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The Album Leaf
A Lily
Anja Garbarek
Antena
Arovane
Apparat
Autechre
B. Fleischmann
Bang Gang
Bark Psychosis
Blindfold
Bowery Electric
The Blue Nile
Boards of Canada
Broadcast
Caroline Lavelle
Calexio/Iron & Wine
cEvin Key
Chris Herbert
Client
Cranes
Cranes
Curium
Devotchka
Devics
Disinterested
Efterklang
Elysian Fields
Fennesz
Film School
Fovea Hex
Geniuser
Gridlock
Halloween, Alaska
Halou
Harold Budd +
Robin Guthrie
John Foxx/Harold Budd
Helios
Invisible Ballet
Isan
Isan
In Gowan Ring
Johann Johannsson
Julien Neto
July Skies
July Skies
Junior Boys
The Knife
Kuchen Meets Mapstation
The Late Cord
Low
M83
Manual
Manual
Marconi Union
Marsen Jules
Mark Hollis
Mark Lanegan
Milosh
Moose
Mount Sims
Murcof
The Necks
Nine Horses
No-Man
No-Man
Notwist
Oil 10
Park Avenue Music
Phelan Sheppard
Piano Magic
Piano Magic
Pieter Nooten
Populous
Psapp
R/R Coseboom
Red Sparowes
Robin Guthrie
Robin Guthrie
Romulo Froes
Sadovaja
Sigur Ros
Slowdive
Steindor Andersen
& Sigur Ros
Styrofoam
Sufjan Stevens
Susana & The Magical Orchestra
Susumu Yokota
& Rothko
Sybarite
Talk Talk
Thom Yorke
Tim Hecker
Tram
The Whitest Boy Alive
Worm Is Green
Xela
Yasume

		The Album Leaf In a Safe Place At times, this album just really helps, morning, day or night. Mostly when working. Just a simple, lovely, mellow album. The fact that there are no vocals, really is key. Just don't imagine 70's TV shows and you will love it as much as I do. -MERKUR3

		a lily \| 2006 wake:sleep A stunning album. Light, dense, organic and so full of love, it's contagious. The first half of the album is like morning pieces -light streaming in through the windows, waking you up with clicks, whirs, and glorious melodies. While the second half of the album are like time shifts, so long and pure and comforting me to sleep. James Vella has a knack for these organic textures, regardless of instrumentation, and the melodies woven throughout stick in my mind for days. If you want some warmth and love in your life, then by all means pick this one up. -MERKUR3

		Anja Garbarek Smiling and Waving So, she has 3 albums now and all are quite stunning, but this one is the most interesting. What a magnificent combination of inventiveness and candor. It is very complex, but comes off feeling very simple. It doesn't come off as trying too hard, and that humility is what makes this album superb. -MERKUR3

		Antena \| Numero , 2005 Camino Del Sol \| listen \| Antena have been likened to Kraftwerk backing Brazilian chanteuse Astrud Gilberto. Warm analog synths wash across simple Latin-flavored drum-machine syncopations while understated female vocals float in and out of harpsichord filigrees. Noir-ish production values add a Martin Hannet-type feel to the recordings. Beautiful moments like the title track evoke warm, fuzzy memories of perfect vacations, beaches, and sunsets. This French trio was formed in 1981 and disbanded in 1983. The collection contains the re-mastered version of their self-produced LP, an EP, and a few odd singles. Quiet yet groundbreaking, the work was originally released on the Belgian label Les Disques Du Crepuscule which later joined with Factory Records to form the Factory Benelux imprint. During their brief existence, the band never attracted their due attention and before this 2005 release, they seemed destined to remain a musical footnote. Recorded over twenty years ago, the album still sounds current, vital, and hip. You can hear echoes of Antena's influence in the work of Stereolab, Bebel Gilberto, and Beck. If you enjoy this, also check out Isabelle Antenna's beautiful solo works.. Marmelzod

		Arovane Lilies Influenced by a trip to Japan, this sweet album doesn't disappoint. It's like a gentler, kinder version of Haujobb. Great music to drive through new cities with. Light yet dense, well-crafted electronic wanderings. Really quite perfect. -MERKUR3

		Apparat \| 2003 Duplex Even though this is a couple of years old, it still seems ahead of it's time. Duplex is an album that reeks of many long late-night/morning edits, yet still somehow contains a great amount of heart. Mostly light and detailed instrumentals, the few tracks with vocals 'Wooden', and 'Contradiction' seem to balance out the epic graciousness of the album. fans of Yasume and Isan will certainly appreciate this, if they don't already have it!. -MERKUR3

		Autechre Amber As time goes on, the further out they get, and I give them credit for that. But I really just love Amber. It's beautiful, timeless, clean, organic and modern. Dark, yes, but only just. It's a toss up on which is better between this and Incunabula. -MERKUR3

		B. Fleischmann Humbucking Coil Jeez, this album is excellent. Just what I needed, actually. A step further than his previous albums which were fun but a little too sketch-like for me to love. But this one has just a perfect mix of simple electric bass and guitar and his usual wizardry at catchy, electronic goodness. Sounding playful without getting dippy is a very hard thing to do. -MERKUR3

		Bang Gang Something Wrong This album is a little eclectic, sometimes steering towards 'alternative' like Arab Strap, but I really like the more "Icelandic" and glitchy moments. It all does have a certain purity or innocence, actually. It is pure and gorgeous, and perhaps that is why I can't stop listening to it. Don't let its high-polish sheen distract you. -MERKUR3

		Bark Psychosis ///Codename:Dustsucker Though "Dustsucker" is the last, great effort of a posthumous band, released a decade after their breakout album from 1994, you'll find no evidence of this terminal nature in the Bark Psychosis sound. Underwater dream-pop, carefully tended like hedges of perfect orchestration are marked throughout, lending a rich, very human and very vulnerable feel to an astoundingly organic suite of music. If Slowdive were a bit more dynamic, if Low had a touch of jazz and just a bit more reverb, the hypnotic effects of this album would perhaps not be so unique. Taken on its own, however, one could not do better than to quote Pitchfork's testimony that "Dustsucker" is very much a beautiful shell "filled with huge, billowing clouds of resonance". -LEE RYAN

