OFF: Best of 2015

[Keith Henderson]

Hi Folks...

Well, I know you've all been waiting for this, my annual list and will almost certainly be my final contribution to Aural Innovations when it goes up online tomorrow night.  Scott H. already put his Top 20 list on his personal blog, and we have 3 or 4 common entries, but not as much similarity as I might have expected.  Anyway, here goes.  Check out some of this stuff as we all mourn the passing of the Great One aka Lem the First aka Bass Assassin Prime.

Keith H.
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In a year in which we lost both Daevid Allen & the Great Lemmy Kilmister (just this week...ugh), it's hard to imagine that music itself can continue.  But the next generation is already here, check out some of this great new music!  Out of about 100 candidates I heard this year in the space-/psych-/stoner-/kraut-/post-rock realm, my Top 30 (original, full-length) releases of 2015 are as follows:

1. Yuri Gagarin (Sweden) - At The Center Of All Infinity
http://yurigagarinswe.bandcamp.com/album/at-the-center-of-all-infinity

2. Foellakzoid (Chile) - III
http://follakzoid.bandcamp.com/album/iii

3. Lamp Of The Universe (NZ) - Inner Light Of Revelation
http://lampoftheuniverse.bandcamp.com/album/the-inner-light-of-revelation

4. Black Space Riders (Germany) - Refugeeum
http://blackspaceriders.bandcamp.com/

5. Parastatic (UK) - Recall Fade Return
http://parastatic.bandcamp.com/album/recall-fade-return

6. Ciolkowska (Russia) - Pistolet Budushchego
http://raig.bandcamp.com/album/ciolkowska-pistolet-budushchego

7. Brainticket (Various) - Past, Present & Future
http://brainticket.bandcamp.com/album/past-present-future

8. Hills (Sweden) - Frid
http://hillsband.bandcamp.com/album/frid

9. Kap Kap (Finland) - Flux Of Solace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6VnD5gt6g0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QAi1jtJw6U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zyFXM4MMZU

10. Oresund Space Collective (Denmark/Sweden) – Out Into Space
http://oresundspacecollective.bandcamp.com/album/out-into-space

11. Golden Void (US) - Berkana
http://goldenvoidtj.bandcamp.com/album/berkana

12. Maat Lander (Russia) - The Birth Of Maat's Galaxy
http://raig.bandcamp.com/album/maat-lander-the-birth-of-maats-galaxy

13. Pyramidal/Domo (Spain) - Jams From The Sun
http://pyramidalmusic.bandcamp.com/album/jams-from-the-sun-pyramidal-domo-split-lp
http://domoband.bandcamp.com/album/jams-from-the-sun-pyramidal-domo-split-lp

14. White Manna (US) - Pan
http://captcharecords.bandcamp.com/album/pan

15. Mammatus (US) – Sparkling Waters
http://mammatus.bandcamp.com/album/sparkling-waters

16. The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol (Canada) - Masters Of The Molehill
https://thebandwhosenameisasymbol.bandcamp.com/album/masters-of-the-molehill

17. Cambrian Explosion (US) - Joint (split LP with Foxy Lemon)
http://cepdx.bandcamp.com/
http://foxylemon.bandcamp.com/album/joint-ep-split-w-cambrian-explosion

18. Vespero (Russia) - Fitful Slumber Until 5 AM
http://raig.bandcamp.com/album/vespero-fitful-slumber-until-5-a-m

19. Farflung/Fatso Jetson (US) - Split LP
http://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/fatso-jetson-farflung-split

20. Sun And The Wolf (NZ/Germany) - Salutations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltL0EbrCx9g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUpXfmGDXrA

21. Naxatras (Greece) - Naxatras
https://naxatras.bandcamp.com/releases

22. Giobia (Italy) - Magnifier
http://giobiagiobia.bandcamp.com/

23. Zone Six (Germany) - Love Monster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6ta1FQKw-M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoTM_SaJoVU

24. Cosmic Letdown (Russia) - Venera
http://cosmicletdownband.bandcamp.com/album/--2

25. Space Invaders (Germany) - Dreadnought
http://space-invaders.bandcamp.com/

26. Mechanik (Spain) - Eadem Mutata Regurgo
http://raig.bandcamp.com/album/mechanik-eadem-mutata-resurgo

27. Nik Turner (UK) - Space Fusion Odyssey
http://nikturnermusic.bandcamp.com/

28. Astral Son (Netherlands) - Silver Moon
http://astralson.bandcamp.com/album/silver-moon

29. TAU (UK) - Wirakuta EP
http://fuzzclub.bandcamp.com/album/wirakuta

30. Black Rainbows (Italy) - Hawkdope
http://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/black-rainbows-hawkdope

Archival Reissue Of The Year
Levitation (UK) - Meanwhile Gardens ('93/'15) - the album as it was originally intended, recorded before Terry Bickers left and was replaced by Steve Ludwin who then re-recorded the vocals and a version of the album was released in Australia.  The transcendent "I Believe" finally sees the light of day on an official release.
http://levitationband.bandcamp.com/album/meanwhile-gardens

Album Cover Of The Year
Farflung/Fatso Jetson - Split LP

Recent Return From Long Hiatus
Solaris (Hungary)
with the release of the Martian Chronicles II (late 2014) and live performances/releases since.

Special note of those bands releasing worthy albums in 2014 that I did not hear until 2015, including Mantra Machine, l'Ira del Baccano, Vera Lingua, ZOFFF, Kalamata, Les Lekin, Krankschaft, Holy Mount etc.