As 2010 comes to a close, there is a lot of excitement for the future. Dance music is bigger and better than ever, and 2011 will be a BIG year, mark my words. However, this post is all about looking back on the previous year and appreciating what was, for in looking back, we may be able to glimpse the shape of things to come.
This list is something that I started doing in January, 2010, and have continued until now. I'll probably do the same thing for 2011.
If you think I missed something please let me know by commenting below. It's becoming harder and harder to stay up on everything with all the new talent that is constantly surfacing.
Here is the criterion by which I have decided this years (and every years) best.
1. What does it bring to the genre as a whole? Does it utilize sounds that we've never heard before? How innovative is the song, does it spawn copy cats, or is it copying something already? (Admittedly, everything is copying everything else in dance music, but there are new ideas that effectively get pushed and I'm looking for those).
2. Dancehall playability. How well does it stand up on a big system, and does it make people want to dance? At the end of the day, that's what dance music is all about.
3. Bedroom playability. Is this a song that you would play in your house at a lower volume, and is it good for listening casually? I admit that dance music is meant to be played loud with lots of bass, but properly recorded songs will be able to stand up both in the club and be listenable in your headphones. I don't weigh this one as heavily as I do the other two, but if a song has both, they get pushed farther up this list.
Okay enough talk, let's get to it.
The Top 20 Electro Tracks for 2010:
20. Afrojack, Gregor Salto - I'll Be There feat. Jimbolee (Main Mix) BUY IT!
Been way into Afrojack for several years now, he has proved himself as one HELL of a producer, pushing the envelope on the funky, dutchy, electro house sound, but for a while I felt that 'I'll Be There' was a blatant rip off of 'Pon de Floor' by Major Lazer, until I found out that Afrojack was the one that ghost produced 'Pon de Floor' in the first place. So then I felt better about it. Unfortunately, one of the criteria upon which I grade things is what it brings to the scene as a whole, and the feel you get from this bleep has been done before, but it's still very good, so I'll include it at #20.
19. We Are Tokyo - Best In Me (Ninetynine's Nightmare Remix)
Whether this is an official remix for We Are Tokyo or not, I don't know. What I do know is that Ninetynine produces a special brand of nightmarish electro that simply cannot be ignored. A lot of his remixes and originals have a 'rock band' feel to them, like they are covers of songs that he wrote for his band back in ('99) the 90's. In any case, this guy has continued to impress me over the last year, and deserves a spot here in the top 20. Check out his soundcloud, as he usually gives away everything he makes for free.
18. The Soulbrothers - 21st Century Disco Shit (Miles Dyson Remix) BUY IT!
A lot of things have changed this year in the electro world, however one of them is NOT Miles Dyson. The guy continues to put out a special brand of moogish electro that will captivate almost any dancefloor and this remix is no exception. At the drop at 1:40, we are transported from 80's funk into the future of dance with an explosion that both makes you want to shake it and scream out loud at the sheer intensity and diversity of it. You can tell that a lot of time and effort went into switching up and changing the rhythm in each beat. One hell of a remix and worthy of every DJs library. Thanks for keeping it real Miles.
17. Haezer - WTFIH (Cyberpunkers Remix) (Tomlinson Edit)
The sound hitting your ears in this little bleep is the culmination of a lot of work from many different artists around the world. The first one would be Haezer, famous for creating his own brand of electro, and spawning countless copycats, prodigy's, and protege's. The second would be the Cyberpunkers, who have consistently been churning out tunes that have their own particular brand of mouth-bass electro, and finally comes Ben Tomlinson, famous for his excellent brand of not-so-mainstream mash-ups and edits. All together you get hard hitting electrobasslines, with funky breakdowns for massive effect. Best keep your eyes on each one of these artists, if they keep it up, the only place they are moving is up.
16. Kid Cola - Kappa Kappa (Last Japan Remix) BUY IT!
Last Japan is one of a number of young producers that are making a BIG buzz in the dance music world. It seems that the veterans have paved the way for youngsters to step in, as it so often happens. Last Japan in particular brings a flavor of electro that I just can't seem to get enough of. His remix of Kid Cola's 'Kappa Kappa' is a good example of what he's capable of, utilizing the wobble bass to massive effect in this Jungle meets funky electro breakthrough remix.
