My Favorite EPs of 2015
Everyone likes EPs- they're the wave of the future, man. Welcome to the child of low attention spans and constant consummerism. EPs are a great way for bands to always a "Latest Release" at the top of their spotify page. Streams add to pennies and pennies add up. But anyway, here is my list of my favorite EPs, Mini-LPs, Singles collections, Mixtapes (2010 definition), and whatever else I snuck in here. The definition was loose, but the tunes are tight. |
| 18 |  | Run the Jewels
Meow the Jewels
Deserves a shout out. Surprised it actually happened and turned out to be worth a listen. Plus we all got a bunch of Just Blaze samples out of it! |
| 17 |  | Car Seat Headrest
Teens of Style
Another collection of singles type release, though these were plucked from several bandcamp albums and rerecorded so I'll leave it at the bottom. Lots of potential here, and I'm looking forward to next year's official label debut. |
| 16 |  | Andre Bratten
Math Ilium Ion
Not sure how this dude gets away with calling a 50 minute relase an EP, but whatever. It's a solid electronic release is a great take on the slowly evolving dark house thing. Lots of cool textures here. Between this and his frequently stunning LP Gode, Bratten is definitely on my radar. |
| 15 |  | Diet Cig
Over Easy
Fun, jangly pop-punk that shows considerable amount of potential. |
| 14 |  | Ryan Hemsworth & Lucas
Taking Flight
Chilled out electronic at its finest. |
| 13 |  | Clark
Flame Rave
Great addition to Clark's discography though not quite as essential as last year's full length. |
| 12 |  | Modern Baseball
The Perfect Cast
A darker, slightly more grown up version of Modern Baseball. Looking forward to next year's album. |
| 11 |  | Nao
February 15
The strength of this EP is its ability to crawl in and out of genres while maintaining a strong sense of its own aesthetic. |
| 10 |  | Lotic
Heterocetera
I found myself able to appreciate Lotic's unique vision in EP format more than his full length effort. Pretty abrasive with just enough hints of melody to keep me engaged. |
| 9 |  | Africa Express
Africa Express Presents... Terry Riley's In C Mali
This one's probably the biggest stretch on here format wise, but this unique take of "In C" deserves recognition. |
| 8 |  | Thundercat
The Beyond/Where The Giants Roam
Excellent showcase of Thundercat continuing to explore his sound. Also props to Brainfeeder- can't think of a label with a better last 13 months. My new dream is for FlyLo, Thundercat, and Kamasi Washington to make an unstoppable album together. |
| 7 |  | Open Mike Eagle
A Special Episode Of
At first it feels like a companion piece to last year's Dark Comedy, but I've found myself revisiting this collection of songs about the same if not more than Open Mike Eagle's previous work. It has the same appeal as Dark Comedy, but the beats just seem a bit more cohesive. |
| 6 |  | Kelela
Hallucinogen
Another strong exhibit of dark, foreboding post-RnB. |
| 5 |  | Mac DeMarco
Another One
Whatever he calls it a "mini-album" but the transitional nature of this release makes it more fitting for this list. A solid collection of songs that don't seem to have much thought in them but do a great job of capturing a specific time and place. Went to his house before this was released but his GF told us to go away (but was nice enough to give directions to the beach) cause he was practicing. |
| 4 |  | Mick Jenkins
Wave[s]
Jenkins takes a step toward dance-able music while maintaining his strong sense of story and urgency. Though I hope his next releases gravitates more toward the stylings of Water(s), this made for a very pleasant experiment. |
| 3 |  | Sophie
Product
Several of these songs have been floating around for a couple years now, but I'll include it for the new stuff. Pretty singular style here, it's a shame he gets lumped in with those (mostly) garbage PC Music people. Some songs follow pop structures, some just make noise, but all are fascinating. |
| 2 |  | FKA Twigs
M3LL155X
FKA Twigs doubles down on the sound of her debut album and raises the bar everyone in this upcoming genre. |
| 1 |  | Nicolas Jaar
Nymphs III
(All 4 Parts) Complied, these four releases could constitute a full length album, but they were released individually so I'll count them here. Jaar mixes his soundscape sensibilities showcased on 2011's Space is Only Noise with the more driving force heard through Darkside. Just about every sound and groove here is Jaar at his peak. |
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