		Blindfold Blind Calm Some of you might be aware of all the beautiful music coming out of Iceland these days. The music always seems to reflect the landscape, and Blindfold is no exception. A side project by AMPOP member Biggi, this excellent album came out in August 2005 and deserves more attention. With longing and nostalgia, it makes you stare into the fire for hours.-MERKUR3

		Bowery Electric Beat Out of the mid-1990s trip-hop exodus drifted Bowery Electric, a two-piece rippled blanket of crispness and warmth from Brooklyn. 'Beat' takes the formulaic staccato that many hip-hop and electronica projects utilize, but filters them through a sieve of subtle genius. You won't always know where the line between organic and electronic lies - the loops and grinds are slow, steady, and driving, and the ever-fading voice of Martha Schwendener blows through on the wind like the spray from a rain-slicked intersection. These are urban hypnotics at their best, mesmeric and groovy in all the right places. -FUNKYPLAID

		The Blue Nile Hats I'm not sure I believe Paul Buchanan when he says that the Blue Nile takes 5 years to make a record due to intense quality control. However, the songs themselves do have a timelessness that is undeniable. This, their finest moment, is a record that I will probably never be without. Evoking the subtle melancholy of a rainy night but never sounding hopeless or sad. Contemporary and classic all at once.-WALKING WOUNDED

		Boards of Canada Twoism Simple, peeling, nostalgic and slouching. These eight songs encapsulate a whole era of perfect, beautiful, odd music that never happened - as if in an absinthe stupor. Mellow is the word, in a good way. I think this is on the required listening list for Modern Ambient 101. -MERKUR3

		Broadcast \| Warp, 2006 The Future Crayon \| listen \| This is a collection of B-sides and rarities from a band sometimes unfairly looked upon as Stereolab's little sister. Unlike Stereolab's more recent music, which can at times feel over-thought and devoid of emotion, Broadcast maintain a naivety and quiet humility which help the listener traverse its noisier experiments. When in pop mode, Broadcast melt bittersweet pop melodies (a la Claudine Longet or Nancy Sinatra) across pulsing Kraut/Jazz rhythms, strange electronics, and growling hypno organs. At times, Broadcast seem to draw from 70s experimental space pop groups like United States of America, as well as the darker electro oscillations of Canada's Silver Apples, but throughout this collection, Broadcast manage to channel the future as much as the past. Later in the album, jazz/noise improvisations confront and challenge the timid, but the band's sense of charm and restraint keep it all from becoming too retro or self-indulgent. A few rare moments come off as sketches, experiments, or unfinished business, but the melancholic beauty of tracks like 'Locusts', 'Unchanging Window', and 'Poem of Dead Song' draws me back again and again. Tender imperfections and clever production keeps you engaged and discovering new things with each listen. This is the sound of Karen Carpenter dancing with Sun Ra off the shoulder of Orion, and is one of my favorite releases of 2006. Marmelzod

		Caroline Lavelle \| N-Gram Recordings \| 1995 Spirit File this album in the “sorry if you missed it” section. Caroline’s deep, almost husky, very unusual voice and cello are framed and flattered by the deft production of William Orbit. High points on the album include 'Dreams of Picasso', with eerily sexual lyrics about Picasso visiting Caroline in a dream and a cover of Joni Mitchell's 'A Case of You', which makes me wish to never hear the original again. . -LADY IN SATIN

		Calexico/Iron & Wine \| Touch and Go \| 2005 In the Reins Joey Burns' West meets Sam Beam's East to form the very definition of Americana Gothic. It's really a wonder these two didn't meet sooner, for their seven-song EP is a natural synthesis. Gentle, driving acoustic guitar with bends and slides conjures a country feel but with a much darker core. One would expect to run across these guys playing in a lonely tequila joint somewhere just east of Santa Fe – and their lyrical stories are fitting for a chat at the bar afterward.- FUNKYPLAID

		cEvin Key The Ghost of Each Room Legendary sound-bender Key left listeners awestruck with this chemically-enhanced odyssey into the mind of a mad genius. He demonstrates astonishing command over poly-rhythmic noise sculptures, welding a junkyard heap of reverbed clatter and crunchy clomps; tricked out robo-twitches and painstaking percussive tangents. Everything but the kitchen sink, yet unlike many of his IDM contemporaries, it isn't just noodling for the sake of noodling. The flow is nearly broken with the Skinny Puppy reunion track "Frozen Sky", which sounds more like a pleasant B-Side than a solo effort. Still, Ghost provides a much-needed fix for electronic connoisseurs. -WALKING WOUNDED

		Chris Herbert \| Kranky 2006 Mezzotint \| listen \| I was in Smallfish buying a few Type releases when Mike Oliver suggested that I might like this. Turned out to be an understatement. Such a biotic combination of familiar sounds. Sleepy but intent, gorgeous and scientific, this ambient/experimental metroscape of an album is constantly revealing new angles and shows a great adult understanding - with glitchy film-track moments and pondering mystery. This album brings out the need to be particular and thoughtful. Goes good with a 12-year DoubleWood Balvenie and a dear friend.. Merkur3

		Client Client Self-prescribed "sleaze-electro" vixens tantalize with pared down old school jams featuring the meanest Cockney-coated hooks this side of Ladytron. Perhaps written off as the last gasp of the electroclash fad, this sexy slice of noir pop fell mostly on deaf ears. Like a sinister score to a wet nightmare, Client leaves you aching for more. -WALKING WOUNDED

		Cranes Particles and Waves It feels like Cranes have grown up. This album has the same sadness and heartfelt longing that marks some of what I love about them. Except this time, it is timid, kind, wise, and understanding. I don't know what else to say except this is just quite a lovely, lovely album.-MERKUR3

		Cranes Loved Certainly the highlight and the most representative album of Cranes' dark-experimental background, 'Loved' was also the most perfect release from their tenure on Dedicated. While the popular single from this darling gem was the hard, beat-driven 'Lilies', the beauty of 'Loved' lies in the droning lullabies that create an envelope of underwater-warmth around the listener, a la 'Bewildered', 'Come This Far', and 'In the Night'. Finding a quiet acceptance in being unable to grasp the past, Alison Shaw whispers secrets into your ear that carry hopes and promises for the future; vulnerability and a celebration of having loved, but lost now amidst the relentless tide of age. FUNKYPLAID

