10. Wolfgang Gartner - Illmerica
After a period of domination by Justice the mantle of the most powerful electro-house moment, the kind that works on absolutely any dancefloor was passed to Deadmau5 with 'Ghosts n Stuff' last year. This year Gartner's opus has taken that mantle. Teased and teased all year long with various clips and snippets appearing in his own sets and being leaked, he finally unleashed the definitive version in October after a reputed 300 hours of work on it.
9. Martin Solveig ft. Dragonette - Hello
Infectious to almost epidemic proportions 'Hello' was a stunning track from French producer Martin Solveig and Canadian synth-poppers Dragonette. Its bouncy, mesmerizing, funky and driving with its chunky bass, hypnotic synths and scattergun percussion. The tennis match between Solveig and Bob Sinclair in the video is completely real as well, actually filmed in front of 12,000 people at Roland Garros in Paris.
8. Don Diablo ft. Dragonette - Animale (Datsik Remix)
It seems like guest vocals from Dragonette is a sure fire way to get into this years top ten and this is another stunning track featuring that infectious voice. Datsik takes the seedy tones of Canadian DJ Don Diablo's original and washes it over with a further coating of smut and filth. The whomping bass drop comes crashing in before the 30 second mark and rarely lets up throughout the whole song, interspersed with the sounds of various lasers and computer game sound effects. The vocal is constantly peaking and a never-ending ball of energy, which pretty much sums up the whole track.
7. Swedish House Mafia - One (Congorock Remix)
The trio of Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso have all had a number of successes by themselves over the past few years but as a collective they have absolutely destroyed all competition. The White Isle has virtually belonged to them the past two summers and in 'One' they have the most recognisable club hit of the year. The original is a classic in its own right, the Pharell featuring vocal version we'll do our best to ignore but the Congorock remix was just something else entirely.
6. Drop The Lime - Sex Sax
New York's Drop The Lime has always been on the peripheral of my tastes, his tracks always just lacking in something to make them stand out from the crowd. It turns out that something is a saxophone. Built around the sexiest of sax riffs, which loops and loops throughout the song, militant drum machines in the background, the bass pounds over head and cheeky wolf whistles and "aye! carumbas" inflict a sense of personality upon it. Originally just a DJ tool for his own sets, the reaction was so great that he had to develop into a full release and thank God he did.
5. Specimen A - Cold As Ice
A cover of Foreigner's 1980s hit and never likely to see a release outside of the artists Soundcloud page due to issues with the rights this is probably the rarest record on the list (even in these internet times). The bitch-slap of a vocal soars even higher on this version, the piano as present and mesmerizing as ever but it is that bass drop that echoes the vocal pattern that puts this so high upon our list. It's tracks like this that make Embargo what it is, tracks that you never hear anywhere else. An absolute monster.
4. Cherry Ghost - Finally (Time and Space Machine Re-Edit)
A remix of a cover of a classic. Cherry Ghost take CeCe Peniston's belting club smash and tone it down, turning into a different beast entirely. It becomes wistful and mourning in their hands, coming across as a brooding mid-80s classic. Every single listen brings more and more and this has without doubt been the track I have played the most to myself in the past couple of months since its release.
3. Mark Ronson and The Business International ft. Boy George & Andrew Wyatt - Somebody To Love Me
The talent involved simply in the writing of this song is testament to its pop perfection. Written by a team of writers in the manner of all those classic Motown duets that it emulates, this was penned by Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears, Cathy Dennis, Anthony Rossomando (of Dirty Pretty Things & Klaxons) and Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow. Wyatt's duet with Boy George is note perfect, the formers pristine falsetto balancing the latter's unmistakable voice, the 80's star's most powerful performance for years, if not ever. Tinged with emotion and melancholy, a tale of heartbreak and longing, full of regret and and soul-searching. The most beautiful song of the year, this is destined to become a timeless masterpiece, its power growing with each passing year. In fifty years time our children and grandchildren will be think of this as we do Marvin & Tammi or Ike & Tina.
2. DJ Fresh - Gold Dust (Flux Pavillion Remix)
The DnB crossover of the original was one of the big summer hits, reaching the levels of success that Shy FX used to enjoy all those years ago. The remix by Flux Pavilion was even better, managing to hold the upbeat vibe of the original while twisting it to incredibly dark places indeed. If you were lucky enough to be at Embargo the week before Christmas you'd have witnessed Flux himself jump onto the decks to play this for you, undoubtedly the biggest track of the year on the dancefloor.
1. Foals - Spanish Sahara (Deadboy Remix)
And now to my track of the year. It may not have reached the dancefloor all that often purely because of its length and the extended intro, without which the song just does not have the same impact. You simply need to have the full nine minutes to fully appreciate its power and beauty. The original was the centrepiece, the heartbeat of Foals' stunning second album - Yannis' voice sounding more fragile and emotive than ever before. Deadboy takes this vocal and slowly builds and builds upon it, layer upon layer of sound to create an epic masterpiece. After a minute the clacking beat come through, a mechanical clicking enters as we hit the second minute, replaced by the synths for the third minute. Four and a half minutes the sad organs appear, teasingly building until ravey stabs emerge thirty seconds later transcending the melancholy into a euphoric Chicago House feel. Listen to this as loud as you possibly can, its by far the best nine minutes you'll spend all year.
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Monday, 27 December 2010
SONGS OF 2010 - NUMBERS 11-20
20. Congorock - Babylon
Built around a hypnotic, ear-popping riff straight from the off, rave horns come in around the minute mark before that huge Warp-esque drop ten seconds later which just builds and builds until the pressure drops. That riff has an undeniable groove that marks this above your average noise led banger.
19. Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks
Sometimes a band appears out of nowhere with a debut single that is just so perfectly formed that you almost urge them to call it a day instantly and leave us with this as their defining legacy. A simple shuffling beat, bouncy Brian Wilson bassline line, chillwave surfy guitars, muffled vocals that sound like they have been recorded through an intercom, whistling. Whistling, like handclaps and cowbells, is always good. It sounds like early MGMT, like Empire Of The Sun, like Peter, Bjorn & John. It could fit amongst the most playful moments of Blur, or Beck. In fact it could fit in with almost every great pop song ever.
18. Katy B ft. Ms Dynamite - Lights On (Skream Remix)
Katy B has probably been the breakthrough artist of the year and the defining voice of 2010. Taking the underground sounds of dubstep and funky and pushing them into the mainstream like never before and it was a toss up between this and the Benga produced 'On A Mission' for her entry into this years top 100. Her sweet vocal juxtaposes perfectly with comeback queen Ms Dynamite's more aggressive take and Skream's production on the remix is as dark and atmospheric as ever, the elastic, bouncing bass line untouchable.
17. The Chemical Brothers - Swoon (Lindstrom & Prins Thomas Remix)
The best song that The Chemical Brothers have released for years, 'Swoon' is a hazy, sun-soaked tale of romantic bliss. In the hands of Lindstrom & Prins Thomas it becomes a nine-minute stretched out disco odyssey that has that amazing power to feel like a three minute pop song. Everything disco needs is present, squelching slap bass, organs, piano and handclaps. It's sensuality is key, you won't need to remember to fall in love with this.
16. Janelle Monae ft. Big Boi - Tightrope
It is no surprise that Monae has such tight links to Outkast, her conceptual, sci-fi obsessed R&B shares so many ideas with the early ideas of the duo and her approach to eschewing the usual record company designed route that all female stars must follow aligns her with another star with close Outkast links, Erykah Badu. 'Tightrope' is about poise and balance, about the self-confidence Monae has to carry off her outlandish vision. She blends the rat-a-tat delivery that her mentor Big Boi has made his trademark with seamless transitions into classic soul-diva wails. The tongue-in-cheek rhymes are delivered with outstanding ease, within seconds she couples 'alligators' with 'rattlesnakers' (I know that shouldn't work, but believe me it does) and 'another flavour' with 'Terminator'. This is the best R&B track since Amerie's '1 Thing'.
15. Professor Green - Monster (T.E.E.D. Remix)
It's those Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs again, this time taking a fairly innocuous hit from Professor Green and turning into a dancefloor smash. Green had made his breakthrough by releasing a string of singles that were heavily reliant on ubiquitous samples (and Lily Allen) and Monster was his attempt to stand on his own two feet. It missed the boat, showing that the Brit-rap thing was all a little turgid and out of ideas (the video basically comes across as a sketch-show parody of an early Enimem hit). To take such a dull track and turn into the absolute behemoth that this is shows just how good TEED are.
14. Doctor P - Sweet Shop
Opening like a old-skool rave track, Doctor P begs us to take it higher before unleashing the mother of all screeching, industrial wobbles. While Katy B and Magnetic Man were disturbing the charts this became the dubstep hit of the summer for all those rudeboys riding around all summer in their hot hatches, looking for the filthiest, dirtiest track they could find to disturb all the pensioners on the sidewalks. It's not clever, but it is BIG.
13. Magnetic Man - I Need Air (Digital Soundboy Remix)
For all the production genius of Magnetic Man it may be a little controversial to think that their best moment of this year was actually a remix of one of their songs. The album is outstanding, the legacy it will have on UK bass culture without doubt but to me this remix by Digital Soundboy just added something extra.
12. Big Boi ft. Cutty - Shutterbug
Much as Janelle Monae's track was the best R&B track for years, in my opinion this was the best hip-hop track for years. It has the invention that the genre has forgotten in its quest for the ultimate unit-shifting ring tone hook. It's an electro bass club anthem, a genre-hopping funk jam. It has Big Boi switching pace and tone effortlessly, the requisite old-school references, honeyed backing vocals and an appearance from Andre 3000. In short it has everything.
