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Chez's EOY lists 2018, ferdig, takk~

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Chez Wombat View member profile	Dec 31 2018, 08:45 PM Post #21
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	2. A Series of Unfortunate Events I very much enjoyed the first season of this in 2017 and I'm sure I wrote about it last year as well, but it was this season where it really became an essential show and came into it's own, possibly because this was the first series where there wasn't a direct visual comparison to accompany the books like the film so we hadn't seen them before (and I hadn't happened to have read up to this point in the books, so it was all very much new to me), and I absolutely loved to the continuing crazy cat and mouse antics between the three children and Count Olaf, I wasn't overly certain about Neil Patrick Harris to start with but I think he's really come into his own and got a good balance between goofy and genuinely frightening, which was more than Jim Carrey ever managed. The three lead children are all excellent and you start to feel for them a bit more when the situations get worse and worse with always that painful sense of inevitability waiting at the end of each book. The Vile Village and Carnivorous Carnival in particular were striking in their surreal and dark settings and situations that sprung from them. There's also still that dry, witty sense of humour that stops each episode being an outright misery-fest and I still rlly like Patrick Warburton as Lemony Snicket, as well as all the supporting characters who do seem to be getting a bit of depth than in the books (at least from what I've read about them). All in all, wonderful stuff, I can't wait for tomorrow where I can start to see the conclusion . 1. Westworld So it turns out that both of my top 2 are shows that weren't unique to this year but really brought out their A game for their second season. I adored the first series of Westworld, it took the original seemingly simple story about the rise of machines against humans and expanding it to make it a philosophical reflection on the nature of being human and what are the consequences that can come about with challenging the norm, and it did that very well, with a vast, extremely well made setting and scope and a lot of questions raised but not giving so many answers, and this one was largely the same, but there was a bit more action to it, if I have to criticise the first season for anything, it would be that, but this time they upped the ante, the stakes were higher, things had reached breaking point. We go on a gradual journey of exactly what happened when the hosts started to rise up against their human masters and the devastating aftermaths that occurred. The guests certainly get some great character development for Dolores and Maeve, both representing two very different sides of the paths they take against the humans and it's fascinating to see, Maeve's in particular as her journey to find her daughter and learn who she was takes her to other Westworld theme parks, one set around ancient Japanese shoguns where they discover versions of themselves following the same storyline as they were assigned by the same creators, it's a great dig at Hollywood's own take on originality and really feels so clever. Bernard, now newly aware that he himself was a host, is also a focal point and his ever dividing loyalties between the military humans taking action and the hosts that he shares kin with, Robert Ford still appears in a spirit, played by an always excellent Anthony Hopkins, and then there's the ever enigmatic Man in Black who gets a lot more development this time and it feels very tragic in how it ends up. It all played out excellently and was so gripping throughout and ofc. still leaving plenty of questions for Season 3 whenever that may come. It's not quite up there with Game of Thrones yet, but this season showed me that it's definitely on the way to becoming as good as that. -x- And that's it for the visual media part of this thread, thank you for following. I will start on the songs tomorrow, happy new year~


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 1 2019, 06:08 PM Post #22
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	So now I'm going to move on to MUSIC, so those that are opposed to visual media can now comment x Like I said, I couldn't compile a top 100 this year as I'm not even sure there was 100 unique tracks I listened to that I could list, but instead I thought I'd compile a series of mini lists that highlights the songs I did cherish in a better way. So there are five unique categories featuring lists of between eight and fifteen songs each, they are: I: The big hits (the one with songs you'd all recognise basically. The only criteria here is that they all have made the UK top 40.) II: Bubbling Under (This is somewhat a halfway point between lists I and III, in that these songs weren't big hits and didn't make the top 40, but still made enough of an impact in critic/blog kinda way that they don't fit into III, yet didn't meet the success criteria for I) III: Random internet stuff (My favourite one . You may not know these songs as they were just various obscure songs I found on Reddit or YouTube usually after midnight, I entered a few of them to various Buzzjack contests so you may remember them) IV: Buzzjack-Related (Self-explanatory, any discoveries I've found via Buzzjack whether it BJSC, UP etc.) V: Retro/Pre-2018 (Because frankly there is truth in the fact that music was much better back then, I've been acquainting myself with music of past decades a lot more and have made some incredible discoveries that I'd really like to write about) I will start the first one momentarily, and I'll hopefully be finished with this fairly soon as it's meant to be a whole lot less time consuming to write...I guess we'll see


