1. Animal Collective: Sung Tongs (Fat Cat CD)
leaf house - who could win a rabbit - the softest voice - winters love - kids on holiday - sweet road - visiting friends - college - we tigers - mouth wooed her - good lovin outside - whaddit i done
- like beach boys playing forest folk, great songs, unique & fresh sounds, a masterpiece! this sounds really fresh, definitely their best album.

                    
2. Kemialliset Ystävät: Alkuhärkä (Fonal CD)
sohjovyö - antihistamiinimatkaaja - hirvikärpästen hovissa - kiimaniityn kutsu - kuu kostaa - gelsominan naama - alkuhärkä - savuava harmonia - koirien kasvattama - kamelin hikeä - nukkesaari - kirppusaari - kyyn sisuksissa - etanapolku - sata salamaa iskee tulta ja koko elämä räjähtää - kaatuvan ihmispyramidin svengi - lummehuone - yössä
- kemialliset ystävät can do no wrong, another masterpiece, this might even be their best album yet!

3. v/a: Folk and Pop Sounds of Sumatra Vol.1 (Sublime Frequencies CD)
sitogol #1 - unknown title - borungku si derita - siti payung - indang pariaman - piso somalim #1 - sri mersing - bapikek balam - piso somalim #2 - sitogol #2
- this was probably released already in late 2003 and the music is probably done in late 80's but i heard it in 2004, and the whole sublime frequencies series has been one of greatest things in 2004 and this is probably my favourite of them all, amazingly great music... i can hardly wait for the vol.2 which should be out soon...

4. Ghost: Hypnotic Underworld (Drag City CD)
hypnotic underworld: 1) god took a picture of his illness on this ground 2) escaped and lost down in medina 3) aramaic barbarous dawn 4) leave the world! - hazy paradise - kiseichukan nite - piper - ganagmanag - feed - holy high - dominoes (celebration for the gray days)
- lama rabi rabi is one of my all-time favourites but all the other ghost albums have been kinda ok but slightly boring... so it's great that on this new one they're back in top form, it sounds very mature but not boring.

5. Kiila: Silmät Sulkaset (Fonal CD)
kelmejä - auringonlunta - kiviä ja taivasta - kateet linnut - tapanina aukesi vuori - minä-laulu - väsäilyn luostari - pysähtyneet planeetat
- kiila has changed a lot since their first cd, they used to be arty post-rock duo but now they're 7-piece band playing (mostly) acoustic folk music in finnish... and they're not just improvising like lots of others but they actually write great songs, this is classic stuff but in no way retro.

                           
6. Islaja: Meritie (Fonal CD)
kristallipallosilmät - kenen maa - emoa ikävä - kämmen, kynsi, kieli - kukkia - haikea kirkas - sata naakkaa sitten - majassani nukut, kataja - valo vedestä - viimeisellä rannalla - harhojen perhe - halpaa kultaa - aallot ja äänet
- first time i saw islaja she was playing with avarus and this solo-album was quite a surprise, great rough folky music... finnish fursaxa? the music is slightly different but the quality is just as good.

7. Black Forest/Black Sea: Radiant Symmetry (Last Visible Dog CD)

tchai-ovna tearoom, glasgow, scotland 4/20/04 - tampere, finland 2/03/04 - radio citta del capo, bologna, italy 3/21/04 - morden tower, newcastle upon tyne, england 4/14/04 - bristol, england 4/06/04 - tampere, finland 2/03/04 - morden tower, newcastle upon tyne, england 4/14/04 - arciblob, arcore, italy 3/18/04 - talbot hotel, stoke-on-trent, england 4/11/04
- black forest/black sea were in finland twice in 2004 and i got badly addicted... the idea of cello/guitar duo didn't sound too promising but this is absolutely brilliant... this is some sort of document from their first european tour with lot of guests (incl. kemialliset ystävät), and is probably their best release. i hope they'll return here soon...

8. Fursaxa: Madrigals in Duos (Time-Lag LP)
so completely - tuvalu - vacillating between piety and gaiety - japonica - eebat - surrender, la - i see you - veeho - mon valet - ursa minor
- fursaxa played here with black forest/black sea on their second european tour (with christiina carter) and i had very high expectations but still she didn't disappoint me, it was absolutely brilliant... and this record is probably her best, beautiful but all too limited vinyl album, i hope this will be reissued on cd soon so more people can enjoy these magical sounds.

