Dive into our favorite sounds of 2024, selected by the team behind In Sheep’s Clothing…

An unfortunate year in a multitude of ways (a recurring theme), 2024 felt like another year we all needed to just get through… Thankfully, music has continued to be a healing salve here at In Sheep’s Clothing HQ with Jessica Pratt’s Here in the Pitch, in particular, working its magic to suspend time in the perfect way. Global sounds from London, Argentina, Lisbon, Belgium also came into heavy rotation, though we’d have to say that our hometown of Los Angeles feels like it has hit something of a high point with Pratt’s album along with the community of experimental / improvisational artists surrounding the Chicago-LA-based label International Anthem all releasing some of their best work (Jeff Parker, Anna Butterss, Jeremiah Chiu, etc.), plus local heroes Nicky Benedek & friends’ new project Total Blue arriving on Music from Memory at just the right time.

As you probably know, we’ve continued to push forward at our record shop collaboration Sound & Vision with dublab at ROW DTLA, presenting the latest contemporary + archival sounds and hosting labels, artists, and collectives for in-store community-focused activations. Reach out to [email protected] if you have an event idea! Stay tuned for some good news in 2025…

---

• ARTIST: Total Blue
• TITLE: S.T.
• LABEL: Music from Memory
• STYLE: Ambient / Jazz / Fusion
• LOCATION: Los Angeles

It’s been a bittersweet year for Music from Memory. With the loss of co-founder Jamie Tiller, the Amsterdam-based label has had to regroup and find a new way forward. While navigating this crossroads, the label released two of the best albums of 2024, including the debut from Total Blue, a trio featuring LA-based musicians Nicky Benedek, Alex Talan, and Anthony Calonico. Drawing from the best of ’80s jazz fusion and New Age (think Mark Egan’s Elements, Pat Metheny Group, Mark Isham, Jon Hassell, ECM), Total Blue has created another defining moment for the label — a fresh sound that reaches as much into the past as it looks into the future. The release underscores the lasting impact of Music from Memory, a label that continues to outdo itself year after year, even when it seems they’ve reached their peak. R.I.P. Jamie Tiller — Music from Memory forever. – Phil

• ARTIST: Ghost Dubs
• TITLE: Damaged
• LABEL: Pressure
• STYLE: Dub / Techno
• LOCATION: Germany

Released on The Bug’s Pressure imprint, Damaged is a collection of earth-shattering dubwise basement techno from German producer Michael Fiedler, aka Ghost Dubs, aka Jah Schulz. While the components here are nothing unexpected — slithering sub-bass grooves, spectral chords, pitched-down vocals — the veteran bass producer manages to present a fresh take on dub techno with his total command of the mixing board. Drum beats and dub chords are broken apart and heavily processed through spring reverb, phasers, and filters, leaving just ghostly traces of sound that somehow groove harder than their initial sound sources. The technique recalls the pioneering experimental dub duo Sub Dub, especially their 2001 Sub Tools EP, which strips apart sampled reggae drum rhythms and emphasizes deep basslines and sub frequencies. – Phil

• ARTIST: mu tate
• TITLE: wanting less
• LABEL: Warm Winters Ltd.
• STYLE: Ambient / Experimental / Dubwise
• LOCATION: London

Jazz-tinged, sub-aquatic ambient music from London-based Latvian producer mu tate. A subtle dubwise approach runs through this entire ambient record with field recordings, samples, and virtual synthesizers put through heavy echo and reverb treatment. I especially love “sweat” which cruises through dripping, almost rainforest ambience, while a deep sub bassline propels the track forward. You can almost feel a four-to-the-floor kick drum coming, but the experience ends up much more transportive without it. Highly recommended for fans of the 3XL, Purelink, Topdown Dialectic, Motion Ward worlds of post-club experimental ambient music. – Phil

• ARTIST: Li Yilei
• TITLE: 垂髫 / NONAGE
• LABEL: Métron Records
• STYLE: Ambient / Experimental
• LOCATION: London

London-based Chinese sound poet Li Yilei takes us on a journey through childhood on her second album for Métron Records, 垂髫 / NONAGE, which refers to the carefree phase of life when children are encouraged to explore all of life’s offerings: love and despair, grief and glee, curiosity and mistakes. Like her debut 之 / OF, 垂髫 / NONAGE builds a sonic world of its own, this time through samples from old Chinese TV shows, children’s toys, and instruments designed by Li. There’s a pleasant uncertainty and randomness here, with the tracks often meandering between broken keyboard playing, field recordings, modular synth bloops, and ambient drones, much like a child might experience life through play. Li hopes “listeners will engage with this album in a dreamlike manner, allowing them to freely explore within their dreams without the need to consider how they arrived there or how they will exit.” – Phil

