Christmas is the time for GIVING and in that spirit, sweet lord, do I have some gifts to give you! I decided that I couldn't stop at one, but instead have two great posts to share with you to round off the year. That's right, in similar fashion to everyone else who has something else to say about music, I have made lists for both the year and the decade! So original, so unique, so scintillatingly riveting that I bet you're all on the edges of your seats as you read this. Below are my top ten songs of the year and my reasons why, and then click here for the 'decade' issue. Of course, please see this as my take and an insight into my experience of what this year has to offer; music is completely subjective, and everyone's experiences of it contribute heavily to the impact it has. This makes it pointless to criticise annuals as being accurate or inaccurate, and instead they should be taken as an opportunity for everybody to share their review of the last twelve months of their life through sonic material.
#10 - Bromley - Joy Overmono
To start things off, we've got a tune that has been played in set after set through the second half of this year, and finally got released in November. The combination of Joy Orbison and Overmono was something we never knew how badly we needed until this. I first heard it in Ben UFO's Dekmantel Boiler Room set where it stood its ground amongst impressive peers in an eclectic mix of tracks. That vocal sample going 'say it yeah-eh-eh-eh-eh, say it' dropping back into the beat satisfies your ear drums every time you hear it. Aside from this dramatic break in the music, the alternating notes of the tuned percussion give off such a wonderfully acoustic timbre that grounds the electronic beeps and whirling you hear, balancing the two ends of the production .
#9 - Deaf Ears, Blind Years - Saint Jude
Saint Jude's EP was going to have to make an appearance somewhere on this list considering how much I've listened to it consistently since it came out, and narrowing down my favourite was tricky. Ultimately, the raw vulnerability of the lyrics, mellow synth tones and a drum beat with one fantastic snare come together to create a pool of reflection in music form. With its release signifying a move into a more acoustic sound, genre-blending and use of his own vocals, 'Deaf Ears, Blind Years' allows Jude to share something more personal. I like to think of the UFO-sighting theme of the music video as symbolistic of the search for something that we were sure was once there, but there seems to be no trace of it left.
#8 - Linked - Bonobo
Grammy-nominated Bonobo, no less. 'Linked' followed up his 'fabric presents' compilation with a continuation of his masterful ability to create a sound appropriate to both solitary chillouts and the dance floor. Seeing it performed live at Printworks definitely drove home the latter, particularly as the the countermelody builds up to a glorious, but not over-indulgent, final drop. An amalgamation of soothing vocal snippets, polyrhythmic percussion over a four-to-the-floor beat, and an acid line soaring through the middle. It's gentle, celestial, euphoric and ethereal, and gives you a feeling like you're walking off a cliff-edge and onto the air, suspended above the crashing waves below.
#7 - Midnight Hour - Skrillex, Boys Noize, Ty Dolla $ign
Never thought I'd see Skrillex on this list, but here we are and I'm not sorry about it whatsoever. This track soundtracked my summer before it was even released, and has played at most major events I've been to at some point or another. The individual elements seem absurd to combine, but in this weird, hard-to-put-your-finger-on way it works faultlessly. The honey-dipped R&B vocals and piano accompaniment are blasted out by a classic house beat, flurries of chopped up samples and the highlight of a gritty 3-note motif. It's not too serious, and this humour is what sells it; when you're knee deep in a crowd and acting stupid anyway, what else would you want to hear?
#6 - Bias - Floating Points
Floating Points' release on Ninja Tune, 'Crush', has gone down with huge critical success and has featured on numerous album of the year lists. It's been exciting to see both a return to his dark and gritty club roots and have such a complexly crafted set of visuals to accompany the release, building up hype to his live shows. With 'Crush' being quite the electronic-classical masterpiece, the three-note motif that opens this track (as well as the higher octave response) is an unmistakeable reference to Rachmaninoff's 'Prelude in C# Minor', depicting 'Bias' as the raver younger brother of one of the most brilliant pieces of piano music of all time. The rapid breakbeat builds up to a split second silence in the middle of the song, as if the world ceases to exist for just a moment. it's ominous, cavernous, and a brilliant five minutes of brass, beats and synths.
