Best of 2025
So that’s it, 2025 is all but over! That must have been one of the fastest years yet, but I’m told that they only get quicker as you get older. All year I’ve had the feeling of moving towards the next chapter, with Whitelabrecs being 10 years old in January.
A decade sticking at something is not to be sniffed at - all the challenges, the temptation to do something new, and everything in between. I’ve been trying to think a little further ahead, asking questions like ‘what will the next ten years be like?’ and of course, I don’t have the answers. But one thing I’ve learnt in the last couple of years, that running a record label and trying to give each release its best fighting chance of breaking through, is so much work. Everything comes down to one thing, and that’s time. Time is so precious and with it seemingly moving quicker for me than ever before, the future for Whitelabrecs’ second decade, if I’m to make it to another ten years, is to slow down. So all this year I’ve been wrestling with how to make the most of my time and how I can change things in the future so that I can spend time in other ways, such as putting more into the community and more into the promotion of the albums I’ll release. So, in 2027 I plan to drop down to one physical release a month, an eRecord and then an exclusive subscription series of ‘tea break’ EPs, reigniting the concept I ran with my old netlabel Audio Gourmet between 2010 and 2018. I’ll also be launching a Substack too where I’ll be sharing behind the scenes stories from over the years, spotlight records in my collection and offer advice for aspiring artists and labels.
For me, the constant in all my years running a record label since 2010, has been building my record collection and sharing it with others. This is now my 16th end of year list, each with an accompanying mix and a couple of years back I decided to gather all of these together into ‘yearbooks’ on my Mixcloud page which you can check out HERE. For me, these are personal time capsules which are like portals that transport me back in time. Music has that wonderful ability to unlock things in your mind as you reflect back on what you were doing at the time, what life was like, where you went etc. But as personal as music is, to enjoy a record you’ve got to hear about it first and so every year, my hope is that just one person discovers something new.
20th
Ian Hawgood - So, Here We Are
[Quiet Pieces]
A label that I’ve followed ever since I got into Ambient music is Home Normal, run by Ian Hawgood. I discovered Ian’s work on netlabels like Resting Bell way back in the late 2000s and that’s how I discovered his label. I got to know Ian a bit via a collaborative release on Home Normal, and I loved his easy going communication style and obvious passion. Not to mention his eye for curation, with wonderful, consistent records. Always high quality and with a visual thread. What is it about labels run by mastering engineers? Ian Hawgood, Taylor Deupree of 12k and now we have Alex Gold aka Fields We Found who’s doing a grand job with Quiet Details - with an approach that pairs a set process for development of the cover artwork, along with a theme to inspire the artist and a knack for landing solid names. I understand from my reading that Alex had also been inspired by Home Normal and had a lot of support from Ian, so it was great to see Ian’s album emerge here. I knew Ian had a tough time of it from around 2023 and read through the liner notes to this one, that he was looking to call it all a day. I was so pleased to see an album of his crop up again via the Quiet Details Substack, and was eager to take a listen. It was an instant purchase from my first listen to the nostalgia-tinged opener to this electro-acoustic masterpiece. I remember sticking this one in my CD player in the home office, and listening in high quality. It became addictive, listening to this album. Until late summer when I’d bought more CDs and stuck this beauty back on the shelf. It’s been a real year highlight though and an instant classic; one with a really special message about being present and embracing the small details of what is important.
19th
John Also Bennett - Ston Elaióna
[Shelter Press]
I’m not sure where I first heard about this record. I was aware of the wonderful work Shelter Press do, with the attention to detail behind the packaging and curation. But I wasn’t aware of John Also Bennett’s music, an artist originally from the USA and residing in Athens, Greece. John is a composer most known for being a flautist who also uses synthesizers as part of his work. The release notes tell us he can see the ancient Parthenon from his room and for me it’s this contrast of the old and the new that provide an interesting interplay in Ston Elaiona, which translates to ‘in the olive grove’. It’s nothing novel these days to pair an acoustic instrument with electronics, particularly in Ambient music. But I’ve not heard a sound quite like this. In parts, I’m reminded of Paul Horn’s classic ‘Inside’ album. Just as Horn was moved by his visit to the Taj Mahal, Bennett traces the history of Ancient Greece into a powerful, yet minimal record of meditations. But of course, the sound palettes available for composers to work with nowadays have developed significantly since the 1960s and this record is wonderfully restrained in how the synths create an atmosphere in which the flute can rest.
