Best of 2018 so far

[aith01]

Thanks, that J-Jazz comp is a must-have for me, and I didn't know it existed.

It's great! You won't be disappointed. I ended up buying the LP set too.

[Mascodagama]

This is how my list is looking right now (including only stuff that is at least arguably 'prog'):

Favourites of the year:
In Love With - Coitus Interruptus
Lady With - The Lodge / The Lodge (Lynch Edit)
Rivendel - Sisyfos
Stop Motion Orchestra - Lightworks

Also outstanding:
All Traps On Earth - A Drop of Light
Angel Ontalva & Vespero - Carta Marina
Aquaserge - Deja-Vous?
Far Corner - Risk
Koenjihyakkei - Dhorimviskha
Methexis - Topos
Oteme - Il Corpo Nel Sogno
Piniol - Bran Coucou
Zevious - Lowlands

Excellent:
Angel Ontalva & Vespero - Sea Orm Liventure
Caca - Sketches of Pain
Calibro 35 - Decade
La Dottrina Degli Opposti - Arrivederci Sogni
Elephant9 - The Greatest Show On Earth
The End - Svarmod och Vemod
Ghost Rhythms - Mind the Goat (EP)
Gryphon - ReInvention
Lady With - Echoes
Lemmings Suicide Myth - s/t
The Messthetics - s/t
Monobody - Raytracing
Moster! - States of Minds
Mother Turtle - Zea Mice
Our Solar System - Origins
Regal Worm - Pig Views
Sonar & David Torn - Vortex
Spectrum Orchestrum - It's About Time
Vak - Budo

Good:
Angel Ontalva vs. Priot Duo - Blue Stone Waves
The Fierce and the Dead - The Euphoric
Forgas Band Phenomena - L'Oreille Electrique
Kavus Torabi - Solar Divinations (EP)
Stargazer's Assistant - Resurgam I, Resurgam II
Us, Today - Computant
Worldservice Project - Serve
John Zorn - Insurrection
Zwoyld - Zgond

A great year, in my view, though with no one record that stood head and shoulders above the rest. But there's a cornucopia of great music, so who's to complain?

Merry Christmas, one and all.

[Zappathustra]

^ Great list, already checking the ones that didn't reach my world yet

[Zappathustra]

How on earth did the Stop Motion Orchestra go unnoticed?

[Trane]

Good Belgian stuff, but this is from 2010

Check out instead Pierre Vervloesem's latest Silence Science... it's ECM worthy

===============================

Ok, there is a semblance of the final form, but probably still two or three weeks away to be "carved in stone"


Prog, rock (& related)

VAK - Budo
Aquaserge - Déjà vous?
All Traps on Earth - A Drop of Light
Malady - Toinen Toista
Alco Frisbass - Le Bateleur
Gryphon - Reinvention
Scherzoo - 04
Forgas Band Phenomena - L’Oreille Électrique
Soft Machine - Hidden Details
Basta - Vertigo
Methexis - Topos
Manna/Mirage - The Rest of the World
Elephant9 - Greatest Show On Earth
Regal Worm - Pig Views
The Necks – Body
Gleb Kolyadin - Gleb Kolyadin
Anna von Hausswolff - Dead Magic
Tunng - Dreams You Make At Night
Ryley Walker - Deafman Glance
Homunculus Res - Della stresa sostanza dei sogni
Weedpecker - III
Bubu - El Eco Del Sol
Zwoyld - Zgond
Lazuli - Saison 8
Far Corner - Risk
Stop Motion Orchestra - Lightworks
All Them Witches - ATW4
Garnotte- EP 1
JM Jarre - Equinoxe Infinity
Gosta Berlings Saga - Et Ex


Jazz (& related):

Maisha - There Is A Place
Nik Bärtsch's Ronin - Awase
Romain Baret - Naissance de l'horizon
Gogo Penguin - A Humdrum Star
Nat Birchall - Cosmic Language
Idriss Ackamoor & The Pyramids - An Angel fell
Kamaal Williams - The Return
Flat Earth Society - Untitled #0
Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Earth
Vervloesem, Pierre - Silence Science
Antoine Pierre Urbex - Sketches of Nowhere
Nat Birchall - Cosmic Language
Son Of Kemeth - Your Queen is a reptile
Makaya McCraven - Universal Beings
Chip Wickham - Shamal Wind
Dinosaur - Wonder Trail


Posthumous or reissue:

Coltrane - Both Directions At Once
Jordsjo
Marc Moulin Placebo Years - Lost & Found

[progprinter]

My 18 of '18!