• ARTIST: Opal Sunn
• TITLE: Elastic – Phases I – III
• LABEL: Test Pressing
• STYLE: Dance / Dub / Ambient
• LOCATION: London

Pure, feel-good trance and dubwise dance music from Opal Sunn aka Alex Kassian & Hiroaki Oba! This just hits the spot with its perfect, immensely euphoric chord progression that gets (deservingly) drawn out across three phases. Elastic was released just a few weeks ago, but I’m already looking forward to hearing all three phases on a dance floor or listening zone sometime very soon, preferably on a beach… Alex Kassian’s A Reference to E2​–​E4 (probably the biggest dance single of the year) was also a personal peak 2024 moment for me hearing Mad Professor’s Qantas Crazy Remix in the morning hours deep in a forest off the coast of Japan. – Phil

• ARTIST: Water Damage
• TITLE: In E
• LABEL: 12XU
• STYLE: Krautrock / Post-Punk
• LOCATION: Austin

Sounding like a mutant offspring of This Heat, 75 Dollar Bill, Amon Düül, and Sleep, Austin band Water Damage’s In E is a heavy, heaving slab of drone rock, with four sprawling tracks averaging 20 minutes each. True to Mark E. Smith’s “three Rs” of great music—“repetition, repetition, repetition”—the band locks into relentlessly hypnotic grooves that swirl as they progress, churning with raw intensity and gradually becoming distorted, feedback-drenched mantras. – Randall

• ARTIST: SML
• TITLE: Small Medium Large
• LABEL: International Anthem
• STYLE: Jazz / Electronic / Improvisation
• LOCATION: Los Angeles

Constructed from long-form improvisations recorded during two separate two-night stands at ETA, SML is the product of expert LA-based avant-jazz players Anna Butterss (bass), Jeremiah Chiu (synthesizers), Josh Johnson (saxophone), Booker Stardrum (percussion), and Gregory Uhlmann (guitar). SML then compiled, arranged, and edited the recordings with additional production at their home studios. The star of any mixtape, radio show, or playlist it appears on, the self-titled record is an instant classic of rhythmic, exploratory instrumental music. – Randall

• ARTIST: The Necks
• TITLE: Bleed
• LABEL: Northern Spy
• STYLE: Jazz / Avant-Garde / Improvisation
• LOCATION: Sydney

A piece that creeps into being like a titanic cargo ship looming on the horizon, Bleed unfolds across its 43-minute running time. As with La Monte Young’s work, each key strike from Chris Abrahams’ hand in the first few minutes is left to luxuriate in the open air—sacred and offered in its entirety, from first contact through blissful sustain and luscious harmonic afterglow. The next 40 minutes is filled with unexpected turns, with every corner or chord change revealing a new vista. A wondrously deep listen, the more you attune, the more you hear. – Randall

• ARTIST: Nala Sinephro
• TITLE: Endlessness
• LABEL: Warp Records
• STYLE: Jazz / Electronic / Ambient
• LOCATION: London

Caribbean-Belgian composer, producer, and musician Nala Sinephro’s work lives in the Venn diagram connecting jazz, electronic, and ambient music. Known for her cascading modular synthesizer compositions and delicate, melodic harp playing, her second album—following her 2021 debut Space 1.8—is driven by a continuous arpeggio that evolves throughout, symbolizing, according to the release notes, perpetual cycles and rebirth. The album comprises 10 tracks, each titled “Continuum,” so cohesion is baked in, but the world within these parameters feels effortlessly free. – Randall

• ARTIST: Raphael Toral
• TITLE: Spectral Evolution
• LABEL: Moikai
• STYLE: Experimental / Guitar / Drone
• LOCATION: Lisbon

Few listening experiences are as fulfilling as going all-in on Raphael Toral at full volume on a good system. The Portuguese composer and musician rose out of the same late 1980s Lisbon music scene as Nuno Canavarro, whose brilliant minimalist work of the era shares traits with Toral. Spectral Evolution, released in February, is a masterclass in dynamic, spatial sound design that mixes guitar drones with intricate electronic textures. The record has earned a lot of attention, partly due to its release on Jim O’Rourke’s long-dormant, recently revived Moikai label. The spotlight is well-deserved and underscores Toral’s own spectral evolution. – Randall

• ARTIST: Priori
• TITLE: This but More
• LABEL: NAFF
• STYLE: Techno / Ambient
• LOCATION: Montreal

