Just to catch you up on some things in the last couple of weeks, Disclosure's 'Where Angels Fear To Tread' has been my Christmas mood, and I've just discovered Subjoi's 'Flashing Lights' EP which I have been obsesseddddd with. A couple weeks ago I went down to Brighton and saw Four Tet (3rd time this year!) at Patterns, which has been the best gig I've been to recently. Being at the front and seeing him DJ so close up was a whole different experience. I'm going to save my praise for later in this post, but he never fails to impress.
So, as it's coming to the end of the year, I wanted to do a review of my favourite songs of the year, it's definitely the main trend at the moment. I think it's been a pretty diverse year for music and great stuff has been coming out all over the place. Certain songs define the sound of the year, whether it's pop or tech-house, and these are the top ten I think represent that for me. Opinions are opinions, and I'm not saying I know better than anyone else, but I can vouch that they're all tunes regardless.
#10 Thank u, next - Ariana Grande
Starting off the list with an extremely niche and obscure artist, most of you probably have never heard of her but I'm great at discovering these hidden gems, it's a gift. In reality, the reason I've included this is the exact opposite. I've never seen a pop song so perfectly marketed for its audience. 'Thank u, next' blew up instantly on release, sends a good message and is catchy af. It's certainly not musically innovative, but it does what it was made for better than any other song this year. Paired with the music video that came with it, I reckon it's one of the key pop culture moments of 2018, and for that it deserves a place on this list. Ariana's vocals are soothingly smooth and gel well with the warm synth chords. Feel good, easy listening.
#9 Sometimes The Going Gets A Little Tough - Mella Dee Going Got A Bit Tougher Mix - Finn
Can't say much for the original but Mella Dee's remix is pure gold. Feeling down? This will cheer you up. Feeling happy? This will maintain your mood. Going out? This is will get you gassed. Shoutout to my friend Rosie for bringing this track into our circles and not allowing anything else to be played - you've got it into this list. The melody bounces along so cheerfully it's hard not to dance along, and even though it's repetitive it doesn't get old. There's a shorter version, but the 'tougher' mix manages the build ups more effectively and overall produces a better track.
#8 February 3rd - Jorja Smith
Jorja Smith brought us her first full-length album this year with 'Lost & Found' and it didn't disappoint. I was going through an intense breakup when it came out and so it's always going to have personal meaning to me (same with Lily Allen's 'No Shame' - ouch). Quite a few of the songs had been released before, but out of all of the new content, 'February 3rd' is the most memorable. The instrumentation is stunning, the perfect backing to Jorja's honeydew voice, making the perfect vibe for chillout sessions. The emotions are raw, emphasised by the high note of the chorus hook. My personal favourite part of the song is repeating countermelody in the synth that comes in about halfway and continues almost to the end of the song, bringing you into a trance of 2018 R&B.
#7 Keflavik - Kasper Marrott
Keflavik, meaning 'Driftwood Bay', is a town in Iceland, and Kasper Marrott is a producer from Denmark. He brings fire from the cold fjords to techno with this track, and it's one of my favourites from the genre ever. It's ecstatic, alive, energised, it doesn't stop for the whole eight minutes. I find it quite impressive that it manages to stay continuously interesting for such a long time and at such high energy. There are multiple breakdowns, different layers of melody intertwine and crossover creating completely different sounds, and the bass thumps through the whole time. The complexity of the texture is allowed to work by a simple bassline which keeps everything grounded.
#6 Immaterial - SOPHIE
SOPHIE's new album this year 'Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides' was a big moment for electronic music this year. It's been nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the Grammy's, and it featured the artist's own vocals for the first time. This track, 'Immaterial', actually features Cecile Believe as the vocalist, but it completely represents SOPHIE's 'hyperkinetic' style. All of the instrumentation is built on waveforms rather than utilising any samples, and so it's completely built from scratch. She is constantly groundbreaking in electronic music, and is the sound of the future. Not to mention, the track is an absolute BOP, with the hard hitting bass and synths making it great to dance to. The bridge and build up to the final chorus is fantastic, and it is one of the best songs I've heard on a night out for pure hype value. We stan!