Forgas Band Phenomena - L'oreille électrique
Bubu - El Eco del Sol
Flor de Loto - Eclipse
Brand X - Live From The Rites of Spring Festival 2018
Damanek - In Flight
All Traps on Earth - A Drop of Light
Broekhuis, Keller & Schönwälder - Live @ B​-​Wave
La Coscienza di Zeno - Una vita migliore
Sonar with David Torn - Vortex
Gert Emmens & Ruud Heij- Galaxis
AirSculpture - Travelling Light
Far Corner - Risk
John McLaughlin & the 4th Dimension & Jimmy Herring & The Invisible Whip - Live in San Francisco
Gert Emmens- Dark Secrets Of The Urban Underground
Pollard /Daniel/Booth - Eight
RanestRane - A Space Odyssey - Final Part: Starchild
Free System Projekt & Terje Winther - Spoon Forest

The best Archival release goes to Radio Massacre International.

Radio Massacre International - Abbey

[Grimjack]

Thanks, that J-Jazz comp is a must-have for me, and I didn't know it existed.

Brilliant stuff. Spinning it again now!

[Mascodagama]

Good Belgian stuff, but this is from 2010

Check out instead Pierre Vervloesem's latest Silence Science... it's ECM worthy

That must be the biggest howler to appear in one of these lists yet!!

I was misled by the Bandcamp page that says it was released on 6 February 2018:

https://stilll-off.bandcamp.com/album/sketches-of-pain

In this case I guess 'released' means 'we finally got round to putting the damn thing on Bandcamp'...

I will check out the more recent album for sure.

[wiz_d_kidd]

I will undoubtedly have more to add later, but my #1 for 2018 is:

All Traps on Earth, "A Drop of Light".

An absolutely incredible work of art!

[boilk]

In an insanely strong year for progressive music, here is what stood out the most, for me:

1) Koenjihyakkei-Dhorimvishka
2) Karmic Juggernaut-The Dreams That Stuff are Made Of
3) Vak-Budo
4) Far Corner-Risk
5) Weedpecker-III
6) Piniol-Bran Coucou
7) All Traps on Earth-A Drop of Light
8) Sonar w/David Torn-Vortex
9) Progger-Dystopia
10) In Love With-Coitus Interruptus

Happy New Year's to all, and I can't wait for another awesome year of music!

neil

[Harry's Hand]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a9DUrnAWtI

Perhaps my favorite tune this year. Matt Scannel stated at at show this year this tune was inspired by playing with Neil Peart.

Vertical Horizon are criminally underrated.

[Le Master]

Phideaux is the easy winner of the year for me.

[HilltopMan]

Prog I've enjoyed the most this year in no particular order:

The Tangent – Proxy
Arena – Double Vision
Damanek – In Flight
ESP - 22 Layers of Sunlight
Forgas Band Phenomena - L'oreille électrique
Karakorum – Beteigeuze
The Kentish Spires – The Last Harvest
Lapis Lazuli – Brain
Midas Fall – Evaporate
Øresund Space Collective – Kybalion
VAK – Budo
Thumpermonkey - Make me young, etc
Koenjihyakkei - Dhorimviskha

Other stuff:

Architects – Holy Hell
The Dali Thundering Concept – Savages
Flying Machines – New Life
Poppy Ackroyd – Resolve
Jo Quail – Exsolve

[moecurlythanu]

The Kentish Spires – The Last Harvest

First I've ever seen mention of this one, so checking out a track on YouTube. It's certainly in my wheelhouse. Ordered.

Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

[Mascodagama]

^^ New Lapis Lazuli album, I had no idea. Excellent!

[moecurlythanu]

ESP - 22 Layers of Sunlight

Just checked this one out as well. No new ground broken, but very good "comfort Prog." (I know some will view that phrase as an oxymoron. <shrugs>)

[moecurlythanu]

Thumpermonkey - Make me young, etc

The last of the "unknown to me" that I'm checking out. Not positive that I'll buy, but...very intriguing.

[Crawford Glissadevil]

In an insanely strong year for progressive music, here is what stood out the most, for me:

1) Koenjihyakkei-Dhorimvishka
2) Karmic Juggernaut-The Dreams That Stuff are Made Of
3) Vak-Budo
4) Far Corner-Risk
5) Weedpecker-III
6) Piniol-Bran Coucou
7) All Traps on Earth-A Drop of Light
8) Sonar w/David Torn-Vortex
9) Progger-Dystopia
10) In Love With-Coitus Interruptus

Happy New Year's to all, and I can't wait for another awesome year of music!

neil

Your top 10 very close to mine.

My 2018 faves...not in order.

Koenjihyakkei-Dhorimvishka
Piniol-Bran Coucou
All Traps on Earth-A Drop of Light
Sonar w/David Torn-Vortex
Phideaux- Infernal
Galahad - Seas of Change
Alchem- Viaggio Al Centro Della Terra
La Coscienza di Zeno - Una vita migliore
Alco Frisbass - Le Bateleur
Galasphere 347- Galasphere 347
3rd Degree- Ones & Zero's -Vol 0
Fire!- The Hands
Armonite- And the Stars Above

[Buddhabreath]

Great lists and a great resource for me. I have nothing to add that isn't redundant (or has comprehensive) at this point. Not sure what my best is and I've had the Risk CD laying around for a while and haven't even spun it yet...