Francis Latreille, the prolific producer and co-founder of NAFF, returns to the label with his third full-length album, This But More, a texturally rich collection of tracks that traverse ambient and club-adjacent subgenres. Guest appearances include James K and Ben Bondy, who round out two of the more pop-leaning tracks. Latreille builds to these moments through sound design, modern classical themes, and carefully considered beats. A hidden narrative seems to thread through the record, as if the music were written to score a fogged-out, futuristic noir RPG. Priori’s ability to world-build within the context of these disparate subgenres confirms that he’s one of the best doing it today. – John

• ARTIST: Nídia & Valentina
• TITLE: Estradas
• LABEL: Latency
• STYLE: Kuduro / Post-Punk / World Beat
• LOCATION: London

On Estradas, London-based composer and percussionist Valentina Magaletti and African-Portuguese producer Nídia Borges seamlessly blend acoustic and digital beats. Simple melodic moments swirl in and out through polyrhythms and perfectly placed pauses, creating a mutant kuduro-post-punk-tinged global beat. – John

• ARTIST: Jeff Parker ETA IVtet
• TITLE: The Way Out of Easy
• LABEL: International Anthem
• STYLE: Jazz / Electronic / Improvisation
• LOCATION: Los Angeles

The LA jazz community is reaching yet another high-water mark, and The Way Out of Easy is an excellent document of the moment. Parker’s residency at the Highland Park venue ETA quickly became a highly sought-after ticket, and the recordings captured there are extraordinary. Within the intimate setting, Parker’s compositions expand and contract around deep grooves, dreamy progressions, and curious instrumental runs, blending traditional themes with a subtle experimental approach. – John

• ARTIST: Milan W.
• TITLE: Leave Another Day
• LABEL: Stroom
• STYLE: Indie Rock / Gothic
• LOCATION: Belgium

Leave Another Day, a melodic lamentation of forbidden love and longing, regret and reverence, weaves beautiful songwriting, masterful synthesis, and dark saxophone and guitar solos. Combined, it suggests wandering through a gothic Wild West of moody nighttime music. – Cate

• ARTIST: Yara Asmar
• TITLE: Stuttering Music
• LABEL: Ruptured
• STYLE: Ambient / Experimental
• LOCATION: Beirut

A captivating collection of slowly unfurling melodic drones and allusive sound design, Stuttering Music’s beauty lies as much in its tentative and nuanced melodic character as it does in the mysterious quality of the harmonics, effects processing, and instrumentation. – Cate

• ARTIST: Jessica Pratt
• TITLE: Here in the Pitch
• LABEL: Mexican Summer
• STYLE: Folk / Indie Pop
• LOCATION: Los Angeles

Here in the Pitch is a lulling dream of an album, suspended like a mystical cloud of velvety smoke in the witching hours of the night. It features Pratt’s familiar and masterful songwriting and revels in mysterious instrumentation and production elements. The album feels like a private whisper, drawing you closer with each listen. Everything about this record is lovely. – Cate

• ARTIST: Group Listening
• TITLE: Walks
• LABEL: PRAH
• STYLE: Electronic / Ambient
• LOCATION: London

Prismatic melodies meet groovy drum lines in the fifth album by Welsh outfit Group Listening. There’s something here for everyone, and it’ll hit the spot for anyone looking for an ambient album that feels like it lives in a new world. What makes this record so refreshing is its exploratory nature, with each track offering a unique journey—from lush field recordings and meditative forays to haunting cavernous keys and dancefloor-ready jazzy steppers. – Tana

• ARTIST: Arushi Jain
• TITLE: Delight
• LABEL: Leaving Records
• STYLE: Ambient / Indian Classical
• LOCATION: New York

This album is a devotional testament to the purity of emotions, evoking a profound sense of expansiveness and freedom. It dances gracefully between tradition and transformation, delivering comfort and euphoria in equal measure. The soundscapes, constructed with layers of analog synths and classical instrumentation, envelop the listener in a deep, otherworldly embrace. The mesmerizing vocals, ethereal and haunting, call out from an existential void, echoing intimacy and cosmic wonder. Each composition is beautifully crafted and masterfully arranged, embodying the boundary-defying ethos of a Leaving Records release. This is music unmoored from genre, a transcendent journey that invites you to lose yourself and discover something ineffable. – Tana

• ARTIST: Shabaka
• TITLE: Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace
• LABEL: Impulse! Records
• STYLE: Jazz / New Age
• LOCATION: London

Shabaka has long been a pillar of the contemporary London jazz scene, and this year’s solo release is a stunning culmination of his place in the pantheon of jazz artists to watch. Each song is deeply emotional and textured, drawing listeners in completely. He’s joined by greats including Laraaji, Saul Williams, Moses Sumney, and Carlos Niño. This is the definition of an instant classic. – Tana

