In the age of TikTok, singles and shorter attention spans, it’s refreshing to know that so many artists are still dedicated to crafting cohesive long-form albums. From LPs to EPs, from jazz and death metal to footwork and hip-hop, these were just some of Bandwagon's favourite records over the past 12 months.

Picks by Hidzir Junaini (staff writer):

Charles Lloyd - The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow

Jazz saxophonist Charles Llyod may have turned 86 this year (he’s the last of a generation that included John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Sonny Rollins), but in terms of technical acuity, compositional wizardry and instrumental virtuosity - the man is still in his prime. His latest work on Blue Note Records is proof positive of this. The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow is an expansive, 90-minute double-LP that’s worth every bit of its runtime. Joined by an all-star lineup of pianist Jason Moran, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Brian Blade - Lloyd crafts a majestic collection of old and new material that alternates between the sublime and the spiritual.

Ulcerate - Cutting the Throat of God

New Zealand death metal band Ulcerate absolutely raised the bar for the genre with their seventh studio album. Cutting the Throat of God is indeed as nihilistic and brutal as its title implies, yet Ulcerate have become increasingly proficient at making their disturbing maelstrom of existential dread sound pretty melodic and mesmerising as well. Perhaps, their infusion of stoner, black and post metal has made their death metal category feel more opaque these days, but whatever the case may be, no one can argue that this album is pure artistry. A special shoutout has to go to Jamie Saint Merat, whose dynamic and versatile drumwork was the MVP in album chock-full of valuable players.

Jlin - Akoma

Jlin has long reigned as one of footwork's most singular visionaries. Her 2024 masterpiece Akoma is, perhaps, her strongest effort to date, combining abstract virtuosity with jittery, rapid-fire percussion that spasm within strange atmospheres and rhythmic matrices. Standout tracks obviously include her evocative collaborations with revered minimalist composer Philip Glass, avant-garde queen Björk and contemporary ensemble Kronos Quartet. But even without the buzzy guest stars, this album is astonishing. Irresistible grooves, inventive syncopations, and intricately layered soundscapes draw you in - stimulating both the cerebral and the physical. 

Picks by Paolo Abad (contributing writer):

Hikaru Utada – SCIENCE FICTION

The year 2024 marked 25 years since Hikaru Utada had debuted with Automatic/time will tell. The influential Japanese-American singer-songwriter was initially sceptical about releasing a best hits album like SCIENCE FICTION, even to mark such a milestone, even considering how they had defied all proverbial odds to reach that point. “I didn't feel the need to, and I didn't really understand what they were for,” Utada told me in a Bandwagon interview. Yet the chance to make one was not only ripe for the taking, but also seemed to be somewhat a matter of urgency. “For the first time, I felt like [it] might be a really nice thing to do, and if I don't do anything now, I never will.” And thank goodness, they actually got to put it out into the world.

By design, SCIENCE FICTION isn’t just a straightforward compilation or chronicle. It’s an immersive and luminous odyssey through spacetime. With re-recordings and remasters (“2024 mixes”), Utada pierces wormholes through the continuum and gets to take a long, hard look at their past selves who emerge from these rifts. Yet this voyage has never seemed to be solitary. “This is also your 25 years,” Utada said at one stop of the eponymous tour. SCIENCE FICTION is a cathartic and exhilarating ride for a generation, and in the words of ‘traveling’: “The fun is just about to begin.” (これからがいいところ)

RM – Right Place, Wrong Person

Heavy is the head that wears a crown: a turn of phrase, which when oft repeated, can turn banal. But for Kim Namjoon 김남준, as RM, eminent rapper-songwriter and the leader of K-pop kings and global phenomenon BTS, that Shakespearean maxim is an echoing taunt. “It’s not a crown that I asked for,” he tells magazine 032c, like a reluctant antihero. For RM, both empowered and strained by his own celebrity, it could even be like a running punchline.

On his sophomore solo outing, Right Place, Wrong Person (to the fandom: RPWP), RM resides in an uncanny space where such contradictions run rampant — that each push and pull hardly allow him to get a grasp on his sense of self. “I’ve been broken and then put back together so many times,” he says. “I realized that the person I think I am doesn’t really exist.” Sonically even — and more concretely speaking, too — RPWP alternates between sombre and cosmic, gauzy and intense, and even leftfield (recalling the likes of Thundercat or Flying Lotus) and poppy (in his own words: “polished” versus “raw and eruptive”). Not to mention how with contributions from the likes of jazz duo DOMi & JD BECK; crooner Moses Sumney; Londoner MC Little Simz; Kuo from eclectic Taipei powerhouse Sunset Rollercoaster 落日飛車; OHHYUK and Kim Hanjoo 김한주 from Korean indie heavyweights HYUKOH and Silica Gel, respectively; and prolific producer JNKYRD (who also helmed the music direction for the companion documentary), it takes the chance to milk the machinery of an industry juggernaut for all its worth just so its sound could take some unprecedented twists and turns.

