My Top 10 Music Discoverys In 2022

The relationship with music is changing. Having adopted Spotify, I not only have access to a larger library of music but the whims to pursue sounds at the click of a button. With this, I've found many new acts and novelties I'd of missed out on as a purchaser of records alone. Its been my most "productive" year with this blog, amassing 217 entries. I've also decided its time for a change. In the coming year I want to lower the amount of albums I get stuck into and focus on more of an transient experience, following my fancy and committing to records only when they seem to show something of merit. This means less dissections on music that didn't click, a shift to focus on what resonates deeply. My goal is to make next year the richest reading experience, yet not abundant. As for discoveries, there were plenty to pick from but a group of clear favorites emerged swiftly.

(10) Old Man's Child

Not a discovery but simply a joyous journey over a bands discography from the years of youth exploring Symphonic Black Metal. Revisiting these Old Man's Child record's brought about immense pleasure, unearthing a few new gems too with the albums I didn't fully digest back then. I'll always have a soft spot for Galder's solo project and last I read, we might get a new one in the next year!

(9) Toadies

Although it was the lone record, it left nice to get stuck in with a sound that an older me would have turned a nose at. Their Alternative post-Nirvana sound is not one I am familiar with but the character of these songs and the energy they roll out with struck a vibe. Perhaps one to go a little further with!

(8) Kero Kero Bonito

With quirky pleasures of simplistic expressions and lively instrumentation unabashed by aesthetic, often more musical merit than initial impressions, Kero Kero Bonito made a splash with a style marked by childlike innocence. Their youthful joy and happy energy ran counter to my musical norms yet with an open mind I found a fond connection to uplifting and spirited music, occasionally wrapped in a contrasting twist.

(7) Timewave

Soundtrack to my summer holiday ambience, these lengthy stints of lively Pysbient Downtempo bangers scratched a niche I rarely encounter. Much of the electronic music scene explores vibes and melodic styles that don't resonate with me. This shift to an astral, cosmological focus gave it exactly what I needed. Since discovery, its been a constant throwback when in need of energized focus.

(6) Kyros

One of Spotify's recommendations, something that will dominate the list next year no doubt, is Kyros. Reset/Rewind is still a juggernaut song that I can't get enough of, yet plenty more we to be enjoyed in this Progressive Metal band's discography. They have a distinctive expression and when it comes together, its wondrous yet their output is somewhat mixed. I have no doubts they could pull off something remarkable so anything new will come with giddy speculation!

(5) Tamaryn

With roots in Shoegazing and Cocteau Twins influences, Tamaryn's steady progression over four albums to Synthpop is where the magic lies for me. Each record has matured with Pop sensibilities that resonate strongly. Ditching dreary guitar aesthetics and incorporating bolder, punchier melodies was a delight to behold. If this direction continues, the next installment could be something special!

(4) Dreamstate Logic

Always in search of cosmic ambiences, the discovery of Dreamstate Logic was a blessing. Not only a dense discography of records with a keen focal point on mellow spacey Downtempo drones but a license to use the music commercially. Therefore, it has been a welcome soundtrack to my livestreams, creating a cool, calm atmosphere fit for introspection and astral thought. The pace and temperament is perfect. Plenty of Synth lead lulls that gently swell into drum lead grooves. A pleasure to unearth.

(3) Andrew Odd

Discovering the term Pysbient led me to Andrew Odd, who also operates under the alias Timewave. His distinct approach to melding Psychedelic, Berlin School adjacent synths with cosmic ambience and the steady blooming of Downtempo grooves struck a nerve. Of this genre I have dabbled with through the aforementioned artists, his Random Thoughts record moved me the most. Its energy another to invoke deep focus and relaxation when needed.

(2) Matt Uelmen

Matt Uelmen is no stranger to me, in fact his Diablo II and Starcraft soundtracks have been an eternal source of endearing warmth over the years. Deeply tied to youthful nostalgia, imagine my astonishment when discovering his Torchlight II soundtrack was built of the foundations of that Diablo magic. A gift I have literally dreamed for over the years. Normally reserved for artist discovery, this record had to make the list.

