2019 year in review
This year I also invited some friends and colleagues to reflect on 2019
JG Thirlwell
Composer
Foetus Xordox Manorexia Steroid Maximus Venture Bros Archer
www.foetus.org
30 Albums of 2019 (although not all of them came out in 2019)
Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble Where Future Unfolds (International Anthem)
Le Grand Sbam Vaisseau Monde (Dur et Doux
Caravaggio Caravaggio 2 & Turn Up (La Buissonne)
Swans Leaving Meaning (Young God Records)
13 Million Year Old Ghost (Chaykin)
Ben Frost Dark Cycles 1 & 2 (Invada)
Sote Parallel Persia / Sacred Horror In Design (Diagonal)
33EMYBW Arthropods (SVBKVLT)
Anna Meredith Fibs (Moshi Moshi)
Kelly Moran Ultraviolet (Warp)
Thom Yorke Anima (XL)
Hildur Guðnadóttir Joker Soundtrack (Water Tower Music)
Lingua Ignota Caligula (Profound Lore)
Igorr Savage Synusoid (Metal Blade)
Oli XL Rogue intruder Soul Enhancer (Blo-onm)
Red Fang Murder The Mountains (Relapse)
Michael Kiwanuka Kiwanuka (Polydor)
Richard Dawson 2020 (Weird World)
Idiot Flesh Fancy / The Nothing Show / Tales Of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death (YouTube)
Ikarus Echo / Mosaiasmic (Ronin Rhythm Records)
Poil Sus / Mula Poil (Dur et Doux)
Orange Goblin A Eulogy For The Damned (Candlelight)
Nivhek After its own death / Walking in a spiral towards the house (Yellow Electric)
Ni Pantophobie (Due et Doux)
Andrew WK You’re Not Alone (Sony)
Rustin Man Drift Code (Domino)
Kishi Bashi Omoiyari (Joful Noise)
Liturgy HAQQ (YLYLCYN)
Croatian Amor Isa (Posh Isolation)
Schnellertollermeier Rights / X / Zorn einen ehmer üttert stem!! (Cuneiform)
Scandinavian Star Solas (Posh Isolation)
Synth Sisters Euphoria (EM records)
JPEGMAFIA Veteran + All My Heroes Are Cornballs (EQT)
Notable Concerts
I went to dozens of concerts and events in 2019. Here are some of the most notable. All in NYC except where noted.
Jan 8 Matt Marks Tribute at Protoype Festival. Roulette
Jan 19 Lemon Twigs MHOW
Jan 26 Julia Wolfe / NY Philharmonic Fire In My Mouth Lincoln Center
Feb 16 Lucretia Dalt Issue Project Room
Feb 23 Willliam Basinski Ambient Church
Mar 13 Lou Reed Drones St John The Divine
Mar 18 This Heat LPR + July 31 at Elsewhere
Mar 20 Oran Ambarchi Fridman Gallery
Mar 28 Fire! at Zurcher
April 11 Aphex Twin Avant Gardner
May 4 Zombi El Cortez
May 11 Lawrence English Knockdown Center
May 13 The Who + Orchestra Madison Square Garedn
May 15 Alva Noto Metropolitan Museum
June 11 Andrew Cyrille Marathon Roulette
June 13 Christeene / Nastie Band Brooklyn Bazaar
June 26 Simon Hanes National Sawdust
July 27 Nick Zinner 41 Strings Rockefeller Center
July 30 Flaming Lips / Lennon Claypool Delirium Capitol Theater Portchester
Aug 2-4 Bang On A Can LOUD Festival Mass MOCA Notth Adams
Aug 27 Pharmakon St Vitus
Sep 5 JD Emmanuel Issue / First Unitarian Church
Sep 18 Lingua Ignota St Vitus
Set 21 King Crimson Radio City
Oct 10 Melvins Warsaw
Oct 19 Helm Cafe Oto
Nov 1 Marc Almond Brooklyn Bazaar
Nov 6 JPEGMAFIA Bowery Ballroom
Nov 23 Caterina Barbieri Unsound Fest, Knockdown Center
Nov 30 Knower Bowery Ballroom
Film & TV
These films were flawed but resonated with me.