18th
Steve Gunn - Music For Writers
[Three Lobed]
I first discovered Steve’s music in 2023, when his collaborative album ‘Let The Moon Be A Planet’ with David Moore on RVNG International made my top 20 that year. So when this dropped, one of two superb solo albums by Steve this year, I was eager to take a listen. I liked the artwork a lot for starters; another reminder of the importance of good artwork, to draw in a potential listener. Then from the first few notes of the guitar, I was sucked right in and knew this would be the summer soundtrack that it ended up as. Music For Writers is such a warm, sun-kissed album and of course, the classical guitar is the main ingredient to set the tone. But there’s a warmth lent from the electronics and drones too, which surround those beautifully played strings. I wasn’t aware until writing these words here, that this was Steve Gunn’s first solo instrumental album. It seems to encapsulate what makes Ambient or quiet instrumental music so special; it’s a space for the listener to sink into, to allow their thoughts to wander. Wherever they are and however they feel. It’s a wonderfully balanced album that will help you detach alright, as all good Ambient music will. But it will hold your attention, as a space to exist comfortably in. It’s one of those albums you want to stay suspended in, whenever you put it on.
17th
Jonny Nash - Once Was Ours Forever
[Melody As Truth]
Next is another guitarist who released a beautiful record in 2023; Jonny Nash. I’ve got quite a few of Jonny’s records but ‘Point Of Entry’ was really special to me, soundtracking the summer I spent in the garden of our family home the year we moved in - watching my children play as I spent hours raking, pruning, cutting, planting… so the fact that this year Jonny followed the album up with a companion record along similar lines was really exciting. This album certainly delivered - it’s incredible and every bit as good as Point Of Entry. Yet, that one will take some beating. And I think this album sums up these annual end of year lists I do - it’s not the technical quality of a record that gets it towards the top of the list. It’s simply - what was I up to at the time? What does listening to it remind me of? Did I spend enough time with it? I did spend a lot of time with this album, but this year, I did less gardening… but a fond memory of this album I have, is mixing in ‘Angel’ at the Woodbridge Ambient Festival, having refurbished my decks for the event. I remember the low autumn sun peering through the windows as the track played. Truth be told, with the travel, frantic setting up and busy nature of the day, by the time I played my set at around 5pm, I was feeling pretty tired. People were starting to leave to get some tea before the main evening show. It didn’t matter - standing listening to this track play over a decent system, with rays of sunlight bursting through the windows of the Shire Hall, was a memorable moment and a brief opportunity to pause after so much organisation and a special day.
16th
Sven Wunder - Daybreak
[Piano Piano]
Another artist releasing in 2025 with a quality album out in 2023 is Swedish composer Sven Wunder… although I still hadn’t bought myself a copy of Sven’s ‘Late Again’ when this one came out. It’s still on my wishlist! Having followed Sven’s work I was alerted to the album’s title-track single ‘Daybreak’ and immediately marvelled at the rich strings and muted soul-jazz. This sort of sound always feels magical at winter and I’ve had this one on heavy rotation during the colder months, after receiving my vinyl copy. I’ve been getting up early recently, experiencing the very transition between night and morning that the album is about. And on several occasions this has been the soundtrack to those early rises - the classical meets jazz meets 60s pop structure is a nice thing to wake up to, with a decent cup of strong coffee. There are so many instruments, twists, turns, Melodie’s to soak yourself into. What a record!
