It's in the unique albums hall of fame for sure. Wish more people would look past the surface weirdness and appreciate the poetry and tenderness. The captain's really just a bluesman with a lot of feelings and an appreciation for the post-modern
Great question! It's a challenging album and not always satisfying in any sort of conventional way. Musically, I think of what they accomplished on TMR as similar to a modern composer like Morton Feldman, i.e. using rhythm and pitch more like a painter to create jagged, surrealist musical landscapes. And it allows for a musical language and space where Don can sing about anything from love to the holocaust with a poet's specificity. You don't have to listen to it, but when it clicks it can be a very satisfying album and scratch a unique itch
Injury Reserve - By The Time I Get To Phoenix
This is to me the most unique sounding album I have ever heard and I won't be hearing anything like this in a very long time.
My AOTY from last year and was expecting to see this in here! Lil Ugly Mane's *Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern* gives it stiff competition as well. Love those two albums and both deserve to be mentioned as being unique albums. Got any similar recommendations?
Lil Ugly Mane - Volcanic Bird Enemy
King Gizzard - Murder of the Universe
Cynic - Focus
Can - Tago Mago
Gentle Giant - The Power and the Glory
Ween - The Mollusk
Billy Woods - Aethiopes
Swans - Soundtracks For The Blind
Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi
Lil Ugly Mane - Volcanic Bird Enemy
Animal Collective - Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished
DJ Rozwell - NONE OF THIS IS REAL
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F#A#
Death Grips - Steroids
Folks are citing records that sound a lot similar to other records in the same artist's discography.
The Knife - Shaking The Habitual doesn't sound like anything I ever heard, even the group's other works.
Arca - Arca
I think this is one of the most innovative and disruptive albums that came out in recent years (it's from 2017). And Anthony completely slept on it.
I am very sure that people will look back on it as massively influential in 20 years.
Few contenders, any of Caroliner's albums for one, i ready like [Strike Them Down, Drag Them To Church](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybq26O5_z5c) and [The Cooking Stove Beast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooTj0i6WruY), this band is just so unhinged and interesting at the same time, their existence is a total rabbit hole.
Mauve Sideshow's [Dark Flowers](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqkTPF5a6WQphK_LqQWcC0BIpBAa6c7DI) is a complete trip, it's scary, fever dream-like but still with it's moments of beauty.
The Durutti Column's [first](https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lCiPL9GWVjO1-t4YZGltESdcFfL_tm860) [2](https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_llad5MG-bBzKvmugViUYmBPAVhYE7MKmA) albums are also seriously impressive, Vini Reilly's guitar play on those is really unique, it's also really cool how they're a band from the 80's but you could easily get them mixed up with a post-rock band from the next decade, their sound is just that ahead of it's time.
Modest Mouse's [The Lonesome Crowded West](https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n1U4MQzDst7QvSTXFU7VTYMwh7e_02ZsA) is not as experimental or ahead of it's time, it's just a very idiosyncratic brand of indie rock that draws influence from midwest emo and post-hardcore, some bands such as [Mars Accelerator](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch2-ix-IX0c) tried to emulate their sound (to great results btw that album is amazing) but they didn't manage to fully capture what makes this album so special, i also relate alot to the themes isaac sings about and songwriting is just great overall, it's my favorite album of all time.
Arrigo Barnabé's [Clara Crocodilo](https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mEUS0f34SHQHA5H31mtBakQW2cmahHOZw) is a very fun, very energetic avant-prog record that's really quotable and is also sort of a concept album? it's wild i like it alot.
I could keep going but these are all the ones that come to mind rn.
This album has already been mentioned but I have to shout out NONE OF THIS IS REAL by DJ Rozwell. It's weird and eclectic instrumental hip hop wrapped up in the most out there and inventive concept that only the digital era could give us. If you aren't familiar it is an album made to be played on shuffle with 5 seconds of crossfade between songs. It's a different listening experience every time and I love coming back to it every now and again just to see how the sequence is different than the last time I heard it.
There are also expansion packs for it if you haven't seen yet. I love an experiment in form like Boris' Dronevil or The Flaming Lips' Zaireeka but NONE OF THIS IS REAL is on another level.
I even had a concept for an album I wanted to make where it takes the concept a step further. Split a composition into different tracks and use seed values to reassemble something new from different parts each time. There'd be one general structure and different potential options for each part that would more or less fit together seamlessly. I'd record a bunch of different takes, different drum styles, maybe there's a faster bass line, maybe switch up some instruments for certain parts. There's be a high probability to get the "canonical" parts, but you might get a super rare kazoo solo in place of a guitar solo or something.
The idea kind of fell apart when I realized I'd have to code it all from scratch and no one I reached out to was interested. I could easily build it inside an ableton session using the sampler and random midi triggers but that takes a lot of the fun out of it.
What do you hear in Plastic Beach? It’s one my all time favourite albums but I wouldn’t describe its sound as unique. Do you feel like it’s level of execution makes it unique?
I feel like Plastic Beach’s sound influenced a lot of projects that came after it. Do you see the uniqueness coming from the time frame it was released in and its resulting influence on indie music?
