The last few weeks of the year were pretty damn hectic around CastleDTC so there wasn’t much posting/updating and I never got the chance to compile one of those “Top 10″ lists that are all the rage at the end of each year. Ah well, better late than never, right? Besides, Tympanik Audio put out a couple really strong releases right at the ass end of ‘08 (Broken Fabiola and ESA) that were definitely under consideration for spots on this list and I didn’t want to jump the gun. Whatever style/niche/microgenre suits your fancy it was a rather good year for music all across the board. My own Best Of… list is solely my own opinion and does not reflect the broad tastes of everyone here at DTC. I’m pretty sure a list made by Fatherbliss, P_machine, Haakon or anyone else here would look entirely different

10. Meat Beat Manifesto Autoimmune (Metropolis Records) With over two decades of work and a dozen releases under his belt Jack Dangers is putting out some of the best material in his career. This album is great from start to stop and features a wild mix of Industrial, Hip Hop, Trip Hop, Jazz influences, Reggaeton, Dubstep and…well, pretty much every style under the sun. There doesn’t seem to be many limits in Dangers’ world and we’re all better off for of it. In an already strong discography Autoimmune is close to the very top.

9. Lunascape Innerside (Noir) Speaking of Trip Hop, who would have imagined that in 2008 this kind of music would still have any life left in it? But the dreamily subdued music with the heavy-lidded beats manufactured by Walter Hilhorst makes for a nice match with Kyoko Baertsoen’s Sinéad O’Connor-inspired vocals. Tracks like “Surrender” and “Shimmering Sun” are as sly as they are haunting and this is one act that deserves a much wider audience than they have yet received.

8. Endif Carbon (Tympanik Audio) Having been at the forefront of “Intelligent” dance music for quite some time now Jason Hollis raises the bar even further with Carbon, a brilliant and ever-interesting piece of work that is as catchy as it is complex. You can marvel at the intricate song craftsmanship or check your brain at the door and just move to the hard electronic rhythms. On the one hand I’m wondering how he’s going to top this album and on the other hand I can’t friggin’ wait to hear him try. This is one of those releases that will make all your hair stand on end as though prompted by an electronic current.

7. Alter Der Ruine Giants From Far Away (Crunch Pod) With each outing ADR has managed to utilize their broad musical tastes and channel the best elements of a number of styles to create something that could be considered accessible even as it is unrelenting and aggressive. While there is plenty of power in their noise there’s also engaging shreds of melody, intriguing tempo changes and a wicked sense of humor. This release proves that these Arizonians deserve a spot in the upper echelon of Electronic music and it’s a safe bet that in the near future they will go from having a number of influences to being an influential force in the minds of fledgling musicians the world over.

6. Angelspit Blood Death Ivory (Dancing Ferret) I thought this act was mildly interesting upon hearing their first release but believed they had painted themselves into a corner with a limiting sound. In retrospect it seems I didn’t give them enough credit. Their second album is a monstrous effort that piles layer on top of layer, adds the aggression of using the sounds of metal furniture being smashed to pieces in the studio and utilizes stirringly acerbic socio-political lyrical commentary. Get used to this album on your car or home stereo and then listen to it with a good pair of headphones. Every spin brings something new to light. This album is impossible to dislike. It’s unfortunate that Angelspit had to suffer from Dancing Ferret going belly up but with material this good there should be a bidding war among every other organization to sign this duo.

5. ohGr Devils In My Details (SPV) After a lengthy and prolific career with Skinny Puppy Kevin Ogilvie, a.k.a. Nivek Ogre has done quite well for himself with his own project ohGr, paired off with Mark Walk. While the first album, Welt was an instant classic its follow-up, SunnyPsyOp was somewhat of a disappointment. With DIMD ohGr drop the Pop and explore a much darker, stream-of-consciousness approach that is musically adventurous and lyrically engaging with some maniacal spoken word help from actor Bill Moseley. This is less an “album” and more of an experience, brilliant all the way through.

4. Autoclav1.1 Love No Longer Lives Here (Tympanik Audio) To label this a collection of “songs” seems dismissive as these eleven tracks are more akin to compositions of beat-driven fury and emotional depth. The rhythms are all striking while the use of instrumentation like piano and bass add complexity and range to this artist’s diverse palate. The moods evoked are what make this release so important. You begin expecting one thing only to wind up with something completely different that continually evolves. There’s a sense of melancholy to many of the atmospheres but that’s augmented by broken beats and an overall sense of hope. Tony Young is a one-of-a-kind original producing music that defies conventional labels. He’s damn adept at wringing every last drop of feeling out of the music in his head.

3. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (Anti) Jack Dangers isn’t the only one currently putting out his best work after decades of great music. Having given us the magnificent Grinderman project in ‘07 Cave and company follow it up with this garage rock wonder of an album. Cave’s storytelling ability is almost unparalleled in contemporary circles (rivaled only by Tom Waits) and the music he’s currently writing has never seemed so full of vitality. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! is a flawless work of amazement that will not only satisfy long time fans but should win over those that have never been able to appreciate this artist. This is one of those rare treats that people will be looking for in your collection so don’t let a gaping hole represent its place on your CD rack.

2. Genghis Tron Board Up The House (Relapse) As magnificent as this album is it’s certainly not for everyone and that’s unfortunate. The mixture of ambient/Industrial electronics with Metal, Grindcore in particular, is seamless but will grate on style purists. If you don’t like guitars or wild, screaming vocals you’re going to hate this. If you don’t consider electronic music “real” music and can’t figure out why a perfectly good organic act would resort to using tools like Ableton Live and Toontrack you’re going to despise this. Regardless of what camp you fall into just because you can’t comprehend the brilliance of Board Up The House doesn’t make it any less of a perfect piece of work. It’s absolutely stunning and having been released toward the beginning of ‘08 has managed to hold up to most everything every other act has had to offer this year.

1. Famine Every Mirror Turns Black (Bugs Crawling Out Of People) So this album came out of nowhere and caught everyone by surprise. Released on a small Canadian label known for intelligent, off-kilter output this mixture of Autechre/Aphex Twin ambient/glitch electronics with occasional forays into the ferocity of Metal runs the gamut and serves as an important introduction into the mind of an artist with a keen sense of what makes each style of music great. Having just put out a free EP that features ambient atmospherics it seems clear that Famine will not be pigeonholed easily. In addition to having dropped this precious bomb on our listening ears the excitement will be ever present regarding what he may do next.

Aside from these 10 albums it should be noted that a number of other acts put out quite excellent efforts in the past year. Juno Reactor, Goldfrapp, Ladytron, Totakeke (2 albums in the past year – both great), the aforementioned Broken Fabiola and ESA, Collide, DYM, Hocico, Worms Of The Earth, Aesthetic Perfection, Lucidstatic, Ionic Vision, Stray, X-Fusion, Melodyguild and Autumn’s Grey Solace.

If you’re interested in my Top Ten Metal Releases of 2008 you can check that out here.

Happy new year. There’s plenty of great music already on deck for release and we’ll bring it all to you in ‘09.