Saturday, January 09, 2010

A Decade In Music: The Albums

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:

Top 20 Mixes / Compilations Of The Decade:

Labels: , , , ,


Monday, January 04, 2010

RAW's 2009 Roundup

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: , , , , ,


Wednesday, December 31, 2008

RAW's 2008 Roundup

Love them or loathe them, end of year lists are something there's simply no escaping from and while such things are at best subjective they usually provide a few surprises, a little fun and a few new bits and pieces for the inquisitive to go and investigate. Unlike last year, I've actually managed to compile my best of's before the year's out and in doing so it's reminded me what a great year it was for electronic music...again! Langer's already done a tidy little summary of the year that was and as our taste's are fairly closely aligned I see little need to add anything further. As per my earlier comment, there's bound to be those of you wondering why some things rate so highly on these lists while other undeniably great tracks don't feature at all. Aside from the variance in people's taste's I simply put this down to the fact that there's just so much good music being produced that there's just not enough hours in the year to hunt down and listen to every last gem that's out there but as ever with these things if you think there's quality music that we've totally overlooked then we'd love you to set us straight so we can go and check it out for ourselves.

Tracks of 2008:
1. Bjork - Dull Flame of Desire (Modeselektor For the Girls Remix) // One Little Indian
2. Zomby - Spliff Dub (Rustie Remix) // Hyperdub
3. Redshape - Blood Into Dust // Styrax Leaves
4. Voltaic - Abyss // Point One Recordings
5. Jus Wan - Action Potential // Apple Pips
6. Darkstar - Squeeze My Lime //Hyperdub
7. Martyn - Vancouver // 3024
8. Jus Wan - The Crossing // Tube 10 Recordings
9. Substance - Relish (Shed Remix) // Scion Versions
10. Hud Mo - Ooops! // Wireblock
11. Likhan - Daoine Sidhe - 7Even Recordings
12. Ben Klock - October // BPitch Control
13. Minilogue - Cow Crickets & Clay // Cocoon
14. Jus Wan - Flashpoint // Tube 10 Recordings
15. Martyn - Suburbia // Apple Pips
16. Datashat - Stop The Message (Widescreen Edit) // Handsette
17. Blue Vitriol - Cryovolcano // Jahtari
18. TRG - Broken Heart (Martyn's DCM Remix) // Hessle Audio
19. Intrusion - Tswana Dub (Brendon Moeller's Beat Pharmacy Dub) // Intrusion
20. Darkstar - Need You //Hyperdub
21. Gowentgone - M.A.M. (Marcel Dettmann Remix) // Vidab
22. Simon Baker - U // Cocoon
23. MLZ - NewAnalogueCentury // Modern Love
24. Datassette - Damage Report // Ai Records
25. Minilogue - In A Distance // Cocoon
26. Shed - Estrange // Ostgut Ton
27. Shackleton - Death Is Not Final // Skull Disco
28. Skream - 2D // Tempa
29. T++ - Audio 1985#8_2 // Apple Pips
30. Emptyset - Endoxa // Caravan
31. Kode9 vs. Ld - Bad // Hyperdub
32. Pangea - You & I // Hessle Audio
33. Thom Yorke - Skip Divided (Modeselektor Remix) //XL
34. Rootah - Holy Mount // Jahtari
35. DJ Mujava - Township Funk // Warp / This is Music
36. Scuba - Ruptured (Surgeon Remix) // Hotflush
37. Dave Aju - Crazy Place (Luciano «Likuid» Remix) // Circus Company
38. Scuba - From Within (Marcel Dettmann Remix) // Hotflush
39. Nanorhythm - Third Day // Soliton Research
40. Nanorhythm - Sith Lullaby // Soliton Research

Albums of 2008:
1. Minilogue - Animals // Cocoon
2. Datassette - Datassette // Ai Records
3. Andy Stott - Unknown Exception // Modern Love
4. Scuba - A Mutual Antipathy // Hotflush
5. Radioactive Man - Growl // Control Tower
6. Shed - Shedding The Past // Ostgut Ton
7. Anders Ilar - Sworn // Level Records
8. Headhunter - Nomad // Tempa
9. Distance - Repercussions // Planet Mu
10. Third Man - Clarion Call // Ai Records
11. Starkey - Ephemeral Exhibits // Planet Mu
12. Claro Intelecto - Metanarrative // Modern Love
13. Aether - Artifacts // Exponential Records
14. Ital Tek - Cyclical // Planet Mu
15. 2562 - Aerial // Tectonic
16. Hot Chip - Made In the Dark // EMI
17. Housemeister - Who Is That Noize // All You Can Beat
18. B12 - Last Days of Bilence // B12
19. Extrawelt - Schoene Neue // Cocoon
20. Michna - Magic Monday // Ghostly International

