Albums of the Year 2020 // Comps & Reissues

Artwork by Connor Mikita

We collected a list of compilation and reissue titles that kept and held our attention throughout 2020. These records represent years of tireless work by independent labels who invest their time, money, and manpower to thoughtfully and artfully give new life to these wonderful, rare, and enriching sounds. These records commemorate momentary innovative microcultures, disregarded subgenres, bizarre and eccentric historic personalities, overlooked hobbyists, and the early, formerly out-of-print material from some of today’s beloved musical cult icons.

Please consider purchasing the titles you discover from this list to support the labels dedicated to unearthing and collecting more wonderous sounds from this planet’s rich past.

Admas- Sons of Ethiopia
[Frederiksberg Records]

Ambiance- Into A New Journey
[BBE]

Ariel Pink- House Arrest
[Mexican Summer]

Attack of the Chicago Boogie
[Star Creature Universal Vibrations]

Barry Cleveland- Stones of Precious Water
[Morning Trip]

Brother Theotis Taylor- Brother Theotis Taylor
[Mississippi Records]

Cadence Revolution: Disques Debs Intl. Vol 2
[Strut]

Café Türk- Café Türk
[Zel Zele]

Dark Arts- Reflections In A Rear View Mirror
[STROOM.tv]

Days of a Quiet Sun
[Feel It Records]

Dhaima- Love Lives Forever
[Numero Group]

Eden Ahbez- Wild Boy: The Lost Songs of Eden Ahbez
[EBALUNGA]

Fela Kuti- Peramnbulator
[Knitting Factory]

For The Love of You
[Athens of the North]

France- Meltdown of Planet Earth
[Desastre]

Heavy Reflections
[Numero Group]

Hiroshi Yoshimura- Green
[Light In The Attic]

If I Had a Pair of Wings: Jamaican Doo Wop, Vol. 3
[Death Is Not The End]

Ihsan Al Munzer- Belly Dance Disco
[BBE]

INTENTA Experimental & Electronic Music from Switzerland 1981​-​93
[Bongo Joe]

Island Sounds From Japan 2009-2016
[Time Capsule]

Jack Briece- Heterophonious Fool
[Concentric Circles]

Janko Nilovic- Maze of Sounds
[Broc Recordz]

Joe Gallardo & Sol- Sol
[Mad About Records]

Joe Sembene- Joe Sembene
[Rare And/Or Interesting]

K. Frimpong- K. Frimpong backed by Vis​-​A​-​Vis
[Hot Casa]

Kedama- The Complete Collection
[Castle Face]

Lapre- Banzai (Elektronische Musik aus Berlin 1985-87)
[Bureau B]

LaRombé- From Philly
[Athens of the North]

Lee Fields- Let’s Get A Groove On
[Daptone]

Message In Our Music Vol. 2)
[Favorite Recordings]

Mort Garson- Music From Patch Cord Productions
[Sacred Bones]

New Neighborhoods
[Freedom To Spend]

Oneness of Juju- African Rhythms 1970-1982
[Strut]

OXZ- Along Ago: 1981-1989
[Captured Tracks]

Pacific Breeze 2: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1972​-​1986
[Light In The Attic]

Pharoah Sanders- Live in Paris (1975)
[Transversales Disques]

Priscilla Ermel- Origens Da Luz
[Music From Memory]

Quinn Harris- Statements
[Day End]

Randall Stephens- The Music I Love Is Gospel
[Numero Group]

Richard Marks- Love Is Gone Lost Sessions (1969​-​1977)
[Now-Again]

Robert Lester Folsom- Abacus Atlanta Sessions
[Anthology]

Ronald Langestraat- Apollo
[South of North]

Rosa- Acqua Di Sale
[Periodica]

Satoski & Makoto- CZ​-​5000 Sounds & Sequences Vol. II
[Safe Trip]

Sharhabil Ahmed- The King Of Sudanese Jazz
[Habibi Funk]

Sidiku Buari- Revolution (Live Disco Show in New York City
[BBE]

Silky Vincent Group- The Complete Hook Up Recordings
[Tramp Records]

Sloppy Joe and the Cruise- Keep On Cruisin’
[People In A Position To Know]

Soul Love Now: The Black Fire Records Story 1975​-​1993
[Strut]

Stone Crush: Memphis Modern Soul 1977​-​1987
[Light In The Attic]

The Cigarettes- The Sky’s Not Blue It’s Happy
[Anthology]

The Key To Our Love
[Symphonical]

The Ladies of Too Slow to Disco 2
[Too Slow To Disco]

The New Morning- Riddims of Culture 3
[Emotional Rescue]

Tommy Mandel- Music For Insomniacs
[Invisible City Editions]

Tommy McGee- I’m A Stranger
[Numero Group]

Twylyte ‘81- The First Coming
[Favorite Recordings]

Wall Matthews- Spine River: The Guitar Music of Wall Matthews, 1967​-​1981
[Tompkins Square]

Weyes Blood- Cardamom Times
[Mexican Summer]

Whispers: Lounge Originals
[Numero Group]

William Eaton- Music By William Eaton
[Morning Trip]

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