		Curium Aember Another one of my all-time favorites. Sweet and pure but with such longing and mystery. Its pristine, uncomplicated and easy without being trite. Currently it is unreleased and only available from Curium's site, but hopefully will be released next year. -MERKUR3

		Devics The Stars at St. Andrea Possibly the most beautiful album of 2003, Devics left behind their earlier, derivative roots and journeyed to Italy to craft this masterpiece. Soft, somber, and lilting, Dustin O'Halloran sets up a translucent backdrop of guitar, piano, synthesizer, and percussion to let Sara Lov's mournful and dreamy lyrics creep up and down the bars, paralyzing and probing all the way. You simply must listen, hanging on her words, looking for a resolution. Signed to Simon Raymonde's excellent Bella Union label, 'The Stars at St. Andrea' is both an emotional roller coaster and a rich, wistful treat. FUNKYPLAID

		DeVotchka \| Cicero \| 2004 How it ends If this band is not the best band in America, they are certainly in the top ten. How it Ends is that beautiful kind of moody music that comes along so rarely, that familiar kind of brooding that makes your sadness seem almost sweet. It is rich stuff; not punk, but punk. Not Slavic, and, yet, Slavic. Not indie, but totally, totally indie. A brilliant, must-have album; call it the Disintegration of this decade. -LADY IN SATIN

		Disinterested The Past is Never Far This unexpectedly beautiful album has really stuck with me. It's simple and sparse, lush and calming. Very nice ambient-guitar shoe-gazer dusty-landscapes by Tresspasser guitarist Matt Brown. The guest vocals add a nice variation and perhaps that is why I keep on playing this gem. -MERKUR3

		Efterklang \| leaf \| 2004 Tripper Denmark's premiere electronic conglomerate create something very special on Tripper, a deep, pristine vista of drawn strings and crackling synth, layered with male and female voices throughout. The quiet times within build to crashing crescendos of simultaneous reverberant electro-harmonics and exaltant orchestration like something out of a science-fiction religious ceremony. The angelic chanting on the album's second track, 'Swarming', might as well be the representative choir for the Church of Technology. These songs, however, are hymnals for a new generation.-FUNKYPLAID

		Elysian Fields The Dreams that Breathe Your Name If I could choose one sultry chanteuse to lull me into slumber every night with her lusty, whispered tales of mermaids, shooting stars, and mesmeric meetings between love-struck strangers, Jennifer Charles would be my siren for life. She spins her tales with all the sensual acuity of warm honey, and I can't concentrate on much else when Elysian Fields is on. I listen, enfolded, looking for the next line to slide out from between her lips, and I melt into her dramas. Backed coquettishly against the masterful arrangements of Oren Bloedow, this dusky, gin-riddled lounge-cabaret stunner needs to be held aloft to give the mainstream an injection of artistry and emotion. Enjoy with a nice mixed drink and a warm friend very close by. FUNKYPLAID

		Fennesz Venice I had been mildly intrigued by Christian Fennesz for some time by the time I picked up this one. Admittedly, the gorgeously simple cover (so typical of Touch) did a lot to convince me of purchasing the album. I'm so glad I did. This record uses texture in the way that others use lyrical prosody or performance dynamics to satisfy the ear. Blurring the line between guitar and laptop has never sounded this good to my ears. -LEE RYAN

		Film School \| beggars Banquet \| 2006 Film School The massive production of Film School's second album, as well as its washed, shimmery guitars and pressing drumbeats, conjures a younger blend of The Cure and Interpol, but to some degree, these San Franciscans are more edgy than both of their contemporaries. Making optimistic pop songs with moody, self-loathing undertones is Film School's specialty, which is in itself just a prelude to their breadth of sound and skill. Also touching on psychedelia, shoegazer, and punk, all within the course of one album, the band will keep you guessing, nodding your head, and shamelessly pushing the play button rapidly in succession .-FUNKYPLAID

		Fovea Hex \| Die Stadt \| 2006 Huge: Neither Nor Remain Silent Two 'Huge' is 20 minutes of haunting loveliness from the mysterious collective that is Fovea Hex. The second short release of the three-part Neither Speak Nor Remain Silent project, Huge contains all the instrumentation, drama, and swelling aural poetry of any ambient full-length. Vocalist Clodagh Simonds is more of an instrument than a singer, and her terse lyrical possessions drift in and out of the rich, primeval electronic droning like a siren's call. One would be hard-pressed to categorize Fovea Hex's music as anything more than small, lush gems of beauty. But as their label, Jenet Records, claims, "if you must bang on the table like that, you won't hear a thing". -FUNKYPLAID

		Geniuser Mud Black The album title is so appropriate I can't imagine a better one. It's a dark and mellow album, and kind of a downer, but in a really comforting healthy way. Featuring Michael Allen (the singer from the amazing Wolfgang Press). It's a dark glassed soho club/lounge with dark wall and candlelight. You just don't know what will happen there and it's O.K. Very Lynch in experience, you just don't really know what's going on under the skin of it all. -MERKUR3

		Gridlock \| PEDRAGON , 1999 Further Pendragon alumni Gridlock [both band and label now defunct] eclipsed themselves with this exquisitely unfurled industrial symphony. The material summons a classical aura placed in a distinctly futuristic framework -- lending gravitas to a Gibson-esque cyberpunk wasteland. Key track "Sever" pummels your senses with a bone-quaking pulse. The sadistic sonance is tempered with hovering ambient filigree -- a fusion of elements that set this Bay area duo apart from the pack. Never aimless, always compelling -- Gridlock foreshadowed a rhythmic noise revolution.-WALKING WOUNDED

		Halloween, Alaska Halloween, Alaska Some things arrive in the strangest ways and are all the better for it. I had heard nothing from or about this until it was generously given to me by a friend. Containing eight thoughtfully atmospheric pop songs, this album builds on fairly arcane 80s touchstones and achieves something truly unique and timeless. Even the Bruce Springsteen cover here works beautifully. -LEE RYAN