11. Rusko ft. Amber Coffman - Hold On (Sub Focus Remix)
Last years don of dubstep, Rusko, released his debut album this to year to huge critical acclaim. The inspired decision to feature Dirty Projector's Amber Coffman on vocals meant this became a genre-transcending classic. Sub Focus' D&B beat cuts between the soaring atmospherics, the breakdown becomes a huge build of old-skool rave and the drop screams with Rusko's trademarks.
Built around a hypnotic, ear-popping riff straight from the off, rave horns come in around the minute mark before that huge Warp-esque drop ten seconds later which just builds and builds until the pressure drops. That riff has an undeniable groove that marks this above your average noise led banger.
19. Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks
Sometimes a band appears out of nowhere with a debut single that is just so perfectly formed that you almost urge them to call it a day instantly and leave us with this as their defining legacy. A simple shuffling beat, bouncy Brian Wilson bassline line, chillwave surfy guitars, muffled vocals that sound like they have been recorded through an intercom, whistling. Whistling, like handclaps and cowbells, is always good. It sounds like early MGMT, like Empire Of The Sun, like Peter, Bjorn & John. It could fit amongst the most playful moments of Blur, or Beck. In fact it could fit in with almost every great pop song ever.
18. Katy B ft. Ms Dynamite - Lights On (Skream Remix)
Katy B has probably been the breakthrough artist of the year and the defining voice of 2010. Taking the underground sounds of dubstep and funky and pushing them into the mainstream like never before and it was a toss up between this and the Benga produced 'On A Mission' for her entry into this years top 100. Her sweet vocal juxtaposes perfectly with comeback queen Ms Dynamite's more aggressive take and Skream's production on the remix is as dark and atmospheric as ever, the elastic, bouncing bass line untouchable.
17. The Chemical Brothers - Swoon (Lindstrom & Prins Thomas Remix)
The best song that The Chemical Brothers have released for years, 'Swoon' is a hazy, sun-soaked tale of romantic bliss. In the hands of Lindstrom & Prins Thomas it becomes a nine-minute stretched out disco odyssey that has that amazing power to feel like a three minute pop song. Everything disco needs is present, squelching slap bass, organs, piano and handclaps. It's sensuality is key, you won't need to remember to fall in love with this.
16. Janelle Monae ft. Big Boi - Tightrope
It is no surprise that Monae has such tight links to Outkast, her conceptual, sci-fi obsessed R&B shares so many ideas with the early ideas of the duo and her approach to eschewing the usual record company designed route that all female stars must follow aligns her with another star with close Outkast links, Erykah Badu. 'Tightrope' is about poise and balance, about the self-confidence Monae has to carry off her outlandish vision. She blends the rat-a-tat delivery that her mentor Big Boi has made his trademark with seamless transitions into classic soul-diva wails. The tongue-in-cheek rhymes are delivered with outstanding ease, within seconds she couples 'alligators' with 'rattlesnakers' (I know that shouldn't work, but believe me it does) and 'another flavour' with 'Terminator'. This is the best R&B track since Amerie's '1 Thing'.
15. Professor Green - Monster (T.E.E.D. Remix)
It's those Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs again, this time taking a fairly innocuous hit from Professor Green and turning into a dancefloor smash. Green had made his breakthrough by releasing a string of singles that were heavily reliant on ubiquitous samples (and Lily Allen) and Monster was his attempt to stand on his own two feet. It missed the boat, showing that the Brit-rap thing was all a little turgid and out of ideas (the video basically comes across as a sketch-show parody of an early Enimem hit). To take such a dull track and turn into the absolute behemoth that this is shows just how good TEED are.
14. Doctor P - Sweet Shop
Opening like a old-skool rave track, Doctor P begs us to take it higher before unleashing the mother of all screeching, industrial wobbles. While Katy B and Magnetic Man were disturbing the charts this became the dubstep hit of the summer for all those rudeboys riding around all summer in their hot hatches, looking for the filthiest, dirtiest track they could find to disturb all the pensioners on the sidewalks. It's not clever, but it is BIG.
13. Magnetic Man - I Need Air (Digital Soundboy Remix)
For all the production genius of Magnetic Man it may be a little controversial to think that their best moment of this year was actually a remix of one of their songs. The album is outstanding, the legacy it will have on UK bass culture without doubt but to me this remix by Digital Soundboy just added something extra.
12. Big Boi ft. Cutty - Shutterbug
Much as Janelle Monae's track was the best R&B track for years, in my opinion this was the best hip-hop track for years. It has the invention that the genre has forgotten in its quest for the ultimate unit-shifting ring tone hook. It's an electro bass club anthem, a genre-hopping funk jam. It has Big Boi switching pace and tone effortlessly, the requisite old-school references, honeyed backing vocals and an appearance from Andre 3000. In short it has everything.
11. Rusko ft. Amber Coffman - Hold On (Sub Focus Remix)
Last years don of dubstep, Rusko, released his debut album this to year to huge critical acclaim. The inspired decision to feature Dirty Projector's Amber Coffman on vocals meant this became a genre-transcending classic. Sub Focus' D&B beat cuts between the soaring atmospherics, the breakdown becomes a huge build of old-skool rave and the drop screams with Rusko's trademarks.
Thursday, 23 December 2010
SONGS OF 2010 - NUMBERS 21-30
Crystal Fighters - In The Summer (Tek-One Remix)
The Spanish band's blend of traditional Basque folk instruments with drum loops, heavy synths, and lifting vocals has made them one fo the most interesting bands to break out of Europe in the past few years. This remix of their hyper-manic pop tech gem by Tek-One begins with throbbing bass before the drum break switches the whole thing into a huge wobbling mess in the best way possible.
Darwin Deez - Radar Detector
Looking at things purely for the indie dancefloor this is probably the track of the year in that sense. The work of a mysterious, enigmatic New Yorker, 'Radar Detector' was as cheerful and bouncy as it gets that sounds like a lost Strokes session from around the time of their first album.
Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill (aka Ring Ring)
The voice is almost child-like, sounding like it was recorded in a cardboard box somewhere in the corner of a studio yet manages to be so sweet, classic girl-group pop. The delivery is almost rapping yet with an air of such self-confidence, singing over a Funkadelic sample in the manner of all those classic 1980s rap artists. This is why Sleigh Bells are such a special band, they are unclassifiable. Indie-rock, girl-pop, hip-hop, funk samples, rave motifs, everything is contained within the fuzz and feedback.
DJ Zinc & Ms Dynamite - Wile Out
Teh title of the years best comeback must surely go to Ms Dynamite. Completely forgotten since her 2002 Brit & MOBO award winning debut she returned to claim the crown as the go-to girl for UK bass culture. Zinc is another artist who had his commercial peak in the garage days of ten years ago but he has always been bubbling away as one of the most innovative producers in the background, constantly evolving his sound to stay at the top the the tree. This is the sound of his patented crack house and was one of the most special moments in music this year.
Carte Blanche - Gare Du Nord
Another of this years trend of producers collaborating, Carte Blanche is DJ Medhi & Riton. Their name means having the freedom to do what you please and this track is the sonic encapsulation of such. As should be expected from Ed Banger artists this is about as French as it gets and when the French make electro they always get it right.
Flux Pavilion - Haunt You
We've already spoke about how Flux Pavilion has been one of our favourite producers of the year and after he turned up at Embargo last Tuesday and asked to play a few records I can only hold him in the highest regard. This screaming, haunting track is my personal favourite.
Gorillaz ft. Daley - Doncomatic (Joker Remix)
Each Gorillaz project always brings out some incredible guest vocalists, sometimes discovering one along the way. The stand out moment of their album this year was the incredible 'Doncomatic' largely due to the stunning vocal performance from Daley. Here Joker gets involved and drops the bass, increasing the tension while never losing the power of that vocal. This my friends, is how to remix.
Marina & The Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot (Doorly Remix)
Doorly produced my number one track of last year with his remix of Temper Trap's 'Sweet Disposition' and he places high again this year with a more, yet just as powerful mix of Marina. Like the Joker remix above, Doorly shows that sometimes you have to keep the power of the vocal intact and build a remix around it, that often its the space inbetween the beats that is as important. Oh and to let the drum beat drop...
Afrojack ft. Eva Simons - Take Over Control (Adam F Remix)
Afrojack's most commercial moment of this year was not really to my liking in its original form, a little too reminicent of big room cheesy house from a few years ago. Fortunately Adam F stepped up and drove it back underground with a screeching dub beat that made it so much more powerful.
Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
After touring with Deadmau5 all year (and seemingly influencing the sound parts of his new album, '4+4=12'), Skrillex suddenly had a huge breakthrough in the latter part of this year, at one point holding 8 of the top 10 on Beatport. His inimitable style is pure filth from the very first second to last and on a loud system this track just has to be heard to be believed.
The Spanish band's blend of traditional Basque folk instruments with drum loops, heavy synths, and lifting vocals has made them one fo the most interesting bands to break out of Europe in the past few years. This remix of their hyper-manic pop tech gem by Tek-One begins with throbbing bass before the drum break switches the whole thing into a huge wobbling mess in the best way possible.
Darwin Deez - Radar Detector
Looking at things purely for the indie dancefloor this is probably the track of the year in that sense. The work of a mysterious, enigmatic New Yorker, 'Radar Detector' was as cheerful and bouncy as it gets that sounds like a lost Strokes session from around the time of their first album.
Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill (aka Ring Ring)
The voice is almost child-like, sounding like it was recorded in a cardboard box somewhere in the corner of a studio yet manages to be so sweet, classic girl-group pop. The delivery is almost rapping yet with an air of such self-confidence, singing over a Funkadelic sample in the manner of all those classic 1980s rap artists. This is why Sleigh Bells are such a special band, they are unclassifiable. Indie-rock, girl-pop, hip-hop, funk samples, rave motifs, everything is contained within the fuzz and feedback.
DJ Zinc & Ms Dynamite - Wile Out
Teh title of the years best comeback must surely go to Ms Dynamite. Completely forgotten since her 2002 Brit & MOBO award winning debut she returned to claim the crown as the go-to girl for UK bass culture. Zinc is another artist who had his commercial peak in the garage days of ten years ago but he has always been bubbling away as one of the most innovative producers in the background, constantly evolving his sound to stay at the top the the tree. This is the sound of his patented crack house and was one of the most special moments in music this year.
Carte Blanche - Gare Du Nord
Another of this years trend of producers collaborating, Carte Blanche is DJ Medhi & Riton. Their name means having the freedom to do what you please and this track is the sonic encapsulation of such. As should be expected from Ed Banger artists this is about as French as it gets and when the French make electro they always get it right.
Flux Pavilion - Haunt You
We've already spoke about how Flux Pavilion has been one of our favourite producers of the year and after he turned up at Embargo last Tuesday and asked to play a few records I can only hold him in the highest regard. This screaming, haunting track is my personal favourite.
Gorillaz ft. Daley - Doncomatic (Joker Remix)
Each Gorillaz project always brings out some incredible guest vocalists, sometimes discovering one along the way. The stand out moment of their album this year was the incredible 'Doncomatic' largely due to the stunning vocal performance from Daley. Here Joker gets involved and drops the bass, increasing the tension while never losing the power of that vocal. This my friends, is how to remix.
Marina & The Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot (Doorly Remix)
Doorly produced my number one track of last year with his remix of Temper Trap's 'Sweet Disposition' and he places high again this year with a more, yet just as powerful mix of Marina. Like the Joker remix above, Doorly shows that sometimes you have to keep the power of the vocal intact and build a remix around it, that often its the space inbetween the beats that is as important. Oh and to let the drum beat drop...
Afrojack ft. Eva Simons - Take Over Control (Adam F Remix)
Afrojack's most commercial moment of this year was not really to my liking in its original form, a little too reminicent of big room cheesy house from a few years ago. Fortunately Adam F stepped up and drove it back underground with a screeching dub beat that made it so much more powerful.
Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
After touring with Deadmau5 all year (and seemingly influencing the sound parts of his new album, '4+4=12'), Skrillex suddenly had a huge breakthrough in the latter part of this year, at one point holding 8 of the top 10 on Beatport. His inimitable style is pure filth from the very first second to last and on a loud system this track just has to be heard to be believed.
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
SONGS OF 2010 - NUMBERS 31-40
Joker - Tron
The screeching synth-led melodic interplays, colourful bass and grime signatures made this an instant classic in dubstep circles upon its release in April. It seems to be getting bigger and bigger as the year goes on and ensures that the Bristol scene keeps its hold on the underground of UK bass culture.
Best Coast - Boyfriend
Reverb soaked noise-pop that does what all great indie songs should do, tell a simple tale of (as yet) unrequited love and obsession, of idealistic relationships and simple chords. Bethany's voice is as golden as always and the lo-fi production adds to the whole charm.
Penguin Prison - The Worse It Gets
The past couple of years have been dominated by female synth-pop stars, the likes of La Roux, Little Boots, Ellie Goulding et al leaving the guys trailing in their wake. New Yorker Penguin Prison may be the one to reverse this trend considering he appears to tread a line mostly consisting of prime era Prince on this record. It is the kind of song that sometimes leaves you slightly embarrassed when you find yourself singing along, yet you soon realise just what a ridiculous notion that is. Classic pop cannot, and never should be embarrassing.
Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand (O-God Edit)
Armand Van Helden & A-Trak's ode to Barbra was the hit if the Winter Music Conference this year, and became the ubiquitous house hit of the summer. Built around a Boney M sample, the legal wrangling of which led to the release being delayed by months. O-God's cheeky bootleg edit was the only version around for a while and I'd played it so much by the time the original turned up in decent studio quality it sounded just too slow. As infectious and silly as a great throwaway summer hit should be this was catchy enough to stay around all year.
Vampire Weekend - Cousins
Whenever I listen to Vampire Weekend I wish they'd leave the intellectual yearnings and Paul Simon obsessions aside a little more and make more spiky records like this. Like'A-Punk' before it, the token urgency shown on this jumped out far more than everything else on the album.
Hot Chip ft. Bonnie Prince Billy - I Feel Bonnie
The best moment from 'One Life Stand', 'I Feel Better' was improved even further with this new version featuring cult American folk artist Bonnie Prince Billy. Warm analogue bass carries the song through its entire seven minutes and the broken tone of the new vocal sits perfectly with the falsettos and distorted backing vocals of the Hot Chip original. The fade out and reprise at around five and a half minutes still gives me goosebumps everytime.
Hyper Crush - AYO
A beast of a track produced by none other than Diplo, this is a booty shaker of the highest regard. Flitting between a squealing motif, militant drums and almost dubstep breaks. An absolute banger for the club, this was one of the best party starters around this year.
Kanye West ft. Pusha T - Runaway
I think Rolling Stone put this best:- "it takes a special kind of twisted, genius to raise the white flag of surrender while raising the middle finger." Whatever you think of Kanye there can be no doubt that the man is a talent like no other. This nine minute epic sees him opening his heart and laying down his insecurities, the ego stripped bare for a while. For an artist as big and self-important as Kanye to release a track like this is an achievement in itself. The twinkling, crying piano and sparse, yet thunderous drums, Kanye's fragile singing voice and Pusha T's rap pulling it all together make for one of the most dramatic moments in music this year.
Robyn - Dancing On My Own
When this was first released I took an instant dislike to it, dismissing it as over-produced. The problem was that I hadn't actually listened to it properly. Filled with heartbreak and emotion, this is a tale of attempting to save face in public even though your insides are being ripped apart. Its a tribute to the achingly sad disco anthems from the likes of Donna Summer & Sylvester and a reminder that there is always room for a little despondency on the dancefloor.
Cee-Lo Green - Fuck You
Probably the one track of this year that you can guarantee to have generation-spanning longevity. The instrumentation is steeped in classic 1960s pop, a throw back to all those great Motown and Stax moments. There are times when the "fuck you" refrain borders on novelty but Cee-Lo's master stroke was to craft a song so effortless, so timeless that the indignation to the girl whom ditched him almost becomes a celebratory moment. We live in such an uncensored society now that the illicit word is used in everyday conversation, its power only holds when it is pushed upon us by songs, or films, or in print. Maybe this is part of the power of this track, that Cee-Lo uses it on our level, he is throwing it away in the same manner each of us do every day. (Incidentally all of this means that the radio edit that replaces the "fuck" with "forget" is one of the most pointless recordings ever made).
The screeching synth-led melodic interplays, colourful bass and grime signatures made this an instant classic in dubstep circles upon its release in April. It seems to be getting bigger and bigger as the year goes on and ensures that the Bristol scene keeps its hold on the underground of UK bass culture.
Best Coast - Boyfriend
Reverb soaked noise-pop that does what all great indie songs should do, tell a simple tale of (as yet) unrequited love and obsession, of idealistic relationships and simple chords. Bethany's voice is as golden as always and the lo-fi production adds to the whole charm.
Penguin Prison - The Worse It Gets
The past couple of years have been dominated by female synth-pop stars, the likes of La Roux, Little Boots, Ellie Goulding et al leaving the guys trailing in their wake. New Yorker Penguin Prison may be the one to reverse this trend considering he appears to tread a line mostly consisting of prime era Prince on this record. It is the kind of song that sometimes leaves you slightly embarrassed when you find yourself singing along, yet you soon realise just what a ridiculous notion that is. Classic pop cannot, and never should be embarrassing.
Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand (O-God Edit)
Armand Van Helden & A-Trak's ode to Barbra was the hit if the Winter Music Conference this year, and became the ubiquitous house hit of the summer. Built around a Boney M sample, the legal wrangling of which led to the release being delayed by months. O-God's cheeky bootleg edit was the only version around for a while and I'd played it so much by the time the original turned up in decent studio quality it sounded just too slow. As infectious and silly as a great throwaway summer hit should be this was catchy enough to stay around all year.
Vampire Weekend - Cousins
Whenever I listen to Vampire Weekend I wish they'd leave the intellectual yearnings and Paul Simon obsessions aside a little more and make more spiky records like this. Like'A-Punk' before it, the token urgency shown on this jumped out far more than everything else on the album.
Hot Chip ft. Bonnie Prince Billy - I Feel Bonnie
The best moment from 'One Life Stand', 'I Feel Better' was improved even further with this new version featuring cult American folk artist Bonnie Prince Billy. Warm analogue bass carries the song through its entire seven minutes and the broken tone of the new vocal sits perfectly with the falsettos and distorted backing vocals of the Hot Chip original. The fade out and reprise at around five and a half minutes still gives me goosebumps everytime.
Hyper Crush - AYO
A beast of a track produced by none other than Diplo, this is a booty shaker of the highest regard. Flitting between a squealing motif, militant drums and almost dubstep breaks. An absolute banger for the club, this was one of the best party starters around this year.