#5 Night Surfing - Booka Shade Rework - Booka Shade
I always go on about songs being a journey, but this song is a JOURNEY. A rework of the original from their EP 'Cut The Strings', Booka Shade create an emotive masterpiece from what was already a strong track. The suspense grows stronger, the music gets louder, the meaning gets deeper. Even as the arpeggios hop around rapidly, the overarching melody is steady and effective. The bassline springs along underneath, and the waveforms distort to embody a different sound per breakdown of the structure. 04:38 in particular is brilliant, with a slight melodic alteration to emphasise the emotionally-charged drop. Their EP Rosebud which they released quite recently is also really great so check that out, but if you're up for a journey, listen to this one.
#4 Siren Calls - George Fitzgerald
I really struggled to choose just one track from Fitzgerald's 'All That Must Be', but I settled on 'Siren Calls'. It's ambient, mysterious, I get this image in my head of riding a boat through a foggy swamp, as you hear movements in the waters that you can't see. The air is green, the trees hang low, ripples flow across the top of the water. The drum beat, with the echoing cymbals, is hypnotising, and quite new to my ears. Together with the acid synth it creates a classic electronic sound. It's the silence three minutes in, however, before the music returns once more, that I really love about the song. It's unexpected, as if you think you're safely through the swamp before the mysterious sounds return again. Can't wait to see him at Printworks next year! Along with...
#3 Pick Up - DJ Koze
The one and only. Koze's album 'Knock Knock' is potentially the best one this year, and in particular this track has been everywhere this year. I heard it in countless sets this summer, and it never gets old. It has that air to it as if you've heard it years ago, like it's already nostalgic, and that's really hard to capture. Maybe it's the way he has sampled Melba Moore together with Gladys Knight, and that little guitar hook is fantastic without a doubt. He brings out the melancholic tone to the lyrics that he sampled in a totally unique way over the joyful instrumentation. Other songs on the album are fantastic too, 'Seeing Aliens', 'Colors of Autumn', but 'Pick Up' is definitely the one that is going to be remembered, that will remind us of 2018 in years to come.
#2 Opal (Four Tet Remix) - Bicep
Nothing reminds me more of this summer than this song. When they launched the confetti cannons at Lost Village on the final drop of the track, everybody felt so united in the moment and I remember it every time. If I was going purely based on personal attachment, this would have to be number one. Four Tet has taken an already great track and with just a few minor alterations to enhance the 'plot' of the music he has perfected it. From the ambient opening to very last second, it's unadulterated enjoyment. He's played it every time I've seen him which indicates how big it's been this year, and it's such a crowd pleaser. The articulated main melody flows seamlessly between soothing and harsh, and the samples of talking voices and Four Tet's classic sporadic metallic tones really add to the atmosphere. The drums are simple and compliment the music pleasantly. I think what really makes this track work is that it never tries too hard; there's no overly exploding drop or moment everything leads up to. It's the feeling it gives you as a whole, and for that, I think it's one of the best songs of 2018.
#1 It Makes You Forget (Itgehane) - Peggy Gou
Somebody had to come first, and I think Peggy Gou deserves that with the year she's had. The Ninja Tune EP 'Once' features this track as one of three, all of which are great, but 'Itgehane' is unquestionably the standout. I also loved her At Night remix so much, but felt like this one is the more iconic choice. Like 'Pick Up', it has the air of an instant classic, but it doesn't sample or make reference to past tracks to create this, you can just tell it's that brilliant. It came on 5 times at a house party I was at earlier in the year, and it really made me realise that you just can't get enough of it. The Korean lyrics are beautiful, and the meaning behind them is awesome. The mixture of acoustic and acid sounds blend wonderfully together, and it's a track for all ages. When music is good, it's just good. In addition, the remixes she's released for 'Itgehane' are all pretty cool in their own way, so check them out here. I recommend the I:Cube one in particular. As she plays more and more around the world and cements her place in the community, 2018 will be the year it all happened for Gou. I can't wait to hear what she has in store for us next year!
So, there's the top 10. Please feel free to share your thoughts or any track I've slept on with me! I've made a Spotify playlist including them all if you want to listen to them all at once, so you can find that here. A few others worth mentioning that are also sick are One More, Silky, Man of the Land and Lightning - Ross from Friends Remix. Merry Christmas everyone! I'm hoping to make another post before New Year, so hopefully see you then. x
