Everything seems to be changing all the time, but albums remain the most vital test of a musician’s skill and determination. The very best go above and beyond the necessary cohesion and consistency to create absorbing journeys, experiences that put listeners into another space entirely – which this year has mattered more than ever. The following ten albums are some of the underground’s greatest successes; these are visionary statements that defy all expectation to achieve far more than thought possible.
10: Big Nate – Exposure
Youtube | Spotify | Apple Music
“Exposure” is the type of album that might be described as ‘militaristic’ were it not for the creator’s clear disregard for regulation; Big Nate’s discipline across this nine track thriller comes only from within, and that makes the London MC’s lyrical hunger all the more pressing. He claims on the introduction; “It’s only right that I get the exposure, I’ve been through enough, and I don’t need closure”, and goes on to prove his worth with fierce bar after fierce bar – he’s particularly vicious when the fire is held close to the surface, such as on the whisper-rapped “Wave” or the DIY lockdown rant “Dear Diary”. At any level, though, “Exposure” is a voracious and gripping listen. – Jamie
9: BIGBABYGUCCI – Teen Spirit
Soundcloud | Spotify | Apple Music
Teen Spirit by BIGBABYGUCCI is a thirteen-track album released this year, featuring production from BIGBABYGUCCI’s primary producer Fish and some co-production from artists like Neilaworld’s Lukrative (“ANOTHER PLANET”) and WHOIZNATE (“ASK ME”). It contains some of his best and most creative works of the year, such as the designer-inspired “GOSHA” and “PRADA” both, and shows why BIGBABYGUCCI is here to stay at the forefront of the underground and beyond. – Arctic
8: Blood Money – Year of Horror 3
Soundcloud | Spotify | Apple Music
Announced not long after the exhilarating second volume dropped late last year, the third installment in the Year of Horror series is Detroit rapper Blood Money’s most expansive to date and well worth the (exactly 365 day) wait. Although there is plenty of dark-sounding music to be found here (‘Fuck 12 Freestyle’ and ‘I Smoke Kush’ are the absolute perfection of this sound), this is by far the most diverse release in his catalogue so far. The second half of this record is a totally different beast, featuring some real surprises such as smooth plug production and guest vocals from Icxxy on ‘Nothing 2 Lose’. These deviations from the rapper’s established sound are tonally on point, however, as on every track here the artist formerly known as Koran is recounting the hardships of his life and questioning the authenticity of his peers in the game. But really he has no peers, as nobody else in the current underground is rapping quite this well. With such amazing skills in his arsenal alongside his newfound interest in self-production, Blood Money is truly an unstoppable force. Let’s just hope that we’re only waiting another year for his next offering. – Chris
7: SG Lily – Content
Soundcloud | Spotify | Apple Music
SG Lily’s pop opus landed at an opportune time in both the underground and the real world, right at the start of where this year went to hell. Its driving, sincere, and at times playful tones offer something that pushes and pulls in fairly even share – “Coachella Rolling Loud”, featuring close associates Loveboy and Uknoxoxo, is a great example, creating constant motion from meditative artificial sounds. Songs like “Burn” stay true to the album’s title, offering something to fill the void, something to maintain contentment, but it’s the first track “All” that gives most generously. The track has a near organic pulse, fiery and humid, folding in on itself in twisted 4/4 time – the perfect vibe for a year of so much distorted hope. – Jamie
6: Phixel – Shapes and Colours
Soundcloud | Matter | Spotify | Apple Music
No album on this list is as personal as Shapes and Colours, and for that reason it’s also the most difficult to talk about. For such a young artist Phixel has seemingly been through a lot, and it was clearly these experiences that formed the layers of raw emotion that eventually became her first full length album. There are some vocal cameos here (8485, Blackwinterwells, Alice Gas), but the primary focus is always on Phixel and her honestly flawless songwriting capabilities. ‘Listen’ presents listeners with intense gravitas early on, anchoring the mood of the album firmly in harrowing territory while also allowing the artist to exorcise some of her personal demons. It’s ultimately an empowering track, and one that clears the playing field for the poppier material (‘Blender’, ‘The Silence’, ‘Floating’) to follow. Whether she’s singing about heartbreak or personal betrayal, Phixel always performs at the top of her game and the possibilities for her career in the future are pretty much endless. – Chris
