Best Music of 2007: International

I don't know what else to call this category but "International." Since I've already compiled the French and Latin American lists, and since I'm in the US, "International" basically means "Music Not from the US, France, or Latin America, and of Which English Is Not the Principal Language." I'm not even sure this will hold up over the next couple of lists.

Is it the case that the Smithsonian Field Recording is a thing of the past? Are there still Alan Lomax types out there? It seems to me that the Smithsonian recordings are increasingly indistinguishable from many other "world music" recordings on sometimes fairly large labels. The sound is crisp and "produced." Twenty or thirty years ago a group such as Mali's Tinariwen likely wouldn't have had a label simply because the music industry was oblivious and because there was no market-constituting audience that possessed the aesthetic to take up this beautiful music. At best, maybe the Smithsonian or some other cultural research organization would have pressed their music to a very limited number of vinyl copies. Is it that today everyone can find a way to record, that recorded music is known and possessed almost everywhere? Or is it that the global music industry has sucked the planet dry of its roots? Or is it that we've come upon a synthesis of local music and what's available to a mass market? Or are we all out of fields?

The musical world is infinite, and there's always plenty more interesting stuff to discover. I'm sure this list misses a lot. Nevertheless,... here's some more music from 2007 that's definitely worth your time.

• La Mala Rodríguez - Malamarismo (Spain - Hip Hop)
• Staraya Derevnya - Одноногий [Onelegged] (Israel/UK/Russia - Psych)
• Mr. Huw - Llond Lle O Hwrs A Lladron (Wales - Psych Pop)
• Siny - W Sina Dal (Poland - Avant Hip Hop)
• Dead Combo - Guitars From Nothing (Portugal - Mod Fado/Alternative)
• Nawal - Aman (Comoros/France - Acoustic Sufi/Roots)
• Thilges - La Double Absence (Austria - Electronic/Jazz)
• Chapeau Claque - Hand aufs herz (Germany - Pop)
• Tang Ren Ti - Jazz Rap Is in the City Now (China - Hip Hop)
• Melt Banana - Bambi's Dilemma (Japan - Punk)
• Fanfare Ciocărlia - Queens and Kings (Romania - Roma Brass)
• Radio Luxembourg - Diwrnod Efo'r Anifeiliaid (Wales - Psych Pop)
• Gutevolk (Hirono Nishiyama) - Tiny People Singing Over the Rainbow [流星群] (Japan - Glitch Pop)
• Andrew & Emiko - Oi! (Japan/UK/France - Psych Post Rock)
• Tinariwen - Aman Iman (Mali - Tuareg Blues)
• Group Inerane - Guitars from Agadez (Niger - Tuareg Guitar Music)
• Tujiko Noriko - Solo (Japan - Avant Pop)
• Various - GeoRemixed: Big Beats for a Small Planet ("World" - Hip Hop/House)
• Ólöf Arnalds - Við Og Við (Iceland - Folk)
  

Previously:
Best Music of 2007: Latin
Best Music of 2007: Electronic
Best Music of 2007: French
Best Music of 2007: Hip Hop