As a procrastination technique to avoid having to finish my 'Top 30 (or 40?!) Albums of 2020' post, I have put together this (much shorter and easier) list with my favourite EP's and compilations of the year.
Disclaimer: I haven't heard enough EP's and compilations this year to do separate Top 10's for both(!), so here is my Top 10 combined EP's, compilations and mixtapes of the year...
10) Little Simz - Drop 6 EP
Whilst the songs on this latest short and gloomy EP from Little Simz' Drops series don't reach the heights of last year's Grey Area, this self-reflective set of tracks was still an impressive listen, and leaves me looking forward to more in the future.
Fav song(s): might bang, might not
9) Lurka - Rythym Hi-Tek EP
This was something I found by scrolling through the 'New Arrivals' page of the Boomkat site earlier in the year. Boomkat are an independant online record store based in Manchester, and whilst they cover a variety of genres, electronic music forms a decent chunk of their stock. This EP was a nice surprise, and it turns out there's been another three(!) Lurka EP's released this year (since this one) which you can sink your teeth into.
Fav song(s): Minds Eye Tript
8) Yazmin Lacey - Morning Matters EP
Nottingham-based Yazmin Lacey is one of many promising names in UK jazz right now. Whilst this new EP isn't anything totally revolutionary in the context of her peers, I think each of these songs is really well written and accomplished.
Fav song(s): Not Today Mate
7) Kassa Overall - Shades Of Flu
This was a surprise release in May, during the middle of lockdown #1, from Brooklyn jazz musician Kassa Overall, the title being a homage to Madlib's jazz remix album Shades of Blue. This thing was a lot of fun and exactly what I needed to hear at the time.
Fav song(s): Freedom Jazz Dance (Miles Davis)
6) Nailah Hunter - Spells EP
Another one of my favourite discoveries from Bandcamp this year, this debut EP got me through many difficult working-from-home mornings. The songs are calming yet captivating, and I am very excited to hear a full album from her in the future.
Fav song(s) - White Flower, Dark Hill
5) Holden & Zimpel: Long Weekend EP
I've been keeping an ear out for any releases involving Polish clarinettist Waclaw Zimpel since seeing him out of curiosity at End Of The Road Festival a few years back (with Polish compatriot Jakub Ziolek, who also makes a couple of appearances on this EP). Here, Zimpel combines with producer and synth guru James Holden (who I wasn't particularly familiar with) to put together a stellar set of songs which were recorded over four days in Holden’s London studio back in the summer of 2018.
Fav song(s): Saturday, Tuesday (feat. Jakub Ziolek)
4) Various Artists - Soul Love Now: The Black Fire Records Story 1975-1993
This compilation was a chance discovery through hearing one of the tracks on Tom Ravenscroft's BBC 6 Music show a few months back. This compilation celebrates the jazz and soul label Black Fire Records with a selection of releases between 1975 and 1993. Personally I find it daunting to know where to start when exploring genres, labels or eras of music I am not familiar with, so compilations like this are a great way to sample a range of artists and pick a few to explore further. This compilation was consistently good and varied throughout, from the instrumental voyage in Juju's 'Nia (The Complete Circle)' to the excuberence of Wayne Davis' 'Look at the People'.
Fav song(s): Juju - Nia (The Complete Circle), Wayne Davis - Look at the People, Okyerema Asante - Follow Me
3) Kurt Vile - Speed, Sound, Lonely KV
This EP brings out the gentler side of Kurt Vile's music. Whilst it is a thoroughly enjoyable listen throuthout, the undoubted highlight is 'How Lucky', a duet with the late John Prine (before he sadly died of complications due to Covid-19 earlier this year). It's hard to imagine a pair of musicians that fit together more naturally than this. The song captures the admiration that Kurt Vile must have had for Prine, and feels somewhat like a 'passing of the baton' moment.
Fav song(s): Speed of the Sound of Lonliness, How Lucky
2) Various Artists - Blue Note Re:Imagined
This is a compilation of re-worked classic songs from the renowned jazz label Blue Note Records. Basically every up and coming jazz talent in the UK features on this (Ezra Collective, Nubya Garcia and Emma-Jean Thackeray to name a few), and most, if not all, manage to put an exciting twist on the source material. This compilation is another reminder of the depth of talent in UK jazz right now.
Fav song(s): Jorja Smith - Rose Rouge, Yazmin Lacey - I'll Never Stop Loving You, Melt Yourself Down - Caribbean Fire Dance
1) Various Artists - SOS MUSIC VOL. 1
A degree of recency bias may explain why I have put this as No. 1; I only heard this compilation a couple of weeks ago and I have been totally addicted to it since. Its a selection of tracks from LA-based record label SOS MUSIC, who, in their own words, are "dedicated to showcasing forward-thinking left field dance music from around the globe, with a focus on female, & non-binary producers". It's genuinly some of the most interesting electronic music I've heard in ages, and highlights the need for these talented producers to get more exposure.
Fav song(s): rRoxymore - Price of Highest Consciousness, Nightwave - Sacred Heart, Umfang - Complete Your Collection
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