Chernobyl
Ozark
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Joker
Midsommar
The Irishman
Uncut Gems
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Matt Johnson
The The
https://www.thethe.com/
Looking back on 2019 I decided to list a handful of political / alternative news websites rather than films, albums or books. In the UK the corporate media stooped to shocking new lows during our recent General Election campaign. Such dirty tactics are to be expected of conglomerates owned by the likes of Rupert Murdoch and his fellow right wing billionaires but this time around, previously ‘liberal’ outlets such as the BBC and Guardian also fully participated in the outrageous lies, smears and character assassination against the leader of the opposition Labour Party. The British population were now being forced fed the Establishment’s propaganda du jour from every possible direction. Personally I try to gather my information from as many alternative outlets as possible to contrast with the 24 hour corporate brainwashing we’re subjected to these days. I’ve listed just five sites from the dozens I regularly visit and although I certainly don’t agree with everything expressed on these sites I do feel that it essential that in supposed free and democratic societies we are at least exposed to a variety of viewpoints and opinions - rather than being trapped inside social media echo chambers in an Internet that is increasingly controlled and censored by sophisticated algorithms and where politically correct digital lynch mobs accuse anyone with an opinion that contradicts the official narrative of being a Russian agent! Anyway, a Happy New Year to you all and here’s hoping 2020 sets the new decade off in roaring style!
https://www.medialens.org/
https://www.truthdig.com/author/chris_hedges/
https://www.corbettreport.com/
https://thesaker.is/
https://thoughtmaybe.com/about/
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Tristan Perich
Composer
www.tristanperich.com
Here is a rather random selection of 10 of my favorite tracks of 2019, mostly courtesy Spotify recommendations over the year...
Full playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6OUSFLqLsAwhRQRF44yxWN?si=r33XRUuGR_iIOZHg4thuyA
Lechuga Zafiro: Para Abajo feat Matmos & Seba TC
https://open.spotify.com/track/2xMnSTIBNZ8AT6w6TdZyU9
Kelpe: A Year and a Day
https://open.spotify.com/track/4ANoLzEjtGOBl5qCvEiLov
Shida Shahabi: All In Circles
https://open.spotify.com/track/5qMnq88JPMJQ81x5szpN3t
The Vernon Spring: Strength of a Young Man
https://open.spotify.com/track/0zQUqR1UcXoPRSrTt0WuPs
Dessert: Thunderbird
https://open.spotify.com/track/5rAguSvXxyo5zBq9a5RQWd
Yves V w/ Icona Pop: We Got That Cool (Robert Falcon & Jordan Jay Remix)
https://open.spotify.com/track/1lEtudJvZNiibWzXc5m4mh
Selena Gomez: Look At Her Now
https://open.spotify.com/track/4yI3HpbSFSgFZtJP2kDe5m
Masahiro Sugaya: Umi No Sunatsubu
https://open.spotify.com/track/43egCanD1UNNvoCo2K4veC
Konradsen: Baby Hallelujah
https://open.spotify.com/track/6TBnYhxTzSiiVmMBjpZ3gH
Slow Magic: Girls (DJ Clap Remix)
https://open.spotify.com/track/31Sdj7aF1h4emCJtkxdy1A
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James Ilgenfritz
Composer
https://infrequentseams.com/
James Ilgenfritz's favorite witnessed events, by month:
Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future (January, Guggenheim)
Anaïs Maviel: who is this ritual for and from? (February, Roulette)
Roscoe MItchell, SPACE, Wavefield Ensemble (March, Park Avenue Armory)
Blank Forms: Nadah El Shazly (April, Brooklyn Music School)
Barre Phillips Solo (May, Zurcher Gallery)
Heiner Goebbels: Everything That Happened And Would Happen (June, Park
Avenue Armory)
Zodiac Saxophone Quartet: Charles Waters, Ras Moshe Burnett, Claire
Daly, Lee Odom (July, Scholes St)
Tie: Judith Berkson: Partial Memories & Juho Laitinen: Robert Ashley's
The Wolfman (August, Ostrava Days, Czech Republic)
Zeena Parkins / William Winant / Ikue Mori (September, The Stone)
Vinnie Golia / Bobby Bradford Quartet (October, Edgefest in Ann Arbor)
LA Philharmonic: Wubbels, Macklay, Sabat, Smith, Perich (Los Angeles, November)
Art Ensemble Of Chicago (December, Washington, DC)
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Carl Michael Von Hausswolff
