The Best of the Decade, Part 2

Radiohead has been one of my perennially favorite bands. Time and time again they return with amazing material, and I think this was the year I really understood their brilliance. Thus, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Kid A.

After O.K. Computer, which is without a doubt the seminal Radiohead album, the British quintet started from scratch, searching for a theme and a sound out of the most electronic and simplistic of noise and sound. Consequently, Kid A sounds very electronic, complete with synths, metallic drums, and vocal effects out the wazoo. But, strangely, it all works, especially the atmospheric pads and synths and vocal effects, which give Thom Yorke's already buckling voice an extra, glassy delicacy that lends itself to an album with striking lyrical topics, sounds, and a handful of blisteringly cathartic moments amid the hollow, electronic sounds the album offers.

I'm no music theory expert or guitar expert, but I will try to best convey Kid A using imagery and sonic cues, in addition to what I know Radiohead to be as a band...deep, thoughtful, abstract, and they can tell a story when they want to.

Opener "Everything In Its Right Place" is, for me, the definite highlight. A group of lush, warm electronic chords fall into place as Yorke's voice slowly fazes and ripples into place, shaken and shifting constantly before his subtle, moving voice breaths "Everything....in its right place." The track conveys a sense of initial confusion and structural dilapidation, while Yorke's voice gives the track focus and foundation, while the electronic pads shift, groan, and wince in between the different voices, all trying to struggle for a part of the spotlight, everything soon getting clogged and messy, before all but Yorke's voice remains along with the chords, beautiful, fragile, and finally in its right place. A beautiful opening to a beautiful album.

The album continues along with solemn, dark, electronic path, in both lyrics and sound. "Kid A" takes a nostalgic, child-like bell melody and wraps it up around warped vocal effects and a plodding, vibrating pad. The drums thump along beside the schizophrenic, seemingly melting, electronic voices. Warm, glistening chords even come in late, giving the bells a truly lush feeling the track maybe had the whole time...

"The National Anthem" kicks off with an ominously catchy bass riff before rocking into a Radiohead-esque feel, synths continuing to creep, fall, glide, and rise around the bass and drums, ghostly specters of horns blare before sinking back down as Yorke's voice finally comes in, metallic, hollow, and cold, contrasting well with the warm French horns that stumble and shudder around everything else in cavalcade of sound and chaos. Yorke's vocals attempt to figure out what is going on around him..."Everyone / Everyone around here / Everyone is so near / What's going on? / What's going on?"

A whining synth characterizes "How To Disappear Completely," behind which a comforting, strident acoustic guitar chugs along, an eerily atonal synth line playing on repeat in the background. More pads come in, crooning and blaring like mournful sirens up against the desolate sonic landscape before them. Yorke's lyrics and voice are equally separated and desolate, "That there / That's not me / I go / Where I please / I walk through walls / I float down the Liffey / I'm not here / This isn't happening / I'm not here / I'm not here." Strings eventually join the calamity, equally morose and aching. The entire song, for that matter, sounds a weight trying to yank your heart down through your stomach.

"Treefingers," "Idioteque," and "Optimistic" are other highlights, with the first being another somber soundscape punctuated rumbling quakes of sound and sweeping, elongated stretches of barren, cold pads and synth lines, the second being a buzzing, blaring siren of an electronic track, electronic drums and all, rolling and shaking with a robotic fervor as Yorke's voice and the harmonies mesh beautifully and eclectically, and the last track being a rollicking, bouncy, jumbling rocker highlighted by wonderful lyrics from Yorke and a classic Radiohead feel that rocks the heck out while making you think. Classic Radiohead.

In the end, the beauty of Kid A is how much it explores sound and music on such an abstract level while still remaining true to what makes Radiohead Radiohead. Things buzz, hiss, drone, sink, glide, float, and splinter with a mechanical feel that makes everything feel so cold, yet oddly warm and full of emotion. The soundscapes Radiohead build, explore, and eventually conquer set alternative rock and music into a whole new area that has not been mapped out. Working basically from scratch, Radiohead managed to create a beautiful tragic album as they tried to blindly stumble through new sonic territory, working with not music, not sound, first. A journey well worth the trip.

