Best of 2012 instrumental mix

Pictured: Toto

Click here to listen

01 Evenings - Golden
02 Snow Palms - Blue Yonder
03 Andrew Bird - Things Behind The Barn
04 Two Bicycles - Voice Clouds
05 Message To Bears - Farewell, Stars
06 Dead Rat Orchestra - Salt Slide
07 Alamaailman Vasarat - Riistomaasiirtäjä
08 Black Prairie - Evil Leaves
09 Mount Eerie - (something)
10 Library Tapes - End of the Summer
11 dalot - haiku 16
12 Indian Wells - In The Streets
13 Errors - The Knock
14 Balmorhea - Artifact
15 Godspeed You! Black Emperor - We Drift Like Worried Fire
16 Memory Tapes - The Black Reel

~90 minutes counting the last two tracks, ~45 without them. Think of it as a 2-part deal if you want, or just skip the long tracks at the end, idgaf. It was a good year for instrumental music. I could have made this go on for hours, easily. I left most of my favorite ambient stuff off since a lot of the same artists are on the Hurricane Sandy Relief compilation posted below, which you should really check out in lieu of any mix I could make.

[2011] Arctic Whisperings - óvænt lán

For fans of hauschka, sigur ros, and the minecraft volume alpha album (which I simply cannot put down, lately). some minimal stuff, some thick postrock, all points between, all twinkly. I'm gonna buy this. Found it on Musical Coma.

[2010] Balmorhea - Candor/Clamor 7"

Sounds like the Balmorhea of their recent full length, "Constellations", but having some sort of proggy Jethro Tull hypnotic seizure.

[2010] Happenstance - Happenstance

Excellent little mostly instrumental EP. Just listen and see for yourself, words won't do it justice. Should not be hard to find; when I google for information about the artist, I get more download links than anything else. Release was apparently limited to 300 copies, good luck finding one.

Happenstance - Even My Goosebumps Shivered

[2010] Junip - Rope and Summit | first impression

I don't know Jose Gonzalez's solo work or Junip's first ep, but this kicks a little bit of ass. It's densely layered and satisfyingly percussive. The vocals are soft and the repetitive lyrics manage not to get old. These songs get better as they go along. Pretty sure I found it on Bolachas.

Rope and Summit