals (amazingly I find it comforting here, while I usually hate it), sometimes with bits of chiptune sounds.
Mammo – General Patterns
Ambient, dub techno, IDM.
Felix K – Berlin
I find it surprising to see “drum and bass” as the main call sign for this music on its Bandcamp page (based on self-tagging and quoted reviews). I would have never used that genre here. If I’m looking for one word in that area then rather dubstep, or I’d rather say broken beat rhythmic noise with a techno aesthetic. Although, maybe the latter is just one way to elaborate what dubstep is.
Decius – Decius Vol. II (Splendour & Obedience)
Easy listening house, bleep techno, and electroclash. Casual electronic lounging and catwalk music.
Marie Davidson – City Of Clowns
It’s this fringe kind of electronic music, with an electro aesthetic, electroclash perhaps. It’s exciting and interesting and has things to say, feels fresh and different. It has become my third big thing that I’ve stumbled upon in 2025 (after Heartworms and Ela Minus).