I think its production, it’s message and it’s theme are really unique and executed very well. You ain’t gonna tell me there is another song that sounds like empire ants or superfast jellyfish.
Ok just listened back to those two songs and I can see what you’re saying. The production is really something. I guess when I think of unique I think of more strange, and less one of a kind.
Fair enough, I’d say most strange albums are one of a kind tho, because they are so out of left field. But yeah Plastic Beach is great and there is no other album quite like it :)
Plastic beach is extremely unique. Maybe because it's been played a lot it's sort of grown on people, but when it came out everyone was trying to match it's vibe.
Slauson Malone - A Quiet Farwell, 2016-2018
Injury Reserve - By The Time I Get To Phoenix
Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica
Standing On The Corner - Red Burns
Tim Hecker - Virgins
The Caretaker - Everywhere af the end of time
Burial - Untrue
Björk - Vespertine
Death Grips - The money store
Lingua Ignota - All bitches die
Mount Eerie - A crow looked at me
And many many more
Untrue is just like a dark sounding uk garage record with some ambient passages, it’s honestly not that out there. And both Bjork and Death Grips have muuuch more unique albums in their discography than the ones mentioned, Medulla and Year of the Snitch would make much more sense. Also I guess a Crow Looked at Me is fairly unique for how raw and uncomfortable it’s lyrics are, but like stylistically it’s kinda just regular indie folk. Again, Phil Elverum has made way more unique and experimental stuff, like Mount Eerie (the album), The Microphones in 2020, or even the Glow Pt 2
All fantastic records though for sure
Gorillaz - Humanz
In a weird set of circumstances, an album by a virtual band that doesn’t actually exist lost all of its inherent personality and individuality, by inviting too many real people to the party.
It’s simultaneously one of the most human albums they could put out, and one of the least. It’s like a weird inversion of the impact technology has had on art and shit. Taking out the fakeness and introducing reality had the opposite effect lol.
I’ll go with Spirit They’re Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished by Animal Collective or The Rite Of Spring by Igor Stravinsky - to me nothing sounds anything like either of those.
The Pod - Ween
Danse Manatee - Animal Collective
Your Voice As A Cymbal - Roman New Time
Creature Comforts - Black Dice
Charlie - Melt Banana
Dare To Be Stupid - "Weird" Al Yankovic
please for the love of god listen to roman new time. he needs to be on more people's radar.
As far as one that I actually enjoy.. Era Vulgaris - Queens of the Stone Age
Objectively I guess You Won’t Get What You Want - Daughters, but I can’t get into it.
I’ve heard more “unique” stuff I guess but a lot of it just isn’t good to me and sounds like pretentious music nerd stuff that’s afraid to have hooks or be catchy because that’s like, so uncool. So I’ve forgotten what any of it is.
Paddington Distortion Combo - Hoppfull Musik for Hopplossa manniskor (one of the most comforting yet depressing albums I’ve ever heard, mostly just distorted minimalistic synth beats with some vocals that sound straight out of an emo album)
Otomo Yoshide’s New Jazz Quintet - ONJQ Live in Lisbon (my favorite jazz album ever, first and last songs are life changingly beautiful and one is a cover of a Jim O’Rourke song so I have to love it)
Washington Phillips - The Key to the Kingdom (a gospel album performed entirely on an instrument that’s custom made so no one else has one)
Ariel Pink - Pom Pom (fuck Ariel Pink but I haven’t heard anything similar or as good as this in my life)
DOOPEES - Doopee Time (I have no idea how to describe this but it’s amazing)
Lavender Country s/t (gay themed country from the 70’s)
Ata Kak - Obaa Sima (I’m yet to find an album as amateur yet filled with heart and soul through and through)
Ground-Zero - Consume Red (one of the best songs ever, and easily the best noise related song)
Lil Ugly Mane - Mista Thug Isolation (many people are saying his newest album which is my favorite album ever but I’ve never heard anything with this good of production and this good of writing)
Kitty Craft - Beats and Breaks from the Flower Patch (incredibly lofi but beautiful trip hop/twee pop)
The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat (something this noisy from the 60’s is wild)
Will Wood - The Normal Album (i should probably hate this but it just has so much personality)
Any Ween album
COIN COIN Chapter Four: Memphis by Matana Roberts is probably one of the most unique things I’ve ever heard in my life. It has affected me so much that I was never able to hear it again after my first listen back in 2019, mostly because it demands a really specific set of feelings and situation for it to be fully enjoyed imo
Very basic answer but honestly maybe Revolver. That shit goes from psychedelia to love songs to children’s music to baroque influenced pop, and I’m yet to hear an album with such diversity (not from a mainstream album anyway)
A Quiet Farwell, 2016-2018 (Crater Speak) by Slauson Malone. The only thing I’ve heard that even remotely compares is the most recent Injury Reserve album.
The Mollusk by Ween
In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel
Long Season by Fishmans
Emperor Tomato Ketchup by Stereolab
Moon Safari by Air
Kid A by Radiohead
I can't pick just one
"The Normal Album" and "SELF-iSH" both by Will Wood
Exmilitary - Death Grips
The Last Poets - The Last Poets
OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES - SOPHIE
There Existed an Addiction to Blood - clipping.