9. Devendra Banhart: Niño Rojo (Young God CD)
wake up, little sparrow - ay mama - we all know - little yellow spider - a ribbon - at the hop - my ships - noah - sister - water may walk - horseheadedflesh wizard - an island - be kind - owl eyes - the good red road - electric heart
- most people probably prefer his previous album 'rejoicing in the hands' but somehow i prefer this, it sounds more like his previous releases, especially the brilliant 'black babies' ep...

10. Risto: Risto (Fonal CD)
sade, kultainen sade - rakkaani, mennään aasiaan - nina, olen palasina - jumalan kämmen - levy-yhtiön jätkät - annukan kaa - unessa mies, valveilla nainen - kuiskauksesi elää vielä - kateelliselle ystävälle
- this was in a way probably the biggest surprise of 2004, and i can't really describe this, i don't know if he's joking or if his serious, the lyrics are very twisted and weird and the music is occasionally very retro, reminding me of some old finnish bands like leevi and the leavings... but whatever, this is it's really great, recommended!

                           
11. Reynols: The Bolomo Mogal F Hits (Audiobot CD)
mesibe musica - manisero mufuso - depedidos banda - patrio patribos - clar mogal pepelachos - lo mofifero suridos - dijos canisocios roto - jaroma chupa juevo - jocom sadora tui tui - banda bulution 3008 - batero otros chico - reynor upo mosca
- this was another release that was probably out already in 2003 but so what... this is like a reynols best-of, full of hits (although i've no idea if any of these have been released previously), mostly from "rock" reynols, but there's also bits recorded from argentinan tv and even an outtake from their conceptual blank tapes project... great testament to a great band.

12. Es: Kaikkeuden kauneus ja käsittämättömyys (Fonal CD)

surullisille, onnettomille... - hamuavia - pehmeä iho - huumaava ikuisuus - puutarhaan laskeutuu höyhen - juhlat - sädekellot - sadepäivät - aavehuminaa (katjalle) - kaikkeuden kauneus ja käsittämättömyys
- maybe there's too many fonal releases here but they were just so good... this one had hypnotic loops and some great sounds and guest vocals...

13. Acid Mothers Temple: Minstrel in the Galaxy (Riot Season CD)
cosmic introduction - minstrel in the galaxy - st. bel canta
- AMT released probably too many albums in 2004 but then again they were all good... this one is probably my favourite, afrirampo-girls were singing on this and i was maybe expecting something wilder and more rocking stuff but in the 40-minute title track there is rather calm but sinister mood and the tension is slowly growing... great stuff.

14. v/a: Radio India - The Eternal Dream of Sound (Sublime Frequencies 2-CD)
radio delhi #1 - radio delhi #2 - radio varanasi - radio transit - radio jaipur - radio hill station - radio calcutta #1 - radio bihar - radio lowlands - radio calcutta #2 - deep disco drama diva - glass music - hyderabad fidelity - lucknow explosion/very impressed with calcutta - spirit of puja in bengal/dj no home - trolling the crossroads of bliss - silent or noisy world? - india's sound museum of oddities - eternal finale
- some more sublime frequencies... this time 2 cd's of indian sounds and in the end even some "final countdown"... another great and weird mix from alan bishop, what a trip...

15. Toho Sara: Hourouurin (Fractal CD)
hourouurin part I - hourouurin part II - hourouurin part III
- third cd from the mystical ritual duo of nanjo & kawabata... sinister hypnotic ritualistic drone...

16. Wooden Wand & The Vanishing Voice: Xiao (De Stijl LP)
paper trail blues - caribou christ in the great void - weird wisteria tangles carrion christ but intends no harm - lions in love - cobra christ of the cabbages - return of the nose
- this is a band that is very hard to describe but somehow this album feels like a very important release... from the mysterious sounds to the weird liner notes written by thurston moore... after a bunch of tapes and cdr's this was their first "proper" release, and i'm sure in 2005 there'll be more... "all the roads lead to him!"

17. The Anaksimandros: River of Finland (Eclipse LP)
the bones - the bones tell me nothing - white oasis - butterfly mind hit by lightning - river of finland - avalanche - fast wind - the birth of horns - damnation shakers - wolf visitors - i am the drum and the world is my stick - hyper-pipers snakebike - eskimo's horizon - lappi fast witch - run with vishnu
- some great finnish forest folk... this is definitely the best thing they've done so far...

18. Avarus: Jättiläisrotta (Secret Eye / Lal Lal Lal CD)
snoopysnoop snooberson - donkkaavaräppäävä kaalikoira - iso lääkelaiva - itu kurkistaa mullasta - herra ykkönen - amurin hiuskolmio - ahdistava haisemisen loordi - prinssi halonen - välivääpelin välikäpy - joutsenkivi not'sissa
- actually this is rather similar to anaksimandros... great stuff as usual, what more can you say...

