The ill-ec-tro-nic

Bit of a mixed bag today but we kick things off by heading straight for the jugular with a slab of relentless dancefloor dirt perfectly primed for darkened warehouse spaces. Having missed out on the first Stroboscopic Artifacts release, numbers two and three have definitely aroused my interest. The vinyl versions are limited to a pair of two tough dancefloor numbers but the digital releases also incorporate a pair of stripped down tools for the adventurous DJ to play around with. Xhin's Fixing The Error / Link came out back in November with Lucy and Ercolino's Gmork dropping a couple of weeks back. You can pick up the full Stroboscopic Artefacts catalog at Juno / Juno Download and I suggest you keep your eyes peeled for future releases too.


Harald Bjork - Skvaltan // Kranglan Broadcast buy

Labels: Border Community, Club Transmediale, Ercolino, Harald Björk, Hildur Gudnadottir, Kranglan Broadcast, Lucy, Luke Abbott, Stroboscopic Artefacts, Xhin

Without wanting to get too hung up on genre classification, I can't help but feel that Boomkat's Dubstep / Grime / Funky category, under which it has filed Binary Sequence's debut EP, provides a rather inaccurate prejudice of what this release is going to sound like. Sure, the tracks contained within '66/31' exhibit dubstep rhythms and deep dubby atmospherics often associated with the techier side of the Dubstep genre but to me at least, the underlying feel is certainly more Electronica than Grime or Funky.

Anyhow, that aside, what matters here is the quality of the music on offer and this EP definitely pushes the right buttons for us. Across the three relatively short tracks featured on the release, Binary Sequence sets out his stall very nicely indeed, dishing up electronica that is certainly hard to pigeonhole and there's definitely a hybrid and very forward-thinking feel to this tidy little package.

The EP marks the first release on the new Dark Arx imprint, a label which describes itself as one which provides a home for artists on the fringes of the Dubstep/Bass/Techno scenes. To complement this debut release, the label has also released a pair of mixes; one from label boss Dark Arx and one from Binary Sequence himself. Both mixes provide an excellent blend of laid-back Dubstep / Electronica and if the quality of these podcasts and this debut EP are indicative of the standards we can expect from this crew's future output then they're definitely going to be an outfit to keep a keen eye on.

Binary Sequence - 66/31 // Dark Arx

The EP is out on vinyl & digital formats and can be picked up from the usual places including Juno.

You can download both promo mixes from Dark Arx's Soundcloud page.

Labels: Binary Sequence, Dark Arx, Dubstep. Electronica

Today's post is an attempt to cover off some things I've been meaning to mention for weeks in the (perhaps unlikely) hope that I'll get back to posting about things that have only just been released.

Emptyset are an act I've been meaning to feature on these pages for a very long time indeed as I've been a big fan of their work ever since hearing their Isokon EP back in 2007. Their brand of stripped back techno minimalism really appeals to me and they are a classic example of how a small sound palette can be used to keep intrigue in a track's evolution as well as producing an overall sound that really fills the speakers. Over the course of three 12s for Future Days and Caravan, these boys delivered some very interesting cuts that work particularly well for slowing things right down in the thick of a mix and making the listener really tune into the skeletal sonic remains before things get cranked up again. Their debut long player dropped last year and I must admit that it caught me a little off guard initially as it's a lot less dancefloor than I was expecting. The eponymously titled release strips things back even further than their earlier work and becomes almost an experiment in sonic manipulation, focusing heavily on drones, bleeps and white noise all underpinned by lashings of bass. Despite, not really being a 'dancefloor' album, some of the cuts on offer here would no doubt cause devastating effect if placed into the right hands although looking for standout tracks is not really the way to approach this album as it's not the kind of release to dip ones toe into lightly as the immersive nature of the complete sonic package is where the real beauty lies.

You can check out the album in full over at Caravan's Multiverse page where the press release also provides some interesting notes on the concept behind the album. You can buy a copy of the release at the usual outlets including Boomkat.

You can also download a mix put together by the less famous half of the duo (the other being 30Hz / Ginz who will be well known to any dubstep aficionados) that takes a pleasant walk through techno minimalism picking up some house and dubstep en route.

Emptyset - DJ Mix (Nov '09)

If Emptyset's darkness is a little too much for you, then perhaps Lusine's latest long player is a little more up your street. As with his earlier work, A Certain Distance is a solid electronica outing but this time with a much poppier vibe than before. The overall result definitely makes for a very engaging listen and there's some great tracks on offer but on some of the vocal numbers (Twilight in particular) things stray too far into easy listening territory for my liking. Don't let this put you off though as all in all, this is a pretty decent album and well worthy of your attention - you can pick up a copy here.