15th
Emily Sprague - Cloud Time
[RVNG Intl]
Every year I do these end of year lists, there’s something that will have been my go-to sleep album. Most nights, I’ll look for something to help me drift off to sleep and once I find something that works, I’ll usually play it every night. That was the case here with Emily A. Sprague’s album ‘Cloud Time’ which I discovered in October. The album followed Emily's visit to Japan for a tour, capturing performances in Hokkaido, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Matsumoto and Nagano across a 10 day period. It's a document of the visit and experiences as much as anything else and somehow, the spirit of Japan is imbued across the record as well as the artist's intention to switch from detailed preparations to an improvised approach. At low volume, it’s such a positive, restful album but when I bought it on vinyl and listened during the day, I got to experience the album more consciously, staying awake to soak into its full details.
14th
David Cordero & Rhucle - So Far, So Close
[Home Normal]
This was one of the records that became a front runner earlier this year, and was one of the records that turned my thinking towards starting a new list for 2025’s favourites. Of course, I know David Cordero’s music well, having worked with him on Whitelabrecs and I was also well aware of Rhucle’s music too. And they’ve also collaborated before on this very label, Home Normal. So the quality was to be expected. But there really is something particularly magical about ‘So Far, So Close’. Perhaps it’s the nod to Harold Budd that I felt in the second track ‘Origen’ of the simple drone and piano lines of ‘Horizontal Line’. It feels like a record I’ve know for years, and clocking in at just under 30 minutes, it’s something I’ll often feel compelled to repeat. I did a blog post on Home Normal this year, where I selected ten of my all-time favourites from the catalog - and I love this one so much, that it’s already snuck in.
13th
Wil Bolton - South of the Lake
[Quiet Details]
I’ve known Wil Bolton for many years now, first discovering his work via Hibernate Records; an inspirational label from back in the early 2010’s. I used to help write press releases for Hibernate back then and penned a couple for Wil’s albums. It’s been so long since then of course, and Wil has achieved so much - with residencies and overseas travel to work on sound projects. I was torn between his album for Stereoscenic and this record for the aforementioned Quiet Details label, called ‘South of the Lake’. The former is on vinyl and a sleeve that’s particularly incredible - the solid spine makes it feel like a book and I love the lavender colour record too. But I went for sound instead and my personal connections with each record when making the decision - and ‘South of the Lake’ edged it, since I played this album repeatedly on my CD HiFi system at the beginning of the year. It’s inspired following a visit to South Korea, and I think this inspiration is what particular struck a chord with me. I love acoustic sounds in my ambient music and particularly interesting instruments or percussive devices. Here Wil has woven an incredible electro acoustic album, using instruments and field recordings collected during his visit and for me, it’s hard to resist a sonic travelogue such as this.
12th
Resavoir & Matt Gold - Horizon
[International Anthem]
Sometimes whilst working, or being out and about, I’m after something a little less immersive than Ambient music and so in these times I’ll reach for my own playlists, or Jazz, my favourite vocal classics, Post Rock albums or beat-driven downtempo electronica. Well, this album has a bit of everything in that sense, and so it’s been one I’ve often reached for this year. It’s just such an instant, immediate thing where I’ll put this album on, it uplifts and I’ll leave it on. The opener has some nice guitar chords before a beautiful Jazz sax comes in. I’ve always loved the saxophone and it’s probably my favourite instrument. I love strings too, and the next track oozes plenty of rich orchestral goodness before opening into a guitar solo. Then my favourite piece ‘Dewy’ comes in - low slung bass joined by light vocal scats. I could go through this whole album and write positive things about these pieces, like a music reviewer. I won’t - because, well, you should just let your ears decide. But for me, every track here is a winner and so this record has become an instant classic for me already.
11th
Memotone - Smallest Things
[World of Echo]
Another album which follows the previous selection quite nicely is Memotone’s ‘Smallest Things’. Once again, it’s an album of variety, containing all the styles I enjoy and being hard to pin down. You’ll hear jazz guitar and clarinet, you’ll hear a retro form of indie folk reminiscent of The Beatles, then experimental percussive pieces, filmic strings or woozy folk and various tape-eroded and time-worn pieces. You’ll never stop being pleasantly surprised with this record. It closes with my favourite track, which is more of a song - it’s called ‘In Dreams’, which is led by a piano, opening out to beautiful sax and strings accents. It’s incredible! What a way to end such a solid album - fondly forming part of my record collection.
