Moonbase Commander Shares Five Favourite Albums Of 2016

Written by Joseph SmithNovember 7, 2016

With the release of his EP ‘Orthodox’ kicking off a brand new local imprint, Trench, it’s clear that Moonbase Commander has been a busy dude.

The veteran, Sydney-based selector has always been a pulse on our radar, and has proven that once again with his latest 4-track offering. We caught up with Moonbase (Nick) last week to chat about the year in albums, where he talked us through his five favourite releases thus far.

Dive into the impressive list below:

ScHoolboy Q – Blank Face LP
From the unpredictable flows, to the ambitious arrangements and heavy-hitting production, Q’s album is easily one of (if not the) hip-hop album of the year. Definitely been on repeat since I first heard it.

Samiyam – Animals Have Feelings
The dopest head-nod shit you’ll hear all year. Samiyam’s production has always been a huge inspiration to me – how he can pull out one tiny snippet of sound and turn it onto its head. The few rap features on this album are perfectly placed and curated too; magic.

NxWorries – Yes Lawd!
This LP has only been out a few weeks and has already made my list. I first heard of Knxwledge back in 2011 at a Teebs show in Sydney and I was immediately hooked. I’ve heard people liken this album to neo-soul’s equivalent to Madvillain, and I’d say its pretty close. Anderson .Paak knocks it out the park as always too.

bzkt. – We Are All Fucked
bzkt’s a guy from Seattle, Washington who goes in with deep, gritty raps that repeatedly touch on themes of heavy drug use, hopelessness and nihilism, so naturally I’m a big fan. He’s done a killer job of selecting the producers on this LP too – the beats go from smooth jazz-inflected loops to dirty slow-drive grinders with ease, all keeping a certain level of haze. I hear a likeness to " target="_blank">Have A Nice Life throughout this release. The album’s up on his bandcamp for name your price, definitely worth checking out.

Howls Of Ebb – Cursus Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows
Hailing from California, Howls Of Ebb have been mobbing around for a couple of years now putting out amazing, shattering work. I gained a lot of inspiration from this LP when I first heard it. Everything about this album is next level – from the beautiful artwork to the experimental arrangements and performances on each track. It sounds like they literally summoned the solo on the opening song.