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 1 2019, 06:53 PM Post #23
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	Music Part I: The Big Hits What can I say about the charts this year? Well, pretty much the same thing I've been saying the last two years - Gosh, streaming's made it so boring and non-diverse. But this thankfully doesn't trouble me that much any more as I've long stopped massively investing so much in a chart that's become so contrived (seen pretty clearly in the last week) and just followed casually and while there is still way too much boring tropical house, generic dull dance music producers, horrible misogynistic mumbly rap, hip hop artists with criminal records in the open getting hits and these various new rules making chart runs look pretty awful, there is still SOMETHING that stands out as a diamond in the rust and does keep me interested and lets me know can still throw up decent surprises, see Three Lions, Sausage Rolls and Baby Shark from this year, and there are still some songs which really stand out. I have nine of which which I will launch into now~ (Some honourable mentions would probably go to Ariana Grande, certainly taking her place at the top of the pop female hierarchy, I didn't quite love any of her songs that much for her to be here, but they were solid. Billie Eilish When the Party's Over is one I've heard recently that I really like, I will hopefully include that next year if I remember~) Part 1 9. Jax Jones feat. Ina Wroldsen – Breathe My first experience with Jax Jones was the glorious I Got U with Duke Dumont so he has my minor interest in this landscape where dance producers aren't at their best. Nothing by him has quite clicked with me since, but this was certainly a step in the right direction. It could easily be annoying with a hook that constantly goes 'dum dum da da' over and over, but actually it's infuriatingly infectious, and the producton maintains a slightly street and cool feel with no evidence of trend chasing excuses of drops of whatever so I can definitely get behind him a bit more than other dance producers, I like his fresh approach. 8. Arctic Monkeys – Four out of Five Poor Arctics, it perhaps wasn't the best time for them to come back and just do an album of slow-building anti-mainstream stuff when they'd been away for so long and we were craving some more rock bangers, but give them credit, it's not like anything else like this can get in the charts these days. It's got a good influence of classic 60s/70s rock of the like of Talking Heads and Pink Floyd about it and I think it mainly works well, and there's still a good semblence of their own sound in there with the dry, prosaic lyrics and some subtle tempo changes you don't recognise the first time you hear it. It's not classic Arctics by any means, but they are expanding their reach like artists should even if it's not what the masses may want and I think this one was successful. 7. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho I mean I saw this song was confirmed three times in BJSC and assumed it was just some Buzzjack circlejerk or Melfest thing idk, but apparently it was something that was crossing over and continually got bigger in the UK to be our current number 1 (however manipulated that chart was but that's a different discussion x). I'm very surprised, my first response on hearing this was 'meh', but actually it's quite subtle in it's charms that is really grows on you and for what it is and yeah, you could easily see Lady Gaga or Katy Perry singing this, but it's by no mean a clone, it's refreshing that it's not too garish a production and it's a simple yet catchy pop song. It's certainly wormed it's way into my head enough to be mentioned here, here's hoping she's got more tricks up her sleeve. 6. Panic! At the Disco – High Hopes Ooh, here's a name I haven't heard in a while and was very surprised that this was apparently a big hit, but I did give it a listen and I do definitely see why - this is very, very catchy and jolly, one could easily say (or he, to be more accurate, poor hen losing all his bandmates) that it was selling out a bit, and while it doesn't have the same weird charm as I Write Sins, Not Tragedies and Nine in the Afternoon, it's still got the distinct, marching-band, high production value of Panic! singles and anthemic chorus that would fuel all high spirits just listening to it. I didn't have many encounters with this song, but when I heard it, I always felt a lot more upbeat after hearing it which is always great to say about a song, and any indie-leaning hit in the charts that doesn't resemble Ed Sheeran in the charts these days is also always a bonus.


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 1 2019, 09:58 PM Post #24
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	5. George Ezra - Paradise I have always liked George Ezra a bit more than his contemporaries in his genre, mainly as his voice is really quite beautiful and while his style is sometimes a bit too country-pop for my liking, when he gets it right, like with Budapest, it's wonderful. However, he definitely outdid himself this era and while Shotgun was his biggest ultimate hit which was decent, I am sad Paradise couldn't quite get there despite how well it sold. Paradise feels so timeless with it's choir backing, falsetto breaks and anthemic chorus, it feels so much more off the scale than everything Ezra has done before and it really works, a wonderful song. It remains a joy to listen to and I'm really glad the UK public took to it. My only issue would be the lyric 'bloody veins'..huh? 4. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - Shallow I always thought with Lady Gaga that even though she made excellent pop-dance songs, that sometimes her clearly massive talents were fitted to a slightly more subtle approach, and indeed that became more apparent from her last era and partly why I think she made such a good role in A Star is Born as the songs really suited her very well. None more so than Shallow, the point in the film which makes her stepping up to a greater opportunity, in context it's great, but even outside of that, it's a beautiful country-pop acoustic duet which really showcases her talents so much more than a lot of her earlier material and really reminds you of why she became so big in the first place. Ofc. it's not just her song, and I never knew Bradley Cooper could sing so well, but he also fits the arrangement and the song really well and adds to the tender moment between them (which feels bittersweet after you've watched the film :'(). Gaga may not be as dominant as she once was, but I hope that this shows that she is still very much deserves to be seen as one of the greatest modern talents from the turn of the century. 3. Calvin Harris feat. Dua Lipa - One Kiss Calvin is another one I have quite a mixed relationship towards as while he undeniably can find a hit as easily as anteaters fishing out ants, but the quality's a bit inconsistent. I really liked his last era where he went downtempo and adopted a more urban and subtle sound that suited him really well after his usual formula was getting a bit stale. This one isn't quite as innovative, but gosh you really have to admire how this pretty ticks all the boxes for a wide appealing hit - subtle low key yet smooth tropical instrumental (that thankfully doesn't go for some awful 'drop' and instead keeps at a steady pace which I'm fine with), catchy chorus, popular guest vocalist and the time of year where hot weather approaching which is where it definitely would sound the best. And really it's hard not to be taken in by that charm, blasting this on headphones while on a summer's walk was just the best feeling and it still sounds so feel-good even with the dark winter days, and the video was no less charming, I mean Dua Lipa's the hottest woman in the world, you cant go wrong there, but I digress. It's almost annoying how he constantly just GETS the formula however simple it is, but when they're this good, why worry? 2. Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like a Heart I have a love/hate relationship with Miley Cyrus, since maturing from Disney channel stuff, her path feels a bit disjointed and her 2013 stuff can very much stay there except Wrecking Ball, but I did like her more restrained and more well rounded material last year, I've fortunately always really liked Mark Ronson, his very overrated cover of Valerie aside, how does a collaboration between them work? I LOVE it! Like srsly, I've only heard this a handful of times over the last few weeks and it gets better every time, I almost put it at number 1 here but it just feels a bit recent, but still it wasn't far off. This feels so timeless in just about every way, the soaring instrumentals with classic strings and acoustics and Miley Cyrus' lamenting, crooning vocal style singing the familiar yet still poetic lyrics, which does indeed resemble Dolly Parton's Jolene a lot, but there's a reason that song is such a classic so influences aren't a bad thing. I think I posted about it, but Mark Ronson is adept at constantly reinventing himself to sound so fresh in the musical environment, there's never a hint of trend chasing there and that's what makes it great, and this is the kind of music that Miley Cyrus should be making - it's mature and well rooted in her country background so fits really well. A true triumph of a song overall, would probably be my number 1 if I wasn't still only just getting into it! 1. Tom Walker - Leave a Light On Yes, what can I say, I support my namesake But no, I'm actually quite surprised that this turned into as big a hit as it did, I suppose you could say it's a bit like Ed Sheeran and Heart FM friendly, but I think it's a lot less saccharine and the classic raspy delivery makes it seem like something from Ben Howard or Coldplay and Keane in their early days, and I love that sound, as I did this. You get a real sense of authenticity from his lyrics and vocals which makes it seem like a songs that he really feels and hits harder, ofc. the chorus is the best part, launching into one of the most anthemic instrumentals I've heard all year and I love his gravelly voice, it's nicer than hearing horrible autotuned voices. Reel Muzaak for the win!!11 but srsly, it's great that the charts can still throw up diamonds in the rust like this that differ from the normal soundscape and I'm very thankful the UK public realised the gem this song was. Just it being a big hit was enough to still give me faith that great songs can still be recognised. And on that note, tune in tomorrow where I'll go over my favourite songs that got some critical attention but weren't top 40 hits and rant about how awful the UK public is at not letting these songs be hits