• ARTIST: Colle
• TITLE: Montalvo
• LABEL: urtruimage
• STYLE: Electronic / Indie Rock / Trip-Hop
• LOCATION: New York

Montalvo is a bold, tender debut that showcases Colle’s ability to craft deeply personal yet universally resonant music. She blends shoegaze haze with trip-hop-inspired beats, creating tracks that unfold like dreams. Carried by ethereal vocals that drift between vulnerability and resilience, the album’s layered textures and atmospheric soundscapes offer an intimate yet otherworldly experience. My favorites are “Held by You” and “Await for Love.” – Radha

• ARTIST: Oro Azul
• TITLE: Water Seeds
• LABEL: Mood Hut
• STYLE: Downtempo / Dembow / Dub
• LOCATION: Montreal

Water Seeds is a lush, four-part sonic journey that immerses listeners in the rhythms and textures of the natural world. Aquatic, bubbling tones give way to forest echoes, evoking the sensation of running through misty, wet trees as sound drips and cascades around you. It’s an evocative exploration of nature’s pulse—fluid, immersive, and brimming with quiet wonder. My favorite track is “Eros.” – Radha

• ARTIST: Astrid Sonne
• TITLE: Great Doubt
• LABEL: Escho
• STYLE: Electronic / Pop / Classical
• LOCATION: London

It’s hard to believe Astrid Sonne’s 4th album for Danish taste makers Escho came out at the very top of this year. The producer-singer-cellist’s unique blend of modern classical with pop music kept Great Doubt on repeat all throughout 2024. – Jonny

• ARTIST: Jack J
• TITLE: Blue Desert
• LABEL: Mood Hut
• STYLE: Electronic / Indie Pop / Downtempo
• LOCATION: Vancouver

Jack J’s second full length for his own Mood Hut imprint saw the multi-instrumentalist/DJ step further away from the dancefloor oriented compositions he first became known for a decade ago. Blue Desert is a reflective, deep dive expressed through the Vancouverite’s matured songwriting and instrumentation skills. – Jonny

• ARTIST: Nourished By Time
• TITLE: Catching Chickens
• LABEL: XL Recordings
• STYLE: R&B / Pop
• LOCATION: Baltimore

2024 was a breakthrough year for Baltimore-based artist Marcus Brown (we all knew it would happen). Nourished by Time’s Catching Chickens EP kept us hanging on the edge of our seats even further for the soulful pop master’s upcoming debut for iconic London label XL Recordings. Hopeful for 2025! – Jonny

• ARTIST: Mabe Fratti
• TITLE: Sentir Que No Sabes
• LABEL: Tin Angel Records
• STYLE: Experimental / Art Rock
• LOCATION: Argentina

On Sentir Que No Sabes, Mabe Fratti orchestrates a symphony of uncertainty, weaving a tapestry of sound that mirrors the complex ecology of human doubt. Fratti’s cello serves as the nucleus connecting disparate musical elements as experimental textures intertwine with chamber pop sensibilities, creating a soundscape both varied and interconnected. A true delight of an album that speaks to me even in a language that isn’t my first. – Bryan

• ARTIST: Theis Thaws
• TITLE: Fifteen Days
• LABEL: False Idols
• STYLE: Electronic / Techno
• LOCATION: Berlin

Theis Thaws—the collaborative project of trip-hop pioneer Tricky and Parisian producer Mike Theis—delivers a glacial exploration of electronic textures that simultaneously embraces and subverts dance music conventions. The album’s sonic palette is a study in contrasts. A bit dark at times, it kept me on my feet subverting more traditional dance music conventions. Theis’s production challenges listeners to find the beauty in discomfort and the meaning in ambiguity. – Bryan

• ARTIST: Th Blisks
• TITLE: Elixa
• LABEL: Efficient Space
• STYLE: Post-punk, Dub
• LOCATION: Melbourne

Imagine, if you will, a sound that’s like stumbling upon a secret radio station broadcasting from the heart of the Australian outback, where the DJ is a time-traveling shaman with an impeccable record collection. This is what I felt is the essence of The Blisks’ Elixa. – Bryan

• ARTIST: Dead Sound
• TITLE: Into the Void
• LABEL: Music from Memory
• STYLE: Electronic / Pop / Leftfield
• LOCATION: Amsterdam

Into The Void stands as a testament to Dead Sound’s ability to create a cohesive and immersive listening experience. It appeals to fans of atmospheric, genre-defying electronic music while maintaining a unique identity within the contemporary music landscape. – Bryan