Lusine - Operation Costs // Ghostly International

Rounding things off for today is a good bit of Detroit style techno. Not actually Detroit techno as such as the producer in question, Davor, hails from Croatia but it came out on Detroit's Matrix Records and certainly uses a Detroit-esque sound palette. Four version of Transitional Objects feature on the Transitional Objects Remixes package although there's only actually two remixes (Jolka and Area, neither of whom I've heard of previously) plus the original and a beatless version from Davor himself. For me it's definitely the beatless 'No Gravity' mix that's the pick of the bunch as the meandering synths, rising chord sequences and sci-fi FX unfold to deliver an intriguing and very rich tapestry that, as the title suggests, allows the listener to float along with the music.

Pick yourself up a copy at Juno.

Davor - Transitional Objects (No Gravity Mix) //Matrix Records

Labels: Davor O, Emptyset, Lusine

For the final part of our decade review, we look at the pick of the singles from 2005-2009:

Although Electroclash died almost as quickly as it had arrived, Electro itself would go on to mix with House to give the genre exactly what it needed to see it into the 21st century. Around the middle of the Noughties, Electro House became the epitome of underground dancefloor cool and Germany was the breeding ground for a new set of labels to push forward, once again simply by looking back and combining sounds and patterns that had previously been largely isolated from one another. As with every good thing though it couldn’t last, but far from dying, Electro House transcended underground cool to become the dominant sound of commercial dance music in the latter part of the Noughties and with it, lost much of the innovation that made it special before it became the next soundtrack to sell cars to.

Dub became the next retro sound to be brought back into the mix and this time it was youth once again making it's presence felt on the electronic scene. Grime sensibilities and 2-step rhythms mashed together in bedroom studios across south London by producers barely out of school kickstarted the mighty force that has become Dubstep. Initially characterised by lashings of bowel-shattering bass underpinning sparse percussion and vocal accompaniment, the scene evolved over the years (and continues to do so) but for us, it's been the splintering of Dubstep that has provided perhaps the most interesting developments as it takes onboard sounds from genres as wide ranging as Electronica, House, Hip Hop and R & B.

Dubstep has also had an undeniable impact on techno, initially felt when the likes of Skull Disco combined their particular Dubstep brand with the metallic sounds of Basic Channel, resulting in crossover hits championed by the likes of Villalobos and later the Hardwax / Berghain camps. Dubby sounds now inundate techno releases right from the laid back 'listening' end of the scale through to the reverb-drenched sounds used to fill out tougher dancefloor cuts. As techno approaches its 25th birthday, it celebrates by taking on board the best bits of the past, and while the bpms have dropped considerably from their 90s peak, any loss in dancefloor energy has been replaced by cerebral music motivating heads and hearts as well as just limbs.

Top 100 Tracks of the Decade (Part 2: 2005-2009)