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 3 2019, 05:53 PM Post #25
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	So it turns out a song in Part II that I assumed didn't make the top 40 actually did, I'm impressed, so belated commentary for this which can slot in at number 10~ 10. Jorja Smith – Blue Lights So this was another one I remember from a few years back but it did become a lot more prominent this year and was re-released and well, made the top 40. Well done Joe public. This is wonderful mesmerising journey of a song, it's entirely stripped back asides from a very faint synth backing and let's Jorja's vocals take the main stage, and it tells some very relatable stories for those that live in the UK of a gradually concealed crime coming to the centre which is very well done with the gradual intensity of her vocals building, and it all gives way to rather apt Dizzee Rascal sample in the end. I genuinely had no idea it made the top 40 and I'm really impressed as it's one of the best this year as far as I'm concerned, and it's great to see hip hop with a poetic and creative edge are in with a shot. -x- Now onto the next: Music Part II: The almost-hits So yes, as I explained, this section will be devoted to songs that did still make some kind of impact despite not quite making the top 40, that could be in terms of critics, Radio 1 (this still being my alarm does still introduce me to some of these songs), Buzzjack, from some kind of media like films or TV, or maybe just something the average person may be able to recall, which isn't quite how my next section will be. It's been a good year for these and I have thirteen songs I'd like to share with you~ 13. Alice Merton – No Roots So it was 2017 that I first heard this as part of BJSC and I pretty much entirely glossed over it at the time, I did start hearing it a bit more on Radio 1 this year and it did start to click with me in a bigger way, it's a shame it never quite managed to become a hit over here despite some building momentum, it's a real standout track, very much traditional instruments are used throughout and barely a trace of synthesised and computerised instruments and the use of a backing band and choir that becomes more prominent as the song builds. This song is quite a wonderful little builder and really has a powerful punch in the delivery that makes it unique, the lyrical content and arrangement makes it almost like the 2010s tribute to Papa was a Rolling Stone, so yeah, I clearly need to give songs more time. 12. Muse – Thought Contagion The one sparkle in what was unfortunately not the best year for Muse, albeit it was very good visually. I did love their varying scopes of sci-fi in each of their music video, this one being no exception with a rather wonderful 80s and vampire film homage, but fortunately the song is also worth a listen too. Muse certainly have their tropes - anthemic ohs, melodramatic OTT song titles and lyrics, thumping guitars, crazed falsetto, it's all here and it's glorious. They know who they're aiming at and they're playing to it, Thought Contagion would sound incredible both live and in headphones in it's zany, anthemic form. It's always nice to see them not lose sight of what makes them them, I wasn't as impressed with the other promo singles though and I still haven't listened to this album and somehow, not much is compelling me to which does make me sad, given they are still one of my favourite bands 11. Thom Yorke - Suspirium The soundtrack to Luca Guadagnino's version of Suspiria might have differed considerably from the original's, but it still had it's unique charms. Thom Yorke's traditionally despair and haunting voice was an excellent choice and in this case, it was a wise choice to not try and emulate the original. His take on the almost title track is an ominous and piano laden ballad that fits the desolate landscape and colours of the film, with a mythical aspect coming through the soundscape in the form of flutes and pipes heard throughout the track and while I'm sometimes here or there on Thom's vocals, he certainly has an excellent range and I think they're very fitting here in their haunting and stripped back form. A wonderful accompaniment to the film and what was overall a very fitting soundtrack. As we will find out, Guadagnino is rather good at coming up with these.