Kanye West ft. Pusha T - Runaway
I think Rolling Stone put this best:- "it takes a special kind of twisted, genius to raise the white flag of surrender while raising the middle finger." Whatever you think of Kanye there can be no doubt that the man is a talent like no other. This nine minute epic sees him opening his heart and laying down his insecurities, the ego stripped bare for a while. For an artist as big and self-important as Kanye to release a track like this is an achievement in itself. The twinkling, crying piano and sparse, yet thunderous drums, Kanye's fragile singing voice and Pusha T's rap pulling it all together make for one of the most dramatic moments in music this year.
Robyn - Dancing On My Own
When this was first released I took an instant dislike to it, dismissing it as over-produced. The problem was that I hadn't actually listened to it properly. Filled with heartbreak and emotion, this is a tale of attempting to save face in public even though your insides are being ripped apart. Its a tribute to the achingly sad disco anthems from the likes of Donna Summer & Sylvester and a reminder that there is always room for a little despondency on the dancefloor.
Cee-Lo Green - Fuck You
Probably the one track of this year that you can guarantee to have generation-spanning longevity. The instrumentation is steeped in classic 1960s pop, a throw back to all those great Motown and Stax moments. There are times when the "fuck you" refrain borders on novelty but Cee-Lo's master stroke was to craft a song so effortless, so timeless that the indignation to the girl whom ditched him almost becomes a celebratory moment. We live in such an uncensored society now that the illicit word is used in everyday conversation, its power only holds when it is pushed upon us by songs, or films, or in print. Maybe this is part of the power of this track, that Cee-Lo uses it on our level, he is throwing it away in the same manner each of us do every day. (Incidentally all of this means that the radio edit that replaces the "fuck" with "forget" is one of the most pointless recordings ever made).
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
SONGS OF 2010 - NUMBERS 41-50
Chapel Club - All The Eastern Girls (RAC Remix)
Subject to a good old fashioned record label scramble for their signature this year, Chapel Club's dark and melodramatic pop is perfect for these long winter nights. Sounds of Interpol, White Lies and dare I say it, Joy Division in their sound, as they declare in the opening seconds of this track "this is a love song." RAC (The Remix Artists Collective) give this a subtle shimmering sheen that grows in substance the louder it is played.
Rihanna - Rude Boy (TC Remix)
The undoubted queen of pop, Rihanna continually churns out tune after tune of acceptable chart domination. TC's dark, twisting remix is an incredible piece of work, looping that earworm of a vocal and hitting it with the deepest of squealing sub-bass. He picks up the pace around two minutes in and that drum and bass roll comes out of nowhere to ensure absolutely no-one is left stationary on the floor.
Tensnake - Coma Cat (Treasure Fingers Remix)
Absolutely dominating the Ibiza scene this summer, I doubt there was a house set in 2010 that didn't feature that hypnotic piano in some form or other. This mix from Treasure Fingers was my personal favourite, adding a gorgeous disco drop.
Shit Robot - Take 'Em Up
With LCD Soundsystem declaring that this years album would be their last it was left to the other artists on DFA to fight it out to become the label's flagship act. Shit Robot may just have put themselves in pole position with this beautiful glittering synth-pop track featuring LCD and The Juan Maclean collaborator Nancy Whang.
Frankie & The Heartstrings - Hunger
Following in the footsteps of other north-east luminaries The Futureheads, Frankie and The Heartstrings prove once and for all that the regional accent, harmonised backing vocals and new-wave guitars are the perfect means to deliver indie-pop with a sense of urgency.
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - The Garden
I really can't get enough of just how good TEED are already and am so excited about hearing so much more from them next year. 'The Garden' is more laid back than some of their remixes and all the better for it, the vocal interchange between Orlando and Luisia from Lulu and The Lampshades tells the story perfectly astride video game bleeps and irresistible melodies.
Caribou - Odessa
Always a maverick Dan Snaith seemed to find some sort of momentum this year with his excellent album 'Swim'. This is my favourite cut from that LP, a work that holds itself together despite the myriad of layers within. Junior Boys synth-pop, Erland Oye vocals, little ESG sounds here and there, scratchy guitars and bouncing bass motifs all come together some how to produce one of the most accomplished tracks of the year.
Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith - Not In Love
A cover of Platinum Blonde's 1984 new wave hit, fellow Canadians Crystal Castles somehow managed to persuade The Cure's Robert Smith to add his vocals. Their gothy, screechy synths sound so much better with a proper vocal, which warms their too-often frosty sound. The whole track could quite easily be exactly what The Cure would sound like were they emerging around about now and this is very obviously a good thing.
Ellie Goulding - Under The Sheets (Jakwob Remix)
At the beginning of the year this was THE go-to track when the dancefloor was teetering on the edge, desperate for that dirty wobble to push them over. Ellie's voice always sound great over dubstep beats and Jakwob adds the perfect tempo to heighten it further. The whistling, ghostly break in the middle just builds that anticipation even further, the looped vocal makes it almost unbearable before those breaking drums, rising synths give way to that bassline.
Jack Beats - Out Of Body
Not as many classic remixes from Jack Beats this year (aside from the incredible 'Shutterbug') as last but this double A-side (with 'UFO') more than made up for it. A grinding, jacking, beat, elastic bass and soaring vocals, bleeps and the requisite almost silent breakdown and build made this a fidgety masterpiece.
Subject to a good old fashioned record label scramble for their signature this year, Chapel Club's dark and melodramatic pop is perfect for these long winter nights. Sounds of Interpol, White Lies and dare I say it, Joy Division in their sound, as they declare in the opening seconds of this track "this is a love song." RAC (The Remix Artists Collective) give this a subtle shimmering sheen that grows in substance the louder it is played.
Rihanna - Rude Boy (TC Remix)
The undoubted queen of pop, Rihanna continually churns out tune after tune of acceptable chart domination. TC's dark, twisting remix is an incredible piece of work, looping that earworm of a vocal and hitting it with the deepest of squealing sub-bass. He picks up the pace around two minutes in and that drum and bass roll comes out of nowhere to ensure absolutely no-one is left stationary on the floor.
Tensnake - Coma Cat (Treasure Fingers Remix)
Absolutely dominating the Ibiza scene this summer, I doubt there was a house set in 2010 that didn't feature that hypnotic piano in some form or other. This mix from Treasure Fingers was my personal favourite, adding a gorgeous disco drop.
Shit Robot - Take 'Em Up
With LCD Soundsystem declaring that this years album would be their last it was left to the other artists on DFA to fight it out to become the label's flagship act. Shit Robot may just have put themselves in pole position with this beautiful glittering synth-pop track featuring LCD and The Juan Maclean collaborator Nancy Whang.
Frankie & The Heartstrings - Hunger
Following in the footsteps of other north-east luminaries The Futureheads, Frankie and The Heartstrings prove once and for all that the regional accent, harmonised backing vocals and new-wave guitars are the perfect means to deliver indie-pop with a sense of urgency.
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - The Garden
I really can't get enough of just how good TEED are already and am so excited about hearing so much more from them next year. 'The Garden' is more laid back than some of their remixes and all the better for it, the vocal interchange between Orlando and Luisia from Lulu and The Lampshades tells the story perfectly astride video game bleeps and irresistible melodies.
Caribou - Odessa
Always a maverick Dan Snaith seemed to find some sort of momentum this year with his excellent album 'Swim'. This is my favourite cut from that LP, a work that holds itself together despite the myriad of layers within. Junior Boys synth-pop, Erland Oye vocals, little ESG sounds here and there, scratchy guitars and bouncing bass motifs all come together some how to produce one of the most accomplished tracks of the year.
Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith - Not In Love
A cover of Platinum Blonde's 1984 new wave hit, fellow Canadians Crystal Castles somehow managed to persuade The Cure's Robert Smith to add his vocals. Their gothy, screechy synths sound so much better with a proper vocal, which warms their too-often frosty sound. The whole track could quite easily be exactly what The Cure would sound like were they emerging around about now and this is very obviously a good thing.
Ellie Goulding - Under The Sheets (Jakwob Remix)
At the beginning of the year this was THE go-to track when the dancefloor was teetering on the edge, desperate for that dirty wobble to push them over. Ellie's voice always sound great over dubstep beats and Jakwob adds the perfect tempo to heighten it further. The whistling, ghostly break in the middle just builds that anticipation even further, the looped vocal makes it almost unbearable before those breaking drums, rising synths give way to that bassline.
Jack Beats - Out Of Body
Not as many classic remixes from Jack Beats this year (aside from the incredible 'Shutterbug') as last but this double A-side (with 'UFO') more than made up for it. A grinding, jacking, beat, elastic bass and soaring vocals, bleeps and the requisite almost silent breakdown and build made this a fidgety masterpiece.
Monday, 20 December 2010
SONGS OF 2010 - NUMBERS 51-60
Kid Cudi, Best Coast & Rostam Batmanglij - All Summer
The other track released this year under the Converse banner, this does exactly what it is said to. A true summer anthem, Cudi's rap blends perfectly into the lo-fi harmonies of the Best Coast singer Bethany's lament with the guitar line held in trademark fashion by Vampire Weekend's superbly names Rostram Batmanglij.
Audiobot - Noize, Bass & Disco
If there were three things that made house beats shout in 2010 it was noise, bass and disco. It goes without saying that this track by Audiobot that jumped seamlessly between the three was a work of art that enabled many a jump between sub-genres in the imaginative set.
