Listen to The Wire’s Top 50 releases of 2018

December 2018

The Wire's top 50 releases in the year of the dog and the rooster. Illustration by Jean Jullien — *The Wire*'s top 50 releases in the year of the dog and the rooster. Illustration by Jean Jullien

Stream tracks from The Wire's top releases of the year. Full details of all our end of year charts can be found in The Wire 419

Sons Of Kemet “My Queen Is Doreen Lawrence”	0:06:46
Zuli “He's Hearing Voices”	0:03:20
Ben LaMar Gay “Muhal”	0:03:43
JPEGMAFIA “Whole Foods”	0:02:04
Sarah Davachi “Garlands”	0:02:54
Senyawa “Kebaikan Tumbuh Dari Tanah (Goodness Grows Off Soil)”	0:04:29
Autechre “Clustro Casual”	0:11:03
Low “Always Trying To Work It Out”	0:03:56
Jerusalem In My Heart “Thahab, Mish Roujou', Thahab”	0:03:59
Julia Holter “Underneath The Moon”	0:06:49
Eli Keszler “Flying Floor For US Airways”	0:03:53
Proc Fiskal “Kontinuance”	0:04:27
Oneohtrix Point Never “The Station”	0:04:19
Tyshawn Sorey “Part II”	1:15:02
Lea Bertucci “At Dawn”	0:05:40
Pusha-T “If You Know You Know”	0:03:22
Eartheater “Peripheral”	0:03:04
Nordra “The Mass”	0:04:04
Tirzah “Basic Need”	0:03:20
Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt “Bargain Sounds”	0:00:38
Dedekind Cut “Virtues”	0:04:28
Jean Grae & Quelle Chris “Gold Purple Orange”	0:05:00
Hannah Silva “Writing To Someone Else's Music”	0:04:59
Kate NV “Oak”	0:04:00
Josephine Foster “The Virgin Of The Snow”	0:06:38
Agnarkea “Phalaris Staggers”	0:02:12
Hailu Mergia “Lala Belu”	0:04:42
Jim O'Rourke “Sleep Like It's Winter”	0:44:21
Anne Guthrie “Glass”	0:09:34
Eiko Ishibashi “Prologue: Hands On The Mouth”	0:05:14
Laurel Halo “Quietude”	0:02:32
Cucina Povera “Kuparirumpu”	0:04:57
Kamaal Williams “Broken Theme”	0:04:26
Vessel “Arcanum (For Christalla)”	0:02:59
Embassador Dulgoon “Tabernacles Abandoned”	0:02:53
Noname “Blaxploitation”	0:02:13
Jlin “The Abyss Of Doubt”	0:03:34
Grouper “Birthday Song”	0:03:22
Helena Hauff “btdr-revisited”	0:03:29
Nkisi “Darknoise”	0:03:18
Gazelle Twin “Better In My Day”	0:02:50
Gaye Su Akyol “Hemserim Memleket Nire”	0:04:50
Jon Hassell “Manga Scene”	0:05:44
Ipek Gorgun “Neroli”	0:06:23
Park Jiha “Throughout The Night”	0:04:56
Musarc/Neil Luck “Bloody Sirens”	0:11:19
Yves Tumor “Licking An Orchid featuring James K”	0:04:38