#5 - He - Jai Paul
After a hiatus of several years from one of the most influential artists of recent years, Jai Paul's release of the EP 'Do You Love Her Now / He' certainly had people talking. When your music is leaked before it's been finished, that's a hell of a lot of pressure on what a finished product will be, and yet of course he delivered. 'He' has that same nuance to it that makes his synthesis of styles fuse perfectly into what really can be called unique. Paul's falsetto vocals are heavenly, blending well into the shapeshifting instrumental. Despite some of the darker sounds he uses, it's great to hear something so optimistic with this release, especially after such a long time. Also, shout out for the open statement he put out with the EP; it's an incredible insight into what he went through - you can read it here.
#4 - Claustro - Burial
Burial once again reinvents the nostalgic lens through which he beams the sound of rave with this banger. A classic garage two-step is muddied in with distorted, detuned vocals, little trumpet motifs and hearty synth chords, all of course encompassed by that trademark vinyl crackle. He manages to make a club track creepy, while still capable of being the highlight moment of a set, and the degree to which it's upbeat is unusual and exciting. In particular, the final little breakdown at the end with the words 'I've got my eyes on you, tonight, I've got my eyes on you' gives us this little hyped up send off before the track ends. 'Claustro' stands out as certain aspects are so new, different, and unexpected from Bevan, yet it remains utterly and unmistakably Burial.
#3 - TLSL (Stiches) - Lava La Rue
I love this song (shoutout to my trip to New York). As ever, London is teeming with exciting new sounds, and La Rue's NiNE8 Collective is a noteworthy one that's been doing bits this year. In particular, 'TLSL' encapsulates youth, joy, summers, friends, just good vibes all round. The chorus makes you smile every time it comes in, but for such a sunny track it still packs plenty of attitude in her flow. The 4-note syncopated bassline keeps the feel-good tone marching along, cause 'we've gotta keep it positive'; it's optimism in sonic form, and I'm here for it.
#2 - Sunspear - O'Flynn
As mentioned a couple times before in this blog, Aletheia is potentially my favourite album from this year. The variety of sound within the same overarching concepts are very pleasing to the ear, and it placed an anthem like 'Desmond's Empire' in good company. If I look back to which track really stayed consistent in its effect throughout the year, 'Sunspear' takes the cake. It's celebratory, excessive, electrifying and had the best reaction from the Printworks crowd I've ever seen. (EDIT: Saw him the other day at Jazz Café - even better within his own set.) There's nothing like a lull down to silence to be punctuated with a blast like that descending melody, preceded effectively with a filtered loop just beforehand. One is never enough though, and O'Flynn uses the exact same technique a second and third time round. The party never ends with this one, and you can just imagine those South American rhythms fading off into the sunset to their next destination.
#1 - Only Human - KH
I started this blog about a year and a half ago when I saw Four Tet's set at Lost Village and felt the need to record my feelings about it. That was the first time I ever heard 'Only Human', many months before it was officially out under his alias 'KH'. After listening to a rip of it from one of Ben UFO's radio shows, by the time it dropped I was well acquainted, but that in no way stopped it from being the most memorable song of the year. On its own, it's one of Kieran's best takes on a full-force dance floor anthem. Each drop is distinct from the last, and the dirty, pulsating kick that comes in just at the end is a naughty last goodbye. What he's done with the track this year, however, takes it to another level. The clunky march of the beat can be heard practically throughout his entire sets sometimes, always in the background, tantalisingly teasing the track's approach. He usually follows it by mixing in 'Lush' as well, an unbelievable combination that almost creates an entirely new sound. 'Only Human' is everything great about Four Tet in 2019.
So, that's all for this year, again, click here if you'd like to check out some picks from the last ten instead. Playlist link for the above is also here. There's obviously been an unbelievable amount of fantastic music this year, and it was hard to know what really had a sense of the best of the best for me. Special shoutout also to Fixate's remix of 'Ripgroove' also and for the waves it made appearing on Sherelle's Boiler Room set (around 23:53), definitely a moment to remember. Here's to another year of sick tunes. xx
Below are some of the best the 2010s have had to offer for me. I've tried to incorporate a variety of what music can mean and not stick too heavily to certain areas of sound, but of course my taste is fundamental to this list, with electronic music taking focus. Have a listen along here if it suits, otherwise you can check out the top 10 I selected from the last year here. Enjoy!