		Halou Wiser 'Wiser' is the second full-length release from this talented Northern California trio, an incredibly masterful descent into gorgeous, dynamic electronic music blended with live strings and powerful percussion. Rebecca Coseboom's vocals are full of love and light, like open arms that offer a soft respite from the creeping dusk, and the deep, labyrinthine valleys and exploding peaks of technical brilliance in their songcraft reach out and pluck you from your daily routine. This is music that makes you sit up and take notice, and you're guaranteed to read it again and again like a favorite book. FUNKYPLAID

		Harold Budd + Robin Guthrie \| 2005 Music from the Film Mysterious Skin I can't tell you how happy I was to finally get to listen to more music from these two masterful gentlemen. How many of us longed for more of 'Moon and the Melodies?' Since so much time had passed since they had put out a release together, I tried not to have too many expectations. I love Robin's Imperial, and this album is even lovlier. Very smooth, and gorgeous. Some of it still gives me chills, really. The whole album feels so effortless for both of them and all the power to them. Thank you Harold and Robin for more of your selves.-MERKUR3

		John Foxx/Harold Budd \| Edsel Records 2003 Translucence + Drift Music \| listen \| I was apprehensive when I first heard about this on Echoes, but now I see that it's one of those few albums that stands out from a person's catalog, completely and in all ways magnificent. Granted, there have been a few of John Foxx's albums over the past fifteen years that I just can't listen to (sorry, John!), but I just can't get enough of this one. Aptly named, these are two CDs of perfect, mysterious, velvety ambient music. Translucence is mostly composed of Harold Budd's exquisite piano timing that (thankfully) manages to never get Windham Hill-ish, which is more of what I always love. Drift Music is exactly that: great Rothko-like sweeps of sound; shimmering, amoebic loveliness. Might be life-altering with opium.. merkur3

		Helios \| Type, 2006 Eingya Helios, like Ulrich Schnauss before him, takes a pretty standard musical form and makes it new again simply by doing it so spot-on. This record redefines what the modern ambient pop record should be - melodic, atmospheric, and multi-textural. Eingya would be nowhere near as great if it did not contain so much organic instrumentation and actual live performances. As it is, this record is one of the rare ones that can both soothe and excite you. -LEE RYAN

		Invisible Ballet \| nilaihah, 2006 Escaping Light Incandescent, larger-than-life electro-pop from Cosebooms Ryan and Rebecca [of Halou fame]. The irresistible "66 Degrees North" is a floor-killer infused with ethereal feminine grace. The pair's method eschews the redundancy of vocal trance and the pretentious brooding of EBM, carving its own niche within the scene. The fresh angle is enhanced by smooth, sensual intonations -- between Madame Coseboom and Victoria Lloyd [Claire Voyant], California has the market cornered for alt. pop divas. At times the mega-watt bass threatens to swallow her nuanced performance, but balance is maintained for the most part. Flair for melodic construction is most apparent on the dazzling "I Am Right", featuring an unrestrained, driving rhythm and an exultant chorus that catapults to the stars. Polished, tuneful, addictive -- and not a weak one in the bunch. -WALKING WOUNDED

		Isan Meet Next Life This is one of my favourite albums. Its delicate and sweet, well crafted but not innocent. Kind of like a small bottle of Bastor Lamontagne Sauterne. It seems it should be thestandard of the genre. If only I could figure out what that genre is. If you can come up with one, please let me know. -MERKUR3

		Isan \| 2006 Plans Drawn in Pencil The masters of tweetronic do it again. With this new album to stack on top of their other great albums, you can now listen isan all day long and feel good all over all day. Light-hearted yet somehow deep, enriched by soundscape pieces like 'Immoral Architecture' and 'Stickland' amoungst the clips and smirks of 'Corundum' and the lovely 'Roadrunner.' I can't recommend this one enough. -MERKUR3

		In Gowan Ring The Twin Trees Perhaps the most truly talented artist in the neo-folk scene, B'eirth of In Gowan Ring is a not merely a minstrel and a troubadour, a prophet and a living poem. Featuring resonant drones, hand-made instruments, and warmly-quiet vocal pieces, his songs reek heavily of time and place, infusing stories of the natural with the supernatural and holding up the spiritual (or meta-spiritual) string that connects us with our surroundings. With closed-eyes and a nearly magical effect, B'eirth invokes the vocal confluence of David Tibet and Nick Drake, tempered by a gravity and creativeness all his own. I learn something arcane and feel something special every time I listen to this band.FUNKYPLAID

		Johann Johannsson Englaborn This album sounds so inevitable. The coupling of light electronics with neo-chamber-music elements just works. Johann's compositional style is very contemporary and 'pop'-influenced, but he speaks in classical tongues and it is a joy to listen to the results. This record has long served as my bedtime soundtrack and was largely the musical pulse of our trip to Iceland a couple years back. Considering he produced the contrasting 'Dis' shortly after demonstrates that he is functioning at a high level. -LEE RYAN

		Julien Neto Les Fumeur de Ciel Type records is getting better and better it seems, and perhaps this album did it for me. It's a perfect mix of Satie-tenderness and Morr Music-like glitch. It's a soundtrack to a nonexistent movie that I wish I'd seen. It is calm and slightly melodramatic, but somehow justifiably so. -MERKUR3

		July Skies Dreaming of Spires If you are ever looking for green, billowy landscapes to wander on while falling asleep, this is your train there. It's a gentle and slow train, a beautiful, old well-loved train with big windows and all the seats facing backwards. My favourite daily commuter. Meet you there. -MERKUR3

		July Skies \| make Mine \| 2006 Where the Days Go It’s like this: if you liked the other two, you’re going to like this one. It’s not that they haven’t grown – we’ll say they're consistent. Lovely guitars, shimmering ambience, heart-tugging chord modulations – it’s all there! Additionally, this album, as all July Skies albums to date, features a stunning M. Anderson cover. My personal recommendation: put all three albums in one folder on your iPod and hit shuffle. Delicious!. -LADY IN SATIN