15. Feed Me, Kill The Noise - Muscle Rollers (Original Mix) BUY IT!
Feed Me was an artist that I almost forgot about. They were making a mild buzz on the blog scene in 2008 with their release of, 'The Spell/Raw Chicken' but their hype never made it back. They have come back in a big way however, with their HUGE release of 'Feed Me's Great Adventure.' A lot of well crafted little bleeps on this one, but the 4th song is the one I want to talk about; it's a collaboration with Kill The Noise. The song starts off with an almost Fake Blood type feel, which was quite popular in 2008, but when it drops it's all 2010 baby! We get hit hard with a number of heavy hitting synths that will electrify big crowds. It's one of those "OMG I can't believe what I'm hearing" drops, and it is done quite well. In addition, there are an enormous number of other elements going on in the background that puts this one ahead of any 2010 songs from Skrillex (in this bloggers humble opinion), and therefore has great replay value. One synth in particular reminds me of a someone like Kirk Hammett from Metallica going bonkers on his guitar with 8 fingers. Impressive song any way you put it.
14. Noisia - Machine Gun (DJ Edit) BUY IT!
Noisia, previously way into the DnB and Breaks scene, released quite a stunning album artist album called 'Split The Atom' earlier this year. One of the forerunners that sticks out the most on the album is 'Machine Gun.' This little bleep packs a heavy bass that would usually belong in the Dubstep/DnB scene, but is used here in what is a absolutely MASSIVE electro house rendition. Percussion trudges on like a freight train until the tempo switches up into...what is that triplets? No they're going from electro house into DnB??? No, it was all a front they're back to electro House. The heavy bass in this one is a signature sound that is present in their production in general, and it's heavy! Believe you me, 'Machine Gun' will not soon be forgotten.
13. Deadmau5 - Cthulu Sleeps (Original Mix) BUY IT!
Admittedly, although DJ Mag says that Deadmau5 is bigger and better than ever, a lot his recent tracks are not as breathtaking as they once were. Not to hate on the man, but he has set a very high bar for himself with his production, and several of his tracks aren't resonating with me like his older ones did (half of his recent album was throwbacks to things he's already made/released). But I still have to give him credit for constantly pushing the envelope in house, making things that no one else would even really think of. 'Cthulu Sleeps' is a fine example of his. The hard hitting electro synth almost reminds me of tentacles wiggling in the air, and that fades out into another one of his amazing melodic breakdowns that he has become famous for. Interweaved in it all is what appears to be desynchronized overlay synth that is constantly going in and out of beat and up and down in pitch. I could say a lot more about this one, but have yourself a listen if you haven't already. Fill in the blanks in the comments below.
12. Plump DJs - Light Fantastic (Original Mix) BUY IT!
The Plump DJs have been wowing me for years now. It seems in every release they do, they have something that you could call extraordinary, something that is above and beyond the call of a musical producer in this world. They've recently switched up their style from strictly Breaks to something that is more fluid, amorphous and harder to classify. I want to call it House, but it still maintains its breakbeat feel, so I'll just call it electro. One hell of a release here in 'Light Fantastic' that came only in the last few weeks, but stands up to anything I've heard for the whole year.
11. Wolfgang Gartner - Undertaker (Original Mix) BUY IT!
I've called him the King, and I still stand by that. 'Undertaker' is a true spectacle to behold, and a pioneer of that resonate, hard-hitting, dance music we call electro house. It is another amazing release from the man who seems to pour 10 songs worth of work into a single track. A true force to be reckoned with, Wolfgang Gartner will go down as one of the premiere artists of our time. Glitched out, harmonized, signature electro sounds fill your eardrums and make you want to slam that dancefloor like almost nothing else does. The only reason this one isn't higher up on the list is because I feel it more or less copies what Deadmau5 did with 'Ghosts 'N' Stuff.' An amazing production though regardless and totally worthy of this list.
10. Drop The Lime - Sex Sax (Bart B More Remix) BUY IT!
A lot of things come to mind when thinking of this little bleep. One, that Drop The Lime is one hell of an innovator, bringing in an old school Chicago House feel with 'Sex Sax.' Another is that Bart B More is one funky ass mofo. This song boasts what is probably my all time favorite DJ intro for any track ever. Something about the broken up beat of the drums just makes me (and every dancefloor I've ever dropped this on) want to DANCE. I can't get enough of this one, and it all seems to meld together to form something that is greater than the sum of its parts. The playability of this one is astonishing.
