CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS

Lobby => Music and Recordings => Topic started by: Original_Ken on December 16, 2013, 09:06:22 PM

Title: The Best Instrumental Albums of the past 10 years
Post by: Original_Ken on December 16, 2013, 09:06:22 PM
Feel free to list up to 3 albums that you feel are the best (or else your favorite) Instrumental albums of the last 10 years.  Instrumental in this context means without lyrics (so human voice is okay as an instrument that does not use words... and one short song on an otherwise instrumental album would not disqualify the album). 

A few criteria:
 - No remasters or compilations or re-releases (so no Miles Davis remasters, no Best of Horowitz, etc.)
 - The music can be composed at any point, as long as the performance is during the last 10 years (so a recent performance of Bach is fine)

The point of limiting to three albums is practical - to allow busy people to actually investigate every album listed.  (If this topic inspires you to list lots of albums, just start a new topic for that, thanks.)  To make it easier for everyone, Youtube links are helpful.  A link to the whole album is cool, but just one good song off the album works well, too.

Note:  this does not imply anything negative about singing at all (often wonderful!), but instead to just try to focus on just instrumental music.
Title: Re: The Best Instrumental Albums of the past 10 years
Post by: Skyline on December 16, 2013, 11:03:18 PM
You'll see a theme here...

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Little Worlds - 2003

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOBp1Nto50s

The Jeff Coffin Mu'tet - Bloom - 2005

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FavPT6P20o

Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer - Music for Two - 2004

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5Rq-rQsDdk

I really wanted to put a solo Tim Reynolds album on here, but his most recent acoustic album has vocals.  All of his pure guitar stuff is pre-2003.

Most of my classical stuff seems to be pre-2003 except my new Latvian Radio Choir album, which kind of goes against the whole rule against vocals...

Title: Re: The Best Instrumental Albums of the past 10 years
Post by: Questhate on December 16, 2013, 11:42:26 PM
My favorites of the last decade:

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61Mr0ENZnSL.jpg)
Brian Blade Fellowship - Season of Changes
Season of Changes: http://youtu.be/57-nzm1Tt34

(http://themotiv.co/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/rjd2-deadringer.jpg)
RJD2 - Deadringer
(there's like 3 songs with rapping, but mostly instrumental)
Ghostwriter: http://youtu.be/rVqAdIMQZlk

(http://www.vaguespace.net/.a/6a00d83452412b69e2012875624319970c-800wi)
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
First Breath After Coma: http://youtu.be/VCA689lvfpI
Title: Re: The Best of the Last 10 Years
Post by: Marvey on December 17, 2013, 01:03:35 AM
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f6/Axel_F_HF.jpg)
LFF's fairly recent remaster of Axel F.
The dynamic range, plankton and overall fidelity are quite expected for this synthesizer instrumental.
I continue to use this as one of my test tracks as I still enjoy listening to it.
Title: Re: The Best Instrumental Albums of the past 10 years
Post by: funkmeister on December 17, 2013, 03:47:54 AM
Christmas by the Lightwood Duo
Title: Re: The Best Instrumental Albums of the past 10 years
Post by: burnspbesq on December 17, 2013, 04:17:47 AM
Brian Blade is a solid choice, Quest.

I'd go with the following:

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Debussy Complete Music for Piano
Pavel Haas Quartet, Dvorak String Quartets Nos. 12 and 13
Jenny Scheinman, Crossing the Field
Title: Re: The Best Instrumental Albums of the past 10 years
Post by: funkmeister on December 17, 2013, 04:33:20 AM
@burns, track 2 on Jenny Scheinman - Crossing the Field is a pirate song... at least by title.

 :)p7
Title: Re: The Best Instrumental Albums of the past 10 years
Post by: Hands on December 17, 2013, 05:58:44 AM
So far, I am really likely Anders Bjorler's solo, instrumental album "Antikythera." Whether or not I'll consider it the "best of" anything down the road, I can't say for sure yet. (It does not follow in the footsteps of his heavy metal background, BTW.)

Sorry I don't have more to contribute.
Title: Re: The Best Instrumental Albums of the past 10 years
Post by: SoupRKnowva on December 17, 2013, 08:00:18 AM
The only Instrumental album I can even listen to very often...

The World Began Without Man Vol.1 - Matterhorn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElYl3YlpxXE
Title: Re: The Best Instrumental Albums of the past 10 years
Post by: Chris1967 on December 17, 2013, 10:39:06 AM
Tiny Island (Opus3 Jazz records)

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JW6xZarVL._SY300_.jpg)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqGgimL76o8

Kim Kashkasian - Neharot (ECM records)

(http://payload137.cargocollective.com/1/10/322253/5046089/Kashkashian%20-%20Neharot.jpg)

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBNksd0fnfI

Vijay Iyer - Reimagining (Savoy Jazz records)

(http://pirecordings.com/cms/img/thumbs/pi902_270.jpg)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhZ2o3Xn0uQ

It is very dificult to establish the best... i just gave examples of the type of music i listen to generally (mostly jazz and classics), enjoy!  :)p1
Title: Re: The Best Instrumental Albums of the past 10 years
Post by: Deep Funk on December 17, 2013, 02:58:30 PM
JDilla
Souls of Mischief
DJ Shadow
DJ Format
Lefties Soul Connection

There is so much to choose from. What about the so called Post-Rock albums? The band For A Minor Reflection comes to mind.

Animals As Leaders I would certainly add to my favourite instrumental albums.
Title: Re: The Best Instrumental Albums of the past 10 years
Post by: jupitreas on December 17, 2013, 04:53:09 PM
(http://www.heavyblogisheavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Cloudkicker-Beacons.jpg)
http://cloudkickermusic.com/album/beacons (http://cloudkickermusic.com/album/beacons)
Title: Re: The Best Instrumental Albums of the past 10 years
Post by: Hands on December 18, 2013, 06:38:00 AM
Animals As Leaders I would certainly add to my favourite instrumental albums.

Forgot about AaL. First album was fantastic. Second album was considerably more boring, too homogeneous across the album, and less original overall, IMO.
Title: Re: The Best Instrumental Albums of the past 10 years
Post by: kkl10 on December 18, 2013, 06:48:32 PM
It's silly to claim these to be the best instrumental works of the last 10 years, obviously due to ignorance of the unknown but these are among the ones I most highly regard.

Evan Parker's Electro-Acoustic Ensemble - The Moment's Energy (Electroacustical)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-j1lnSGfvc

Quatuor Ebène - Quatuor Ébène Performs Ravel, Debussy & Fauré (Classical)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qtbbK5HVMw (apologise for crappy quality link)

Svarte Greiner - Penpals Forever (And Ever) (Electroacustical)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOsNQcFzrC8
Title: Re: The Best Instrumental Albums of the past 10 years
Post by: olor1n on January 12, 2014, 04:52:48 AM
There are very few instrumentals in my library. Most are OST's. The Assassination of Jesse James score is so haunting and evocative. It ranks among my all time favourite soundtracks.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/AssassinationJesseJames_-_CaveWarren.jpg)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz0FSG9h-GI