02 SORGE - La Guerra di Domani
03 GABRIELLES WISH - Debunking The Myth Of Being A Slave
04 Marlene Kuntz - Lunga Attesa
05 Pixies - Head Carrier
06 Robert Paul Corless - Volumes
07 Diaframma - Siberia Reloaded 2016
08 Spartiti - Austerità
09 Incognito - In Search Of Better Days
10 Afterhours - Folfiri o Folfox
11 Egle Sommacal - L'Atlante della Polvere
12 G4shi - Stairs
13 Wu Ming Contingent - Schegge di Schrapnel
14 Fourplay - Silver
15 Drake - Views
16 J Balvin - Energia
17 The Rippingtons - True Stories
18 Cerrone - Red Lips
19 Rihanna - ANTI
20 Robert Glasper and Miles Davis - Everything's Beautiful
| 21 Luke Howard - Two Places 22 Immaginisti - Immaginisti 23 Gregory Porter - Take Me To The Alley (deluxe) 24 David Bowie - Blackstar 25 Zo! - SkyBreak 26 Sia - This Is Acting 27 Pooh - The Collection 5.0 28 Phonte and Eric Roberson - Tigallerro 29 DJ Snake - Encore 30 Future - EVOL 31 Lemongrass - Beauty 32 Crispy Ambulance - Random Textures 33 Morgan e Bluvertigo - I Grandi Successi 34 Elio E Le Storie Tese - Figgatta de Blanc 35 Pet Shop Boys - Super 36 Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble - Under The Tree 37 Drama B - Vybez 38 Laura Mvula - The Dreaming Room 39 Starless - Starless 40 dvsn - SEPT 5TH |
41 Kaytranada - 99.9%
42 Hecq - Night Falls
43 Badbadnotgood - IV
44 Ambarchi Pupillo Pilia - Aithein
45 Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti - Inumani
46 Gidge - Lulin
47 All India Radio - The Slow Light
48 Carbon Based Lifeforms - ALT:01
49 Furns - Only Through Your Eyes
50 FM-84 - Atlas
In 2016 there has been a lot of great music, the only thing missing was time to hear it all, even this post comes much later than the usual Christmas.
New Order did again the album of the year. It's true the songs are from the previous year's Music Complete, but they're all extended versions, not only extended mixes, but with additional elements. They've always been a band giving their best at the 12" length, and this album makes no excepetion, all the songs are even better than the originals.
The Top 10 saw the return of indie. Pixies came back with a great album though not all at their best standards. Gabrielles Wish released a fantastic EP with a couple of really beautiful ballads. Their prolific leader Robert Paul Corless released more than a dozen albums of instrumentals!
Massimo Volume frontman Emidio Clementi debuted his new project Sorge mixing his poetry with electronica thanks to Marco Caldera. Their guitarist Egle Sommacal released a new wonderful solo acoustic album and collaborated with the Wu Ming Contingent which released a superb post punk album. The other guitarist Stefano Pilia did nice experimental records with Immaginisti (formerly known as Cagna Schiumante) and Ambarchi and Pupillo.
Marlene Kuntz came back rocking with an inspired record and Diaframma made a new version of their legendary album with excellent additional tracks featuring Gianni Maroccolo from Litfiba. The new album by Afterhours is amazingly beautiful and one of the debuts of the year is Spartiti, the new project of Max Collini from Offlaga Disco Pax with Jukka Reverberi from Giardini di Mirò.
The best non-indie album has been Incognito's contemporary funk masterpiece but there has been plenty of eclectic records in 2016 as well, a year which saw a huge step forward in hip hop and pop blended with it. G4shi is a bright new hope, Drake and Rihanna released two excellent duets on their great albums, it would be interesting to get a full album of their duets. Innovative and exciting records in the genre came from Zo!, Phonte and Eric Roberson, Future, Drama B, dvsn, Kaytranada.. some of this artists have various links with Drake.
Even mainstream pop had quality albums, like the new from Sia and, on the dance side, DJ Snake which confirmed Justin Bieber is not your enemy. This will be remembered as the year we lost Prince, George Michael and David Bowie who had just released a great album. Italian prog and AOR legends Pooh closed their 50 years long career with a compilation. Bluvertigo also released a compilation which should have anticipated a new album after the new great single premiered at the Sanremo festival, but the new album has been then put on hold after new problems emerged within the band. Pet Shop Boys and Elio E Le Storie Tese came back with two albums which are good but slightly disappointing for their standards.
Fourplay and The Rippingtons gave us two smooth jazz masterpieces. Gregory Porter did a sophisticated soul gem. J Balvin certainly made the best reggaeton album of the year. Disco legend Cerrone came back with two afro funk releases which sound amazingly fresh. Proper afrobeat came from the Akoya Ensemble. Robert Glasper did a fantastic album with Miles Davis material.
A bit lower in the chart there's proper chillout like Lemongrass, but as this year I missed time to hear more music I've yet to hear the new releases from favourites of the genre like Afterlife and Cantoma.
There have been great albums in the darkest ambient genre by the likes of Luke Howard, Hecq, Gidge and Carbon Based Lifeforms.
This year will bring a new Slowdive album, and this alone is enough a great reason to have great expectations!
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