9. Erol Alkan, Boys Noize - Lemonade (Original Mix) BUY IT!
This one will be in every electro blogs top list for the year. What else is there to say about the flawlessness of some of the productions that Boys Noize churns out that hasn't already been said? There's definitely something about this one in particular that shines and will turn heads whenever you put it on, though. Steve Aoki dropped this at 4pm (early on) at Ultra 2010, and his crowd grew from 500 to several thousand by the end of it. That magnetic mix of almost inconceivable noise that is so well produced it blends in with the melody of the bassline and leads, is a trademark of Boys Noize, and let's not forget Erol Alkan's involvement in this one, as he is a genius in a league his own as well. It has an almost mellow feel when played at low volume, and is a huge pickmeup to a crowd when blared out on a proper system. Big ups!
8. F.O.O.L - Berserkergang feat. A Girl And A Gun (Owl Vision Remix) BUY IT!
F.O.O.L's story is one that I've been following before they even had 5,000 views on their myspace, and before they were signed at all. They churn out new tracks like nobodies business, and each one seems more radiant than the last. Owl Vision is on the remix of this one, a group that is climbing to new heights with (or possibly because of) F.O.O.L, and have done quite a number on the original, making me think of a Metallica and Justice as influences in the style and tone of the remix. It's hard to talk about the electro scene in 2010 without mentioning F.O.O.L, and I have high hopes for them in the future. We'll see what happens, and remember, THEY AREN'T FRENCH!
7. Danger - 4h30 (Original Mix) BUY IT!
Danger continues his streak of dark, subtle and mystifying French electro that makes you wonder if he doesn't have a grand scheme for an epic tale in the works. His particular brand of old snes enfused electro has lost little to none of its flair with '9/17/2007,' his newest EP. '4h30' is by far my favorite of the bunch sending you on another journey through his world. There is a lot of mystery around his EP and track names, take the intro teaser line to the EP released on his youtube channel earlier this year.
"On the third day, the first would die so the second would be freed..."
I guess we'll just wait and see what he will do with all of this interesting info, but in the mean time we'll enjoy his music.
6. Kill The Noise - Jokes On You (Original Mix) BUY IT!
Kill The Noise has been on the scene for a long time, quietly creating that brand of electro that is best played VERY loud. You know what I'm talking about. This year their only official release was the Roots EP, but they made up for quantity with quality. The drop from arguably the best bleep of the EP ('Jokes On You') comes out of left field after the first minute. You're not quite sure how it's possible to produce what you're hearing when it drops, but you know that you want to put your hands up and unintelligibly shout out your feeling of boundless joy that wells up within you at the sheer ecstasy of it all. Even today, now that I know what's coming, I still get excited at the drop that boasts the use of 808 kicks and one hell of a heavy synth that seems to be both bassline and lead. In New York City they use a word that is appropriate here, "Fahgettabautit."
5. Boemklatsch - One More Day feat. Mike Lord (Original Mix)
I freaked out the first time I heard a teaser for this one, something I do less and less these days with the sheer volume of music I listen to. Boemklatsch has seemingly come out of nowhere to rise up to the same level as any name in the industry today. They have an exquisite production style that pushes their musical genre in new directions, a style that pushes the envelope on what's possible. 'One More Day' is, in my mind, the penultimate example of their style to date that boasts both ambiantic, melodic leads, with a dirty, dirty bassline that I have trouble getting out of my head. The track itself is on their album 'Spontaneous Combustion' which I believe is only out on limited CD at this point. However, it was also released as a single with amazing remixes from the likes of High Rankin, Peacetreaty, and Rip TidE, among others (get 'em all here!). One for the record books here, and I know this for certain; Boemklatsch is here to stay.
Also, big ups to Boemklatsch Records for giving me permission to post a free 320 to this amazing song! Get it by clicking the link above!
4. Congorock - Babylon (Dub Mix)
Among the artists to rear their heads and make a ruckus in the scene of 2010 from seemingly nowhere, Congorock stands out in front of almost all of them. All of the sudden, 'Babylon' was released to the blogs, and everyone wanted to do a post on it. It's one of those bleeps that both hits hard the first time you play it, and grows on you the more you listen to it. It also boasts some great drumfills and fun, happy non-melodic sounds that you will only see in Congorock productions. They have propelled themselves to great success with this bleep, and have since gone on to do an official remix for the Swedish House Mafia (viewable here). Also be sure to check out my post on the Urchins remix and my post on the Peo de Pitte remix of this track. Both are great versions of the song that keep the heart of the original but still have a lot of originality thrown into them.