-NL

P.S. You can find this album at any record store basically. Or on Amazon. A must-own for rock fans, nay, music fans. Enjoy.

The Best of the Decade, Part 1

On the first of the month, I figured I should write an article every single day, since I've never really done that ever. And what better topic than my favorite albums of this past decade? The first seven will be in no real particular order, but the last three will be. These are all personal favorites, so if you have a problem with the list, make your own. Also, I will comment on how I came about the album and why it holds so much weight with me, never mind why the album itself is so good. Anyways, let's begin...

10) JUSTICE - CROSS

As you could probably tell by the picture, the first lucky recipient will be Justice's debut album on Ed Banger Records, the aptly-titled "Cross."

Released in 2007, this album was unlike anything anyone in the States had heard before. Well, mostly. Justice's style of electro is abrasive, throbbing, and nearly teeth-gratting at times, like a bad papercut that just won't go away. However, behind all the white noise is a spectacular album that strays not only from conventional sound, but paints a new picture of dance music that has grown on the general populous ever since.

Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay demonstrate their eclectic electro style right off the cuff on the first track, "Genesis." One of the first tracks I reviewed ever, this cut still stands the test of time, a creaking, growling monolith of a cut that ripples, shakes, and gasps over nearly four minutes of sputtering, clobbering kicks and menacingly sick basslines. The epic synth chords in the beginning signal that this isn't just any dance album...

I really want to highlight the percussion that Justice employ on a variety of occasions. Raw, loose, and jarring, best shown on the intro to "Let There Be Light," the drums of Justice are visceral in their sound, hardly ever sounding anything but live and completely organic. There are no tight drum loops here. The rawness lends itself even better to Justice's style though, fleshing out what would have been a rather hollow sound with glassy, metallic hi-hats and cavernous kicks that really bring tracks to life and to the forefront of the listeners' minds. Similar drum sounds can be heard on "Waters of Nazareth," "DVNO," and "Phantom, Pt.2."

Another thing I love about Justice is the effective use of effects and instrumentation. On "D.A.N.C.E.," a crackling, heady vocal sample meshes (somehow) perfectly with Justice's inflated, bouncing bass and thumping bass riff. Funky, down-to-earth, and absolutely boppin', the drums are downplayed here for a more poppy sound, but it works wonders, with epic synth string stabs punctuating the young vocals throughout the track. A definite highlight.

These effects and instrumentation again show up on "DVNO," a stunning, pretentious ballad to the consistent club-goer, that shimmers, gloats, floats, ripples, sputters, and above all, bounces along on a hyper-ecstatic, ringing, guttural rhythm and beat. The vocal croons through a gossamer veil of chorus and lush vocal inflections that sound desperate and equally haughty. Halfway in, everything cuts out as a beautiful piano line lifts the vocal bridge into creamy clouds of lush instrumentation and synths before dropping it off amidst a killer funk bass line, stuttering synths and drums, and suddenly everything pulls out. Absolutely stunning.

The final highlight, perhaps my favorite, is the second to last track, "Waters of Nazareth." The intro synth line is the epitome of Justice: ear-rupturing, ear-splitting, and completely unpleasant. It's the sonic equivalent to getting a fresh scab torn clean off your skin. But all of a sudden, under the bubbling audio muck, the signature Justice kick bangs and shakes the muck into motion, following the beat of the vicious kick as the synth line stumbles over itself trying to find rhythm and footing amidst the chaos. Hi-hats enter the fray, and soon the entire cut sounds about ready to split at the very seams. A guttural sigh enters on the next eight bars, before everything is thrown into a bubbling pot of sonic heat and goop, melting around itself, the kick ringing loud and clear the whole time. The rhythms bounce off the wall for a few minutes as every single instrument seems to be doing its own thing. The main rhythm is absolutely killer too: tss tss tss tss tsstsstsstsstsstsk. It hisses and snakes through your mind and your body like a rhythmic, audio serpent. Soon the organ blares through, finally cleaned of muck, before loosing its grip and slipping back into the muck. Its audio chaos at its best, maximalism with a flair for rhythm and eclecticism. Absolute favorite. If you're really intrigued, check out Erol Alkan's Durr Durr Durrrr Re-Edit of Waters of Nazareth. A must listen, and by far my favorite version.

