Our favorite archival reissues and compilations of the year!

As usual, the year-end selections continue with archival and compilation projects… This year, two collections of lost demos captivated our listening with Ethiopian Orthodox nun Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru’s first vocal album revived from home cassette recordings and Broadcast’s Trish Keenan’s magical sketches. It was also a big year for Japanese CD-era ambient with Music from Memory’s Virtual Dreams II compilation leading the charge along with Feedback Waves’ reissue of Koji Takahashi’s cult favorite Trill project. Asian dance music, a genre quite close to our hearts, has also seen a renewed focus with Naya Beat and Soundway Records compiling pioneering music that might’ve been “too Asian for mainstream success in the West” or never made it far from their local communities.

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• ARTIST: Various Artists
• TITLE: Virtual Dreams II – Ambient Explorations In The House & Techno Age, Japan 1993-1999
• LABEL: Music from Memory
• STYLE: Ambient / Techno / Downtempo
• LOCATION: Japan

Virtual Dreams II explores Japan’s distinctive ’90s ambient techno scene, a key part of early club culture and the global electronic landscape. While Virtual Dreams focused on Europe’s chill-out rooms, part two highlights Japanese labels like Sublime and Transonic, which embraced the worldwide techno scene while showcasing Japan’s inventive spirit. Palomatic’s “Flutter” is a cavernous, reverb-laced instrumental with pillowy rhythms and a magnetic three-note melody (see below). Yukihiro Fukutomi’s stellar “5 Blind Boys” skitters with bell-tones, a midrange synth drone, and what sounds like a sampled marimba. This bittersweet compilation marks the final project of Jamie Tiller, founder of Music From Memory, before his untimely passing. Co-compiler Eiji Taniguchi helped bring to life their vision of honoring Japan’s unique era and its hidden sonic worlds. – Randall

• ARTIST: Various Artists
• TITLE: European Primitive Guitar (1974​-​1987)
• LABEL: NTS Radio
• STYLE: American Primitive / Folk / Guitar
• LOCATION: Europe

Beloved London-based radio station NTS dives deeper into the compilation realm with European Primitive Guitar, a collection of instrumental guitar compositions mapping out the European analogues of the American Primitive Guitar movement, spearheaded by John Fahey in the 1950s. Compiled by Aaron Angell, Samuel Strang, and Perfect Lives’ Bruno Halper (who co-curated that amazing Perfect Motion comp with Flo Dill on Emotional Response), this collection is expectedly deep and far-reaching, featuring private press guitar tracks from Spain, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Yugoslavia, and the UK. Despite the mileage, the selection is sonically cohesive with a solid variety of tracks ranging from atmospheric, effect-heavy guitar music to raw, technique-driven acoustic compositions. We also highly recommend checking out NTS’ Funk.BR – S​ã​o Paulo Baile Funk compilation for more dancefloor-oriented sounds! – Phil

• ARTIST: Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru
• TITLE: Souvenirs
• LABEL: Mississippi Records
• STYLE: Spirituals / Modern Classical / Folk
• LOCATION: Europe

There are few artists whose music is as beloved as the late composer Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru. Souvenirs is the first vocal album by the Ethiopian Orthodox nun, and this home cassette recording, made between 1977 and 1985, was created during a time of dramatic upheaval for both her and her country. Each track is emotionally stirring, striking listeners with a relatable sorrow that is both heartbreaking and, at the same time, life-affirming. – Tana

• ARTIST: Palomatic
• TITLE: Trill
• LABEL: Feedback Waves
• STYLE: Techno / Ambient
• LOCATION: Japan

Trill, the sole album by Palomatic (Koji Takahashi), is a buoyant, melodic dive into dance floor bliss. Originally released on CD in 1995 and reissued on vinyl by Feedback Waves, the album seamlessly blends Berlin techno, British ambient, Bristol trip-hop, and more, all filtered through a distinctly Japanese lens. Takahashi, a key figure in Japan’s ’90s electronic scene, crafts a sound both deep and intricate. – Randall

• ARTIST: Various Artists
• TITLE: Ayo Ke Disco: Boogie, Pop & Funk from the South China Sea (1974​-​88)
• LABEL: Soundway Records
• STYLE: Disco / Boogie / Funk
• LOCATION: Southeast Asia