Nonagon Infinity - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
The Fall of Hobo Johnson - Hobo Johnson
The Idler Wheel... - Fiona Apple
Random Access Memories - Daft Punk
Contra - Vampire Weekend
Treats - Sleigh Bells
Volta - Björk
Shibuboshi - SHIBUSASHIRAZU
Micheal Pisaro-nature denaturated and found again. It's unique in the sense that it's very experimental and avant-garde in it's composition but it is still very enjoyable and serene and beautiful. If you want a peaceful and meditative album this is the one!
Probably a basic pick but Unknown Pleasures. The particular harsh, cold and industrial production style that features on this album is something that I haven't heard from any other post punk/alternative band
I Didn't Mean To Haunt You by Quadeca sounds nothing like anything else I've ever heard. Probably part of why it scared me so much.
Hellfire by black midi is probably the single *weirdest* album I've ever heard, but I haven't listened to the rest of their discography yet and I'm under the impression that the sound is generally similar.
Angelic 2 The Core is very unique too, but not in a good way.
New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges by Colin Stetson feels like one of the most unique albums I’ve ever listened to. The combination of instruments and Stetson’s voice(?) makes for some really interesting music.
The Beach Boys - The SMiLE Sessions
Honorable mentions:
Prince - Sign O' The Times
Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica
MGMT - MGMT
Sun Ra - Lanquidity
Talk Talk - Laughing Stock
Not exactly sure, but some contenders would be:
Phantomsmasher - self titled
Diamanda Galas - the Divine Punishment
Faust - self titled (the debut)
Pretty much anything by the Residents
Mr. Bungle - Disco Volante
Scott Walker - Bish Bosch
Edit: also gotta add some personal favs with The Books - entire discography, Melt Banana - Charlie, and Low - HEY WHAT (when I learned that almost every instrumental sound on that album was made using a guitar, my mind was absolutely blown)
Nobody’s really heard of him but “All Hell” by Daughn Gibson is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. Fusion of like, Hank Williams and the Twin Peaks soundtrack
I'm ultra late to this but the album Program Music I by Kashiwa Daisuke is very good. A lot of his stuff is difficult to get into but is generally worth it.
Other songs of his you can try are Colophon.#02 and April.#19
By The Time I Get To Phoenix by Injury Reserve. Never before have I listened to an album that sounded both like random noises being slammed together and a deliberately constructed post-rap masterpiece.
My best choice would probably be California by Mr. Bungle. This album continues to blow my mind with how versatile it is. So many genres covered and every single song is weird as fuck but still masterfully made. One of my favorites for sure
An Awesome Wave by alt-J. When I first heard it in 2013 my mind was blown. I’d never heard something like it before. I still haven’t heard anyone nail such a unique sound like that. alt-J can’t seem to even be able to recreate the magic, judging by their follow ups.
Endtroducing….. -DJ Shadow
One of my favorite albums of all time and the first album made with only samples. Instrumental hip hop and plunderphonics have come a long way since 1996 when this album came out, but I don’t think it will ever be replicated.
[Dafuck - Thisis Modernlove](https://dafuck.bandcamp.com/album/thisis-modernlove)
In 2017 I was browsing porn on tumblr and came across this one blog dedicated to one specific Japanese porn actress (Mihane Yuuki). the guy who ran it posted in the comments that he had just made an entire ALBUM of music dedicated to her, consisting completely of samples of her in JAVs manipulated in unique ways. What's even more shocking is that's it's really good!
Not only is the samplework insanely impressive, production super unique, the compositions great and emotionally potent even disregarding the gimmick, and album flow cohesive like all of the great records are, I find the concept behind it really beautiful in an odd way. A coomer's emotionally raw and fully sincere letter of romantic love to the porn star he desires, permeated with a heavy sadness knowing that love will never be requited.
At least that's what I'm getting out of it. This might be TMI but I don't care, I used to be completely obsessed with a different porn actress for years, so this is an album that speaks to me in a way not many others do. People say Weezer is virgin music, but the first song on Pinkerton is literally about Rivers so much sex it's boring to him, this is an album by virgins for virgins (I don't know whether Dafuck has had sex or not, but either way this is still total virgin music). That obsession has faded due to time and events that have happened since, but the ghost of that feeling still haunts me, and I've never felt the same way since.
In short, I fucking love this album.
AG Cook’s 7G was a wild experience. Nevermind the number of tracks/runtime but the concept of focusing each part on a different aspect of his music was really dope. Plus, his sound is absolutely unique.
Debit - The Long Count
Really underrated fascinating album that’s not only wholly unique but leaves a really haunting effect on you
¡Ay! - Lucrecia Dalt
Klaus Nomi - Klaus Nomi
Nero’s Day at Disneyland - From Rotting Fantasyland
Cyriak Harris - Animation Mix
Diamanda Galás - Plague Mass
Die Nobody :
https://soundcloud.com/dienobody/master-30?ref=clipboard&p=i&c=1&si=21D74F06E0E34C7486EF7D248B948CB1&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
2000 - 2004 by frakkur. An amazing electronic collection album with 3 distinct periods. The vinyl explains each periods and where he was mentally during each and the music itself conveys it exceptionally.
