A Year in Music | 2022
Lists are often approached with a certain sense of cynicism and for good reason—things are left out, biases are exposed, varying pressures assumed. For me, list making has always been a way in which to understand my vantage point within a complex media landscape and as a way to take in and appreciate each year as it goes by with intention. It’s also a very effective way to account for the obsessive amount of music I take in each year. As a graphic designer a lot of my time is spent at the computer and during that time I am usually listening to music. The lists that follow are albums that came out in 2022 that I spent the most time with, enjoyed the most, and/or thought were the most compelling/groundbreaking. The albums in these lists are considered to be personal favorites, as opposed to what I think is the best. There’s nothing definitive here. I try not to repeat any artist in order to include more variety. I don’t use streaming services. The links for these albums will go directly to their Bandcamp pages. If the artist doesn’t have a Bandcamp page, you can search for the music yourself. I hope you enjoy!
50 ALBUMS |10 SONGS | YEAR END MIXES | SOUNDTRACKS | ETC
50 ALBUMS
1.
Destroyer
LABYRINTHITIS
Merge
2.
Burial
ANTIDAWN / Streetlands
Hyperdub
3.
Charli XCX
Crash
Asylum
4.
billy woods
Aethiopes/Church
Backwoodz Studioz
5.
Soul Glo
Diaspora Problems
Epitaph
6.
Black Country, New Road
Ants From Up There
Ninja Tune
7.
Rosalía
MOTOMAMI
Columbia
8.
Big Thief
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe
in You
4AD
9.
Beach House
Once Twice Melody
Sub Pop
10.
Axel Boman
LUZ/Quest for fire
Studio Barnhus
11.
The Smile
A Light for Attracting Attention
XL
12.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Ice, Death, Plants, Lungs, Mushrooms, and Lava
KGLW
13.
Jenny Hval
Classic Objects
4AD
14.
Spiritualized
Everything Was Beautiful
Fat Possum
15.
Earl Sweatshirt
SICK!
Tan Cressida
16.
soccer mommy
Sometimes, Forever
Loma Vista
17.
Blut Aus Nord
Disharmonium: Undreamable Abysses
Debemur Morti
18.
City of Caterpillar
Mystic Sisters
Relapse
19.
Shygirl
Nymph
Because Music
20.
Sumac & Keiji Hano
Into this juvenile apocalypse our golden blood to pour let us never
Thrill Jockey
21.
Oren Ambarchi
Shebang
Drag City
22.
Kendrick Lamar
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
PGLang/TDE
23.
Gospel
The Loser
Dog Knight Productions
24.
Animal Collective
Time Skiffs
Domino
25.
The Weeknd
Dawn FM
XO
26.
Fontaines D.C.
Skinty Fia
Loma Vista
27.
Beyoncé
Renaissance
Columbia
28.
black midi
Hellfire
Rough Trade
29.
Moin
Paste
AD 93
30.
Oneida
Success
Thrill Jockey
31.
My Heart, an Inverted Flame
A Collection of Essays, Attempting to… vol. 1–13
self-released
32.
Angel Olsen
Big Time
Jagjaguwar
33.
Moth Cock
Whipped Stream and Other Earthly Delights
Hausu Mountain
34.
Perfume Genius
Ugly Season
Matador
35.
Omertà
Collection Particulière
Zamzam Records
36.
Sharon Van Etten
We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong
Jagjaguwar
37.
Jockstrap
I Love You Jennifer B
Rough Trade
38.
Daphni
Cherry
Jiaolong
39.
FKA Twigs
Caprisongs
Atlantic
40.
Ben Seretan
sandhills music
self-released
41.
caroline
caroline
Rough Trade
42.
Fatboi Sharif x noface
Preaching in Havana
PTP
43.
Chat Pile
God’s Country
Flenser Records
44.
Duster
Together
Numero Group
45.
Bríi
Corpos Transparentes
Mospharic
46.
GENG PTP
Slowness as the Vehicle IV / Portishead Forever
PTP
47.
Björk
fossora
One Little Independent
48.
The Mountain Goats
Bleed Out
Merge
49.
Boris
W / fade
Sacred Bones/Fangs Anal Satan
50.
Danger Mouse & Black Thought
Cheat Codes
BMG
10 SONGS
1.
KH
”Looking at Your Pager
© Text Records
2.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
”The Dripping Tap”
© KGLW
3.
Rosalía
”HENTAI”
© Columbia
4.
Soul Glo
”Gold Chain Punk (whogonbeatmyass?)”
© Epitaph
5.
Destroyer
”June”
© Merge
6.
The Smile
”Free in the Knowledge”
© XL
7.