• Âme - Rej // Sonar Collective, Innervisions (2005) - Superb techno epic with a wide ranging appeal - undeniably one of the best techno records of all time
• Andy Stott - Massacre // Modern Love (2007) - Stott has delivered a plethora of quality tunes over the last few years but for us, the laid-back dubby number is the pick of the bunch
• Appleblim & Peverelist - Circling // Skull Disco (2008) - Appleblim was the first to cross Basic Channel Techno with Dubstep. A whole new genre was born
• Audion - Mouth To Mouth // Spectral Sound (2006) - Proof that stripped down loopy techno minimalism can devastate a dancefloor
• Beck - Cellphone's Dead (Villalobos Entlebuch Remix) // Interscope (2007) - One of a host of remixes by Villalobos that defined his minimal sound
• Ben Klock feat. Elif Bicer - Goodly Sin // Ostgut Ton (2009) - Brilliant pairing of stripped down techno & haunting vocals - proof that the two can work together
• Benga & Coki - Night // Tempa (2007) - HUGE dubstep anthem
• Bjork - Dull Flame Of Desire (Modeselekor's Remix For Girls) // One Little Indian (2008) - Trancetastic synths combined with Bjork & Antony Hegarty's vocals to deliver a peak-time killer with a massive feelgood factor
• Bob Marley - War (Matty G Remix) // WAR001 (2007) - Speaker shaking remake of an all-time classic
• Bobby Peru – Erotic Discourse (Original + Audiojack Remix) // 20:20 Vision (2006) Massive synth hooks on this Electro House smash
• Booka Shade - Mandarine Girl // Get Physical (2005) - Massively uplifting house track for those hands in the air moments
• Burial - Archangel // Hyperdub (2008) Our only debate here was which Burial track to include on the list as he's delivered so many greats
• Claude VonStroke – The Whistler/Who’s Afraid Of Detroit? // Dirty Bird (2006) - Put VonStroke on the map. Whistler for the House heads, Detroit for the Tech heads
• Cobblestone Jazz - Dump Truck // Wagon Repair (2006) - Organic Jazzy Techno at its finest from Mathew Jonson and friends
• Danton Eeprom - The Infinity Project // Tsuba (2008) - Classy Electro Techno from Mr Eeprom which transcended its peers
• Datashat - Stop The Message // Handsette (2008) - Quirky electronic remake of an old Grandmaster
• Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom - Relevee (Carl Craig Remix) // DFA (2006) - No one could touch Carl Craig's remixes in 05/06
• Depeche Mode – The Sinner In Me (Villalobos Conclave Remix) // Mute Promo (2006) - Turned Depeche Mode's original into a minimal Ibiza anthem
• Disrupt - Selassi I Continually // Werkdiscs 2007 Closing track to Disrupt's debut album - feel the dub
• Dubfire - I feel Speed (Audion Mix) // Sci + Tec Digital Audio (2007) - One of Audion's best remixes with a big slo-mo breakdown
• Ellen Allien & Apparat – Jet (Paul Kalkbrenner Remix) // Bpitch Control (2006) - A perfect record made even better by Paul Kalkbrenner
• Frankie Valli - Beggin (Pilooski Edit) // 679 Recordings (2007) - Amazing rework of a track your parents used to dance to - why this didn't destroy the UK charts is still a mystery to us
• Gabriel Ananda – Dopplewhipper (Live) // Platzhirsh (2006) - Huge minimal Ibiza anthem
• Heartthrob - Baby Kate (Sascha Funke Remix) // M_nus (2007) The pick of the many versions of this track that did the rounds
• Hot Chip - Over And Over // EMI (2006) - Peak-time pop with superb crossover appeal
• Hot Chip - Boy From School (Erol Alkan Remix) // White Label (2007) - Erol took the already great original & elevated it to new levels
• Jackson & His Computer Band - Utopia // Warp (2006) - Yes, it was on the O2 advert but it's an undeniably great slice of electronica
• Joy Orbison - Hyph Mngo // Hotflush (2009) - Rightfully huge & guaranteed to bring happiness to the dancefloor
• Jus Wan - Action Potential // Applepips (2008) - Quality dubtec from a producer that still hasn’t been given the recognition he deserves
• Justice – Waters Of Nazareth (Erol Alkan’s Durr Durr Durrrrr Edit) // Ed Banger (2005) - Justice defined the French Ed Banger sound. Monster
• LCD Soundsystem - Tribulations (Original + Tiga Remix) // DFA (2005) - One of the best tracks from the first album, given extra muscle by Tiga
• Loco Dice - Seeing Through Shadows // M_nus (2006) - Another defining minimal track from Richie Hawtin's label
• M.A.N.D.Y. Vs Booka Shade - Body Language // Get Physical (2005) - Get Physical defined Electro House in the middle of the decade
• M.I.A - Paper Planes // XL Recordings (2007) - Brilliant use of samples on this worldwide smash
• Mala - Left Leg Out // DMZ (2006) Proof that Dubstep had more to offer than just earth shaking wobble basslines
• Marc Houle - Bay Of Figs // M_nus (2006) - Like an air raid siren going off wherever it was played - huge!
• Martin Buttrich - Full Clip // Planet E (2006) - Detroit Techno in the classic mould
• Martyn - Suburbia // Applepips (2008) - Sheer dubtec brilliance
• Martyn - Vancouver // 3062 (2008) - Another flawless Martyn production from his pivotal year
• Mathew Jonson - Marionette // Wagon Repair (2005) Jonson in cerebral mode - sparse evolving minimalism - very classy indeed
• Millie & Andrea - Temper Tantrum // Daphne (2009) - Huge speaker shaking bass harking back to the old school
• Moderat - Let Your Love Grow // De:Bug Hartwaren (2006) - Hillaire's silky smooth vocals and Modeseletor's dubby side delivered this standout track from Happy Birthday
• Modeselektor Feat. Thom Yorke - The White Flash // Bpitch Control (2007) - Mournful electronica beauty at its best
• Mount Kimbie - Maybes // Hotflush Recordings (2009) - A defining track of 2009, sets the template for the next decade
• Mujava - Township Funk (Original + Ashley Beedle's Africanz on Marz Re-Edit) // This Is Music/Warp (2008) - Ghetto tribalism with one of the best synth hooks of the decade
• Pangaea - Router // Hessle Audio (2008) - Dubstep at its most emotive and beautiful
• Redshape - Black Dust // Present (2007) - Essential square bass sonics from the man in the mask
• Redshape -Blood Into Dust // Delsin (2008) - Slow-paced techno killer with a colossal dark room vibe
• Rekorder - Rekorder 8.1 // Rekorder (2007) - Bodzin & Huntemann delivered a whole host of killers around this time but this is our pick of the bunch
• Rhythm & Sound - Dem Never Know (Sleeparchive Remix) // Burial Mix (2006) - Sleeparchive showing that he could turn his hand to more than just minimal 4/4 grooves - utterly essential
• Rustie - Jagz The Smack / Clipper // Stuffrecords (2007) - The EP that propelled Rustie into stardom - the only debate here is which track is the biggest killer
• Shackleton - Blood On My Hands (Original & Villalobos Apocalypso Remix) // Skull Disco (2007) - Shackleton moved Dubstep into minimal territory and Villalobos crowned it with his epic remix
• Shed - Estrange // Ostgut Ton (2008) - Epic electronica from an album which defined the Berghain sound
• Silent Servant - Violencia (Kalon Remix) // Sandwell District (2008) - Utter techno filth guaranteed to slay tougher flaws - we only discovered this in 2009 but were caning it all year
• Simon Baker - Plastik (Original & Todd Terje Remix) // Playhouse (2007) - A techno killer from Simon Baker also re-contextualized by Terje into a Space Disco epic
• Skream - Midnight Request Line // Tempa (2005) - A defining Dubstep record
• Solid Groove - This Is Sick // Front Room Recordings (2005) - Dave 'Switch' Taylor was responsible for a healthy number of quality productions throughout the noughties but as the title suggests, things don't get much sicker than this one
• The Chemical Brothers - Electronic Battle Weapon 8/Saturate // Freestyle Dust (2007) - The Chems proved they still had it with this anthem
• Theo Parrish - Falling Up (Carl Craig Remix) // Third Ear Recordings (2005) - Pick of the bunch from the Carl Craig remix years
• TRG - Broken Heart (Martyn's DCM Remix) // Hessle Audio (2008) -A mournfully emotive, yet uplifting remix from Martyn
• Zomby - Spliff Dub (Rustie Remix) // Hyperdub (2008) - Call it Wonky? Call it Aquacrunk? Nah, just call it genius in our books.