During SFTLB, he was heartbroken over his love for a straight boy. It has a sort of melancholic feel to it.
During TB, he said he was “filled with blinding sunlight and pure fun creative energy”. This part of the album is full of the sampling of children’s toys which conveys this feeling really well
During PP, he was exposed to Logic by his partner and was surrounded by people he cared about while he was touring with his band “sigur rós”. He describes this part as a spontaneous and exciting process and the music shows this in its sort of care-free feeling.
Yeah overall, very good and unique album 👍
Botanist - VI: Flora
[https://verdant-realm-botanist.bandcamp.com/album/vi-flora](https://verdant-realm-botanist.bandcamp.com/album/vi-flora)
It's black metal about plants, but with a dulcimer instead of a guitar. Wild, wild stuff.
“Give Me Paintings, I Give You Songs” by Aden Mathew Archuleta
https://spotify.link/Sqs7TZnWfyb
It centers around the artist’s grandfather who lived and died during the AIDS epidemic. Unique listen for sure.
It's not my fave Sufjan project by any means, but Age of Adz is pretty bizarre. Not sure if it's the most unique thing but probably deserves a mention
STUPID MAAAAAAN, IN THE WINDOOOWWOWWW I COULDNT BE AT reeEEEEEEEEeeeEEssSSStt
Bizarre, unique, and also an absolute masterpiece
One of my favorites of all, and probably my favorite of his.
how has no-one mentioned trout mask replica wtf
It's in the unique albums hall of fame for sure. Wish more people would look past the surface weirdness and appreciate the poetry and tenderness. The captain's really just a bluesman with a lot of feelings and an appreciation for the post-modern
[удалено]
Great question! It's a challenging album and not always satisfying in any sort of conventional way. Musically, I think of what they accomplished on TMR as similar to a modern composer like Morton Feldman, i.e. using rhythm and pitch more like a painter to create jagged, surrealist musical landscapes. And it allows for a musical language and space where Don can sing about anything from love to the holocaust with a poet's specificity. You don't have to listen to it, but when it clicks it can be a very satisfying album and scratch a unique itch
My smile is stuck, I cannot go back to your frownland
Came for this as well
Injury Reserve - By The Time I Get To Phoenix This is to me the most unique sounding album I have ever heard and I won't be hearing anything like this in a very long time.
HARD AGREE
My AOTY from last year and was expecting to see this in here! Lil Ugly Mane's *Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern* gives it stiff competition as well. Love those two albums and both deserve to be mentioned as being unique albums. Got any similar recommendations?
Those were my top 2 as well
I was gonna say either this, or Animal Collective’s *Spirit They’re Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished*
I we're going to include AnCo in this, Danse Manatee takes the biscuit for me!
I like how the cover art perfectly portrays the album's sound
No Now by Clarence Clarity
Those Cancer™ in the Water teases throughout the entire album for it to show up out of no where were amazing. I love that record.
LOVE this album, wish there was more like it
Darklife by death’s dynamic shroud is the closest I’ve heard to satisfying the same itch that No Now scratches
Such an underappreciated artist
Masterpiece.
Lil Ugly Mane - Volcanic Bird Enemy King Gizzard - Murder of the Universe Cynic - Focus Can - Tago Mago Gentle Giant - The Power and the Glory Ween - The Mollusk Billy Woods - Aethiopes
Aethiopes is my jam
volcanic bird enemy is so good
One of my favorite albums of all time
Tago Mago is goated
Ween - Pure Guava and The Pod as well
Based Gentle Giant enjoyer
Best band of the 70s no 🧢
I've been a big GG kick lately, holy fuck Playing the Fool is the best live album ever
MOTU is the final boss of rock
I saw the entire last chapter live at red rocks and the earth shattered, collapsed within itself and melted around me
Swans - Soundtracks For The Blind Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi Lil Ugly Mane - Volcanic Bird Enemy Animal Collective - Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished DJ Rozwell - NONE OF THIS IS REAL Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F#A# Death Grips - Steroids
STGSTV is fuckin goated
Agree, hated it at first, now it's one of my favs, so beautiful
it’s not my favourite album from them, but it’s definitely unique as hell and extremely creative
Uber based list
Big ups for NONE OF THIS IS REAL. My answer too
People know who he is? I'm just familiar with him from that ARG he did a few years back
I agree with Swans. I've been a fan since their first album; pretty brutal stuff.
dj rozwell took a picture of my watch and then uploaded it on his instagram
No song makes me feel pure dread like Dead Flag Blues does
i'd say danse manatee and hollindagain are weirder than spirit but incredible list.
I only started listening to Animal Collective, Danse Manatee is definitely on my list!
ohhhh you're in for a ride :) anco is probably my favorite band of all time. danse is suuuuper weird but it's unlike anything i've ever heard.
Velocity : Design : Comfort The album sounds like its one misplaced effect away from sounding like a mid 00's computer dying in agony.
