The ill-ec-tro-nic

Even though there's a good risk you're probably all sick of lists by now, we're about to hit you with some more as Langer and I have compiled our thoughts on the best releases the noughties had to offer. We're going to deliver this in 3 parts (hopefully with a significantly better posting frequency than we usually manage!) with today's covering our pick of the albums, mixes & compilations.

Our selections are based on personal tastes and wherever possible reflect the releases we both feel warrant a mention (we each had a few wildcards too for when we couldn't agree on an in/exclusion). The selections are largely based on things we still think sound great today rather than ones which we loved at the time but haven't aged so well - there are still a few that remain for nostalgic reasons though.

We've gone for an A-Z list rather than a top to bottom ranking as it would probably have taken us another 10 years to agree an exact running order otherwise! We're sure there'll be some great releases we've forgotten about or simply not heard and would love to get reader's views on your favourite releases of the last decade too so drop us your thoughts in the comments section.

Anyhow, on with the first installment:

Top 50 Albums Of The Decade:

• 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

• 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

// posted by RAW @ 1/09/2010 09:31:00 am 3 comments