Nice list Equinox. This year I am able to comment on some of the releases because I have actually heard some of them

1. Bitcrush- Enarc
Good album, not sure about the #1 placement though ( because I liked Formless better - although that was last year, so maybe the placement is justified after all ).

4. Enduser- From Zero
This is great too.

6. Max Richter - The blue notebooks
This release is highly rated among everyone I've talked to, but I fail to see what's so great about it. Same goes for Helios' Unomia... maybe I don't understand pianos =P

8. Keef Baker- The Widnes Years
I think keef's album is well worth being on the top 10, and I'm not just saying that because he posts here. Maybe it should even be higher.

9. Biosphere- Autour de la Lune
This is sweet too.

10. Fennesz- Venice
At first, I really didn't like this release. It seemed to me like fennesz had just gotten boring. But on further listens I found out that it was actually beautiful and after noticing all the things I didn't notice on the first couple of listens I really fell in love with it.

13. Helios- Unomia
See comment on Max Richter

20. Mr. 76ix - Hits Of 76ix
This is pretty good too, I agree with the placement ( that is, not on the top 10, but still there )

22. Squarepusher- Ultravisitor
I was sort of disappointed with this release. I don't understand what he was trying to do but to me it doesn't sound exciting at all.

25. Kattoo- Places
So much variety on this album. That is what gets it on the list for me too, but that is also what keeps it from getting a higher position.

Everything else I haven't heard! *gasp* =P Where do you find out about new releases anyway? I just follow reccomendations on forums but I feel there is no "quality control" that way and people just post anything they have heard lately and not a selection of the best of what they have heard lately.

thanks for the kind comments and I know not everyone can agree on the same things, but I'm glad we agree on the majority

Actually, the way I find out about new releases and albums is more a personal thing than anything else . I have been blessed with a great memory when it comes to sequences of numbers and letters, therefore I remember just about everything I see. I start off by finding a label, from there I try to listen to everything that is remotely new. From there, I visit the other various labels that artist has put their material out on, and from there, I get introduced to other new albums, and then it goes on and on and on from there. A lot of times I search various online e-zines (excluding Pitchfork nowadays) and this is what led me to write for one in particular: absorb.org.

I've just always been a big researcher when it came to electronic music and it wasn't until I came to this site, that I was able to actually share my knowledge or share exactly how I feel about the genre.

electronic

venice. fennesz
a tour de lune. biosphere
lilies. arovane
music by cavelight. blockhead
first narrows. loscil
harmonic series 2. rafael toral (japanese import)
http://www.typerecords.com/radio/full.php?id=8


non electronic. living legends. eightball + mjg

drum and bass: driving insane. black sun empire

some of this is barely electronica, so ready the insults

rjd2 - since we last spoke
mum - summer make good
tycho - sunrise projector
xiu xiu - fabulous muscles
blue states - the soundings
savath and savalas - apropa't
mouse on mars- radical connector
lali puna- faking the books

I really haven't heard a lot of the stuff already mentioned. Looks like I have some listening to do.

in no particular order

bitcrush - enarc
kattoo - places
hecq - scatterheart (didnt like this at all at first, its really grown on me)
squarepusher - ultravisitor + square window ep (take some of the crap off ultravisitor and add the three longer square window tracks....)
bola - gnayse
coil - black antlers
architect - i went out shopping to get some noise
s:cage - remote

i honestly didnt buy many "new" releases this year, im sure this list looks pretty one-sided.

ahh, so i'm glad you liked the Toral stuff I recommended

Pre Buffer by DANIETO from chile is also one of the nicest new stuff i got to listen on 2004.

equinox you are my main buyer's guide.

!!!

How is that? I've been really wanting to hear it, but I'm also hesitant to shell out whatever insane amount of money 10 pounds converts to for a bunch of mp3s.

then you'd probably like Danieto's "Evolucion" album on U-cover limited cd-r....it's a great album!