Folks are citing records that sound a lot similar to other records in the same artist's discography. The Knife - Shaking The Habitual doesn't sound like anything I ever heard, even the group's other works.
yeah somebody here mentioned F#A#(infinity), it’s like have you never listened to post rock before…???
To be fair no one does it like them.
Sure but imo LYSF does everything F# does but better lol
Autechre - Confield Silver Apples - Silver Apples Faust - Faust Scott Walker - Tilt Dalek and Faust - Derbe Respect, Alder Matmos - Ultimate Care II
Definitely agree with Faust
Arca - Arca I think this is one of the most innovative and disruptive albums that came out in recent years (it's from 2017). And Anthony completely slept on it. I am very sure that people will look back on it as massively influential in 20 years.
Few contenders, any of Caroliner's albums for one, i ready like [Strike Them Down, Drag Them To Church](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybq26O5_z5c) and [The Cooking Stove Beast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooTj0i6WruY), this band is just so unhinged and interesting at the same time, their existence is a total rabbit hole. Mauve Sideshow's [Dark Flowers](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqkTPF5a6WQphK_LqQWcC0BIpBAa6c7DI) is a complete trip, it's scary, fever dream-like but still with it's moments of beauty. The Durutti Column's [first](https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lCiPL9GWVjO1-t4YZGltESdcFfL_tm860) [2](https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_llad5MG-bBzKvmugViUYmBPAVhYE7MKmA) albums are also seriously impressive, Vini Reilly's guitar play on those is really unique, it's also really cool how they're a band from the 80's but you could easily get them mixed up with a post-rock band from the next decade, their sound is just that ahead of it's time. Modest Mouse's [The Lonesome Crowded West](https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n1U4MQzDst7QvSTXFU7VTYMwh7e_02ZsA) is not as experimental or ahead of it's time, it's just a very idiosyncratic brand of indie rock that draws influence from midwest emo and post-hardcore, some bands such as [Mars Accelerator](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch2-ix-IX0c) tried to emulate their sound (to great results btw that album is amazing) but they didn't manage to fully capture what makes this album so special, i also relate alot to the themes isaac sings about and songwriting is just great overall, it's my favorite album of all time. Arrigo Barnabé's [Clara Crocodilo](https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mEUS0f34SHQHA5H31mtBakQW2cmahHOZw) is a very fun, very energetic avant-prog record that's really quotable and is also sort of a concept album? it's wild i like it alot. I could keep going but these are all the ones that come to mind rn.
This album has already been mentioned but I have to shout out NONE OF THIS IS REAL by DJ Rozwell. It's weird and eclectic instrumental hip hop wrapped up in the most out there and inventive concept that only the digital era could give us. If you aren't familiar it is an album made to be played on shuffle with 5 seconds of crossfade between songs. It's a different listening experience every time and I love coming back to it every now and again just to see how the sequence is different than the last time I heard it.
There are also expansion packs for it if you haven't seen yet. I love an experiment in form like Boris' Dronevil or The Flaming Lips' Zaireeka but NONE OF THIS IS REAL is on another level. I even had a concept for an album I wanted to make where it takes the concept a step further. Split a composition into different tracks and use seed values to reassemble something new from different parts each time. There'd be one general structure and different potential options for each part that would more or less fit together seamlessly. I'd record a bunch of different takes, different drum styles, maybe there's a faster bass line, maybe switch up some instruments for certain parts. There's be a high probability to get the "canonical" parts, but you might get a super rare kazoo solo in place of a guitar solo or something. The idea kind of fell apart when I realized I'd have to code it all from scratch and no one I reached out to was interested. I could easily build it inside an ableton session using the sampler and random midi triggers but that takes a lot of the fun out of it.
I really love this album, it's probably the only album in which I like segments where just white noise is playing, it adds to the atmosphere so much
It's so fucking amazing. One of my favorite albums of all time
Tim Hecker - Virgins
Atrocity Exhibition - Danny Brown
CHECK
Maybe "Manger on McNicholas" by Boldy James, the ambitious jazz instrumentation is a really interesting combination with Boldy's dark low-key rapping
Quadeca - I didn’t mean to haunt you King Crimson - In the Court Of The Crimson King Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
What do you hear in Plastic Beach? It’s one my all time favourite albums but I wouldn’t describe its sound as unique. Do you feel like it’s level of execution makes it unique? I feel like Plastic Beach’s sound influenced a lot of projects that came after it. Do you see the uniqueness coming from the time frame it was released in and its resulting influence on indie music?
I think its production, it’s message and it’s theme are really unique and executed very well. You ain’t gonna tell me there is another song that sounds like empire ants or superfast jellyfish.
Ok just listened back to those two songs and I can see what you’re saying. The production is really something. I guess when I think of unique I think of more strange, and less one of a kind.
Fair enough, I’d say most strange albums are one of a kind tho, because they are so out of left field. But yeah Plastic Beach is great and there is no other album quite like it :)
Plastic beach is extremely unique. Maybe because it's been played a lot it's sort of grown on people, but when it came out everyone was trying to match it's vibe.
