2019 in Music

Albums of the year, 2019:

• Russian Circles: Blood Year
• Kankyō Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music. 1980–​1990
• Hammock: Silencia
• A Winged Victory for the Sullen: The Undivided Pair
• Brian Eno: Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks (Extended Edition)
• Hildur Guðnadóttir: Chernobyl (Music From The Original TV Series)
• Earth: Full upon Her Burning Lips
• Chromatics: Closer to Grey
• Iggy Pop: Free
• William Basinski: On Time Out of Time. 

Honourable mention:

• Rosetta: Sower of Wind E.P.
• MONO: Before the Past E.P. 
• Sunn O))): Pyroclasts
• Teeth of the Sea: Wraith
• Dark Morph: Dark Morph.

2019 has been a very strong year for ambient music, with both Hammock and A Winged Victory for the Sullen releasing serene new masterpieces. Brian Eno’s landmark 1983 Apollo album received a long-overdue rerelease (in time for the 50^th anniversary of the moon landings), and he re-entered the studio with Daniel Lanois and Roger Eno to record a respectable companion piece entitled For All Mankind. Meanwhile, Spencer Doran curated an outstanding compilation of Japanese ambient music from the 1980s: Kankyō Ongaku.

This was also a strong year for instrumental guitar music, with Russian Circles releasing their most aggressive album yet: Blood Year. Earth returned with the majestic and psychedelic-flavoured Full upon Her Burning Lips. MONO celebrated their 20^th anniversary with a slightly disappointing new album (Nowhere Now Here) and a furious live E.P. (Before the Past).

Chromatics released more of their trademark icy ballads on Closer to Grey, but there is still no sign of the long-awaited Dear Tommy. Iggy Pop followed 2016’s Post Pop Depression (which revisited his Berlin era) with the sparse and lightly jazz-flavoured Free. 

One of the strongest components of HBO’s Chernobyl series was Hildur Guðnadóttir’s disquieting soundtrack, and its dark textures work just as well in isolation. Sunn O))) returned with two impressive new albums (Pyroclasts and Life Metal), while on the more minimal front William Basinski released On Time Out of Time.