		Junior Boys \| Domino, 2006 So This Is Goodbye On their second record, Junior Boys dispense with anything that isn't totally necessary. The negative space in between every demented arpeggio and rhythmic gasp works brilliantly to get this record seriously swinging. Halfway into the opener 'Double Shadow' I was totally won over. 'Last Exit' was a great record, but this one is essential - no doubt it will be featured on many, many top 10 lists come end of year. Pick it up for sure. -LEE RYAN

		The Knife \| MUTE, 2006 Silent Shout Siblings Olof and Karin Dreijer buck techno-pop conventions, releasing a progressive piece of melodious magic. These elegantly skewed fairytales present a range of characters enacted by the punk yelps, garbled rumbles and possessed whoops of our narrator. Swarming synth patterns and huge amped claps punctuate the misty sonic moors, as sounds split and multiply in the periphery. The journey culminates with "Marble House", a majestic masquerade exalted by the bewitching croon of fellow Swede, Jay-Jay Johanson. The year's best, without a doubt.. -WALKING WOUNDED

		Kuchen Meets Mapstation Kuchen Meets Mapstation A wonderful fusion of pretty and clever. Mellow, innovative and optimistically pensive. This makes some of the best background music with its cut-up gentle guitars and warm electronics. Damn, where did the afternoon go? -MERKUR3

		The Late Cord \| 4AD, 2006 Lights From The Wheelhouse Right up there amongst my favorite records of the past 12 months is this low-profile collaboration between the two eclectic multi-instrumentalists, Micah P Hinson and John-Mark Lapham. Everything about this stunning - and stunningly brief - releases feels worn-in and timeless. The atmospheric incidentals give the more musical elements a pastoral richness and make for a truly unique and beautiful whole. I simply couldn't like this any more than I do.. -LEE RYAN

		Low Long Division Over the course of the last ten years, Low has passed into that lexicon of strange, noisy pop music that bands like Yo La Tengo, Flaming Lips and Sonic Youth have been part of for years. During this time, they've gradually turned up the volume (and the tempos) but I find that this, their second album, is the one I reach for most often. Building on the solid foundation of their debut, I Could Live In Hope, Long Division feels more focused, more complex, and ultimately more rewarding upon further listening. -LEE RYAN

		M83 Before The Dawn Heals Us Deep space synth opera that owes as much to Kevin Shields as it does Roger Waters. Wheezy electronics, sweeping choral arrangements and guitar fuzz play like Air's tripped out younger brother. M83's celestial charm is best demonstrated on the more traditional indie single "Don't Save Us From The Flames" and "Farewell/Goodbye", in which billowing aural vapors weave in and out of consciousness. Before The Dawn is like an ethereal soundtrack to your best flying dream. -WALKING WOUNDED

		Manual Ascend Somehow, it all comes back to this. How many times can I say 'beautiful' and 'glorious'? Dreamy, inspiring and even tender. I think this is the quintessential post-New-Romantic album of all time. Shimmery, bold and even tragically post-optimistic. If more people felt the way this album feels, the world would be a glorious place. I love it, I love it , I love it. There.-MERKUR3

		Manual \| 2006 Bajamar Speaking of Manual, this time he's shifted away from the rhythm oriented work of the likes of Ulrich Schnauss and has done a mesmerizing album of ambient wonder. It has the stunning longing that Manual is famous for, and its calmness is somehow startling. Nice long pieces that drone like a hot summer evening, but never get stagnant. Bajamar seems so reminiscent of Ivo Watts Russel's earlier sensibilities, it could have been on 4AD if they ever did ambient.-MERKUR3

		Marconi Union Distance For some reason this album seems so grown up. Masterfully made, extraordinary musicianship, and mellow without being stoner. On Harold Budd's label, All Saints, this concept album of travel does well to listen to while waiting in an airport, on the train, or, as they suggest, in a car at night with with the windows up. Truly a golden album.-MERKUR3

		Marsen Jules \| City Centre Offices 2006 Les Fleurs \| listen \| Cinematic, definitely, but for carefully shot reels. The kind of stills that reveal fine detail you might have missed upon first glance: a person in the reflection of another person's glasses. Each piece seems like a carefully set scene. At first you don't see anything but a wash of color and out-of-focus glimpses, but more and more becomes revealed when you are not looking. Lush, dark, and cold ambient settings that are far from trite, rushed, sloppy, or cerebral. Don't listen to it while driving, you'll forget the road. It's that good. merkur3

		Mark Hollis Mark Hollis There was an uncomfortably long silence following the final Talk Talk album before we heard anything further from Mark Hollis. It would have been a great tragedy had there been nothing after the valedictory Laughing Stock. This record succeeds for two reasons: on its own merits, it is a damn fine testament to the artists ability to distill his songs to their most emotionally bare and vulnerable state; also, it provides a sort of counterpoint to latter-era Talk Talk albums - proving that those records were not 'happy accidents' but rather carefully premeditated works. This is not a record I listen everyday - or even every week - but still remains one of the most essential CDs I own. -LEE RYAN

		Mark Lanegan Whiskey for the Holy Ghost While Seattle's Screaming Trees provided North-Westerners with a grungy, anthemic backdrop to their rain-soaked 1990s, the band's frontman emerged from the moistened wreckage with a somber, alcohol-fueled agenda for a new era and a new generation of listeners. Now Lanegan rumbles his solemn dirges and tales of southern-gothic blasphemy that burn like Jack Daniels and bad holy water. His miles-deep voice is hollow and haunting like a dark cave full of bats and stalactites, and his music conjures the chugging insistence of a train bound for nowhere savory - and you've just missed the last one, leaving you cold and alone on the platform. FUNKYPLAID

		Milosh Meme Mike Milosh does it again. So much soul and richness from a white man. Sonically consistent, with a great use of FM bass sounds, gorgeous syncopated multi-tracked vocals. Oh so funky for eclectica. Girl music, for sure. Can't be beat or compared. -MERKUR3

