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ichik · 6 years ago

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The List of 2018

Video Games

La-Mulana 2. I'm sorry, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, but you were not the best treasure hunting game with a female protagonist, that I played this year. In fact, you were not even second (that was Uncharted: Lost Legacy). The sequel to one of the most hardcore japanese indie metroidvanias was finally released and I've spent over 50 hours scratching my head trying to solve another ridiculous puzzle or banging my head against the wall of another impossibly hard boss, and every second of that time was magical.

Iconoclasts. Eight years in development — I can hardly imagine how hard it was, but the lone developer managed and released a masterpiece. This game has more to it than just a bunch of colorful pixel-art animals, that you can wack with a wrench. Detailed lore to uncover, tricky boss battles, stealth and exploration — the list of awesome things about Iconoclasts could be endless.

Movies

Annihilation. Beatiful, haunting, brutal, thought-provoking. 2 hours of descent into madness end up with no definitive answer to themes explored… as it should.

Death of Stalin. It's like somebody suddenly decided to film a bunch of anecdotes from my childhood, couldn't stop laughing.

Isle of Dogs. I love all Anderson's movies, but his stop-motion is like him finally finding a medium as eccentric as he always wanted to be.

Shows

The Good Place. Season 3. All bets were off in this season, it wasn't even over this year, but I'm pretty damn sure that it was the best piece of television entertainment there was this year.

Altered Carbon. Season 1. It wasn't without flaws, but those visuals and those intrigues and themes kept me from dropping it midway through the season.

FLCL. Season 2 (Progressive). Still can't believe it happened. 18 years after the original we suddenly got a sequel. And it didn't suck. In fact it was pretty damn awesome.

Better Call Saul. Season 4 The dominoes haven't yet started to fall, but everything is taking its place, no detail will be left unchecked.

American Crime Story. Season 2 (The Assassination of Gianni Versace). Admittedly not as good as season 1, but with a stellar performance by Darren Criss. Also pretty good exploration of society's homophobia.

Bojack Horseman. Season 5. Highest rated Bojack season so far, and for good reasons. It may not have a quirky genius on par with underwater episode of the season 3, but it has a cohesiveness and character growth which are hard not to take notice of.

Music

Bloody Knives. White Light Black Moon — It hums, it buzzes and it won't stop. Dig the hole, so I could bury you in

Boris. Phenomenons Drive — Ambient abstractions.

Oiseaux-Tempête. Tarab — Wild storm of a music.

Collection of Colonies of Bees. Hawaii — Overwhelming and cold.

Francky Goes to Pointe-a-Pitre. Plaisir Coupable — Tropical cheerful math-rock.

Carla Bozulich. Quieter — It was like getting a golden crown.

Sandro Perri. In Another Life — Sandro takes a break from Off World and releases first solo album in years, and it's good, as it should be.

Dead Can Dance. Dionysus — A very textured record.

Epic45. Through Broken Summer — The rainy day post-rock.

Death Cab for Cutie. Thank You for Today — And they keep digging down, down so that their cars can live underground.

Mouse on the Keys. Tres — Delightful layered dessert.

Mogwai. Kin OST — No yearly top from me would be complete without newest Mogwai record. “A signature introspective grace”

The Go! Team. Semicircle — Parade in technicolour.

Acedia. G# — Sunset with a cup of coffee kind of jazz-rock.

Arms and Sleepers. Find the Right Place — A tripy wish to be happy.

Florence + the Machine. High as Hope — And at least I understood then the hunger I felt and I didn't have to call it loneliness

ShadowParty. Self-Titled — A supergroup with a silly name, my one and only weakness.

Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp. Sauvage Formes — A coastal music of northern kind.

Forever Home. Self-Titled — There's a cat on the cover and it's a very gentle math-rock.

Northerner. Self-Titled — Sunrise kind of post-rock.

Moon Relay. IMI — A glitchy desperate record.

Eric Chenaux. Slowly Paradise — There's sudden energy in his usual anemy this time.

