9. Luc Ferrari, Cycle Des Souvenirs (1995-2000), Blue ChopsticksBeautiful concrete. 10. Iannis Xenakis, Persepolis & Remixes, AsphodelI already owned the Fractal release of Persepolis, so the remixes were the prize here. Particularly strong outings by Otomo Yoshihide, Merzbow, Ryoji Ikeda, and Francisco Lopez. 11. Cosmos, Tears, ErstwhileThe most challenging and difficult release yet by this label. Very spare delicate vocal sounds by Ami Yoshida with Sachiko M on sine wave sampler and contact mics. Beautiful. 12. Poire Z, +, Erstwhilethree pieces by the quartet of Erik M, Gunter Muller, and Voice Crack with Otomo on one, Sachiko on another, and Christian Marclay on the third. Superb. 13. Otomo Yoshihides New Jazz Ensemble, Dreams, Tzadikfree improv meets Japan pop. Vocal work by Phew and Togawa Jun. Otomo is the only one capable of recovering a tradition without making it sound too much like an idiom. Flutter may not have worked so well, but this one does. 14. Otomo Yoshihides New Jazz Quintet, Live, DIWbrilliant cover of Jim ORourkes Eureka . If theres a better, more inspired tenor player than Kikuchi Naruyoshi, Id be surprised. 15. John Zorn, IAO, TzadikMy favorite Zorn release in years. 16. Yoshihide, Jeck, Tetreault, Invisible Architecture 1, Audiospherea sub-project for Sub Rosa and very short but also very good. Much better than the Vainio/Fennesz release. 17. Merzbow, A Taste of&, Mego.