Intuitive Music

One more time, we have selected what we consider the best 20 albums released during the year from all of the music that has comed to our hands. A selection of the best alternative music of the year, including experimental, electronica, jazz and progressive music. This year, Thom Yorke, Bill Bruford, John Foxx, Harmony in Diversity, The Mountain Goats, Steve Hackett, Taylor Deupree, Tom Waits and Tony Levin are some of our choices. The albums are listed in alphabetical order.

The list includes some of our latest discoveries, such as Advent and Ian Cho, as well as some debut albums, like Peter Bank’s Harmony in Diversity, Thom Torke, and Alan White’s White.

To get more suggestions about interesting music I invite you to check out the Myspace Bands section of the web site where you can find a comprehensive list of really good artists. Many of them didn’t have a new release this year but we are looking forward seeing their new albums in 2007, such is the case of Lethargy, Deborah Anderson, Polyethylene Pet / +1, Elizabeth Carpenter, Redrick Sultan and Vincent Bergeron.

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Advent
“Cantus Firmus”
Advent Recordings
A progressive rock band from New Jersey with a strong influence from Gentle Giant and with a great musicianship. Wonderful choirs in the style of old English renaissance music and beautiful and developed instrumental passages.
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Bill Bruford and Tim Garland
“Earthworks Underground Orchestra”
Summerfold
Drummer Bill Bruford and saxophonist Tim Garland are two leading individuals on the London jazz scene, who joined forces under the banner of the Earthworks Underground Orchestra. The fans of Bill Bruford’s more jazzy side will find the drummer in this album sounding at his best and all of the fans of good big band sound will discover a top classic album of the genre.
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Harmony in Diversity
“Trying”
Harmony in Diversity.
The latest project by reputed guitarist Peter Banks and completed by Andrew Booker on electronic drums and Nick Cottam on bass. This debut work was presented as “improvised avant-garde and electronic rock grooves for the 21st Century”.
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Ian Cho
“The Waking Woods”
Tovian
Beautiful atmospheres and rich electronic ambiental soundscapes from this musician and illustrator located in Australia. It will drive you to a different dimension.
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John Foxx & Louis Gordon
“From Trash”
MetaMatic Records
A wonderful collaborative work by ex-Ultravox vocalist John Foxx and Louis Gordon, the follow-up to the 2003 album “Crash and Burn”. An exquisite work of elegant electro pop.
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Manoel Macia
“Cielo Profundo”
One of the top guitarists in Spain related to progressive rock and experimental instrumental music brings and exquisite collection of instrumental pieces casted upon the guitar, which features a rich world of emotions, ambience and colors, forging his own personal style in a fusion of the ancient culture from his homeland Galicia and a North-European folk flavor.
Manoel Macia at Intuitive Music

The Mountain Goats
“Get Lonely”
4AD
A reflective, intimate new record from John Darnielle. A wonderful sample of fusion and diversity in music for the 21st Century.
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North Valley Subconscious Orchestra
“The Right Kind of Nothing”
Ghostly
Guitarists Brad Laner from Medicine and Electric Company plus Christopher Willits in an experimental and original project of rich and diverse sounds.
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Ochre
“Lemodie”
Benbecula
New steps for electronic music where melodies live together with orchestral sounds. A rich combination of electronica, pop and avant-garde music.
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Peter Hammill
“Singularity”
Hammill sings and plays all instruments in his usual unique and breathtaking style. Like a good red wine, he gets better in time.
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Radio Massacre International
“Septentrional”
DIN

A trio of musicians mixing elements of Berlin school electronics with progressive and krautrock music. A wonderful alternative of creative music for these days.
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Robert Rich & Ian Boddy
“Litosphere”
DIN
“The second collaborative release between DIN label boss Ian Boddy & American ambient pioneer Robert Rich. A variety of ambiences and feelings throughout the whole album recommended to every fan of the DIN label, and lovers of soundscapes and quality ambient music.
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Soft Mountain
“Soft Mountain”
Hux Records
A wonderful debut album from the recently passed away Soft Machine’s Elton Dean and Hugh Hopper plus keyboardist Hoppy Kamiyama and drummer Yoshida Tatsuya.
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Steve Hackett
“Wild Orchids”
Camino Records
Ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett accompanied by his Underworld Orchestra. An exquisite wold of deep atmospheres and rich musicianship from one of the most interesting artists today with something to say and completely worthwhile to hear.
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Taylor Deupree
“Northern”
12 K
One of the most beautiful and charming works from Taylor Deupree’s discography featuring an amazing world of diversity in sounds.
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Thom Torke
“The Eraser”
XL Recordings
The awaited debut solo album from Radiohead’s front man. Poetry, pop and electronics creating a surreal and emotional world.
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Tom Waits
“Orphans”
Anti
Tom Waits comeback in a spectacular musical journey in which he visits most every genre of American song tradition. A wonderful sample of past and present quality music by one of the most unique performers of our times.
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Tony Levin
“Resonator”
Narada Records
The acclaimed bass player from Peter Gabriel and King Crimson releases one of the most powerful and well structured rock works from the last few years, featuring a wonderful team with Larry Fast, Jerry Marotta, Jesse Gress, Adrian Belew and Steve Lukather.

Univers Zero
“Live”
Cuneiform
One of the most representative bands of the Rock In Opposition (RIO) movement, a European coalition for alternative music. Absolutely recommendable for fans of instrumental progressive, avant-garde and experimental rock and fusion.
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White
“White”
Renaissance Records
The latest musical project from Yes drummer Alan White, featuring Kevin Currie, Steve Boyce, Karl Haug, and Geoff Downes. An “old school” quality rock album.