Labels: 2005-2009, Charts, Tracks

The second part of our decade review focuses on the defining tracks from the last 10 years; again in terms of mine and Langer's personal tastes. Most of these were properly released as singles although a few of our selections were only ever released on LPs. We've selected a hundred tracks but are revealing the list in two parts splitting the decade into two five year chunks.

As with the album post, let us know your thoughts on the tracks we've criminally overlooked...and feel free to comment on any we've included which you think suck! Today's post covers the years 2000 - 2004.

At the end of the Nineties, Techno was stuck in a loop (Literally). Pounding drums and endless looped up riffs combined with hoover basslines were the order of the day. Something had to give. Thanks largely to one record, Techno rediscovered its melody and soul and reminded everyone why they had fallen in love with it in the first place. ‘Knights of the Jaguar’ by DJ Rolando was released in late ’99 by the militant stalwarts of the Techno scene, Underground Resistance. It’s effect was profound and it became a worldwide smash. We debated long and hard as to whether we should name this our record of the noughties as it soundtracked many a club night in the first half of the decade and to this day will send the crowd wild if dropped during a set. Ultimately we decided against this, opting instead to select one record from each half of the decade as depicted by the image used for each of the two posts.

One word could perhaps be used to sum up the Noughties… The word? Eighties. Never more so has retro influenced the fashion and musical output than the Eighties did over the last 10 years (particularly the first half). What goes around comes around and at the start of the decade electronic music was in need of a new injection of energy and ideas. Electronic music has always looked to the future for inspiration but in the noughties we looked to the past. The new injection came from some of the first incarnations of electronic music, namely Synth pop, Italo Disco and Electro. These old styles gave Techno and house a new edge in the form of Electroclash. For a short while Electroclash ruled dancefloors on both sides of the pond and produced a myriad of great tunes. But as with any scene based around a ‘fashionable’ sound it was never going to last. By 2003 it had burned out, leaving the fashionistas looking for the next big thing. Stepping into the void came the sound of early Eighties New York; Punk, Funk and Disco. One of the key labels of the decade, DFA records exploded onto everyone’s radar with James Murphy’s LCD Soundsystem. ‘Losing my Edge’ neatly summing up in one record the feeling of the first generation of Ravers now losing out to the ‘New Kids’ but with the self satisfaction of knowing that it was never going to be as good as when they were kids back in day.

Top 100 Tracks of the Decade (Part 1: 2000-2004)

