Top 5 Albums Of The Year : Last Days

This is the first in a series, where I have asked , a select few musicians, what each of them think is THE release of 2006. First up, is n5md artist Last Days, who mesmerised us all with his serene "Sea" album back in September.
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5 Ass - s/t (headspin recordings)

"I spotted this oddly named artist in on the myspace friend list belonging to swedish trio 'tape' early this year. Only recently did an album appear. It turns out that Andreas Söderström the solo artist responsible often plays with tape live in their native Stockholm along with him many other projects. Witnessing a live performance sealed his fate in my top 5. His style of minimal, monotonous acoustica mixed with standard pop melodies make this an easier listening experience than tape".


4 Songs Of Green Pheasant -"Aerial Days" (fat cat)

"Duncan Sumpner's debut seemed to make it to a few end of year lists in 2005 including my own. 'Aerial Days' i fear, won't. Not because he's lost his touch, the tunes on here are stunning, easily as good as anything on the first album. The production remains the same too, just him sat in his kitchen with plenty of hiss emanating from his 4 track recorder. My problem is not with the sound, it's with the length of the album. 36 minutes to be exact including one 5 minute cover. In short, it's superb, but perhaps it should be called an e.p.?"


3 Julian Fane - "Our New Quarters" (planet mu)

"Anyone who was a bit dismayed at 'special forces' unfinished quality will be happier with 'out new quarters'. This offering is fuller and sounds more complete. Loud electronics and loud guitars sounding violent at times but the mood shifts so frequently making this album a bit of an epic. The first album of the year i got really excited about."




2 Yasushi Yoshida - "Secrect Figure" (noble)

"When i read this Japanese artist had worked with Piana, i had to investigate. Slightly too sweet at times but the rest is heartbreaking. Mainly driven by a strings and piano there's frequent abstract electronic added to the mix making this a haunting soundtrack to film yet to be made."




1 Jóhann Jóhannsson - "ibm 1401, a user's manual" (4ad)

No album this year has moved me as much as this. Spine tingles, distraction and being close to tears are the side effects of this stunning piece of work. Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson and member of Apparat Organ Quartet was inspired to record this orchestral album when he found cassette manuals of an ibm 1401 computer which his father used to operate in the 60's. The result transports you straight to the attic looking through forgotten boxes at forgotten photos. All the 5 long tracks on here are amazing but it's the final track which is certainly one of the most impressive pieces of music i've heard in recent years.