Mixes / Compilations of 2008:
1. Robert Hood - Deep Concentration: The Grey Area Mix // M-Plant
2. Fuse Presents - Deetron // Music Man
3. Marcel Dettmann - Berghain 02 // Ostgut Ton
4. Jahtarian Dubbers Vol 1 // Jahtari
5. Sampler Zero Eight // Ai Records
6. Appleblim - Dubstep Allstars: Vol. 06 // Tempa
7. Soundboy's Gravestone Gets Desecrated by Vandals // Skull Disco
8. Ame - Fabric 42 // Fabric
9. Greg Wilson's 2020 Vision // 2020 Vision
10. Andrew Weatherall vs The Boardroom // Rotters Golf Club

Artists of 2008:
1. Martyn
2. Rustie
3. Marcel Dettmann
4. Datassette / Datashat
5. MLZ

Labels: , , , , , ,


The Hot List 2008

Its been an interesting year for electronic music, it can be argued that the established sounds have waned in favour of new emerging styles. If some authors are to be believed 2008 sounded the death knell for Minimal Techno. Certainly this year Minimal has been lacking in inspiration and ideas. However Techno will survive and reinvent itself as it has done countless times over the last 20 years. 2007 was the year when Dubstep finally broke through into the world's consciousness, but by 2008 it was in danger of becoming just as formulaic as Minimal with the endless stream of 'Wobble' basslines getting heavier and more aggressive.

However it was the convergence of Dubstep and Techno which has given 2008 its most exciting sound. DJs such as Appleblim have pioneered the Dubstep/Dub Techno sound and producers from Leeds to Rotterdam via Berlin and Bucharest have produced new hybrids which will take the genre to new levels. Dutch producer Martyn has easily captured my 'Producer of the Year' award because of his innovative melding of the metallic shards of Basic Channel with 2 Step rhythms in his own productions and remixes that makes up no less than 4 tracks out of my current top 20 biggest records of 2008

This new hybrid however has still has yet to have a catchy name, my effort back in May, 'Dubtec' has still to catch on but I live in hope. My 'Hot 40' this year reflects my current love of this new sound and proves that after 18 years of listening to Electronic music it can still inspire me and surprise at the same time.

The 'Hot 40' Tracks of 2008

01. TRG - Broken Heart (Martyn's DCM Remix) // Hessle Audio
02. Martyn - Suburbia // Applepips
03. Appleblim & Peverelist - Circling // Skull Disco
04. Peverelist - Junktion // Tectonic
05. Zomby - Spliff Dub (Rustie Remix) // Hyperdub
06. Martyn - Vancouver // 3062
07. Simon Baker - Plastik (Todd Terje's Turkatech Mix) // Playhouse
08. Audion - Billy Says Go // Spectral Sound
09. Bjork - Dull Flame Of Desire (Modeselekor's Remix For Girls) // White
10. 2562 - Channel Two // Tectonic
11. 2562 - Techno Dread // Tectonic
12. Pangaea - Router // Hessle Audio
13. Flying Lotus - RobertaFlack (Martyn's Heart Beat Remix) // Warp
14. The Village Orchestra - Afanc (2562 Remix) // Stuff Records Promo
15. Hercules & Love Affair - Blind (Hercules Club Mix) // DFA
16. Simon Baker - U // Cocoon
17. Henrik Schwarz, Ame, Dixon - D.O.P.M.B. (Version 1) // Innervisions
18. Mujava - Township Funk (Ashley Beedle's Africanz on Marz Re-Edit) // This Is Music
19. Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes (XXXChange Remix) // Lizard King
20. M.I.A - Paper Planes // XL Recordings
21. The Long Blondes - Guilt (Pantha Du Prince Remix) // Rough Trade
22. MLZ - M-Brane // Modern Love (Released Dec 2007)
23. Basic Soul Unit - Tunnels (Sebo K & Metro Remix) // Mule Music (Released Dec 2007)
24. Jesse Somfey - Fricative White (From a Whisper to a Scream) // Archipel
25. Substance - Relish (Shed Remix) // Scion Versions
26. Syclops - Where's Jason's K // DFA
27. Skream - 2D // Tempa
28. Shackleton feat Vengence Tenfold - Death Is Not Final // Skull Disco
29. Jus Wan - Action Potential // Applepips
30. Scuba - Ruptured (Surgeon Remix) // Hot Flush
31. Scuba - Twitch (Jamie Vex'd Remix) // Hot Flush
32. Shed - Estrange // Ostgut Ton
33. Rustie - Zig Zag // Wireblock
34. Sufjan Stevens - To Be Alone With You (Pocketknife's Considerate Eagle Scout Remix) // Flagrant Fowl
35. Beck - Gamma Ray // XL Recordings
36. Del Shannon - Gemini (Pilooski Edit) // Dirty Recordings
37. Datashat - Stop The Message (Widescreen Edit) // Handsette Recordings
38. Le Sarge En Board - Through The Robot Chicken Shed // Rotters Golf Club
39. King Midas Sound - One Ting (Dabyre Remix) // Hyperdub
40. Tiga - Mind Dimension 2 // Different