3. The Squatters - On Fire (Original Mix)
Here once again, we have ANOTHER 2010 breakthrough artist. I should probably make a top list of breakthrough artists for the year, but this one is the last on the list here, and there is a reason I put this one at #3. The Squatters have a particular brand of brilliance in their productions, both making music that is popular in the scene and adding a unique flair to it all that I can only call 'funky-ass-shiiiiiiiiiiit!' 'On Fire' is probably one of my favorites of theirs to date, it delivers a synth that we should recognize as sampled from the popular Laidback Luke/Steve Angello track from 2008, 'Show Me Love.' Except they do something with it that I don't think anyone had really thought of doing (EDIT: Actually that last statement is wrong, you can check out Afrojack's remix of 'Show Me Love' here, and there is a similar thing going on). Included in the drop of 'On Fire' is a funky little vocal chop, which impressively transitions into full fledged Dutch House. Almost every single time I've dropped this one, I've had someone come up to me and ask me what it is I'm playing. As far as the future is concerned, you can expect to see next level things from The Squatters as soon as they can release them. Check out their mix for Kissy Sell Out for a little preview :). Pay special attention to the last song of the mix...best electro of 2011 candidate? I think so.
2. Noisia - Alpha Centauri (Original Mix) BUY IT!
4. Congorock - Babylon (Dub Mix)
Among the artists to rear their heads and make a ruckus in the scene of 2010 from seemingly nowhere, Congorock stands out in front of almost all of them. All of the sudden, 'Babylon' was released to the blogs, and everyone wanted to do a post on it. It's one of those bleeps that both hits hard the first time you play it, and grows on you the more you listen to it. It also boasts some great drumfills and fun, happy non-melodic sounds that you will only see in Congorock productions. They have propelled themselves to great success with this bleep, and have since gone on to do an official remix for the Swedish House Mafia (viewable here). Also be sure to check out my post on the Urchins remix and my post on the Peo de Pitte remix of this track. Both are great versions of the song that keep the heart of the original but still have a lot of originality thrown into them.
3. The Squatters - On Fire (Original Mix)
Here once again, we have ANOTHER 2010 breakthrough artist. I should probably make a top list of breakthrough artists for the year, but this one is the last on the list here, and there is a reason I put this one at #3. The Squatters have a particular brand of brilliance in their productions, both making music that is popular in the scene and adding a unique flair to it all that I can only call 'funky-ass-shiiiiiiiiiiit!' 'On Fire' is probably one of my favorites of theirs to date, it delivers a synth that we should recognize as sampled from the popular Laidback Luke/Steve Angello track from 2008, 'Show Me Love.' Except they do something with it that I don't think anyone had really thought of doing (EDIT: Actually that last statement is wrong, you can check out Afrojack's remix of 'Show Me Love' here, and there is a similar thing going on). Included in the drop of 'On Fire' is a funky little vocal chop, which impressively transitions into full fledged Dutch House. Almost every single time I've dropped this one, I've had someone come up to me and ask me what it is I'm playing. As far as the future is concerned, you can expect to see next level things from The Squatters as soon as they can release them. Check out their mix for Kissy Sell Out for a little preview :). Pay special attention to the last song of the mix...best electro of 2011 candidate? I think so.
2. Noisia - Alpha Centauri (Original Mix) BUY IT!
It's been quite a year for Noisia. They've always had a bass heavy flair to their beats, so now that that sound is in, it stands to reason that Noisia should get a big boost in terms of popularity. Regardless, their song 'Alpha Centauri' is in a league of its own. Apart from perhaps anything I've listened to this year. Bladerunner-esque, 80's style ambiance transitions into what is one of the craziest drops I've ever heard. You can tell meticulous detail and planning was put into each part of this one, and I feel it is sort of the penultimate culmination of Noisia's sound. Their signature heavy bassline, wobbles, oscillates, changes pitch and tempo, and blows your mind while the percussion goes on and on. When we look back at some of the best bleeps of this era, we will undoubtedly see 'Alpha Centauri' forefront amongst them all.
