Albums of 2005
There were one or two half decent slabs of wax released in 2005, find out funkdub’s favourites’ here
2005 a year to prove the doubters wrong. The record industry might have you believe that the internet is killing popular music, the last 365 days would seem to prove that categorically wrong. The rise of downloading and the slow death of the printed music press have radically altered the landscape, but not the quality and diversity of releases. If anything the democracy that the internet brings, where choices are less easily governed by the whims of a few journalists and record execs, has fostered a less fad orientated and more wide ranging musical output.
There were superb albums across the musical spectrum, the favourites of the funkdub community are listed below, it was too much of a head bender to put them all in order, so they’re listed in terms of style, but other than that in no particular order. I’ve included my own thoughts and the thoughts of the funkdub community (thanks for that, they’re not credited, but a visit to the forum will soon reveal who said what) I’ve no doubt there’s some glaring omissions, if there is, post a reply on here, in any event it’s a subjective business and there’s plenty of quality releases listed below whichever way you look at it. Was 2005 a vintage year for music, judge for yourself?
Hip Hop
Roots Manuva
Awfully Deep
Rodney Smith started up the year with another set of blazing productions, and unique and magnificent rhymes, still the undisputed champ of UK Hip Hop, and the patron saint of Funkdub !
DJ Format
If You Can’t Join ‘Em Beat ‘Em
The cheeky Brighton beatster added an extra chubby Canadian white boy rapper, the terribly named de-cisive to the mix – and produced one of the most fun records of the year – great beats great rhymes, who needs J5?
The Herbaliser
Take London
Another quality slice of UK hip hop and beats from the crew have been doing it since way back in the day.
One Self
Children of Possibility
Vadim teamed up with some mellow rhymers, and produced some toe tapping beats
Common
Be
The awesome ‘Corner’ jumps right out, quite down tempo, with fusion of beats, rap and soul. Influenced by Kanye West who co-wrote, produced and performs on several of the tracks, a real grower.
Kanye West
Late Registration
KW hit the mainstream in his own right last year, but still continued to produce hip hop several cuts above the rest, and “Golddigger” was a sure-fire funkdub fave.
Edan
Beauty and the Beat
The foul mouthed prince of witty rhymes and filthy beats stayed right on top of his game.
Prefuse 73
Surrounded By Silence
Electronic hip hop sounding like it was recorded in a galaxy far far away, a galaxy full of choice cuts
Dangerdoom
The Mouse and the Mask
Dangermouse and MFDoom, an irrestible combination? Yes.
Blackalicious
The Craft
Added to the veteran hip-hop duo’s penchant for verbose musings is a healthy serving of funk, soul, and late ’60s rock. Good skills.
Platinum Pied Pipers
Triple P
Some damn sexy beats featuring collaborations with the likes of JayDee, SA-RA.
Electronic Beats
Lemon Jelly
64 95
There first single “Stay With You” was loved by me and seemed to be pretty much hated by everyone else, it turned out the rest of the album was excellent by anyone’s’ standards and they pulled out some barn storming live shows to boot.
Boards Of Canada
The Campfire Headphase
Relative to their last long player the “difficult” Geogaddi this is like a Girls Aloud record, relative to all other pop music this is more strange bleeps emerging from perpetual storm on Jupiter, however the strange bleeps are good, very good.
Blockhead
Downtown Science
Finally someone is giving Aim a run for his money.
Chemical Brothers
Push The Button
Apparently maligned in certain sections of the press, (I didn’t notice as there’s no press worth reading anymore), I thought this was a pretty triumphant return from the chems, doing what they do best – crossing over.
Tiefschwarz
Eat books
Huge, shimmering synths, colossal bass stabs and a spot of punkish vocals, bring on the electroclash
Hardfloor
Four Out Of Five Aliens Recommend This
Legendary teutonic acid house heroes Oliver Bondzio and Ramon Zenker show they’ve still got the magic !
Guitars and that
The Dead 60s
The Dead 60s
Anyone for The Specials or Madness? Well yes, frankly, if this sparky ska punk groove was anything to go by, the dub version on the 2nd cd wasn’t too shoddy either.
The Magic Numbers
The Magic Numbers
They stormed off of top of the pops when Richard Bacon called them tubby bitches, (or something like that), and also produced some really quite well formed pop music
Jack Johnson
In Between Dreams
Nice acoustic guitar, nice songs, but not of the lame twee bullshit James Blunt variety
Elbow
Leaders of the Free World
The Manchester indie boys produced their most complete record to date, for a bunch of alleged misery guts this was life affirming fair, packed with big choruses.
Sigur Ros
Takk
Icelandic epic guitar business anyone? Yes please, inhabiting a similar territory to Mogwai and sporting a cracking sleeve this was a good thing
Doves
Some Cities
The Gareth Southgates of indie turn out yet another solid performance, won’t let you down, but isn’t going to change the face of the earth.
Tom Vek
We Have Sound
A unique sound from the angular bass toting chap and not half bad.
