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Album of the Year 2012 revisited

2012 had a great bit of rap foreshadowing - Killer Mike released R.A.P. Music, an album produced by El-P, and got El-P to guest on one track:

Not one I'm particularly familiar with, but apparently El-P also did Cancer 4 Cure that year and got Killer Mike to guest on a track:
 
I can't remember half the albums on my list from 2012

1. Actress - RIP
2. Recondite - On Acid
3. Robert Hood - Motor: Night time world 3
4. Swans - The Seer
5. Voices from the Lake - STL
6. Sun Araw, M. Geddes Gengras, The Congos - FRKWYS - Vol. 9
7. Instrumental Tourist - Tim Hecker and Daniel Lopatin
8. Claro Intelecto - Reform Club
9. Lukid - Lonely at the top
10. Lee Gamble - Diversions.

Very electronic. Still play the Robert Hood and Recondite albums a lot. I've not played Voices from the Lake in yonks but remember it well. I reckon Swans was on my list as a result of seeing them play at Koko touring the album which goes down as one of the most memorable gigs of all time - I've rarely listened to it since though...

Will be nice to revisit my list and see what I was on about!

The Tim Hecker and Daniel Lopatin is really nice - weird how I completely forgot about it.

Got Claro Intelecto on now - absolute class - meticulously crafted soulful techno... I should have played this a lot more over the last 11 years! Will definitely be in my list again...
 
Technically a mixtape rather than an album, but I think Fantasea counts as an album cos it's all new material, a very fun record even if it doesn't have 212 on it:

Oh, and Banks also did the 1991 EP that year, which is clearly the best record of the year because it does have 212 on it, but you can't vote for it cos it's an EP.
 
Orelha Negra - Orelha Negra . Portuguese hip hop/funk/soul. When I first heard them I was astounded that Portugal even makes this sort of music.

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God, AB was really on fire back in the early 2010s:

Almost makes you wish she'd put less energy into constantly getting into insane beef and more into writing and recording more music.
 
Got Claro Intelecto on now - absolute class - meticulously crafted soulful techno... I should have played this a lot more over the last 11 years! Will definitely be in my list again...
I remember when this was released. I remember listening to clips on the Juno website. I remember meaning to pick it up. Then I forgot all about it.

I've got it on now. It's fantastic :)
 
I remember when this was released. I remember listening to clips on the Juno website. I remember meaning to pick it up. Then I forgot all about it.

I've got it on now. It's fantastic :)

It is!

I had Actress at the top of my list back then. I listened to that yesterday too and whilst I could respect it I didn't enjoy it much at all whereas when I put Claro Intelecto on I was like, FUCK YES!
 
3. Legowelt - Paranormal Soul

I haven't played this for ages. It's excellent. I should listen to it more often.

9. Lone - Galaxy Garden

Lone is great. This is great. Should have put it higher. Retro-not-retro rave music.

I was still partial to the occasional blow out in 2012. I remember seeing Lone playing this stuff at Corsica - it was decent but the highlight of the night was blasting Legowelt back at my mates house afterwards completely mashed. Gonna listen now while going round Tesco :)
 
2012 also saw the first, and so far only, album by Kreayshawn:

She also released the Young, Rich and Flashy mixtape that year, so if anyone's really desperate to vote for two separate Kreayshawn releases I reckon that should qualify.
 
Another album I've got into since 2012 is minimal wave/darkwave/synthpop gem Linea Aspera.

After it they split, singer Alison Lewis formed Keluar for a few EPs and then went solo as Zanias, which was when I discovered her and worked back through her catalogue. They did a second album a couple of years ago which wasn't as good. I don't love it as much her recent solo work, but since that was still in the future in 2012 I'm sure it'll be on my list this time around.

 
I was still partial to the occasional blow out in 2012. I remember seeing Lone playing this stuff at Corsica - it was decent but the highlight of the night was blasting Legowelt back at my mates house afterwards completely mashed. Gonna listen now while going round Tesco :)
Had to restrain myself when I got to Transformation of the Universe...

 
Big year for Nicki Minaj. If you haven't seen it already, or have forgotten about it, her performance at the 2012 Grammys is worth a watch:




Was trying to think whether 2012 was when Swift did 1989 but turns out that was a bit later, but Red was 2012.
 
