DOM "Warm" (p)2023 self-released

The first word that comes to mind upon listening to the new release of Domingo Aleman's "household" solo project DOM is 'visceral'. You can almost see how this music pours out of Domingo's body in its own intuitive way. How it paves its way through his skin pores. How it streams through his fingers short-circuiting the guitar strings. How it's pulsating within the drumkit (yes I know the drums are programmed but I'm not speaking of what I know, I'm only speaking of how it feels). 

The tracks are quite repetitive and it's the case when repetition transforms into captivity. That's why the longest tracks are the best here (for me personnally I'd prefer this to be glued together into one 40 minutes long piece without pauses between the tracks). As long as Domingo is not your conventional songwriter with the songs built up on some basic four chord sequences there is no standard verse-chorus structure to be found on this album. So the music just flows around to envelope you with its vibe and to move you to another place full of tribal rhythm, offbeat synths and fluid desert rock guitars.

BNDCMP 

DOM "Emergency"

DOM "Emergency" (p)2020 Discos Delejos

At the first sight "Emergency" is less consumable than last year's "2019" by another Domingo Aleman's avatar Sunday German Flowers. However, it is clear that it inherits as to "2019" as to the past works of now-defunct combo Ruin Man Band (also led by Domingo) "Beyond Panzaburro" and "Paraiso". It may lack Ruin Man Band's dance groove or "2019"'s cohesion but it's still got a lot to offer. Lyrically "Emergency" is dedicated to the contemporary world issues (environmental crisis, the conflict of new human-centered values and capitalistic system, etc). Partnered again with his long-time ally Manuel Estevez, this time Domingo invited his frequent collaborators: the local Canarian mainstays Fajardo and Diego Hdez - along with less frequent ones Arico and Acid Buda - to represent his world view the best way. As all of the mentioned persons are far from 'your usual songwriter' type, the album boundlessly mixes leftfield electronica with trip hop, dub, freak-folk and even abstract hip hop to produce strange music that may seem too complicated at the first listen but causes the effect of dependency with every subsequent time you push the play button.

BNDCMP

The Best Of 2019. TOP50. 01-10

I’m curious what people may think about being included into my annual poll. The people, you know, who are in the list and who have no idea, basically, why. It goes like this: one day Facebook informs them of a post that mentions their album as a national TOP50 entry, and they guess, what does it mean? So, how should we react to this? Is it good or is it kind of freaky? Who’s that guy? Is he credible? Let’s see, who he is. He is from where? Russia? The guy from Russia has an opinion on what’s going on here in Spain – sounds kinda strange, doesn’t it? What’s the matter?

Or it goes like: ‘Okaaaaay, guys. We’re in somebody’s annual poll now, and this is great by default!’ 

I’m just curious, really.

So, here you are. The best albums of the year. The most delicious part of the TOP50. The Big Ten.

Merry Christmas!

10. Atencion Tsunami «Vltra»

(p)Records del Mundo

BNDCMP

The sounds of the alternative dance halls of the 22nd century. The danceable rock music with no dance invented for it as of now.

9. Exfan «Exfan»

(p)Gatuela

SPTF

All of Patricia Escoin's ongoing projects (Los Amantes, Lula and Exfan) deserve nationwide praise, I swear.

8. Furious Monkey House «Love, Scum & Dust»

(p)Esmerarte/ Atresmusica/ Universal Music Spain

SPTF

Somewhere in the middle of the first track of "Love, Scum & Dust" I was like: 'Holy fuck, how come I have never heard of them before? They’re so cool!'

7. Yo, Estratosferico «Limbo»

(p)self-released

BNDCMP

The struggling band that deserves more attention than it's got now. The creators of the last decade's most underrated great song ("?motin?") have got another bunch of great songs to be proud of.

6. Capsula «Bestiarium»

(p)Gaztelupeko Hotsak/ Vicious Circle/ Dynamo Tapes

BNDCMP

Their strongest release since "Solar Secrets", as simple as it gets.

5. Sunday German Flowers «2019»

(p)Discos Delejos

BNDCMP

Put your headphones on and float away from your daily grind with this beautiful and stylistically undefinable record.

4. Chavalan «Un Aire Visible»

(p)Mascarpone Discos

BNDCMP

The great successor of now-defunct Betunizer. From my point of view it's even better than "Gran Veta', the generally recognized apex of Betunizer’s career.

3. Los Punsetes «Aniquilacion»

(p)Mushroom Pillow

SPTF

Without a doubt the most cohesive album of the renowned band. It seemed to me like something was always missing on their previous releases. They were always quite good with the emphasis on ‘quite’. Now all the parts of the puzzle are on their right places finally.

2. Holywater «Arboreal»

(p)Ernie

BNDCMP

Take any cool southern rock-meets-grunge record (Dead Confederate's "Sugar" first came to my mind), replace the electric guitars with the acoustic ones and then clean the sound off to kill that druggy fog - and you'll get the idea of what "Arboreal" sounds like.

1. Yawners «Just Calm Down»

(p)La Castanya

BNDCMP

For the most part of the year it was all pretty clear about the number one. Not only the best album but also the best song ("La Escalera").

11 – 20

21 – 30

31 – 40

41 – 50

HONORABLE MENTION

TOP10 EPs