The ill-ec-tro-nic

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bits of the past, and while the bpms have dropped considerably from their 90s peak, any loss in dancefloor energy has been replaced by cerebral music motivating heads and hearts as well as just limbs.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

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

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

Labels: 2009, Albums, Charts, Top 40, Tracks

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: 2008, Albums, Artists, Charts, Compilations, Mixes, Tracks

Labels: Albums, Compilations, Top 40, Tracks

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