1 BLOOD ORANGE – FREETOWN SOUND (DOMINO)
The third album for Devonté Hynes’ Blood Orange project is the best one yet, revealing an updated form of 1980s funk to be his most effective form of communication. Despite Hynes’ talents, though, he could not have achieved a record of this intensity without his guest vocalists, who harness the spirit of Prince in their powerful statements on race, appearance, sex and religion that get you thinking as well as foot tapping. Hynes’ writing is his most personal yet, and while ‘Freetown Sound’ may be a bit of a sprawling record, but the more you hear it the harder it becomes to walk away from!
2 AUTECHRE – ELSEQ 1-5 (WARP)
Not so much an album from Autechre as an encyclopedia. What an impact Elseq 1-5 makes, boosting their reputation even further as adventurers in the sonic world. The pair are never anything less than compelling, capable of delivering short, sharp shocks – or massive, sprawling structures that still somehow make sense. For this to happen a good deal of commitment is required on the part of the listener, but rest assured it is all well worth it across the space of these five connected albums. Quite how they conceive some of their soundscapes remains a mystery, for they continue to push the boundaries in an exciting way, challenging preconceptions about music and rhythm. They are a fascinating act, one of the most important in electronic music today.
3 UNDERWORLD – BARBARA, BARBARA WE FACE A SHINING FUTURE (CAROLINE)
‘Barbara, Barbara we face a shining future’ were among the final words spoken by Rick Smith’s dad, and Underworld used the statement as the title for their subtle but overwhelmingly positive album. Because, let’s face it, 2016 was a tough one for music of all forms, and what we really needed was an album that looked death in the eye and stared it down. This is a new direction for them, the most relaxed Karl Hyde has sounded on record, and yet they have not lost any of their relevance, style or connection with the man on the street. For inner city grit and grace, look no further. Pastoral techno, anyone?
4 HOLY FUCK – CONGRATS (INNOVATIVE LEISURE)
The return of Holy Fuck is a cause for much rejoicing, with their instinctive and often joyous celebrations of rhythm continuing to sound like they were recorded ten minutes ago. Some of this music is fantastically dirty, with unkempt percussion and grubby bass riffs, and a tension that keeps the music close to boiling point. Once again the Toronto group go back to first principles but hit the spot of musical originality every time.
5 BRIAN ENO – THE SHIP (WARP)
‘The Ship’ is a serious and powerful story, but the underlying tale is a familiar one, that of Brian Eno’s wonderful and lasting spatial awareness. There are only really two tracks on the album, and the first – self-titled – reaches a remarkable moment of stillness in the middle when Eno’s sonorous tones take over in a chant, before drifting away on the whisper ‘wave after wave’. A lot of this record looks to the past for its inspiration, peaking with a cover of the Velvet Underground track ‘I’m Set Free’. all the more affecting for its slow and deliberate tread. Eno remains master of all things ambient, but even for him ‘The Ship’ is a fine and extremely moving piece of work.
6 GOLD PANDA – GOOD LUCK AND DO YOUR BEST (CITY SLANG)
A musical travelogue, Gold Panda’s album takes its lead from a phrase spoken to him by a Japanese cab driver, presenting a set of postcards shot through with the musical Japanese scenery. Tracks like ‘In My Car’ bring the Japanese setting right through to the surface through cascades of sound, with including inventive, homemade beats and old school house piano. All the while Gold Panda paints charming and evocative pictures of his retreat, using authentic instruments but not overdoing the clichés. In doing so he shows just how flexible his brand of techno has become.
7 MARK PRITCHARD – UNDER THE SUN (WARP)
‘Under The Sun’ is clearly an important work for the elusive Mark Pritchard, as it is the first to bear his name after a series of rewarding collaborative projects. In the process it serves as a reminder of his originality, for ‘Under The Sun’ is a proper album experience, dipping and soaring alternately. There are inspired collaborations with Thom Yorke, Bibio, Beans and Linda Perhacs, not to mention some lovely instrumentals to dive into, all parts of a record for complete immersion.
8 ANDREW WEATHERALL – CONVENANZA (ROTTERS GOLF CLUB)
A solo album from Andrew Weatherall is an event indeed – this one his first since 2009 – and it shows that even now he is right at the forefront of electronic music in 2016. He does most of the vocals on an album that gives us grooves, wistful romanticism and indeterminate bursts of distortion. A few surprises lie in store as well, such as on the soft-hearted ‘Ghosts Again’, one of the producer’s most tender moments. A soft-hearted celebration of his craft from a member of electronic music royalty.
9 PRINS THOMAS – PRINCIPE DEL NORTE (SMALLTOWN SUPERSOUND)
Prins Thomas runs a busy ship, but somehow found time to produce two incarnations of this double album in 2016. It plays to his strengths as a producer of warm, Balearic tracks, with a lovely fuzzy ambience as well as some more than pleasant hooks to get your head around. Thomas remains a master of the bigger structure, so that even the tracks running nearer a quarter of an hour unfold with impressive surety. You’re advised to buy both versions, as the second – a remix album – works just as well!
10 LOUIE VEGA – LOUIE VEGA STARRING…XXVIII (VEGA RECORDS)
Great fanfares heralded the first full artist album from Louie Vega, though in reality it was more of an all star affair, with each track on this massive opus given over to another starry vocalist. The 25 house-hold names – so to speak – include Funkadelic & George Clinton, Jocelyn Brown, Tony Momrelle, Byron Stingily, Adeva and Caron Wheeler. Vega writes with originality and flair throughout, and this project – a clear labour of love – is an outright winner. Joy to the world!