Artist / Composer
https://cmvonhausswolff.net/
10 special artists of 2019 in no specific order:
• Hildur Guðnadóttir - her film music
• sunn o))) - their Life Metal and Pyroclasts albums
• Ilpo Väisänen - his concert in Stockholm
• Cindy van Acker - her choreographic work
• Jónsi & Alex - their old Riceboy Sleeps album and 2019 tour
• Swans - their leaving meaning album
• Flowers Must Die - their Där Blommor Dör album
• Bigert & Bergström - their climate awareness art
• Vanessa Sinclair & Carl Abrahamsson - all their work during 2019
• Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Tim Story - their Lunz 3 album
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Ryan Martin
Label Boss, Dais Records
www.daisrecords.com
Richard Youngs & Raül Refree "All Hands Around the Monument"
Sarah Davachi "Pale Bloom"
James Hoff "HOBO UFO (v. Chernobyl)"
Wojciech Rusin "The Funnel"
Caterina Barbieri "Ecstatic Computation"
Solange "When I Get Home"
Kali Malone "The Sacrificial Code"
Deathprod "Occulting Disk"
Vatican Shadow "Kuwaiti Airforce"
Ben Vida "Reducing The Tempo To Zero"
JPEGMAFIA "All My Heroes Are Cornballs"
Dean Hurley "Anthology Resource Vol. II: Philosophy of Beyond"
Sean McCann "Puck"
Oren Ambarchi "Simian Angel"
Tyler, The Creator "IGOR"
Helm "Chemical Flowers"
JAB "Erg Herbe"
Emptyset "Blossoms"
E-Saggila "My World, My Way"
Jacob Kirkegaard "Black Metal Square"
Boy Harsher "Careful"
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Weasel Walter
Composer/performer / label head
https://weaselwalter.bandcamp.com/
2019 was far from my favorite year. Regardless, I managed to release not one, but two new double albums by The Flying Luttenbachers (as well as two European tours with the unit) in addition to the usual slew of improvised music gigs and releases, and co-ordinating and producing an archival release of vintage NYC weirdness (Ozone). I also rocked Mexico City with Lydia Lunch Retrovirus, played a ridiculous gig with Encenathrakh, and disbanded Cellular Chaos (for now, at least).
When I become obsessed (or re-obsessed with something), it usually leads to a ton of proselytizing Facebook status posts. Combing my 2019 posts, it seems that my musical obsessions this year weren't very highbrow. Ha ha ha. Yes, I'm super into Xenakis, Cecil Taylor and whatever else, but dumber music can supply great creature comfort, and I guess I needed that in large amounts, so that's what it was. Sometimes badass modernists have to take time out to stay in bed all day and read comics because it's a hard cold world out there.
Weasel Walter top 10 musical obsessions of 2019
1. Kid Creole and the Coconuts (1980-1985 era)
2. Redd Kross
3. The Saints "I'm Stranded"
4. Jane Aire and the Belvederes
5. Miles Davis 1972-1975
6. Khanate "Things Viral
7. Mandy Zone & Ozone "Live at Max's Kansas City 1981"
8. Mayhem "Grand Declaration of War"
9. Comedy Bang Bang Episode #554 w/ Middleditch, Sanz
10. Weezer "Pinkerton"
Weasel Walter worst thing about 2019
1. Windows 10
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C.Spencer Yeh
Composer / Performer
https://twitter.com/cspenceryeh?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Ten live music highlights of 2019
- The Brandon Lopez Trio (Lopez/Steve Baczkowski/Gerald Cleaver) at Fridman Gallery, June 18
- DeForrest Brown Jr., Pennies From Heaven series at CONTROL, January 15
- Charmaine Lee, Nothing Changes at Saint Vitus, January 30
- Bloodyminded at Apartment 202, December 14
- Longmont Potion Castle live QnA, Spectacle Theater, March 23
- Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society, Roulette, July 1
- Helm, Elsewhere, September 21
- Korn, Radiohead, Red Light District, October 26
- Mdou Moctar, Max Fish, September 1
- Mayo Thompson plays "Corky's Debt to His Father," Le Poisson Rouge, December 8
Speed round – five various still on the mind at the end of 2019
- Charlotte Moorman / Nam June Paik long sleeve t-shirt, Boot Boyz
- Acacia leaf omelet and shrimp in sour curry, Jitlada, Los Angeles
- Lynnée Denise, presentation for Omniaudience (Side Two) presented by Triple Canopy/Nikita Gale/Hammer Museum at Coaxial Arts, May 4
- PARASITE (2019)
- ANIARA (2018)
Also, Spectacle Theater turns ten in 2020 and you should really come visit us.