5: Cybernetic Snake x Sixtythree666 – Metal Gear Sexxx
Cyberpunk was more popular than ever this year, but no album encapsulated the feeling of a nightmarish, mechanical dystopia better than Snake and Sixtythree’s Metal Gear Sexxx. The former artist massively levelled up in the process of creating this project, his delivery tighter than ever and a perfect accompaniment to the sinister undercurrent of Sixtythree’s production. Delivering a variety of sounds including murky cloud rap (‘Cherry Blossom’), unnerving autotune experiments (‘IMVU’) and alien strip club bangers (‘Snake Charmer’), the transatlantic duo have surpassed all expectations. I immensely look forward to hearing the follow up, whenever that may be. – Chris
4: Material Girl – Tangram
Soundcloud | Spotify | Bandcamp
“Tangram” is an eruptive piece of musical cinema, rife with disorder, haze, and possibility. No Agreements mainstay Material Girl exhibits a unique control over genre and, especially, timbre. The falling stars of “No Runner” explode into terrifying free jazz cacophony, “On My Way Out” plays as a straight-up rap song in the throes of decay (even the vinyl noise is bitcrushed), and collaborations open up new scenes of vibrance and wonder. MG’s pool of ideas really does feel endless – there’s mud, clarity, noise, grace, and humility, all sharing the space. “Tangram” is an excitingly rich debut from a confident auteur. – Jamie
3: John Alone – Babel! (AKA Johnny Social’s Collectivist Manifesto)
Youtube | Spotify | Apple Music
A mission statement for contorted times, John Alone’s mid-year record confirms the UK-based multitalent as a gifted narrator and talented curator. With care and precision, he pulls sounds from the UK’s rising ranks and wraps himself tightly around them. There’s staggering smoothness in John’s transition from rapper to singer, to rapper, to storyteller – his visions are ones well known, but “Babel!” brings to life the sex of “BANG THAT”, the inebriation of “CODEINE”, and the warm love of “MUJOJO” with a captivating flair rarely seen in such ambitious projects. – Jamie
2: Blackwinterwells – Seraph
Soundcloud | Spotify | Apple Music
Sometimes, albums that unwind and heal the mind of the listener are dismissed for being ‘too easy’, for not requiring any effort on the behalf of the audience. “Seraph” exposes this lie with nineteen minutes of uncompromisingly gorgeous sounds that whistle and beat like neon-tinged forest winds. Blackwinterwells does in fact ask for the audience’s participation; not unlike the biblical angels, Wells asks for total faith at the edge of this album’s portal. Rewarding this belief is an album of sublime polish, one where even the dramas of “perfect” and EDM-lite bumps of “xtal” are a gateway to relaxation, tamed by Wells’ reverberant lead vocals. – Jamie
1: Kid Trash – Slasherrr
Soundcloud | Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp
SLASHERRR by Kid Trash is a master class in the new wave of Drain Gang-inspired hip-hop and electronic music that defined 2020 for SoundCloud, with expert production from Kid Trash themselves and mainstays such as kuru & BLOODiDOL making appearances in the credits. At just ten songs and thirty minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, and remains a thoroughly great and self-defining record from the artist throughout its runtime. – Arctic
Perhaps the ultimate peak of their career so far, Kid Trash’s gloriously dark and glitchy album Slasherrr was the only realistic pick for AOTY in my eyes. Sporting some of the best songwriting and production in the entire genre, this ten track project garnered more listens from me than any other this year. Partly dabbling in glossy, hooky pop music while also dedicating itself to sinister, rock-influenced trap music, this album generally defies genre conventions in its quest to depict Trash’s incredibly unique journey in the way that it always deserved. The artist is at their most confident here, and there’s a real sense of power in the one, two punch of ‘Look At This’ and ‘Slasher’ right out the gate. The album doesn’t slow down at any point though, as ‘Gum’ and ‘Roadkill’ are equally colossal anthems that should be considered underground classics by now. The English artist would have had one hell of a year even without Slasherrr in their discography, the jaw-dropping execution and incredible consistency that it provides is merely the icing on the cake. – Chris
108MICS 