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 3 2019, 06:57 PM Post #26
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	10. Sufjan Stevens – Visions of Gideon / Mystery of Love Call Me By Your Name was a big Oscar film this year, and though it's not generally my kind of genre, I couldn't deny how amazingly well made, shot and atmospherically told story of two unlikely lovers it was, one of the parts of what made it so good was the gorgeous songs on the soundtrack by Sufjan Stevens, another indie name I've really been meaning to check out as everything I've heard has been really good, this gently composed yet beautifully atmospheric soundtrack couldn't have been better for the film. This is a joint entry because they both warrant a piece about them. Mystery of Love is the lead single and perhaps the song that exemplifies the film the best and when the couple are at their highest point, it has a beautiful instrumental and soft vocals emphasising the tender nature of the romance, should've won the oscar etc. but I do wanna mention the closing song, Visions of Gideon too, which is the other end and plays over the closing credits when the two must accept they have both moved on and it emphasises an end to the romance, it's got the same soothing nature but much more melancholy in it's lyrics and composition and delivery, and it plays over what is in my opinion the best scene in the movie - when Elio stares into the fire, crying and reminiscing about his brief love affair, keeping the same expression throughout while the credits and the song plays over it. It's SO amazingly done, that the song really stayed with me. Even without watching the film though, these are essential, so do give them a listen if you don't know them. 9. Christine and the Queens – Five Dollars Tilted/Christine being one of my favourite discoveries of recent years, Christine & The Queens' comeback was definitely highly anticipated by myself. I did like Girlfriend, it was an interesting change of direction, I just didn't go crazy about it like a lot of people did. I actually found myself much preferring this next single, it feels so much more natural to her. It's got a great unconventional structure with a really memorable chorus and a beautiful crescendo just before the final chorus which really continues the wonderful quirky, unique style of pop that they were famed for and while it probably isn't anyone else's, it's my favourite from this era, just a shame that she'll likely forever remain a one hit wonder in the eyes of the public :'( 8. Jade Bird – Love Has All Been Done Before I didn't really follow the Sound of... list this year, I couldn't tell you who won, but I do recall this name from the list (lovely name, brings to mind avian jewels) and though I didn't seek out anything from her instantly, I did hear this a fair few times on Radio 1 and grew to love it. It's so instantly captivating in it's delivery and frantic, shouty chorus with some great attitude in the lyrics and an innovative title. If I had to find a comparison, it would be something like The Pretty Reckless, Paramore or The Birthday Massacre, but there's callbacks right from the classic blues rock revival like White Stripes and even the classics like Bruce Springsteen. I am ashamed that she wasn't bigger ~~even if I didn't know who she was until midway through the year~~ 7. CHVRCHES & The National – My Enemy Another of my favourite groups of the last few years, the good thing about them is I just love Lauren's voice so much and they're synthpop sound is so universally appealing that I like pretty much everything they do, and that largely the case here, the unfortunate thing was there was just fewer absolute essentials this year - Get Out was...OK, they've done much better, Graffiti and Miracle were both pretty good thankfully even if not quite up with Leave a Trace, Clearest Blue and Empty Threat. They did have one absolute highlight this time around, this duet with Matt Berninger from The National is a slow building atmospheric number that allows both of their different styles and voices to come through, Lauren sounds so menacing and beautiful in the chorus and the synths aren't swamping the track but are at just the right level. It's easily the best song they've released this era, and maybe shows how out of the ordinary collaborations, see Wednesday Campanella (Out of my Head was another good if not amazing track, I appreciated the pairing more than anything!) 6. Pale Waves – Eighteen I think a part of me is going through a bit of a pop-punk phase with this and Jade Bird here, but these are the songs that really stuck with me. I'd heard of Pale Waves through BJSC and There's a Honey was fairly decent, though I hadn't properly explored them yet. I heard this, again, numerous times on Radio 1 (much as their presenters can be annoying, I do have them to thank for showing me that there is still some decent stuff that isn't making the charts) and actually thought it was a Taylor Swift 1989 track at first, but I really liked that album and really liked this too. It's very poppy, simple and perhaps isn't my usual thing but there was something about this that was very appealing, a song about looking back about key moments from your late teens and it's as sunny and upbeat as a song basking in nostalgia should be, it really makes you feel happy and reminiscent. A very unexpected song that I didn't expect to be talking about her, but sometimes a feel good, nostalgic song is all you need.


