Thursday, December 24, 2009
2009: A Year In Music
The final year of the Noughties has once again provided us with a plethora of fine releases which have blurred the boundaries of genres and thrown up more surprises than we ever thought possible. Its been nearly 25 years since the first House records and the electronic music scene is in ruder health than ever and shows no signs of abating.
Once again for me the Dubstep/Techno crossover has provided the most interesting releases and still commentators cannot agree on a suitable name for this genre. 2009 has also seen the re-emergence of 2-step and UK Garage influences being thrown into the mixing pot which has now created a sound which is part Bassline/8-bit/2-step/House. The name of this all encompassing new genre? UK Funky...... Hmm your guess is as good as mine.
The Techno scene, as well as embracing 2-step rhythms has shunned the minimal aesthetics of the mid Noughties and returned to its mid Nineties hard Techno roots evidenced on sounds coming out of the Berlin Berghain scene and British producers on labels such as Blueprint and Sandwell District going back to their Nineties origins. It's said you must look back to go forwards but I feel a certain sense of Déjà vu and for me it just feels like rehashing the past.
However as we come to the dawn of a new decade, one can look to the future with a certain degree of optimism because as though the Noughties changed the way in which we consume music forever, one thing always remains and that is the music itself.
Langer's Top 40 Tracks of 2009
01 Mount Kimbie - Maybes // Hotflush Recordings
With its Bladerunner atmospherics, Plink Plonk percussion and chopped vocal and melodic structure, no other record even sounded remotely similar to this in 2009.
02 Burial & Four Tet - Moth // Text Records
Four Tet with a melancholic riff that never lets up + Burial's woodblock percussion and atmospherics equals a record that certainly lived up to the hype.
03 Moderat - Rusty Nails // BPitch Control
Mournful vocals courtesy of Apparat and soaring synth work from Modeselektor
04 Joy Orbison - Hyph Mngo // Hotflush Recordings
The biggest crossover record of the year and deservedly so. So uplifting it hurts.
05 Intrusion - Little Angel Feat Paul St Hilaire // Echospace [Detroit]
Dub Techno's finest moment this year pushed its way to the top because of an irresistible vocal from Paul St Hilaire.
06 Animal Collective - My Girls // Domino
Channeling Frankie Knuckles through lyrics about housing with Adobe Slats seemed the most unlikely combination you could possibly imagine. What resulted was pure uplifting, life-affirming pop.
07 The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea // XL Recordings
An 8 minute Krautrock epic from the Goth Mods which came out of nowhere and blew everyone away.
08 Scuba - Klinik // Hotflush Recordings
All Scuba's recordings this year have been faultless. My producer of the Year.
09 Moderat - Nr. 22 // BPitch Control
Pure Dubtec brilliance again from Moderat. From my album of the year.
10 Levon Vincent - Late Night Jam // Ostgut
One of the Techno riffs of the year comes in after 3 minutes of this epic.
11 Claro Intelecto - Chadderton // Modern Love
12 Cobblestone Jazz - Traffic Jam // Wagon Repair
13 Pangaea - Memories // Unknown
14 Florence and the Machine - You Got The Love (XX Remix) // Universal Island
15 Scuba - Speak/Negative // Naked Lunch
16 Wax / Shed - Dub Shed (STP Remix) // Subsolo
17 Joy Orbison - Brkln Clln // Doldrums
18 A Made Up Sound - Rework // A Made Up Sound
19 Gold Panda - Mayuri // Various Productions
20 Bill Withers - Who Is He (Henrik Schwarz Edit) // White
21 Sideshow - If Alone Feat. Paul St Hilaire (Chateau Flight / Appleblim Mixes) // Aus Music
22 Boris - Buzz In (Optimo (Espacio) Mix) // Scion Audio Visual
23 Millie & Andrea - Temper Tantrum // Modern Love
24 The Streets - Blinded By The Lights (Nero Remix) // 679
25 Joker - Digi Design // Hyperdub
26 Kode 9 - Black Sun // Hyperdub
27 Gravious - Futurist EP // Highpoint Lowlife
28 Likhan - Redlight // 7even
29 2562 - Embrace // 3024
30 Martyn - Hear Me // 3024
31 Hector & Bryant - Tension (Original Mix) // Phonica
32 Andy Stott - Night Jewel // Modern Love
33 TVO - Afanc (2562 Remix) // Stuffrecords
34 Instra:mental - Watching You // Nonplus Records
35 Headhunter - Prototype (Modeselektor's Broken Handbrake Remix) // Tempa
36 Ghosts On Tape - Predator Mode (Roska Remix) // Wireblock
37 Darktown Strutters - Lucifer Rising // Unknown
38 Vitalic - Flashmob // PIAS Recordings
39 Ratatat - Mirando (Animal Collective Remix) // XL Recordings
40 La Roux - In For The Kill (Skream's Lets Get Ravey Mix) // Polydor
Langer - Best of 2009 Mix 60 mins
Albums of 2009
01 Moderat - Moderat // BPitch Congtrol
02 Martyn - Great Lengths // 3024
03 Animal Collective - Meriweather Post Pavillion // Domino
04 The Horrors - Primary Colours // XL Recordings
05 Atlas Sound - Logos // 4AD
06 Deerhunter - Rainwater Cassette Exchange // 4AD
07 Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport // ATP
08 Falty DL - Love Is A Liability // Planet Mu
09 Intrusion - The Seduction of Silence // Echospace [Detroit]
10 Point B - Suicide Beauty Spot // Combat Recordings
11 Echaskech - Shatterproof // Just Music
12 Gold Panda - Before // Unknown
Once again for me the Dubstep/Techno crossover has provided the most interesting releases and still commentators cannot agree on a suitable name for this genre. 2009 has also seen the re-emergence of 2-step and UK Garage influences being thrown into the mixing pot which has now created a sound which is part Bassline/8-bit/2-step/House. The name of this all encompassing new genre? UK Funky...... Hmm your guess is as good as mine.
