Once again, Emacs has kept careful track of what I’ve been listening to this year, so I can scientifically give a list of what’s the best albums this year. And by amazing coincidence, the world’s very best album is by a Norwegian band and I’m Norwegian, but I’m sure that’s totally coincidental and fair.
 | Lost Girls | Menneskekollektivet |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAYEWpQWr30 | ||
%2C+UNISIL) | SOPHIE | BIPP (Autechre Mx), UNISIL |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3ro1n8DYUY | ||
 | The Notwist | Vertigo Days |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjdfZxc926E | ||
 | Aksak Maboul | Redrawn Figures 1 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXdDG5s8Eq8 | ||
 | Insides | Soft Bonds |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdjsoptWEuA | ||
 | Leslie Winer | When I Hit You, You’ll Feel It |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVebyVdaG1k | ||
 | Xeno & Oaklander | Vi-deo |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94ngC10BNNE | ||
 | Alasdair Roberts og Völvur | The Old Fabled River |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-Azx5TRskw | ||
 | Caroline Shaw & Sō Percussion | Let The Soil Play Its Simple Part |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B22fQIHUyvY | ||
 | David Allred | Smells Like Everyone’s Watching |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IPKCLqTY_4 | ||
 | Herbert | Musca |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgM3cIf7bqI | ||
 | Irreversible Entanglements | Open The Gates |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PSTDMLC2oY | ||
 | Mia Doi Todd | Ten Views of Music Life |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T95fHa7z_A | ||
 | Snapped Ankles | Forest of Your Problems |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IwGUItd-uw | ||
 | Alice Coltrane | Kirtan Turiya Sings |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMfLGKeM9pY | ||
That David Allred album up there has my favourite lyric. It goes like
You said “wow you must be fun at parties”
And I said “That’s not true”
I feel seen.
But I bought a lot of older stuff, too. Here’s the objectively best older albums, and coincidentally the winner is another Norwegian. It cannot be!
 | Espen Reinertsen | Nattsyntese |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqjifrS29so | ||
 | Gary Panter | Precambrian Bath |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X9K_iOLwDc | ||
 | Mimi Goese and Ben Neill | Life You Are |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of_FMnEx5EY | ||
 | Laura Jean | I’m A Rabbit, I’m A Fox |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8Q8LRCoA8g | ||
 | Bertine Zetlitz | Beautiful So Far |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUp0zksSZ3I | ||
 | SOPHIE | OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv3yIv9nwf8 | ||
 | Espen Reinertsen | Forgaflingspop |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8absqQTcRc | ||
 | Hexting | Post Post Rock Rock |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhsxDbW2Mqc | ||
 | Shopping | Consumer Complaints |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iSJtOdA_DM | ||
 | Various | Mutant Disco Volume 2 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsneH0mOq-0 | ||
) | Arthur Russell | Sketches For World Of Echo (June 25 1984 Live At Ei) |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOcR4M6SUJ0 | ||
That’s it.