take us with you!
Photograph by Stefano Pesarelli, winner of national geographic 2011 photo
you’ve probably already seen about a million top lists of 2011, but that won’t deter us from sharing our most memorable records of the year. we asked our contributors to provide their favorite lists and when all the results came together these were the albums that provided the year’s most outstanding listens.
listen to our favorite albums of 2011 on spotify
+ drake - take care [cash money] another fantastic effort by drizzy proving that you can combine superb production values with enough pop appeal to get any party going. outstanding track: HYFR (hell ya f***ing right)
+ the weeknd - house of balloons [self released] no other artist had a better year, the weeknd went from nowhere to everywhere by releasing 3 outstanding albums and giving them away for free! swag. outstanding track: the morning
+ gil scott-heron / jamie xx - we’re new here [young turks] a fantastic recontextualisation of the late great’s final album and a clear example of the production wizardry of the british wunderkind. outstanding track: the crutch
+ sbtrkt - sbtrkt [young turks] bass musics meets pop music and what a wonderful thing it is; the best thing about this record is you can either dance to it or simply sing along. outstanding track: something goes right
+ the horrors - skying [xl recordings] future sounding album that proves rockers can sport synthesizers without sounding overly cheesy. outstanding track: moving further away
+ the war on drugs - slave ambient [secretly canadian] a proper rock album full of atmospheric soundscapes, slave ambient is awfully reminiscent of some of the best krautrock records ever released. outstanding track: your love is calling my name
+ thundercat - the golden age of tomorrow [brainfeeder] surprising debut album from soul bassist extraordinaire with co-production by the one and only flying lotus. outstanding track: it really doesn’t matter to you
+ james blake - james blake [atlas recordings] dubstep’s prodigious child gifts us a very personal album full of introspective moments, transcending genres and flirting with timelessness. outstanding track: to care (like you)
+ hype williams - one nation [hippos in tanks] equally mysterious as its creators, this album is one hell of a trip! always on the verge of falling apart, the album is abound with far-out synth explorations providing great and often weird results. outstanding track: break4love
+ cities aviv - digital lows [self released] another proof that you don’t have to be signed to a label to stand out. bringing together the most disparate of influences, this memphis-based rapper oozes originality and flair. outstanding track: a beautiful hell
+ africa hitech – 93 million miles [warp] our favorite bass music related album of the year by far. combining a host of influences, this record will lift all the right spirits and set the feet in motion. outstanding track: our luv
+ m83 - hurry up, we’re dreaming [m83] a more than worthy return of epic proportions, making it seem like they never really went away. perhaps one of the year’s most emotionally charged records. outstanding track: midnight city
