It’s been a long time since I’ve done a big year-end writing project for music. I’ve spent these past few Decembers hosting the Sounds of the Night radio show on KAOS 89.3 FM Olympia, which gave me a different outlet to count down some of my favorite tracks of the previous twelve months and scratch that itch I have to celebrate the year that was in music.
Now that I’m off the air, I’m going back to the writing. 2015 has been an incredible year for music, and I wanted to look back and recognize some of very best albums and EPs that crossed my ears in the past year. In the coming days I’ll be posting a list of my 100 favorite albums of 2015, 20 albums at a time. I’m starting, however, with the EPs.
Before you is a list of my 25 favorite EPs that were released in 2015, with a brief (sometimes very brief to make this as compact as possible) explanation as to what they are and what I liked them about them.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think in the comments, on Facebook, or on Twitter @BryceJMurphy.
A LINK TO STREAM EACH ALBUM IS AVAILABLE BY CLICKING THE COVER ART.
25. Botanist- EP2: Hammer of Botany
This doesn’t deviate much from the Botanist formula, but black metal played with a hammered dulcimer still sounds pretty awesome.
24. Petite Noir- The King of Anxiety
The debut EP from South Africa’s Petite Noir is a unique mix of art pop, electronic, and R&B. It compiles some great singles from years past and a mixed bag of new content, but the highlights (notably “Chess”) are gorgeous.
23. Suis La Lune- Distance / Closure
There’s been a lot of screamo and post-rock hybrids in recent years, but the pure intensity of Suis La Lune sets them apart. Few hardcore bands can justify an average song length over 7 minutes, but it works here.
22. Tropic of Cancer- Stop Suffering
I love that there were multiple quality darkwave releases in 2015. This EP from Tropic of Cancer is of the more minimalist variety, and it nails the dark atmosphere of the genre.
21. Artykuły Rolne- s/t
One of two Polish noise rock projects that caught my attention in 2015, Artykuły Rolne takes a solid punk rock foundation and throws large amounts of psychedelic fuzz over it. It’s fun, innovative, and one of the most atmospheric punk releases I’ve heard in years.
20. Stave- After the Social
Stave is a promising addition to the industiral techno genre. The opener, “Hardened Chords,” is among the most danceable industrial songs out there, and the remix from Regis is fantastic as well.
19. Bardo Pond- Is There a Heaven?
I’m not usually huge on Record Store Day exclusives, but this two track covers EP from Bardo Pond is an exception. Their psychedelic drone take on Albert Aylers’ “Music is the Healing Force of the Universe” is especially powerful and probably my favorite cover song of 2015.
18. Yautja- Songs of Lament
This brutal hardcore release from Yautja expertly switches between quick bursts of crust punk and long stretches of heavy sludge. It’s meant as a companion to 2014’s full length Songs of Descent, but I actually think this EP is more consistent and a better starting point for newcomers.
17. Laurel Halo- In Situ
Laurel Halo continues her apparent quest to try every single subgenre of electronic music, as this double EP sees her branching out into footwork and microhouse terrority (as well as her usual IDM and ambient techno). It’s uneven for sure, but there’s a ton of variety and the long jazzy closer “Focus I” is among the most creative and beautiful pieces Laurel Halo has ever released.
16. Clark- Flame Rave
One of IDM’s best and most influential producers follows up his brilliant self-titled 2014 album with a collection of tracks that span the different sounds he’s had over the years. It doesn’t necessarily bring Clark into new and exciting territory, but what’s here is consistently solid throughout.
15. Ho99o9- Horrors of 1999
I’ve often seen Ho99o9 compared to Death Grips, but aside from both playing noisy hip-hop, they really aren’t all that similar. If anything, Ho99o9 reminds me more of B L A C K I E in the way that they are willing to dive deep into hardcore and avant-garde genres and alienate listeners along the way. On their sophomore EP they shift between noise rock, industrial hip-hop, and hardcore punk, and remain positively insane throughout.
14. Satanique Samba Trio- Mó Bad
The wonderfully named Satanique Samba Trio offer a challenging listen here, but one of that is well worth it for fans of avant-garde music. This double EP is a creative mixture of super lo-fi bossa nova and samba music with free jazz and a bit of noise. The songs are all short, and while I would have loved to have heard some of these ideas fleshed out into longer tracks, keeping the length around 1-2 minutes allows them to pack a ton of interesting experiments into a very manageable run time.
13. Mono & The Ocean- Transcendental
Easily the best split I heard in 2015, legendary Japanese post-rockers Mono and German metal/sludge/prog/hardcore/post-rock band The Ocean each contribute a new and lengthy track to the project. Somewhat surprisingly, I like Mono’s half better, as despite being fairly par for the course in terms of style, their track is one of the most beautiful pieces I’ve heard from them in nearly a decade. The Ocean also stay fairly close to their usual sound, albeit with a bit more of a post-rock emphasis. Their side is solid as well, and the entire EP is very easy to recommend to metal and post-rock fans alike.
12. G.L.O.S.S.- DEMO
It took me a bit of time to warm up to the idea of putting an 8 minute demo on a “top EPs” list, but this blistering punk release from Olympia deserves some recognition. The lyrics deal with queer and trans issues, a topic underrepresented in the punk scene, and the vocals are delivered brutally (in the best way) and passionately over heavy guitars and fast drums. I loved it for as long as it lasts, and I can’t wait to hear how G.L.O.S.S follows this up.