Firesuite. Outlive Your Body Sessions EP — Slightly less focused than the album they were “taken out” from, but just as good.

World's End Girlfriend. MEGURI — Waltzing as usual.

Leech. For Better or for Worse — Blending cheesy synths with heavy riffs for excellent results.

The Intersphere. The Grand Delusion — Speak for us, we don't know ourselves.

Thisquietarmy. The Body and the Earth — An ode to nothingness.

Wang Wen. Invisible City — An evening walk kind of post-rock.

Kriva. R68.89 — A somber Saturday music .

Eleanor Friedberger. Rebound — Make me song / Make me a sound / Vibrate, resonate

Kerretta. Exiscens — Limitless energy kind of post-rock.

A Film in Color. They March in Endless Circles — Snow day kind of post-rock.

Lights & Motion. While We Dream — Fireworks watching post-rock.

Jizue. Room — There should be more people at their concerts, why isn't there more…

The Black Penguins. Selective Frequencies — Ambient for waiting times.

Pray for Sound. Waiting Room — Quiet autumn post-rock.

Turin Brakes. Invisible Storm — Like a polaroid stuck in reverse you make me.

The Redneck Manifesto. The How — Afternoon drinking kind of post-rock.

They Might be Giants. The Escape Team — “Twelve misfit mutants escaping their military-industrial overlords”. He snuck into the Hall of Fame and no one knew his proper name.

This will Destroy You. New Others, pt. 1 — Serene winter morning post-rock.

Pill. Soft Hell — Sell paper youth disposable fruit.

Long Distance Calling. Boundless — Getting shit done kind of post-rock.

Hammock. Universalis — Downtime leasure kind of post-rock.

AC Church. Sirocco Investments — In a mind-bending way this record is more chill and relaxed than the previous ones and at the same time it has more structure and to it.

Mermonte. Mouvement — No idea how, but I suddenly felt went frankophone this year. No regrets.

We are the City. At Night — Yeah I decide to dream top shelf all night.

Sleep Party People. Lingering, pt. 2 — For green tea evenings.

Whitelands. Self-Titled — Packing for travelling kind of post-rock.

Those who Dream by Day. We are Those who Dream by Day and We're Glad to Be… — Nice week starting kind of post-rock.

Low. Double Negative — Figuring some answers kind of post-rock.

Film School. Bright to Death — I keep humming notes that keep disappearin.

Sleeping / Horses. Water for Air — Early winter kind of post-rock.

Zhaoze. Birds Contentding — Concentrating on some research kind of post-rock.

Talons. We All Know — Late evening kind of post-rock.

Giraffes? Giraffes! Memory Lame — Jumping all over the place kind of post-rock.

Automatisme. Transit — Trying not to think kind of ambient.

El Ten Eleven. Banker's Hill — An end to an okay week kind of post-rock.

Cat Power. Wanderer — Can't the words, and birds, and trees, and Earth be the same thing, and be just as right?

PinioL. Bran Coucou — Being bored to death kind of post-rock.

Crippled Black Phoenix. Great Escape — Figuring stuff out kind of post-rock.

The Oscillation. Wasted Space — Deciding to stay up for longer kind of post-rock.

Locomotora. Vuodet, Vuoret — An end to a shitty week kind of post-rock.

Kawri's Whisper. Belle Epoque — Indecisive pondering kind of post-rock.

City and Colour. Guide Me back Home — Pretty soon you'll find it's the only little part of life you're keeping together.

Blanket. Transfixion — Grey day kind of post-rock.

Wild Nothing. Indigo — Put my teeth to rest charming the snake.

The Daysleeprs. Creation — Early cool June kind of shoegaze.

Metric. Art of Doubt — They were always like a soundtrack to my most desperate days, they still are. Dressed to suppress all kind of sorrow.

Maps & Atlases. Lightlessness is Nothing New — Strange to think that you know what comes after.

The American Dollar. You're Listening — Planning and doubting kind of post-rock.

toe. Our Last Number — Decisively working on your stuff finally kind of math-rock.