		Moose Live A Little, Love A Lot Where to start with Moose? Each release is so layered and unique. Live A Little, Love A Lot is sun-drenched shoegazing at its best. Grossly overlooked, Moose were close compatriots of Cocteau Twins and that relationship is displayed brilliantly here as Liz Fraser guests on the album and Cocteau-isms are evident all over the place. For those who have not heard - or even heard of - Moose, you are in for a big treat regardless of which album you start with. -LEE RYAN

		Mount Sims \| Gigolo Records, 2005 Wild Light On second outing Wild Light, Mount Sims [AKA Matt Sims] swaps electro-trash affectation for serious artistry -- and I do mean serious. 15 dog-eared compositions that revel in the murky undercurrents of the human psyche. With a monotone drone eerily similar to the oft-emulated Ian Curtis, repetitive bass plucking and proto-synth palpitations, the formula is far from original. But it's enough to have the likes of She Wants Revenge shaking in their pointy hipster boots. Pitch-black tunes like the stand out "No Yellow Lines" and gorgeously woozy "Ashes" evoke the menacing air of a dank underworld. As with a prolonged dreary comedown, you may need a shower afterward. -WALKING WOUNDED

		Murcof Remembranza Can't stop listening to this. Especially on the Tube. It's just gorgeous. Dark but not goth, mysterious and classic, sparse and rich. It makes me feel lost and glad to be loved. Fernando Corona has outdone himself as this album is grown up. it's less club-oriented and more, well, aware. -MERKUR3

		The Necks \| ReR Megacorp, 2004 The Boys \| listen \| Dark and haunting jazz-drone soundtrack work from the Australian improvisational trio The Necks. The Necks construct somnolent percussive patterns below circuits of quietly evolving piano phrases, droning organs, narcotic bass, and tenebrous electronic atmospherics. The music has a kindred tonal palate to In a Silent Way-era Miles Davis but also draws upon the unrelenting pulse and more processed sounds of Krautrock bands such as Can or Harmonia. If you haven't heard The Necks, this album may be the easiest way to approach them. The songs on The Boys clock in between five and ten minutes each, which may seem rather abbreviated by The Necks standards. Other albums often contain only one song that slowly mutates over the course of an hour. The simplicity and open space of these arrangements let you focus on the subtleties of the performance and become absorbed by the slowly shifting patterns, creeping melodies, and burbling textures. Resurfacing themes and a zen-like restraint help the album feel like one continuous journey. This is introspective late night music, music for fireside drinks, reading poetry, or simply listening.. Marmelzod

		Nine Horses \| Samahdisound, 2007 Money For All \| listen \| I'm one of those unrepentant David Sylvian fans. So it goes without saying that I'm so biased toward whatever he works on that I am blind. That said, the three new tracks and the three reworked tracks on Money For All are just stunning. Midas touch. Nice to hear Stina (Nordenstam) again on 'Birds Sing For Their Lives', and to hear more of David's continued political frustration on 'Money For All' and emberic anger on 'Get the Hell Out'. This EP is great example of great craftsmanship and tenure at songwriting and music making. If you know Nine Horses and David Sylvian, you won't be disappointed; it's a gorgeous addition to your collection. Merkur3

		No-Man Returning Jesus Over the years, No-Man has distilled their sound down to only what is essential. By the release of this album, they were sounding more like a 'real band' than an electronic duo and were flaunting brilliant drummer Steve Jansen on many of its tracks. Just enough variety to keep you interested, this album, like Laughing Stock by Talk Talk, says as much with the silence between notes as with the notes themselves. Miraculously, Steven Wilson (1/2 of No-Man) produced and arranged Anja Garbarek's "Smiling and Waving" during the same period this record was made. -LEE RYAN

		No-Man Together We're Stranger No-Man's most recent record, released way back in 2003, almost fully removes the beats and electronics and leaves nothing but beautifully stark and honest songs. 'Back When You Were Beautiful' is just as heartbreakingly eloquent as its title suggests and the rest of the album follows suit. Rumor has it that there's a new album planned for 2007. Astonishingly, I have not been let down by this band yet, so that is very good news, indeed. -LEE RYAN

		Notwist Shrink Though not as unanimously well-received as its follow-up, Neon Golden, Shrink is the perfect balance of all the facets of this band. The simple guitars, reeds and woodwinds mix with the lithe electronics to great effect. Though the production is to be appreciated and admired, it's the songwriting that keeps me reaching for this disc. -LEE RYAN

		Oil 10 \| FUNKWELTEN, 2006 Beyond Oil 10's sound is characterized by molasses-thick bass kicks, warm analog tones and whimsical sci-fi touches. A soothing spacial recipe transported in iridescent bubbles floating toward the stratosphere. Ambient textures, Kraftwerk allusions and flecks of psytrance paint a cinematic vision that is far hardly novel, but lovingly rendered. Clean, concise and altogether pleasurable. -WALKING WOUNDED

		Park Avenue Music For Your Home or Office It seems that the 'girl-singer coupled with a laptop wielding electronic musician type boy'band is perhaps a dime a dozen these days, but Park Avenue Music is an exceptional blossom in that venue. Glitchy, yes, but tasty. Breathy, yes, but so interestingly rendered and edited and composed, I can't stop listening to it. It being an EP makes me want more, and keep an ear out for more, because these two have really got something going. -MERKUR3

		Pieter Nooten \| I-Rain, 2006 Ourspace Dodgy title aside (myspace, yourspace, *******), Pieter Nooten has returned from a lengthy hiatus to deliver a worthy follow-up to his 1987 collaboration with Michael Brook, 'Sleeps With The Fishes'. Smartly leaving out the vocals for most of the record, Nooten conjures smart atmospherics that evoke emotion and drama without sounding 'dark'. Pieter Nooten has transcended the anonymity of his former band Xymox and vaulted into the realm of composers like Brian Eno and Peter Gabriel... -LEE RYAN

		Phelan Sheppard \| Leaf, 2006 Harps Old Master Brand new and yet, classic. This record feels so familiar due to its worn-in qualities. The arrangements feel natural and not forced as much of the electronic/organic hybrids often do. The Leaf Label, which in the past has been notoriously inconsistent, is becoming extremely reliable and, as a result, is getting the opportunity to work with artists of this calibre. Bravo. -LEE RYAN

