Thursday, December 15, 2011

The Year in Music

In light of there not being much content on this site lately I have compiled a list of my top ten tracks of 2011. These are vinyl singles only- no album tracks. They are all dancefloor records made to be heard on a club system so don’t bother listening on computer speakers. Click the title of the song for a link to purchase.

MidlandThrough Motion. A beautifully executed piece of modern big room garage that I kept coming back to all year.



BlawanVibe Decorium. Everything this guy has done this year has been fantastic (Getting Me Down, Peaches, the Karenn records) but this slice of industrial techno is particularly heavy.



MoscaBax. Anthem alert. This massive club tune manages to incorporate everything great about UK dance music within the last ten years. Also a very fun record to play out and mix with, especially pitched down a bit.



Factory FloorTwo Different Ways. Both tracks on this release, as well as the Optimo mix of Real Love earlier this year, are totally amazing pieces of modern industrial dance music. FF have to be one of the most interesting and exciting bands out there right now.



Crazy PBeatbox (Breach Remix) . I’m not familiar with Ben Westbeech’s pop music (apparently popular in the UK) but his work under his Breach guise is some of the freshest music out there. Last years single Fatherless was an anthem and its B side Man Up was rinsed at every gig I played this year. Here he takes a mediocre Crazy P track and turns it into a bass heavy piano house epic. A masterclass in remixing.



Joe GoddardGabriel. The original and dub are amazingly well crafted songs but it’s the Seiji remix that really moves floors. That bassline is serious buisness. Also on the remix 12" is the Compound One mix- it has a nice old school UKG sound to it.



SlavaDreaming Tiger. A really unique record that grew on me throughout the year. I can only describe as some sort of primitive Balearic psychedelia. (i could only find the live version online)



Joy OJels. Joy O is unstoppable. This take on 90’s style house is straightforward and devastatingly heavy. Out of the six records he has released there hasn’t been one song that isn’t completely awesome. One of the most consistent producers out there.



Levon VincentImpression of a Rainstorm. All three tracks on this EP are equally as good. Thoughtful, epic, raw late night techno. And the B2 track is a nice throwback to early tracky house like Bluemoon productions. Essential record.



Being Borings - Love House of Love. A deep and funky house cut on Crue-L Records from Tokyo. I think this is a new project by Kenji Takimi/Luger E-Go but I’m not 100% sure.