Top 10 EPs of 2018
I hold the extended play in high regard. Short, to-the-point musical artworks that are perfect for my attention-deficit rattled brain. That’s enough for an introduction.
10) Four Pieces for Mirai by James Ferraro
A tense, orchestral journey, full of angelic piano and reverb. Electronic producer/multi-instrumentalist, James Ferraro crafts 6 pieces (including the intro and outro) of cohesive soundscapes, mastering a blend of electronic and live instrumentation. Conceptually, the project is a statement on the decline of organic humanity in the information age. The juxtaposition of trance-inducing synths and MIDI piano breakdowns, with sporadic explosions of harsh, glitchy static results in an fresh, modern, ascendant musical experience, with respect for classical tradition and techniques. This EP invokes a desolate sense of abandonment, while anesthetizing the fear with harmonic blankets of wonder.
9) Cruel Practice by Shygirl
Shygirl, the South London UK bass producer and singer explodes on the electronic scene with this short but ecstatic, sensual EP. At only 13 minutes, Shygirl uses as little as possible to convey enormous clout. With each burst of a song, she oozes confidence, with her monotone, slick, reverby voice. As an artist, Shygirl walks in with an attractive charisma; she doesn’t need to say much to convey her desires. She sizes up both her competition and potential one-night stands, industrial bass and synths clash, with afro-beat and dance-hall vibrations. Its a quick plunge into a sex-filled pool of rave-produced serotonin.
8) On the Rvn by Young Thug
On the Rvn, Thugger’s legal issues have never so eloquently been translated into music. Thug finished the album as severe felony drug charges were issued; the EP was released after he turned himself in. While adhering to a classic trap formula, there is a large amount sonic distinction between songs to create a varied yet enjoyable 20 minutes. The use of acoustic guitar, now a prominent Young Thug instrument, compliments the bass heavy, booming production (the majority handled by London on tha Track). Lyrically, Thugga provides his classic freestyle flow, while spraying his most varied lyrical topics to date; he raps about his fear of prison, and “stocking up on the Seroquel” (a sleep-inducing psychiatric medication) before turning himself in. Or, he can be incredibly funny, with bars like “my bitch is a Virgo but she acting like a Pisces”. The final track, with an Elton John sample, is a brightly mixed welding of classic rock and trap, complimented by Thug’s loud harmonies. Must hear for any trap fan.
7) Bread by the Alchemist
At only four tracks,(not including the instrumental versions), is a minor appetizer of the Alchemist’s legendary production ability. Responsible for one of my Top Ten albums of 2018, Fetti, the Alchemist consistently crafts sonic Jackson Pollacks, with organized splatters of jazzy samples and his own stellar piano and drum work. The rappers featured are all masters of intricately layered, enthralling, grimy East Coast revivalism. Westside Gunn and Conway bring their cold, frozen Buffalo drug-lord sharpness, with bars that skate along Alc’s beats. Roc Marciano and Black Thought compose bars woven with pure self-respect, as their rhyme schemes condense with the swinging beat. The final track, “E.Coli”, featuring Earl Sweatshirt is a gorgeous contradiction. A dramatic, joyful vocal sample which contrasts Earl’s harsh, disdainful voice. The Alchemist continues to craft beats that defy expectation.
6) My Dear Melancholy, by The Weeknd
Since the Trilogy mixtapes, the Weeknd has both beamed himself to pop super-stardom, and surfed his own moody wave throughout the R&B genre. After Starboy, I truly believed the Weeknd had completely left his original nocturnal internet angst in the past. After this surprise “official studio recording”, my hopes have been re-ignited. On this EP, he is fucking back. Back with the drugged-out, ghostly vocals, and depressing production that absolutely slaps. Abel and his team, which includes Gesaffelstein, Frank Dukes, and the meme himself, Skrillex, craft a short journey into all-consuming heartbreak. Tesfaye’s fuckboy demeanor gives just enough character to each song, as the listener empathizes in his hedonism, like on “Wasted Times”, which features a lovely, almost dancehall-like vibe. This project is a fantastic classic sound comeback.
5) Clear Tamei by iglooghost
The brighter twin of the two EPs Irish electronic drummer iglooghost released this year; 20 minutes of glorious wonky beauty. This hyperfast “IDM” inspired music is not only a rush of colorful, ever-moving river of sound; it is a concept EP as well, intertwined with a musical universe of iglooghost characters. The little guy on the album art (that is the iglooghost) is featured in the title track’s music video, easily one of my favorite music videos of all time. A listener cannot predict a single aspect of Clear Tamei’s endless waterfall of snares and glitchy bass. Describing a single song is impossible, as instrumental detours are borderline excessive, constantly audio panning and engulfing the listener. It is as if glass marbles of various sizes are raining down upon you. There is no set pace other then light-speed.
4) What Happens When I Try to Relax by Open Mike Eagle
Chicago MC Open Mike Eagle knows his mentally anguished millennial audience more than he knows himself. On this momentary glimpse into his mind, OME’s conscious pours out gallons of angst onto six soulful, shiny tracks. A mosaic of anxiety is created on songs like “Every Single Thing” and “Microfiche”, as OME relents in his discomfort over his own unexplained discomfort. Tender and detail images of mental uncertainty and intrusive thoughts are painted eloquently, without feeling sappy. “Southside Eagle” provides a sunny West-coast/Chicago hip-hop fusion, with a thick, simple, sugary beat. Open Mike Eagle continues to craft fluid, organic art, surrounded by an aura of bittersweet desperation and esoteric beauty.
3) Collapse EP by Aphex Twin
A man who revolutionized the electronic genre through his 25+ year career, Richard D. James, better known as Aphex Twin, is a maestro of composition. And in 2018, his mastery is more refined, precise, and exhilarating. Collapse EP is an indescribable 808 universe. This project is like swimming through a sea of electrified snares and kicks. Each track is swarm of glitchy MIDI piano arpeggios, intense drum-rolls, and transcending clarity. The production is plasma. This extended play is an extended dream state; it is impossible to recall every detail, yet impossible to forget the experience.
2) Steel Mogu by iglooghost
Steel Mogu is the darker, unsettling twin of Clear Tamei. If Clear Tamei felt like raining marbles, this is raining steel. It is as if a junkyard has come alive, and mastered the launchpad. Super precise, industrial snares cascade in a swirl of mathematical software. Coded with trappy, infectious energy, Steel Mogu is in the same vein as Collapse EP: a crazy ocean of techno, industrial, IDM. Like a chimera of Aphex Twin, Just Blaze and Death Grips, iglooghost programs a numbing ode to the MPC, with rising and falling cacophony of sound. A pure dopamine geyser, a serotonin water balloon, a euphoric massage of the listener’s neural synapses.
1) Streams of Thought Vol.1 and 2 by Black Thought and 9th Wonder/Salaam Remi
A booming tank, Black Thought rumbles back onto the battlefield, with no rust to speak of. Known primarily as the centerpiece MC of legendary Philly hip-hop outfit, the Roots, Black Thought turned on the cerebral fire hose. Black Thought’s flow is torrential. Black Thought’s originality is unmatched. Black Thought’s delivery is masterful. Two projects of molten steel bars, poured across a bed of chopped, icy, boom-bap beats. An philosophical injection of intelligence accompanies every surgically created line. A renaissance rapper, Thought interdisciplinary knowledge of history, geography, literature, science, and sociology is beyond impressive. His cadence, however, is a slam poet with the tone a sledge hammer. The tenacity of these EPs, the sheer bad-assery. It’s intoxicating, academic, wise and magnetized with satisfaction, across both projects.
