Best of 2022 – Top 25 albums
Our recommendations – the best of the year
Step on My Travelator… is a concept album from the warped mind of Sheffield-based wildcard Adrian Flanagan and it’s quite the show stopper. For those paying attention, Flanagan is Dean Honer’s partner-in-crime on a raft of brilliant projects including the excellent Desolate Spools label, The Eccentronic Research Council with pal actor Maxine Peake, the Fat White Family-wrangling The Moonlandingz, The International Teachers Of Pop… probably missed a few out, but you get the gist.
The concept is that it charts the rise and fall of superstar DJ Melvin Harris’ fictitious career, taking the listener on a journey through dance music history complete with barbed observations about the excesses of dance music culture along the way. The album is also a collaborative offering and indeed it showcases a raft of storming vocal guests, such as Uzor (so good she appears twice, turning up again on the excellent ‘Crashing Cars In Ibiza’). This is throbbing, celebratory dance music with something rather clever going on underneath – either way, whether you choose to engage or simply enjoy the rush of each joyful step in our Melvin’s career, you’ll find this masterful and utterly irresistible.
2. Decius – Decius Vol1 (The Leaf Label)
Decius compromises of brothers and Trashmouth Records founders Liam and Luke May, Quinn Whalley (Paranoid London/Warmduscher) and Fat White Family frontman Lias Saoudi, and those already smitten by the Paranoid London acid house bug will be delighted by the likes of ‘U Instead Of Thought’ with its classic Chicago drum machine rolls, the frisky disco bassline to ‘I Get OV’ or ‘Look Like A Man’s vocal hysteria and throbbing sequencers.
It’s this combination of very current dancefloor firepower and spectacular vocals which hark back to an era of abandon that devotees of Sylvester and Patrick Cowley will recognise immediately. A heady mix indeed, which is just how this lot like it.
3 Telefis- A hAon (Dimple Discs)
‘Telefis’ is Gaelic for “Television” and the opening intro ‘Seo E Glor Na Telifise’ sets us up for a ‘Brazil’-like journey into a world where black and white TV screens flicker with innocent mass entertainment. The album is a sideways look at Irish history and their shared love of pop culture over the years, “corrosive nostalgia” they call it. The subject matter spans ‘Mister Imperator’ recounting the tale of a light entertainment pianist who appeared in the first TV broadcasts in Ireland in 1961, to ‘Sex Bunting’, the almost true story of hipster film crew slumming it in east London on a video shoot.
Telefis were not only leading the charge to keep the art alive, but musically and lyrically they were kicking it around the room in some style. This is a firecracker of an album.
4. Yard Act – The Overload (Zen FC)
The thing everyone needs to understand about the UK is the disparity between projected image and real life is almost as overwhelming as the rich-poor divide. On the one hand, there’s posturing of pomp, pageantry, grandeur and decorum. Then you actually get here and realise there are really only two types of inhabitants of this island nation, and few of either have manners – those who only give a shit about themselves, and the often eccentric others who do want to help those they pass on the street.
Yard Act, arguably the best thing we’ve heard to come out of Leeds since the emergence of super-talented techno producer Happa, directly address the first category of British resident in this, their startlingly raw and delightfully off-centre debut album. From middle class trendies to Brexiteering belligerents, think Sleaford Mods providing a backing track to IDLES’ observational poetry, with an added dose of Jarvis Cocker-esque theatrics, only less camp, much rawer.
5. Leftfield – This Is What We Do (Virgin)
The atmospheres that unfold as things progress really give a sense of pedigree at play, with elements referencing a range of cultural influences, from North Africa (‘Heart & Soul’) to the mechanical funk of proto-electro (‘City of Synths’), betraying an artist who has been immersed in the music world for a great number of years, while paying homage to Leftfield’s longstanding reputation for looking outside the obvious frames of reference.