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 3 2019, 10:30 PM Post #27
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	(Note: this is kinda where I start taking liberties with how known these are ) 5. Seven Lions x Illenium x Said the Sky feat. HAILENE – Rush Over Me Well Illenium came 20th for Terra Avium in BJSC two years ago, that's real life impact!!11 But no, I'd say these names in dance music are a little bit more well known in the dance music scene and it is a SuicideSheep upload which has it's own little community. Anyway, onto the song, Rush Over Me as you can expect from all these big dubstep names coming together is a beautiful, epic amalgamation of styles which works really well, it has that classic SuicideSheep emotional dance sound, HAILENE of Saving Light fame is wonderful here with her soaring vocals and the drop has quite a lot going on, but still suckers you in to bring the emotional building to it's climax. There's not really a set structure to this song, it goes a lot of places in it's five minutes and the drops go in different places, but it's never uninteresting. Recommended for all Sheepy/melodic dubstep fans. 4. Moodoid feat. Wednesday Campanella – Langage Again it finished top 20 for Terra Avium in BJSC!!11 I feel Wednesday Campanella are gradually breaking through a bit into the almost mainstream western blogosphere especially with their collaboration with CHVRCHES, but as good as that was, it can't hold a candle to this wonderful electronica beauty. Langage is a unique merging of French and Japanese styles in a densely produced, twinkly electronic number and the lyrics (when translated) tell a story of a couple of attempting to integrate better by understanding each other's language better, which is always an amazing message in this day and age that two different cultures are willing to merge even in a microcosmic way like this. Moodoid I hadn't heard of at all prior to this but he is great in his shallow, breathy french voice for the verses and the girls are as quirky and upbeat as ever in the chorus and a little spoken refrain at the end, and the video's worth a watch for a funny story with a gremlin. Overall, it's a song that makes me extremely happy, in a number of ways, and is a bloody good song to boot. 3. Apparat feat. Soap&Skin – Goodbye I wish I could claim BJSC success as a legit reason this is on this list (), but actually this came to many people's attention as the theme song to DARK, the German-language complex science fiction series which...I forgot to put in my shows of the year FFS, I need to list these down. I could write a lot about that show as it's a lot to take in and definitely one you need to stick with to fully understand, a characteristic is it's low, darkly enigmatic mood that is reflected through how it is made and so there couldn't be a song more apt for it's opening credits than this damning foreboding number from Apparat with some understated, glitchy production from Soap&Skin. It starts out as a rustling gradually building beat before giving away to a dark piano and some unsettling whispers, before the dark vocals about laying down to sleep come in, and there is a section where he is almost pained as he enunciates his vocals, before the absolutely stunning pay-off in the chorus-something like that it's hard to tell with a minute to go. His vocals are just so filled with sadness and power and the prodcution so unsettling that it presents one of the most pained, moody feeling tracks I'd heard this year and it perfectly suits the tone of the show. Not necessarily the brightest, but for sheer power, you've got to take note. 2. Ólafur Arnalds – Only the Winds I mean where this guy been all my life is the main question I'm asking here. This is actually from 2013, I put it here as given I didn't properly look into his material until I heard of him producing new material this year so looked at his back catalogue and this is one I instantly fell in love with. I'm always sucker for a piano track but this is one of the most beautiful compositions I've heard recently. Starting as a few sombre notes on the piano it gradually builds in power as the strings arrive and takes the track to soaring emotional heights, it reduces down to just a sad plucking of strings by the end and it leaves you breathless. There are so many emotions you can feel listening to this five minutes, it's so powerful yet heartbreaking, sad but constantly rising in stature and the video offers an interesting method of interpretation as well. I can't possibly do this track justice, give it a listen and you'll see why it's so high up my list. 1. Ólafur Arnalds – Unfold (feat. SOHN) / re:member But sticking to 2018 songs, and there was no doubt that this would be my top choice for this specific list as Ólafur Arnalds has came back with some truly beautiful songs this year. I couldn't decide which is better and I'm basically saying the same thing about them both so this is a joint winner. re:member is an incredible eight minute piano piece that's nostalgic title really relates incredibly well to it's incredible structure starting from a sad quiet minimal piano it builds in stature and is eventually plonking along at a relatively frantic pace and then the synths arrive to form an almost upbeat and energetic piece that adds a new dimension to the track, to me it's a perfect depiction of havng yourself transported to a perfect past event and reliving it, it's a wonder of an instrumental track like this how easily they can immerse you in a story. Unfold on the other hand is a more string focused track that gradually unfolds until the melodic piano takes center stage in the second half of the track and it almost winds down completely until you get to SOHN's contribution, although it is strictly only 'ooohs' they still add a greater layer of depth to the track as well as a beautiful choral element to the track. Overall, I'd say this is another track that lives up to it's title as it 'unfolds' gradually to have a lot more layers than you would first think. I must go to Iceland soon so I can immerse myself of the beauty of the landscape as I imagine that's where Ólafur gets his inspiration for some of these wonders. I've sold these to you enough, listen for yourselves and prepare to be transported to a different place~ Next I'll be going for random internet stuff, ooh I love these .


danG View member profile	Jan 4 2019, 01:37 PM Post #28
🔥🚀🔥 Joined: 30 August 2010 Posts: 74,540 User: 11,746	Rush Over Me made my personal chart back in 2016, was a good find and the first I heard of HALIENE who has a wonderful voice. Great to see One Kiss and Breathe in particular make your Hits list, they really are some of the most inspired dance tunes we've had recently in the chart and it was pleasing to see them get so big (particularly OK) Nothing Breaks is amazing too and should be high in my EOY 2019.


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 5 2019, 05:12 PM Post #29
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	Indeed, it's a good thing to know commercial dance music isn't dead! -x- Part III: Random Internet Stuff So I'm gonna present this section a little bit differently, as I realised when compiling this list that when I find a random song on the internet, I often explore the artist a bit more and end up with a whole host of finds, so I thought I may as well combine it and make this an artist countdown where I'll give a profile (if I can find anything about them online!) and recommend some songs from them, again asides from those I've entered to song contests, you may not know any of these. But do feel free to check them out, they're worth it. I have seven of these to share with you, let's go~ 7. Think Up Anger Who are they: Going by their website, Think Up Anger are a company based in California that produce 'cinema quality music that pushes the technical boundaries of music for film, so trailer music essentially but specialising in 'epic' covers of songs. What's their sound like: Well according to their website, they 'focus on emotionally provocative, heart pounding landscapes for gripping scenes and trailers. Sourcing work from our nationwide network of composers, artists and musicians allows us to deliver a modern sound that's out of this world.' Not much I can add here, if you ever want to hear classic songs reinvented in a way that you'd never realise possible and make you look at a song in a whole different way, then this is a brilliant find and they change the names of the songs to give them a more 'distinct'. I discovered them through their haunting cover of For What It's Worth Apollo from the trailer of The Handmaids Tale season 2, though my favourite is probably their beautifully dark and building reinvention of Seal's Crazy, Mutiny which was a BJSC entry of mine and is linked below. I should note they are stingy bast*rds and their songs aren't on Spotify or streaming services but you can see them all on YouTube. 5rnqXs0m0QA