(1) Type O Negative

A name I've known over the years, possibly once encountered directly yet was never taken in by. It took a friend to nudge me into the dreary heartbroken beauty of Type O Negative. Eclectic and estranged, their musical genius stems from the sluggish carved grooves of Black Sabbath and chirpy appeal of The Beatles. Yet these pillars manifest into romanticized Gothic soundtracks, oddly brash and deeply emotive, the expressions of Peter Steele are immortalized in the soaring brilliance their songs offer routinely. Between enigmatic anthems lies an unrestrained creativity, peering into Hardcore energy, metallic sway, Noise aesthetics and Pop Rock sensibilities with a most curious origin. The union of these four men is a blessing, one for the ages. I can only dream of discovering more deep connections again. Type O Negative have touched the peaks of my personal musical landscape. Brilliant.

Kero Kero Bonito "Time 'N' Place" (2018)

 Going forth with a bold stylistic shift, Kero Kero Bonito introduce a rather gristly over driven guitar tone into the mix! Not only do they dial back the childish quirk and charm established prior, the keys too recoil from punchy unabashed aesthetics. Time 'N' Place has the trio trying on new shoes. When sticking to their guns, they find a glossy, serine temperament stepping into classic Pop vibes with a modern edge. On the other front, hints of Grunge, Indie Pop and Shoegazing push them towards the uncanny valley as creative ideas clash with a touch of imposter syndrome lurking nearby.

Alongside the strives into guitar driven territory, the group take failing inspiration from the abrasive scenes of Glitch and Noise music. Three tracks in and Only Acting grates away with intentional CD skips leading into a ear aching assault of sharp fuzz on the listening. It seems so pointless, a barrage of disorientation that doesn't resolve to anything of interest. Fortunately these grating oddities are few and far between.

It doesn't look good among a series of misses. Opening with Outside, the Shoegazing kicks off on an odd note, not quite gelling with the sparkling synths found glittering around its chord progressions. From their most the songs land on odd footings, just not landing a charm as they low through a string of simple themes and old timely vibes. Late in the track listing, Sometimes is another stride beyond means. Aiming for a youthful, folksy pub sing along, the brash acoustic guitar strumming clashes with unrehearsed singing. The VGM 8bit synth jam that takes place alongside sours too.

Most the songs are inoffensive but oddly mediocre in the shadow of their other works. It makes for a dull, lukewarm listen that often drags. Bit of a shame considering how interesting I've found this group up to this point. In fact what comes after with Civilization II is remarkable, a major difference from whats to be heard here. Time 'N' Space feels like the new ideas they brought to the mix didn't have the chemistry.

Rating: 4/10

Kero Kero Bonito "Bonito Generation" (2016)

Following their debut mixtape Intro Bonito, the London trio known as Kero Kero Bonito polish their sound for a sophomore effort that rides the curtails of their quirky warm persona. Bonito Generation doesn't stylistically evolve as much as its aesthetics are refined with a touch more welcoming tone. Stagnation seems prevalent, conjuring similar moods and feelings from their smiley place of simple thoughts and life's innocence. It doesn't pack quite the punch with surprise no longer being a factor.

That's not to say its a bad record but both the instrumentation and lyrical themes roll off lukewarm as the tracks are packaged into simpler song structures. Slower melodies, gentler percussion and a sense of safeness permeate. Bonito Generation is less adventurous, lacking creativity and sparkle. Thus Sarah's easy expressions of her college life tend to lull into a mediocrity. At its most off track, the band infuse casual communications and Japanese lyrics but its not the saving grace the music needs.

Trampoline is the records best track as the simplistic language and metaphor finds a space to feel a tad absurd when it revolves around the jumping mat. The song has a little more of a club vibe with its colorful synths and tight percussion, something one or two other tracks do but its not enough to give the record edge. This one really hides in the shadow of its predecessor, somewhat of an autopilot experience. Its competent, enjoyable but lacks the dazzle of Intro Bonito.

Rating: 5/10

Kero Kero Bonito "Intro Bonito" (2013)

Dazzled by the dense musical exuberance of Civilization II, I now venture back to Kero's origins. This debut mixtape, Kero Bonito, was quite the surprise! A warm, happy and pleasant record finding its inspirations in the mundane and putting a quirky spin on its simple themes. This take shapes on two fronts. Singer Sarah Perry, often interchanging Japanese and English, sings slightly spoken accounts of many passages of daily life, distilling simple thoughts and concepts into plain language. Its charming, carrying no burdens or hardship, an innocent, carefree and fun little journey.

