50 best: albums of 2011

This week, we’ll be rounding up FACT’s 50 best albums of 2011, continuing today with entries #20-#11.

We’ve already selected our 50 best reissues and 10 best labels of 2011, and we’ll be following albums with our 50 best tracks next week. And yes, we know it’s a little early, but as they say in Peep Show, why wait ’til everyone else has had their fun with the olives?

50: XANDER HARRIS
URBAN GOTHIC
(NOT NOT FUN)

‘I Want More Than Just Blood’

Synth records referencing 70s and early 80s horror scores – Goblin, John Carpenter, Fabio Frizzi et al – are ten a penny these days, but this offering from the US’s Xander Harris really hit the mark, perfectly balancing tenebrous atmospherics with moments of high italo camp.

49: AFRICA HITECH
93 MILLION MILES
(WARP)

‘Out in the Streets’

Africa Hitech have been accused of being too clever for their good, and although 93 Million Miles does contain moments of that (thankfully, the leaden – and offensively pointless – grime retread of ‘Caveman Style’ didn’t make the album cut), it also contains its fair share of classic Mark Pritchard material: obviously the rampaging ‘Out in the Streets’ is king, but the gently malevolent ‘The Sound of Tomorrow’ and bit-crushed ballad ‘Our Luv’ give it a good run for its money.

48: JUICY J & LEX LUGER
RUBBA BAND BUSINESS 2
(SELF-RELEASED)

‘Stoners Night’

Trap rap has existed by other names for years now, but 2011 – thanks in no short part to Lex Luger’s 2010 productions for Waka Flocka Flame and Rick Ross – saw it become more talked about and prevalent than ever. It’s hard to think of many big rap hits Stateside this year that didn’t adopt the 808 basslines and snapping snare rolls that Luger’s perfected, while the UK’s road rap sect – not to mention observers like Kuedo – appropriated them for their own means. On the Rubbaband Business mixtapes though, Luger proved he was far from a one-trick pony, while Three 6 Mafia’s Juicy J did a more than admirable job of keeping up with the kids.

47: CONTAINER
LP
(SPECTRUM SPOOLS)

‘Protrusion’

This year saw a deluge of techno-not-techno records made by people from the noise and DIY synth – as opposed to dance music – spheres. None were as convincing as Container’s disjointedly funky LP, which reminded us how punkish, pungently psychedelic and downright nasty 4/4 jack music can be.

46: DAMU
UNITY
(KEYSOUND)

‘Don’t Cry in my Bed’

A worrying amount of the UK dance music that spawned from dubstep’s failings descended to self-parodying levels of politeness this year: white boys sampling Aaliyah records they never liked the first time around in a sea of beige. Manchester’s Damu, however, took many of the trademarks of British club music in 2011 – r’n'b vocal samples, “neon” synths, 130bpm tempos – and unlike his supposed peers, made them mean something. Driven by unforgiving amounts of ambition and a noted musical background, Unity wasn’t perfect, but on its finer moments (‘Don’t Cry in my Bed’, ‘Plasm’, ‘Breathless’), it marked Damu out as a talent with lasting power far beyond the should be-silent majority.

45: BLANCK MASS
BLANCK MASS
(ROCK ACTION)

‘Chernobyl’

While most ambient music is by its very nature meek and mousy, the debut album by Blanck Mass – a solo project of Fuck Buttons’ Benjamin John Power – was anything but. It’s ambient music of enormous sweep and a gushing, neo-classical grandeur; its aspiration, and its destiny, to soundtrack an IMAX documentary about the Big Bang.

44: BJORK
BIOPHILIA
(ONE LITTLE INDIAN)

‘Biophilia’

More than anything, it’s an incredible feat that Biophilia didn’t drown in a sea of its own paraphernalia. Bjork’s eighth studio album, lest we forget, was released alongside a series of iPad apps – one for each track – and supposedly spent time as a museum installation and an IMAX film before it was an album. It was born out of hours of research on DNA and astrophysics, and was also released with its own series of remix singles. Miraculously, when you cut through the fat, you’re left with one of Bjork’s most fine-tuned and well-executed, if perhaps unspectacular, records yet.

43: WILD BEASTS
SMOTHER
(DOMINO)

‘Albatross’

Hayden Thorpe’s quivering falsetto vocals continue to divide opinion in this office as in the wider world, but for those of us not adverse to his cherubic delivery, Smother was an impressive album indeed – beautifully written and produced, daringly stark at times, and possessed of a gravitas rare in contemporary British guitar-pop.

