For 2021, I mainly listened to everything that Not Not Fun released on heavy rotation. They have become one of my favorite labels over the last decade. I like their overall aesthetic, which is usually instrumental music made with synthesizers from far away lands or what sound like far away lands. The graphic design is top notch. I'm a fan of their more techno oriented 100% Silk label, too.
I capped any label at two tapes and tried to get as much variety on the list as possible. I did not buy many tapes in 2021. I also only bought from the same handful of labels that I always grab everything from.
Constellation Tatsu, Hot Releases, and Unifactor all kept the reels spinning with new tapes.
A standout of the last twelve months was the massive double cassette by Secret Boyfriend. Entropic Report 2017-2018 and its accompanying 'zine are a great document of noise life from a few years ago. X.Y.R. created a fine longform excursion of synth waves. Andrea Pensado delivered another amazing track of her voice oriented harsh noise on the split with Jacob Winans. One of my favorites was Keychain, Wilted Woman's abstract vision of electronic music.
As always any tape had to be released in the calendar year and I had to listen to it a lot. And if you are one of those types who needs a definitive cassette of the year, then that honor goes to Highway Dreamscapes by New Mexican Stargazers on Not Not Fun. They churned out a fine batch of hazy synth jams about roads and travel in the desert. I honestly knew this was going to be my favorite tape of the year before I even heard it based on the name alone. Fortunately, it didn't disappoint. As an added bonus, they even used Courier for the font on the cover.
The list goes band/album/label for those with questions of that nature.
01. Acid Twilight - s/t - Not Not Fun
02. Rose Bolton - The Lost Clock - Cassauna
03. Cloning - Splattertronics - Refulgent Sepulchre
04. Eat Avery's Bones - Instrument Petting Zoo - Decoherence
05. Etari - Rainbow Eucalyptus - 100% Silk
06. Glo Phase - Early Moments - 100% Silk
07. Good Willsmith - 4/25/2019 at Sleeping Village - Hausu Mountain
08. Lady Shame - Pink Noise - No Rent
09. Menophilia - Post Mortem - Laura's Girls
10. Network Glass, Heejin Jang, Philippe Vandal - s/t - UVL
11. New Mexican Stargazers - Highway Dreamscape - Not Not Fun
12. Secret Boyfriend - Entropic Report 2017-2018 - Hot Releases
13. Wilted Woman - Keychain - Unifactor
14. Jacob Winans & Andrea Pensado - Handle With Care - Refulgent Sepulchre
15. X.Y.R. - Wave Temples - Constellation Tatsu
16. Zaïmph - Underlying Structures - No Rent
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