Once again my top ten grew past its traditional boundaries, more than doubling to twenty five. I worried for a minute that I was spreading the love too thin, but after revisiting each of them over the past couple weeks, I only reaffirmed and deepened my affection for every single album here. Every year is a great year for music, but 2025 was particularly ripe with releases that went right up my alley. While I obviously recommend every album on this entire list, these represent the best-of-the-best, the favorites closest to my heart. These albums got rinsed more often and dissected more deeply than anything else I heard this year and I fully expect to revisit and enjoy them years down the road.
Just like with the rest of the list, these albums are presented in the order I heard them.
• • •
Ariel Kalma & Asa Tone – ◯
Good Morning Tapes
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Raven – Gnosis
Incienso
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Jefre Cantu-Ledesma – Gift Songs
Mexican Summer
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Los Thuthanaka – Los Thuthanaka
self-released
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Eiko Ishibashi – Antigone
Drag City
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Barker – Stochastic Drift
Smalltown Supersound
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Light-Space Modulator – The Rising Wave
AD 93
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Djrum – Under Tangled Silence
Houndstooth
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Anthony Naples – Scanners
ANS
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Erika de Casier – Lifetime
Independent Jeep Music
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Cole Pulice – Land’s End Eternal
Leaving records
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Ron Trent – Lift Off
Rush Hour Music
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Jeremiah Chiu & Marta Sofia Honer – Different Rooms
International Anthem
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Matmos – Metallic Life Review
Thrill Jockey
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Resavoir & Matt Gold – Horizon
International Anthem
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Jonny Nash – Once Was Ours Forever
Melody As Truth
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
rRoxymore – Juggling Dualities
!K7
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Nate Mercereau, Josh Johnson, Carlos Niño – Openness Trio
Blue Note
See them perform the 11 minute “Hawk Dreams” and buy via Blue Note.
• • •
Melvin Gibbs – Amasia: Anamibia Sessions 2
Hausu Mountain
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Kieran Hebden + William Tyler – 41 Longfield Street Late ‘80s
Temporary Residence
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Bitchin Bajas – Inland See
Drag City
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Xexa – Kissom
Príncipe
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
The Necks – Disquiet
Northern Spy
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
SML – How You Been
International Anthem
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Oneohtrix Point Never – Tranquilizer
Warp
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
BONUS ALBUM 101
Irini – Lost In Dreams
All Possible Worlds
This sprawling, three hour metropolis of dub techno, deep house, and rave music of all colors was technically living as a mix on Soundcloud for the past couple years, but with its official release on Bandcamp in November, it became a real 2025 album – the first digital release from the artist known as Traumprinz, DJ Metatron, DJ Healer, The Phantasy, Golden Baby, Prime Minister of Doom, Prince of Denmark, Planet Uterus, and Zum Goldenen Schwarm. I simply had to include it because it’s easily one of the best things I heard all year, even if it wasn’t my first time around.
Listen and buy on Bandcamp.
• • •
Thanks for reading. I hope you check out some of these artists and hear some of their music and find something to fall in love with. Every year I make these lists knowing full well that I missed a lot of great music, so I gladly welcome recommendations in the comments or on twitter / bluesky.
Optimistic Underground 
I’m always just SO shocked at how aligned we are musically! YES, YES, YES to this fantastic list! I’ll be revisiting this often — and happy to share some news ones. As I’m largely OFF social media, this is the best place for me. Thank you!
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very happy to read this, thank you
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