1. A1 Bassline - Breathless (Original Mix) BUY IT!
A1 Bassline has always been a curious artist to me. I have nothing but respect for the man, and good things to say, more or less. He doesn't seem to follow (electro underground) pop culture trends hardly at all, and seems to make music in whatever way he sees fit. It is artists like him that are truly pushing dance music to new and greater heights. While some of his bleeps can be hit-or-miss, when he's on, he's ON! 'Breathless' is one of the greatest examples of an 'on' production from him in my humble opinion. The intensity of the drop is complimented quite well by melodic leads and funky old school-esque percussion. He is one of the first instigators of the wobble bass in house music, and he uses it here with such precision and flair as to boggle the mind. "Let the music take control" is the vocal sample he uses, and boy does it. Every single time I've ever dropped this one, I've got an amazing response this year, and I will always have it on hand. It is one of those timeless little bleeps that I imagine will keep getting replayed as the years go by. I think the top 2 of this year was a toss up, but A1 Bassline just edges in with the universal appeal of this one. FOR GODS SAKE IF YOU DON'T HAVE THIS ONE GET IT NOW!
Honorable mentions, in no particular order (and I'm sure I'm leaving a lot out here...):
- Crystal Castles - Celestica (Clockwork Remix)
- Drop The Lime - Devil's Eyes (Foamo Remix)
- BetaTraxx - Mafiosa (Original Mix)
- Bird Peterson - Actin' Up At Zenobias (Original Mix) BUY IT!
- Redial - Let Me Go (Vengeance Remix)
- Sandro Silva, Anjiro Rijo - Fifty What (Dem Slackers Remix)
- Dem Slackers - Let's Go (Bart B More 'Lesssgo' Remix) BUY IT!
- Crookers, Roisin Murphy - Royal T (Foamo Remix) BUY IT!
- Dillon Francis, DJ Ammo - Westside (Original Mix)
- Toddla T - Sky Surfing feat. Wayne Marshall (Douster Remix) BUY IT!
- Joe and Will Ask - Rainbow Trout (Original Mix) BUY IT!
- Costello - Girls Speak Louder - Donique Remix (Miles Dyson's Breaksfest Perth Edit) BUY IT!
- Voodoo Chilli - Ya Dance So Sexy Baby (Original Mix)
- Wolfgang Gartner - Illmerica (Extended Mix) BUY IT!
- Feed Me - Green Bottle (Original Mix) BUY IT!
- Feed Me - White Spirit (Original Mix) BUY IT!
- Depuis91 - Erothiq (VNNR Shake The Room Remix) BUY IT!
- Shinichi Osawa - EEAA (Mustard Pimp Remix)
- Coin Operated Boy - Katzenjammer (Decibel RSPCA Remix) BUY IT!
- The Brockout - Shake Down (Original Mix) BUY IT!
- Fauna - Gauchito Gil (Douster Remix) BUY IT!
- Warrior One - Bad Like Jimmy Cliff (Original Mix)
- Dada Life - Unleash The Fucking Dada (Original Mix) BUY IT!
- Sidney Samson - Riverside (Peo de Pitte Rerub)
- Bénny Bénαssï, Thé Bïz – Satïsfαctïōn (Άfrōjαck Remix)
- DJ Zinc - Nexx (Original Mix) BUY IT!
- G Star, Last Japan, 321 - Big Man (Original Mix) BUY IT!
- Freefire - Dataloss (Darth & Vader Remix) BUY IT!
- Drivepilot - Fuck Yeah! (F.O.O.L Remix)
- LCD Sōũndsystém - Yoũ Wαntéd α Hit (Sōũlwαx Remix)
- Chanty Poe - YesNoMaybe (Neo Tokyo Remix)
- Boys Noize - Yeah (Original Mix) BUY IT!
- F.O.O.L - To Japan And Never Back (Original Mix)
- Neo Tokyo - Laser Laser (Original Mix) BUY IT!
- Aaron Sen - Apes From Space (Dirtyloud Remix) BUY IT!
- Mol, SQL - Frogs And Toads (Miles Dyson Breakfest Makeover) BUY IT!
- Zeds Dead - Here Comes The Boom (Original Mix)
- Indiekid - Electric Symphony (Part I)
- Mujava - Mugwanti (R3hab Remix) BUY IT!
- Earl Black - F Pills (Urchins Remix)
- Chase & Status - Let You Go (Original Mix) BUY IT!
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