19. Pumice: Raft (Last Visible Dog/Stabbies etc CD)
pumiceraft - exciting and awful - in space (on the burst) - pipes - ridge - pudding stone - 29 - warmhorn/classicalfist - flee - awe or oar
- this sounds a lot like alastair galbraith which is never a bad thing, some rough sonic gems from the NZ...

20. Psychatrone Rhonedakk with Cotton Casino: Baron von Rhonedakk and the Chrystal Sun (Black Plastic Sound CD)
set the controls for the heart of the sun - several species of alien beings gathered in space jamming with cotton - sweet lilac angel - the dream - night woman / interlude / night woman (reprise) - departure - set the controls... ('trone alone mix)
- starting with a cover version of pink floyd's 'set the controls for the heart of the sun' (almost as good as clay figure's version) and then some more psychedelia with cotton's great space effects... listening to this after a couple of beers makes your head spin... what a fine record...

Muita hyviä - Other good ones:

Acid Mothers Temple: Mantra of Love (Alien8 CD)
Acid Mothers Temple: Hypnotic Liquid Machine From the Golden Utopia (AMT CD)
Atsushi Hiroshi: Big Miscalculation (Hören CD)
Devendra Banhart: Rejoicing in the Hands (Young God CD)
Birchville Cat Motel: With Maples Ablaze (Scarcelight CD)
Black Forest/Black Sea: Forcefields and Constellations (Blueanct CD)
Boredoms: Seadrum/House of Sun (Warner Japan CD)
Bush Taxi Mali - Field Recordings From Mali (Sublime Frequencies CD)
Cambodian Cassette Archives: Khmer Folk and Pop Music Vol.1 (Sublime Frequencies CD)
Circle: Forest (Ektro CD)
Anla Courtis: ...y el resplandor de la luz no conoce limites (267 lattajjaa 3"CD-R)
Fun: Szklarska Poreba LP (If Society CD)
Fursaxa: Amulet (self-released CD-R)
Hala Strana: These Villages (Soft Abuse CD)
The Ivytree: Winged Leaves (Catsup Plate CD)
Kawabata Makoto: Private Tapes 10 (AMT CD-R)
Kemialliset Ystävät: Nuuha Ni Haka (Jewelled Antler 3"CD-R
Maquiladora with Kawabata Makoto: Kiss Over (AMT 2-CD)
Moth Masque: s/t (Hand/Eye CD-R)
Marissa Nadler: Ballads of Living and Dying (Eclipse LP/CD)
Night Recordings From Bali (Sublime Frequencies CD)
Omoide Hatoba: OoSaKa Ra (Dako Vynal Fantasia CD)
Rauhan Orkesteri: Hyppy Tunti (Pohjoisten Kukkaisten Äänet 7")
Reynols/Birchville Cat Motel: split (Reverse Recordings LP)
Six Organs of Admittance: The Manifestation (Strange Attractions CD)
The Spectral Light & Moonshine Firefly Snakeoil Jamboree: Burning Mills (September Gurls CD)
Tauno Sauno and His Orchestra (Helmi-Levyt 7")
Verde: Vuoronumero (Karkia Mistika/Ruma Puulaaki CD)
Visitations: s/t (self-released CD-R)
Volcano The Bear: The Idea of Wood (Textile CD)
Wolf Eyes: Burned Mind (Sub Pop CD)
v/a: Naturalism (Nature Tape Limb CD-R)
v/a: You Will Love Your Music Mind (musicyourmindwillloveyou CD-R)
v/a: 267 Purkkia Liimaa (267 lattajjaa CD-R)

...and lots of others, like James Blackshaw, The Blithe Sons, The Buried Civilizations, Circle, CJA, Clay Figure, Cotton & Billawtm, Anla Courtis, Davenport, Dead Raven Choir, Deerhoof, Dick The Phone, Echo Is Your Love, Family LSD, Fat Worm Of Error, Futurians, Gong, Grey Park, Guest Star, Guru & Zero, Hevoset, Hotguitars, Hush Arbors, Jesus Balls, Keiji Haino, Keijo, Kulkija, Kuupuu, Kuusumun profeetta, Lamppukello, The Leo Bugariloves, Maniacs Dream, Asahito Nanjo Group Musica, OOIOO, Pharaoh Overlord, Phosphene, Plastic Crimewave, Päivänsäde, Shogo-Nari, The Skaters, Skullpture, The Skygreen Leopards, Stalwart, Taurpis Tula, TV-Resistori, Uton, Vapaa, Vibracathedral Orchestra, Wojciech, The Wooden Cupboard,...