Fred Again..
”Jungle”
© Atlantic
8.
Charli XCX
”Hot Girl”
© A24
9.
Paramore
”This is Why”
© Atlantic
10.
TVOD
”Alien”
© self-released
YEAR END MIXES
0:00:00 - The Smile “The Same”
0:04:15 - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard “The Dripping Tap”
0:22:20 - Spiritualized “Best Thing You Never Had (The D Song)”
0:27:59 - Panda Bear & Sonic Boom “Edge of the Edge”
0:32:34 - Moth Cock “Finn McCool”
0:38:29 - Viagra Boys “Toglodyte”
0:41:49 - TVOD “Goldfish”
0:45:07 - LCD Soundsystem “New Body Rhumba”
0:52:13 - Destroyer “Somnambulist Blues” [f- Sandro Perri]
0:58:31 - Jenny Hval “Freedom”
1:00:37 - Alvvays “Belinda Says”
1:03:20 - Oso Oso “computer exploder”
1:06:35 - Oneida “Beat Me to Punch”
1:11:37 - soccer mommy “Following Eyes”
1:15:34 - Empath “Bell”
1:18:38 - Animal Collective “Royal and Desire”
1:24:22 - Angel Olsen “Through the Fires”
1:28:41 - Beach House “Modern Love Stories”
1:33:32 - Fontaines D.C. “Nabokov”
1:38:39 - Sharon Van Etten “Born”
2022 Year End Summations, Pt. 1
Through the Fires
0:00:00 - yeule “My Name is Nat Cmiel”
0:02:48 - Burial “Streetlands”
0:16:55 - Björk “Victimhood”
0:23:47 - Lingua Ignota “KATIE CRUEL [trad.]”
0:28:48 - Destroyer “The States”
0:34:20 - Rachika Nayar “Heaven Comes Crashing”
0:39:42 - Goat “Do the Dance”
0:42:51 - Plains “Problem With it”
0:46:21 - Big Thief “Simulation Swarm”
0:50:21 - Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling & Andreas Werliin “VI”
0:54:36 - caroline “Engine (eavesdropping)”
1:00:18 - Horse Lords “May Brigade”
1:06:51 - black midi “27 Questions”
1:12:31 - Son Lux “Your Day Will Come (Empathy Fight)”
1:15:31 - Sonic Youth “Machine”
1:19:08 - Duster “Making Room”
1:22:45 - Ben Seretan “pedal steel warping in the mph” [snippet]
1:27:55 - Richard Dawson “Museum”
1:36:00 - Black Country, New Road “The Place Where He Inserted the Blade”
1:43:06 - The Mountain Goats “Bleed Out”
2022 Year End Summations, Pt. 2
Your Day Will Come
0:00:00 - Gospel “White Spaces”
0:03:17 - Soul Glo “John J” [f- Kathryn Edwards & Zula Wildheart]
0:07:46 - Fatboi Sharif x noface “Static Vision”
0:09:44 - Warthog “Digital Tumor”
0:13:55 - Blut Aus Nord “Grotesque Visions”
0:19:36 - Krallice “Dismal Entity”
0:26:05 - Cave In “Amaranthine”
0:30:29 - Fucked Up “Mashhit”
0:36:22 - Boris “The Fallen”
0:40:46 - Moin “Sink”
0:46:09 - Oxbow & Peter Brötzmann “Skin (live)”
0:54:40 - Keiji Haino & Sumac “When logic rises morality falls Logic and morality in Japanese are but one character different”
1:06:45 - Osees “Sacrifice”
1:07:44 - Gilla Band “Bin Liner Fashion”
1:10:01 - Deaf Club “Wide Lawn, Narrow Mind”
1:12:01 - Sawtooth Grin “Niagara Falls, Frankie Angel”
1:15:31 - The Lord & David Pajo “Nazarite”
1:22:05 - City of Caterpillar “Mystic Sisters”
1:29:00 - My Heart, An Inverted Flame “||\||||\|||||”
1:34:27 - Chat Pile “grimace_smoking_weed.jpg”
2022 Year End Summations, Pt. 3
Grotesque Visions
0:00:00 - GENG PTP “(donald byrd)”
0:05:50 - Kendrick Lamar “The Heart, Part V” [prod. Beach Noise & Bekon]
0:11:20 - Pusha T “Neck & Wrist” [f- JAY-Z & Pharrell Williams, prod. Pharrell Williams]
0:14:48 - Cardi B “Hot Shit” [f- Kanye West & Lil Durk, prod. Tay Keith]
0:18:17 - Ice Spice “Munch (Feelin’ U)”
0:19:59 - Earl Sweatshirt “Lobby (int)” [prod. Samiyam]
0:21:11 - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard x DJ Shadow “Black Hot Soup (“my Own Reality” Re-Write)"
0:24:45 - Shygirl “Shlut” [f- Cosha & Sega Bodega]
0:26:57 - FKA Twigs “Papi Bones” [f- Shygirl, prod. El Guincho, Fakeguido, Coffer, Koreless & Sega Bodega]