This Is What We Do is probably not destined to change the world this time round, though, but nonetheless it’s a confident, expertly-executed record born into an incredibly uncertain age. An era when the bold, revolutionary noises these genres first caused moral panic for seem increasingly confined to the rear view mirror, while the standards and benchmarks to meet have never been higher.
6. Black Midi – Hellfire (Rough Trade)
The meteoric rise of London’s homegrown Black Midi has seen the trio move from strength to strength, but insistently upon their own terms. They promised so much upon their debut, and rather than delivering, they’ve manipulated and abused listener’s patience and interest to staggering degrees of bravado. ‘Hellfire’ won’t change your life, nor is that its design or desire.
Rather, it begs to ask how far are you willing to go in order to feel truly accosted, bemused and utterly bewildered by a young group of musicians united by a goal to confront and challenge their followers as much as themselves. There’s a world beneath ours, steeped in filth, grit and outlying wonder. Black Midi are simply brave enough to offer it the credence and platform it deserves.
7 Luke Vibert – GRIT (Hypercolour)
Compared to the artists he rolls with (Aphex who?) Vibert’s appeal lies in the simplicity of his approach. You’re not likely to have your mind blown unless you somehow missed the sound of a 303 for the past 30 years, but you’ll feel infallibly good melting into the warm pot of sticky grooves he cooks up. Just clock the coiled-spring bounce of garage jam ‘Gas Logs’ with its understated, on-point acid bassline and cosmic pads. Try maintaining a moody demeanour while the chirpy, jazzy chords and infectious swing of ‘Swingeing Cuts’ frolic around your ear drums.
https://www.juno.co.uk/player-embed/SF874918-01-01-01.mp3/?pl=false&pn=false&ed=22-09-27With a modest array of parts Vibert can knock out jam after jam of fluid, funky perfection, staying true to his sound but never sounding tired as he wiggles that frequency and resonance into infinity.
8 Telefis – a Dó (Dimple Discs)
What a sad difference a year makes. This time last year we were getting our first taste of Telefis, the genius sonic pairing of two Irishmen with intertwined roots but very different journeys. Cathal Coughlan (Microdisney, Fatima Mansions and solo), famed for his mastery of a caustic lyric and Jacknife Lee, producer and co-writer of hits to stars like U2 and Taylor Swift, had crossed paths in Ireland many years ago, but when Jacknife decided it was time to start making music to please himself again, Coughlan was top of his list.
Between then and now, of course, has come the shockingly unexpected news of Coughlan’s passing, which can’t but cast a shadow over this second album ‘a Dó’. But it probably shouldn’t – while there’s plenty of poignancy going on here, Coughlan’s sense of mischief is at large too. On ‘The Catharginians’, to a backing that’s like Orange Juice doing slowed down electro, he pokes fun at the legions of bands (his own included, we suspect) travelling the length and breadth of the nation to entertain largely uncaring audiences. “Did you catch our name?” he asks in the chorus. “I don’t think anybody cares what you are called” replies the audience in unison. Well, this one name that won’t be forgotten in a hurry.
9. Rich Ruth – I Survived, It’s Over (Third Man)
Nashville-based guitar for hire Michael Ruth used making his own music to help him get over the violent shock of a carjacking that happened to him outside his house. The results are an exquisite combination of smooth ambience, verging on the meditative drone at times, and tense, spontaneous jazz guitar.
https://www.juno.co.uk/products/rich-ruth-i-survived-its-over/890316-01/One of the most original and unexpected albums of the year for sure, it’s one you’ll quickly get lost in, zoning out from the everyday stresses of modern life just as Ruth did himself.