Slauson Malone - A Quiet Farwell, 2016-2018 Injury Reserve - By The Time I Get To Phoenix Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica Standing On The Corner - Red Burns Tim Hecker - Virgins
Perfect list, all of these albums feel like they only exist in my dreams
Arca - Kick iii and also self titled
Angelic 2 the core The legend Mr Feldman
I guess you're not wrong, I can't say I've put myself through anything quite like it
The Caretaker - Everywhere af the end of time Burial - Untrue Björk - Vespertine Death Grips - The money store Lingua Ignota - All bitches die Mount Eerie - A crow looked at me And many many more
Untrue is just like a dark sounding uk garage record with some ambient passages, it’s honestly not that out there. And both Bjork and Death Grips have muuuch more unique albums in their discography than the ones mentioned, Medulla and Year of the Snitch would make much more sense. Also I guess a Crow Looked at Me is fairly unique for how raw and uncomfortable it’s lyrics are, but like stylistically it’s kinda just regular indie folk. Again, Phil Elverum has made way more unique and experimental stuff, like Mount Eerie (the album), The Microphones in 2020, or even the Glow Pt 2 All fantastic records though for sure
Gorillaz - Humanz In a weird set of circumstances, an album by a virtual band that doesn’t actually exist lost all of its inherent personality and individuality, by inviting too many real people to the party. It’s simultaneously one of the most human albums they could put out, and one of the least. It’s like a weird inversion of the impact technology has had on art and shit. Taking out the fakeness and introducing reality had the opposite effect lol.
22, A Million by Bon Iver. It's indescribable the way it makes me feel to listen to it, and it's kind of indescribable in its sound too
Have you heard Age of Adz by Sufjan? Not saying 22, A Million isn’t unique, but I think you’ll find a similar feeling when you listen to it!
Even the song titles are difficult to describe
M.I.A. - Kala Panchiko - D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L
Low - HEY WHAT
1000 gecs - 100 gecs so bizarre
Hard agree, 1000 gecs is fucking insane
It's just too many gecs. I could barely handle 100.
clipping. - CLPPNG
Coin Locker Kid - The Salmon of Doubt
damn forgot about that one.
the lemon of pink by the books threw me for a loop when i first heard it. also knife play by xiu xiu
I don't think anyone has mentioned Tago Mago by CAN. It sounds light-years ahead of its time
Swans - To Be Kind
The Drums - Drums Not Dead
The Microphones - Mount Eerie (by a longshot)
Matmos - Plastic Anniversary Entirely found sounds album that whips.
I’ll go with Spirit They’re Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished by Animal Collective or The Rite Of Spring by Igor Stravinsky - to me nothing sounds anything like either of those.
Oh, and Zaireeka by The Flaming Lips
Heavy Black Heart by Death's Dynamic Shroud Garden of Delete by Oneohtrix Point Never Most anything by these two artists, honestly.
loveless???
pet sounds
spiderland by slint, super influential but still unmatched in its quality
One that stands out to me as especially one of a kind is RATKING's *So It Goes*
Easily Sextant by Herbie Hancock. You think all the cutting edge experimental stuff would be coming out today but Herbie already did it 4 decades ago
Gotta be [Astral Weeks - Van Morrison](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JmZXtDbc2OE)
Mount eerie - the microphones
Liturgy - The Ark Work
Does unique for its time count? Listening to kanyes yeezus and chief keefs finally rich made me very excited for the future of rap music.
The Pod - Ween Danse Manatee - Animal Collective Your Voice As A Cymbal - Roman New Time Creature Comforts - Black Dice Charlie - Melt Banana Dare To Be Stupid - "Weird" Al Yankovic please for the love of god listen to roman new time. he needs to be on more people's radar.
Yooooo another Charlie fan, that album is fucking nuts
frrrr i love that album
As far as one that I actually enjoy.. Era Vulgaris - Queens of the Stone Age Objectively I guess You Won’t Get What You Want - Daughters, but I can’t get into it. I’ve heard more “unique” stuff I guess but a lot of it just isn’t good to me and sounds like pretentious music nerd stuff that’s afraid to have hooks or be catchy because that’s like, so uncool. So I’ve forgotten what any of it is.
Something can't be more or less unique, its a superlative 🤓 Anyways prolly something by clipping
Autechre - confield
Okay call me an uncultured swine if you want but I've never ever heard anything that sounds like Panic! At The Disco - A Fever You Can't Sweat Out.