42: 2562
FEVER
(WHEN IN DOUBT)

‘Wasteland’

Fever is a concept album with a very simple but rigorous set of rules – every nuance and texture is half-inched from disco records produced from the mid 70’s to the early 80’s, with producer Dave Huismans’ own birth year of 1979 acting as a temporal pivot. The results don’t sound like disco at all – beyond a certain joyous, celebratory quality – but rather a new kind of dance music; dynamic, shapeshifting and irrepressible.

41: LEGOWELT
THE TEAC LIFE
(SELF-RELEASED)

‘Half Moon 106′

The TEAC Life, a pay-what-you-like download album of “forest-techno” posted this year on the official Legowelt website, found the Dutch eccentric at the top of his game. “And when I say Techno,” he wrote in the accompanying blurb, “I don’t mean that booooooooooring contemporary sh*t they call techno nowadays with overrated talentless pretentious douchebag c*nt DJs playing a few halfassed dumb mongo beats and being all artsy fartsy about it.” Amen to that.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 at 12:56 pm and is filed under Features, Lists, Top Slider and tagged with Best of 2011. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

the whip

agree 100% about tim hecker! baffled it didn’t make the top 50. other glaring omissions: morphosis – what have we learned (possibly techno lp of 2011), kangding ray – or (duh?), kryptic minds – can’t sleep (possibly dubstep lp of 2011).

on the other hand, pleasantly surprised with prurient at #4. as for rustie, it’s ridiculously overrated and he’s lucky mah loves him for whatever reason. kuedo should’ve topped this album and i don’t even love severant. i usually like fact, but this list was too pitchforky for my liking.
the whip

agree about tim hecker. but ‘aftertime’ is awesome. it’s an unfair comparison, they come from and take the listener to very different places.
the whip

exactly! it’s a bit sad to see the overrated artists of the moment being overrated by fact. sad, but not surprising, i suppose. guarantee rustie’s album won’t stand the test of time, either.
the whip

good point, but i guess most posters (myself included) feel the top 10 is (mostly) filled with overrated garbage everyone’s heard, or people who haven’t heard aren’t interested in, when there are far better offerings out there. case in point: morphosis – what have we learned. hands down one of the best techno lps of the year. nowhere to be found in the top 50…

agree about severant and dedication. btw, severant f-in pwns glass swords by miles.
the whip

mostly agree with your gripes…except for surgeon. it’s incredible, frankly i was surprised it made the top 50. i expected it to be forgotten. and the ‘alt-rnb’ thing can be done right. if it’s how to dress well and holy other…if that’s even what they’re doing lol.

out of curiosity, can you explain why rustie should clearly be #1? i simply do not get it. i think it’s beyond overrated. example of a better album in the same vein? severant. and i was avoiding severant due to some of the hype. but it blew me away. glass swords left a horrible taste in my mouth.
the whip

ha see my reply to ben keeler above. agree 100% about rustie.
the whip

it’s wonderful
the whip

mostly taking exception to the top 10 rather than the top 50 as a whole. there were some very nice selections overall. however, inclusion of overrated and soon-to-be-irrelevant albums adds insult to injury for albums that deserved a spot in the top 50, if not the top 10.

namely,

grouper – dream loss (considering some of the other garbage on the list, this could’ve made top 50)
kangding ray – or (unfair to compare with byetone, but they’re both on rn so: this easily beats it. a gorgeous album)
morphosis – what have we learned (nothing, apparently)
tim hecker – ravedeath (i see lots of people in arms about this)

these i take as the most serious violations. also, listing how to dress well in top reissues is a cop out for allowing the weeknd to post as #1. far, far superior.

kudos on prurient, msott, laurel halo, surgeon!, roly porter (thought yall loved kuedo too much to list both). def looking forward to checking out julianna barwick.

last, can everyone please get off drake’s d***? kthxbi
Massivtrav

what a load of shite!

How about these?

Lucy – Wordplay For Working Bees
Planetary Assault Systems – The Messenger
Desolate – The Invisible Insurrection
Robag Wruhme – Thora Vukk
Instra:mental – Resolution 653
Tweak

Rustie is the perfect example of a love it or hate it album. There’s very little middle ground on it and it’s completely understandable that people would hate it…in fact the sounds on it are the kind I’d usually despise in isolation, but the way he put them together somehow made it all work for me (and a LOT of people, nevermind critics). It could’ve just as easily been one of the worst albums of 2011 and I think, even if you hated the album, you have to appreciate the balls it took to make a zero compromise album like it at a time when almost everything else in the scene is overly self conscious and ”trendy”. There’s absolutely nothing trendy about Glass Swords. It exists in its own world and I think it should be commended for that. But again, I completely get people hating it especially considering I thought I’d be one of those people after listening to the title track.