#25 - Marka - Dub Phizix ft. Strategy
Starting it off with something dark and murky. 'Marka' is a half-speed classic for fans of 170bpm and over sets, and the drop in tempo makes it all the more noteworthy of a moment. Everything about it is low, gravelly and ominous. Strategy's Mancunian-Jamaican accent gives a very distinctive flow, and is matched with a heavily angular, almost threatening motif after the drop. Even the way the song opens, with only a hi-hat and the vocals processed to sound distant, before we plunge into the full force of it, makes you feel like you've fallen down into the pits of hell. The booky music video to pair with it adds to the unnerving atmosphere this track gives, but there's no denying how hard it slaps on the dance floor.
#24 - Genesis - Grimes
There's certainly a few tracks from 'Visions' that could have taken this place, particularly 'Oblivion', but for some reason 'Genesis' really has always stuck in my mind and maintained its capability to be left on repeat. The hypnotic effect of the synth pattern, just three notes with heavy delay, places you in a dream world as soon as it starts, and gels with Boucher's silky vocals to flood your system with one gorgeous sound. The sharp clarity of the beat and piano runs underneath counteract this, and provide the rhythmic excitement needed to keep things moving. Grimes is putting out some great stuff right now, but nothing has topped the work from this album yet for me.
#23 - Work - Rihanna
To be honest, this was more of a moment in history than a song. When Rihanna's 'Work' dropped, you would hear it about three times a night in any RnB club, on the radio any time of day and in half the memes on the internet. The world was obsessed, and it managed to push through the winter months and remain totally relevant through the summer. Spearheading what I think to be her most musically complex album, it really did have all the elements a hit needs and more. The simple, understated bassline worked perfectly to drop in as a tease before the song itself, and there's always that inexplicably sick twist that Rihanna's voice brings to everything.
#22 - Cranes in the Sky - Solange
First of all, visuals. The music video that came with 'Cranes in the Sky' was one of the most aesthetically pleasing few minutes of my life. Solange has a poetic ability that delivers incredibly distinct and powerful messages in her music illustrated with matching melodies and arrangement. The drum beat could go on forever, particularly with the double hit to the kick, with the second sharing the space with an open hi-hat. The sound is ever so delicate, as Knowles' vocals rise higher into whistling wisps above the beat. Her recent album, 'When I Get Home', was one of the big ones of this year, but for a single track, 'Cranes in the Sky' takes it home.
#21 - Vyzee - SOPHIE
This choice could be 'Lemonade', 'Bipp' or 'MSMSMSM' and the point would still stand; this is just my personal favourite. The sickly sweet, maniacal and genius material SOPHIE creates entirely through electronically produced sounds are extremely impressive, using industrial beats and pop-on-speed melodies, vocals, and so on, as is standard with the PC music sound. The full album that came later in the decade was brilliantly executed, however these earlier tracks catch the essence of the madness best. They're like the tiny, cute characters in video games that are actually the most powerful that you don't wanna fuck with.
#20 - Daughter - Four Tet
My theory, in no way proven, is that the not-quite-comprehensible singing in this track comes from Kieran's own daughter, hence the title. Through this, one can perceive it as the soul of 'New Energy', its most intimate moment, and its representation of home, family and so on. This reflects well in the music, as the kick and snare rock back and forth like a hobby-horse, mirrored by the two vocal lines doing the same, as soft, warm chords soak into the gaps in between. Just as it reaches a point where your dogs might poke their heads up at the volume, we drop to nothing, followed by a carefully curated selection of final chords, and an extended section of silence. 'Daughter' leaves room for you to contemplate its beauty, like a striking piece of art.
#19 - Therapy - Moderat
The collaboration of Modeselektor and Apparat has continued to bring the world great things after the eponymous album of 2009 featuring 'A New Error'. 'Therapy' employs much of the same technique, with a stoic beat and deep, sustained and emotive chords. This time, there's a strong sense of hope, and rays of light shoot down into the shadowy, electronic depths. A late attack on the chords creates a beautiful bulging sound, and just before the three minute mark a lapse in the texture makes room for low-pitched melody before the industrial drums return again. Tiny vocal samples flit about at the top of the wall of sound as the song strides steadily on, never looking back.
