2023 – The Photographers View
It’s that time again and from the depths of the Photographers fractured mind he has managed to drag a bunch of what he liked this last year, so in no particular order here’s his finalised list after a drunken exchange in the pub the night before..
Oxbow – Love’s Holiday
Almost a foregone conclusion to be honest, Oxbow release an album and it lays waste to anything else released that year. If you’ve not listened to it already then I’m afraid you’re probably far too square to be reading this.
Big Brave – Nature Morte
This is the band that nearly tipped the writer over the edge, at a pub in Birmingham they were so intense that he nearly had to leave, this album reflects that perfectly.
Orbital – Optical Delusion
An old favourite of the photographers, I still remember him playing me Satan all those years ago. Five years on from Monsters Exist this is perfect.
Debby Friday – Good Luck
From arguably the strongest single of the week in the pub this year to an album that we described as an immense slice of throbbing, bass driven squelchy electronic music
Rrose – Please Touch
This is techno, but it’s also drone and occasionally beatless, so is it drone or techno or some odd child of the two, you’ll need to listen to this one.
Swans – The Beggar
Another massive slice of life inside Michael Gira’s head, it’s not the happiest place in the world but then you already knew that. The photographer preordered this around a year ago, I’m not surprised that this is here..
Protomartyr – Formal Growth In The Desert
Right from the very first note you know that you’ll be sucked inside this record like all the others, a wonderful feast of an album
Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs – Land of Sleeper
Metal meets Punk with a sense of humour, they bloody Rock and just keep getting better
Sunshine Frisbee Laser beam – Mortuary Pantomime
It’s always good to get something new from Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam, their gigs are always different and always an event and they’ve captured that in this record.
Mushroom Giant – In A Forest
We described this as a stoned and beautiful widescreen power filled expanse of music.
Live Shows of the Year
Loop, London & Dublin – he did the whole tour
Taqbir – Supersonic Festival, Birmingham
Gnod – Birmingham
Mogwai – Birmingham
Killing Joke – Birmingham
Russell Haswell – Birmingham
Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs – Leicester
Honourable mentions
Collosloth – always good
Attrition – Still working and entertaining
Joe Colombi – where does this man get his energy ? Good work fella.
Just Dropped Records – some great gigs and where all our money goes ….
Choices by Martin Ward, made readable by Adrian Bloxham