Nero - Innocence
The BBC have named Nero in their shortlist for their annual sound of 2011 poll which is somewhat delayed in their reaction to an artist that has been one of the success stories of this year, yet alone next. Churning out remix after remix of pop hits, Nero hit the spot with this production that held the huge atmospherics until it became absolutely necessary to hit that massive massive drop.
Oh Land - Sun Of A Gun
Following in the strong recent tradition of solo female Scandinavian artists, Oh Land is one of the best bets for chart domination in the next year. This single will be re-released before next summer, and will be a huge hit - that much a can guarantee. The quirky, breathy vocal juxtaposes beautifully with the urgency in the beat leaving you constantly on the edge of your seat as you listen.
The Count & Sinden ft. Mystery Jets - After Dark
As already mentioned in a previous post, Blaine's voice is becoming one of the definitive sounds of leftfieeld British pop. Leaving aside his band for this one with super-producers Herve (aka The Count) and Sinden his voices rides astride an almost tropical beat, creating a dizzyingly melodic dancefloor hit.
Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work (The Twelves Remix)
Constantly turning everything they put their hand to into disco-tinged foot-tapping gold, The Twelves work on this took the undeniable sense of rhythm and super-smooth melodies of Two Door Cinema Club's indie hit and turned it from a song (like most of their work) that was a little too urgent and self-conscious into something with such a laid-back groove that it was irresistible.
Zeds Dead - Rude Boy (Union Remix)
Union are another duo whose stock is rising as fast as Ireland's is falling. They have played with absolutely everyone this year (recently playing to nearly 100,000 people in a week as tour support to Faithless) and run student nights at Fabric, named one of the top 10 nights in the country in Mixmag this month. This is the first track that has broke them in the production stakes, twisting Zeds Dead's absolute smash dub beat to the point of exasperation until with a mere minute and a half left they explode into a D&B beat out of absolutely nowhere in a move that is absolutely certain to raise the roof of any club anywhere.
Breakage ft. Erin - Justified
As much as dubstep excites me time and time again with new ways of making you throw your hands in the air, get to the floor and throw yourself into shapes that you never thought were possible outside of Olympic gymnasiums sometimes I can't help but want it to turn more to the direction taken by the Bristol sound of the mid-90s led by the likes of Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky. The thing that these artists understood more than the current generation do is the importance of the vocal in setting the atmosphere, the importance of space and subtlety within music and how to structure a song rather than a 'track'. This track from Breakage's brilliant album understood those principles.
Cassius - I Love U So
For a song released on Ed Banger records, a song by one of the pioneers of the French electro/filter house sound to be so sparse, so laid back was a shock. Cassius seem to have taken the road long travelled by their countrymen Air and this would sit perfectly on their incredible 'Virgin Suicides' soundtrack. An absolute masterpiece that holds simplicity at its core, I've got a feeling that if I was writing this list six months down the line this would appear much higher in the rankings.
Dada Life - Unleash The Fucking Dada (At Dawn We Rage's Unleash The Fucking Fury Edit)
Dada Life have been bubbling away in the background all year with a string of releases and remixes that have been almost, but never quite there. As described once it got to October they unleashed the promise and At Dawn We Rage got involved on the edit to create a hypnotic tech-laden mix of epic proportions.
The other track released this year under the Converse banner, this does exactly what it is said to. A true summer anthem, Cudi's rap blends perfectly into the lo-fi harmonies of the Best Coast singer Bethany's lament with the guitar line held in trademark fashion by Vampire Weekend's superbly names Rostram Batmanglij.
Audiobot - Noize, Bass & Disco
If there were three things that made house beats shout in 2010 it was noise, bass and disco. It goes without saying that this track by Audiobot that jumped seamlessly between the three was a work of art that enabled many a jump between sub-genres in the imaginative set.
Nero - Innocence
The BBC have named Nero in their shortlist for their annual sound of 2011 poll which is somewhat delayed in their reaction to an artist that has been one of the success stories of this year, yet alone next. Churning out remix after remix of pop hits, Nero hit the spot with this production that held the huge atmospherics until it became absolutely necessary to hit that massive massive drop.
Oh Land - Sun Of A Gun
Following in the strong recent tradition of solo female Scandinavian artists, Oh Land is one of the best bets for chart domination in the next year. This single will be re-released before next summer, and will be a huge hit - that much a can guarantee. The quirky, breathy vocal juxtaposes beautifully with the urgency in the beat leaving you constantly on the edge of your seat as you listen.
The Count & Sinden ft. Mystery Jets - After Dark
As already mentioned in a previous post, Blaine's voice is becoming one of the definitive sounds of leftfieeld British pop. Leaving aside his band for this one with super-producers Herve (aka The Count) and Sinden his voices rides astride an almost tropical beat, creating a dizzyingly melodic dancefloor hit.
Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work (The Twelves Remix)
Constantly turning everything they put their hand to into disco-tinged foot-tapping gold, The Twelves work on this took the undeniable sense of rhythm and super-smooth melodies of Two Door Cinema Club's indie hit and turned it from a song (like most of their work) that was a little too urgent and self-conscious into something with such a laid-back groove that it was irresistible.
Zeds Dead - Rude Boy (Union Remix)
Union are another duo whose stock is rising as fast as Ireland's is falling. They have played with absolutely everyone this year (recently playing to nearly 100,000 people in a week as tour support to Faithless) and run student nights at Fabric, named one of the top 10 nights in the country in Mixmag this month. This is the first track that has broke them in the production stakes, twisting Zeds Dead's absolute smash dub beat to the point of exasperation until with a mere minute and a half left they explode into a D&B beat out of absolutely nowhere in a move that is absolutely certain to raise the roof of any club anywhere.
Breakage ft. Erin - Justified
As much as dubstep excites me time and time again with new ways of making you throw your hands in the air, get to the floor and throw yourself into shapes that you never thought were possible outside of Olympic gymnasiums sometimes I can't help but want it to turn more to the direction taken by the Bristol sound of the mid-90s led by the likes of Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky. The thing that these artists understood more than the current generation do is the importance of the vocal in setting the atmosphere, the importance of space and subtlety within music and how to structure a song rather than a 'track'. This track from Breakage's brilliant album understood those principles.
Cassius - I Love U So
For a song released on Ed Banger records, a song by one of the pioneers of the French electro/filter house sound to be so sparse, so laid back was a shock. Cassius seem to have taken the road long travelled by their countrymen Air and this would sit perfectly on their incredible 'Virgin Suicides' soundtrack. An absolute masterpiece that holds simplicity at its core, I've got a feeling that if I was writing this list six months down the line this would appear much higher in the rankings.
Dada Life - Unleash The Fucking Dada (At Dawn We Rage's Unleash The Fucking Fury Edit)
Dada Life have been bubbling away in the background all year with a string of releases and remixes that have been almost, but never quite there. As described once it got to October they unleashed the promise and At Dawn We Rage got involved on the edit to create a hypnotic tech-laden mix of epic proportions.
Sunday, 19 December 2010
SONGS OF 2010 - NUMBERS 61-80
Fuski & Dodge ft. The Highbury Whores - Pornstep
Quite literally filthy, the UK duo pretty much invented their own genre with this. Spicing vocals of some rather interesting ladies hopping on the good foot and doing the bad thing with some dirty, bouncing bass to tie it all together. A track that is borderline novelty and would be in the wrong hands but this is put together so well works on its own level.
Jazzbit - Sing Sing Sing (Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP Dub)
Taking its cues from the jazz standard sampling of Gramophondzie's 'Why Don't You', Jazzbit find a vocal that has just as much oomph and swing. Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP's remix apes their 'We Speak No Americano' smash hit, this dub takes it a lot deeper and minimal and as a result is vastly superior.
Tiesto vs Diplo - C'mon
Massive track from two of the best producers in their respective fields. Tiesto's trademark trance sound dominates with a soaring signature riff but the atmospherics that usually wash over his tracks are replaced by Diplo's punching beats and the Mad Decent energy.
Bernard Sumner, Hot Chip & Hot City - Didn't Know What Love Was
Part of Converse's sporadic 3 Artists, 1 Song project that had already given us the classic 'My Drive Thru' Their commitment to pulling together artists of such quality keeps producing results and this is one of those tracks that is instantly so familiar that you are sure that is must be a cover or reworking of a classic. Its not, it just happens to be so good that is could have come straight from the golden period of late 80s house.
Example - Kickstarts (Bar 9 Remix)
Example has had a great year, emerging as a genuine chart bothering voice. In my opinion this was the best moment from his album and although the Afrojack remix was something special, this dubstep take by Bar 9 was just a tiny bit better.
Good Shoes - Under Control
A band that was largely forgotten despite a quite brilliant debut album in 2007, it seems that the same will happen to their 2nd effort released in January this year. At times as good, if not better than contemporaries such as The Wombats, The Rakes & The Maccabees it seems they are destined to remain a cult band without that big single hit to propel them into the mainstream. This tale of sex and desire showcases everything that is good about Good Shoes.
LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change
James Murphy's project has been one of the most important ongoing stories within the music scene is the past few years, the classic debut album helping to change the musical landscape and bring dance music back to the indie kids. This new-wave torch anthem was the emotive highlight of their last album for me, much like 'All My Friends' was on the previous longplayer.
Primary 1 ft. Nina Persson - The Blues
The synth-pop producer has been around for a couple of years now showing flashes of promise, this beautiflully wistful duet with The Cardigans' Nina Persson proves that he has some massive pop moments in him. At times almost Bowie-like with his vocal, the balance with Persson's is melodic perfection.