• 7 Hurtz - Stokers Motor // Output (2000) - Old school electro vibes given a modern polish
• Adam Beyer - Remainings III (DK Remix) // Drumcode (2000) - No nonsense hoover techno
• Adult - Hand To Phone // Clone (2001) - One of the big electro-clash anthems
• Agoria - La 11eme Marche // PIAS (2002) - Anthemic peak time techno from this talented Frenchman
• Alan Braxe & Fred Falke - Running // Vulture Music (2000) - Scraping into the 10 year roundup by a whisker, it feels like this classic has been around much longer
• Alter Ego - Rocker // Klang Electronic (2004) - Caned by every man and his dog and given the remix treatment on several occasions to boot
• Boards of Canda - A Beautiful Place In the Country EP // Warp (2000) BOC's sumblimely beautiful 4-tracker from the turn of the century
• Chicken Lips - He Not In // Kingsize (2000) - Kickstarted Electro House with its early Eighties vibe
• Claro Intelecto - Peace Of Mind // Ai Records (2003) - Claro's debut release and one that absolutely blew us away
• Felix Da Housecat - Silver Screen Shower Scene (Original & Thin White Duke Mix) // City Rockers (2001) - The original was good but Jacques' remix was guaranteed to raise the roof on any dancefloor
• Felix Da Housecat - What Does It Feel Like (Royksopp Return To The Sun Remix) // City Rockers (2001) - Smack House? Royskopp's remix utilised a deep bassline to mesmerising effect
• Felix Da Housecat - Madam Hollywood // City Rockers (2002) - Kittin's vocals' perfectly complemented Felix's production and helped him confine his jackin' Chicago roots well & truly to the closet
• Green Velvet - La La Land // Relief Records (2001) - Anthemic vocal number that got sweaty ravers singing along like it was a karaoke night
• Josh One - Contemplation (King Britt Funke Remix) // Prolifica (2002) - The vocal, the bassline, the memories. Pure House.
• Layo & Bushwacka - Love Story // XL Recordings (2002) - Anthemic house at its finest
• LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge // DFA (2002) - How to sum up the Noughties in one record? James Murphy's debut said it all.
• Legowelt - Disco Rout // Ghostly International (2002) - Eighties Influences transformed Techno in the first part of the decade. This was its finest moment
• LFO - Freak // Warp (2003) - A welcome return to form from LFO albeit in a direction not entirely expected
• Lil Louis & Josh Wink - How's Your Evening So Far? // FFRR (2000) - Messing with a classic is a very risky game but this remake of French Kiss once again resulted in screams of ecstasy
• Luciano - Amelie On Ice // Mental Groove Records (2002) - Underpinning the Amelie sountrack with electro beats was nothing short of genius in Luciano's hands - signs of the greatness that was to come
• Luciano & Quenum - Orange Mistake // Cadenza (2003) - Luciano again on fine form this time with Quenum in tow to deliver their twisted genre-defying masterpiece
• M83 - Run Into Flowers (Jackson's Midnight Fuck Remix) // Gooom (2003) - Glitch Noise. M83 was transformed by Jackson's mad genius.
• Mathew Jonson - Deconstruction // M_nus (2004) - Absolutely immense electro growl - somewhat different to much of Jonson's other work but definitely his dancefloor destroyer
• Metro Area - Muria // Envion (2001) - Metro Area re-invented eighties Disco for a new generation
• Nathan Fake - The Sky Was Pink (Holden Remix) // Border Community (2004) - An epic remix full of interesting twists and turns - it's starting to show signs of age but this is still a killer and for the time being at least, remains our favourite track from the first half of the decade
  
• Octave One - Black Water // 430 West (2000) - The Burden brother's answer to Jaguar - a detroit techno anthem for the 21st century
• Radioactiveman - Uranium // Rotters Golf Club (2001) - That Bassline! Killer electro that proved Tenniswood was a considerable solo force to be reckoned with
• Rex The Dog - Prototype // Kompakt (2004) - Uplifting fun from a pop-star turned (semi)-serious producer
• Roman Flugel - Gehts Noch? // Cocoon (2004) - Headwrecking wonkiness from one half of Alter Ego
• Roots Manuva - Witness (One Hope) // Big Dada Recordings (2001) Jump up party anthem with bass to die for
• Simian Vs Justice - Never Be Alone // International Deejay Gigolo (2004) - Justice transformed this Indie pop track into the ultimate party anthem
• Soulwax - E-Talking (Soulwax Nite Version) // PIAS (2004) - It's all about the bass guitar in this reworking by Soulwax
• Soulwax - Another Excuse (DFA Remix) // PIAS (2004) - The DFA added extra vocals and melody to the Electro House staple
• Spektrum - Kinda New (Tiefschwarz Remix) // Playhouse (2003) - Starting to sound a little dated now but this electro house number killed dancefloors and mixes by the dozen upon its release
• The Hacker - Fadin Away (Dima Remix) // Goodlife (2000) - First exposed on Dave Clarke's World Service mix, this is a fast-pased slice of nu-electro fun
• Tiga & Zyntherus - Sunglasses At Night // City Rockers 2002 - Camp electroclash nonsense that suddenly made so much sense
• Underground Resistance - Transition // Underground Resistance - (2001) - UR has delivered a number of strong messages over the years and this was it's defining one as we entered the new millenium
• Villalobos - Dexter // Playhouse (2003) - Way back before he went all minimal, Villalobos used to knock out quality techno such as this
• Vitalic - La Rock 01 // International Deejay Gigolo (2001) Like it said on the release notes at the time; if you only bought one record all year, make sure it was this one!

