The top 10 albums of 2012 are revealed in Getintothis‘ annual countdown.
10. 
Majeure: Solar Maximum
Temporary Residence
Futuristic sci-fi synth marathons imbued with the spirit of John Carpenter filled the gap while Fuck Buttons prep their third offering. Scintillating and spine-chilling all in one hit.
Getintothis on Majeure and Solar Maximum
9. 
Diagonal: The Second Mechanism
Rise Above
Losing their main man didn’t prevent Brighton’s Diagonal from blasting back with an assault of visionary instrumental jams mixing brass, woodwind, mellotron, mind-bending guitar textures and the odd kitchen sink.
Getintothis reviews Diagonal live in Liverpool with The Laze
8. 
ITAL: Hive Mind
Planet Mu
Washington DC’s Daniel Martin-McCormick was responsible for one of the smartest and downright sassiest dance records in some time. Fusing Planet Mu‘s propensity for low end dark rumbles with pitch-shifting grooves and cheeky Gaga/Whitney samples.
Getintothis reviews ITAL and Forest Swords live in Liverpool
Getintothis reviews Daniel Martin-McCormick’s Mi Ami in Liverpool’s Static Gallery.
7. 
DIIV: Oshin
Captured Tracks
Brooklyn’s Cole Smith devised the catchiest motorik guitar record of the year melding shoegaze trickery with infectious hooks – none better than centrepiece How Long Have You Known?
6. 
Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
Constellation
Going back rarely seems like a good idea, and in the case of Godspeed! it felt completely unnecessary. So when Allelujah! dropped out of the blue we took a deep breath in expectant disappointment. How wrong we were. Allelujah! not only matches their best work (Lift Your Skinny Fists…) but in the shape of Mladic betters it – a 20-minute Genghis Khan warlord anthem for these times. As intense and as vital as ever.
Getintothis talks to Godspeed’s Efrim Menuck.
5. 
AU: Both Lights
The Leaf Label
Forever teetering on the brink of madness, multi-instrumentalist Luke Wyland and drummer Dana Valatka produced one of the most sonically challenging records of 2012 successfully melding pop ambience, found sound collages, magical ethereal balladry, jazz-rock fusion and on opener Epic a track which covered every base in between. Awesome.
4. 
Kendrick Lemar: good kid, m.A.A.d city
Polydor
Consistently daring, sometimes daft and but always downright dazzling autobiographical account of battling Compton’s daily nightmares by hip-hop’s best new talent.
3. 
Swans: The Seer
Young God
A mind-melting monolith of a double album which when transformed into the live arena by Michael Gira and his aural disciples of the apocalypse saw people dropping like flies such is it’s propulsive intensity. A religious experience.
Getintothis reviews Swans at Manchester’s Sound Control
2. 
Goat: World Music
Rocket Recordings
Coming on like Maggot Brain‘s ferocious bastard offspring, Sweden psych specialists Goat have concocted a voodoo freak out rock extravaganza which lives up to it’s name by straddling the stylistic globe. Afro tribal rhythms collide with mesmeric disco funk, Eastern acid folk and oodles of searing guitar fuzz. Imagine Can jamming with George Clinton, Fela Kuti and Black Sabbath and you’re not far away. Getintothis is keeping everything crossed that next year we’ll hear towering, tabla-infused standout Det Som Aldrig Förändras/Diarabi blasted across Liverpool Psych Fest.
Getintothis reviews the Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia
Getintothis picture gallery of Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia at Camp & Furnace
1. 
Frank Ocean: Channel Orange
Mercury
Hip hop is often defined by excess. Indeed Getintothis‘ album of 2010 was perhaps the most excessive of them all. Yet Frank Ocean‘s Channel Orange managed to straddle sonic boundaries, expansive lyrical wizardry and deft masterful production while sounding cute, poised and restrained.
Underpinning it all was a voice dripping in soulful, often spiritual, expression which couldn’t help but move the listener repeatedly. A triumph on so many levels.
Getintothis‘ Top 50 Records of 2012: 20-11
Getintothis‘ Top 50 Records of 2012: 30-21
Getintothis‘ Top 50 Records of 2012: 50-31
Getintothis‘ Top 50 Albums that didn’t make it into Getintothis’ Top 50 albums of 2012.
Getintothis‘ Top 100 Albums of 2011
Getintothis‘ Top 50 Albums that didn’t make it into Getintothis’ Top 50 albums of 2011
Getintothis Top 50 Albums of 2010.
Getintothis Top 50 Albums of 2009.
Getintothis Top Albums 100 of 2008.
Getintothis Top Albums 50 of 2007.