Following in the lineage of seminal international Soundway compilations, Ayo Ke Disco collects rare, locally produced boogie, pop, and funk tracks from the “Tiger Cub” nations of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. This one hits close to home for me as my dad immigrated from Malaysia to America right around the time many of these tracks were released (1974-1988). While listening, I’m imagining an alternative reality where my father might have attended some of these late-night discotheques, dancing to local music infused with Malay, Chinese, and Hindu elements, instead of The Beatles, Bee Gees, and The Animals he encountered while in the States. I’m not sure where that thought ends, but this compilation is essential for anyone interested in Southeast Asian music! – Phil

• ARTIST: Various Artists
• TITLE: Naya Beat Volume 2 (South Asian Dance And Electronic Music 1988-1994)
• LABEL: Naya Beat
• STYLE: Acid House / New Beat / Dub
• LOCATION: South Asian Diaspora

Our friends at Naya Beat continue to do the lord’s work of unearthing lost gems from the South Asian diaspora. On their second compilation, Turbotito and Ragz look beyond the glamour of disco and into the basements of underground clubs. Following critically acclaimed releases with the likes of disco-jazz legend Asha Puthli and Manchester’s Mr. Scruff, Naya Beat Volume 2 spotlights a unique era in the late ’80s and early ’90s when fertile cross-cultural collaboration abounded in diasporic communities in cities like London and New York, and when South Asian music was infused with acid house, New Beat, and dub. The compilation includes highly influential South Asian electronic acts such as the West India Company, Bappi Lahiri, Sharlene Boodram, Sangeeta, and more! – Phil 

• ARTIST: Broadcast
• TITLE: Spell Blanket – Collected Demos 2006​-​2009
• LABEL: Warp Records
• STYLE: Indie / Demos / Folk
• LOCATION: UK

All the synthesizers and noisemakers in the world can’t save a bad song. Conversely, great songs like those that Broadcast recorded and released during their lifetime need little more than a basic structure and Trish Keenan’s magical way with a line and turn of phrase to shine. That’s the takeaway from Spell Blanket, which gathers three years of Broadcast sketches to create yet another remarkable record. – Randall

• ARTIST: System Exclusive
• TITLE: Summertime
• LABEL: Terrestrial Funk
• STYLE: Downtempo / Street Soul
• LOCATION: UK

“One of the greatest UK White Labels of all time.” Miami-based label Terrestrial Funk revives System Exclusive’s “Summertime,” a timeless downtempo street soul cruiser that could’ve only been created through the intimacy of a quaint home studio. I’m not typically for spoken word rap, but this one is just perfectly chilled and restrained: “Take a moment to appreciate we’re doing fine. To be sitting here with the heavens clear. Nothing to bring on a cloud or a tear.” Highly recommended for fans of Soul II Soul, that Bô’vel compilation on Athens of the North (another big recommendation for this), Joyce Sims, V4 Visions, etc. – Phil

• ARTIST: Various Artists
• TITLE: TRAИƧA
• LABEL: Red Hot Org
• STYLE: Pop / Electronic / Ambient
• LOCATION: Global

TRAИƧA brings together a host of beloved legends to celebrate the lives of trans and non-binary people everywhere. This project by The Red Hot Organization must have been a herculean effort, uniting a surprising mix of artists for this 46-track album, which includes a new version of Beverly Copeland’s classic “Ever New” (this time joined by UK pop star Sam Smith). Some other favorites are “STAR (Survival)” by Ana Roxanne and Nsambu Za Suekema and “My Name” by Kara Jackson and Ahya Simone, though there are many more gems in this epoch. – Tana

• ARTIST: Various Artists
• TITLE: Someone Like Me
• LABEL: Efficient Space
• STYLE: Psychedelic Rock / Folk / Pop
• LOCATION: Global

Someone Like Me, released by the always-curatorial Efficient Space, is a hauntingly beautiful collection of rare folk sounds pulled from the far-flung corners of the internet. The album stitches together raw, intimate songs about human connection, each piece resonating like a faded photograph come to life. With its unpolished sincerity and unexpected tenderness, the compilation feels both deeply nostalgic and timeless, uncovering voices long lost yet achingly familiar. It’s a quiet celebration of the shared longing and fragility that bind us, offering solace in its simplicity. – Radha

• ARTIST: Linda Smith
• TITLE: Nothing Else Matters
• LABEL: Captured Tracks
• STYLE: Acoustic / Indie Pop
• LOCATION: Baltimore