Steve Aoki ft. [[[Zuper Blahq]]] - I'm In The House
Massive banger from DJ hero Steve Aoki (who featured on the absolutely belting 'Warp' series by Bloody Beetroots) and [[[Zuper Blahq]]], who, for those not in the know is Will.I.Am in a mask.
The Futureheads - Heartbeat Song
Avi Buffalo - What's In It For?
Uffie ft. Pharell - ADD SUV (Armand Van Helden Remix)
Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Buraka Som Sistema ft. Kano - Skank (Foamo Remix)
David Guetta ft. Rihanna - Who's That Chick (Afrojack Dub)
Django Django - WOR
Everything Everything - My KZ, Ur BF (Grum Remix)
Herve - Together
Kelis - Acapella (Acid Washed Remix)
Liars - Scissor
Quite literally filthy, the UK duo pretty much invented their own genre with this. Spicing vocals of some rather interesting ladies hopping on the good foot and doing the bad thing with some dirty, bouncing bass to tie it all together. A track that is borderline novelty and would be in the wrong hands but this is put together so well works on its own level.
Jazzbit - Sing Sing Sing (Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP Dub)
Taking its cues from the jazz standard sampling of Gramophondzie's 'Why Don't You', Jazzbit find a vocal that has just as much oomph and swing. Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP's remix apes their 'We Speak No Americano' smash hit, this dub takes it a lot deeper and minimal and as a result is vastly superior.
Tiesto vs Diplo - C'mon
Massive track from two of the best producers in their respective fields. Tiesto's trademark trance sound dominates with a soaring signature riff but the atmospherics that usually wash over his tracks are replaced by Diplo's punching beats and the Mad Decent energy.
Bernard Sumner, Hot Chip & Hot City - Didn't Know What Love Was
Part of Converse's sporadic 3 Artists, 1 Song project that had already given us the classic 'My Drive Thru' Their commitment to pulling together artists of such quality keeps producing results and this is one of those tracks that is instantly so familiar that you are sure that is must be a cover or reworking of a classic. Its not, it just happens to be so good that is could have come straight from the golden period of late 80s house.
Example - Kickstarts (Bar 9 Remix)
Example has had a great year, emerging as a genuine chart bothering voice. In my opinion this was the best moment from his album and although the Afrojack remix was something special, this dubstep take by Bar 9 was just a tiny bit better.
Good Shoes - Under Control
A band that was largely forgotten despite a quite brilliant debut album in 2007, it seems that the same will happen to their 2nd effort released in January this year. At times as good, if not better than contemporaries such as The Wombats, The Rakes & The Maccabees it seems they are destined to remain a cult band without that big single hit to propel them into the mainstream. This tale of sex and desire showcases everything that is good about Good Shoes.
LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change
James Murphy's project has been one of the most important ongoing stories within the music scene is the past few years, the classic debut album helping to change the musical landscape and bring dance music back to the indie kids. This new-wave torch anthem was the emotive highlight of their last album for me, much like 'All My Friends' was on the previous longplayer.
Primary 1 ft. Nina Persson - The Blues
The synth-pop producer has been around for a couple of years now showing flashes of promise, this beautiflully wistful duet with The Cardigans' Nina Persson proves that he has some massive pop moments in him. At times almost Bowie-like with his vocal, the balance with Persson's is melodic perfection.
Steve Aoki ft. [[[Zuper Blahq]]] - I'm In The House
Massive banger from DJ hero Steve Aoki (who featured on the absolutely belting 'Warp' series by Bloody Beetroots) and [[[Zuper Blahq]]], who, for those not in the know is Will.I.Am in a mask.
The Futureheads - Heartbeat Song
Avi Buffalo - What's In It For?
Uffie ft. Pharell - ADD SUV (Armand Van Helden Remix)
Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Buraka Som Sistema ft. Kano - Skank (Foamo Remix)
David Guetta ft. Rihanna - Who's That Chick (Afrojack Dub)
Django Django - WOR
Everything Everything - My KZ, Ur BF (Grum Remix)
Herve - Together
Kelis - Acapella (Acid Washed Remix)
Liars - Scissor
Friday, 17 December 2010
SONGS OF 2010 - NUMBERS 81-90
Burns & Fred Falke - YSLM (You Stopped Loving Me)
Another dance collaboration between two artist at the pinnacle of house, Scottish producer Burns cut-up disco meets Fred Falke's French filter-house stylings. Package with a super-cute video featuring a load of rescue home dogs and cuddly toys and you've got a track that can't help but make you smile.
Riva Starr ft. Noze - I Was Drunk
Ploughing a similar furrow to the massive hit that was 'We Speak No Americano' this cut from Italian-born Londoner Riva Starr managed to avoid the same levels of overplayed irritation. Combining Euro-house tempos with Eastern European vocals that at times almost sound like they could be Gogol Bordello samples.
Steve Angello - KNAS
One-third of the ubiquitous Swedish House Mafia this solo cut from Steve Angello offered something else from the Ibiza phenomenons. Looping, stabbing synths and wobbling bassline and minimal beats created a roller that just keeps giving.
The Knocks - Dancing With The DJ
At first listen it sounds almost unbearably cheesy, but with each airing the vibe shines through and you realise that had this been released in the gorgeous summer instead of snow-flecked October that it would have become an absolutely essential festival cut.
The Wombats - Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves) ('96 Bulls Remix)
I said it earlier in the year, I'll say it again, I never thought I'd enjoy a Wombats song as much as this. The vocals sound far better isolated from elementary guitars and the result is a track that is everything Kele was trying to do with his album but never quite getting there.
Warpaint - Undertow
All girl LA art-house band Warpaint were one of the underground breakthroughs of the year and Undertow was their strongest moment. At times sounding like the unplugged recording of Nirvana's 'Polly'. Sweet, lethally seductive and the kind of sound that drags you along, rippling guitars and drowning atmospherics leaving you submerged in their world.
Aloe Blacc - I Need A Dollar
Never really the breakthrough hit in the UK that it should have been, this track was massive in America thanks to its appearance as the theme song for the TV show 'How To Make It In America'. Retro-soul that recalls Mayer Hawthorne's outstanding debut work last year, the fact that it wasn't hammered on daytime radio in the way that, for example, Cee-Lo Green's 'Fuck You' was is to its advantage.
Ali Love - Smoke & Mirrors (Funtcase Remix)
Another artist criminally underrated, Ali Love's falsetto is absolutely destroyed by Funtcase's monstrous remix with its ghostly wobbles, industrial percussion and perfect juxtaposition of the soulful vocal and filthy instrumentation.
Aeroplane - We Can't Fly
The Belgian duo built up a massive reputation in 2009 with their twist on Balearic sound, their monthly chart podcasts becoming a must-listen event. This year saw Stephen Fasano leave to pursue other things but Vito De Lucas continued on unabashed and dropped this title track from his album that is another gorgeous piece of work.
Chali 2na - Go Gadget Go
The Jurassic 5 MC saw one of the more surprising collaborations of the year with this track produced by none other than dubstep master Rusko. Chali's flow is everything is always has been, the man could rap over the sound of broken machinery and still keep you hooked in but given a Rusko beat he is supreme.
Another dance collaboration between two artist at the pinnacle of house, Scottish producer Burns cut-up disco meets Fred Falke's French filter-house stylings. Package with a super-cute video featuring a load of rescue home dogs and cuddly toys and you've got a track that can't help but make you smile.
Riva Starr ft. Noze - I Was Drunk
Ploughing a similar furrow to the massive hit that was 'We Speak No Americano' this cut from Italian-born Londoner Riva Starr managed to avoid the same levels of overplayed irritation. Combining Euro-house tempos with Eastern European vocals that at times almost sound like they could be Gogol Bordello samples.
Steve Angello - KNAS
One-third of the ubiquitous Swedish House Mafia this solo cut from Steve Angello offered something else from the Ibiza phenomenons. Looping, stabbing synths and wobbling bassline and minimal beats created a roller that just keeps giving.
The Knocks - Dancing With The DJ
At first listen it sounds almost unbearably cheesy, but with each airing the vibe shines through and you realise that had this been released in the gorgeous summer instead of snow-flecked October that it would have become an absolutely essential festival cut.
The Wombats - Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves) ('96 Bulls Remix)
I said it earlier in the year, I'll say it again, I never thought I'd enjoy a Wombats song as much as this. The vocals sound far better isolated from elementary guitars and the result is a track that is everything Kele was trying to do with his album but never quite getting there.
Warpaint - Undertow
All girl LA art-house band Warpaint were one of the underground breakthroughs of the year and Undertow was their strongest moment. At times sounding like the unplugged recording of Nirvana's 'Polly'. Sweet, lethally seductive and the kind of sound that drags you along, rippling guitars and drowning atmospherics leaving you submerged in their world.
Aloe Blacc - I Need A Dollar
Never really the breakthrough hit in the UK that it should have been, this track was massive in America thanks to its appearance as the theme song for the TV show 'How To Make It In America'. Retro-soul that recalls Mayer Hawthorne's outstanding debut work last year, the fact that it wasn't hammered on daytime radio in the way that, for example, Cee-Lo Green's 'Fuck You' was is to its advantage.
Ali Love - Smoke & Mirrors (Funtcase Remix)
Another artist criminally underrated, Ali Love's falsetto is absolutely destroyed by Funtcase's monstrous remix with its ghostly wobbles, industrial percussion and perfect juxtaposition of the soulful vocal and filthy instrumentation.
Aeroplane - We Can't Fly
The Belgian duo built up a massive reputation in 2009 with their twist on Balearic sound, their monthly chart podcasts becoming a must-listen event. This year saw Stephen Fasano leave to pursue other things but Vito De Lucas continued on unabashed and dropped this title track from his album that is another gorgeous piece of work.