		Piano Magic Writers Without Homes U.K. technocratic visionary Glen Johnson is the modern avatar of 4AD's Ivo Watts-Russell, with perhaps a greater range of skill and savvy, and two fingers on the pulse of avant-garde electronic music. Much like Ivo's ever-morphing goth/ethereal project, This Mortal Coil, Johnson spreads a spangle-studded mortar of talented musicians and vocalists to build his amalgam of his amazingly diverse and satisfying songs. They are cohesively bonded by one thing only - his willingness to project emotion and beauty inside the barely-audible lull of the intermittent harmonic spaces. Incredibly prolific and evocative in his work, Johnson might just be the most multi-layered artist in the genre. FUNKYPLAID

		Piano Magic Son de Mar A short, but sweet, disc full of layered organic textures. Plenty of stringed instruments and found noises easily convince you that Piano Magic is just as strong at conjuring emotional instrumental music as they are at writing clever vocal-led pop songs. -MERKUR3

		Populous Queue For Love If you ever need a pick-me-up after listening to Geniuser, then this is the perfect opposite. Bright, cheery, toe-tapping and playful. Like a drive around town on a hot day with the top down, Populous always manages to make interesting and fun music. Not an easy task for sure, fun usually ends up being dippy and trite, whereas this album is thougthful, AND optimistic. Very italian, actually. -MERKUR3

		Psapp \| Domino, 2006 The Only Thing I Ever Wanted Hardly an unknown discovery, Psapp have rightly come to the fore of the 'indie' scene not only by being indispensibly unique, but delivering extremely consistently well-written songs. The new record builds on the strengths of the last and tops it several times over. Galia's voice is vibrant and playful, matching the often bizarre arrangements, but also giving them a warmth and humanity they would otherwise lack. I love a record that can put a smile on my face and this one never fails. -LEE RYAN

		R/R Coseboom \| Dynamophone 2006 Between Trembling Lanterns \| listen \| I meant to tell you about this gem earlier this year: it's got to be one of the top five albums of 2006. Seriously, even if I were objective! Two-thirds of the talented and evocative Halou, Ryan and Rebecca have woven such a nice collection of intimate and tragic stories, with topics ranging from rape and fetal loss to kinship with moths and hummingbirds. It is hard to not get shivers every now and then. It's pretty, it's brittle, it's warm, it's dangerous, it's nurturing. What more could you want?merkur3

		Red Sparowes At the Soundless Dawn A mutable conglomeration of artists including members of power-prog bands such as Neurosis, Isis, and Halifax Pier, Red Sparowes craft luscious waves of beautifully-layered sound that wash all previous notions of instrumental, ambient-textured rock away with the tides. The Sparowes weave epic tales of three-dimensional euphony, fitting together within a concept that both questions and confirms the mastery of musical instrumentation over human emotion. They're pointedly unlike anything out there today, and still always changing, mutating, and enveloping. FUNKYPLAID

		Robin Guthrie Imperial For anyone who loved Victorialand and wanted more from the horse's mouth, as it were, look no further. He's still got it. Granted, there's no Elizabeth to grace this, but it still warms and enriches like no one else can. It's like a smooth cognac. -MERKUR3

		Robin Guthrie \| Rocket Girl \| 2006 Continental Our boy is back! This album reprises the best of what Robin is known for: crystalline guitars; sweeping, soaring melodies; ambience and loads of emotion. This is certainly his strongest and most compelling instrumental work to date. Open your hearts, hipsters - The Godfather has returned!. -LADY IN SATIN

		Romulo Froes \| Tratore/Bizarre Music, 2004 Calado \| listen \| This is a beautiful album of raw sambas and dusty bossas perfectly suited for lazy mornings and quiet nights of quiet stars. Romulo's weary voice floats over stripped down sambas that remind me of the band Low as much as the bossa guitar of Joao Gilberto. Soft psychadelic touches nod towards the Tropicalist movement (think early Caetano Velosa or Gal Costa), yet never disrupt the the warmth and intimacy of the album. Tracks like 'Suite' with its squeaky, out-of-tune violins and heroin-nod bossa rhythms should be enjoyed by those with an affinity for lo-fi folksters like Smog and Devendra Banhart as well as those attracted to the intimate sambas of early Jorge Ben. Throughout the album, Froes manages to sound familiar but never too derivative. The quiet melancholy and honesty of the whole affair make this release feel like a rediscovered classic.. Marmelzod

		Sadovaja \| Memento Materia, 2000 Kill Your Darlings Released in 2000 on Memento Materia, this classy collection of intimate slow-burners was glossed over by the entertainment media. Fronted by Swedish chanteuse Sarah Zodiak in a tone both nasally and untrained, but delivered with enough conviction to tug at the heartstrings. The arrangements bloom into tender tableaux of lovesick yearning, comprised of minimal trip hop templates, sentimental string sequences and a funky underpinning that wards off monotony. "Sweet Design" is an absolute stunner that seduces the ears with amorous professions and a Middle Eastern flavor that recalls Talvin Singh's contribution to Siouxsie's "Kiss Them For Me". A recommended soundtrack for moonlit lovemaking. -WALKING WOUNDED

		Sigur Ros () Okay, so how could someone not like Sigur Ros? If any music could make me want to travel to distant lands, this album does it for sure. I picture vast fields of moss and rock, an oddly habitable moist lunar landscapes. I single this album out for its softness. It's cozier, perhaps. This is a timeless album, one of those 'greatest of all times' albums. Really.-MERKUR3

		Slowdive Pygmalion Admittedly, I was shocked and initially saddened when this was released in late 1994. 'Souvlaki', the record prior to this one, suggested that this album would be the apex of Slowdive's atmospheric guitar rock with songwriting as interesting as the production. However, what we got was something very different. At the time, nothing else sounded like it at all. Essentially, 'Pygmalion' is an acoustic record that sounds a lot like electronics. -LEE RYAN

