10. Tetuzi Akiyama/Martin Ng | Oimacta | Improvised Music From Japan
The Improvised Music From Japan label is all over the place, from noise to more straight-forward free jazz to blippy random electronics to this, slow tasty drones. What is really astounding about this album is the instrumentation. How exactly do you make a drone record with an acoustic guitar, and turntable. But we aren’t here to discuss the how, just the what, and what this is, is subtle and sublime. Low rumbling drones with scraping glassy shards of high end nearly piercing your eardrums. Definitely a work out for your audio taste buds.

9. Tower Recordings | The Galaxies’ Incredibly Sensual Transmission Field Of | Communion
In a year where “freak folk” was championed by the press, despite many average releases from many veterans, long time members of the scene Tower Recordings released one of their best albums to date. Walking a fine line between improvised and composed, the tracks on this album find an ensemble of players more in tune with each other than the Borg, this album sits on the blues/folk end of the spectrum with great guitar licks and sparse layers of percussion, melodica, vocals, and whatever else they could drag into the church they recorded in.

8. Harold Budd | Avalon Sutra | Samadhi Sound
Long time Eno collaborator Harold Budd has released what he claims will be his last album, which if true, is very sad, but he’s left with a huge bang. Improvised piano pieces then layered with strings and reeds. Quiet, calm, and beautiful like the flower gardens pictured on the sleeve. And as an added bonus, label mate Akira Rabelais, has provided a 70 minute remix of one of the tracks that you are more apt to hit repeat at the end, than stop half way through.

7. Radio India: The Eternal Dream Of Sound | Sublime Frequencies
I admit it. I’ve never been to India. Maybe that’s why I love this album so. To me I can only fathom this is what it would be like to be in a cab in India where the cabby is constantly changing the radio station so you get to hear a bit of everything. Tradition Indian folk music, classical, pop, Bollywood themes, ads, interviews, news, and everything in between. Masterfully pieced together by Alan Bishop of the Sun City Girls.

6. The Double | Palm Fronds | Catsup Plate
When I read about this album it sounded great, then I heard it and wasn’t very impressed at first, but something kept me returning to it. It’s pseudo-lo-fi production makes for some really great sounds not heard on your average pop album. Screaming fuzzed out lead guitars, huge bass thuds, drum machine beats, backwards loops and waves of noise. After repeated listening it turns out that this album is far from lo-fi and is meticulously assembled by a pack geeks set loose in the studio.

5. Sonic Youth | Sonic Nurse | Geffen
Over 20 years into their career as a band and they have produced their most solid album in the last half of that time. Let's face it, the 90’s were a bit hit and miss for these guys but after Sonic Nurse they can feel free to put out crap for another 10 years. “Nurse” has some of the best guitar interplay since before Sonic Youth signed to Geffen. When the instrumental interlude in ‘Pattern Recognition’ is able to sum up the last 20 years of Sonic Youth perfectly, how can you argue with the awesomeness of the album.

4. Birchville Cat Motel | Beautiful Speck Triumph | Last Visible Dog
More slow epic ambient to sooth you through the cold winter nights. Perfect for those of us with short tempers, the 20 minute sound fields that Campbell Kneale creates on this album will calm you right down. It’s like being back home in Saskatchewan watching a storm travel across the plains, waiting for it to arrive, but it’s so far that it takes half the day.

3. Arthur Russell | Calling Out Of Context | Audika
Arthur Russell made more waves this year, over ten years since his death, than he did when he was actively recording. Thanks to Audika & Soul Jazz, Arthur is getting the credit he deserved for his unique cello usage and pure and honest voice. “Calling Out”, a collection of unreleased tracks from around 1985, is the perfect mix of 80’s chill dance beats, reverb, and the most heart felt vocals. Sunday morning dance floor tunes.

2. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti 2 | The Doldrums | Paw Tracks
Like finding one of your Dad’s mix tapes he made off the radio from before you were born. So lo-fi it’s hard to believe someone would release it, but there in lies its’ charm. Not to mention some of the best pop hooks of the year, which can only come from the deranged lunacy found in basement tape projects. That could also explain the vocal percussion and extensive collection of self-released material.

1. Deathprod | Morals & Dogma | Rune Grammofon
With a name like Deathprod, you expect something dark, but in case the name doesn’t clue you in, the all black packaging will. Helge Sten, electronics guru behind Norway’s Supersilent wants to help you remember all the saddest moments of your life and keep you there for a good 20 minutes. But don’t be scared, this isn’t an intervention; this is therapy, slowly soothing your soul and spirit to help you deal with the sorrow and suffering in the world.