As if spurred by advice from Balming Tiger honcho and Team RM stalwart San Yawn, RM leans into those antagonisms instead of unravelling it all. San Yawn recounts to luxury retailer SSENSE: “How about taking a short break from BTS and documenting the version of yourself that has gone through various experiences?” Like the true “paradoxical character” that he is, RM responds with an honest, introspective anthology embracing all these tensions: “I’m a person who has so much dirt, filth, love, kindness, and consideration in me that I feel l would go insane if I didn’t bring it out candidly.” More than he can give himself credit for, he’s not only the right person, but also, perhaps it’s the right time to hear Namjoon just as he is. 

HYUKOH & Sunset Rollercoaster 落日飛車 – AAA

On AAA, HYUKOH and Sunset Rollercoaster 落日飛車 give us all-areas access to faraway shores and misty hinterlands — even beyond, to the wondrous expanse of the cosmos — and we never settle in one spot. “We tried to describe a situation so it isn’t a narrative and everybody can project their own idea about the music or the album,” Sunset Rollercoaster’s Tseng Kuo Hung 曾國宏, a.k.a. Kuo, tells Eastern Standard Times. He might as well be speaking of the 8-track oeuvre’s peculiar placelessness — and the timelessness it aspires to.

The collaborative project between these “super nerdy music lovers” from Korea and Taiwan, respectively, has been a borderless one from its genesis — from jamming in idyllic Gapyeong, the Taipei natives’ sojourn to Jeju Island, to shuttling .WAV files online. “We can kind of feel the same emotion, the same aspects and same experience,” HYUKOH frontman OHHYUK tells NME. Dialling and hammering away at analogue contraptions to conjure languid vibes and space-age whimsy all throughout, the 10-person company leaves us yearning for more in the wake of this 40-minute dream. Watching them play it all live, too, is a spiritual experience (don’t miss out on the ‘Glue’ team-up with IU). Seeing such immense potential in this dynamic, we’re really begging for a sequel.

Picks by Ginny Plama (contributing writer):

King & Prince - Re:ERA

Ren Nagase and Kaito Takahashi achieved two key things with their latest album after donning the King & Prince mantle as a duo: they’ve defined a clear artistic direction for this new era, marrying their individual styles into a distinct vision and sound; and displayed their steadfast commitment by pushing forward with both the hip-hop influence and charming idol core for which they’ve been loved, and refined these into a more cohesive identity that feels authentic to them now. It might be daring of me to say that I think this is the best King & Prince album to date, but I do so only with utmost sincerity, and it thrills me to wonder where they’ll take things next together. 

Charli xcx - brat

It's no exaggeration to say that brat has ingrained itself into mass consciousness since its release this year, and there’s really nothing much left to be said with the amount of critical acclaim it's received. Rather than its themes, probably what makes this album resonate so strongly is the sheer attitude it permeates. This album is for the terminally online, the “unapologetically” messy while in reality fake idgafers, those whose existence is constantly bridled with the pressures of finding yourself and making your mark through the noise of social currency. Is brat a mood or a lifestyle or a permanent state of mind?

Picks by Nash Farhan (editorial intern):

Knocked Loose - You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To

Knocked Loose's latest release, You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To, is a relentless 27-minute onslaught that redefines the boundaries of metalcore. From the opening track 'Thirst,' the album plunges listeners into a maelstrom of sledgehammer riffs and unyielding aggression, offering no respite throughout its duration. The band's embrace of a more melodic direction adds an eerie and unsettling dimension to their sound, enhancing the album's intensity. Lyrically, the record delves into themes of despondency and cynicism, with tracks like 'The Calm That Keeps You Awake' delivering menacing reflections on overcoming loss. The production, helmed by Drew Fulk, provides perfect definition, making the record sound as loud as a jet plane taking off inside your cranium. This album is a testament to Knocked Loose's refusal to compromise their heavy sound, even as they gain mainstream attention. It's a brutal package that leaves a lasting impact, solidifying their place as a force to be reckoned with in the hardcore scene.

Tyler, The Creator - CHROMAKOPIA

Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia is a vibrant plunge into his psyche, weaving raw introspection with dynamic and unpredictable soundscapes. The album unfolds like a pressure cooker of confidence and vulnerability, balancing chaotic bursts of energy with moments of deep reflection. Its boundless nature defies conventional structures, creating an electric and revealing journey through Tyler’s ever-evolving artistry. Chromakopia cements itself as a bold and compelling chapter in his musical legacy and certainly why it is my pick for album of the year.