		Steindor Andersen & Sigur Ros Rimur While intrepid Icelandic dream-shakers Sigur Ros need no introduction to most, their limited-edition EP with mausoleum-voiced Steindor Andersen may very well have slipped under the radar of many. And such a shame, as the stark beauty of Andersen's chants of traditional epic poetry - Iceland's Rimur - lilt out from between dreamy, pulsing chords and harmonious drones that Jonsi and the boys consummate. This EP is a six-song treat that opens the door to an isolated country, its history and tradition, and the mournful, delightful voice of bardic poetry as related by two great artists that transcend time together. FUNKYPLAID

		Styrofoam \| 2000 The Point Misser Sorry for always using food references, but this album from 2000 is really quite crunch and yummy. Like really good home-made Kettlecorn. Why I haven't brought this album up earlier, I don't know. It's a perfect mix of the pretty side of electronic music and the crunchy pre-glitch side. It is a child-like and playful album for sure, inventive but not innocent. tracks like 'Words never spoken" and "futre Debt Collector are akin to the screengazer wonder of Manual. Delightful. -MERKUR3

		Sufjan Stevens Illinois Sufjan confounds casual listeners and courts critics with ambitious travelogue gorged with lavish orchestration, excessive historical references and wildly pretentious song titles. Amazingly, Illinois emerges a thematically sound, ingenious slice of Midwestern life. A clear highlight, "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.", demonstrates Sufjan's ability to inhabit his characters without looking down his nose. Tender, rustic portraits with great breadth and wisdom -- a real gem.-WALKING WOUNDED

		Susana & The Magical Orchestra List Of Lights And Buoys The most contemporary recording on this list, List Of Lights And Buoys is the best example of the current fertile Norwegian experimental music landscape. Susana & The Magical Orchestra consistently match their crafty production with delicate and thoughtful compositions that sound timeless - an achievement for a record containing so many trendy glitchy elements. The best tracks here, 'Believer' and 'Sweet Devil', have me salivating for the next release by this singular band. -LEE RYAN

		Susumu Yokota & Rothko Distant Sounds of Summer So gorgeous. Well executed, warm and graceful - the instrumental pieces especially. It gets quite artsy at times with the texts, but that aside, it's up there with Marconi Union. A nice cross between Hermann and Klein and His Name is Alive. -MERKUR3

		Sybarite Nonument Arty New York musicians are so cool. Just when you think things have gotten stagnant in the US, this album demonstrates why living on the East Coast can be enjoyable and life affirming. With a really lovely combination of instruments and textures, this album is very well crafted and thoroughly enjoyable. It hearkens to what 4AD should have been doing for the last 7 years. -MERKUR3

		Talk Talk Laughing Stock "Before you play two notes learn how to play one note - and don't play one note unless you've got a reason to play it." - Mark Hollis This record still challenges me. It's like math class and recess at the same time. -LEE RYAN

		Tim Hecker \| Kranky 2006 Harmony in Ultraviolet \| listen \| Tim Hecker's sixth proper album sounds like a distress call from robots drowning in rivers of lava. Genres and isms fail to describe the terrible beauty in this music.This is not ambient music, as it demands the listener's complete surrender to it's churning fields of static, interstellar transmissions and turbulent decay .Plaintive granular melodies coalesce and slowly dissolve into rivulets of white and pink noise, boiling fissures through an otherwise frozen landscape.Comparisons will be made to the distorted manipulations of Christian Fennesz or Kevin Shields but Hecker's pathos is at times more akin to classical works such as Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings or the sacred minimalism of Arvo Paart. Marmelzod

		The Whitest Boy Alive \| Asound, 2006 Dreams There's a lot to chuckle about besides the band's name. King of Convenience, Erlend Oye fronts this 'rock' band that actually started as a purely electronic outfit. From these strange beginnings comes a sound that is both extremely charming and totally infectious. 'Dreams' instantly reminded me of the first Cure record, 'Three Imaginary Boys'. -LEE RYAN

		Thom Yorke \| XL Recordings \| 2006 The Eraser More experimental and yet more pop in song-structure than Kid A, this album is difficult for some upon first listen, which may be why it didn’t get as many brimming reviews it deserves. Give it a chance and you will grow to long for it – or long for it to stop repeating inside your head! The standout track, 'Harrowdown Hill', rocks harder than the rest and is worth the purchase price in and of itself.-LADY IN SATIN

		Tram \| Jet Set records \| 2002 A Kind of Closure I first stumbled upon Paul Anderson's resigned falsetto guesting on Piano Magic's Writers Without Homes, and quickly became a fan of his three-album project with Nick Avery and Tram. Quieter than Low and perhaps more gallantly futile than even Nick Drake, Anderson lists all the ways that intimacy hurts, and the dark, dramatic piano, acoustic guitar, and whisk-rapped drums paint a somber picture to effectively merge with his resigned lyrical portraits. Catch reclusive Cocteau Simon Raymonde guesting on piano and pour yourself some whisky to help stave off the chill – Tram's closure is just another open wound. -FUNKYPLAID

		Worm is Green Automagic What a perfect combination of my old-school dark days interests and my current northern sound ones. Inventive, warm, odd, and evocative. Such variation in sound as well from their cover of Joy Divisions Love Will Tear Us Apart" to soundscapes of "Small Reverb. This album has it all. Sultry trip-hop style vocals at times, glitchy and experimental at others, this album somehow is very cohesive and doesn't come off ass skitzo. I highly recommend this to anyone. -MERKUR3

		Xela Tangled Wool From John Xela, co-founder of Type Records, comes this perfect combination of electronica and shimmery, acoustic guitar work. As lovely as it comes, really. Comforting and warm, grand and effortless. -MERKUR3

		Yasume \| 2003 Where We'r from the Birds Sing a Happy Song To top off this list of tweetronic, the collaboration of John Xela and Gabriel Morley also know as Yasume, is, imho, a perfect thing. laid-back and smoky, the non-intrusive glitch merged with the ephemeral environments set just the right mood for me. If you want to get some work done and feel intrigued at the same time, this is the ticket. There are several Twin peaks references through out the album, and just enough to not make the album creepy. it's not. but it does, somehow contain the 'other side' so prevalent on Lynch's work.. -MERKUR3