0:30:35 - Rosalía “SAOKO”
0:32:52 - Bad Bunny “Tití Me Preguntó” [prod. MAG & La Paciencia]
0:36:50 - Perfume Genius “Photograph”
0:41:21 - Omertà “Air instrumental”
0:43:09 - Fatboi Sharif x noface “Nazi Needle Marks”
0:45:35 - billy woods & Preservation “No Hard Feelings”
0:47:45 - ELUCID “Ghoulie” [prod. Lasso]
0:50:49 - Quelle Chris “The Sky is Blue Because the Sunset is Red”[f- Moruf & Pink Siifu, prod. Chris Keys & Quelle Chris]
0:56:28 - yaya bey “reprise”
1:00:53 - DOMi & JD BECK “Smile”
1:04:02 - Steve Lacy “Bad Habit”
1:07:53 - Jeff Phelps “Super Lady”
1:11:11 - Special Interest “Midnight Legend” [f- Mykki Blanco]
1:14:28 - Sudan Archives “Home Maker”
1:19:29 - SZA “Shirt” [prod. Darkchild]
1:22:28 - billy woods & Preservation “Versailles” [f- Despot]
1:25:33 - Vince Staples “AYE! (FREE THE HOMIES)” [prod. LeKen Taylor]
1:28:35 - Jockstrap “Concrete Over Water”
1:34:44 - Danger Mouse & Black Thought “Belize” [f- MF Doom]
1:38:35 - Kendrick Lamar “Mirror” [f- Kodak Black & Bekon, prod. Sounwave, DJ Dahi, The Donuts, Balmoris & Maxey]
2022 Year End Summations, Pt. 4
Concrete Over Water
0:00:00 - Cristobal Tapia de Veer “Renaissance (Main Title Theme) (Extended)”
0:04:12 - Hagop Tchaparian “Round (Four Tet remix)”
0:10:11 - Fred again.. “Danielle (smile on my face)”
0:13:28 - Honey Dijon “Don’t Be Afraid” [f- Latashá]
0:17:33 - Beyoncé “Alien Superstar” [prod. Honey Dijon, Chris Penny, Solomon, Nova Wav & The-Dream]
0:21:07 - The Weeknd “Gasoline” [prod. Oneohtrix Point Never]
0:24:37 - Tiësto “Hot in it” [f- Charli XCX]
0:26:41 - Jamie xx “LET’S DO IT AGAIN”
0:30:26 - Floating Points “Problems”
0:34:54 - Daphni “Take Two”
0:38:07 - Nick León “Xtasis” [f- DJ Babtr]
0:42:36 - Rhyw “Honey Badger”
0:49:26 - Rosalía “CANDY”
0:52:39 - Shygirl “Nike” [prod. Oscar Scheller]
0:54:46 - Salamanda “Rumble Bumble”
0:57:45 - Axel Boman “Nowhere Good” [f- Bella Boo]
1:03:03 - Charli XCX “Lightning” [prod. Ariel Rechtshaid]
1:06:53 - Sally C “Downtown”
1:12:06 - Ahadadream “Spaceship”
1:16:00 - Chloé Robinson + DJ ADHD “Pax (Four Tet Remix)”
1:20:50 - Joy Orbison & Overmono “Blind Date” [f- ABRA]
1:24:55 - Joy Orbison “pinky ring”
1:29:31 - Galcher Lustwerk “In the Place”
1:36:01 - Disasterpiece “Bee Bee Bee”
1:38:16 - FKA Twigs “Thank You Song” [prod. Arca]
1:41:38 - Charli XCX “Twice” [prod. Lotus IV]
2022 Year End Summations, Pt. 5
Invitation to “The Party”
SOUNDTRACKS
Disasterpeace + VA
Bodies Bodies Bodies
A24 Music
Eiko Ishibashi
Drive My Car
Newhere Music
Son Lux + VA
Everything Everywhere All
at Once
A24 Music
Dan Deacon
Hustle
Netflix
Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow
Men
A24 Music
Michael Abels + VA
NOPE
Back Lot Music
Robin Carolan & Sebastian Gainsborough
The Northman
Back Lot Music
Theodore Shapiro
Severance: Season 1
Mondo
Tyler Bates & Timothy Williams
X / Pearl
A24 Music
VA
Summer of Soul (or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Legacy
COMPILATIONS, LIVE ALBUMS, REISSUES, REMIX ALBUMS
Anna Von Hausswolff Live at Montreux Jazz Festival [Southern Lord]
The Beatles Revolver [Super Deluxe Edition] [Capitol]
Beirut Artifacts [Pompeii Records]
Blondie Against the Odds: 1974–1982 [Numero Group]*
Bridget St. John From There / To Here: UK / US Recordings 1974–1982 [Cherry Red]
Broken Social Scene Live at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, 2003 [Arts & Crafts]
Can Live in Cuxhaven 1976 [Spoon Records]
The Chemical Brothers Dig Your Own Hole [25th Anniversary Edition] [Freestyle Dust]
Daft Punk Homework [25th Anniversary Edition] [Daft Life Ltd.]