11. Iglooghost- Chinese Nü Yr
Ireland’s Iglooghost throws as many sounds as possible into a blender and comes out with great results. This is a crazy footwork record with wonky stylings, hip-hop beats and samples, and the occasional cheery pop aesthetic for good measure. It’s crazy good fun and at its best when it fully embraces how weird it is.
10. Veldes- Descent
Descent is a great execution of a simple idea. Veldes takes your typical atmospheric black metal, adds a piano, and makes that piano the focal point of the music. It’s so simple and yet I can’t say I’ve heard another artist do it quite like this. The softer parts are simply stunning, and the piano works well along side the metal in the heavier sections. The first track especially makes for a great and wholly original black metal listen.
9. Mai Mai Mai- Petra
Part noise, part drone, and part techno, Mai Mai Mai’s latest EP creates a weird sensation of feeling very slow and very fast at the same time. The opening track is especially noteworthy, as the drone keeps it at a slow and heavy pace and allows the Italian producer to experiment with constant noise manipulation and rhythmic changes. It’s a fascinating release and one of my favorite truly avant-garde projects of 2015.
8. Birds In Row- Personal War
Birds In Row is a heavy band that finds real beauty in some incredibly brutal hardcore punk. Out of all of the bands to sign to Jacob Bannon’s Deathwish Inc., this is the one that most reminds me of Converge. That is to say, they play very heavy music that sounds fully human at the same time. This EP is another triumph for them, even if it doesn’t deviate a ton from their masterful 2013 full length.
7. Tzusing- A Name Out of Place Pt. II
If industrial techno gets funkier than this, please point in that direction as soon as possible. The first half of this EP from Malaysian-born producer Tzusing is as fun a take on industrial music as I’ve heard. The second half veers in a slower and more atmospheric direction, but also ends up with good results.
6. Kuedo- Assertion of a Surrounding Place
It’s been years since Jamie Teasdale has put out music under his Kuedo moniker, but it’s great to have him back. This a wonderful release that somehow finds a way to turn plan flutes and trap drums into gorgeous and challenging atmospheric soundscapes.
5. Thundercat- The Beyond / Where Giants Roam
Between Flying Lotus, Kamasi Washington, and the legendary Herbie Hancock (as well as Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Mono/Poly), there is a ton of star power on Thundercat’s only solo release of 2015. It’s excruciatingly short and leaves me wishing it was a full length after every listen, but what’s here is a gorgeous and spaced-out blend of soul, funk, jazz, electronic, and R&B. The single “Them Changes” stands out as a “song of the year” contender for me.
4. Metá Metá- s/t
Juçara Marçal, the lead vocalist of Brazil’s Metá Metá, has been on some sort of roll in recent years. Metá Metá’s 2012 record MetáL MetáL was nothing short of masterful, and Marçal’s solo album last year was another fantastic genre-bending record. Now she returns with Metá Metá in 2015 and contributes to a short but incredibly sweet EP. As crazy as a mix of samba, alternative/hard rock, and free jazz sounds on paper, Metá Metá’s biggest achievement is not so much wind up with a one-of-a-kind experimental sound, but more that sound is actually fairly accessible.
3. Mura Masa- Someday Somewhere
Listening to Mura Masa’s Someday Somewhere has that feeling of hearing something that is on the cusp of being the next big thing. This 19-year-old producer from England is already crafting beautiful and creative atmospheric trap beats with a ton of variation from one song to the next. Nao, Denai Moore, and Jay Prince are featured as guest vocalists, and the beats on each of their tracks wraps around their respective deliveries in very different ways. I fully admit that trap usually isn’t my favorite style of electronic music, but this EP really blew me away. With trap being such a popular genre right now it’s hard to imagine a producer as talented as Mura Masa staying in the underground for much longer.
2. Open Mike Eagle- A Special Episode Of
I loved Open Mike Eagle’s 2014 album Dark Comedy, and this is an equally fantastic companion to that record. It continues the “stand-up comedy special” theme that worked beautifully on the last album, with audience claps, cheering, and other stage sounds expertly woven into the beats. Lyrically, it’s far from a comedy record, although Open Mike Eagle is a very clever lyricist with some humorous wordplay. Still, it gives off the vibe of an artist standing alone on stage, sharing their thoughts with an audience. It’s dark, funny, and thought-provoking all at the same time, and features some truly excellent production. At the very least, check it out for its Legend of Zelda samples.
1. FKA Twigs- M3LL155X
FKA Twigs has quickly become one of my favorite artists in contemporary music. Her M33LL155X EP brings her to new heights in terms of vocals, production, and songwriting, and the decision to place it at the top of this list was a pretty easy one for me. First and foremost, the production on this EP is absolutely sensational. It runs the gamut of electronic and R&B styles, and creates a tense and constantly evolving mood that meshes perfectly with Twigs’ vocals. Those vocals, by the way, are something special. It’s not just that FKA Twigs has a great voice, but more that she knows how to perform with it. There’s a wide range of emotional depth in her delivery and a great deal of subtlety in how she navigates the music around her. Even at a run time of just under 20 minutes, this EP feels like a major project. There’s just so much to attention to detail in every aspect of the music, and it’s unlike anything else out there right now.
Other cool EPs from 2015 (Honorable Mentions I guess):
Aesop Rock & Homebody Sandman- Lice
The Besnard Lakes- The Golden Lion
Blondes- Persuasion
Daze- Neuromance
Moodie Black- MB I I
Morodh- Posthuman
Vilkduja- Insomnia
Sounds of the Night 