Labels: 2000-2004, Charts, Tracks

• Abstract Though - Hypothetical Situations // Kombination Research (2003) - One of the fabled 7 Drexciyan Storms
  
• Akufen - My Way // Force Inc. (2002) - Sample-heavy experimental glitch
  
• Alex Smoke - Paradolia // Soma (2006) - Superb deep emotive techno
  
• Andy Stott - Unknown Exception // Modern Love (2008) - More of a singles collection than an album proper but undeniable greatness altogether in one place
  
• Ben Klock - One // Ostgut (2009) - Solid warehouse goods from one of the Berghain mainstays
  
• Boards of Canada - The Campfire Headphase // Warp (2005) - A mini album harking back to the days of Music Has The Right
  
• Burial - Burial // Hyperdub (2006) - Stunning debut who's word soon spread from the underground to become coffee-table cool
  
• Burial - Untrue // Hyperdub (2007) - Our favourite album of the last 10 years - simply superb!
  
• Christ - Metamorphic Reproduction Miracle LP // Benbecula (2003) - Reverb drenched off-kilter electronica from the 3rd member of BOC
  
• Claro Intelecto - Neurofibro // Ai Records (2004) - Quality debut from Mark Stewart while he still had a foot in the electronica camp
  
• Convextion - Convextion // Down Low Music (2006) - A long time coming but the debut LP from Gerard Hanson was well worth the wait
  
• Datassette - Datassette // Ai Records (2008) - Sounding not unlike Drexciya on a dubstep tour of South London
  
• Deepchord Presents Echospace - The Coldest Season // Modern Love (2007) - Chilled out ambient electronics with a heavy nod to Basic Channel
  
• Disrupt - Foundation Bit // Werk Discs (2007) - Digital Laptop Reggae's defining moment
  
• DJ Rush - Shall We Dance // Pro-Jex (2000) - Jackin' Chicago filth from the crossdressing freak
  
• Ellen Allien & Apparat – Orchestra of Bubbles // Bpitch Control (2006) - Perfectly pitched Techno/Electronica that stood out from the rest of German minimalism
  
• Felix Da Housecat - Kittens & Thee Glitz // City Rockers (2001) - THE electro-clash album
  
• Hot Chip - The Warning // EMI (2007) - Pop music never tasted so good
  
• Isolee - We Are Monster // Playhouse (2005) - One of the most accessible releases from the producer that originally defined Glitch/Micro House
  
• Jose Gonzales - Veneer // Peacefrog (2005) - A surprise release for Peacefrog but sublimely beautiful nonetheless
  
• Kelpe - Sea Inside Body // DC Recordings (2004) - Playful beat-tinged electronicaKraftwerk - Tour De France Soundtracks // EMI (2003) - A welcome return to the studio from the men who set the ball rolling way back when
  
• LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver // DFA (2008) - James Murphy's sophomore album really built on the defining DFA sound of his first.
  
• Lusine - Podgelism // Ghostly International (2007) - More a remix album, but is incredibly consistent and cohesive
  
• M83 - Dead Cites, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts // Gooom (2003) - Electronica's answer to My Bloody Valentine with synths
  
• Martyn - Great Lengths // 3034 (2009) - Thoughtful dubstep with a wide-ranging appeal
  
• Matthew Dear - Asa Breed // Ghostly International (2007) Pop-tinged electronics from Audion's alter ego
  
• Metro Area - Metro Area // Environ (2002) - Future disco of the highest order
  
• Minilogue - Animals // Cocoon (2008) Classy minimalism without the po-faced seriousness
  
• Moderat - Moderat // Bpitch Control (2009) - A brilliant collaboration which married their two sounds perfectly
  
• Modeselektor - Happy Birthday! // Bpitch (2008) Lashings of bass, beats and fun from the jokers of techno
  
• Monolake - Polygon Cities // Monolake/Inbalance Computer Music (2005) - Clinical audiophile electronics of the highest order
  
• Panda Bear - Person Pitch // PAW Tracks (2007) - The Beach Boys references are unashamedly clear but this album gives the sound a tweak and delivers it to a whole new generation
  
• Pantha Du Prince - This Bliss // Dial (2007) - Perfectly titled album that offers a lighter feel to techno minimalism
  
• Radioactive Man - Radioactive Man // Rotters Golf Club (2001) - Tenniswood steps out from beneath Weatherall's shadow and more than matches his mentor's production abilities
  
• Radiohead - Kid A // Parlophone (2000) - Radiohead ditch the guitars for electronica for a defining album
  
• Redshape - The Dance Paradox // Delsin (2009) - Retrospective techno futurism from the man in the mask
  
• Rhythm & Sound - The Versions // Burial Mix (2003) - Deep instrumental cuts from Basic Channel's dub project
  
• Ricardo Villalobos - Alcachofa // Playhouse (2003) - Definitive Villalobos album before he got consumed by 9 minute production epics
  
• Royksopp - Melody AM // Wall of Sound (2001) - Playful pop electronica
  
• Scuba - A Mutual Antipathy // Hotflush Recordings (2008) - One of the first dubstep albums that focused more on the techno side of the sound
  
• Shed - Shedding The Past // Ostgut (2008) - Stripped down no-frills techno straight out of the Berghain
  
• Technasia - Future Mix // Technasia (2001) - More of a singles collection interspersed with radio snippets than an album in the truest sense of the word but with killer techno like this on offer who's going to be picky!
  
