My Top Albums 2012: Number 6

Islet – Illuminated People

Islet have a knack for oddball soundscapes akin to Can. Percussive rave-ups, jerky serrated riffs, infinite guitar loops, tribal drums, along with vocal and electronic effects, all spattered Pollock-style onto the canvas, sounding fresh and impulsive. Melodies are buried in fuzz and surrealism but still glow from within. Forging a sprawling and unpindownable path, this is thoroughly modern and bizarrely brilliant.

A Bear On His Own