Hot Albums of 2008

Santogold - Santogold // Lizard King/Atlantic
Hot Chip - Made In The Dark // EMI
2562 - Aerial // Tectonic
Shed - Shedding The Past // Ostgut Ton
Scuba - A Mutual Antipathy // Hotflush
Headhunter - Nomad // Tempa

Hot Compilations / Mixes

Dubstep Allstars Vol 6 - Mixed By Appleblim // Tempa
Pocketknife & Cousin Cole - Tambourine Dream (Unmixed) // Flagrant Fowl
Skull Disco - Soundboy's Grave Gets Desecrated By Vandals // Skull Disco
Andrew Weatherall Vs The Boardroom // Rotters Golf Club
Fuse Presents Deetron // Music Man
Luciano - Fabric 41 // Fabric

Labels: , , ,


Sunday, December 30, 2007

Langer's 2007 Jukebox

It's been another great year for electronic music of all forms with Minimal Techno still king in Ibiza, Dubstep exploding into everyone's consciousness after years developing in the underground and the Rock Rave/Electro sound still making the Indie kids dance. I personally have grown bored with this particular genre although it has thrown up some decent records the majority have been Electro House by numbers.

There have been some outstanding tracks and albums released this year of which below are my personal favourites. The tracks are placed in order of preference but pretty much after the top 20 they can be placed anywhere. The albums and compilations are all outstanding in their own ways and are in no particular order. Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem just squeezes ahead of Burial and The Chems by a small margin.

Here's to 2008.









Tracks of 2007.


1. Modeselektor - The White Flash (Feat Thom Yorke) // BPitch Control
2. The Chemical Brothers - Saturate (Electronic Battle Weapon 8) // Freestyle Dust
3. Heartthrob - Baby Kate (Sascha Funke Remix) // M_nus
4. LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends // DFA
5. LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great // DFA
6. Moderat (Featuring Paul St Hillare) - Let Your Love Grow // BPitch Control
7. Frankie Valli - Beggin (Pilooksi Edit) // 679 (Technically out in 2006 on Dark & Lovely)
8. Jamie Woon - Wayfaring Stranger (Burial Remix) // Live Recordings
9. Burial - Ghost Hardware // Hyperdubs
10. Bloc Party - Where Is Home (Burial Mix) // Wichita
11. Faze Action - In The Trees (Carl Craig C2 Mix) // Juno
12. Beck - Cellphone's Dead (Villalobos Entlebuch Remix) // Interscope
13. Shackleton - Blood On My Hands (Villalobos Apocalypso Remix) // Skull Disco
14. The Others - Bushido // Dub Police
15. Bob Marley - War (Matty G Remix) // WAR001
16. LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum (Onastic Dub) // DFA
17. Ame - Enoi // Innervisions
18. Dubfire - I feel Speed (Audion Mix) // Sci + Tec Digital Audio
19. Underworld - Crocodile (Original Mix) // Underworldlive.com
20. Dubfire - Rib Cage // Desolat
21. Dubfire - Roadkill // Funkwelle
22. Thom Yorke - Harrowdown Hill (Ripperton Dub) // Unreleased
23. Ripperton - Siboney // Unreleased
24. Andy Stott - Hostile // Modern Love
25. Andy Stott - Massacre // Modern Love
26. Shit Robot - Chasm // DFA
27. Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (Ashley Beedle Edit) // White Label
28. Gui Boratto - Mr Decay // Kompakt
29. Riton - Hammer of Thor // Souvenir
30. Sebo K & Metro - Transit // Get Physical
31. Paul Ritch - June // Get Physical
32. Kenny Hawkes & David Parr - The Booby Trap (Serge Santiago Mix) // Arcobaleno
33. Rekorder - Rekorder 8.1 // Rekorder
34. Audion - Noiser // Spectral Sound
35. Unklejam - Love Ya (Herve Remix) // Virgin
36. Justice - D.A.N.C.E. // Ed Banger
37. Justice - Stress // Ed Banger
38. Hot Chip - Shake A Fist // EMI
39. Simian Mobile Disco - It's The Beat (The Teenagers Mix) // Wichita
40. Samim - Heater // Get Physical