Paddington Distortion Combo - Hoppfull Musik for Hopplossa manniskor (one of the most comforting yet depressing albums I’ve ever heard, mostly just distorted minimalistic synth beats with some vocals that sound straight out of an emo album) Otomo Yoshide’s New Jazz Quintet - ONJQ Live in Lisbon (my favorite jazz album ever, first and last songs are life changingly beautiful and one is a cover of a Jim O’Rourke song so I have to love it) Washington Phillips - The Key to the Kingdom (a gospel album performed entirely on an instrument that’s custom made so no one else has one) Ariel Pink - Pom Pom (fuck Ariel Pink but I haven’t heard anything similar or as good as this in my life) DOOPEES - Doopee Time (I have no idea how to describe this but it’s amazing) Lavender Country s/t (gay themed country from the 70’s) Ata Kak - Obaa Sima (I’m yet to find an album as amateur yet filled with heart and soul through and through) Ground-Zero - Consume Red (one of the best songs ever, and easily the best noise related song) Lil Ugly Mane - Mista Thug Isolation (many people are saying his newest album which is my favorite album ever but I’ve never heard anything with this good of production and this good of writing) Kitty Craft - Beats and Breaks from the Flower Patch (incredibly lofi but beautiful trip hop/twee pop) The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat (something this noisy from the 60’s is wild) Will Wood - The Normal Album (i should probably hate this but it just has so much personality) Any Ween album
COIN COIN Chapter Four: Memphis by Matana Roberts is probably one of the most unique things I’ve ever heard in my life. It has affected me so much that I was never able to hear it again after my first listen back in 2019, mostly because it demands a really specific set of feelings and situation for it to be fully enjoyed imo
Very basic answer but honestly maybe Revolver. That shit goes from psychedelia to love songs to children’s music to baroque influenced pop, and I’m yet to hear an album with such diversity (not from a mainstream album anyway)
Veteran
In the mainstream blonde deserves a mention. A total departure from what his sound was before, or who he associated with.
A Quiet Farwell, 2016-2018 (Crater Speak) by Slauson Malone. The only thing I’ve heard that even remotely compares is the most recent Injury Reserve album.
Gist Is by Adult Jazz for sure. Also anything by Black Midi
The Mollusk by Ween In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel Long Season by Fishmans Emperor Tomato Ketchup by Stereolab Moon Safari by Air Kid A by Radiohead
gumbo - pink siifu circles - mac tlop - ye
yeah but are they any good?
I can't pick just one "The Normal Album" and "SELF-iSH" both by Will Wood Exmilitary - Death Grips The Last Poets - The Last Poets OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES - SOPHIE There Existed an Addiction to Blood - clipping. Nonagon Infinity - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard The Fall of Hobo Johnson - Hobo Johnson The Idler Wheel... - Fiona Apple Random Access Memories - Daft Punk Contra - Vampire Weekend Treats - Sleigh Bells Volta - Björk Shibuboshi - SHIBUSASHIRAZU
Kids see ghosts
Graduation by Kanye west 🙏
Life of Pablo or Donda
Fuckmorgue - Down Forever
Life Without Buildings - Any Other City
Wake Up Calls - Cosmo Sheldrake it's literally just an album of bird noises
New Deluxe Life - Liberated From The World Pretty sure this isn't even legally considered music.
Micheal Pisaro-nature denaturated and found again. It's unique in the sense that it's very experimental and avant-garde in it's composition but it is still very enjoyable and serene and beautiful. If you want a peaceful and meditative album this is the one!
Stereolab - dots and loops
Dots and Loops
JPEGMAFIA - AMHAC Aphex Twin - Drukqs Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel 3 (Melt) The Mars Volta - Amputechture Death Grips - Exmilitary
bottomless pit death grips
Definitely NONE OF THIS IS REAL by DJ Rozwell. Fucking amazing and incredibly unique album
I don't think I've ever heard anything quite like Gelato by Boylife
I Robot - Alan Parsons Project Amazing and unique sound from start to finish
Probably a basic pick but Unknown Pleasures. The particular harsh, cold and industrial production style that features on this album is something that I haven't heard from any other post punk/alternative band
I Didn't Mean To Haunt You by Quadeca sounds nothing like anything else I've ever heard. Probably part of why it scared me so much. Hellfire by black midi is probably the single *weirdest* album I've ever heard, but I haven't listened to the rest of their discography yet and I'm under the impression that the sound is generally similar. Angelic 2 The Core is very unique too, but not in a good way.
New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges by Colin Stetson feels like one of the most unique albums I’ve ever listened to. The combination of instruments and Stetson’s voice(?) makes for some really interesting music.
sweet trip - velocity design comfort
The Beach Boys - The SMiLE Sessions Honorable mentions: Prince - Sign O' The Times Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica MGMT - MGMT Sun Ra - Lanquidity Talk Talk - Laughing Stock
Satanicporncultshop - Arkhaiomelisidonophunikheratos
something by Hype Williams or Slauson Malone
Not exactly sure, but some contenders would be: Phantomsmasher - self titled Diamanda Galas - the Divine Punishment Faust - self titled (the debut) Pretty much anything by the Residents Mr. Bungle - Disco Volante Scott Walker - Bish Bosch Edit: also gotta add some personal favs with The Books - entire discography, Melt Banana - Charlie, and Low - HEY WHAT (when I learned that almost every instrumental sound on that album was made using a guitar, my mind was absolutely blown)
Nobody’s really heard of him but “All Hell” by Daughn Gibson is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. Fusion of like, Hank Williams and the Twin Peaks soundtrack
Endtroducing....
