Artist's Albums Of The Year: School Of Seven Bells

Alejandra Deheza and Benjamin Curtis of Brooklyn trio School Of Seven Bells are the latest act to tell Gigwise about their records of 2008.

The band officially release their debut album 'Alpinisms' in the UK in 2009 and will be touring in support of it alongside Casiokids during February and March.

Alejandra

Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull
This is one of the most beautiful albums that I've heard in a long time. I could full on hallucinate to this record while stone cold sober. It's like the new classical. Well, maybe not yet, but it should be.

Fennesz - Black Sea
This record is just as stunning. I wish someone would make a film to go with it. I bet you he could-his work is so visual already, you know he's got to see it as clearly as he hears it.

Robert Wyatt - Shleep
Reissue or not, it came out this year so it counts! This is one of my favorite records of all time. Robert Wyatt is a huge inspiration for me, and has been such an influence on me musically.

Gas - Nah und Fern
Yes, another reissue. Why? Because it is one of the best releases of 2008. The music is still so fresh, and to me it hasn't aged a day. That's quite a feat. Plus, it was a big inspiration for the song 'Amaranth' on our album Alpinisms.

Erykah Badu - New Amerykah
That woman is a badass. She's uncompromisingly her far out, badass self. Her voice is sick and all her own.

Benjamin

Portishead - Third
This was probably the most eventful release of the year, and it turned out to be a really special record.  It has some incredibly beautiful moments, and they managed to both produce the album creatively and experiment while maintaining their own identity.  That's not an easy thing to do.

Madlib - Beat Kondukta Vol. 5 & 6
Honestly, Beat Kondukta Vol. 3 & 4 have been the best so far.  It was all samples from Indian records, which was amazing.  This new set is great as usual, though.   This man is a minimalist and a genius.

Philip Jeck - Sand
Philip Jeck is amazing, and Sand is no exception.  The surface noise of his music is so hypnotic, and the song Fanfares, built from a small loop of an Aaron Copeland composition, is our favorite Philip Jeck moment to date.

School of Seven Bells - Alpinisms
People never put their own records on these lists.  We're really proud of it.  What can we say?

Beach House - Devotion
This is a beautiful record, with a great atmosphere.  We think they're one of the most interesting sounds happening right now, and without them it would be really hard to make lists like these.