Albums of 2007

LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver // DFA
Burial - Untrue // Hyperdub
Interpol - Our Love To Admire //
The Chemical Brothers - We Are The Night // Virgin
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Modeselektor - Happy Birthday! // BPitch Control
Gui Boratto - Chromophobia // Kompakt
Lusine - Podgelism // Ghostly International
Cobblestone Jazz - 23 Seconds // !K7
Echaskech - Skechbook // Just Music
Justice - Cross // Ed Banger
!!! Chk Chk Chk - Myth Takes // Warp
Monosylabikk - Rocks // Kitty Yo

Mixes / Compilations of 2007

Ellen Allien - Fabric 34 // Fabric
Modeselektor - Boogybytes Vol III // BPitch Control
Optimo - Walkabout // Endless Flight
Dirty Edits Vol 1 - Dirty Soundsystem// Discograph
Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve - George/West // 3rd Mynd
Skull Disco - Soundboy Punishments // Skull Disco

Labels: , , , , , ,


Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Top Trumps 2007 (So Far)

It's that time of the year again for the ill-ec-tro-nic half year round-up. And so far it has been quite a year with great singles, albums, compilations and mixes.

So here are ours. What are yours?


Langer's half year Top 20. Singles

1. Heartthrob - Baby Kate (Sascha Funke Remix) // M_nus
2. Jamie Woon - Wayfaring Stranger (Burial Remix) // Live Recordings
3. LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends // DFA
4. Riton - Hammer of Thor // Souvenir
5. The Chemical Brothers - Electronic Battle Weapon 8 // Freestyle Dust
6. Faze Action - In The Trees (Carl Craig C2 Mix) // Juno
7. LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum (Onastic Dub) // DFA
8. Gui Boratto - Mr Decay // Kompakt
9. Ame - Enoi // Innervisions
10. Burial - Ghost Hardware // Hyperdubs
11. Crash Course In Science - Cardboard Lamb (Vitalic Remix) // Planet Rouge
12. Beck - Cellphone's Dead (Villalobos Entlebuch Remix) // Interscope
13. Shackleton - Blood On My Hands (Villalobos Apocalypso Remix) // Skull Disco
14. Transit - Sebo K & Metro // Get Physical
15. Minilogue - Elephants Parade // Wagon Repair
16. Thom Yorke - Harrowdown Hill (Ripperton Dub) // Unreleased
17. Unklejam - Love Ya (Herve Remix) // Virgin
18. Justice - Stress // Ed Banger
19. Rekorder - Rekorder 8.1 // Rekorder
20. Audion - Noiser // Spectral Sound



RAW's half year Top 20. Singles

1. Rekorder - Rekorder 8.1 // Rekorder
2. Minilogue - Elephants Parade // Wagon Repair
3. Heartthrob - Baby Kate (Sascha Funke Remix) // M_nus
4. War001 - One Step // White Label
5. Battles - Atlas (DJ Koze Remix) // Warp
6. Agoria - Les Violins Ivres // PIAS
7. Burial - Ghost Hardware // Hyperdubs
8. Nanorhythm - Woden's Discotheque // Soliton Research
9. Beck - Cellphone's Dead (Villalobos Entlebuch Remix) // Interscope
10. Audion - Noiser // Spectral Sound
11. Andy Stott - Massacre // Modern Love
12. Convextion - Miranda (Deep Chord Remix) // Matrix
13. Franki Valli - Beggin' (Pilooski Edit) // 679 (Actually this came out end of last year - Langer)
14. Thom Yorke - The Clock (Surgeon Remix) // Unreleased
15. Nanorhythm - Continental Breakfast // Soliton Research
16. Florian Meindl - Reality Is On The Way // Flash Recordings
17. Stamp Release - LAC // Stamp Release
18. Chemical Brothers - Do It Again (Huntemann Remix) // Virgin
19. Gui Boratto - Mr Decay // Kompakt
20. Ame - Enoi // Innervisions

Langer & RAW's Albums of the year (so far)

Gui Boratto - Chromaphobia // Kompakt
LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver // DFA
Echaskech - Skechbook // Just Music
Gabriel Ananda - Bambusbeats // Karmarouge
Argenis Brito - Micro Mundo // Cadenza
The Chemical Brothers - We Are The Night // Virgin
Justice - † // Ed Banger
!!! - Myth Takes // Warp

Compilations / Mixes

Ellen Allien - Fabric 34 // Fabric
Modeselektor - Boogybytes Vol III // BPitch Control
Optimo - Walkabout // Endless Flight
Skull Disco - Soundboy Punishments // Skull Disco

Labels: , , , , ,


This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?