Confluences LP
[EM Records]

Nick's favourite album of the year and slowly, it grew on all who heard it too. Afro spiritual minimal electronic space music.

BINH / ONUR OZER

Treatment LP
[Treatment]

Nine untitled tracks and a definite electro flavour supply the backbone of this impeccably produced minimal techno album from the two Berliners.

Endless
[Balance Recordings]

Leeds-based, French DJ Brawther gave us a stunning debut triple pack combining classic productions (and a new remix!) - a retrospective account of his best work, paying a special homage to his relationship with Chez Damier.

Body Pill
[Text Records]

Naples' debut arrived via Four Tet's TEXT imprint after catching our ears on Mister Saturday Night. It didnt disappoint from the ambient noise of 'Ris' via the epic strings of 'Abrazo' to 'Miles' which abruptly morphs from a lo-fi houser into a minimal synthscape. At less than 30 minutes, it may be short but has grand well-executed ideas in that half hour.

To Pimp A Butterfly LP
[Polydor]

Best selling hip hop album of the year and critical acclaim alike, damn, it even got in the Phonica top albums.

In Colour
[Young Turks]

Mercury-nominated, best-selling but split the judges this year with a lot of negative reviews for trying to be too much to too many people. Broad brush strokes maybe, but The XX artist's solo debut still did it for many.

Homesick
[Ghostly International]

An incredibly versatile LP San Fran's most promising new comers. that touches on techno themes of machinery, futurism and space exploration.

Taraxacum LP
[Until My Heart Stops]

Beautiful, unique and deeply immersive second album from the Free-Rotation resident.

Portal
[Delsin]

Relentless overdriven and otherworldly techno from the Giegling mainstay.

Amazon Atlantis LP
[Creme Organization]

Rough and ready analogue House music that’s strictly for the heads which features collaborations with synth wizard Legowelt & Chicago House Legend Vincent Floyd.

Voyage To Arcturus LP
[Leleka]

Ukraine’s fearless Vakula challenges the conventions of modern House music with a psychedelic soundtrack to David Lindsay’s 1920’s novel, ‘A Voyage to Arcturus’.

Sides of Space LP
[Delsin]

A collection of classic, lost and forgotten and above all timeless Detroit influenced tracks from the criminally underrated producer D5.

Comme Ca LP
[Antinote]

Care-free Summertime synth-pop from an unknown artist featuring the oh-so-sweet vocals of another unknown artist, Mona Lesko. More of this please!

Vin Ploile LP
[Mule Musiq]

One of the titans of the ar:pia:r soundsystem takes a steps away from the dancefloor to deliver deeply meditative listening experience.

Hunch Music LP
[Rush Hour]

Before the arrival of his debut LP, Hunee had already gained notoriety as a distinguished DJ and solid producer. ‘Hunch Music’ proves he’s an artist with vision that should not be underestimated.

Paranoid London
[Paranoid London]

Paranoid London - machinistick funk music for the year 2015. Groundbreaking? Perhaps not. But pretty damn well done. Responsible for many a melted minds on the dancefloor.

Morning / Evening
[Text Records]

Produced by Kieran Hebden between August 2014 and February 2015 This music was created on a laptop computer using the Ableton Live software to control and mix VST synthesizers and manipulations of found audio recordings.

Lingua Franca
[International Feel]

There's noodly balelaric nu-disco and then there's Len Leise. Whether he's doing edits, ambient cassette tapes or this amazing mini-LP on International Feel he always hits the spot. Now how about a vinyl press for that tape Len??

No Broken Hearts On This Factory Floor
[EM Records]

Ever conquering Tapes and his arsenal of dub found a home on Japans EM Records. An intriguing match but a match nonetheless. Plus the most interesting in-store session we've had for a while. Big up!

Expressions
[Firecracker Recordings]

Excellent album from Linkwood and Firecracker Recordings - that signalleed a strong year all round for the label. A deep emotive record - hate to use the expression - that takes you on a journey. Has stood the test of repeated listens at the Phonica basement and still sounds great!

Drippin' For A Tripp
[Honest Jons]

One of the best things about Sotofett's debut album was that it almost every track (with the exception of two) was a collaboration with another artist yet the sound on a whole remained distinctly his own. It's a tropical tour de force and another firm favourite of the Phonica crew.

Levon Vincent
[Novel Sound]

On a quiet Tuesday afternoon in January, Levon Vincent suddenly announced he would be dropping his debut album and the House & Techno community collectively lost their sh*t. The album arrived spread across four 12"s and each one had unique artworks sourced from "old Japanese magazines, vintage Sotheby's art house catalogs and other fashionable prints". The music was just as we expected: off the chain.

The Hydrangeas Whisper
[Running Back]

Maurice Fulton is pretty much always on point and The Hydrangeas Whisper LP is no exception. For the most part, this eclectic album is jam packed with uplifting party cuts of Jazzy house, lush disco and joyful boogie but there's also a more serious and moody emotional thread thats weaved through the album. Clearly heard within the opener, title track, 'Backlash' and closer, it defiintely adds an extra dimension to the journey. 'Backlash' comes on where Aril Brikha's 'Groove La Chord' finished off.

Elaenia
[Pluto]

Great things take time and dedication. Elaenia has been five years in the making and it was definitely worth the wait. Although it was only released last month it sticks out as one of the most unique and personal albums of the year. Elaenia brilliantly combines Shepherd's love of analog synthesizers with live instrumentation and It's true achievement is that it functions as fluid, single piece of music rather than a collection of tracks.

Much Less Normal
[Firecracker Recordings]

If you're a regular at the shop you probably could have seen this coming… Lnrdcroy's 'Much Less Normal' has been on heavy rotation here at Phonica ever since we first got our hands on it. Although it was originally released on cassette via 1080p, Firecracker's beautifully repackaged and screen-printed reissue breathed new life into this masterpiece and introduced it to an entirely new audience that it didn't catch the first time around. There's a real comforting and charming aspect to 'Much Less Normal' that truly give it a warm and inviting feeling. Each track is deeply immersive and reflects Lenard Campbell's impressions of the environment he was raised within. Much Less Normal's hazy take on laid-back house music was executed perfectly making this record a timeless classic for us that we're sure we'll be cueing up for years to come.