Queens of the Stone Age
Lullabies to Paralyse
The title is a pretty fair description - they rock hard and turn out some blinding pop tunes.
Arcade Fire
Funeral
Epic orchestral indie album. Stand out track is the single ‘Wake Up’.
Beck
Guero
With the Dust Brothers back at the helm Beck proved he’s still well worth a heads up
Bloc Party
Silent Alarm
Okay so this was top of the NMEs favourites for the year, don’t necessarily make it shoite
The Mars Volta
Frances the Mute
Once you ignore all the weird noise for the last three or four minutes of every track, this really is spectacular.
The White Stripes
Get Behind Me Satan
Jack and Meg show they still know how to belt out one hell of a racket.
Granddaddy
Excerpts From The Diary of Todd Zilla
Another, and I use this quote advisedly, “fucking class”, release from Jason Lytle
Sufjan Stevens
Illinoise
If you fancy dipping your toes in the pool of Folk, with a whole batch of strings horns and vocals in the water, then Sufjan’s yer man.
New Order
Waiting for the Sirens’ Call
Wheel on the codgers, 20 years and more and Hooky’s cut and paste bass lines and Barney’s barely tuneful vocals, were back and still sounding mighty fine.
Funky Business
Jamie Liddell
Multiply
A Stunning record, the infectious groove of the title track captured the soul of an album that filters a motown sensibility through an electronic cipher of 40 years worth of musical development, with spellbinding results.
Alice Russell
My Favourite Letter
Quantic collaborator Russell stepped out on her own and produced some real infectious modern soul
Breakestra
Hit the Floor
Chunky, Funky and Chali 2na shows up, grrrreat!
Little Barrie
We Are Little Barrie
Bluesy rock n roll with real a soul edge, the long haired boys did the job on their debut, and tipped up supporting DJ Format with fine results
Pest
All Out Fall Out
A parping chunky groove, remniscent of the, dare I say it, acid jazz days of talkin’ loud, this was a perky ninja release and no mistakin’.
The Quantic Soul Orchestra
Pushin On
Not Will Holland’s finest ever release, but that’s only relative to his already excellent back catalogue. Nonetheless this was a great slice of modern soul.
Drum n Bass
Calibre
Second Sun
Probably one of the most complete drum n bass albums ever released.
Pendulum
Hold Your Colour
Filthy filthy beats from down under, would be worth purchasing for “Slam” alone, however the thing is jammed full of more Brucie bonus d n b roof tearers to boot.
Nu:Tone
Brave Nu World
One of hospitals finest young guns finally drops a long player – an essay in grooveh drum n bass
Shy FX
Diaries Of A Digital Soundboy
The Shy Boy who’s been knocking out quality jungle for years, makes like David Cameron and launches a land grab for the funky d n b centre ground – with devastating dance floor results.
Stuff that doesn’t fit into a pigeon hole
Gorillaz
Demon Days
A white label preview of Dirty Harry early in the year promised great things, when the album finally came out it delivered on all fronts. The first album was pretty throwaway stuff; “Demon Days” is packed with variously epic, sonorous and groovy, beats, a consummate essay in pop music.
Damien Marley
Welcome to Jamrock
If anyone was under the impression that all the good reggae music was made in the seventies, master Marley blew that out of the water with interest. A titanic release, and the title track reminded the world what a big dub bass line’s all about.
Four Tet
Everything Ecstatic
Keiran Hebden once again produces a truly unique, meticulously produced, gorgeous record.
LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem
Whether the whole long player sustains the impact of the outstanding single releases is questionable, nonetheless this was an aural smack in the face well worth taking on the chin.
RSL
Every Preston Guild
An exuberant long player from the Leeds ensemble – with a bombastic live sound, including one of the best singles this decade, “Wesley Music”, and embracing a huge range of styles and moods, a fine, fine record.
Minotaur Shock
Maritime
David Edwards follows up his beautiful debut on Melodic by signing for 4AD and creating another tremendous slice of atmosphere.
M83
Before the Dawn Heals Us
Hands up who loves prog rock?….M83 make genuinely epic music, but not of the over the top check out my; keyboard / guitar / timpani, solo variety, just genuinely affecting beautifully crafted electronic music.
Venetian Snares
Rossz Csillag Alatt Született
Making your own ears bleed never felt this good.
Thievery Corporation
The Cosmic Game
You always know what you’re going to get with the sharp suited boys, spacey dub loveliness, and there’s absolutely nowt wrong with that.
Skalpel
Konfusion
A deep, thoughtful retrospective sound, again influenced, and almost entirely made up from the Communist-baiting Polish Jazz scene, this is an album rich in mood and culture, while funky and slick.
Spleen
She was a girl.
After “bitches on the ground” made good as title music in a French film this year and “Olivia” cropped up as a free iTunes download he is showing up all over the place.
Mark De Clive Lowe
Tides Arising
Jazz Funky baby, hmmm nice, well, perhaps surprisingly, very nice indeed.
Shpongle
Nothing Lasts But Nothing Is Lost
The duo’s third long player was orgy of ethereal electronica.
So there you have it !