This thread has inspired me to somewhat belatedly listen to Cooly G's Playin' Me - a lovely post-dubstep UK soul album that I never quite got around to checking out. It's hitting the spot tonight :cool:

 
Gonna need a ruling...

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This is one of the best albums I own. In the 10+ years since it came out it's never been far from my CD player. One of the best record labels in all music gets remixed by one of the greatest remixers in all music. Over 4 hours of non-stop philly soul, a story of disco from the early 70s to the early 80s, it's breathtakingly amazing, these tunes still melt my heart and move me every time I hear them.

Now, you might think wtf, this is clearly a compilation, but 18 of the 31 tracks are brand new remixes for this comp, never before available in this form, and Tom Moulton knows how to remix a song, turinng them from 3 minute soul songs into sprawling 10 minute plus epics. These are as much Tom Moulton tunes as The O'Jays, Three Degrees or Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.

Do I get to vote for it or not?

I think the question here is not so much what is and is not a compilation but whether remixes are something original.

Just going by the first track (O'Jay's Backstabbers) and comparing it with the original...

I thought the DJ mixes of 2002 or something like John Oswald's Plunderphonics are original because they are putting together different songs in a way that felt like something new. This on the other hand feels like it is revealing something in something old. It's a very interesting remix but it still feels like the original. In a way it's too respectful to be something new even though there are some very interesting sounds in it. I think I'm opening the floodgates to remixed albums in general if this is allowed. So I'm going to say not allowed but we'll make it a special mention compilation.
 
I think the question here is not so much what is and is not a compilation but whether remixes are something original.

Just going by the first track (O'Jay's Backstabbers) and comparing it with the original...

I thought the DJ mixes of 2002 or something like John Oswald's Plunderphonics are original because they are putting together different songs in a way that felt like something new. This on the other hand feels like it is revealing something in something old. It's a very interesting remix but it still feels like the original. In a way it's too respectful to be something new even though there are some very interesting sounds in it. I think I'm opening the floodgates to remixed albums in general if this is allowed. So I'm going to say not allowed but we'll make it a special mention compilation.
No worries - I know I was testing the limits with this, just cos I fucking love this album :)
 
No worries - I know I was testing the limits with this, just cos I fucking love this album :)

It's not a no brainer IMO. A new performance of an approx 20 year old contemporary classical piece that had already been recorded by a different ensemble made the top 20 for 2002. Not only that I voted for it. But is it really that different to the first performance compared to these remixes?

I/We are prejudicing the performer over the guy/gal at the mixing desk. I can't justify that. I might make a ruling on classical releases going forward ie. for 1963 etc.

My feeling is that we should be voting for releases that are genuinely "new" (in a sense that they haven't been released before) from that year and that's what the compilation rule is about. And what is new and what isn't is a bit of judgement call.
 
If you feel like voting for a 1960s girl group as the 2012 album of the year, but are worried you might not be able to because 2012 wasn't in the 1960s, I think Reading Too Much Into Things Like Everything by the School is a decent substitute (and another one that I think only clandestino correctly voted for last time round):
 
Youse philistines who didn't vote for anything twee and whimsical on the 2002 thread can redeem yourselves on this one, cos Allo Darlin released Europe in 2012, a fantastic and heartbreakingly beautiful record that I think got exactly one vote last time around:


Looking it up for this post led to me learn that they've reformed, which is a nice surprise. But their only scheduled gig is in London, and it's sold out, swings and roundabouts.

Just realised it's been moved to a larger venue and isn't sold out. To celebrate, here's the picture from their wikipedia page, which should help them get ska invita's vote:
AlloDarlinSheffield2010.jpg
 
You have to admit the other guitarist with the green-and-green stripy top is a nice subtle touch.
 
The Miami Nights 1984 album clamps a smile on my face and makes me want to dance around the front room. Classic feelgood synthwave.

 
Pye Corner Audio - Sleep Games .

"We don’t want to fight, and we don’t want to compromise. We want to build our own fucking world, and stay there, and the forces of mediocrity and the status quo can fuck off and leave us be. They don’t want what we’re offering, and we don’t want what they have. "

 
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