Music Design’s James Whelan doesn’t love making “Best Of” lists because too many great albums and songs that he really loved had to be excluded. But here’s what he came up with…
Top 5 Albums:
Forever Becoming – Pelican
Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels
Kveikur – Sigur Ros
Tape Two – Young Fathers
Ceremonies – ef
Top 5 Songs:
“Dream House” – Deafheaven
“CMF” – Caspian
“Immutable Dusk” – Pelican
“Bells Bleed and Bloom” – ef
“Small Plane” – Bill Callahan
Metal Top 10:
Pelon Juuret – Unkind
Sunbather – Deafheaven
Vertikal – Cult of Luna
Pelagial – The Ocean
Arabrot – Arabrot
Serpents Unleashed – Skeletonwitch
Doomed to Destroy, Destined to Die – Ramming Speed
Revocation – Revocation
Nails – Nails
Meir – Kvelertak
Post Rock Top 5:
Forever Becoming – Pelican
Kveikur – Sigur Ros
Ceremonies – ef
Wild Light – 65daysofstatic
Known Flood – Sannhet
Hip Hop/Rap Top 5:
Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels
Acid Rap – Chance the Rapper
Because the Internet– Childish Gambino –
Doris – Earl Sweatshirt
Old – Danny Brown
Everything Else Top 5:
Tape Two – Young Fathers
Immunity – Jon Hopkins
Dream River – Bill Callahan
San Fermin – San Fermin
Trouble Will Find Me – The National
– Submitted by James Whelan, Audio Engineering