Like every year, 2023 was full of incredible music, a mountain of new releases so high that I could never climb it, a weekly firehose of albums, singles, soundcloud, bandcamp, trips to the record shop and adventures in discogs. I can’t keep up, but I try. There will never be enough time in my life to listen to all the brilliant music made in any given year, and that’s kind of amazing to consider. There are many things to feel pessimistic about in this world today, and I can give in to the dread when I read too much news or spend too much time on social media. But music is an unending source of joy and community and pure human expression. Like Vonnegut said, music is sacred. And despite the constant news about AI taking over everything, music like this will never be replaced. Music is vital, it’s part of who we are as a species and we make it because we are compelled to create. I feel blessed to live at a time when I can experience so much incredible beauty from across the world while sitting at my desk, buried in my headphones.
So, let’s get on with the list. I couldn’t settle on just fifty again, or close to it, so here we are. I enjoyed and loved a lot more than sixty albums in 2023, but I spent the most time and gave the most of my attention to these ones listed below.
I know I missed a bunch of great stuff, so let me know in the comments or on twitter @funkentechno. I’ll never catch up, but it’s always fun to try. Here we go, in the order I heard them, plus my super special top 20 at the end:
• • •
Tujiko Noriko – Crépuscule I & II
Editions Mego
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Yo La Tengo – This Stupid World
Matador
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Khotin – Release Spirit
Ghostly International
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Natural Information Society – Since Time Is Gravity
Eremite Records
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
A Journey of Giraffes – Empress Nouveau
Somewherecold Records
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Paul St. Hilaire – Tikiman Vol.1
Kynant Records
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Cruel Diagonals – Fractured Whole
Beacon Sound
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Rootless – Other Reasons
Island House
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Quintelium – Moon Waves
Ephem-Aural
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Akasha Systems – Phytopia
100% Silk
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Prairiewolf – Prairiewolf
Centripetal Force
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Doc Sleep – Birds (in my head anyway)
Tartelet Records
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Anthony Naples – Orbs
ANS
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
David Toop & Lawrence English – The Shell That Speaks The Sea
Room40
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Wata Igarashi – Agartha
Kompakt
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Felbm – cycli infini
Soundway
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Tarotplane – Murmuration
NPM
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Dustin Wong – Perpetual Morphosis
Hausu Mountain
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
MV & EE – Green Ark
Child of Microtones
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Tengger – Tengger
We Are Busy Bodies
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
Optimistic Underground 
Dope list as always mate – killer joints I know and love and a few that I missed to enjoy over the summer break xoxo from down under.
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Hey hey hey… it’s my favorite list of the year! I don’t know how you do it, my friend.
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Love this list as it has quite a few of my faves are on there
Wish my Beach Ready album could have sneaked on there as I think it’s worthy but nevertheless a great list 🙏https://beachready.bandcamp.com/album/archipelago
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It is always a pleasure to check your list, most of the albums also match my favorite albums.
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Missed a lot of new music this year. Something to do with a midlife crisis and the retreat to the music of my youth. Looking forward to checking out these releases as you turn me onto something great every year.
Any new mixes in the works?
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Yes! This year was kind of crazy between my wife’s hospitalization for months and starting a new job so mixtapes fell to the side but I’ve got one cooking for early next year :) I feel you on the midlife crisis!
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Thanks for the list, David. I’ve left Twitter but will be sure to keep following your blog. Sorry to read about your wife’s illness, wishing your family a peaceful 2024!
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Thanks for the list, David. I’ve left Twitter but will be sure to keep following your blog. Sorry to read about your wife’s illness, wishing your family a peaceful 2024!
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Thanks for taking the time to curate yet another phenomenal list. Lost track of the number of records I’ve found on this blog that I still return to again and again, glad I have this many more to maybe add to the list. My world is brighter for them and I’m grateful to you! Peace from NZ :)
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