Sounding almost taped together, Linda Smith’s records in the mid-1990s hit the ears like some bespoke, handcrafted gift from a parallel universe. Drawing inspiration from early Rough Trade artists like Young Marble Giants and the Monochrome Set, Smith’s work both alone and as a member of the Woods remains as magnetic now as when it was released. She’s got a rich, dynamic contralto that, combined with a certain breathiness, makes it immediately identifiable. This year Captured Tracks, which issued a collection of Smith’s work in 2021, reissued two of her loveliest records, Nothing Else Matters from 1995 and I So Liked Spring from 1996. – Randall

• ARTIST: Gastr Del Sol
• TITLE: We Have Dozens of Titles
• LABEL: Drag City
• STYLE: Post-Rock / Experimental
• LOCATION: Chicago

“This is gonna sound weird, but we were fucking great.” Jim O’Rourke’s assessment of Gastr del Sol more than holds up on We Have Dozens of Titles, a collection of extant recordings and live performances from the David Grubbs-led group. Featuring Grubbs’ acoustic and electric guitar work and O’Rourke’s textured accents, noisy layers, and expansive sense of space — an approach he’d later refine while producing Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot — the album is a patient, exploratory set of extended pieces. The lineup also included original Bastro bandmates John McIntire and Bundy K. Brown, both future co-founders of Tortoise, alongside Chicago contemporaries Jeb Bishop, Thymme Jones, and Sue Wolf. – Randall

• ARTIST: Mixmaster Morris, Harry Hosono, Jonah Sharp
• TITLE: Quiet Logic
• LABEL: WRWTFWW Records
• STYLE: Ambient / Downtempo / IDM
• LOCATION: UK

In 1997, Mixmaster Morris, Jonah Sharp, and Haruomi Hosono came together in Hosono’s studio to craft Quiet Logic, a collaborative ambient album blending gentle rhythms with experimental electronic elements. Originally released on Hosono’s Daisyworld label, the album captures Morris (The Irresistible Force), Sharp (Spacetime Continuum), and Hosono (Yellow Magic Orchestra) combining like some superhero team to create subtle magic. Reissued by WRWTFWW Records, its return is a godsend. – Randall

• ARTIST: Various Artists
• TITLE: Down To The Sea & Back: Volume Tres. The Continuing Journey of the Balearic Beat
• LABEL: Down To The Sea & Back
• STYLE: Balearic / Cosmic / Soul
• LOCATION: Global

There is something special when a compilation could use the words “Balearic Journey.” The most beautiful compilations are this: Greek acid folk to balearic bossa nova, outsider pop to cosmic machine soul, odd numbers to dubbed-out new wave. There are jams on this that typically don’t fit together—ones no algorithm could understand or duplicate. But sometimes the curveball tune coming after a very slept-on dusty random song is in fact the medicine we all need. It takes you somewhere else. This compilation couldn’t just be dissected for description—it is a journey as a whole. – Max

• ARTIST: Maple Fyshh
• TITLE: 君​が​ど​ん​ど​ん​離​れ​て​行​く You Are Leaving My Mind: The “Mariko” and “Dokitto Station​!​!​” Era
• LABEL: EM Records
• STYLE: Indie Rock / Dream Pop / DIY
• LOCATION: Japan

A collection of introspective Japanese dream pop tracks self-produced and recorded by Maple Fyshh in his home studio in Miyazaki, Kyushu. The songwriting here seems to replicate a sort of seaside ’60s American pop sound, but the heavy reverb and crunchy DIY production (apparently inspired by oddball production mavens like Phil Spector and Joe Meek) levitates these tracks into an ethereal territory. Immensely beautiful! Recommended for fans of Phil Spector, Broadcast demos, and Les Rallizes Dénudés. – Phil

• ARTIST: Luluc
• TITLE: Passerby
• LABEL: Sub Pop / Community Music
• STYLE: Indie Rock / Folk
• LOCATION: Brooklyn

A sleeper folk-rock record that resonates just as deeply now as when it was issued in 2014, Passerby is the second album from the duo Luluc, coproduced by Aaron Dessner of the National and featuring guest musicians from Bon Iver, Beirut, The National, and Sufjan Stevens’ band. Originally released by Sub Pop, its 10th anniversary edition has been reissued by our friends at Community Music. – Randall