#18 - 212 - Azealia Banks ft. Lazy Jay
Perhaps controversial to include Azealia Banks at all considering the rampant online rages she's been on and generally negative influence she's had on society in recent years, but '212' has to be included on my list as it stands as a fundamental turning point in the merging of dance and rap music. At the time of release, the uncompromising characters of both the house beat and her style of flow weren't heard together in the mainstream, and taking influence from 80's NYC queer and Vogue sounds, the track led to two genres blending culturally in the future. The sample of Lazy Jay's 'Float My Boat' made it an enormous success and a fundamental turning point in this decade.
#17 - Glue - Bicep
There's loads of great memes about this track, and to be honest it really is the baitest seshy white boy tune of our time, but for good reason. It's something about how all the elements are just right to make it come together so successfully, and it creates this air of mystery, ironically with it being their most well known track. Seeing it live, they've done wonders to implant it permanently in everyone's minds as the iridescent lights shoot out from the stage, beaming out as the first 'when I'm in love' is released from the speakers. The harmonisation of the hook towards the end of the track is a subtle development of the idea in a way that sends it off without too much repetition. If anyone hasn't heard this yet, you need to.
#16 - Bad Girls - M.I.A.
The kind of track you want playing when you're in 1st place in Mario Kart on some desert terrain popping green shells out real casual. It's got the air that you're just killing it in life; the Middle Eastern and Indian melodic and harmonic composition sits well to have repetitive chanting over the top - classic of M.I.A's style and 'Live fast, die young, bad girls do it well' is a strong, effective main line. It's the catchiest track she'd dropped since 'Paper Planes', garnering mainstream attention which she then shifts towards political messages addressed in other tracks such as 'Borders'. M.I.A. is one of the most important artists of this decade, and 'Bad Girls' is an absolute banger.
#15 - Maajo - Maajo
From Tempere, Finland comes a relaxing synthesis of sounds from around the world. The song was originally released as a 12'' under a one-off label 'Seagull' and uses a variety of percussion, simple guitar and bass motifs and of course, those unforgettable African vocals. I've spoken about this song before, and how effective the simple slicing of the sample is to repeat the end of the phrase and bring out the rhythm of the chant. It embodies the sun, the sky, the natural world around us basking in its own glory; it's that moment in the universe where, just for now, everything is well. 'Maajo' is important to me for being a reflection of the peace I've felt within the last ten years, and despite all the unrest there's been, calm still exists.
#14 - Nights - Frank Ocean
Both 'Channel Orange' and 'Blonde' landed in the same decade; looking back, what a blessing. Frank Ocean's discography is so consistently fantastic, from 'Pyramids' to 'Pink + White', 'Lost' to 'Chanel', and 'Nights' is him at his best. His falsetto is so smooth you could spread it on toast, and he explores word and language in a way no one else does. Reinventing RnB again and again, the use of distorted vocals at the end of this track as if it's a totally different voice is representative of the progression in the second album. The guitar riff that just precedes it, the single bar before he starts singing, the variation in drums, so many factors contribute towards this being brilliant.
#13 - Gosh - Jamie XX
As soon as that crescendoing vibration hits your ears, you're in for the ride. 'Gosh' utilises many of Jamie's classic tactics; the beat isn't too invasive and references are made to UK rave, but there's something that makes it special to this day. From about halfway through, it features one of the longest single melody lines I know of in electronic music that maintains interest throughout. It is pure euphoria, as it rises higher and higher, taking you into the vaults of heaven. Any track that can sustain one idea for so long is worthy of praise, and the rest of the production compliments it to take part in one of the sounds of the decade.