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 5 2019, 05:34 PM Post #30
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	6. LSDREAM Who are they? A spiritual being having a human experience, that's according to is Facebook anyway, not too far from the truth tbh. The best I could describe it is, as the name would probably hint, a drug-infused trippy dance project making quite out of this world, bass-heavy music. What's their sound like? I've listened to a select few from his album VOYAGER and it certainly fits both the description of ethereal, other-wordly dreamlike music with a good assortment of drug infused haze. Most of his songs essentially start with a random amalgamation of sounds fit together by a computerised voice, the murky space-like production goes just about everywhere and you'd swear you were on board a robot spaceship as things go pear shaped or other 80s Sci-Fi references. Some best exemplifications of this are AWAKE.EXE & ACTIVATE the perfect soundtrack to the Alien films, PSYCHEDELIC & GODSPEED are perhaps slightly more accessible due to the presence of a vocalist on both if the style's a bit too much on first glance, and then there's OBLIVION which is my favourite, turn off your mind and take a trip downstream, those visuals will help N2aBEdpbGgk


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 5 2019, 06:01 PM Post #31
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	5. мытищи Who are they? A Russian Witch House group/person which translates I believe to Mystischi, I'm really not sure, there's not a lot of information at all here, whoever they are, they have an interest in astrology as all their songs are named after star constellations and star signs. What's their sound like? Well, you know what you're getting with Witch House really, but I can't get enough of it. All their songs are seven+ minutes of harsh, screaming mystical synths fitted with choral sections. Their whole album is available on YouTube and though there isn't a lot of variation of sound, it's still great how they apply a sound to all of the star signs and it would be an amazing soundtrack to the battle of the stars or something. My highlights are Virgo which shows a slightly 80s-horror influence at the start through it's instrumentation, Cassiopeia gives a bare bones introduction to their sound and is the one I sent to BJSC so became acquainted with it, but I think my favourite, and maybe I'm showing some bias here given it's my own sign, but Sagittarius that is very stripped down and haunting at the start as it's synths build up to slowly unravel an unsettling, distorted synth whirlpool. It stood out to me a lot and is a beautiful listen everyone should hear (and the album is available in it's entirety on YouTube so if you like these, do hunt that down!) jIgvWcaIPNc


JosephBoone View member profile	Jan 6 2019, 04:58 PM Post #32
you never forget your first time... Pronouns: he/him Joined: 19 April 2011 Posts: 121,600 User: 13,530	I really enjoyed this Doctor Who series but I share many of your critiques. The biggest one is the lack of any real threats - I REALLY hope they re-introduce some of them in series 12, Resolution was a great example of how well it works with the new TARDIS team. Hopefully there's a bit more room for development of the companions too, especially poor Yaz who feels a bit like a spare part. Sweet But Psycho is my favourite of your hits section, that's how you do a pop song! Blue Lights remains excellent too, I loved it in BJSC and still do now!


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 6 2019, 06:34 PM Post #33
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	Indeed, Resolution was a good step forward since I wrote that. Just hope it persists when it returns! -x- 4. Brony Music (Gosh how on earth did this become a thing) Who are they? Err, look it up if you don't know the term. What is their music like? OK just to clarify here, I'm not a brony myself I promise (and you can still tease me anyway but I can only tell you the truth~), I've never seen the show and still find the whole thing a tad strange, but it's unique so no judging. BUT I have been looking up some music made by their vast fandom that don't actually have any connection and honestly I've been quite impressed. There really is quite the eclectic mix of songs out there, quite a few of them having a classical elements which will always make me a fan, but there's kiddy pop, symphonic metal, epic compositions, house and trance music, I'm sure there's a lot more out there I haven't even seen yet. I want to highlight three that have been particularly wonderful and I've come back to a lot this (well last) year. Lunar Phases by BlueBrony is a really beautifully composed deep house song that combines orchestral piano with house and is slow to build but when it gets there, it's totally euphoric and you'll never look back. Luna's Moon Dance by Korw (they do the moon theme quite well), an earlier BJSC entry was a great string led house track which is one of the expert combining of genres I've heard in a while, it's so epic and infectious and I've listened to it so many times, and finally, the eponymous final track on the orchestral epic EP, The Magic of Nature (I mean how was I not gonna stan it with that name), is a seven minute classical piece that is highly successful in creating something truly magical and natural whose building nature, vast soundscape and beautiful flute throughout that gives it an amazing medieval, LOTR feel, it's truly wonderful. Good job, Bronies x QUIuIAAH-XQ


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 6 2019, 06:59 PM Post #34
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	3. The Midnight Who are they? If you're browsing YouTube and looking on those various 80s synth/retro-wave channels, then you must have heard of The Midnight. Using classical synths and retro instruments and themes, they make retro style electronic music where it's forever 1986. What is their music like? Absolutely glorious. I'm a sucker for anything 80s and they just do it so well, not only with the instruments, but they just get the atmosphere and lyrics so right as well as the melodies that it makes for such a wonderful listening experience. This isn't the first year I've discovered them, their song The Years made my EOY back in 2014 and I rediscovered them last year after the glorious Jason. The praise thrown at them in my former write ups still apply, but since I realised that I clearly need to check these guys out more, I have made some rather wonderful discoveries, the best ones are as followed - Light Years is another one from their 2016 Endless Summer album and follows the same lines as Jason and features the same guest vocalist, it's an extremely beautiful duet that puts more emphasis on the lyrics and power of their vocals while a whispering synth plays in the background, a beautiful, heart wrenching song. The Comeback Kid, also from Endless Summer, is a great vocal track with some fantastic electronic work, but the highlight can be no other than the epic that is Gloria, which alas I hesitated to send to BJSC too long and someone beat me to it, this has literally everything amazing about them - an incredible anthemic chorus combined with great retro instruments work and a breathtaking pace all add up to what should rightfully be on the same level of One Day Like This and Beautiful Day as one of the optimistic anthems of our time, make it happen people x 18-Ye2L3ej8