• The Knife - Silent Shout // Brille (2006) - Brilliantly dark electronic pop
  
• The Other People Place - Lifestyles of The Laptop Café // Warp (2001) - Solo project from Dexciya's James Stinson released not long before his untimely death
  
• The Streets - Original Pirate Material // 679 Recordings (2000) - Perfect social commentary of Britain's youth in the early Noughties
  
• Thom Yorke - The Eraser // XL Recordings (2006) Perfectly captures Thom Yorke's lyrics with mournful electronica
  
• Two Lone Swordsmen - Tiny Reminders // Warp (2000) - The last fully electronic album from the Swordsmen before Weatherall's rockabilly fascination took hold
  
• Ulrich Schnauss - A strangely Isolated Place // City Centre Offices (2003) - Lush atmospherics perfect for armchair listening
  
• Various Production - The World Is Gone // XL (2006) A half dubstep half folk album really shouldn't work but Various' cross-genre production abilities resulted in this very engaging offering

Top 20 Mixes / Compilations Of The Decade:

• 2manyDJs - As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt 2 // PIAS (2003) - Cross-genre cut & paste madness that set the world alight and spawned a thousand imitators
• Appleblim - Dubstep Allstars Vol 6 // Tempa (2007) - Superb showcase of the techier side of dubstep
• Dave Clarke - World Service // React (2001) - Killer nu-electro mix before it all went horribly fash (slammin' techno mix too!)
• Ellen Allien - Fabric 34 // Fabric (2007) - Solid mix unconstrained by the minimal rules that governed so many at the time
• Felix Da Housecat - Excursions // Obsessive (2002) - Genre-defining Electroclash mix on Felix's road to mega-stardom
• I-F - Mixed Up In The Hague Vol 1 // Panama Records (2000) - Legendary set from the electro / italo master
• Modeselektor - Boogybytes Vol 3 // Bpitch Control (2007) - Smashing cuts from across the electronic spectrum through the Modeselektor mangle to prove that the boys could rock the party from behind the DJ booth too
• Optimo (Espacio) - How to Kill The DJ Part 2 // Kill The DJ Records (2004) - Perfectly summed up the eclectic nature of one of the defining clubs of the decade
• Radioactiveman vs Transparent Sound - Beatz Clash Vol 1 // Longhaul (2002) - Excellent 'proper' electro soundclash
• Richie Hawtin - DE9 | Closer To The Edit // M_nus (2001) Love him or loath him, Hawtin has been an undeniable innovator in pushing the boundaries of DJing. This was his first full-blown embracing of digital technology to produce a rich cut and paste tapestry.
• Robert Hood - Deep Concentration (Grey Area Mix) // N/A (2008) - Heads down loopiness from the minimal master
• Rotters Golf Club - Machine Funk Specialist Mix // Rotters Golf Club Promo (2002) - Superlative electro mix given away at the RGC label launch party
• Scion - Arrange & Process Basic Channel Tracks // Tresor (2002) - Taking an untouchable body of work and producing something greater than the sum of its parts using an early version of Ableton - one of the greatest 'mix' CDs of all time
• The DFA - Remixes Chapter One & Two // DFA (2006) - With originals as good as these, the remixers had their work cut out but the likes of Tiga, Soulwax and the DFA took things to another level
• Tiga - American Gigolo // International Deejay Gigolo (2001) - The mix that propelled Tiga into the limelight and towards being crowned the Electroclash prince
• Various - 5 Years of Hyperdub // Hyperdub (2009) - Superb double pack from an important label that's always pushing the boundaries
• Various - DFA Compilation 1 // DFA (2003) - DFA records helped define the decade. This was a perfect introduction to their Punk-Funk-Disco sound
• Various - Interstellar Fugitives 2 - The Destruction Of Order // Underground Resistance (2006) - Criminally overlooked album from one of electronic music's most important institutions
• Various - Leisure // Ai Records (2003) - Classy electro/electronica goodness
• Various - Soundboy's Grave Gets Desecrated By Vandals // Skull Disco (2008) - Shackleton and Appleblim forged ahead with their own vision of what Dubstep could be

Labels: 2000-2009, Albums, Charts, Compilations, Mixes

If you were to track my record buying habits over the past 10 years, 2009 would have been a notable spike on the map but for all the wrong reasons. I bought far less records last year than in previous years due in part to having less time for visiting record stores but also due to spending more time listening to mixes than individual tracks due to the abundance of podcasts that seemed to spring up in 2009. The likes of Resident Advisor, mnmlssg's and FACT (to name but a few) were dishing out quality mixes with such regularity that I found myself almost addicted to listening to these offerings but at the same time also becoming swamped with the sheer number available that I still have a significant backlog to wade through. To me, and I'm sure many others, podcasts have become an important medium in electronic music and for this reason I've included them in my annual pick of the best mixes and compilations of the year.