Old Smile. Pretend for Another — Getting some rest kind of post-rock.

Anywhere. Anywhere II — An end of a shitty day kind of post-rock.

Loma. Self-Titled — A hopeful morning kind of post-rock.

Ancient Lights. Self-Titled — An evening joint kind of post-rock.

Pram. Across the Meridian — A vague anger kind of post-rock.

Meuban. AFAR — A morning coffee kind of post-rock.

Sky Flying By. (Re) Routed — A Sunday park walk kind of post-rock.

Elephant Gym. Underwater — A sparkling brilliance captured in short compositions.

TT. LoveLaws — Found the match I light it up and burn up all the feelings and opinions.

Joan of Arc. 1984 — The doctor said — try not to think so much.

Iron & Wine. Weed Garden — Rain falls all around the world.

The Summer Kills. Last Night We Became Swans — I have no faith in what we meant, but we could dream so hard again.

Ought. Room inside the World — I am in agreeance that I am like a strobe light.

God is an Astronaut. Epitaph — A late August kind of post-rock.

David Byrne. American Utopia — The skin is just a roadmap. The view is very nice.

Beach House. 7 — In, high over the ocean waves crash mechanical motion.

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. Electric Dream Fantasy — A trippy afternoon kind of prog-rock.

Her Name is Calla. The Dead Rift EP — A slow-down kind of post-rock.

Iceage. Beyondless — Flicker as a figment once before my eyes.

School Damage. A to X — I look at their faces, they're as grey as the sky.

Wild Beasts. Last Night All My Dreams Came True — We're just brutes clowning 'round in cahoots.

The Declining Winter. Belmont Slope — A weekend trip kind of post-rock.

There's a Light. A Long Lost Silence — A waking up kind of post-rock.

Calexico. The Thread That Keeps Us — The panic button is dead to me now.

Cleõphüzz. Wizard of Phüzz — A start of a rain kind of post-rock.

Jim James. Uniform Distortion — No hesitation, jump into the ocean.

Legendary Skies. Navigation — An evening commute kind of post-rock.

Now, Now. Saved — I hear you calling to me. Then I hear nothing at all.

Mother Mother. Dance and Cry — For such a little thing, you sure are in your own way.

Jackie-O Motherfucker. Bloom — Couldn't be more happy that they're still around and in such a good shape.

Sinistro. Sangue Cássia — A weekend cleanup kinf of post-rock.

The Breeders. All Nerve — When you look out at your big light show, do you ever wanna turn around and go?

Air Formation. Near Miss — A neutral weekend kind of shoegaze.

A Place to Bury Strangers. Pinned — A getting ready kind of post-rock.

Esben and the Witch. Nowhere — A back to work kind of post-rock.

Efrim Manuel Menuck. Pissing Stars — Feeling tired kind of post-rock.

Emma Ruth Rundle. On Dark Horses — She has the voice of an angel and she's the most relentless and furious post-metal guitarist ever And how you will sing to them and how your verses fall.

le_mol. heads heads heads — A tiresome Friday morning kind of post-rock.

Cœur de Pirate. En Cas de Tempête, ce Jardin Sera Fermé — Fearless and gentle pop.

La Ciencia Simple. III V VII — The usual soft bubble of warmpost-rock is pierced with sharp percussions.

Man Mountain. Infinity Mirror — An okay Monday kind of post-rock.

Mt. Mountain. Golden Rise — Victorious high psychedelic.

Animal Collective. Tangerine Reef — Sounds for when everything ends.

1099. Blindpassasjer — Timid spring post-rock.

Golden Hymns Sing 'Hurrah'. Golden Hymns Sing 'The Tower' & Other Songs — Slowly vibrating on the edges left unexplored by GY!BE quieter moments.

Hedvig Mollestad Trio. Smells Funny — It starts with a heavy psychedelic homage to Beastie Boys and it only gets better after that.

Delta Sleep. Ghost City — Uplifting math emo which could've been easily mistaken for American Football outtakes at times At times you realise this wasn’t how you wrote your life in classroom exposés.

#The List

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