Justice is best described as a mix of funk, bass, electro, and metal. Danceable, stuff you can rock out too, and sounds that just make you think, "What the fuck is this shit??!!?" But that's the beauty. Never before have I heard dance music so fresh, new, and intriguing, even by todays standards. Even if they've been copied umpteen times by this time, and their remixes played to death, this album is still a classic, a great of example of dance music finally getting the "Justice" it deserves. Pun!

Check back tomorrow for the next entry. "Cross" is available on Amazon, Beatport, or at your local Walmart probably. If not, just searhc for the .rar file online. But seriously, buy the damn album. You'll be glad you did.

-NL

Trackstrackstracks and more.....tracks.

Here are a few tracks I think are worth checking out. I won't try to explain any of them right away. Look for them on Beatport, Youtube, Rapidshare, Mediafire, wherever. The greatest joys in music are those found off the beaten path.

Will Saul - Pause
Solomun - After Rain Comes Sun (Joris Voorn Dirty Dub Stab Mix)
Ricardo Villalobos - Easy Lee
Kollektiv Turmstrasse - Last Day
Hobo - Eazy
Martin Landsky - 1000 Miles
Martin Buttrich - Cloudy Bay

Here a few videos of the above tracks. Enjoy, friends. -NL















Moody, minimal, beautiful, spacious, ambient, powerful, everything. Find all these tracks and more on my latest mix, Nightlights 01: Of Fog and Sand. I'll upload it within the coming week. -NL

You and I, we are not so different.

Once in a great while, you find an album that is stellar from start to finish. Not one track is bad, and maybe they each bring a different sonic template to each track, or follow a well-tread, albeit wondrous formula, but whatever the case, the album rings true, clear, and loud in your memory and mind. I have a few albums that do this for me, among Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run", The Streets's "A Grand Don't Come For Free" and "Original Pirate Material", Daft Punk's "Discovery", Phoenix's "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix", Sebastien Leger's "Planets", and Weezer's "Weezer" (The Blue Album of course). I am proud to present yet another edition to this finite collection: Kris Menace's "Idiosyncrasies".

Anyone who knows me knows I absolutely love the french house sound and Fred Falke, Alan Braxe, and the pair together working towards a 21st century update of the said sound. Lush, groovy, dense, spacey, infinitely melodic and hummable. Think Daft Punk. Yeah, that. Amazing, isn't it? These two have done originals and remixes out the wazoo with their own personal vein of french house in mind. Warm, mellow synths over crisp, mind-melting drums, there is nothing of the ordinary and no curveballs to be thrown, just simply inviting, beautifully danceable/listenable music.

Now on to the topic at hand. Until this point, I thought only Fred Falke and Alan Braxe held the rights to such a warm, Balearic sounding french house style. I was, frankly, wrong. Kris Menace's triple album, "Idiosyncrasies", is a testament to their sound, in his personal style, drawn-out across three beautiful, amazing discs of mellow, ambient house with a pinch of le style de la francais.

Menace's sound is less rooted in french house, where the order of the day is almost strictly four-to-the-floor drums and a driving, rhythmic, melodic hook tied down by echoing, pounding kicks and hi-hats. Kris Menace eyes these more as guidelines, instead taking interesting rhythmic patterns and layering them underneath occasionally spacey, occasionally glittering, occasionally squelchy synth lines. On "Artificial", Menace, teamed with Felix Da Housecat, take a spacey, spastic synth line and roll it up between crystal-clear, perfectly EQed drums that give it an unreal, almost surreal bounce. The results glisten, shimmer, and pulsate, as a simple yet extremely effective bassline crawls through your head, winding, zigging, and zagging for nearly five minutes. A definite album highlight.