10. David Lance Callaghan – English Primitive II (Tiny Global)
The highlights are plentiful. ‘Bear Factory’, sounding like Captain Beefheart with a string quartet. ‘The Burnet Rose’, so simple with its echoing guitar and precious little else to accompany the pure voice. Closing track ‘London By Blakelight’, with its bullying hip-hop beat and its almost shanty-like group vocal, the superlative guitar creeping in and tingling your spine.
https://www.juno.co.uk/player-embed/SF906653-01-01-01.mp3/?pl=false&ed=22-11-29All in all, it’s delivered with all the confidence and fervour of an artist on a mission, to tell stories and paint pictures rather than simply sell records. Riding a true carousel of moods and atmospheres, indeed commanding them, this album is an experience in itself that can’t be recommended more highly.
11 Plaid – Feorm Falorx (Warp)
‘Cwtchr’, for example, boasts a tumbling, off kilter beat but it never throws the listener off the scent, while ‘Return to Return’ dallies with the hitherto unexplored areas of high frequency with what sound like plucked violin arpeggios, underpinning them with hip-hop beats and gloopy bass. ‘Modenet’ is even more approachable, with a touch of Mike Paradinas-style melancholy about it, and the ‘Wondergan’ is a joyous steel pan workout that’s way more fun than so-called ‘intelligent techno’ was supposed to be.
The concept of becoming more accessible, especially with age, is something usually associated with watering down or reduction of some sort. Plaid seem to have been able to achieve it here without diluting their legacy in the slightest, if anything making it stronger.
12 Dego – Love Was Never Your Goal (2000 Black)
The new album follows on from last year’s exceptional ‘The Negative Positive’, offering a similarly rich and immersive set of analogue-fuelled sonic highs. If it’s Dego who brings the raw ‘bruk’ funk to the proceedings, the honeyed soul arrives courtesy of newcomer, Samii, who graces the bulk of the tracks with her distinctive vocal allure.
Meanwhile, regular collaborators Tatham, Matt Lord, and Mr Mensah also drop in to add sustenance to the sounds. Accomplished, enlivening, and dripping in virtuosity, this is sensational work from Dego and co.
13. Patrick Cowley – Malebox (Dark Entries)
Cowley died in 1982 due to an AIDS-related illness. He left an incredible body of work but since 2009, the Dark Entries label has been working with Cowley’s friends and family to uncover the singular artist’s lesser-known sides such as his soundtracks for gay pornographic films.
Malebox brings us six more recent discoveries from the hidden archives, very much in the churning disco-funk and hi-NRG areas that we’ve come to know and love as trademark Cowley. Recorded from 1979-1981, one of Patrick’s most creatively exciting periods, this bumper pack includes early Paul Parker demos ‘If You Feel It’ and ‘Love Me Hot’, a demo version of ‘Low Down Dirty Rhythm’ with Jeanie Tracy’s vocals, plus ‘Floating’, ‘Love and Passion’ and ‘A Wicked Tool’, all infectious and brimming with joyfulness and futuristic exploration.
Mike Paradinas is never someone you should feel comfortable expecting things from. The Planet Mu boss, better known to most under his production alias, μ-Ziq, has made it his business to confound and avoid anything like conformity throughout a stellar and storied, decade-spanning career, both as the guy who ultimately decides what one of the finest and most refined electronic music labels on the planet puts out, and as a boundary-breaking artist in his own right. The sweetly titled Hello is just the latest case to prove this UK studio-maestro remains consistent in his unpredictable genius.
Having used up all the hyperbole it’s probably worth pointing out that μ-Ziq, and the whole Mu sonic world, are heavily rooted in IDM and the rave culture of thinkers, but such vague and broad descriptions are never going to land any fingers on any real points. Nevertheless, this record is a wonderful example of what we mean.
15 Move D & Dman – All You Can Tweak (Smallville)
Last spotted together on the Homeworks 1 12” back in 1994, it’s a pleasant surprise but also completely logical to find Move D and Dman back on the same record nearly 30 years later. The two have remained friends over the years, and with Mantei’s renewed activity alongside Moufang’s unerring output and the pair’s propensity for jamming on hardware, it was surely on a matter of time until some music materialised.