10th
Sævar Jóhannsson - Quiet Presence
[Self Released]
Since 2019 I’ve been chatting to Icelandic artist and composer Sævar Johannsson, introduced by Mikael Lind. Sævar went on to release the Disconnect and Where The Light Enters albums on Whitelabrecs, in 2020 and 2023 respectively and for his latest work, he launched an ambitious crowd-funding campaign. I was only too keen to send him my contribution and as several months passed, I’d kind of forgotten about it. Until, suddenly there it was! And what’s more, available on vinyl! Quiet Presence is a modern classical album of strings arrangements and piano, that I’ve been playing an awful lot over the colder months. It may be a cliche, but Icelandic and Nordic modern classical music always seems to be so suitable for this time of the year. Embracing the magic of the season, and the cold. Personally, I love a beautiful album cover and one which draws you in. It’s hard to ignore the fact that for this one, Sævar is lying on a bed floating on the sea! I saw some social content on this, and no, it’s not AI! He actually pulled this stunt off, in -17 degree temperatures, just to get this shot. That’s pure dedication and the results look amazing on this record sleeve. The track I’ve picked for my mix, is ‘Headspace’ which is an uplifting piece, that had me embracing the festive season as I attended Christmas markets with my wife, and played it to my children in the car as we drove through the dull, wintry fields.
9th
Rod Modell - Northern Michigan Snowstorms
[Silentes]
This record is an absolute beauty and was one of the front runners for my album of the year. It’s by Detroit techno legend Rod Modell, famed for his Deepchord and Echospace projects. It was released on Italian label Silentes, whom have a long association with Modell and it’s released in an amazing double LP sleeve, featuring wintry artwork to help you imagine the scenes that befell Michigan. It’s one of those ambient records that embraces freezing conditions, but makes you feel glad to be warm and indoors. And I found weirdly, this was one of the soundtracks to my summer. Ignoring the cover art and overall theme, the sounds suit warm summer evenings pretty well too. This album had Rod in his ambient mode, rather than the dub techno that he is arguably best known for. But the loops and field recordings imply a rhythm still, in a way. I do have a story on this record, which may not be too pleasant - you’ll either find it funny or horrifying. The records I’m listening to sometimes get stood upright against a wall or cupboard in my office. Often, my dog Monty will join me to hang out in the room. And Monty does not have the most reliable bladder. Or rather, he sees something in a room he doesn’t know, and will mark his territory. And sadly… he decided to do just that, on my copy of this very album. There were some choice words when I discovered what he’d done…
8th
Mhairi Hall & David De La Haye - Underwater Cairngorms
[Hudson]
Here’s a record I discovered towards the end of the year when this list had all but taken shape. I was browsing Juno for records to see if there was anything from the ambient scene that I may have missed, and I was drawn to the cover artwork for this album. It features two artists whom I was not familiar and instantly, their sound was something I could get on board with. Piano and field recordings, essentially. Yet, there is so much more to it. I try not to buy records on impulse these days, so I added it to my wishlist, streamed it regularly and researched into the album. ‘Underwater Cairngorms’ was a visit to five lochs and a river by pianist Mhairi Hall and field recordist David de la Haye. They used hydrophones to capture the underwater soundscapes during their visits, and I see from social media that Mhairi even arranged to have a grand piano delivered beside a loch! The sound is really captivating, with such a depth to it and this is further brought to life by some good old fashioned liner notes, as the artists share in detail what their work entailed and some of the stories from those sessions. I really love these tracks, which are full of so much charm and feel like stepping into the outdoors on the most pleasant of afternoons. I particularly love the sounds of the birds in the track ‘Mallachie’ which follows a gentle piano intro, and joined by underwater sounds that feel like popping candy in your ears. You really feel this record - it’s a marvellous calm space, done in a way that is not your typical ambient record, and not your average piano + field recordings affair either.