With Spooky on "Stereophonic", the layering is done, once again, simply, but very effectively. The track starts out with a simple organ chord progression, before another arpeggiated synth line drops over it, but then a super arpeggiated synth line comes into the fray and the once simplistic ambient disco cut evolves and blossoms into a pounding, swirling amalgam of drums, organ, and panicked, relentless synth lines. The rhythm here too strays from french house, with a more traditionally housey beat that gives it an interesting counter-rhythm to that of the organ line. Another highlight.

Menace joins with fellow Frenchman Lifelike on the very first track, the epic, sweeping "Discopolis". At a little over nine minutes, you'd think a house tune couldn't hold your attention this long. You'd be sadly mistaken. "Discopolis" begins with a typically glittering synth line, on which a typical house beat is dropped, before a lazer-eqsue bassline beats perfectly against the lighter synths. After three minutes, everything drops out, and the melody comes in, a stoic, powerfully entrancing synth line that, once teamed with the synth, bassline, and drums, absolutely obliterates your mind and your body, a rhythmic and melodic house masterpiece. My favorite track off the album, probably.

The next track, "Fairlight Pt. 1 and Pt. 2" featuring another Frenchman, the aforementioned Falke, is yet another highlight, but remains a more ambient highlight, definitely more shimmering and spacey than the previous track, but a slight enough turn of events to warrant mental recognition and appreciation. Similar sounds, similar builds, but a lighter, more ambient feel makes this another keeper.

Other highlights include "Lumberjack" with Alan Braxe, "Metropolis", "Idiosyncrasy", "Sensuality", "Affinity", "Enamoured" with Fred Falke, and "Electricity", another collaboration with Falke. ANd I haven't touched on the remix CD yet!

All in all, "Idiosyncrasies" is well worth a listen, even if it is split apart into sections. A sonic masterpiece of house, space, and sound, this triple album will no doubt delight the mind, the soul, and the feet. Here's a link for all parts.

Kris Menace - Idiosyncrasies

Enjoy friends. Best wishes to all those taking exams, I need to continue studying myself.
-NL

The mail's here.

To me, finding good music is akin to sifting through the daily mail...stuff you don't want to get, a few things you don't know why you still get (Burger King birthday month cards, I'm looking at you) and maybe...just maybe...something you wanted to get. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen very often. So what do you do? Enjoy every piece of mail you get. Yes, even those birthday month cards from your local fats food chain. Burger King at least cares enough to remember the month.

Here are a few pieces of mail I've been listening to recently. A grab-bag, if you will.

===========

This first track is a recent banger from Made To Play head honcho Riva Starr. A sensual, warped sax line behind spastic bass and tambourine, this track does everything right, and unlike most electro house cuts, doesn't overstay its welcome, coming in at around 3 and a quarter minutes. A second wavering sax line rolls in to give the track a spicy, rhythmic, body-shaking mentality. Short, sweet, spicy, and unrelenting, this most recent Riva Starr outing can be digested by anyone, and is perfect to kick off late-night parties. LEMON!

Riva Starr - Trompe D'Amour

+++++++++++

If Eminem was the tough guy as a young, white rapper, then Josh Martinez inevitably was the shy, nerdy, white rapper. Unfortunately, Josh Martinez is a name probably none of you have ever heard before, despite the man's presence in the world of underground rap. Martinez brings a fierce, at times sensitive, viscerally goofy flow and punch to his lyrics, but as every rapper has that soft-spot song for every girl, Martinez's rings especially clear. Over a laid-back, mellow beat that almost hums "bright, shiny, happy day", Martinez reminiscences on his romantic past, his shyness, and his honest appreciation of a new girl in his life. Yeah, yeah, I know we've all heard it before, but the chorus is the best part of the whole song, as Martinez waxes (admittedly goofy) poetic: "’m just a dude and I do things the way dudes do. Cause I’m glued and stuck on you but I say do what you need to do. I’ll be here, drinking a beer, looking around, holding it down. Thinking of you…" The man is a goofy genius. A beautiful, honest song, perfect for nights with that special someone... Check Josh Martinez on Camobear Records, which released his two best albums, "Midriff Music" from '04, and "World Famous Sex Buffet" in '07. Enjoy.



