Top 10 Electronic Albums of 2021

The past few years have created a more isolated culture and with that drug use is on the rise. Here is the music you should have been doing them to. Electronic here means music not organic, so your less guitar driven industrial, house, synth wave, new wave, all the waves and witch house too have been included in this discussion. Much like in years past sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 electronic albums of 2021

10- Leaether Strip: " Back to Industry" 

They have kept their sound current while delivering what they have been doing for the past 30 years. I have always liked how's these guys have used samples and this album proves to be no exception in that regard. The album is possessed by very driving synths. That seems to be a trend with some of the older industrial artists to abandon guitars and go for more in your face synths. 

Abysmal Hymns: Leaether Strip : " Back to Industry"

9-Hante- "Morning Tsunami" 

This is the best soundtrack to a sci-fi movie that never happened. The sound breathes in cyborg. The vocals are whispered and not a focal point, this is more about sound than songs, which might be what she set out to do. 

 

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Hante : " Morning Tsunami"

8-Wumpscut- "Fledermavs 303"

This project is sometimes more experimental than other times, but it is always dark which is what I really appreciate about it. This album sounds even more German than what I have heard previously. More often than not these sounds prove to be very pleasing to the ears even when they  kinda drone off into the darkness. This album would make for a s wonderful soundtrack to any dungeon 

Abysmal Hymns: Wumpscut : "Fledermavs 303"

 7-Zeromancer- "Orchestra of Knives" 

More organic than "Eurotrash" from 20 years ago which is the only other album from this Norwegian goth band I have invested much time with. But not organic enough to make this a rock album.   Less s of an overt industrial or dark wave feel, with the bulk of the songs riding on Orgy like dance grooves, 

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Zeromancer -"Orchestra of Knives"

 

6-White Ring- "Show Me Heaven" 

First a new Salem album last year now this, one might think 'witch house" was making a comeback if it ever had anything to have come back to. The almost Tumblr reality genre, that went on to become known as vapor wave. Here we have a sonic tapestry painted with the murky haze of shoe gaze rather than owing anything to trap. This more ethereal tone is contrasted by an industrial abrasion as the vocals are often buried, yet it somehow all works. 

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- White Ring- "Show Me Heaven"

5-Shpongle - " Carnival of peculiarities" 

 This ep did not get a review as I could only find it on Youtube and Bandcamp and never got it into my iPod to give it more time, I was impressed with what I heard when I did listen to it to land it here and make me wish it had been a full album. 

  4-Frontline Assembly - Mechanical Soul"  

Much like many of my other favorite industrial bands these guys are going in a more edm direction. Synths are up front and center. The vocals are what you might expect, and things stay dark enough for me., almost bordering on dark wave. 17 albums in these guys obviously know what they are doing. 

Abysmal Hymns: Frontline Assembly" : "Mechanical Soul"

  3-Gost - "Rites of Love and Reverence" 

In the past the project has not impressed me when it comes to execution but that has been given time to come to fruition in the studio. The songs grew on me, the album is at its best when things come out of left field instead of playing it safe as dark wave. Overall, the mood and songs win out over any stylistic mires they could have sunk into making this an infectious listen,

Abysmal Hymns: Gost : "Rites of Love and Reverence"

2-Perturbator - "Lustful Sacraments" 

Things have changed for this French synth wave project. A logical progression from album to album. Much like a great deal of the current crop of synth wave the largely instrumental sub-genre tended to focus on capturing synth sounds of yester year and melding them into something not unlike the " Blade Runner" soundtrack. This time around we are getting something much more song focused. More focused in the further commitment to darkness. 

Abysmal Hymns: Perturbator : "Lustful Sacraments"

1-Ministry - "Moral Hygiene" 

We are living the dystopian future Ministry's music always promised. So, Uncle Al had to deliver.  the album starts strong and then goes into more experimental things that are less about songs and more about sounds. Not the first time Ministry has done this on "Psalm 69" it worked really well, so I will split the difference as I think as a whole album this is balanced out by the fact that when they are writing actual songs they are really ripping and true to who they are. A more impressive body of work than the other albums on this list.  

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober - Ministry : "Moral Hygiene"