Favourite albums of 2008 part 1

In less than 2 weeks, we will be wrapping up the year. Here are my favourite cuts which I've come into contact over the course of this year. I'll probably list them down one-by-one, starting from No. 1. Fuck the idea of a countdown. I can change my mind about the placement as I go along as well. Of course, that means I would still have time to listen to stuff I haven't had the chance to.

Numero uno: Flying Lotus - Los Angeles



I really love how this album sounds: a whole blend of glitch, IDM, hip-hop and dub-step with a thick dosage of buzzes, hisses and clicks. It sounds fuckin' great and amazing. Also known as jazz legend Alice Coltrane's grand nephew, Steven Ellison has created a soundtrack to his city of residence. Strangely, listening to the album evoked the imagery and scenes from Michael Mann's 2004 crime thriller Collateral which starred Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. The film was shot like a loving paean to the city of Los Angeles, revelling in its humanity, griminess, beauty and fallacies. Much like this album, an exploration into not just the human psyche but that of a city as a living entity.

Anyway, I'll leave all these wanky music critique to other peeps. Flying Lotus posted his remixes of Kanye West's 'Love Lockdown' (I prefer R. Kelly's though) and Radiohead's 'Reckoner' on his MySpace page.