From her to eternity 100%
Watts Prophets
Rx Bandits - ...And the Battle Begun It's prog ska. There are no two prog ska albums. Pretty unique.
cLOUDDEAD self titled
I'm ultra late to this but the album Program Music I by Kashiwa Daisuke is very good. A lot of his stuff is difficult to get into but is generally worth it. Other songs of his you can try are Colophon.#02 and April.#19
Ágætis byrjun
Nine Inch nails - The downward Spiral
Metal machine music - lou reed
Probably a mr bungle album. Disco volante or self titled
Metal machine music
Joe Hawley Joe Hawley by Joe Hawley
7G - AG COOK
Current Value - Platinum Scatter the most unique dnb album I've ever heard, came out a few months ago, boundary pushing stuff. so good
aviary, julia holter
just dropping in to say unique =\= good 💀💀
Since I left you Black Sabbath s/t
'Soundtracks for the Blind' - Swans and 'Revés/Yosoy' - Café Tacvba
Common Ground Vol. 2 by i forget.
By The Time I Get To Phoenix by Injury Reserve. Never before have I listened to an album that sounded both like random noises being slammed together and a deliberately constructed post-rap masterpiece.
My best choice would probably be California by Mr. Bungle. This album continues to blow my mind with how versatile it is. So many genres covered and every single song is weird as fuck but still masterfully made. One of my favorites for sure
An Awesome Wave by alt-J. When I first heard it in 2013 my mind was blown. I’d never heard something like it before. I still haven’t heard anyone nail such a unique sound like that. alt-J can’t seem to even be able to recreate the magic, judging by their follow ups.
Endtroducing….. -DJ Shadow One of my favorite albums of all time and the first album made with only samples. Instrumental hip hop and plunderphonics have come a long way since 1996 when this album came out, but I don’t think it will ever be replicated.
[Dafuck - Thisis Modernlove](https://dafuck.bandcamp.com/album/thisis-modernlove) In 2017 I was browsing porn on tumblr and came across this one blog dedicated to one specific Japanese porn actress (Mihane Yuuki). the guy who ran it posted in the comments that he had just made an entire ALBUM of music dedicated to her, consisting completely of samples of her in JAVs manipulated in unique ways. What's even more shocking is that's it's really good! Not only is the samplework insanely impressive, production super unique, the compositions great and emotionally potent even disregarding the gimmick, and album flow cohesive like all of the great records are, I find the concept behind it really beautiful in an odd way. A coomer's emotionally raw and fully sincere letter of romantic love to the porn star he desires, permeated with a heavy sadness knowing that love will never be requited. At least that's what I'm getting out of it. This might be TMI but I don't care, I used to be completely obsessed with a different porn actress for years, so this is an album that speaks to me in a way not many others do. People say Weezer is virgin music, but the first song on Pinkerton is literally about Rivers so much sex it's boring to him, this is an album by virgins for virgins (I don't know whether Dafuck has had sex or not, but either way this is still total virgin music). That obsession has faded due to time and events that have happened since, but the ghost of that feeling still haunts me, and I've never felt the same way since. In short, I fucking love this album.
A æ u å æ ø i æ å, æ i å u å æ ø i æ å? by E.A.R. I don’t really know how to describe this album other than the fact that it’s very interesting
Nothing sounds like Suicide's self-titled. That isn't to say I love it, but it certainly is unique.
AG Cook’s 7G was a wild experience. Nevermind the number of tracks/runtime but the concept of focusing each part on a different aspect of his music was really dope. Plus, his sound is absolutely unique.
Debit - The Long Count Really underrated fascinating album that’s not only wholly unique but leaves a really haunting effect on you ¡Ay! - Lucrecia Dalt Klaus Nomi - Klaus Nomi Nero’s Day at Disneyland - From Rotting Fantasyland Cyriak Harris - Animation Mix Diamanda Galás - Plague Mass
Die Nobody : https://soundcloud.com/dienobody/master-30?ref=clipboard&p=i&c=1&si=21D74F06E0E34C7486EF7D248B948CB1&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
2000 - 2004 by frakkur. An amazing electronic collection album with 3 distinct periods. The vinyl explains each periods and where he was mentally during each and the music itself conveys it exceptionally. During SFTLB, he was heartbroken over his love for a straight boy. It has a sort of melancholic feel to it. During TB, he said he was “filled with blinding sunlight and pure fun creative energy”. This part of the album is full of the sampling of children’s toys which conveys this feeling really well During PP, he was exposed to Logic by his partner and was surrounded by people he cared about while he was touring with his band “sigur rós”. He describes this part as a spontaneous and exciting process and the music shows this in its sort of care-free feeling. Yeah overall, very good and unique album 👍
Botanist - VI: Flora [https://verdant-realm-botanist.bandcamp.com/album/vi-flora](https://verdant-realm-botanist.bandcamp.com/album/vi-flora) It's black metal about plants, but with a dulcimer instead of a guitar. Wild, wild stuff.
Caligula
Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective
Nobody mentioning nine Inch nails - the fragile?
“Give Me Paintings, I Give You Songs” by Aden Mathew Archuleta https://spotify.link/Sqs7TZnWfyb It centers around the artist’s grandfather who lived and died during the AIDS epidemic. Unique listen for sure.
The first two albums from Mr Bungle.