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 6 2019, 09:05 PM Post #35
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	2. Anna Meredith Who are they? One of the most acclaimed new British composers combining modern classical music with electronic music. I should say here I'm referring specifically to her EP ANNO The Four Seasons in collaboration with The Scottish Ensemble and ofc. Antonio Vivaldi. What is their music like? I enjoyed Nautilus a lot back in 2016 but I never got around to exploring her more, so when I got Trifoski in the latest edition BJSC Masquerade, this gave me a good excuse to have a browse through her back catalogue and I came across this EP. I adore the Four Seasons and have them all on my iTunes and it's incredible music for any mood, but this just gives them a whole new experience that combines it with her own experimentations which is really quite glorious. It's difficult to explain them in words as they're all very experimental and different, The Spring movement is the most erratic by far, it combines Vivaldi's classic pieces with a haunting Fade In intro, adding some intriguign authenticity with a track made up on birds flying along with a frantic, explosive violin track at the end of it that adds a sense of urgency to proceedings. Summer is primarily Vivaldi's original movements still sounding as sinister as always and an original composition Haze to top it off which is a more slower building but still effective peace of the sun'd glowering warmth before the dramatic finale comes for Thunder. Autumn starts with Anna's electronic laced, slow building Bloom which moves along at quite a mellow chilled pace until Vivaldi's Allegro comes in to close. And finally Winter, which is uploaded to YouTube, starting with the beautiful Low Light before embarking in the frantic (and one of my favourites of his compositions) Allegro Non Molto and the very chilled candle by the fireplace Allegro, before Anna plays us out in the return of the electronic tinged, solemn Solstice Fade Out. A wonderful experience for any time of the year, the full album's on Spotify or Bandcamp, though Winter (without Solstice Fade Out) is below, check out the trippy visuals with it. nkCBAo26C7M


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 6 2019, 09:48 PM Post #36
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	1. Fractal Dreamers / Helblinde Who are they? A Swedish Dance/Electronic collaboration between two individual producers (Helblinde & skymuted, the former of which I actually discovered completely independently from them but learnt that he was a part of this group) with apparently very different ideas. Not a lot of other information. What's their music like? When I first found Fortuna Redux, a random song on a reddit I was browsing, when I was looking for an entry for the ongoing club bizarre at the time, it rlly made quite a big impact on me and took me by surprise instantly with it's frantic, choral backed drum'n'bass production building up to an epic climax. I say drum'n'bass but really it's quite hard to categorise their music, it's got a mix of a lot of different styles in there. I would best describe as art music influenced (pop/dance combined with classical) by the apocalypse. Srsly listening to this EP, Kingdom of Silence, and you can literally envision an apocalyptic anime fantasy battle for the ruins of the world or something. In fact, I will try and do just that: Fortuna Redux - the opening, a disturbance arises and wreaks havoc, before coming to a fatal conclusion (as felt from 3:00 onwards .) Infinity Chasers - More boisterious and heroic sounding, the rising of some potential saviours against the threat, more distorted in production and trap/dubstep-like in sound, certainly no less epic. Paradigm Shift - the most restrained track on here, built around a frantic piano around some silent strings, it's wonderfully tense in it's build-up and instrumental subtle in it's delivery but high in intensity. The track's title makes me think of the heroes having inner conflicts and facing conflicts in allegiances, it's perfect music for a psychological battle. Clarum Somnium - from subtlety to an out and out knockout in terms of drama and intensity, translates from latin to 'Lucid Dream' and while I can see that is the dream is some big epic battle with swords blaring, buildings exploding, fires blazing, screams all around...you get what I mean. Every dramatic climax in any film or TV show should use this. Kingdom of Silence - a simple end credits kinda piano track, but it's still beautifully composed and emotionally resonant. Phew, it really is quite the beast whenever I listen to it and I could simply crown no other as my favourite random internet discovery of 2018. I do crave even longer music from them and preferably with visuals! They have a new album out recently actually which I will certainly make a point of acquainting myself with so I can gush about them more at the end of this year! And I will leave you with one of the producer's own solo work Helblinde - The Solace of Oblivion, whom I was completely unaware was part of them until it was pointed out! I couldn't have wanted a better song as my most successful BJSC entry last year (even if it was a spin-off) and a shining example that he's good on his own as well, it goes through so many changes of tempo, pace, genre and voiceover throughout the five minutes you won't know where to stop but it only leaves you wanting more at the end. Truly the best of horror themed dance. 1gFNk_L5R1w Speaking of BJSC, my favourite Buzzjack-related discoveries are up next


PeteFromLeeds View member profile	Jan 7 2019, 10:22 PM Post #37
Buy yourself a car, and a house in Devon Joined: 6 May 2016 Posts: 23,882 User: 23,247	Giving The Solace of Oblivion a listen now, I can see it being your sort of thing A bit too manic for me I think but the sound is good!


