Album Of The Year 2013 according to...

Here we are again, people! If you are not familiar with this format, check the previous posts here, here and bloody here. Thanks! Simple really, instead of posting a list, I ask the beautiful people what was their favourite 2013 release. Not necessary the best, most important or trend-altering, but the one that you found yourself falling back on time and time again. The one you traveled and conversed with. The one you spooned.
So there, two great friends of mine contributed these two dandies!

BURIAL - Rival Dealer [Hyperdub]

I was annoyingly aware of my fangirl-ish obsession with Burial perhaps clouding my judgement in preparation for putting together my top list - however, after careful consideration and way too many hours of listening to most noteworthy releases of the year, his EP Rival Dealer without a doubt takes the cake as best release of the year.
Rival Dealer sheds a different light on the electronic composer than its recent predecessors Truant / Rough Sleeper and Kindred. While some may miss ‘the Burial sound’, I applaud artists who dare to challenge themselves and evolve their music with every release. Because, really - who wants to listen to the same song for years?
Rival Dealer’s s/t opening track calls for immediate attention; it’s brimful of intensity, evoking goosebumps. Its last minutes, however, are what strikes the listener - in what has to be one of the most gorgeous outros ever made. “Hiders” is a quirky, upbeat track - setting the tone for the next minutes of music which are by far the most accessible Burial tracks in years. The final track, “Come Down To Us” could be described as sort of an epic Burial pop song.
Claiming that he wanted the EP to be ‘anti-bullying’ and it ending with the words “you’re not alone” followed by a moving quote from a speech made by transgender filmmaker Lana Wachowski, Burial leaves the listener with a lot to think about - and a strong desire to press replay.
- Hildur Maral



*** Hildur is a hard working, ever pimpin', problem solving, creative thinking, versatile mother-beast of a woman, neck deep in the organising-booking-public relations-publicity-managing-movin'n'shaking world of Iceland and abroad, mostly in music but also films and other arts. Most importantly, she's got a good taste and passion for music and is a friend of Halifax Collect. Currently expanding her empire in Denmark, she co-owns and runs Projekta ("A creative music management, publicity, booking & export company") and is a label manager at the awesome Bedroom Community.


MODERN LIFE IS WAR - Fever Hunting [Deathwish Inc.]

For my favourite album of 2013 I have decided on Fever Hunting (review) by Modern Life Is War (interview). It was frankly the first album that popped in my mind.
I was pretty sceptical about it at first since they hadn’t done anything in such a long time and the hype around the album seemed so huge and pretentious. The album definitely doesn’t disappoint, it sounds like a blend of everything they’ve tried in the past mixed with some new energy. FUCKING KILLER!
- Ási Þórðarson



*** Ási is a brother in arms, a fellow drum nerd and a hc/punk lifer. Aside from being a dedicated boyfriend and a family man, he drums and schemes for the ever-so-prolific and consistently great Muck. A band I've, perhaps, writen too much and often about. Scratch that: It is totally warranted. Type the name Muck into the search bar in the top-right corner and get edumacated. Given you are a regular Halifax Collect reader, you damned be familiar with the band. A lot of ya should be fans.

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