Galcher Lustwerk 100% GALCHER [2022 Remaster] [Blowing up the Workshop]
Godspeed You! Black Emperor all lights fucked on the hairy amp drooling [Constellation]
Iceage Shake the Feeling: Outtakes & Rarities 2015–2021 [Mexican Summer]
Jazmine Sullivan Heaux Tales, Mo' Tales: The Deluxe [RCA]
Jeff Phelps Magnetic Eyes [2022 Remaster] [Numero Group]
John Coltrane Chasin' Another Trane... Live at The Village Vanguard [Moochin’ About]
Joni Mitchell The Asylum Albums (1972–1975) [Rhino/Asylum]
Karate Time Expired [Numero Group]
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Butterfly 3001 [self-released]
Laraaji Ocean [Numero Group]
Lou Reed Words & Music, May 1965 [Light in the Attic]
Miles Davis The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: That's What Happened 1982–1985 [Columbia]
The Mountain Goats The Jordan Lake Sessions: Volume 5 [Merge]
Nmesh Illuminasia [2022 Remaster] [self-released]
Nmesh Reconfigurations: Volume 02 (2011-2014) [self-released]
Nmesh Further Regions: 20 Years of Exploration [self-released]
Orbital Thirty-Something [Orbital Recordings Ltd.]
Oxbow & Peter Brötzmann An Eternal Reminder of Not Today: Live at Moers [SIGE]*
Paul McCartney The 7” Singles [Capital]
Pavement Terror Twilight: Farewell Horizontal [Matador]*
PJ Harvey B-Sides, Demos, and Rarities [Island]
The Residents Warning: UNiNC.: Live and Experimental Recordings 1971-1972 [New Ralph Too]
Sonic Youth In/Out/In [Three Lobed Recordings]
Stereolab Switched On, Vol. 5: Pulse of the Early Brain [Warp]
Suicide Surrender: A Collection [Mute]*
Tall Dwarfs Unravelled: 1981ˆ2002 [Merge]
These Arms Are Snakes Duct Tape & Shivering Crows [Suicide Squeeze]
Wadada Leo Smith The Emerald Duets [TUM]
Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot [Super Deluxe Edition] [Nonesuch]
VA Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs present... Fell from the Sun: Downtempo and After Hours 1990–91 [Ace]
VA Disco Reggae Rockers [Soul Jazz]
VA Earl's Closet: The Lost Archive of Earl Mcgrath, 1970–1980 [Light in the Attic]
VA Eat Your Own Ears Recordings EP 1–2 [Eat Your Own Ears]
VA Eccentric Soul: The Shiptown Label [Numero Group]
VA Forager Records: Vacation From My Mind [Forager Records]*
VA Ghoul's Paradise presents... Cemetary Stomp [WFMU]
VA Good Music to Ensure Safe Abortion Access to All [Self-released]
VA Here it is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen [Blue Note]
VA Life Moves Pretty Fast: The John Hughes Mixtapes [Hughes Music]
VA Mello Music Group: Mandala [Mello Music Group]
VA Put the Needle on... The History of Hip-Hop [WFMU]
VA Sacred Bones Records: Todo Muere SBXV [Sacred Bones]
VA Songs of Townes Van Zandt, Vol. III [Neurot Recordings]
VA Studio One Music Lab [Soul Jazz]
VA Stars Rock Kill (Rock Stars) [Kill Rock Stars]
VA Valley of the Sun: Field Guide to Inner Harmony [Numero Group]
VA Would it Sound Just as Bad if You Played it Backwards: A Collection of Sounds from the Studio Eksperymentalne Polskiego Radia (1959-2001) Vol. I [Other People]
Tools used
digital
Adobe Photoshop
Apple Pages
Apple Music app
Bandcamp
Soundcloud