The Wire’s 50 Releases of the Year

1
Sons Of Kemet
Your Queen Is A Reptile
(Impulse!)

2
Zuli
Terminal
(UIQ)

3
Ben LaMar Gay
Downtown Castles Can Never Block The Sun
(International Anthem)

4
Guttersnipe
My Mother The Vent
(Upset The Rhythm)

5
JPEGMAFIA
Veteran
(Deathbomb Arc)

6
Sarah Davachi
Let Night Come On Bells End The Day
(Recital)

7
Senyawa
Sujud
(Sublime Frequencies)

8
Autechre
NTS Sessions 1–4
(Warp)

9
Body/Head
The Switch
(Matador)

10
Low
Double Negative
(Sub Pop)

11
Jerusalem In My Heart
Daqa’iq Tudaiq
(Constellation)

12
Julia Holter
Aviary
(Domino)

13
Eli Keszler
Stadium
(Shelter Press)

14
Proc Fiskal
Insula
(Hyperdub)

15
Oneohtrix Point Never
Age Of
(Warp)

16
Tyshawn Sorey
Pillars
(Firehouse 12)

17
Lea Bertucci
Metal Aether
(NNA Tapes)

18
Pusha-T
Daytona
(GOOD Music)

19
Eartheater
IRISIRI
(Pan)

20
Nordra
Pylon II
(SIGE)

21
Tirzah
Devotion
(Domino)

22
Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt
Brace Up!
(Palilalia)

23
Dedekind Cut
Tahoe
(Kranky)

24
Jean Grae & Quelle Chris
Everything’s Fine
(Mello Music Group)

25
Hannah Silva
Talk In A Bit
(Human Kind)

26
Kate NV
для FOR
(RVNG Intl)

27
Josephine Foster
Faithful Fairy Harmony
(Fire)

28
Agnarkea
Black Helicopters
(Natural Sciences)

29
Hailu Mergia
Lala Belu
(Awesome Tapes From Africa)

30
Jim O’Rourke
Sleep Like It’s Winter
(Newhere Music)

31
Anne Guthrie
Brass Orchids
(Students Of Decay)

32
Eiko Ishibashi
The Dream My Bones Dream
(Drag City)

33
Laurel Halo
Raw Silk Uncut Wood
(Latency)

34
Cucina Povera
Hilja
(Night School)

35
Kamaal Williams
The Return
(Black Focus)

36
Vessel
Queen Of Golden Dogs
(Tri Angle)

37
Embassador Dulgoon
Hydrorian Remnants
(Psychic Sounds)

38
Noname
Room 25
(No label)

39
Jlin
Autobiography
(Planet Mu)

40
Grouper
Grid Of Points
(Kranky)

41
Yo La Tengo
There’s A Riot Going On
(Matador)

42
Helena Hauff
Qualm
(Ninja Tune)

43
Nkisi
The Dark Orchestra
(Arcola)

44
Gazelle Twin
Pastoral
(Anti-Ghost Moon Ray)

45
Gaye Su Akyol
Istikrarli Hayal Hakikattir
(Glitterbeat)

46
Jon Hassell
Listening To Pictures (Pentimento Volume One)
(Ndeya)

47
Ipek Gorgun
Ecce Homo
(Touch)

48
Park Jiha
Communion
(tak:til/Glitterbeat)

49
Musarc/Neil Luck
Bloody Sirens
(Entr’acte)

50
Yves Tumor
Safe In The Hands Of Love
(Warp)

Read the full annotated releases of the year chart, plus critic's and artist's reflections, columnists' charts, the archive releases of the year chart, and more in the 2018 Rewind issue. Subscribers can access the digital edition via the online archive.

Comments

I hate the sort of comment I'm about to make, but I'm surprised to not see Current 93's "The Light Is Leaving Us All" on the best 2018. Amazed by this album, falling deeper and deeper into it.

James

21|12|2018

Please, do not start the Why-is-not-X-on-the-list-? thing. It is tiring. Lists are for you to find out about new music and not a final statement about anything. Saying "thank yo" would be more fitting.

Xavi

22|12|2018

Hello

Surprised not to see Fire!, Blaine Reininger, Exploded View and Pram in the list of the top 2018 releases.

Some of the records that made the Wire TOP 50 are a bit overrated in my view.

Take Autechre for instance, is it fair to include the artist only for the past glories?

Happy 2019 and best of luck!

Alex

31|12|2018

Thank-you Xavi for your appropriate comment and more importantly thank-you Wire for compiling an EOY list that provides a simple means to access what is an overwhelming array of fine music that constantly comes the way of us humble fans.

Alistair

09|01|2019

Isn't that Kate NV track on Binasu from 2016?! ;)

11|01|2019

Thank you!

Nino Blanc

04|06|2019

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