Okay, yes, the album is massive, thick and heady, with ideas atomically colliding. But it’s also music to simply listen to, which is one aspect of Pillars that shouldn’t be ignored. You can dive headlong or simply dip in and out of the album, let the music filter in from wherever it’s playing, leave the room and come back at a wildly new section. Much like Max Richter’s similarly beautiful Sleep, perhaps you’ll never listen to the whole album straight through. But it’s not enough just to know it’s there when you need it, you have to start by letting it in.

2. Peter Brötzmann / Heather Leigh –  http://www.freejazzblog.org/2018/10/peter-brotzmann-heather-leigh-sparrow.html" rel="nofollow - Sparrow Nights  (Trost Records)

3. The following came in tied for third:

• Assif Tsahar / William Parker / Hamid Drake –  http://www.freejazzblog.org/2018/10/recent-releases-from-yoni-kretzmer-and.html" rel="nofollow - In Between the Tumbling a Stillness  (Hopscotch Records)
• Ingrid Laubrock –  http://www.freejazzblog.org/2018/12/ingrid-laubrock-contemporary-chaos.html" rel="nofollow - Contemporary Chaos Practices  (Intakt) 
• Kuzu –  http://www.freejazzblog.org/2018/11/kuzu-hiljaisuus-astral-spirits-2018.html" rel="nofollow - Hiljaisuus  (Astral Spirits)
• Miles Okazaki –  http://www.freejazzblog.org/2018/09/miles-okazaki-work-complete.html" rel="nofollow - Work (The complete compositions of Thelonious Monk)

New Ears Album of the Year per the People:

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Compositional and improvisational strategies become insignificant when listening to Blurred Music. Voutchkova and Thieke offer an arresting journey through sounds within sounds, increasing their and ours, the listeners, sensitivity of perception. Their sonic explorations are sketched with quiet intensity, reserved but passionate dynamics, adventurous, inventive spirit and austere beauty.