Chali 2na - Go Gadget Go
The Jurassic 5 MC saw one of the more surprising collaborations of the year with this track produced by none other than dubstep master Rusko. Chali's flow is everything is always has been, the man could rap over the sound of broken machinery and still keep you hooked in but given a Rusko beat he is supreme.
Thursday, 16 December 2010
SONGS OF 2010 - NUMBERS 91-100
Delphic - Doubt (Riton Remix)
Anthemic electro-pop recalling both Hot Chip and Bloc Party, given a bass punch from Riton. Once those synth and laser stabs come in around 1:30 it picks up an infectious groove that builds around the looped vocal.
Fenech-Soler - Lies (Herve Remix)
Another breakthrough act in the overcrowded indie-electro scene this year, as with Delphic this is their most festival ready moment. The re-release in September saw this remix from Herve who brings driving tribal percussion and a rush of urgency to the proceedings.
Flight Facilities ft. Giselle - Crave You (Bxentric Remix)
A perfectly polished piece of retro disco-house that showcases everything that should be great about such a song. Gorgeous honey-dripped vocals expressing yearning desire, bongos, xylophones, brass sections and most of all that essential beat.
Hot Club De Paris - Free The Pterodactyl 3
Not many bands release a single based upon the guitarist's "scrape with the law whilst attempting the liberation of a 3 metre fibreglass Pterodactyl from a derelict fun fair." But then not many bands are like Hot Club De Paris, slowly building a cult following since their 2004 debut with their witty indie-pop, all obscure time signatures and word-play, barbershop harmonies and math rock.
Lee Mortimer & Foamo - Superman
Collaborations have become the norm between dance producers this year and this was one of the best. Lee Mortimer and Foamo came together to release this diva sampling slice of disco-house that sporadically drops into some dirty fidgety bass. The drop at 3.40 is just nasty in the right hands.
Massive Attack - Paradise Circus
After a seven year wait for new material, 3D and Daddy G pre-empted the album with this stunning, sultry, smoky track that recalled all those timeless moments from their previous work. Always building subtly in the background, soaring strings, handclaps and piano progressions constantly raise Hope Sandoval's vocal as the perfect welcome back into their sonic world.
Mystery Jets - Flash A Hungry Smile
Album by album Mystery Jets are growing into one of our greatest bands. The quirky, messy, jumble of influences seen on their debut seem such a long way in the distant now and Blaine's voice has grown into one of the most powerful around. Here the catchy whistles and swirls underpin a wonderful pop song that recalls Super Furry Animals at their finest.
N.E.R.D. ft. Daft Punk - Hypnotize You (Nero Remix)
Daft Punk producing N.E.R.D.? Yes please. Nero on the remix? That's too much. A superstar collaboration that does everything you'd expect it to, Pharell's vocals are sweet and soulful, Daft Punk add a robotic sheen and Nero gives it all a deep bass wash and extends the drama.
Nouveau Yorican - Boriqua
A collaboration between Laidback Luke and Gina Turner this is house at its most self-referential, at the same time managing to sound retro and from the future. Part Latin grooves, part Chicago House vibes, part jackin' beats this is all good.
Sunday Girl - Four Floors (Diplo Edit)
Still way ahead of virtually everyone else in the game (it's probably down to his Blackberry you know), every year Diplo crafts a classic and introduces us to some of the most exciting artists out there. Elegant vocals from Sunday Girl, serious reverberating basslines from Diplo.
Anthemic electro-pop recalling both Hot Chip and Bloc Party, given a bass punch from Riton. Once those synth and laser stabs come in around 1:30 it picks up an infectious groove that builds around the looped vocal.
Fenech-Soler - Lies (Herve Remix)
Another breakthrough act in the overcrowded indie-electro scene this year, as with Delphic this is their most festival ready moment. The re-release in September saw this remix from Herve who brings driving tribal percussion and a rush of urgency to the proceedings.
Flight Facilities ft. Giselle - Crave You (Bxentric Remix)
A perfectly polished piece of retro disco-house that showcases everything that should be great about such a song. Gorgeous honey-dripped vocals expressing yearning desire, bongos, xylophones, brass sections and most of all that essential beat.
Hot Club De Paris - Free The Pterodactyl 3
Not many bands release a single based upon the guitarist's "scrape with the law whilst attempting the liberation of a 3 metre fibreglass Pterodactyl from a derelict fun fair." But then not many bands are like Hot Club De Paris, slowly building a cult following since their 2004 debut with their witty indie-pop, all obscure time signatures and word-play, barbershop harmonies and math rock.
Lee Mortimer & Foamo - Superman
Collaborations have become the norm between dance producers this year and this was one of the best. Lee Mortimer and Foamo came together to release this diva sampling slice of disco-house that sporadically drops into some dirty fidgety bass. The drop at 3.40 is just nasty in the right hands.
Massive Attack - Paradise Circus
After a seven year wait for new material, 3D and Daddy G pre-empted the album with this stunning, sultry, smoky track that recalled all those timeless moments from their previous work. Always building subtly in the background, soaring strings, handclaps and piano progressions constantly raise Hope Sandoval's vocal as the perfect welcome back into their sonic world.
Mystery Jets - Flash A Hungry Smile
Album by album Mystery Jets are growing into one of our greatest bands. The quirky, messy, jumble of influences seen on their debut seem such a long way in the distant now and Blaine's voice has grown into one of the most powerful around. Here the catchy whistles and swirls underpin a wonderful pop song that recalls Super Furry Animals at their finest.
N.E.R.D. ft. Daft Punk - Hypnotize You (Nero Remix)
Daft Punk producing N.E.R.D.? Yes please. Nero on the remix? That's too much. A superstar collaboration that does everything you'd expect it to, Pharell's vocals are sweet and soulful, Daft Punk add a robotic sheen and Nero gives it all a deep bass wash and extends the drama.
Nouveau Yorican - Boriqua
A collaboration between Laidback Luke and Gina Turner this is house at its most self-referential, at the same time managing to sound retro and from the future. Part Latin grooves, part Chicago House vibes, part jackin' beats this is all good.
Sunday Girl - Four Floors (Diplo Edit)
Still way ahead of virtually everyone else in the game (it's probably down to his Blackberry you know), every year Diplo crafts a classic and introduces us to some of the most exciting artists out there. Elegant vocals from Sunday Girl, serious reverberating basslines from Diplo.
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
ARTISTS & PRODUCERS OF THE YEAR
Wolfgang Gartner
As Joey Youngman he was beloved of the Deep & Jackin' House scenes, as Wolfgang Gartner he has thrust himself into the forefront of the Electro-Tech sound that has been destroying dancefloors all year. His collaboration with Deadmau5 'Animal Rights' was a massive dance chart hit, 'Illmerica' was one of the best tracks of the year in any genre and his Radio One Essential Mix was a 62 track epic that has to be heard to be believed.
Flux Pavilion
The only problem I can see with Flux is that I can never decide which of his tunes to play on any given night. He has been ridiculously prolific this year, dropping the huge remix of DJ Fresh 'Gold Dust' that blew the socks off the original, as well as stunning reworks of The Freestylers' 'Cracks' and even bringing Jamiroquai bang up to date with his remix of 'Blue Skies'. Then there was his own productions showing a versatility to his sound in a dubstep scene populated by artists chucking out the same thing over and over again with the tech-banger of 'I Can't Stop', the reggae tinged bounce that was 'Excuse Me' and this, the, er, haunting 'Haunt You'.
Congorock
Exploding at the start of the year with the party starter that was 'Babylon', Congorock is the latest name to come out of the burgeoning Italian electro scene that has brought us the likes of Crookers and The Bloody Beetroots. His remix of THE biggest dance anthem of the year, Swedish House Mafia's 'One' is set to be a classic for years to come and his take on Mark Ronson's 'Somebody To Love' juxtaposed the melodic heart-tugger of the original with the laser beams of the worlds biggest clubs.
Foals
The follow up to 2008's 'Antidotes' was always going to be difficult in this post-indie world (Klaxons' album in comparison came across as a jumbled mess of never quite finished ideas) and when the first track leaked the kids expecting another 'Cassius' were confused by 'Spanish Sahara' with its sparse vocals and barely there vocals. But in the context of the album in became a stunning centrepiece to an emotive, at times almost sensual whole. 'Black Gold' and '2 Trees' were bold and full of texture, 'This Orient' a catchy, twinkling epic and 'Miami' took a hip-hop groove and married it with post-punk hedonism in a way MIA could only dream of. Unfortunately they will not allow embedding of the Aphex Twin aping video, but check that out too.
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
Using easily the best artist name of the year, young producer Orlando Higginbottom has created a position for himself at the forefront of British dance music and is set to blow up to ridiculous proportions in 2011. You'll know his bass-heavy remix of Professor Green's 'Monster' from the Embargo floor and that is just one of a number of stunning tracks produced this year. Further remixes of Darwin Deez, Sky Ferreira, Fenech-Soler, Crystal Fighters & Tinashe all showcase his blend of bass obsessed electro-pop. His two EPs, 'All In Two Sixty Dancehalls' & 'Household Goods' have been revelatory and leave me very excited for next years album.
Jakwob
Another dubstep artist who has been incredibly productive this year, constantly changing his sound without letting it become tired is Jakwob. His Ellie Goulding remixes have become standards in the commercial dubstep world, along with a never ending list of remixes for Penguin Prison, Robyn, Audio Bullies, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, William Orbit, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cocknbullkid, I Blame Coco, Oh Snap!, Jessie J, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. & Temper Trap (amoung others)!
