The Outpost - Best Of 2010

Keep in mind that I'm a broke college student with no funding from the radio station so I didn't get to hear all the releases I wanted to this year. But, these are my 15 favorite things I did hear this year. :)

Best Albums Of 2010
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One.

Eluvium - Static Nocturne 
(Watership Sounds)

Something very different from Matthew Robert Cooper. His "homage to white noise," and what an homage it is! All my favorite sounds - looping piano verses, field recordings of trains and driving rain... One glorious 50 minute song. Easily my favorite release of 2010. Thank you, Mr. Cooper.

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Two.

Ous Mal - Nuojuva Halava 
(Preservation)

An amazing album of dusty analog magic! "Marraskuu" and "Kumiseva" are incredible, two 2010 favorites 'roud The Outpost, and "Merilaulu" deserves mention, too. Every song is a winner.

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Three.

Heather Woods Broderick - From The Ground 
(Preservation)

An absolutely gorgeous debut. Lilting melodies and vocals awash in reverb accompanied by lush guitar, violin, and other instrumentation... Stunning. "For Misty" is a magical nine-minute instrumental piece, one of my favorite tracks of 2010. Yes, only two of the songs on this album are instrumental, but I just love it that much. It had to be on this list.

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Four.

Peter Broderick - Music For A Sleeping Sculpture Of Peter Broderick 
(Slaapwel Records)

I always think about this album in the same thought as Eluvium's Static Nocturne... Music For A Sleeping Sculpture Of Peter Broderick is a twenty-nine minute track written with the intention of lulling the listener to sleep. But even for the active listener there is much to be found in this piece. Voices swell to lovely chords and fade to near silence over and over, until they finally give way to a pensive, sleepy piano. Broderick's charming interspersed spoken-word prose gives me reason to love it even more.

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Five.

Fjordne - The Setting Sun 
(Kitchen)

Somewhere on the WWW, someone said that in days to come, this album will be looked back on as a touchstone in the world of ambient and processed piano music. I am compelled to agree. Absolutely beautiful, from the otherworldly music all the way to the elaborate hard-cover packaging full of rich photography. Like hearing the most beautiful things you've ever seen. Pick this one up if you haven't already.
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Six.

Nils Frahm And Anne Muller - 7fingers 
(Hush Records)

This release surprised me - I hadn't previously realized how well-versed Mr. Frahm is in electronics and programming. A unique blend of electronics/programming and spliced piano and cello. A sure highlight of 2010.

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Seven.

The Moving Dawn Orchestra - Dials 
(Fluid Audio)

Beautiful packaging aside, this release has so much going for it. All four tracks - one for each season - have their own unique feel and atmosphere. One of the best examples of electroacoustic music I've heard. Excuse my genre-ing, but in my mind a defining "electro-acoustic ambient" album.

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Eight.

Peter Broderick And Machinefabriek - Blank Grey Canvas Sky 
(Fangbomb)

Two of our favorite artists got together to create this, and my, my, it is lovely. Every song on this album is a favorite of mine. There's a reason that just before this was released, Peter Broderick said he was more proud of Blank Grey Canvas Sky than anything he has done before. Beautiful.

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Nine.

F.S.Blumm & Nils Frahm - Music For Lovers, Music Versus Time 
(Sonic Pieces)

With every click, skip, beep, and blip, there is a certain charm exuded from this album. "Writing Letters To Myself" was the first song I heard from this album, and is still a favorite of mine, but this is an album of many facets - while "Writing Letters..." is somewhat straight-forward music, other portions of this album are more experimental and "chopped up." One of my favorites, very enjoyable.

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Ten.

Peter Broderick - Music For Congregation (Music For Contemporary Dance) 
(Erased Tapes)

"Part 3: Differences" alone puts this release on the list. Great climactic ending to that track. This guy just keeps getting better and better...

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Eleven.

Eluvium - Similes 
(Temporary Residence Limited)

Eluvium's first album with vocals. Although this caused a minor upheaval among Eluvium devotees, many thought it to be a landmark album for Matthew Cooper, an example of a great dream pop record. They can think whatever they want, but to me, Similes is just another impressive addition to the Eluvium canon. "Weird Creatures" is stunning, a 2010 favorite track here at The Outpost.

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Twelve.

Aaron Martin - Night Erased Them All 
(Sonic Meditations)

Music made for listening while driving alone in the dead of night. I took a drive one night to experience this music the way Aaron Martin intended - chilling and beautiful.

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Thirteen.

Sophie Hutchings - Becamled 
(Preservation)

Sophie Hutchings' debut album, filled with what are mostly solo piano recordings of great beauty. Moving and deep. An artist to watch in the years to come.

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Fourteen.

:papercutz - Do Outro Lado Do Espelho 
(Audiobulb)

An impressive remix album with an equally impressive list of contributing artists. Helios, Simon Scott, Taylor Deupree, Rameses III, Jasper TX... Fantastic remixes of songs from a fantastic album (Lylac by :papercutz).

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Fifteen.

Efterklang - Magic Chairs
(4AD)


While not instrumental, Efterklang is one of our favorite bands. The sound atmospheres they constructed on past albums are fascinating, and while Magic Chairs leans more toward pop music than any of their previous work, it still manages to intrigue me. And it's just so catchy... Glimmers of genius here, folks

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Best Mini-Albums/EPs

   

1. Peter Broderick - Three Film Score Intakes (Schedios)

2. ibreathefur - Phosphenes (Audio Gourmet)

3. Clem Leek - Snow Tale (Experimedia)

4. Rameses III - For Jose Maria (Under The Spire)

5. Rumour Cubes - We Have Sound Houses Also (Self-Released)

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Honorable Mentions (In No Particular Order)

Nils Frahm - The Bells (Erased Tapes/Kning Disk)

Olafur Arnalds - ...And They Escaped The Weight Of Darkness (Erased Tapes)

Peter Broderick - How They Are (Hush/Bella Union)
The Sleep Design - All That Is Not Music Is Silence

Max Ricther -Infra (FatCat Records)

Clem Leek - Holly Lane (Hibernate)

MinionTV - MinionTV (Self-Released)

Johann Johannsson - And In The Endless Pause There Came The Sound Of Bees (2010 Re-Release) (Touch Records) 

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(2010 Releases I Still Need To Hear)
Field Rotation - Licht Und Schatten
Hauschka - Foreign Landscapes
ibreathefur - Everyday You Look Different
Jaga Jazzist - One-Armed Bandit
Marcus Fisher - Monocoastal
Maserati - Pyramid Of The Sun
Padang Food Tigers - Born Music
Polar Bears - Peepers
Seaworthy + Matt Rosner - Two Lakes
Simon Scott - Traba
Slow Six - Tomorrow Becomes You
Solo Andata - Solo Andata
Taylor Deupree - Shoals

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What a great year for music! 
And so much to look forward to in 2011...