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DJ Food
Artist / composer / DJ / curator
www.djfood.org
Music / podcasts:
Pye Corner Audio - Hollow Earth LP (Ghost Box)
Various - Corroded Circuits EP 12" (Downfall Recordings)
Chris Moss Acid - Heavy Machine 12" (Balkan Vinyl)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Fishing For Fishes LP (Flightless)
Pictogram - Trace Elements cassette (Miracle Pond)
Vanishing Twin - The Age of Immunology LP (Fire Records)
Big Mouth podcast (various) (Acast)
Beans - Triptych LP (Gamma Proforma)
Roisin Murphy - Incapable single (Skint)
Ebony Steel Band - Pan Machine LP (Om Swagger)
People Like Us - The Mirror LP (Discrepant)
Coastal County - Coastal County LP (Lomas)
Adam Buxton podcast (various) (Acast)
Ghost Funk Orchestra - A Song For Paul LP (Karma Chief)
Jon Brooks - Emotional Freedom Techniques LP (Cafe Kaput)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Organ Farmer (from Infest the Rat's Nest LP) (Flightless)
Jane Weaver - Fenella LP (Fire Records)
Polypores - Brainflowers cassette (Miracle Pond)
Design / packaging:
Pepe Deluxé - The Surrealist Woman lathe cut 7" (Catskills)
Various - Science & Technology ERR Rec Library Vol.2 (ERR Records)
DJ Pierre presents ACID 88 vol. III LP (Afro Acid)
Mark Ayres plays Wendy Carlos - Kubrick 7" (Silva Screen)
Tomorrow Syndicate - Citizen Input 10" (Polytechnic Youth)
The Utopia Strong - S/T LP (Rocket Recordings)
Jarvis - Sunday Service LP (ACE records)
Andy Votel - Histoire D'Horreur cassette (Hypocrite?)
Sculpture - Projected Music 5" zoetrope picture disc (Psyché Tropes)
Lapalux - Amnioverse LP (Brainfeeder)
Hieroglyphic Being - Synth Expressionism / Rhythmic Cubism LP (On The Corner Records)
Film / TV:
Sculpture - Meeting Our Associates (Plastic Infinite)
This Time with Alan Partridge (BBC)
Avengers: Endgame (Disney/Marvel)
Imaginary Landscapes - Sam Campbell (Vinyl Factory)
What We Do In The Shadows (BBC2)
The Mandalorian (Disney+)
Books / Comics / Magazines:
Beastie Boys Book - Mike Diamond & Adam Horowitz (Spiegel & Grau)
Cosmic Comics - A Kevin O'Neill Miscellany (Hibernia Books)
Electronic Sound magazine (Pam Com. Ltd)
Moebius - 40 Days In The Desert (expanded edition) (Moebius Productions)
Rock Graphic Originals - Peter Golding w. Barry Miles (Thames & Hudson)
2000AD / Judge Dredd Megazine (Rebellion)
Silver Surfer Black - Donny Cates/Tradd Moore (Marvel)
Help - Simon Amstell (Square Peg)
The Scarfolk Annual - Richard Littler (William Collins)
Wrappers Delight - Jonny Trunk (Fuel)
Gigs / Events:
Vanishing Twin @ Prince of Wales Pub, Brighton
Stereolab @ Concorde 2, Brighton
People's Vote March 23rd March, London
Wobbly Sounds book launch @ Spiritland, London
Confidence Man @ The Electric, Brixton, London
Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival, Moseley, Birmingham
Bluedot Festival, Jodrell Bank, Manchester
HaHa Sounds Collective play David Axelrod's Earth Rot @ Tate Exchange, London
School of Hypnosis play In C @ Cafe Oto, London
Palace Electrics, Antenna Studios, London
The Delaware Road, New Zealand Farm, Salisbury
Breaking Convention closing party, Greenwich, London
Jonny Trunk & Martin Green's Hidden Library @ Spiritland, Southbank, London
Negativland / People Like Us @ Cafe Oto, London
HaHa Sound Collective plays the David Axelrod songbook @ The Church of Sound, London,
Sculpture, Janek Schaefer, Mariam Rezaei + the 26 turntable ensemble @ The Old Baths, Hackney, London
Vanishing Twin & Jane Weaver's Fenella @ Studio 9294, Hackney Wick, London
Exhibitions:
Sister Corita Kent @ House of Illustration, London,
Augustinbe Kofie @ Stolen Space, London,
Victor Vasarely @ Pompidou Centre, Paris,
Mary Quant @ V&A Museum, London,
Stanley Kubrick @ The Design Museum, London,
Tim Hunkin's Novelty Automation Museum, London,
Keith Haring retrospective @Tate, Liverpool,
Nam June Paik, Tate Modern, London,
Takis @ Tate Modern, London,
Shepard Fairy @ Stolen Space, London,
Damien Hirst 'Mandalas' at the White Cube, London,
Bridget Riley @ The Hayward, London,
Museum of Neo-liberalism, Lewisham, London.
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