Afrojack
Where the Italians have enjoyed their own renaissance in breaking into the UK market, the dirty Dutch have taken it that one step further with their sound owning every set in every decent club going. Afrojack has taken it to another level and looks set to rise to the mythical Guetta level next year. Taking his Black Eyed Peas collaboration to one side 'Bangduck', 'Pacha On Acid' and 'Take Over Control' have been solid gold bangers this year and he has a knack of turning the likes of Madonna & Lady Gaga into twisting behemoths and his remixes of Example's 'Kickstarts' and David Guetta & Rihanna's 'Who's That Chick?' reach new levels of depravity.
Joker
The Bristol purveyor of the fabled 'Purple' sound made one of the undoubted anthems of the year in 'Tron', a track always guaranteed to force the most stationary of feet to move and to set limbs flailing. Making a name for himself by taking some of the most soulful vocals and overlaying them with the deepest of sub-bothering bass, check his work on the Beth Ditto featuring 'Cruel Intentions' by Simian Mobile Disco and the stunning 'Doncamatic' by Gorillaz featuring Daley (who himself is set to be one of next years big breakthroughs).
Sleigh Bells
Feedback drenched, rattling low-end beats, distorted guitars and occasionally nonsensical vocals Sleigh Bells are at first a difficult proposition. Nursed along by such luminaries as MIA and Spike Jonze the more you listen to them the more they shine, the structure of their songs shining through on a wave of bubblegum vocals and conflicting beats. A marriage of the lo-fi, dreamy indie and abrasive rave sounds they were about as 2010 as it gets.
Magnetic Man (& a sly nod to Katy B)
Last but by no means least we come to the breakout moment for dubstep in 2010. Of course Skream & Benga (as well as Artwerk) have been around for years but they have bought the scene crashing into the mainstream this year with their stunning self-titled album. 'I Need Air' was the first hit reaching chart positions no-one really thought possible and riding on the back of this was the massive number one crafted by Benga for Katy B 'Katy On A Mission'. Further collaborations with Katy B on the outstanding 'Perfect Stranger' and Skream's mix of 'Lights Out', a definitive Radio One Essential Mix and a live show that proved that dubstep could transcend the undergrounds clubs it grew from and become a main stage staple showed that the year belonged to Magnetic Man.
As Joey Youngman he was beloved of the Deep & Jackin' House scenes, as Wolfgang Gartner he has thrust himself into the forefront of the Electro-Tech sound that has been destroying dancefloors all year. His collaboration with Deadmau5 'Animal Rights' was a massive dance chart hit, 'Illmerica' was one of the best tracks of the year in any genre and his Radio One Essential Mix was a 62 track epic that has to be heard to be believed.
Flux Pavilion
The only problem I can see with Flux is that I can never decide which of his tunes to play on any given night. He has been ridiculously prolific this year, dropping the huge remix of DJ Fresh 'Gold Dust' that blew the socks off the original, as well as stunning reworks of The Freestylers' 'Cracks' and even bringing Jamiroquai bang up to date with his remix of 'Blue Skies'. Then there was his own productions showing a versatility to his sound in a dubstep scene populated by artists chucking out the same thing over and over again with the tech-banger of 'I Can't Stop', the reggae tinged bounce that was 'Excuse Me' and this, the, er, haunting 'Haunt You'.
Congorock
Exploding at the start of the year with the party starter that was 'Babylon', Congorock is the latest name to come out of the burgeoning Italian electro scene that has brought us the likes of Crookers and The Bloody Beetroots. His remix of THE biggest dance anthem of the year, Swedish House Mafia's 'One' is set to be a classic for years to come and his take on Mark Ronson's 'Somebody To Love' juxtaposed the melodic heart-tugger of the original with the laser beams of the worlds biggest clubs.
Foals
The follow up to 2008's 'Antidotes' was always going to be difficult in this post-indie world (Klaxons' album in comparison came across as a jumbled mess of never quite finished ideas) and when the first track leaked the kids expecting another 'Cassius' were confused by 'Spanish Sahara' with its sparse vocals and barely there vocals. But in the context of the album in became a stunning centrepiece to an emotive, at times almost sensual whole. 'Black Gold' and '2 Trees' were bold and full of texture, 'This Orient' a catchy, twinkling epic and 'Miami' took a hip-hop groove and married it with post-punk hedonism in a way MIA could only dream of. Unfortunately they will not allow embedding of the Aphex Twin aping video, but check that out too.
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
Using easily the best artist name of the year, young producer Orlando Higginbottom has created a position for himself at the forefront of British dance music and is set to blow up to ridiculous proportions in 2011. You'll know his bass-heavy remix of Professor Green's 'Monster' from the Embargo floor and that is just one of a number of stunning tracks produced this year. Further remixes of Darwin Deez, Sky Ferreira, Fenech-Soler, Crystal Fighters & Tinashe all showcase his blend of bass obsessed electro-pop. His two EPs, 'All In Two Sixty Dancehalls' & 'Household Goods' have been revelatory and leave me very excited for next years album.
Jakwob
Another dubstep artist who has been incredibly productive this year, constantly changing his sound without letting it become tired is Jakwob. His Ellie Goulding remixes have become standards in the commercial dubstep world, along with a never ending list of remixes for Penguin Prison, Robyn, Audio Bullies, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, William Orbit, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cocknbullkid, I Blame Coco, Oh Snap!, Jessie J, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. & Temper Trap (amoung others)!
Afrojack
Where the Italians have enjoyed their own renaissance in breaking into the UK market, the dirty Dutch have taken it that one step further with their sound owning every set in every decent club going. Afrojack has taken it to another level and looks set to rise to the mythical Guetta level next year. Taking his Black Eyed Peas collaboration to one side 'Bangduck', 'Pacha On Acid' and 'Take Over Control' have been solid gold bangers this year and he has a knack of turning the likes of Madonna & Lady Gaga into twisting behemoths and his remixes of Example's 'Kickstarts' and David Guetta & Rihanna's 'Who's That Chick?' reach new levels of depravity.
Joker
The Bristol purveyor of the fabled 'Purple' sound made one of the undoubted anthems of the year in 'Tron', a track always guaranteed to force the most stationary of feet to move and to set limbs flailing. Making a name for himself by taking some of the most soulful vocals and overlaying them with the deepest of sub-bothering bass, check his work on the Beth Ditto featuring 'Cruel Intentions' by Simian Mobile Disco and the stunning 'Doncamatic' by Gorillaz featuring Daley (who himself is set to be one of next years big breakthroughs).
Sleigh Bells
Feedback drenched, rattling low-end beats, distorted guitars and occasionally nonsensical vocals Sleigh Bells are at first a difficult proposition. Nursed along by such luminaries as MIA and Spike Jonze the more you listen to them the more they shine, the structure of their songs shining through on a wave of bubblegum vocals and conflicting beats. A marriage of the lo-fi, dreamy indie and abrasive rave sounds they were about as 2010 as it gets.
Magnetic Man (& a sly nod to Katy B)
Last but by no means least we come to the breakout moment for dubstep in 2010. Of course Skream & Benga (as well as Artwerk) have been around for years but they have bought the scene crashing into the mainstream this year with their stunning self-titled album. 'I Need Air' was the first hit reaching chart positions no-one really thought possible and riding on the back of this was the massive number one crafted by Benga for Katy B 'Katy On A Mission'. Further collaborations with Katy B on the outstanding 'Perfect Stranger' and Skream's mix of 'Lights Out', a definitive Radio One Essential Mix and a live show that proved that dubstep could transcend the undergrounds clubs it grew from and become a main stage staple showed that the year belonged to Magnetic Man.
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
10 OF THE BEST NEW REMIXES OF CLASSIC TRACKS
10. Tiga - You're Gonna Want Me (Hey Today Remix!)
9. Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (Drop Out Orchestra Dub)
8. Jefferson Airplane - Somebody To Love (Lambox Remix)
7. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Boom! Shake The Room (Kanji Kinetic Remix)
Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Boom! Shake The Room (Kanji Kinetic Remix) by kanji
6. Benny Benassi - Satisfaction (J Rabbit Remix)
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps (Elite Force Re-Fix)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps (Elite Force Re-Fix) by Kreecher
4. Mr. Scruff - Get A Move On (Doorly's Pigeonhole This! Bootleg)
3. Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone (DJ Philistine & Kewl Breeze Dubstep Remix)
Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone (DJ Philistine & Kewl Breez Dubstep Remix) by Flags of Defiance
2. House Of Pain - Jump Around (Jantsen Remix)
1. Deadmau5 - Strobe (Plump DJs Remix)
9. Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (Drop Out Orchestra Dub)
8. Jefferson Airplane - Somebody To Love (Lambox Remix)
7. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Boom! Shake The Room (Kanji Kinetic Remix)
Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Boom! Shake The Room (Kanji Kinetic Remix) by kanji
6. Benny Benassi - Satisfaction (J Rabbit Remix)
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps (Elite Force Re-Fix)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps (Elite Force Re-Fix) by Kreecher
4. Mr. Scruff - Get A Move On (Doorly's Pigeonhole This! Bootleg)
3. Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone (DJ Philistine & Kewl Breeze Dubstep Remix)
Alice Deejay - Better Off Alone (DJ Philistine & Kewl Breez Dubstep Remix) by Flags of Defiance
2. House Of Pain - Jump Around (Jantsen Remix)
1. Deadmau5 - Strobe (Plump DJs Remix)
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