Nobody has mentioned new John Greaves album Life Size, I think it is brilliant companion piece for Songs.

Thanks! How did I miss this? If it's even half as good as "Songs" it is an auto-buy for me. Hmmmm... not on Wayside.

[Scrotum Scissor]

The last of the "unknown to me" that I'm checking out. Not positive that I'll buy, but...very intriguing.

It's good, but I personally prefer their previous one by a mile - Sleep Furiously from 2012. Think GGiant reimagined as a contemporary hard-hitting, mathy indie-rock group.

[Sputnik]

None of these are in order, just grouped in general terms.

My top 2:
Methexis - Topos
All Traps on Earth - A Drop of Light

Like these a lot:
Alco Frisbass - Le Bateleur
Homunculus Res - Della Stessa Sostanza Dei Sogni
Scherzoo, 04

Like these:
Argos - Unidentified Dying Objects
Bubu - El Eco Del Sol
Forgas Band Phenomena
Jordsjø - Jord
Kentish Spires - The Last Harvest
Lady With - The Lodge
Red Masque - Fathomless
Vak - Budo
Not a Good Sign - Icebound
Noa - If Tomorrow Comes
Sonar - Vortex

So-So:
Sanguine Hum - Now We Have Power
Dwiki Dharmawan - Rumah Batu

Don’t really like these, but will give them a few more goes before they hit the boner pile:
Ring Van Möbius - Past the Evening Sun
Gösta Berlings Saga - Et Ex
Gryphon – Reinvention

Bill

[Mascodagama]

Masal - Paysages du Ciel

This is a wonderful album, but the pedantic dickhead within me wants to say it came out at the end of 2017...

[Zappathustra]

A great year with lots of excellent music!

1. Risk - Far Corner
2. Repetitions of the Old City - Jack O' The Clock
3. Rest of the World - Manna Mirage
4. Coitus Interruptus - In Love With
5. Fades - Cheer Accident
6. A Drop of Light - All Traps On Earth
7. Della Stessa Sostenza Dei Sogni - Homunculus Res
8. Bran Coucou - Piniol
9. Dhorimviskha - Koenjihyakkei
10. El Eco Del Sol - Bubu
11. The Messthetics - The Messthetics
12. Icebound - Not A Good Sign
13. Le Bateleur - Alco Frisbass
14. Carta Marina - Angel Ontalva & Vespero
15 Spirit Rejoin - Al Doum and the Faryds
16. Lowland - Zevious
17. L'Isola Dei Lupi - Bob Drake
18. Storck - Orgaan
19. Topos - Methexis
20. Svarmod Och Vermod - The End
21. Pictures At An Exhibition - The Winstons
22. Dead Magic - Anna Von Hausswolff
23. Mark Ribot and Ceramic Dog - Y R U Still Here?
24. Reinvention - Gryphon
25. Budo - Vak
26. Love In Shadow - Sumac
27. Diary of Robert Reverie - Needlepoint
28. Zea Mice - Mother Turtle
29. The Final Age - The Final Age
30. Traden - Traden
31. Aviary - Julia Holter
32. Anguish - Anguish
33. Pig Views - Regal Worm
34. Windborne - Kanaan
35. 3 - Ill Considered
36. Code Girl - Mary Halvorson
37. Weltschmerz Baby - Seid
38.Felt - Suuns
39. Lightworks - Stop Motion Orchestra
40. On The Grass - Sundays & Cybele

The first 5 or 6 are brilliant. The next up to 20 are excellent. The rest are very good, and there are a lot of very good albums that didn't make the cut.

I consider Risk a landmark album for progressive rock music. These guys traversed the whole history of progressive rock (of which they are fully aware) to set anew the issue of playing serious, classical-influenced music within the rock music context. The answer is totally convincing: this is a rock album with balls, and yet a record full of subtlety and spirit.

[Sputnik]

RE: Masal - Paysages du Ciel
This is a wonderful album, but the pedantic dickhead within me wants to say it came out at the end of 2017... This is a wonderful album, but the pedantic dickhead within me wants to say it came out at the end of 2017...

Apparently you're right, you pedantic dickhead!

Sorry, my bad, I got this in 2018 and just assumed it was a 2018 release. I'll edit my list.

Cheers!

Bill

[Mascodagama]

^ Well, I included a 2010 album in my list so you could be doing worse

I also got unreasonably excited reading your list because of the Noa album, which I thought could be a reunion of the French Zeuhl band! I didn't know of the Japanese band. But will check them out...