7th
M Sage - Tender / Wading
[RVNG Intl]
I’ve known the work of M. Sage for many years now, after releasing a short collaborative EP he made with Francesco Covarino on my old netlabel, Audjo Gourmet back in June 2018. It was actually the last EP I put out on the label. Fast forward to now, and Matthew has forged a superb discography with work on labels such as Geographic North, Moon Glyph and here, RVNG International. With his album for this year ‘Tender / Wading’ Sage returns to familiar territory in Colorado, the place where he grew up. Building an electro-acoustic tapestry of sound, with piano, clarinet, accordion, guitar and percussion, he documents the time spent renovating his new home along with field recordings captured in the vicinity of his home. The music is such a beautiful, uplifting collection of pieces but it’s the theme that I can really get along with, having followed a similar concept myself three times when moving into a new home. There’s nothing quite like capturing life, like writing a record. This for me is the first time experiencing this concept as a listener and not a creator, and it’s a really powerful experience to be submerged into the stories and environments that the artist creates.
6th
Flaer - Translations
[Odda]
Translations is an incredible modern classical album, created with the artist’s childhood cello and his late mother’s piano. In places this record feels grand, just like all the best modern classical records do. But there’s a real intimacy to it too, with guitar lines appearing on occasion, as well as starlings creeping into the story, heard through an open window. As with the previous album above, this record is in part about capturing the essence of a new home, after the artist Realf Heygate moved to Cornwall. But his mother became a focal point for the album too; she was a linguist and recordings from her Spanish lessons can be heard in places. It’s all so beautifully composed and a special soundtrack that so often I found myself returning to. The music oozes quality, but ‘Translations’ also has character and meaning in abundance too; those three ingredients are what tend to set the best records apart in my book.
5th
Rauelsson - Niu
[Sonic Pieces]
Sticking with Modern Classical, this album was something that branched off from my last end of year blog post! When sharing it out with the email subscribers, I received a reply and had a conversation about musical recommendations - and I was sent a link to check out the new Rauelsson album on Sonic Pieces. I Ioved ‘Vora’ which was also out on the same label, back in 2013 so I was keen to take a listen. And as anticipated, it’s a flawless album of quality Modern Classical music and as always with this label, wonderfully designed. ‘Niu’ has incredible detail to it - twists and turns, and just with the last album in this list - bags of character.
4th
Wilson Tanner - Legends
[Efficient Space]
In spring I was doing a daily steps challenge along with Inner Echo community members, raising money for the Alzheimer’s Society. This meant that I was outdoors a lot and an album that I fondly associate with that time is Wilson Tanner’s legends. It was recorded without any mains power at the Manon Farm vineyard in Perth, Australia and is packed full of acoustic instruments and field recordings and a bright, fun aesthetic that’s addictive and positively life affirming. It never fails to make me smile, and absolutely overflows with a warm and inviting character. It is both incredibly intricate and well produced, and at the same time, does not take itself or anything too seriously.
3rd
Chip Wickham - The Eternal Now
[Gondwana]
I’ve been a big fan of Manchester based label Gondwana for years now and they’ve had another solid year of excellent, high quality output. My favourite from these is Chip Wickham’s ‘Eternal Now’, an artist with long and close association with the label. Chip is a saxophonist, flautist and producer and this album is a collection of seriously good Jazz, with its deep keys, rolling drum lines, flute, sax, vocal contributions and everything in between. I was into Jazz long before I got into Ambient music, guided by the expert ears of my all-time favourite DJ Gilles Peterson. And nowadays, Matthew Halsall’s curation on this wonderful label is my trusted source for discovering the best Jazz around - it leans on the spiritual side of Jazz and it’s not unusual to hear more classical, orchestral sounds, or even some synth. Gondwana have also got podcast interviews with the artists, going deeper into their background and the records they create. And I particularly loved learning about Chip Wickham in his contribution to the series. A note on the packaging, which is impeccably designed as always - I opted for the biovinyl on this one, which has to be the way forward so that vinyl can be that bit more environmentally friendly. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and being more aware of the fact that I collect all these lumps of circular PVC. I saw no noticeable drop-off in sound or physical quality, so surely it’s a must if more plants can manufacture this way.
