We've compiled a list of ELLA RECORDS staff's picks for the Best Albums or Best Songs of 2024. This selection isn’t limited to new releases from this year—it also includes reissues and older gems that our team fell in love with or revisited the most over the past 12 months. Each choice comes with personal comments from the staff, so you can enjoy their perspectives alongside the music.
Here’s to discovering even more amazing music in 2025!
ELLA staff's "Best Music 2024" tracklisting & comments
Note: The track order does not indicate ranking.
artist / song title
1. Triple Fire / Kokodewanai-dokoka (from the album "EXTRA")
The vocals are nice. (ex-Masano)
2. Aurita Castillo y Su Conjunto / Chambacú (from the 1965 album "Festival con Aurita")
When I felt tired or sleepy at work, playing this song somehow gave me the energy to keep going until the end. Thank you, Aurita! (Kaneko)
3. Mishio Ogawa / Okashina Gogo (from the 1990 album "4 to 3")
I couldn't attend the Ichikawa Jun retrospective held at Meguro Cinema this year, which I deeply regretted, so I ended up listening to this! It's music that reminds me of the sunlight captured on 16mm film in the music videos directed by him. (Ishiwata)
4. NewJeans / Bubble Gum (single)
This is a memorable track from my trip to South Korea this year. (Noda)
5. Tyler, the Creator / Darling, I (feat. Teezo Touchdown) (from the album "CHROMAKOPIA")
Tyler's signature mix of pop sensibilities and grotesque elements remains intact, but this release incorporates tribal influences, which hit all the right spots for me. (Kita)
6. Mach-Hommy / SUR LE PONT d'AVIGNON (Reparation #1) [feat. Sam Gendel] (from the album "#RICHAXXHAITIAN")
Haitian-American rapper Mach-Hommy delivers his 28th (!) release. With a catalog so vast that counting his mixtapes and EPs becomes a chore, Mach-Hommy remains an enigmatic figure, rarely appearing in the public eye outside of live performances and selling physical releases exclusively through his own website. From the moment I first listened, I’ve been captivated by his artistry. In this album, he stays true to his roots, crafting high-caliber rap over tracks that incorporate diverse musical influences such as jazz, prog, and soul. Standout moments include "SUR LE PONT d'AVIGNON (Reparation #1)" featuring the saxophone of Japan-favorite Sam Gendel, and the eclectic title track "#RICHAXXHAITIAN," produced by Kaytranada, which offered a refreshing twist. Knowing him, I wouldn’t be surprised if his 29th project arrives next year—and honestly, I’m already looking forward to it. (Ryosuke Kimura)
7. Primal Scream / Love Insurrection (from the album "Come Ahead")
The new album "Come Ahead" after eight years is absolutely fantastic! I especially listened to this lead single on repeat. It has elements that resonate with their 90's work while still feeling fresh and updated. Most of all, Bobby's relaxed vocals are just incredible! (Sato)
8. Michiru Oshima / Bon Bon Bon (from the album "T・P BON (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series)")
For me, 2024 was a year packed with absorbing entertainment, and the standout work was undoubtedly "T・P BON". In this era of subscription services where skipping intros is so easy, this opening was so incredible that it was the only one I couldn’t bring myself to skip—a true masterpiece! (Furukawa)
9. atiek / Save Point (from the album "atiek")
Masterpiece. (Ikeda)
10. Brigitte Calls Me Baby / Fine Dining (from the album "The Future Is Our Way Out")
It feels like 'The Smiths without the heaviness in the stomach'—a truly pleasant listen from start to finish. (Yoshida)
11. Underworld / Black Poppies (from the album "Strawberry Hotel")
The only new album I listened to this year was this one (lol). Among its tracks, I chose this one with the hope that 2025 will be a great year. (Nagasaki, MAPE)
12. Hermanos Gutiérrez / Low Sun (from the album "Sonido Cósmico")
The band's visit to Japan is coming up soon. (Male staff in his 20s)
13. Khruangbin / May Ninth (from the album "A LA SALA")