#12 - Marilyn - Mount Kimbie ft. Micachu
The opening instrumentation to this track is like ripples on the surface of a lake. The sun gazes down as you lie back on an old picnic blanket. Your friend chucks you another beer, and as you crisply snap open the can, the ash crackles in its tray and the fish dart around at the scraps of food you've scattered above them. This is the picture painted to me through the music, oddly specific, but it comes to me every time. 'Marilyn' represents a shift in sound seen in 'Love What Survives' and continued greatness from Mount Kimbie, but will always be everything that's great about relaxing in summer with friends to me. Their lazy, drifting vocals float over leisurely guitar melodies, letting you slip in and out of a happy haze.
#11 - Nuits Sonores - Floating Points
While 'Crush' has certainly been a landmark of this year, many of Floating Points' releases of the past rival its magic. In particular, 'Nuits Sonores' is a twelve-minute masterpiece that still sounds fresh today. I can't quite believe that Sam Shepherd claims to have produced it during a single plane journey to the Lyon festival itself, and dropped it in his set that same night. The antithesis of this seemingly slapdash approach against the length of the song and the level of refinement makes it all the more remarkable. Several different synth melodies interplay as tension builds up gradually to climactic points such as around 3:40, with note lengths varying from staccatos punctuating the texture to heavily delayed, sustained notes creating sonic clouds. One worth its length in gold.
#10 - Let Me Go - Branko (feat. Nonku Phiri & Mr. Carmack)
Featuring potentially my favourite vocals of the decade from Nonku Phiri, this track combines the Portuguese vibes of Branko with Mr. Carmack's to make something particularly unique. Its slow beat is like a deep flame, and the little, high-pitched synth motifs are like raindrops landing one by one on a smooth, stone surface. It's wonderfully seductive, and while very much human, some of the sounds used give it an outer space edge. At 0:43, the guitar is surrounded by silence for a moment, breaking up the pace and sliding smoothly into the next section. Passing back and forth between English and other languages can often seem tacky or cheesy, and often results in a decrease of quality in the lyrics of both languages, however here it's been done seamlessly, making the two tongues seem as one, as it should.
#9 - Can't Do Without You (Extended Mix) - Caribou
A recent return from Caribou reminds me of the importance of this anthem from the middle of the decade. This is how to make a song about love with just one line, expressing everything in how your loved ones make life worth living; your friends, your family, your partners. This extended version refines the build up to perfection, four continuous chords leading to a mini-drop at 2:45, progressing steadily through the alternation of two vocal lines. The icing on the cake is the three note melody centered around the tonic note, carrying so much emotion in its simplicity. The track doesn't have one huge drop, but builds momentum with each one, like waves, growing larger each time, collapsing onto the shores.
#8 - BTSTU (Edit) - Jai Paul
First appearing on MySpace before being officially released by XL, this is everything that is great about Jai Paul. Countless genres are in the cauldron here, and the track constantly tricks your expectations. With celestial solo vocals opening, a well-paced kick enters, followed by a sharp snare, before we are wrenched elsewhere by the gravelly vibrations of a bassy synth. Paul uses a counterpoint of his falsetto and a lower, slightly distorted voice for further contrast. The track has been massively influential on both the underground and the mainstream, on electronic producers to RnB vocalists, and is a prime example of what can be achieved in musical exploration.
#7 - SeeSaw (Club Version) - Jamie XX + Four Tet ft. Romy
'In Colour' was a colossal moment in music, which I've held off mentioning on 'Gosh' as I couldn't help adding in another track. It was particularly seminal for me, being probably the first work that piqued my curiosity specifically for being electronic, and changed the course of everything I listen to now. Each song has an argument to be featured here one way or another, but for me, 'SeeSaw' is timelessly perfect. Particularly in this version, with Four Tet finalising the details to make it ready for the floor, both production and vocals are mesmerising. Romy's voice echoes around like a whisper in the dark, and on the word 'SeeSaw', the note length is extended, reflecting the movement of the object, and it's these intricacies that make it so magical for me. The breakdown in the middle of the track makes space to hear each part, before building back up the composition impeccably. Every time the drums come back in, I get goosebumps. God-tier music.