p a v View member profile	Jan 8 2019, 02:19 PM Post #38
thanks for being a sarcy lil bitch Joined: 25 September 2007 Posts: 79,270 User: 4,397	glad I was able to introduce The Midnight to the BJ world~ Also if only you participated in BJSC back in 2009 so I would've placed higher with this beauty mYIfiQlfaas I even bought the next CD he released


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 12 2019, 04:59 PM Post #39
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	QUOTE(PeteFromLeeds @ Jan 7 2019, 10:22 PM) Giving The Solace of Oblivion a listen now, I can see it being your sort of thing A bit too manic for me I think but the sound is good! Good to know people are actually listening to my recommendations, I always kinda assume they aren't I think you may like some of The Midnight's stuff (or maybe you've already heard them via BJSC haha) QUOTE(Conderella @ Jan 8 2019, 02:19 PM) glad I was able to introduce The Midnight to the BJ world~ Also if only you participated in BJSC back in 2009 so I would've placed higher with this beauty mYIfiQlfaas I even bought the next CD he released Oh wow that is stunning Srsly where has he been all my life, I may need to get round to looking into his old work as well! Will be resuming this now, sorry for the slight pause!


Chez Wombat View member profile	Jan 12 2019, 06:29 PM Post #40
The owls are not what they seem Pronouns: He/him Joined: 11 July 2009 Posts: 37,107 User: 9,232	Music Part IV: Buzzjack Related Discoveries OK, so this part's self explanatory. You've all still been wonderful in providing me with these obscure, hidden gems I wouldn't be able to find otherwise and it is one of the reasons why I can never truly forget from this site. I could just put this in the BJSC forum in my national thread (especially with how few of them there's been this year, c'mon guys I love procrastinating with them ), but I wanted to include other song contests too and they do contribute to a major part of my music listening this year so this felt more fitting. I have a grand total of sixteen songs to share with you because I apparently hate rounded numbers in these lists, I should note that criteria for this list is that it has to be a song I discovered purely through Buzzjack and not one I knew of my own accord before being entered, hence why Olafurr Arnalds and The Midnight, despite me giving them high points, aren't in this list. 16. Goreshit – The Nature of Dying Pleasant title right. I absolutely love In The Nature of Daylight by Max Richter, one of the most hauntingly dark and beautiful tracks and it was used expertly in the film Arrival a few years back. A track that essentially just slapped an industrial beat over it initially didn't sound like an intriguing prospect, but listening to it, it's actually done in a way that gives it a new, more intense definition. It can be a little hard to listen to as the beat doesn't hold back and is almost violent in it's darkness, but I like to think it does really well in reflecting the darker side of melancholy emotions as the original does and this is a very unique way of seeing that. 15. Wings of the ISANG – Dark Sea I always adore post rock, so seeing this do so well and break the glass ceiling that's usually there for these kind of tracks in BJSC was excellent to see. This is exactly the kind of building masterpiece with all manner of instrumentation like peaceful turning frantic guitar and a beautiful range of drums and light strings in the background that build the atmosphere to stratospheric levels at the climax, it even has that rare thing in a lot of post rock songs - vocals coming in, I'm mixed on them as while they are minimal, I'd have wished it would've built it's atmosphere on solely instrumentation, but it's a quibble if anything. It's still a beautiful majestic masterpiece of it's genre and I am very pleased it wasn't a niche appeal this time. 14. Mikael Seifu – Yarada Lij Another thing I love that I'm glad that more started appreciating more is the wonders of new age music, I was sadly proven futile in my attempts to introduce it to some of you with the wonderful CUSCO last year (see last years thread for that) but this rather unique sounding wonder was certainly the next best thing. It moves along at a leisurely pace yet opening itself up to many layers as it builds, boasting pan pipes, horns, didgeridoos and other exotic wonders. It paints the impression of a faraway magical land as it builds and I just love music that does that. One of my most unique finds of the year and a keeper for sure, thanks Bre xo 13. Audio Paradyne & Stahl! – Paradise I wondered what had happened to Basshunter recently, turns out he's under a new monomer. Paradise probably would feel that way if you were in a packed dancefloor as it's just so much fun to bop along to and it's frantic pace and constant key changes make it never once lose your attention and it's backed by a lovely lively piano in between sections. There's not a whole lot innovative here, but it's clearly not made to be, just a fun song made for having fun with. 12. Ninet Tayab – Superstar I underrated this a lot in my points at the time, but it's grown on me a lot since then. From it's opening acoustic chords, one surely couldn't predict it would turn into the beast of a track that it does, thrashing guitars feature throughout but they are secondary to the sheer scorn and power in Ninet's vocals, she was wonderful in a very different way on Pariah with her emotional and sadness tinged vocals, but here she's out and out crossed, angry rock-chick mode and it's amazing to see it in this way. It's like Caught Out There if it was actually listenable and it's over so quick, it leaves you wanting more. A powerhouse of a track, I wish I'd given it more. 11. Laibach – Vor Sonnen-Aufgang I've not come across a track that sounds so worldly, ethereal and blissful as this, it's quite an oddity. It's instrumental is primarily classical and it's symphonic beauty sets a pristine atmosphere before the wistful ghostly vocals come in, I don't really know what they are saying, but the imagery in the video is certainly interesting and it makes it all seem like a soothing hymn like one you'd get at the end of a high fantasy movie or something. I find it hard to believe music as grandiose as this is still being produced this year and going unnoticed as it's such a standout track and another reason why I'm thankful for the small corners of the internet for raising my awareness of them.