Someone on Twitter asked me if we could do this almost ten years ago, and here it finally is. SomeRandomHEFan did a phenomenal job with this—sourcing all the sound effects and painstakingly placing them back into the music masters. I love Ian and Reggie's art, and George's music continues to shine. I am so honored to be a part of this team. Thanks everyone!!

I’m so glad George was up for this. What a delight to recreate this stuff and truly “remaster” an album! So proud of Sophie’s art, too, as usual. You can read more of my thoughts in the liner notes.

My second favorite album of 2023. Lofi is so easily made a cliche; these guys are some of the first I've ever heard who come to the genre with genuine melodic concepts and brilliant execution all the way through. Mysterious, minor key piano leads in a way befitting the album's title; the only weak link is November Sun, but even that track is a worthy experiment. There is no one to whom I wouldn't recommend this.

A little like if Mick Gordon and Daft Punk had an optimistic lovechild. Electronic synthwave brilliance built around a central motif that never overstays its welcome. I've never heard anything quite like this, and certainly not of this duration or cohesion.

Honorable mentions:

Who Am I
Ambient_A
Analog Sunrise
Runoff
Null
Surprising #19
Midnight Void
Midnight Void Dark
Light Shine Through
Pick It Up
Little Tuscany
Zombo Mode (epic medley)

A masterpiece through and through. Each piece is like the Best Of cut from someone else's album. Not a bit of filler here; this is my favorite album of 2023. It surprises me every time I listen.

The horns in the title track are absolutely sublime, as is the unexpected choir in "Worth and Knowledge." What a grand work of poetry, leaps and bounds beyond his previous albums. Thank you, Hallgrímsson.

A beautiful record!

Much bigger and louder than its predecessor, Eclipses feels less experimental, tentative, or private than Lissom's debut, and more self-conscious in some ways. But these features result in a gorgeous crescendo in the penultimate piece "Mauling," which would never have been possible on their first album. Both performers remain a delight.

The differences in the Alternative versions seem to be pretty subtle; small mixing differences, mostly to Tullett's voice. They're interesting, but so slight it can be really hard to pick them out. In at least one case, the instrumental backing is different; made subtler with an element removed (Mauling).

Still, it's a pleasure to have more Lissom, and the instrumental mixes basically constitute INSIGHT 4.5. I'm so grateful for them!

I am so, so grateful to finally have this on vinyl. Julien, thank you. Might be my favorite record I own.

Two incredible standouts: XX and XXIII.

This installment is slightly darker, slightly more assertive than its brethren. That's what makes it my favorite.

Gorgeous vinyl package. Well designed.

C.S. Lewis said a pipe gives a wise man time to think. This album is kind of like that. Marchal’s characteristically sensitive touch on the piano combined with Ed Tullett’s transcendent lyricism (so much has been said on his stunning voice already) makes for a singularly unique debut we are all lucky to hear for the first time. This is the sound of dreams.

I can see why this was chosen to lead the album. The vocals are excellently matched against the long bass chords throughout in the background—it finds a new, more "mature" tone without becoming melancholy in any cliched way. Would've been great for the series finale; reminds me of the kind of music I'd like to make.

An INSANELY good debut into a world of fantasy synthwave. Massive, diverse, and fantastic (in the truest sense of the term). From huge, booming jams like "The Way Home" to quieter respites like "Memories in Shadow," Magic Sword show off range, narrative, and high technical skill in a stunning album worth hearing on vinyl. Warriors all.

So many wild and awesome ideas! RoboRob is jam-packed full of energy and so is this LP. Cut Man was so good it almost brought tears to my eyes. Boomer Kuwanger was a welcome surprise. Now and then he flirts a little too much with the "electric fart" sound of classic dubstep for my tastes, but no one could accuse him of creative cowardice—he goes for broke and leaves it all on the table with every rendition. Well done.

A concise little EP on a barebones vinyl. This album touched me very differently than their previous works; I was in a different space, but it also doesn't seem to lean so heavily on ideas about relationships, breakups, and loneliness (returning to those notably in a cover of Cher's "Believe" as the closing track). Guest Room, the title track, deals with death, aging, and adult responsibilities, which are ideas much more close to me.

A deep meditation into fathomless abyss. This is the first vinyl I ever listened to that, when it ended, I immediately wanted to turn it over and listen to it again. Stunning. I'll be buying whatever I can from these artists.

Bigger, louder, and angrier than I expected—it's beautiful, but it does SOUND like it was written by a teenager, with the crudeness, angst, and inexperience that implies, but also the passion unalloyed by broken dreams. I don't know if it would be possible to produce this [original] album in a later period of life. I'm glad Arnalds was able to revisit this record and present a definitive version. The photography and story accompanying it in the liner notes is essential.

Breathtaking debut. Cutting edge, modern jazz with a touch of menace and an abundance of driving intellect. The total absence of liner notes or commentary in the 2LP release is a little disappointing, but it's hard to argue that the music doesn't speak for itself—from the very first note.

Some of MOON's best work. "Grift" is incredible; MOON is so good at what he does that when he marries his unique brand of psycho-delic house to excellent chord melodies, he makes lunar magic. The album loses some steam in the last three tracks, "Patapon" on, as melody is replaced by dissonance and repetitive percussion, but maybe I just need to give those a few more listens. A great record.

Side I of the record didn't really grab me; it feels too meandering, without purpose. (I need to listen to it several more times and see if I "get it.") Side II really picks up steam and proves the beauty of the album as strings are introduced to the performing ensemble. Side II (starting with Rjóður) is a series of gorgeous lullabies, carrying you away to pastoral dreams.

The composer has dedicated this album to "all the people who are going through pain and suffering." It's an incredible ambient work, and does feel like a comfort to those experiencing a great depth of pain. Through the first half, Side A, we have only piano; but on Side B, we are joined by the reed organ, adding texture, weight, and cold-colored light to distant keys like a sunrise in the Arctic. This is a special work I will be returning to again and again.