Ylajali is the debut full-length from Syntaks, the Danish duo of Jakob Skott and Anna Cecilia. In Ylajali’s beautifully scorched sonic landscape, acres of drones run beneath Cecilia’s wordless sighs; Skott’s beats crunch like autumn leaves while synthesizers swell, flourish, and disappear. Songs either tramp through hazy forests until they fade into the dark (the Boards of Canada-esque, Love Camp 23), or stack tone upon tone like translucent building blocks, building to forceful, near-operatic crescendos.
The Cure / Plainsong
This is probably the best album opener of all time. From the distant tinkle of bells to the huge synth-pad explosion, it’s a prime example of how to open the show. Everything sounds muddled together in just about a perfect way.
King Crimson / In the Court of the Crimson King
Perfect early prog, combining over-ambitious songwriting with an extremely powerful voice and organ riff. The Mellotron sounds amazing, as always. But it’s an instrument that brings you back to another time. No new bands have escaped this curse of the Mellotron, with the exception being the Norwegian band Motorpsycho.
Slowdive / Here She Comes
Okay, slowing down in grandure with this one, but not with the all-important emotional aspect. A simple song, from a band maybe not as groundbreaking as most early shoegazers, but surely one of the best. This album spins every Friday night, and usually sparks an urge to engage in new tracks.
Tim Buckley / Love From Room 109 At The Islander (On Pacific Coast Highway)
I’d like to think that it’s true that the waves at the beginning of this track is recorded at Tim’s porch of his Venice Beach apartment circa 1968. Lee Underwood lays down some of the loveliest bell-like guitar you’ll ever hear, playing around David Friedman’s vibes and Tim’s voice. Built around the organic ambient-jazz style of Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way, this song has its own unique vibe.
Brian Eno and Herold Budd / The Silver Ball
Perhaps, along with Thursday Afternoon, the most well adjusted Eno ambient record. It’s just an amazing study of texture and melody, coming together in a unique way. Obviously we listen to a lot of stuff that uses space in this and other ambient ways. Steve Reich, William Basinski and Wendy & Carl all have their own unique approach to this mode.
David Sylvian / Forbidden Colours
Such a haunting song, composed by Sakamoto. The 1986 Sylvian version is the best, since the production is a perfect balance between synthesizers and piano. The mood is both uplifting and slightly blue – like most of the songs on this list. Every texture seems to be in the right place.
Leo Kottke / When Shrimps Learn to Whistle
A strange sort of mini-suite, that popped into our lives. It’s hard to explain why one should single this track out from the tons of really good ones, but it’s often that way with music, isn’t it? Well, Kottke has emotion, and the whole A-side of Dreams and All That Stuff is about the most uplifting music you’ll get. Sure, with the right kind of pessimistic eyes you can see Kottke as the cheesy guy in that whole experimental post-bluegrass bunch. But I guess that’s how some people see us, as well, within the electronic circuit.
The Doors / The End
If you don’t like bands that have sold more than a million albums, you’ve probably stopped reading way before this point. This is truly the sense of a new direction. Maybe Love did the first full B-side track, but this is breaking new sonic grounds even by modern standards. Again, a unique approach to space, time and sound.
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