Over the past few weeks, our most active record reviewers have had the task of choosing their 5 favorite recordings of 2023, and here they are. This selection is unique and quite different of all you can find on the web or through traditional medias.
Montreal’s seven-headed Japanese psych-rock hydra has reclaimed its unique sonic status once again with Hagata. The sophomore album contains elements of Japanese folk, Brazilian surf rock, and a whirlwind of other psychedelic influences, pulling the listener into a chaotic storm. It’s impossible to talk about the “best” moments on Hagata because there are so many; the calming horns on “Onaji Heya,” the dueling acoustic rhythm and electric lead guitars on “Me No Haya” on the shortened, the whimsical nature of “Doppelganger,” the hypnotic flutes on “Yurei Zanmai,” (a song that briefly morphs into one of the heaviest tracks we’ve heard all year). No other band sounds like TEKE::TEKE, period.
To see the complete list, click here!
