Best album from the 2025 ILM EOY album poll that received only ONE top 3 weighted vote

Light year, not a lot of orphans! Heard the Biota and bvdub records, but I barely recognize anything else.

kevin drumm out of the ones i've heard but will try give all a listen over the next three weeks

Did anyone do one for the tracks?

Slowly making my way into the Biota record; something to spend time with.

I was the sole voter for Ron Gallipoli's An Imposter - New Zealand industrial operetta/song-cycle voiced by Frances Libeau (i.e. crazy), Billie Fee (Grecco Romank) and Sam Bradford (Sharpie Crows/Ron Gallipoli); pointillist piano from prepared piano / free improv legend Hermione Johnson. Resonated with me in a very local way that's unlikely to travel to wider ILx (Kiwi cinema-of-unease / clotted suburbia vibes (The Front Lawn meets Skeptics?); I went through a huge Sondheim obsession last year) but you can squint and draw comparisons to 90s Scott Walker / Robert Wyatt if you'd like.

https://rongallipoli.bandcamp.com/album/an-imposter

Oh shoot, is Julianna Riolino's new one that good? I lost track of her after she quit the Outfit, but I loved her debut full-length.

The Ron Gallipoli album is fantastic yes, recommend it

Mossaï Mossaï youtube over here, for those who would like to sample them. French semi-industrial art-rock that I fell for HARD. Just... this is really really fucking good.

the only one of these i’ve heard is the Anika, which I enjoyed. ILX was fond of her s/t album back in 2010(?) or so (on which beak> were her backing band)

I was the sole voter for the Drumm, which was the best of like 7-10 killer Drumm releases in 2025 — he kinda won the year for me.

This is a record which, particularly in the right setting and headspace with a minimum of background noise, is capable to taking me entirely out of the many frustrations and stresses of life.

Oh shoot, is Julianna Riolino's new one that good?

It's really good!

If you like dramatic Fiona Apple or PJ Harvey's Dry, check out Prewn's System. At least the title track.

The cello, the explosion into expanse at 1:20, the layered chorus like vocals, the guitar solo out.

Idon't know how to move
I'm giving into the fear again
Too many people too many rules
Are keeping me lonely in my head

It seems that misery's my best friend
I know it'll come to me again and again
It's just the price you pay
Another dollar another day

This is a record which, particularly in the right setting and headspace with a minimum of background noise, is capable to taking me entirely out of the many frustrations and stresses of life.

― Clever Message Board User Name (Raymond Cummings), Friday, February 6, 2026 3:54 PM (fifty-three minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

love to hear it

i think i'm voting for that ancient death album. ripping death / prog metal with cosmic atmosphere.

BRUIT album was mine; it's good stuff. Godspeed worship that connects with the sheer might of the most unleashed Japanese psych LPs. I haven't heard that many albums this year but this was the only thing that really matched Los Thuthanaka in terms of overpowering presence. And like LT it's only available on Bandcamp:

https://bruitofficial.bandcamp.com/album/the-age-of-ephemerality-2

glad some other folks are checking out the Biota record, I love it

That Salin record captured my attention in the noms playlist and I came back to it a bit. It's purty, if not very obviously ILM-core'y: https://salinmusic.bandcamp.com/album/rammana

Biota and Ron Gallipoli are intriguing me just now...

I was likely the Salin voter. Lovely neo-jazz/world-inflected album that's nice and fun to listen to

I’m the voter for both Francie and Night Tapes. try Francie’s “Venus”, if you’d like to start with one track.

and I like many of Night Tapes earlier songs (on singles and mini albums since 2019) more than those on the 2025 album, but it’s still nice to have a full-length. ultra-relaxing listen. see them live if you get a chance.

Yes same re Night Tapes. Was tickled by their sampling of '93 Til Infinity' on 'Pacifico' tho.

positively ;)

only one i've heard is the prewn album. will check out salin, biota, and a few others over the next couple of weeks

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I feel like clearly nobody followed the link I posted, or else this thread would be full of people talking about how awesome the Mossaï Mossaï record is.

Emily, I just spent a little time at that link and you are right this is awesome

Yayyyyyy <3

This is always my favorite aspect of EOY activities round these parts. Wasn't familiar with any of these records. Flipped through and found that I liked a great deal of them, but that Biota, Francie, Kevin Drumm, and Prewn especially spoke to me, so I'm excited to revisit those.

And I was particularly charmed by the concept album by Ron Gallipoli, which I love that they call a "field opera" (in the sense that it may need to be performed in unexpected places, analogous to "field surgery") and which they describe thusly:

Three people meet in a suburban office for a family therapy session. Christina insists that her mother is a fraud -- not her mother -- an imposter. Aggie says that her daughter is a petulant brat. Dr Bouganville is there to pacify their relationship. But why does the doctor care more about harmony than the truth?

🤟🏽

rock chanson industrial noise rock noise shoegaze

ok yeah this is good, ty emil.y

Didn't vote in the EOY poll, don't know any of the other records, but that Ancient Death album is so good.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Good enough to win, unperson!