2nd
Vanbur - Of Becoming
[Self Released]
Every year I all but lock in my final list before suddenly, a curve ball comes in that changes everything. This year, this was Vanbur’s recent album ‘Of Becoming’, a collaboration between Jessica Jones and Tim Morrish. By the end of November, I tend to stop actively seeking out records as I start the task of writing up the blog post that accompanies my list. But at the crack of dawn on Friday the 21st of November, this album put a spanner in the works! The Inner Echo community were doing a walking challenge where each day in November, one of us set our timer for either 15 or 30 minutes and headed off for a walk. When the time stopped, we took a photo of whatever was in view. At breakfast, before I set off, I took a look at the new releases and had been alerted by this. I decided to stick it on to see how it sounded, and instantly decided it’d be the soundtrack to that cold, bright morning as I wandered across the muddy fens. Something in these sounds really resonated with a tiredness I’d been feeling lately. I’ve been getting up at around 6am towards the end of this year, to try and free up my evenings a bit more and strike a better balance - but perhaps I’m not yet fully used to silly o’clock! Some of the intimate orchestration and use of Jess’s vocals reminded me of some of my favourite artists including Grouper, Hammock and Sleepingdog. The music has this sad and triumphant feel to it which is quite an interesting combination. It can give a sense of despair and at the same time, somehow ignite a real sense of hope. The album has this ability to stir many different emotions and that is perhaps a testament to these two skilled composers, used to scoring a multitude of sounds for the screen. In an album setting, they’ve really captured something magical here in this, their debut. I exchanged a couple of Instagram DMs with them too, as I looked to order my vinyl copy, and they’re thoroughly nice people too.
1st
Erik M. - Soft Wish
[Kora]
Holding down a number one spot occupied all year, is Norwegian artist Erik Mowinckel, now known as Erik M, with his album ‘Soft Wish’. I was instantly blown away by the quality and the detail that overflows from this top notch Ambient album. It became what was surely my most listened to record this year. There were times where my thirst for music had me off into different directions, many of which you can learn about above. But when it came down to it, every time I thought about moving this one down the list a place or two - I listened, and felt cemented in certainty that it’s my deserved number one. There’s an incredible depth of sound to be experienced throughout this short, seven track album. At 28 minutes one might call it an EP, but being so deep and immersive with so much to soak into, it’s an album in my books. It’s no secret that I favour a concept, or a story I can get wrapped up in. That tends to be for me, what sets one Ambient record about from the next. There’s not much in the way of information or back story on ‘Soft Wish’ - but the pristine sound and beautiful artwork are so strong, that I’ve connected with this one in spite of my normal preferences. Highly recommended, and for me, it’s one for my personal Ambient hall of fame - something that will always remind me of 2025.
MIX TRACKLIST
Ian Hawgood - For All The Joy In The World
John Also Bennett - A Handful of Olives
Steve Gunn - Sunday
Jonny Nash - Angel
Sven Wunder - Daybreak or Windward
Emily A. Sprague - Osaka
David Cordero & Rhucle - Origen
Wil Bolton - Azalea
Resavoir & Matt Gold - Dewy
Memotone - In Dreams
Sævar Johannsson - Headspace
Rod Modell - Snowstorm In Copper Harbor
Mhairi Hall & David De La Haye - Mallachie
M. Sage - Wading the Plain
Flaer - Anagram
Rauelsson - Prelude No. 7
Wilson Tanner - Cherry
Chip Wickham - The Eternal Now
Vanbur - Friends of Mine
Erik M. - Felt
If you enjoyed reading this end of year blog post and in particular hearing the music, you can check out all the past 'yearbooks' mixes tracing back to 2010 HERE.
