Yes it is finally that time. I’ve been mentioning on the last few radio shows that I was compiling one for 2024, and here we are. Much like the radio I make, the list is a diverse collection of sonic textures – from the blissful to the brutal.

Some of these releases will be familiar to you I’m sure, and some might not be. Yet.

As hard as this time of year can be, especially around those loved ones we have lost, one of the things I do look forward to is the end of year lists from peers and some publications. Shouts out to Luke Lund for his extensive lists over the last few days, Kevin Martin, Steve Barker, and all who contributed to The Quietus’ rundown. My hope is that some if not most of my list resonates with you. Let me know what you’ve been enjoying in 2024 in the comments.

Here she is.

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Actress – Statik [Smalltown Supersound]
abstract ambient

Al Wootton – River Songs [TRULE]
esoteric rhythm dub

Allie X – Girl with No Face [Twin Music]
avant-pop bangers

Ben Frost – Scope Neglect [Mute]
loud, power ambient

Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere [Century Media]
experimental death metal meets Kosmische

Brendon Moeller – Signal [Constellation Tatsu]
dub-ambient

The Bug – Machine [Relapse Records]
industrial dub destruction par excellence

Carmen Villain – Nutrition [Smalltown Supersound]
rhythmic field recordings

Carrier – In Spectra [Carrier]
deep tech, dub n bass

Christoph de Babalon – Ach, Mensch [Midnight Shift]
mean darkside drum & bass

claire rousay – The Bloody Lady [VIERNULVIER Records]
electroacoustic dreams of an imagined score about Elisabeth Bathory

Craven Faults – Bounds [The Leaf Label]
droned travels through Northern England

Dirty Three – Love Changes Everything [Bella Union]
raw emotional beauty

DJ Scotch Bonnet – Kicking Speakers [Small But Hard Recordings]
soundsystem crunch n bass

DJ Trace & HLZ – Raptor [Metalheadz]
heavy techstep perfection

Dominik Eulberg, Hannes Kretzer – Frost [Blue Marble]
widescreen hi def ambient

Einstürzende Neubauten – Rampen [Potomak]
moor-ish German industrial songs

Elkhorn – The Red Valley [VHF Records]
fuzzy ritualistic psych folk

Ellen Reid – Big Majestic [New Amsterdam]
bright modern classical sonic art

EMZYG – 52 Blue [Hummus Records]
lo-fi psych rock

Ex-Easter Island Head – Norther [Rocket Recordings]
propulsive textured minimalism

Firnis DC – Firnis der Civilisation [Felt]
diverse imaginary immersive spaces

Fjaak – FJAAK THE SYSTEM [SPANDAU20]
bass rich breakbeats, jungle, 2-step, techno

Förfallet – VE [self released]
mesmerising atmospheric black metal

Fracture – SLOW860 [Astrophonica]
an ambient drift love letter to pirate radio culture

FYEAR – FYEAR [Constellation]
unique spoken word abstract “out” jazz, captivatingly paranoid

Ghost Dubs – Damaged [Pressure]
experimental dub w/ a nod to Chain Reaction

GIFT – Illuminator [Captured Tracks]
poppy shoegaze rock

gyrofield – These Heavens [XL]
bewitching outsider drum & bass

Heriot – Devoured by the Mouth of Hell [Century Media]
intensely fierce, dark thrashing riffs

Holy Tongue & Shackleton – The Tumbling Psychic Joy of Now [AD 93]
abstract, esoteric dub from contemporary British masters

Jamie xx – In Waves [Young]
vibe rich, housey mixtape that really resonated

KULK – It Gets Worse [Human Worth]
sludge n dirge doom

Les Amazones d’Afrique – Musow Danse [Real World Records Ltd.]
all-female West African supergroup serve strong

Low End Activist – Municipal Dreams [Sneaker Social Club]
narrative driven weightless bass bin flexes

Marika Hackman – Big Sigh [Chrysalis]
lyrically sharp poignant folk rock

Mildlife – Chorus [Heavenly Recordings]
late 70s space rock bought to the now

Monolake – Studio [Imbalance Computer Music]
melodically IDM infected techno precision

The Necks – Bleed [Northern Spy Records]
beautiful decay over a single 40 minute piece

Objekt – Chicken Garaage [Kapsela]
breaksteppin’ grime n UKG

Pinkcourtesyphone – Arise in Sinking Feelings [Room40]
doom riddled, feel good Lynchian ambient

Poppy – negative spaces [Sumerian Records]
metalcore slamming pop bombs

Raw Village Hall – Not Even Close [Acre Recordings]
grim breakcore infested jungle filth

SHXCXCHCXSH – ……t [Northern Electronics]
supreme level industrial techno abstractions

Skee Mask – Resort [Ilian Tape]
heady percussive ambience from the ever reliable German

Strange Boy – Love Remains [Groenland Records]
beautiful experimental pop duo deliver deeply resonating record

Sumac – The Healer [Thrill Jockey]
dank riffs from the underside of Hell

Sunroof – Electronic Music Improvisations Vol. 3 [Mute]
Daniel Miller and Gareth Jones’s modular noodling

Torn – Immortal [Samurai Music]
brooding dark resplendence over searing drum breaks

Uniform – American Standard [Sacred Bones Records]
uneasy intense ferocity