The Techno scene, as well as embracing 2-step rhythms has shunned the minimal aesthetics of the mid Noughties and returned to its mid Nineties hard Techno roots evidenced on sounds coming out of the Berlin Berghain scene and British producers on labels such as Blueprint and Sandwell District going back to their Nineties origins. It's said you must look back to go forwards but I feel a certain sense of Déjà vu and for me it just feels like rehashing the past.
However as we come to the dawn of a new decade, one can look to the future with a certain degree of optimism because as though the Noughties changed the way in which we consume music forever, one thing always remains and that is the music itself.
Langer's Top 40 Tracks of 2009
01 Mount Kimbie - Maybes // Hotflush Recordings
With its Bladerunner atmospherics, Plink Plonk percussion and chopped vocal and melodic structure, no other record even sounded remotely similar to this in 2009.
02 Burial & Four Tet - Moth // Text Records
Four Tet with a melancholic riff that never lets up + Burial's woodblock percussion and atmospherics equals a record that certainly lived up to the hype.
03 Moderat - Rusty Nails // BPitch Control
Mournful vocals courtesy of Apparat and soaring synth work from Modeselektor
04 Joy Orbison - Hyph Mngo // Hotflush Recordings
The biggest crossover record of the year and deservedly so. So uplifting it hurts.
05 Intrusion - Little Angel Feat Paul St Hilaire // Echospace [Detroit]
Dub Techno's finest moment this year pushed its way to the top because of an irresistible vocal from Paul St Hilaire.
06 Animal Collective - My Girls // Domino
Channeling Frankie Knuckles through lyrics about housing with Adobe Slats seemed the most unlikely combination you could possibly imagine. What resulted was pure uplifting, life-affirming pop.
07 The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea // XL Recordings
An 8 minute Krautrock epic from the Goth Mods which came out of nowhere and blew everyone away.
08 Scuba - Klinik // Hotflush Recordings
All Scuba's recordings this year have been faultless. My producer of the Year.
09 Moderat - Nr. 22 // BPitch Control
Pure Dubtec brilliance again from Moderat. From my album of the year.
10 Levon Vincent - Late Night Jam // Ostgut
One of the Techno riffs of the year comes in after 3 minutes of this epic.
11 Claro Intelecto - Chadderton // Modern Love
12 Cobblestone Jazz - Traffic Jam // Wagon Repair
13 Pangaea - Memories // Unknown
14 Florence and the Machine - You Got The Love (XX Remix) // Universal Island
15 Scuba - Speak/Negative // Naked Lunch
16 Wax / Shed - Dub Shed (STP Remix) // Subsolo
17 Joy Orbison - Brkln Clln // Doldrums
18 A Made Up Sound - Rework // A Made Up Sound
19 Gold Panda - Mayuri // Various Productions
20 Bill Withers - Who Is He (Henrik Schwarz Edit) // White
21 Sideshow - If Alone Feat. Paul St Hilaire (Chateau Flight / Appleblim Mixes) // Aus Music
22 Boris - Buzz In (Optimo (Espacio) Mix) // Scion Audio Visual
23 Millie & Andrea - Temper Tantrum // Modern Love
24 The Streets - Blinded By The Lights (Nero Remix) // 679
25 Joker - Digi Design // Hyperdub
26 Kode 9 - Black Sun // Hyperdub
27 Gravious - Futurist EP // Highpoint Lowlife
28 Likhan - Redlight // 7even
29 2562 - Embrace // 3024
30 Martyn - Hear Me // 3024
31 Hector & Bryant - Tension (Original Mix) // Phonica
32 Andy Stott - Night Jewel // Modern Love
33 TVO - Afanc (2562 Remix) // Stuffrecords
34 Instra:mental - Watching You // Nonplus Records
35 Headhunter - Prototype (Modeselektor's Broken Handbrake Remix) // Tempa
36 Ghosts On Tape - Predator Mode (Roska Remix) // Wireblock
37 Darktown Strutters - Lucifer Rising // Unknown
38 Vitalic - Flashmob // PIAS Recordings
39 Ratatat - Mirando (Animal Collective Remix) // XL Recordings
40 La Roux - In For The Kill (Skream's Lets Get Ravey Mix) // Polydor
Langer - Best of 2009 Mix 60 mins
Albums of 2009
01 Moderat - Moderat // BPitch Congtrol
02 Martyn - Great Lengths // 3024
03 Animal Collective - Meriweather Post Pavillion // Domino
04 The Horrors - Primary Colours // XL Recordings
05 Atlas Sound - Logos // 4AD
06 Deerhunter - Rainwater Cassette Exchange // 4AD
07 Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport // ATP
08 Falty DL - Love Is A Liability // Planet Mu
09 Intrusion - The Seduction of Silence // Echospace [Detroit]
10 Point B - Suicide Beauty Spot // Combat Recordings
11 Echaskech - Shatterproof // Just Music
12 Gold Panda - Before // Unknown
Labels: 2009, Albums, Charts, Top 40, Tracks
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
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: Albums, Compilations, Top 40, Tracks
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: 2007, Albums, Charts, Compilations, Mixes, Top 40, Tracks
