Best of 2019 - The selections of The Keep

So far in our ‘Best Of’ 2019 round up we have featured the selections of the team at Wichita Records, the choices of Henry Green and our own list of favourite LPs and EPs.

Now comes the turn of Gothenburg based producer of note The Keep whose track ‘Cub’ we featured last month.

Albums // EPs

Croatian Amor - Isa
I think Croatian Amor might be thee most emotive electronic artist I’ve ever listened too. Abstract ambience and minimalism contrast with violent synths and dystopian samples. Like all of his work, this album is haunting, visceral and vulnerable. It was hard not to choose the Body of Carbon EP with Varg 2tm but I’ve put so many hours into this record it would’ve been unfair.

<a href="http://croatianamor-poshisolation.bandcamp.com/album/isa">Isa by Croatian Amor</a>

Bat For Lashes - Lost Girls
I love that Natasha Khan can just bang out a record like this for fun when she’s taking a bit of a break from screen writing, or so the story goes. And what an amazing concept. I wonder if she just said ‘fuck it. I’m gonna write an album about a vampire girl gang in the LA desert cos why not’. I think making nostalgic music free of novelty can be pretty challenging but Lost Girls is just perfect.

<a href="http://bflmusic.bandcamp.com/album/lost-girls">Lost Girls by Bat for Lashes</a>

Flying Lotus - Flamagra
Flying Lotus has such an inimitable style and approach to music that it’s almost impossible to describe why I like this record so much. Its length at over an hour makes it a heavy listen but I kind of love that it demands that commitment. It’s cinematic, surreal, never predictable and always remarkable.

Toro Y Moi - Outer Peace
This is one of those album’s that never fails to lift my mood and I feel like it’s Chaz Bear’s most consistent. There’s a ton of playful groove and bass, and deliciously dreamy down tempo tracks that balance the record perfectly. Just solid song craft throughout.

<a href="http://toroymoi.bandcamp.com/album/outer-peace">Outer Peace by Toro y Moi</a>

Jenny Hval - The Practice of Love
I was so happy to see the return of Jenny Hval this year. I managed to read her novel, Paradise Rot and it really gives some context to her music, not that it needs it to be enjoyable. She seems like an artist that is never afraid to try anything and I find that hugely inspiring

<a href="http://jennyhval.bandcamp.com/album/the-practice-of-love">The Practice of Love by Jenny Hval</a>

Tracks

Lafawndah - Uniform

A friend took me to see Lafawndah at a festival this year. It was a small crowd but her performance was mesmerising, chaotic and completely unforgettable. This track is like a controlled explosion that demands your attention.

<a href="http://lafawndah.bandcamp.com/album/ancestor-boy">Ancestor Boy by Lafawndah</a>

Blanck Mass - House vs House

I’d like to see this performed in a giant stadium with fire everywhere. It is just so huge. That wall of sound, that massive synth hook… How dare he! It truly is a maximalist masterpiece.

<a href="http://blanckmass.bandcamp.com/album/animated-violence-mild">Animated Violence Mild by Blanck Mass</a>

Throwing Snow - Nought To Gain

What absolute Juggernaut of a tune. The way it cascades into place is both crude and meticulous, a gargantuan beast awakening from it’s slumber that stumbles towards you menacingly before it gallops at you in a focussed unstoppable rage. An outstanding start to an outstanding EP.

Battles - Fort Greene Park

Battles are without doubt one of my favourite bands. And this track feels like something new for them, which in turn is something new for everyone, because nobody is like Battles.

Charli XCX ft. Sky Ferreira - Cross You Out

Charlie XCX’s songwriting and A.G. Cook’s production are a perfect combination on this modern power ballad. Big warm vintage synths yet modern sounding, plus Sky Ferreira. Lovely lovely pop music.

Patrick HealyDecember 23, 2019Comment