The Groove Garden: Top Tunes of ‘22
Words by Xavier Farrow-Francis (he/she/they)
1. MOTOMAMI by ROSALÍA
Balancing tenacity and fragility with great precision, MOTOMAMI is an album detailing ROSALÍA’s multi-faceted character. It’s brash, it’s vulnerable; devilish and angelic. There just isn’t another musician working today as bold and electrifying as ROSALÍA. She breaks so many multicultural musical boundaries throughout this record. Her artistry pushes far beyond indie or mainstream circles, creating a beast of an album like no other.
LISTEN IF YOU LIKE: Frank Ocean, Björk, Rihanna, Arca, FKA twigs
GENRES: art pop, alternative R&B, reggaeton
2. Alto Arc by Alto Arc
On one hand, Alto Arc’s music is amongst the darkest, scariest, and most apocalyptic music I’ve ever heard. But on the other hand, it can feel so inexplicably euphoric and entrancing. Isamaya Ffrench and George Clarke’s prophetic and folktale-esque poetry matched with Danny L Harle and Trayer Tryon’s dazzlingly terror-inducing soundscapes are like nothing I’ve ever heard before.
LISTEN IF YOU LIKE: A24 horror films, Lingua Ignota, Caroline Polachek
GENRES: experimental, industrial, poetry, doom, dark ambient
3. Cry Sugar by Hudson Mohawke
Hudson Mohawke’s first album in seven years is filled to the brim with variety, proving his virtuosity as a producer and DJ. He bounces between raging EDM bangers like “Intentions” and “Bicstan”, grandiose utopian ambient cuts like “Stump” and “Lonely Days” and gospel-infused hip-hop beats like “Behold and “3 Sheets To The Wind”. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun listening to any other album in 2022.
LISTEN IF YOU LIKE: Disclosure, Flume, SOPHIE, Kanye West
GENRES: electronic, dance, future bass, trap
4. I Love You Jennifer B by Jockstrap
It’s difficult to even try to sum up I Love You Jennifer B. It’s such a frivolous and erratic record that flicks through sound palettes as quickly as an overwhelmed child flicking through an experimental comic book. But that’s precisely the charm of it. Cheeky and boisterous at points, mystical and perplexing at others, Jockstrap’s unique blend of baroque and glitch-heavy bass is utterly enthralling.
LISTEN IF YOU LIKE: Spellling, black midi, Kero Kero Bonito, Black Country, New Road
GENRES: experimental, art pop, progressive pop, glitch pop
5. Ugly Season by Perfume Genius
There is but one goal of Perfume Genius’ latest serving: be as freak as fucking possible. Composed originally as a soundtrack to an experimental dance show, Ugly Season stands on its own as an intricately layered collection of peculiar and outlandish songs. We’ve got chamber music, we’ve got psychedelic rock, we’ve got trip hop. Hell, we’ve even got reggae. Anything and everything goes. Sexy and hideous all at once, this record is perfect if you’re craving something eclectic and unpredictable.
LISTEN IF YOU LIKE: Julia Holter, Portishead, Weyes Blood, Xiu Xiu
GENRES: experimental, ambient pop, neo-psychedelia, chamber music