Bears And Bullets Albums Of The Year (#25-#11)

With the Top 50 Songs and Best Albums Honorable Mentions complete, we enter into the final phase of 2013 - The 25 Best Albums of The Year.

Mixtape: Egyptrixx - Music To ... DRONE Out To

Two months back, we highlighted "Ax//s," the first cut from Egyptrixx's newest effort A/B Til Infinity. Since then, the producer has released the album, an hour-long "scrapbook" of ideas that inspired the new LP, and now this mammoth (MAMMOTH) mix Music To ... DRONE Out To.

I've been doing this for quite a while, scouring the internet for mix after mix for endless hours. But never, ever, have I seen anything put together quite like this. Music To ... DRONE Out To reaches almost seven hours. Seven. The selections here, which features the work of Oneohtrix Point Never and Tim Hecker, among a litany of others, also apparently inspired Egyptrixx's new work. Take the day off and stream it below courtesy of i-D.

A/B Til Infinity is out now on Night Slugs.

Tim Hecker video - Black Reflection

Going along with the recent string of exceptional producers putting out new material, drone producer Tim Hecker, the mastermind behind 2011's Ravedeath, 1972, will be returning October 14 with his newest LP Virgins.

Featured on the LP is the beautifully subdued "Black Reflection," which has a hazy, dreamlike accompanying video from director Sabrina Ratté. Watch the video below and pre-order Virgins at Paper Bag.

Our Newest Obsession: Clipping

Forgive me. My words to describe whatever the hell Clipping is comes directly from fellow 405 writer Wil Cook in his article about the other-wordly Los Angeles rap group.

"Clipping seem to be the logical progression from the Dalek, Death Grips and Shabazz Palaces' stream of consciousness. Two guys making rhythmical Tim Hecker style noise made into perfect swelling waves of cerebral hip hop."

In another word, the streamlined chaos of Clipping's midcity LP, available on the group's Bandcamp, is unheard of. The beats are disorienting, the pulse is fast, and the rhythyms are absolutely jarring. midcity is an experience that cannot be comprehended.

Aesthetically pleasing is out the window - midcity is furious art, made for the most visceral curiosities. For a taste, listen to "guns.up" below and just be ready.