7/10
A quick search of songs that in some way feature a reference to the Belgian city of Antwerp brings up more results than you’d maybe think; American downbeat rockers Pavement namecheck it in 1994’s Brink Of The Clouds, while downtempo eccentrics Lemon Jelly also drop the handle on 2002’s Ramblin’ Man.
It’s probably more authentic for Balthazar to join that fraternity given that they’re based in Ghent, a town roughly seventy clicks to the south west of what is, as most of us will probably already know, the place widely accepted as the diamond capital of the world.
Looking through Best of 2020 lists over the past month or so and it becomes clear that ambient music, and what you might call ‘deep cuts’, have proved especially popular this year, their reviews normally containing comments like “I so needed this album this year”. Clearly, we have all been searching for ways to keep on an even keel, and I’ve certainly not been any different. Although with a slight twist.
This list contains five records that I think deserve greater attention, that reflect my listening to ambient and minimal electronic music during this tumultuous year, but also in records by El Gil and Boris Vian that offered me some catharsis in dealing with my emotions. Hopefully you can find something new in these choices that will allow for some kind of release until this year of doom is over.