What we have on All You Can Tweak is exactly what you would expect – understated, expertly executed 4/4 rollers played by experienced heads who know how to dial in their intended sound without fail. There’s space for impulse and diversions, but this is naturally flowing music that can hold down a groove without fail.
16 Richie Weeks – Vol.1: “The Love Magician Archives – Disco – New York City 1978-79,
There is no denying that this may be the find of the century for all the original Disco, Soul and Funk lovers worldwide. An entire new page of New York City’s Disco and Dance Music history is going to be written thanks to Richie’s absolutely mind-blowing work.
The find happened when Jerome Derradji of Past Due Records signed Richie Weeks of Salsoul’s The Jammers and Prelude’s Weeks & Co fame. Unbeknownst to Derradji, Weeks had accumulated a literal treasure trove of unreleased recordings on hundreds of reel to reels and cassettes from 1978-85.
17 Low End Activist – Hostile Utopia (Sneaker Social Club)
If you’re out and about clubbing, listening to pirate radio or even just checking the latest reviews on the Juno Daily pages, then you’ve almost certainly heard a record touched by the hand of Low End Activist.
As well as a string of genre-defying smashers combining the minimal brutalism of grime with smoking jungle-style breakbeat power at all speeds as Low End Activist he also records as Patrick Conway, and Trinity Carbon with Appleblim, and runs the labels Sneaker Social Club, Hypercolour and BRUK. For his new album Hostile Utopia he’s assembled an impressive guestlist – Killa P, Mez, Emz and Cadence Weapon – but has delved back into his past growing up on the Blackbird Leys estate in Oxford, home to the Cowley car plant and a joy riding epidemic in the 90s.
18 Adwaith – Bato Mato (Libertino Records)
After Adwaith won the 2019 Welsh Music Prize for the hazy Goat Girl-esque atmospherics of their debut album ‘Melyn’, it seemed pretty clear what their next step would be – a second album that continued to explore this swampy, hypnotic post punk underground. But a trip to Ulan-Ude in Siberia at the start of 2020 and plenty of time to process the experience in the subsequent lockdown changed everything. Songs were junked, unusual new instruments sourced from specialist suppliers – take a bow Cash Generator in Carmarthen – and the trio worked on bolder, more expansive songs to reflect “the barren landscape and brutalist architecture” of their Russian adventure.
If their most obvious kindred spirit Gwenno is an expert in ritual and exaltation, then Adwaith offer a spikey, earthy, more down to earth counterpart. And you get the sense that they’ve only really just begun. In all, a bold and accomplished album, and a worthy tribute to the joys of a life-changing trip and a new found sense of fearlessness.
19 Photay with Carlos Niño – An Offering (International Anthem)
Combing field recordings with structured instrumental elements, electronic and acoustic, it’s a combination of purposeful music and background atmosphere straddling experimental electronica, contemporary classical, and sonic art.
Given this comes from two masters — East Coast percussionist and producer Photay and LA-based studio don Carlos Niño — perhaps we should have expected it to unfold in this way: so effortless, as though realised through an evolutionary process rather than planned design.
20. Michael Diamond – Third Culture (Vasuki Sound)
Hailed as a talent to watch by Gilles Peterson, Michael Diamond was born in India but grew up in the UK, with a foot in each tradition yet feeling somewhat of an outsider. Here, he launches his Vasuki Sound label with a seven track showcase for his resonant, very musical style.
In terms of components, this is very much an electronic music production. but there’s a whiff of jazz running throughout. ‘Exodus’, for instance, uses glitches and UK garage rhythms and ‘Emergences’ a shuffling broken beat groove, but the way the keys fall across the foundations in both cases is loose and free flowing enough to justify the J-word. That said, the directness and accessibility of the beats places it firmly in the groove market.
If you’re currently buzzing about Emma Jane Thackeray’s modernist revival of jazz, placing it in a hand of stylistic cards that can be played in any order or combination, then this is probably a great place to start looking for more. Diamond geezer!