===========

This final track is a massive, anger-filled techno cut from UK producer/DJ Alan Fitzpatrick. Released on Swedish label Drumcode, "Face of Rejection" is a warm, heavy techno cut that screams subtle anger and frustration in, well, the face of rejection. An ominous bass kicks things off, slowly building before an angry piston hiss knocks things into high gear, and the track begins to gain momentum, continuing the menacing kick and snarling bass, before echoing, hissing hi-hats wrap the track in a cloud of visceral rage and power. A one-trcik pony this track might be, but damnit, it's quite a powerful "trick".





That's all for now. This happens to be exam weekend, so I should probably get back to studying. Or continue sorting my mail.
Have a great weekend folks.
-NL

Gaiser is God

As I have found myself moving further and further into the depths of minimal techno, I've become increasing intrigued at the depths and intricacies it has to offer. Lush, layered textural drum patterns, beautifully simple, stark synth washes, and a surprisingly rhythmic, danceable feel.

But either way, minimal techno is either head-pleasing, or body-pleasing. Luckily, I have happened upon an American producer by the name of Gaiser (short for Jon Gaiser) who, by some stroke of luck, in addition to stellar production skills, manages to play a middle ground that works beautifully in both areas of dance music: the head and the body.

Let's start off with Gaiser's first major release on RIchie Hawtin's minimal/techno monolith M_nus (pronounced MInus). "Neural Block" is a 4-track EP that beautifully showcases Gaiser's possibilities and strengths as a producer. The eponymous cut marries a plinging synth with cut-up, robotic vocals and hissing, snaking snares with a classic, booming kick. The track rolls along with a subtle undertone of malice; a snaking, serpentine tone that gathers momentum and curves its way through the track and in and out of thought. The synth begins to echo itself and space out as the track gathers more momentum, hisses, growls, and the same computer plink keeping time throughout. The cool thing about this cut is that the sound is very similar to the name of the track and the 'message': the track tries to move to new areas, but the ghostly vocals, cut in like some computer program gone wrong, cause the rhythm to stutter and start over again, in a sense, a 'neural block'. Beauty.

The other highlight of the EP is 'Separation', a dark, ominous cave of a track that shutters, echoes, and groans like a massive mechanical monster. A quivering, dying synth plays into the darkness, as the groans grow and sigh away again. Eerie toms and hollow bongos fade through the empty space, with the sound seeming to bounce off of walls all around, reflecting back at the listener every few seconds. Eventually nothing but the groans remain, before a cave breeze blows the beat back into place, and the groans grow farther and farther away...a mysterious, dark cut that caps a beautiful EP.

Oh yeah. Forgot. 'Seepage', the third cut, takes astral blips and bloops and wraps them loosely around an snaking, icy cold synth line, complete with random pops and electronic gasps. The only track with a semblance of melody, 'Seepage' oozes downtuned organ sighs further down the track time, as the beat rolls along comfortably, and the pings grow and waver without certainty.

Overall, this EP showcases Gaiser's talent as a producer, and his specific sound: hollow, dark, empty, layered, dense, textured, and completely danceable. You can download the full EP here:
Gaiser - Neural Block EP

+++++-----++++++

Next up comes Gaiser's second massive double vinyl EP on M_nus, Eye Contact. Another monster of an EP, with a few selected beauties worth a listen.

'Eye Contact' begins like typical Gaiser: thick, booming drums underneath a sheen of sparse, disconcerting sound elements (hisses, blips, bloops, squelches). THis is a much more rhythmic cut for Gaiser, but this is definitely for the better. Cave-like in sound and structure, the light snares bounce wonderfully off the kick/hi-hat combination that keeps time. The track whines and cries, itching to grow and break up, with the drums finally gathering some friction against the electronic squirms and whines issued every half-minute or so. Eventually, the track plunges headfirst in a cave where the whines echo their loudest and most sinister. Another oddly catchy, but mysterious track.

'WIthdrawal' is the other big draw. Much more straightforward rhythmically, this cut simply takes thunderous, banging drums and lines them up against astral, shimmering synth lines. The effect is eerie, spacey, but works wonderfully. The track becomes grounded, with its arms flailing through the air. The echoey synth gives the track some much needed breathing room that floats it through your mind for the next four or so minutes.