Agreed on Morphosis and Kangding Ray though. I can’t say that I “loved” either album (still getting my head around Morphosis and I go hot and cold on OR), but there’s clear talent and class at work there.
Tweak

Rustie is the perfect example of a love it or hate it album. There’s very little middle ground on it and it’s completely understandable that people would hate it…in fact the sounds on it are the kind I’d usually despise in isolation, but the way he put them together somehow made it all work for me (and a LOT of people, nevermind critics). It could’ve just as easily been one of the worst albums of 2011 and I think, even if you hated the album, you have to appreciate the balls it took to make a zero compromise album like it at a time when almost everything else in the scene is overly self conscious and ”trendy”. There’s absolutely nothing trendy about Glass Swords. It exists in its own world and I think it should be commended for that. But again, I completely get people hating it especially considering I thought I’d be one of those people after listening to the title track.

Agreed on Morphosis and Kangding Ray though. I can’t say that I “loved” either album (still getting my head around Morphosis and I go hot and cold on OR), but there’s clear talent and class at work there.
Stanley Harvey

the weeknd? better than anything else this year? oh dear fact.
Whit?

Stewards’ inquiry apropos exclusion Ravedeath, 1972.
Markanton

hyetal – broadcast?!
http://twitter.com/velocirapta Ben Keeler

Glass Swords must be a personal thing for some people. As stated before, there are elements of it that can be found in trance/chart music, but he handles the sounds/effects used in those genres in such a way that he’s essentially created his own genre. When Hudson Mohawke dropped Satin Panthers (specifically Thunder Bay), everyone went crazy. Then when Rustie released something even bigger (i.e. a full-length), it made Satin Panthers look like a walk in the park (and acted as a launching pad for Glass Swords). The main thing Glass Swords did for me was remind me of 80′s TV leftovers (growing up in the 90′s), Daft Punk, and Sega – Sonic the Hedgehog, to be specific – so had a imagination element to it, it was aesthetically nostalgic. My love for Lone probably had something to do with loving this album, as well as it sounding surprisingly stripped down and mature compared to Rustie’s previous work (if Lone had released an album this year, it probably would’ve been better than Glass Swords…although he might be building up to something next year). I guess if I hadn’t heard Glass Swords, then Kuedo’s Severant (or Com Truise’s Galactic Melt) might have replaced that nostalgic void. But, saying that, I enjoyed both the Machinedrum and Sepalcure albums more than Severant too.

I haven’t really heard much criticism of Glass Swords unless it’s from me showing the album to somebody and them not liking it – my best friend is hugely into techy D’n'B, but doesn’t mind some HudMo stuff. I played him some of Glass Swords, and he really didn’t like the play on trance. Hover Traps is an example of really really sugary sweet trance – personally I hate the sounds used in trance, but thanks to all these guys and their interest in techno/hiphop/electro/garage/grime/dubstep, they’ve created something new with it.

I guess the only real fact is that people just have their tastes at the end of the day. Some people are drawn towards/away from a particular image, and others listen to the music, and they get judged for that. For me, Rustie’s album was my favourite because it’s something I’d never heard before, but if you look at the other 49 in my Top 50 you’d be surprised. I’m writing it up on my blog soon (www.crackintheroad.com), but letting some late contenders sink in for a little while at least.
http://twitter.com/velocirapta Ben Keeler

I think it’s safe to say Glass Swords is the lovable bully in the playground – the Nelson Muntz of 2011 perhaps?
Jusme

Oh my God what a terrible list.
Jusme

a lot of dubstep :/
Matt

Weeknd? Number one? Really? Is this an early April Fools joke? My respect for Factmag is rapidly dwindling…
Matt

And what is this fascination with Rustie? Squarepusher has been making this kind of music for 15 years, and now everyone is freaking out over this “new sound”? Do Factmag editors have any sense of history, or is everything just brand new and fresh to their ears? Gimme a fuckin’ break.
……….

I don’t say this lightly, but are you retarded? In what world do Squarepusher and Rustie sound anything alike?
jb

gze
Tweeder

dude, that morphosis album is good, but way overrated. that so many people are creaming their pants over it serves only to underline what a tawdry year for “straight-up” house/techno it was.
Tweeder

Jehst? LOL
Tweeder

Grey, lukewarm IDM balls
Eazy-E

Where’s Pinch & Shackleton??
Eazy-E

Where’s Pinch & Shackleton??
Denis Reva

feels like the list should be reversed.
http://twitter.com/JamesSizer James Sizer

I agree with some of your comments but the one I really can’t relate to is the gripe with Sepalcure. When I first heard it I thought it was too overloaded with vocals but it has grown on me massively. Up there with the best of the year definitely.