Stefan Betke is an artist unafraid to aim for the far reaches of sonic artistry. From the evolving tones of the ‘Sinote’ opener, it’s almost immediately apparent that his latest album recorded under the Pole moniker represents yet more provocative deep diving into and beyond the subconscious. As its grainy drones undulate and a solitary cowbell steadies the rhythm, the music builds tangible tension before leviathan snares rise in to shake the foundations of the extraterrestrial landscape he so skilfully evokes.
Pole’s last album, ‘Fading’, was composed as a meditation of his mother’s descent into the horrendous chasm of Alzheimer’s, and its powerfully introspective grip extends into his latest work. The immersive musical universe he manifests here is nothing short of mesmerising. Gliding into the warm but unknown environs of ‘Grauer Sand’, abstract melodies appear and disappear without resolution, tentative piano chords echoing through space as jagged rhythms keep an uneasy tempo. Edging into darkening skies, dissonant layers intertwine over jazz-infused bass notes via the disconcerting magnetism of ‘Alp’, the bewildering rhythm again kept by dramatic snare hits as each part appears to meander on a trajectory of its own.
22 Black Zone Myth Chant – Embryo Issue 2 (Natural Sciences)
In the face of an industry which consistently leaves crumbs for creators, this kind of resourcefulness and community-spirited thinking feels incredibly refreshing, no matter how murky the musical content. As it goes, this is a pleasantly jacked up strain of the Black Zone sound, with plenty of firepower on ‘Grizz’ and ‘Told 1’ to get the dance shocking out in an apocalyptic sort of way.
There are noisier, edgier forays as well, which bristle with an impressive amount of control for such grimy matter. If you prefer your soundsystem sessions to foreshadow our imminent ecological, societal, emotional collapse, then this new missive from Natural Sciences will be like manna from the devil himself.
23 Blancmange – Private View (London)
It’s madness to think that Blancmange have been going strong since the late-1970s. And by going strong, we really, really mean going strong. Private View is their 18th studio album to date, and far from feeling like a band rehashing the same old tropes, this sounds like a group in their prime. Coherent, well-conceived, and expertly executed, with a truly individual personality that’s hard to compare to many peers.
Of course, on the face of things, this is synth pop, with elements nodding to the big guns like New Order (circa early-80s) and Depeche Mode. However, Blancmange have far closer ties to cold and synthwave than those names, managing to create huge sounds fit for big screen dystopia while retaining an underlying feeling of humanism and romance.
Vienna’s Florian Stoffelbauer is the man behind the Heap alias. He uses it sporadically to drop cultured deep techno on labels like Mechatronica and Neubau and has done for around six years now.
This new long player is the first we have heard from him in almost three years but it has been worth the wait. False Hope on Canadian label Isla is slow and snaking techno with icy atmospheres and a sleek sense of futurism. It’s stylish in design and heady in mood with standouts like ‘Inner Peace’ drawing you into a world of intrigue and mystery. The title track brings lush cosmic melodies over gentle kick patterns and somehow soothes the mind, body and soul. Nice work indeed.Share review
25. Ataxia – Out Of Step (Life & Death)
The pressure maintains throughout, dipping into taut electro, piston-pumping machine soul, and even swerving to a little breakbeat play on ‘Feels Like’ with Mister Joshooa. It’s one of the moments on the album that passes by a little less memorably due to its stripped down, rolling nature, but as a building block amongst this gut-busting 12-track compendium, it’s no bad thing to have a little breather from the wilder tracks.
In penning their love letter to Detroit, it’s clear Ataxia couldn’t stop the tracks flowing, and Out Of Step feels astoundingly full-bodied top to bottom. It’s not dressed up in any grand schemes – just delivered with a no-nonsense sincerity which chimes perfectly with the fine tradition laid down before them.