I did something a little different this year. Instead of listening to the maximum number of 2021 releases and eschewing older albums or things I knew I enjoyed, I listened to/watched/read whatever I wanted, and then I summarized & reviewed all of it. These entries are mostly brief, mostly just little snippets. But in a way it’s a (mostly, I’m sure I forgot some stuff) complete snapshot of my year in terms of artistic ingestion.
My one thought at the moment is that next year I probably won’t include entries for things I experienced recently and haven’t had an earthshattering change of opinion on.
Was this spreadsheet a bad idea that I should do away with? An excellent one I should replicate? Do you agree or disagree strongly with one of my takes? Is there some piece of media I missed and absolutely must check out? Let me know what you think at slugzuki@gmail.com, if you want.
Here are some quick recommendations for those of you who don’t have the time or inclination to pore through hundreds of entries.
FAVORITE PIECES OF ART I EXPERIENCED IN 2021 THAT WERE ALSO RELEASED IN 2021
Promises by Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, & the London Symphony Orchestra (music album)
A Beginner's Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine (music album)
ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH by Spirit of the Beehive (music album)
FAVORITE PIECES OF ART I EXPERIENCED IN 2021 THAT WERE NOT RELEASED IN 2021
Black Orpheus dir. Marcel Camus (film)
Dead Ringers dir. David Cronenberg (film)
To The Friend Who Did Not Save My Life by Hervé Guibert (novel)
Crash dir. David Cronenberg (film)
Photopia by Adam Cadre (video game)
Sorcerer dir. William Friedkin (film)
First Reformed dir. Paul Shrader (film)
Possessor dir. Brandon Cronenberg (film)
Sound of Metal dir. Darius Marder (film)
Raw dir. Julia Ducournau (film)
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō dir. Takashi Annō (anime OVA)
The Wild Boys dir. Bertrand Mandico (film)
The Shape You Make When You Want Your Bones To Be Closest To The Surface by Porpentine (video game)
Time by ELO (music album)
I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter by Isabel Fall (short story)
For your convenience, I have compiled all my monthly public spotify playlists on this webpage.
Ed. (1/5/22) Also for your convenience, I have compiled some of my favorite songs that were released in 2021 in a spotify playlist.