#6 - Just - Bicep
Okay, I've definitely broken the artist repeat rule by this point, but I don't really care. 'Just' is the title track of what I consider to be their greatest release, despite the brilliance of the full-length album. As the punchy synth melody pans from ear to ear and passes through a variety of automation, the listener rides along it like a wave. Underneath, the chords grow louder, denser, and the melody is slowly filtered until the drop comes. Everything bursts out into pure clarity, which gives an enormous sense of satisfaction. Using just one short sample of speech, the rest of the track is completely electronic, and in its cyclical nature you feel as if you are orbiting a planet. Oh, and that strict little snare roll never gets old.
#5 - On My Mind - Jorja Smith X Preditah
Oi oiiiiiiiiii let's av itttttt. This was my most listened to track of last year, and fourth this year lol. Preditah brought garage back into the mainstream at just the right moment to bring somethign nostalgic and fresh feeling all in one. The broken up sample that opens it up is so catchy despite making no sense whatever, and the belter of the chorus bangs for singalongs. In fact, when I saw Preditah at XOYO and Jorja Smith at Bestival, I was overwhelmed by the crowd response both times. The latter was particularly special, as she starts with the slower, acoustic version before dropping the beat after the first chorus. Everyone goes mental, and honestly I don't think I've ever been part of a crowd singing louder. It was such a fantastic collaboration and a nice, real UK sound.
#4 - Get Free - Major Lazer ft. Amber Koffman
Gonna take this moment to say I miss real Major Lazer. It's easy to forget how authentic and exciting of a sound they once brought to the table given the continued churning out of pure commerciality at this point. The first two albums, even the third, are filled with a diverse range of brilliant tracks that really tell stories, set moods, get the party going. 'Get Free' was the most unexpected - no drops or cliches, just emotion. The lyrics are powerful, speaking to your soul as the kick vibrates through your body. Countermelodies rise in between the breaks of Amber Coffman's singing in a delicate call and response. Andy C even released a DnB remix to prep this for raves, but nothing beats the original. Iconic, and one of my favourite pieces of music of all time.
#3 - Morning Side - Four Tet
Twenty minutes, twenty four seconds. Lata Mangeshkar's voice. Kieran Hebden's genius. 'Morning Side' takes its time to set the mood wherever it might be played, gradually building up the beat underneath the sample's cycle. The further in we get, the more electronic patterns are added to the mix, infusing the classical Indian tone with fresh hybridity. At 8:20, the vocals fade and we enter a section of sonic experimentation; sounds become more industrial, tensions rise, and chaos begins to unfold. Within a minute or so, the panic subsides and the serenity returns, like the morning sun dawning across the world. An extended outro winds us down and prepares for 'Evening Side' to enter, an equally enchanting twenty minutes. On top of this, Oneohtrix Point Never made a great remix in just three minutes, which you can hear here.
#2 - Orissa - Wayward
Similar in sampling to the above, this time it's been taken from a traditional wedding song that the bride and groom sing to one another, very romantic and that. This track has taken that love and wrapped it in tender melancholy, with heavy reverb letting it call out into the night. The line cries out again and again, until eventually it is extended just a few bars longer. As this happens, we build up to my favourite drop of all time. It's so banging, yet feels totally sincere within the sombre tone, and as the heavy bass kicks in, the vocals echo away into the fog, as if all hope has vanished. I'd do anything to have it on vinyl, and highly recommend you take the time to really listen to it.
#1 - Pick Up - DJ Koze
And we're at number one. Choosing a definitive top of this list felt impossible, so I went with what I think I will look back on this period of my life as the perfect representation, and this is it. Through the hundreds of nights out and parties I've had with different friends, 'Pick Up' has the ability to remind me of every single one of them. It's my youth, and it felt nostalgic straight away. A fine example of DJ Koze's disco edit abilities, he's taken the often sampled 'Neither One of Us' by Gladys Knight & The Pips, blended in 'Pick Me Up, I'll Dance' by Melba Moore and constructed something brand new as a thumbnail on the front page of the last ten years. Some of my greatest memories are set to this tune, to the iconic guitar ostinato, to Gladys Knight's wistful notes, to DJ Koze.
That just about does it, then. If you want to see the top ten songs I chose from this year, click here. If you want to listen to all of the above, the appropriate playlist can be found here. Otherwise, have a wonderful Christmas and a mad, mad new year. Here's to 2020! Love you all xxx
