Compulsory exercise for any magazine, the best of the year listing is often controversial, and always subject to agitated and passionate discussions, everyone wishing to place their favourite records as near the top as possible. It is no different at themilkfactory, and after numerous fights, we’ve finally managed once again to agree on our definitive best of the year. Here it is…

1. MURCOF Martes
BAY23CD - The Leaf Label

When this album landed on one of our desks, nothing could have prepared us to the scale of this project and its impact on our lives. This album has virtually hijacked our lives.
What we said then 05'02
Martes mixes arid micro beats and electronic noises with beautiful atmospheric soundscapes to create a unique piece of highly emotional and textural music. Corona manipulates his delicate constructions with expertise, slowly introducing layer after layer of sounds to slowly build intense patterns where intricate melodies flourish freely.
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TERESTRIAL BASE Interview with Fernando Corona

2. XINLISUPREME Tomorrow Never Comes
FATSP03 - Fat-Cat Records

Another blinding album, this time coming all the way from Japan. Mixing the noise effervescence of early Jesus & Mary Chain or My Bloody Valentine with the isolationist electronica of Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Work 2, Tomorrow Never Comes is the sort of sonic maelstrom that never lets go. Simply awesome.
What we said then 03'02
Despite the noise-ism and the violence displayed, Tomorrow Never Comes remains before all an intensely atmospheric records, of the sort that requires to be listened to from the first to the last measure to capture the essence of its nature.
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3. BLACK DOG WITH BLACK SITICHI Unsavoury Products
PUPLP3 - Hydrogen Dukebox Records

This superb collaboration between Black Dog’s Ken Downie and Scottish expatriate poet Black Sifichi takes Downie’s dogmatic electronica to a new level. Often amusing, disturbing or simply surrealist, Black Sifichi’s texts explore the mind and work of William S. Burroughs, and prove to be intrinsically linked to the evocative soundscapes created by Downie.
What we said then 07'02
Feeding on the perversions of society, from the expectancy of the public (What Do They Want? where Black Sifichi reflects on the complexity of being creative) to the anonymity of push-button services (Mental Health Hotline), this album is an unsettling piece of modern poetry.
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4. SQUAREPUSHER Do You Know Squarepusher
WARPCD97 - Warp Records

“Squarepusher is the fucking daddy!” announces Tom Jenkinson in the opening seconds of Do You Know Squarepusher, and no one would dare contesting him in the light of this excellent seven-track mini-album. If Jenkinson still pushes his jazz/breakcore fusion, he also explores new territories here. The addition of a 60-minute live recording demonstrates that the man has no problem with taking his studio sound to the live environment.
What we said then 09'02
Althought he doesn’t take himself, or his music, seriously, his records are consistently brilliantly produced, and his sonic deconstructions are far more complex than meets the ear.
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5. SIGUR RÓS ( )
FATCD011 - Fat-Cat Records

With this third album, Sigur Rós have scrapped the orchestral ambiences of their previous effort to concentrate on the essence of their atmospheric rock. The beautiful melodies adapt perfectly to these barer soundscapes, revealing some of the more intense moments heard on such a record for a long while.
What we said then 12'02
Poignant melodies float over rich, yet delicate, layered sonic constructions progressively developing from intimate settings to incredibly complex and startlingly beautiful pieces.
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6. THE SQUIRE OF SOMERTON Transverberations
MI024 - Memphis Industries

Totally anachronic record, this first solo effort from Fort Lauderdale’s Toby Jenkins is delightfully out of its time. Rooted in 70’s psychedelic rock, Transverberations is an epic take on the original summer of love. Yet, this record sounds surprisingly fresh and ahead of its time.
What we said then 11'02
Shaping epic circumvolutions of sulphurous beauty, Jenkins presents with Transverberations a breathtaking celebration of the guitar. As he takes his songs through electrically charged territories, he deploys an arsenal of sonic tricks to support his lyrics.
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CHICKEN RUN Interview with Toby Jenkins

7. ASA-CHANG & JUNRAY Jun Ray Song Chang
BAY22CD - The Leaf Label

This album confronts the talents of self-taught tabla-bongo king Asa-Chang and traditionally-trained tabla master U-Zhann for a wonderful journey through uncharted territories.
What we said then 07'02
The intricate canvas of textured percussions and multi-layered voice processing challenges all known conceptions of music by assimilating every element and organising them in totally new ways.
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8. MÚM Finally We Are No One
FATCD018 - Fat-Cat Records

The music produced by the Icelandic quartet is rooted in beautiful melodic electronica on which are attached ethereal vocals. Close to the sourdscapes crafted by Boards Of Canada or Isan, Múm’s second album builds on the constructions of their first opus and develop them in style.
What we said then 05'02
Múm cleverly mix complex electronic structures and acoustic instruments, to create songs as fragile and ephemeral as sand castles.
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9. BOARDS OF CANADA Geogaddi
WARP101 - Warp Records

This year saw the much eagerly awaited release of Boards Of Canada second widely available album, Geogaddi, and the re-release of the seminal Twoism. Moving slightly away from the innocent sounds of Music Has The Right To Children, the Scottish duo offer with Geogaddi a more focused and direct record, while retaining the beauty of their compositions.
What we said then 03'02
Geogaddi, very much like Music… before it, is luxuriant, clever and intriguing.
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10. LEMON JELLY Lost Horizon
5016020616 - XL Recordings

Two years after the release of Lemonjelly.ky, which compiled their three first EPs, Lemon Jelly finally present their first proper album. This collection of chilled tunes demonstrates the great capacity of the duo to adapt to different atmosphere and remain consistent.
What we said then 12'02
Lemon Jelly’s tightly held compositions reflects the sense of humour of the pair and their creative line.
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THE REST OF THE BEST

11. SUSUMU YOKOTA The Boy & The Tree (The Leaf Label)
12. BOOM BIP Seed To Sun (Lex Records)
13. BETH GIBBONS & RUSTIN MAN Out Of Season (Go Beat)
14. LOCUST Wrong (Touch)
15. BLUE STATES Man Mountain (Memphis Industries / XL Recordings)
16. BIOSPHERE Shenzou (Touch)
17. THE STREETS Original Pirate Material (Pure Groove Ltd)
18. ALPINESTARS White Noise (Riverman Recods)
19. DOT ALLISON We Are Science (Mantra Recordings)
20. BABY FORD & THE IFACH COLLECTIVE Sacred Machine (Klang)

BEST SINGLES

01. XINLISUPREME Murder License (Fat-Cat Records)
02. BLUE STATES Season Song
03. THE STREETS Let's Push Things Forward (Pure Groove Ltd)
04. MURCOF Monotónu (Context)
05. AQUALUNG Strange & Beautiful (I'll Put A Spell On You) (B-Unique)
06. MÚM Green Grass Of Tunnel (Fat-Cat Records)
07. MAX TUNDRA Lysine (Domino Records)
08. PLAID P Brane (Warp Records)
09. ALPINESTARS Snow Patrol (Riverman Records)
10. LEMON JELLY Space Walk (XL Recordings)