I find myself wanting to listen to this band when I’m getting away from my everyday life and heading somewhere far. Since it’s a December playlist, how about having it as a companion during your year-end and New Year’s travels, as you reflect on "What kind of year has it been?" (Ichikawa)
14. Bruno Berle / Te Amar Eterno (from the album "No Reino Dos Afetos 2")
For me, The Cure's new album after 16 years holds the top spot in my heart, but when it comes to pure excitement over sound, this one was it. I believe Bruno Berle is one of the most talented Brazilian singer-songwriters in the modern scene. The Festival de FRUE in Shizuoka, which I attended for him, was also amazing. (Tanaka)
15. Yuta Orisaka / Lotus (from the album "Jumon")
My personal pick for the best album of 2024 is Yuta Orisaka’s "Jumon," which also left a strong impression during his performance at FESTIVAL FRUEZINHO 2024. Every track is wonderful, but if I had to choose just one, it would be the last track, "Lotus." I also love the way Orisaka says "huh!" during the instrumental break—it’s a bit unpracticed, yet so subtly rich and meaningful. Huh! (KenKen Ogura)
16. Ålborg / Same Page (from the album "The Way I See You")
My personal Record of the Year for 2024 is Ålborg’s debut album "The Way I See You." It’s the music I listened to the most while driving with records. This spring, Ålborg performed at an outdoor event in Nagoya that I booked, and thanks to them, this year has been a healthy and happy one. I look forward to continuing our relationship in the coming year! Thank you so much!!! (Mizuno)
17. Mac DeMarco / Boku Wa Chotto (single)
The drawn-out guitar and a bit awkward Japanese got stuck in my head—I ended up replaying it over and over... (Kasatani)
18. Sam Blasucci / No Magic (from the album "Real Life Thing")
A hidden gem of a singer-songwriter album with genuinely beautiful melodies, something I hadn’t encountered in a while. (JET)
19. JJ72 / October Swimmer (from the 2000 album "JJ72")
25 years since their debut, hoping for a reunion. (N)
20. Neil Young & Crazy Horse / Down By the River (from the album "Early Daze")
This is an unreleased version of a classic early track recorded in 1969 by rock legend Neil Young. You can feel the energy and atmosphere of the young legends pushing forward into a new era from the late '60s to the '70s. (J)
21. Broadcast / Tears in the Typing Pool [Demo] (from the album "Distant Call - Collected Demos 2000 - 2006")
A lo-fi acid folk sound born from the format of a leftover demo track. (Hirose)
22. Lucy Sissy Miller / Florida Mermaids (from the album "Pre Country")
An ethereal acoustic folk piece filled with romanticism. Once you listen, you'll find yourself deeply immersed in a dreamlike state of meditation. (Fujiki)
23. Julius Asal / Scriabin: Prélude in B-Flat Major, Op. 11, No. 21 - Upright Version (from the album "SCRIABIN · SCARLATTI" deluxe edition)
This is the song I often listened to while buying tomatoes and cucumbers. (Kuzuhara)
24. Nala Sinephro / Continuum 2 (from the album "Endlessness")
In recent years, I've often listened to music one track at a time, but this ambient jazz album is one I found myself listening to repeatedly from start to finish. (Watari)
25. The Ghostwriters / Swizzle (from the 1981 album "Objects in Mirrors Are Closer Than They Appear")
A reissue of the 1981 work by the US experimental duo by Charles Cohen, a Buchla synthesizer master, and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Cain. Unlike the hyper-realistic and non-linear elements often associated with Buchla, this album exudes a quirky, mysterious charm, like an imaginary cocktail. It offers a generous serving of Buchla's distinct analog synth sounds, distinct from Moog, making it a record that feels destined to become an important part of my collection! (Koike)
26. Rafael Toral / Spectral Evolution (from the single-track album "Spectral Evolution")
Rocking in a train bathed in the morning sun, listening to Rafael Toral, and gazing at the passing scenery through the window... I’ve forgotten whether such a moment ever existed. (Yokomizo)
Playlist by ELLA RECORDS staff members
Cover photo by KenKen Ogura (ELLA RECORDS)
PROMOTIONAL ONLY
