Another year has brought some exciting returns, introduced loads of incredible new talent, proved the ethos of DIY and allowed vets to justify their longevity. Over the next 7 weeks, we’ll be bringing you the highlights of the year in music, created by our friendly artists and labels. Today, we’re giving you ‘best of 2018’ list fromย Tobias Grave of Portland’s atmopsheric alt dark wave / post punk act SOFT KILL (Profound Lore Records)!
2018 was a strange year. Saw a record of music created to cope with the hardest moments of my life released to the scrutiny of the world. โSaviorโ came and took Soft Kill to new corners of the Earth, sharing these emotions with strangers in real time. I was naive to think it would be easy to offer this to the world, and found myself turning to a lot of music, film and art far removed from our sound and aesthetic to process these feelings. I canโt list everything but hereโs a selection of what got me through these past months.
Freddie Gibbs – โFreddieโ LP (ESGN/Empire)
Definitely my album of the year. Gibbs has offered pure magic up before in the form of the celebrated โPiรฑataโ LP produced by Madlib. Here he offers a barrage of violently rhythmic music to compliment Gary, Indianaโs reputation. The Midwest is home, and while Chicago has defined the sound I love, โFreddieโ is Drill meets Atlanta trap at itโs absolute finest. Instant classic.
City Hunter – โDeep Bloodโ LP (Youth Attack)
Iโm obsessed with James Trejoโs entire trajectory, but this was the record Iโve been waiting to drop for years. I canโt even call this hardcore. Itโs more vile than 99% of whatโs passed off as black metal, vocals that actually sound like theyโre spewing from the mouth of the figure on the cover. Maniacal murder music, further proof that Denver has the greatest circle of bands on this sick planet.
Lycia – โIn Flickersโ LP (Projekt)
The most misunderstood, captivating and influential band of the American โdark waveโ scene. Now I have to wash my mouth out with soap. A truly perfect return, silencing imitators and leaving their devotees in awe. Some of the greatest people on Earth too, do not mistake this for goth, please donโt call it anything. Just listen to and love these songs.
Roddy Ricch – โFeed Tha Streets 2โ Mixtape (Self Released)
Compton created gangster rap. YG has been holding the torch but out of left field comes Mr. Riich with one of the greatest mixtapes Iโve heard in years. โDie Youngโ is my song of the year and โEvery Seasonโ combines all that I adore about Lil Baby and Durkio into a perfect sound.
Harms Way – โPosthumanโ LP (Metal Blade)
Whereas โDeep Bloodโ makes me want to run for my life, โPosthumanโ makes me want to kill the world. Not only does it feature the heaviest opening riff imaginable but they incorporate 90โs industrial elements without it sounding cheesy or forced. I absolutely hate looking at the album cover for all the right reasons.
03 Greedo – โThe Wolf of Grape Streetโ Mixtape (Self Released)
โMafia Businessโ was my favorite song last year and left me wondering if my favorite LA rapper could create a solid enough project to play from front to back. This is all that and then some. Such a creative voice and song writer, his whole camp pushed Los Angeles to a new level. Sadly heโs a couple months into a twenty year sentence but apparently has a pile of music in the vault to keep us afloat till he comes home better than ever.
Trashlight – โHoney Insulationโ Cassette (Cercle Social)
Everytime we tour I find a band that leaves me stunned. Human Leather and Way Out changed my life. Trashlight emerged from smoke and shadow to offer up the most convincing take on death rock since Cemeteryโs drunken chaos a few years back.
Pusha T – โDaytonaโ LP (G.O.O.D. Music)
The best true to form hip hop record of 2018. So many gutter ass bars youโre left looking at whoever youโre with to see if they grasp what theyโre hearing and they look back at you like โplease stop staring at me, Iโm trying to listen to this sick ass record.โ Best album cover too.
Oneohtrix Point Never – โAge Ofโ LP (Warp)
The CD packaging for this was so insane I had to cop. โBlack Snowโ killed me. This entire record is one huge clusterfuck of synthetic bliss and blooming filth that has you waiting for the beat that never truly drops.
โBlindspottingโ Movie
I love Clipping and respect anyone whoโs able to transform an incredibly heavy and poignant message into something thatโs somehow fun as fuck to watch. One of the only movies that dropped this year that floored me.
