Favorite Recordings of 2025

Posted: 2026-01-01

As with prior years, I listened to way too much music during the year. That adventure in music listening this time around included a lot of minimal adjacent techno along with the usual suspects of indie rock, rock ,metal, weird stuff, ect. I honestly don't know how I decide what goes on these lists. What I do know is that the last week of December is a hell of time narrowing things down. Anyway, here are the 9 (my favorite number) albums and EPs that I kept going back to on a regular basis. Maybe you'll find something you like as much as I did. Enjoy. Oh yeah there is also a few honorable mentions and a one more thing listed at the end.

a collage image of all the cover images for the releases in the list

Covers for each of the releases listed below.

  1. YHWH Nailgun - "45 Pounds" Released: 2025-03-21 Type: Album Label: Many Hat Endeavors & AD 93 Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube Music

    What you will hear: A 21 minute thrill ride of raw emotional vocals, whirring hypnotic drums, and the sounds of instruments which have been twisted and bent into new shapes. This indie / post rock / something album is amazing! If you get the chance, listen to "Animal Death Already Breathing" while riding an elevator. It will change your life. Oh yeah, there's roto toms!!!

  2. Corpus Offal - "Corpus Offal" Released: 2025-03-21 Type: Album Label: 20 Buck Spin Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube Music

    What you will hear: A bludgeoning example of my favorite kind of metal, death metal that's packed with great grooves and memorable discordant leads. Death metal has never sounded this melodic while also making one feel nauseated.

  3. Yan Jun - "Cut-Off" Released: 2025-02-07 Type: Album Label: Party Perfect!!! Listen: Bandcamp

    What you will hear: CDs rolling across the floor. Pure simplicity. Listen with headphones and take in the quiet world happening in the background.

  4. VoidCeremony - "Abditum" Released: 2025-11-14 Type: Album Label: 20 Buck Spin Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube Music

    What you will hear: Tech / prog death through the lense of bands like Acsended Dead and Mortiferum. I wasn't fan at first, then it hit me like a ton of bricks. It's so good.

  5. Konrad Wehrmeister / KW - "ASC - EP1" Released: 2025-09-16 Type: EP Label: A Strange Child Listen: Bandcamp

    What you will hear: A dolphin DJing at a rave or the rave you are at when you are having some really interesting dreams.

  6. Weatherbox - "The Compass" Released: 2025-10-09 Type: EP Label: DHCR Records and Cake Police Records Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube Music

    What you will hear: Brian Warren and crew are doing what the do best, genre-bending elements of emo, rock, indie, and avant-garde into a beautifully intoxicating catchy concoction.

  7. Nørbak - "Suave" Released: 2025-09-26 Type: Album Label: N R B K Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube Music

    What you will hear: Modern techno at it's most precise and opinionated. If this is the future of techno, we are in very good hands.

  8. Choi Joonyong - "Paper-Gore" Released: 2025-05-02 Type: Album Label: Aloe Records Listen: Bandcamp

    What you will hear: VCRs having fun with paper or paper having fun with VCRs, you be the judge.

  9. Perfo - "City Drift" Released: 2025-11-21 Type: Album Label: Hayes Collective Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube Music

    What you will hear: Modern techno at it's most delirious and hypnotic. Do you remember the MTV show AMP? If you do, this is the vibe of that show in album form.

Honorable Mentions

One More Thing

If you know and love the 1994 album "Rotting Piñata", then you really need to check out "Electric Cattle Gods - The Lost Tracks", the new album from the all mighty Sponge. This new release is a collection of songs that were recorded during the sessions for "Rotting Piñata" that simply did not make the cut for the album. That is not a knock against any of them as there are some bangers in the mix, for example "In The Name Of God" and "Welcome Home" (which is one of my all time favorite Sponge songs). The reason I know about "Welcome Home" is that it was released as a b-side on the 7" single of "Plowed" (my favorite Sponge song) in 1994.

You are probably asking yourself, then Justin why is "Electric Cattle Gods - The Lost Tracks" not part of the main list? Well, that's simple, I just listened to the other releases on the list on a more regular basis. Plus If I'm being honest, I can see why some of these tracks did not appear on "Rotting Piñata" as they lack a little something something. Despite that, it is still a great record that you should check out if you are a Sponge fan.