Instrumentally this spirit is captivated wonderfully by its embrace of often bold and cheesy synths from decades past. Drums punch and kick away in lean environments with a handful of chirpy synths chiming in, often punctuated by timely pauses for brief silences. Sprinkled with cultural and stock samples between its shuffling grooves, the themes draw from a variety of nostalgia and foreign places. Housed in great compositions, its brash boldness is truly endearing. Even the use of old 8-bit cat and dog synthesized effects bashed obnoxiously come across as good spirited fun.

 

Its an oddball record, a mad house of silliness landing on a genuine warmth. Not purely quirky though, flushes of creativity and dexterous keyboard playing inject bursts of magic on occasion. Its also quite colorful, bright and uplifting, a record to steer your mind firmly away from anything troubling. My favorite track has to be Babies Are So Strange. Everything about this song is silly yet in a great spirit, landing with a slight sense of tongue in cheek deepness on the "Child producing machine, that's what nature has designed me to be" line. This record has been a breath of fresh air, so fun and easy going!

Rating: 7/10

Kero Kero Bonito "Civilisation I" (2021)

 

 

 I've been diving into a few Kero Kero Bonito records and loving whats to be discovered! Initially, I didn't vibe as strongly with this other half to Civilisation II until I had the further context of their back catalog. As a quirkier, bold and colorful trio of songs, it seemed offbeat from the marvels of its successor. Released two years earlier, these three songs perhaps signify maturity over the period, however being new to the London based outfit, my passing thoughts are of little value currently.

 

The opening track Battle Lines bursts to life with a barrage of punchy instruments, a disorienting layering of cheesy 80s synth sounds reworked to produce a carefree, wonderus mood. Its zany synths jive unabashedly, jolting into life with sequences of notes that play like guitar solos, often seeming out of key initially and swiftly find their orientation with the music. Ironically its was the most jarring track but now the one I love most. The wildly animated nature of its busy instrumentals is remarkable!

When The Fire Comes drifts into a calmer, soothing temperament, letting Sarah Perry take a little more light with her keen singing voice. The steady percussion gives rise to layerings of gorgeous, vibrant keys. So easy to enjoy! The River follows up extending that warm, easy tone with its breezy synths making a mockery of its jittering percussion and sporadic bursts of odd synthesized noise effects. Its somehow dreamy, yet that drum pattern is so shaken and agitated! The chemistries these three conjure are simply wonderful. They are now the subject of my next musical journey!

Rating: 4/10

Kero Kero Bonito "Civilisation II" (2021)

 
Kero Kero Bonito are a London based trio led by singer Sarah Perry, who's half Japanese status has a clear cultural influence on the Electronic group. With warm shades of J-Pop and K-Pop influencing the audios character, this short three track EP Civilisation II was an excellent entry point for me. The feel good uplift and structural sensibility of Pop music finds itself in the arms of deep grooving electronic styles that drift in a direction I am far more familiar and comfortable with.

It kicks off with The Princess And The Clock, the chirpiest track speared on by driving percussive kicks that dial up the energy of a youthful, dancey, daydreaming song. Perry resonates warmly, her lyrics mirroring this slightly dreamy aesthetic has she sings a fairy tale of a royal prophecy fulfilled. 21/04/20 mellows out in a direction reminiscent of Anime theme music as its sparkly lead melody blossoms out of a glossy toned song. Perry's lyrics embellish normality with a sunny pleasantry as she words out the details of what might be a mundane day into something much prettier.

The third and longest cut at seven minutes is my favorite. Well Rested swiftly drops into an easy breezy groove of deep soothing bass and steady percussion. Its reminiscent to me of my favorites songs in the realms of Downtempo and Ambient electronic music. The mood is rustled up along the way with Perry making commanding remarks on a cadence fit for an activism rally. It arrives alongside jolty, slightly frenetic electronic leads that usher the second half of the jam into a livelier version of its own first half.

All of this wonderful songwriting is channeled through a wonderful productions that musters a fair helping of glossy reverb and timely echo to embellish that dreamier tone. All the while its many electronic instruments stay crystal clear and chirpy, dense in texture and color. The percussion too is imaginative with a great selection of both samples and pattern arrangements. All in all this brief fourteen minute outing is absolutely solid and has me very excited to discover more from this dynamic trio.

Rating: 5/10