Top 20 albums of 2022: #’s 20 – 16

I reviewed 42 albums last year. So, here’s who came in the top half of those records.

#20: Adam BFD – Innervisions

2022 was a great year for electronic music, and this EP from Adam BFD was among the best pieces of EDM I heard. It thumps from beginning to end and should be in every DJ’s toolbox.

#19: System Efe – Carpetania

Speaking of great electronic music, here’s another one for you. This EP is dance music for androids.

18: P.E. – The Leather Lemon

What do you get when you mix members of Pill and Eaters? You get P.E., and their excellent debut album of post-punk, electro, and art rock.

17: Primer – Incubator

Another album that blends electro well (with dream-pop in this case), is Primer’s Incubator. It’s a fun listen, even though a lot of it is about a break-up.

16: BODEGA – Broken Equipment

I think it’s a guarantee that anything released by Brooklyn post-bunkers BODEGA is going to end up in my top 20 of any year. Broken Equipment was another solid album from them, with great beats and sharp, biting lyrics about everything from consumerism to British disaster movies.

Who’s in the top 15? Come back tomorrow to find out!

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe while you’re here.]

Review: Adam BFD – Innervisions

The liner notes of Adam BFD‘s new EP, Innervisions, describe his sound as being a combination of electro, house, “…and cinematic euphoria.” I don’t think I can describe it better than that. He makes beautiful soundscapes and futuristic beats that wouldn’t be out of place in a night club, a dark alley, a Zen garden, or a chilly Alaskan mountain range.

“I’ve Been Waiting” drifts back and forth with snappy beats and eagle-like soaring synths. The deep bass of “Sonar” sounds like it was created underwater, and then it breaks on a warm beach somewhere and you’re dancing around with someone lovely while you’re both considering heading back to the bungalow for more fun. “What’s Next” ends the first side of the EP with synths that bring to mind sunlight streaming through shallow water, or bouncing off it.

The title track starts off the second side with killer house beats and more shimmering synths. “M1 & I” is tailor-made to get people onto the dance floor and enter into a trance-groove that will tempt you to stay in it for hours. The EP ends with “In My Feels,” another lovely track with subtle synths and aquarium beats prime for meditation, clearing your headspace, or watching the rain fall outside your window…while dancing.

Innervisions is solid all the way through, but not so solid that it becomes rigid and unyielding. It changes shape with each listen and encourages you to explore it.

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll be in my feels if you subscribe.]

[Thanks to Peter at Harbour Music Society.]