The decade ends with a fine year in contemporary/experimental music. The following are the best albums I’ve heard in 2009:

Favorite:

 

Alva Noto : Xerrox Vol.2 [Raster-Noton]

Front Cover:

Back Cover (note the font is Notobitmap):

CD:

An absolutely flawless album. It’s contemporary, ambient, grandiose and minimal. What else would you expect from Carsten Nicolai? This is the second release in a series of five.

The rest in no particular order:

 

 

Mountains : Etching[Thrill Jockey]

 

 

William Basinski : 92982 [2062]

 

 

Tomasz Bednarczyk : Let’s Make Better Mistakes Tomorrow [12k]

 

 

Black to Comm : Alphabet 1968 [Type Records]

 

 

Discovery : LP [XL Recordings]

 

 

Kevin Drumm : Imperial Horizon [Hospital Productions]

 

 

Emeralds : What Happened [No Fun Productions]

 

 

Mountains : Choral [Thrill Jockey]

 

 

Stephan Mathieu + Taylor Deupree : Transcriptions[Spekk]

 

 

Christopher Willits – Live on Earth Vol. 1 [Self-Release]