1. Mount Kimbie "Crooks & Lovers" (Hotflush)
On the most ambient fringes of the trendiest genre to emerge in years, there is a non-existent mountain of raw talent. This is Mount Kimbie; a duo based in Peckham, UK whose stellar early single "Maybes" gave indication to those in the know that they were not fucking around. Laced with field recordings and found sounds, their take on dubstep has a nuance that most of their competitors (and most of dance music in general) lack. Finally released to the public (without those pesky hotflush watermarks) in all its head-scratching glory!
Mount Kimbie - Carbonated
2. Flying Lotus "Cosmogramma" (Warp)
Enough words have been said about the bizarre brilliance that is COSMOGRAMMA at this point to fill an entire warehouse of servers. Just listen, already.
Flying Lotus - Satelllliiiiiteee
3. Eminem "Recovery" (Shady/Aftermath)
If Marshall Mathers had a nickel for every time his music and persona were misunderstood, he'd be a slightly richer man. He'll be the first to tell you that of course, which is part of what causes his critics to misunderstand him in the first place. He's not just another celebrity whining about the pitfalls of success, any more than he's just a misogynist or a homophobe. At his best (and RECOVERY is his best work since THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP) he is the greatest rapper of all time; layers of honesty and myth deftly weaving in and out of each other almost as sublimely as the layers of pun, rhyme and metaphor that he wraps them in.
Eminem - Untitled
4. The Liars "Sisterworld" (Mute)
Perhaps due to their lead singer's noticeable gangly Australian-ness, I have always viewed the Liars (rather unfairly) in the long, black shadow cast by Nick Cave. The influence was readily evident in the band's debut album, and less-so with each passing release. I was thrilled with the generally-poorly-received industrial racket of THEY WERE WRONG SO WE DROWNED, but bored to tears by DRUM'S NOT DEAD at a time when it was one of the most-played records on ZBC. I was ready to write the band off for good when SISTERWORLD came along and knocked me flat on my ass. This is a group that needs fear no man's shadow, and an album that casts quite a few of its own.
The Liars - Goodnight Everything
5. Actress "Splazsh" (Honest Jon's)
Intriguing doesn't even begin to cover it. This album is a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a quartet of black hexagons. If Actress (nee Darren Cunningham) has any peers at all, it's beyond me to name them. His commitment to making the uncomfortable and unpredictable seem desirable is a gift that keeps on giving, and one that a lot of other artists should consider.
Actress - Hubble
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