I don't think I've posted in over 10 years--back when the forum was hosted on a different server. Nonetheless, I still find this thread to be one of the most reliable ways to get solid suggestions for music, given the demands of work and family. Thanks everyone for sharing your listening habits, tips, and suggestions.
Some recent favorites in high rotation, thanks in large part to this forum:
Bop - The Amazing Adventures of One Curious Pixel
IDM/electronic with what I assume are Mrs. Pac Man samples. Fantastic melodies.
Marsen Jules - Nostalgia
Martin has one of the more refined palates for sampling. He combines wonderful acoustic samples with done-like structures to create amazing songs. His last album, Golden, didn't really resonate with me. But I really like Nostalgia.
Tobias Lilja - Delirium Portraits
Great electronic album from the n5md label. Reminds me a bit of 1980's goth/electronica. Amazing vocals.
Marconi Union - Beautifully Falling Apart
Soft, melodic, subtle electronic ambient.
Aglaia - Nights in Nubiland
Less drone-like than their other work. These pieces sound like deliberately constructed songs. It is a nice change.
Alio Die & Aglaia - Vayu Rouah
This is my favorite long-form drone piece form Alio Die since Password for Entheogenic Experience.
Balam Acab - Wander/Wonder
Electronic, sometimes classed with witch house. Great melodies. The chipmunk vocals can be a bit off-putting at first, but the combination of melody, subtle glitch, and structure wins.
A Winged Victory for the Sullen - A Winged Victory for the Sullen
About what you might expect from a SOTL side project. Frankly, I have a hard time turning this off once I turn it on. It might be my favorite release of the last year.
Steve Roach - Immersion 5
I like the second disc alot--soft ambient drones. The first one is kind of meh.