Balam Acab’s album should go down as disappointment of the year – insipid and uninspiring drivel. His early stuff was so promising too.

The Weeknd at number 1 is a joke. I actually don’t hate it, but it is so far from number 1 of 2011 it’s absurd. Zomby, 2562, Rustie, Tim Hecker, Andy Stott, Kuedo have released incredible works, and to be beaten by derivative R&B must hurt.
http://twitter.com/JamesSizer James Sizer

I agree with some of your comments but the one I really can’t relate to is the gripe with Sepalcure. When I first heard it I thought it was too overloaded with vocals but it has grown on me massively. Up there with the best of the year definitely.

Balam Acab’s album should go down as disappointment of the year – insipid and uninspiring drivel. His early stuff was so promising too.

The Weeknd at number 1 is a joke. I actually don’t hate it, but it is so far from number 1 of 2011 it’s absurd. Zomby, 2562, Rustie, Tim Hecker, Andy Stott, Kuedo have released incredible works, and to be beaten by derivative R&B must hurt.
Jean Michel Genre

Totally agree on the Morphosis…it’s all I’ve been banging on about all year – great record.
Massivtrav

there’s no such thing as IDM. No music is ‘intelligent’, it does not think for itself or know right from wrong. That’s a load of elitist wank.
Jose Maria Mart Lo

sorry not my stuff…..sounds very tri anglish for my ears…its not bad music but not my stuff
Jose Maria Mart Lo

same like me ..i cant avoid it….wish i wouldnt because i still have some kind of respect for them since hey coverage to a lot of groups and music that nobody else give but this list its a joke.its a shame because ithis year has been a excellent one for albums.i cant believe that fact honestly thinks that araab muzick album its better than omar s album for example.they are cting like trying to cover new ground with all of this wack codeine r and b and tiesto hiphop…perhabs im getting old..i dont know.
Jose Maria Mart Lo

glad that im not the same not feeling roly album.too grandiose for my tastes…..im sure it has been a hell on album to make but its not my thing .too much on the ben frost tip.tim hecker and the caretaker are much better albums for my raw tastes….
Jose Maria Mart Lo

excellent record …this cd has grown on me like no other
Jose Maria Mart Lo

severnat for me were pretty good …..really like that Hell hath no Fury meets vangelis vibe.
Cilla

think yr taking this all a bit too seriously love
the whip

dayum. npr pwn’d you, fact:

“Hecker’s finished product could be described simply as the digital manipulation of “organic” sounds. But it’s more than that: Ravedeath, 1972 is an extreme close-up on a conversation between the two forces, which at any moment on this beautiful album seem to push the music toward both tension and resolution.”

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/05/142908947/50-favorites-from-s-w
Ricardo Morgado Ferreira

It’s dance music for your brain. It’s only intelligent in that strict sense. Braindance is a more clear term, but it’ll always be known as IDM music, sorry… (google braindance, and you’ll get IDM)
Anonymous

This is a very interesting list, a definite head scratcher. Don’t agree with a lot of the choices but hey i aint no expert! At least Fact have avoided listing the usual dire nonsense that you’ll see in a lot of these lists. Good on yer.
agnelo

For me – Endless House Foundation not being there is a travesty, if only for its sheer madness.
jdent2612

Need a whole day to thoroughly digest this post. Sunday hangover stuff. Looking forward to reviewing.
West1nex

no section.80 by kendrick lamar? boooo…
http://twitter.com/geoffreyyyy geoff

YEAH NAH TEAC LIFE IS #1
Djgrumpyoldman

really? arabmuzik gets top5 honors? its the same formula for every tune
Echno

passed me by pales in comparison to merciless? y’all retarded?
Jean Michel Genre

Given it hasn’t appeared in any best of 2011 lists so far, I’m not quite sure whose pants got creamed in. Most of the praise has been from other artists…and that often carries a little more weight. “Too Far” is a fantastic track.
Jean Michel Genre

Don’t take any notice….only Lucy could arguably be described as “IDM”. They’re all good albums – Desolate was great…forgotten about that. I liked some tracks in Instra:Mental but I didn’t think anything was as good as “When I dip” which was a great electro track.
Jean Michel Genre

Don’t take any notice….only Lucy could arguably be described as “IDM”. They’re all good albums – Desolate was great…forgotten about that. I liked some tracks in Instra:Mental but I didn’t think anything was as good as “When I dip” which was a great electro track.

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