Best of 2010

I was inspired to approach my chart a bit differently this year. For the past couple of years my coverage has slowly shifted to local labels and artists. With that in mind, my main chart this year focuses on labels and artists associated with Chicago and Detroit. I decided to group Hieroglyphic Being’s six CD-R releases and six vinyl +++ releases(!), even though each explores a different theme. They are all quite good and reflect an amazing body of work. Scroll down for experimental releases from a more worldwide perspective.

Albums (Chicago/Detroit)

1. Theo Parrish: Sketches (Sound Signature)
2. VA: Vibes: New & Rare Music (Rush Hour Recordings)
3. Hieroglyphic Being [interview]
   • ANKH (Music from Mathematics)
   • Compositeurs sans Frontières (Music from Mathematics)
   • Conversations in an Analog Dialect (Galaxy Studio Sessions 2004) (Music from Mathematics)
   • 4 She Is the Acid & I Am the Frequency (Music from Mathematics)
   • Free the Energy (Music from Mathematics)
   • The Sun Man Speaks (Music from Mathematics)
4. Urban Tribe: Urban Tribe (Mahogani Music)
5. Robert Hood: Omega (M-Plant) [interview]
6. Chicago Skyway: Wreckage (Eargasmic Recordings)
7. Echospace: Liumin (Modern Love) [interview]
8. Tevo Howard: Crystal Republic (Hour House Is Your Rush Records)
9. Aux 88: Black Tokyo (Puzzlebox Records)

Experimental, Ambient, IDM

1. Aybee: Ancient Tones (Further Records)
2. The Black Dog: Music for Real Airports (Soma Quality Recordings)
3. Shed: The Traveller (Ostgut Ton)
4. VHS Head: Trademark Ribbons of Gold (Skam)
5. Autechre: Oversteps (Warp Records)
6. Autechre: Move of Ten (Warp Records)
7. Proem: Enough Conflict (n5MD)
8. Plant43: Burning Decay (Ai Records)
9. Wolfgang Voigt: Freiland Klaviermusik (Profan)
10. Thomas Fehlmann: Gute Luft (Kompakt)

EPs (Chicago/Detroit)

1. Alex.O.Smith: “Plesetsk Cosmodrome” (FXHE Records)
2. Keith Worthy: Moments in Rhythm Vol. 2 (Aesthetic Audio)
3. Hieroglyphic Being: +++ 01-06
4. Kai Alcé: Dirty South Dirt (FXHE Records)
5. Kyle Hall: “Kaychunk” / “You Know What I Feel” (Hyperdub)
6. Ron Trent: Altered States Sampler (Prescription Classic Recordings)
7. Reggie Dokes: House Is My Soul EP (Ojo De Apolo)
8. Steve Tang: The Verged Sessions (Aesthetic Audio)
9. Noleian Reusse: Black Tekno EP (Love What You Feel)
10. Urban Tribe: Loyal Opposition (Planet E)

Reissues

1. Virgo [Four]: Virgo (Rush Hour Recordings) [interview]
2. Syl Johnson: Complete Mythology (Numero Group)
3. Joshua Iz: It Iz What It Was (Vizual Records)
4. VA: Cold Waves & Minimal Electronics Vol. 1 (Angular Recording Corporation)
5. VA: Deutsche Elektronische Musik (Soul Jazz)