The year has just past and it’s a time for lists. Top 100’s, 50’s, 20’s and 10’s in everything you could emagine. Therefore, since we haven’t had a tradtition for being exceptionally different and innovative so far, we’re gonna do our own list of top 5’s from the past 12 months, and we promise, this upcoming year, we’ll do some seriously innovative, original writing to make up for it.

Aleksander

Albums:

5. Fuck Buttons — “Tarot Sport“
Fuck Buttons noisey electric sounds manage to make me happy, somehow. Very nice melodies covered in dirt in an epic second album. (Check our interview with them earlier this year)

4. Variuos Artists — “Kitsune Maison Compilation 7″
The Kitsune Maison compilations covers most of what’s going on in the European electro scene, and their 7^th edition had something extra special to it. Haven’t managed to put it away yet.

3. Discovery — “LP“
Electro/RnB/Dubstep-blended beats topped with auto-tune. Doesn’t sound too good, i’ll admit, but it actually is.

2. Grizzly Bear — “Veckatimest“
Beautiful harmonies and psychadelic backdrops with a folky attitude. Now that sounds good and i have to admit, actually is amazing.

1. Dirty Projectors — “Bitte Orca“
This experimental Indie record has it all. Pop, melancholia, folk, psychedelia. I’m having a hard time pin-pointing exactly, but i just know i love it.

Songs:

5. Discovery — “So Insane“
The best song from “LP” and actual good use of excessive auto tune. Love how the tempo shifts and the fusion of RnB and electro is very cool.

4. Phoenix — “Listztomania (Classixx Version)“
A brilliant remix by Classixx brings out the best of this song and amplifies it. Extremely catchy.

3. Kid Cudi — “Day & Night (Crookers Remix)“
A bit more ashamed about this one, but it has to make the list solely because it has been the soundtrack to so many good nights this year.

2. Röyksopp — “Happy Up Here“
The first single from their newest record. Similar to their first releases and Eple in particular. Just a great tune.

1. The Presets — “If I Know You“
I’ve been humming this song since january. A very convincing vocal by Julian Hamilton takes your mind back to the glory of Depeche Mode and the 80’s

Honorable mention:

Lindstrøm — “Little Drummer Boy”

Album Packaging:

5. Discovery — LP
by Roastam Batmanglij and Asher Sarlin

4. Dirty Projectors — Bitte Orca
by Rob Carmichael and Jason Frank

3. Casino Versus Japan — Casino Versus Japan (reissue)
by ISO50

2. Atlas Sound — Logo
by Bradford Cox and Edith Cox

1. Spirtualized — Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space (reissue)(the black edition)
by Farrow

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Magnus

Albums:

5. Neon Indian — “Psychic Chasm“
80’s nostalgia and synth-heaven from Alan Palomo. “Deadbeat summer” and “Terminally chill” beeing definite winners!

4. Florence + The Machine — “Lungs“
The most exiting pop album of the year! The best of the brit-girl-wave àla La Roux, Little Boots, Bat for lashes etc.

3. The XX — “XX“
A fresh breath of minimalistic, tightly arranged album amongst a flood of experimental, messy albums out there.

2. Grizzly Bear — “Veckatimest“
Amazingly beautifull written and arranged album. This years bindie-band having billboard success.

1. Dirty Projectors — “Bitte Orca“
Beautiful balladry in “Two Doves”, cool R&B rythms in “Stillness in the move” and rollercoaster ride of a song in “Usefull Chambers”. All in all the most complete album of the year.

Tracks:

5. Bat For Lashes — “Daniel“
The best track from a decent album. A beautifull written dreamy “80’s-electro” lovesong for the mornings afternoons and late nights.

4. Grizzly Bear — “Two Weeks“
Bumpy piano driven track immeditely caught my attention from the Veckatimest album.

3. The xx — “Crystalized“
Deep, minimal, dreamy, catchy.. Simply a brilliant track from the xx.

2. The Presets — “If Know You“
Amazing track by less-talked-about The Presets. A Depeche Mode inspired electro track with an equally amazing music video.

1. Dirty Projectors — “Stillness in the move“
R&B and quirky guitar riffs blended with the unique dirty projectors sound is still on top of my playlist! (So good even Beyoncès sister Solange made a cover of it)

Honorable mention:

Dirty Projectors ft. David byrne — “Knotty Pine”: Who would have thought, Dirty Projectors and David Byrne. But it was a great contribution to the “Dark was the night” compilation early this year.

Album Packaging:

5. Black Devil Disco — Strange New World
by Non Format

4. Discovery — LP
by Roastam Batmanglij and Asher Sarlin

3. Neon indian — Psychic Chasm

2. Motorpsycho — Heavy Metal Fruit
by Kim Hiorthøy

1. Grizzly Bear — Vecktimest
by Ben Wilkerson Tousley, William J O’Brien and Amelia Bauer

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