Everything in between is typical Gaiser, with mixtures of melodic elements, ominous sound bytes, and complex, layered soundscapes that move your head as well as your body. Tops 'Neural Block' but only a very small margin.

Here's the EP in it's entirety:
Gaiser - Eye Contact EP


+++-+

Finally, I'm going to preview my next post with this video. I'll let you have a listen and....see what you think. Until next time...lights out.




-NL

First post of the new year

It's finally here. 2009 was full of...well, lots of stuff, for different people. Some probably loved, others couldn't wait for '10. Either way, it's a new year, and time to look at my top 3 for 2009. Tracks and albums. I know this isn't a top 10, but I don't want to write that much, and I'd rather everyone check out the music instead of talking to me or reading what I have to say. Alright, let's head on in...



ALBUMS

3) The Whitest Boy Alive - Rules

Bubbly, catchy, poppy, Norwegian goodness. Musically interesting and engaging as well, "Rules" picks off where 2006's "Dreams" left off, continuing a string of glittering, joyful pop nuggets, perfect for jamming to, rocking out to, head-bobbing to, or all of the above. Favorites: 1517, Courage, Timebomb.

2) Dam-Funk - Toeachizown

It doesn't get much more mellow than trippy, glowing modern day funk straight out of L.A. Dam-Funk does it best when he's got only a Moog and a synthetic drumkit, weaving dense, boppin' rhythmic funk biscuits (24 in total) that sample the best of his epic, five volume EP releases all through 2009. A locked-in groove is never far away, and DF's masterpiece gathers tracks ranging from 2 minutes to 9 minutes in length. Good for listening at any time. Dreamy, sky-bound, trippy, ethereal, lush, groovy, this is funk in the most serious meaning of the word. Favorites: 10 West, Toeachizown, Candy Drippin', Galactic Fun, Flying V Ride.

1) Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Maybe it was just me, but in a year of dark, brooding, ever-pervading moody releases from all fronts, it's nice to hear something genuinely cheery, yet seriously cheerful. Not goofy happy. Honest to God, meaningfully happy and joyous. And nothing exhibited this better than Phoenix's third album, released right at the beginning of summer. The rhythms, vocals, melodies, everything just clicked. Not a single bad song on the album either, another fine example of quality over quantity. Say what you will about deep Pink Floyd albums, epic A Perfect Circle business, or Nine Inch Nails...whatever. Sometimes a little dose of happy can beat them all when the time is right. Favorites: 1901, Lasso, Rome, Lisztomania.


TRACKS

Scratch it. I'm going Top 10 for tracks.

10) Funkagenda - Breakwater (Dataworx Remix)

Thick, rumbling drums underneath a sheen of perfectly rhythmic toots of a pipe organ? Sign me up. Dataworx took a lush, clubby original and ran it through a tech house converter, flattening the track out before blowing it up and plunging it underwater. Beautifully rhythmic, while still retaining the effervescent, beach-time sensibilities of the original.

9) Andy Chatterley - Jets

Epic, furious monster of a track. Andy Chatterley's aptly titled techno cut on Saved Records is a wonderful example of a kitschy theme done correctly. A simple, metallic synth riff kept things in focus while the very electronic-sounding drums bounced and rumbled amidst the roar of jetplanes taking off and landing. The sudden, violent breakdown shook the entire track as a blaring siren rang out in fearful, menacing calamity. A monster, indeed, that shook both heads and bodies.

8) Stimming & H.O.S.H. - Radar

Funky tech house at it's best. Rippling and yawning for the first few minutes, Stimming and H.O.S.H. sent this whining, blaring freight train (literally) of a track up a proverbial and literal mountain of sound, the whole time the beat wavering and shaking in fearful, empowering audacity. Body-shaking and mind-numbing; the ballpark organ in the throes of death for the entire track. Definitely odd, but completely danceable and beautifully dark.

7) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)

A-Trak delivers with another quality remix, nearly on par with the untouchable remix of his of Sebastien Tellier's "Kilometer". Hip-hop tinged drums, a rubbery bassline, and excellent use of Karen O's vocals, this track is a winner from start to stop, and it really showcases A_Trak production abilities and how he can mold a track expertly while keeping it true to form, something most remixes fail to understand or catch onto. A club hit, in every sense of the word.

6) Calvin Harris - Flashback (Eric Prydz Remix)

Prydz rarely releases any remixes, but luckily, when he does, you KNOW they'll be quality cuts. Example? His typically, but beautifully proggy remix of Calvin Harris's "Flashback". Typical Prydz here ad nauseum: rhythmic, proggy synths, thumping, repetitive drums, it's all here. But Prydz cutting up and subsequent use of the vocals work absolute wonders, pulling a dreamy, velvety cloth over the listener's eyes and ears, plunging the track through a head-happy, whirling progressive house dreamscape that you can't help but dance too. Kudos to Prydz's production skills; this is an absolute winner.

5) Mayer Hawthorne - Green Eyed Love (Classixx Remix)

Lush, creamy, and shimmering: anything Classixx touches turns to gold. Stones Throw signer Mayer Hawthorne, with his Motown-via-a great white guy voice schtick (a great schtick at that) gets the indie dance treatment from Classixx. Lush synths billow, rise, and fall gently and beautifully against Hawthorne's exquisite voice. Dreamy, ethereal, with a dollop of soul; this track has it all. Best for sittin' and listenin', drivin', or just...relaxing.

4) Inpetto - Catwalk

Up to this point, I had never really been a fan of Inpetto. A slew of decent remixes and a few originals on Big & Dirty never really caught my attention, but then Catwalk came along and changed all that. A metallic, prog house beat falls into place alongside blippy, equally metallic synths, before...the sax solo. Holy shit, this came out of nowhere, but oh man, the rhythmic sensibilities soar afterwards, and the solo absolutely turns the song into a house must-have. Head and body music with a "sax"-ual twist. Aha.

3) Danton Eeprom & Radio Slave - Grindhouse (Dubfire's Terror Planet Remix)

Hoooooooly shit. Few things have more power than this track. Growling, heaving, menacing, viscous, powerful, absolutely clobbering. The bassline thunders along amid Eeprom's ghastly, haunting vocals; an air of fear and menace filling the air for the near 11 minutes this track hangs around. Barebones rhythm here works wonders, and this ends up being one of the best remixes of the year. Any time you thing about doubting the track, just wait for the hiss of the pistons and Eeprom's omniscient , commanding voice...then we'll talk.

2) Anything on Great Stuff Recordings.

There. I said it. This is my list, so if you disagree, fuck off. EVery single time I check for new tracks, I always return to Great Stuff. Butch, Lutzenkirchen, Ramon Tapia, Martin Eyerer, Namito, Oliver Koletzki...a bunch of excellent tech house producers that release amazing stuff every single time something new drops on Great Stuff. Ramon Tapia's Latin-esque "Sunka Sanka" and "Start It Up", Mike Monday's rhythmic, head-boppin' "Zum Zum", Butch's beautiful, starry-eyed remix of Luomo's "Tessio", Benno Blome and Martin Eyerer's eclectic "Pianoroll", Mason's atmospheric, techy "The Ridge", Lutzenkirchen's ominous "Borderline", the list goes on. Great Stuff is always 100% quality stuff. If it ain't broken, don't fix it.

1) Sebastien Leger - The People (plus Eric Prydz remix)

Leger at his experimental best. Taking a Marilyn Manson sample and completely fucking it up. Techy, violent, grating, an absolutely beautiful example of going outside of your comfort zone to wonderful results. Not only is the original amazing, but Prydz's remix extends it a bit and introduces each element to thunderous effect. Tweaking the vocal sample into the track's sole melodic element, underneath devastatingly simple synths and drums, this is a tech-prog-house joint that completely destroyed everything else I've heard this year. Maybe I enjoyed a few tracks more, but I can always return to this 10 minute sucker for a complete and fully enjoyed listen.



That is all. Enjoy! Give me your thoughts, and give everything a listen if you're of a mind. Happy New Year's to all. Let's make this the start of a great decade. '10.

-NL