Techno has been my foremost musical love for a long time now and I found myself sticking more and more to this genre throughout 2009. I agree with Langer's comments that a lot of producers are looking back towards the past and while new ideas are perhaps less obvious than they have been in previous years, the scene has reached a very healthy level of maturity and an abundance of exhilarating music continues to be produced. For me, the producer of the year was Ben Klock and while his releases weren't massively groundbreaking they were exceptionally solid and perfectly primed for dark warehouses spaces whilst still providing entertaining home listening - what more does one need? The other big powerhouse for me was Sandwell District through the excellent 12s they continued to unleash as well as the various DJ-related projects of many of its members.

The other main reason I spent less time listening to other's records was an attempt to spend more time writing my own stuff. On a personal production perspective, the highpoint of my year was performing my debut solo gig - something I hope to repeat on several occasions during 2010. The lowpoint was the long-awaited release of a compilation of which I had been told my debut release would be a part of, only for the record to come out and my track not to be on it (thanks Moodgadget - you suck!). However, just prior to year end, I managed to get signed to another label and my debut EP should be out around summer this year (more details later).

Anyhow, enough of my ramblings and on with my lists. Given my slightly sheltered nature this year, I'm sure there's a whole bunch of great stuff I've simply not heard but as I continue to wade through other end of year roundups and do some digging, I'm having great fun being educated.

Here's hoping 2010s another good one!

RAW's Top 30 Tracks Of 2009:
01 Ben Klock feat. Elif Bicer - Goodly Sin // Ostgut Ton
02 Millie & Andrea - Temper Tantrum // Daphne
03 Scuba - Speak // Naked Lunch
04 Kevin Gorman - Mikrowave 12 // Mikrowave
05 O/V/R - Interior // Blueprint
06 Burial & Four Tet - Moth // Text Records
07 Quantec - Halcyon // Echocord
08 Peter Van Hoesen - Attribute One // Time to Express
09 Levon Vincent - Late Night Jam // Ostgut Ton
10 Equalized - EQD002 // Equalized
11 Animal Collective - My Girls // Domino
12 Ben Klock - Subzero (Original + Sandwell District Mix) // Ostgut Ton
13 Pattern Repeat - Ofetriade (Original + Ben Klock Remix) // Echocord Colour
14 Joy Orbison - Hyph Mngo // Hotflush
15 Moderat - Rusty Nails (Original + Shackleton Remix) // Bpitch / Fifty Weapons
16 Moderat - Seamonkey //Bpitch Control
17 Mount Kimbie - Maybes // Hotflush
18 TVO - Aklo Cut With Saffron // Highpoint Lowlife
19 Decoside - Reload 3 // Eclipsemusic
20 Joker - Digidesign // Hyperdub
21 TVO - Dots & Hashes // Stuffrecords
22 STP - The Fall // Subsolo
23 Tigrics - Boko (Friskfisk Remix) // Highpoint Lowlife
24 Jus Wan - Submersive // Naked Lunch
25 Guido - Orchestral Lab // Punch Drunk
26 Redshape - 2010 EP // Delsin
27 Ike Release - Misdeeds // Infrasonics
28 Unknown - RUR4 // RUR
29 Gold Panda - Mayuri // Various Production
30 CLP - Dip Shorty (Unsportmanslike Remix) // Shitkatapult

RAW's Top 10 Albums Of 2009:
01 Ben Klock - One // Ostgut Ton
02 Redshape - The Dance Paradox // Delsin
03 Martyn - Great Lengths // 3024
04 Falty DL - Love is a Liability // Planet Mu
05 Moderat - Moderat // Bpitch Control
06 LZ Kruzer - Manhood & Electronics // Uncharted Audio
07 Emptyset - Emptyset // Caravan
08 Sinner DC - Crystallized // Ai Records
09 Point B - Suicide Beauty Spot // Combat Recordings
10 Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion // Domino

RAW's Top 10 Mixes / Compilations Of 2009:
1 Sandwell District - RA177 // Resident Advisor
2 Omar S - Fabric 45 // Fabric
3 TVO - FACT Mix 102 // FACT Magazine
4 SCB - SSGMX37 // mnmlssgs
5 Various - 5 Years of Hyperdub // Hyperdub
6 Surgeon - RA144 // Resident Advisor
7 Various - When I Was 10 // Ai Records
8 Various - Warp 20 (Unheard) // Warp
9 Modeselektor - Body Language Vol. 8 // Get Physical
10 Mark Solo - The Waters Have Broken // Soliton Research

Labels: 2009, Albums, Charts, Compilations, Mixes, Tracks