Leila ‎– Like Weather

This is definitely one of the best electronica/trip-hop albums of all time. While on first listen, it might sound like a swampy, lo-fi mess, Leila's ear for off-kilter melody and beats will come out after repeated listens. The vocalists are all top-notch, with her sister, Roya, also providing vocals for Archive and Grooverider, and her favorite collaborator, Luca Santucci, peppering releases by Plaid, Herbert, Playgroup, and others.

Despite the pedigree of some of her cohorts, nothing quite matches the gritty home-spun trip-hop of Like Weather. From Leila's baroque/IDM workouts to the raw soul of the vocal numbers, it makes for a full-length experience that I have probably listened to over a hundred times now. Anyone who frequents this site would be remiss not to own a copy of this album in some format. Pure genius.

Leila quit art school to tour as Bjork's keyboardist before moving into production. Her solo debut album is a slice of experimental electronica that attempts to combine the soundscapes of IDM with indie/alt style vocals, and it works. (The only other successful effort I can think of is Jamie Lidell and Cristian Vogel's Super_Collider work.)

Twisted instrumentals with sweeping synths and AFX style beats sit alongside trip-hop cuts with rough male crooning or smooth female vocals. The enigmatic lyrics add to the mystic, melancholic tone. It's somewhere between Aphex Twin and Portishead; in fact, people didn't know where to place it when it came out, and it stills holds its own against anything recent in IDM or vocal electronica.