Article
2012 Top 10s & 20s

Albums
Poppy Ackroyd
Mario Basanov
Ryan Blotnick
Peter Broderick
Celer
Débruit
Vladislav Delay
Taylor Deupree
El Fog
Forma
Masayoshi Fujita
Golden Gardens
Grouper
Mano Le Tough
Lusine
Yann Novak
Paniyolo
Strategy
The Swifter
thisquietarmy
Robert Scott Thompson
Christiaan Virant

Compilations / Mixes
Cambio
Hernan Cattaneo
Change The Beat
DJ Deep
Eskimonde
Full Body Workout 10
We Love Detroit

EPs / Singles
Andrew Bayer
Birds of Passage
Brancaccio & Bishop
Maya Jane Coles
Eskmo
Ether
Gerwin, Nuage & 2 Shy
Glacis
The Green Kingdom
H. Salut / Hopeless L. M. B.
Her Name is Calla
Herrmutt Lobby
Darren McClure
Oh, Yoko
Michael Price
Danilo Rispoli
Silencio
Phil Tangent
Widesky
Windsor for the Derby

Paniyolo: Christmas Album
Schole

The veritable deluge of Christmas albums that occurs every year understandably makes the erstwhile reviewer a tad resistant to the idea of reviewing one, but the one from Paniyolo (aka Takasaka Muneki) is so pretty it breaks down whatever initial opposition one might have to the project. In place of a Michael Bublé or Rod Stewart crooning the songs, we've got Muneki crafting touching instrumental renditions of pieces that are more than a little familiar but also, in some cases (e.g., “Christmas Story”), less so. And even in those cases where the melodies are well-known, Muneki's gentle touch has a way of investing them with new life. In fact, his sultry version of “The First Noel” might very well be the most affecting one you'll ever hear.

In Muneki's hands, “Silent Night” becomes a lilting waltz arranged for acoustic guitars, while “Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow” is given a breezy rendering, with Muneki again using one guitar as a foundation and another as a lead to voice the melody. “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” are typically given raucous treatments, but Muneki opts to present them in a more laid-back and dreamy mode with lead playing that sometimes flirts with a jazzier style in its soloing. The album's tone is generally delicate, especially in its lullaby-like moments (e.g., the sleepy renderings of “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” and “Jingle Bells”), though “Christmas Tree Angel” livens up the set with a series of high-spirited episodes.

January 2013