10-KONONO NO 1-Assume Crash Position (Crammed Discs)
Artists who were pushing boundaries had a good 2010, thanks mainly to Daniel Lopatin and the roster on his excellent label Olde English Spelling Bee, which managed to showcase an impressive catalogue of new talent. Joining them were a group of more reputable groundbreakers such as The Knife (who wrote their own opera); Avey Tare (who carried on his freak-folk ways) or Dirty Projectors – self releasing for charity a mini album in collaboration with Björk. Other noteworthy efforts came from the fields of Scandinavian metal jazz (The Shining); different trends in leftfield electronica (Fennesz Daniel Buck; Hype Williams) or musicians courting with avant garde classical (James Blackshaw; Max Richter).
9-THE SHINING-BlackJazz (Indie Recordings)
8-FENNESZ DANIELL BUCK-Knoxville (Thrill Jockey)
7-U.S. GIRLS-Go Grey (Siltbreeze)
6-JAMES BLACKSHAW-All Is Falling (Young God)
5-MAX RICHTER-Infra (Fat Cat)
4-DIRTY PROJECTORS & BJORK-Mount Wittenberg Orca (Download)
3-HYPE WILLIAMS-Untitled/Find Out What Happens When People Stop Being Polite…(De Stijl)
2-AVEY TARE-Down There (Paw Tracks)
1-THE KNIFE FT. MT. SIMS & PLANETTOROCK-Tomorrow, In A Year (Rabid)