A good year, a weird year, whatever. Here are my favourite bits...
Favourite Tunes: Crazy Cousinz - Inflation Released late on in 2008 (great way to start the list, total rule breaker, but whatever) but was included in more or less every set i have played in 2009, its simply massive and really opened up my eyes to UK Funky as a serious genre.
Santiago & Bushido - Can't Be Wrong The vocals on this tune are fantastic. It was a really nice, refreshing approach from S&B, who haven't jumped on the back of this new sounding house music like everyone else. It shows that just by stripping down your own sound, you can still create music that makes the crowd bust-it, without relying on a huge wobbly bassline.
The Juan MacLean - Happy House 12 minutes of quite possibly the most feel good music of the year. An absolutely huge piano drop, and chipper vocals that would bring a smile to even the most focused pill muncher in the club.
Renaissance Man - What Is Guru In a year that house music went crazy over ethnic samples, Renaissance Man bent every other artist over, and smashed the shit out of them with this tune. Haaaaarrrrrreeeeeeee Krrrriiiiiisssssshhhhhiiiiiinnnnnaaaaaaaaa!
&ME - F.I.R A tune that reminds me of playing 5 hour sets at On&On in Bournemouth with Crack Your Skull. A haunting, looping vocal over some bleepy goodness, and atmospheric sounding shit. A tune that stays in your head for a very long time, which isn't a bad thing.
Delphic - Counterpoint Delphic are my second favourite new band of 2009. I think i've seen them three times, and in pretty crap circumstances (twice at festivals, once at a club night), but every time they got better and better. Its a sound that reminds me a bit of The Cooper Temple Clause, nice electronics and huge build-up's that make you feel like you're going to explode.
Florence & The Machine - You've Got The Love (XX Remix) Remix of the year, EASILY. Surprisingly im quite a fan of the Flozzer version anyway, but this remix just smashes it. Pure UK garage feel that reminds me of underage club nights and EZ CDs. you know any dance tune that has a chopped up harp loop in it is going to be a winner. I genuinely shocked this hasn't wriggled its way out of the underground and all over daytime Radio 1.
Joy Orbison - Hyph Mngo Reminds me of my mate Sully. So refreshing to hear Dubstep that doesn't sound like a chain-saw trying to cut through an angle grinder. Again, it has a big UK Garage, and even a Deep House feel. Nice two-stepper that still works at peak time.
Silvio Ecomo, Chuckie - Moombah (Afrojack Mix) European Electro House is jokes, a proper Love/ Hate relationship, but this is plain and simple jump-up, squeaky, bassy nonsense that makes me want to punch the roof and grab the person next to me and shake them violently.
Justin Martin, Claude VonStroke - Beat That Bird Massive jackin' number, with a rib-cage-rattling drop at the end, which more or less comes out of nowhere, like a happy slap. NERRRRRRRRRR-WHOOP WEEP WHOOP WEEP WHOP WEEP WHOOP WEEP, NEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRR etc.
Zombie Disco Squad - Eurovision This tune has got "Set opener" written all over it. A baltimore-esq, horn blowing, organ pounding, carnival bonanza. Pure party music, which more or less kick started my obsession (along with the Crazy Cousinz track mentioned earlier) with african percussion. Such a big tune.
Oliver $ - Watcha gonna do 808 bomb. Totally massive. Huge build up, and a drop that I'm sure could make the right person combust. The whispered vocal and constant sub-bass make this make for a mysterious and subtle tune. A fresh new outlook for Oliver $, and nestling its way into becoming a Made To Play classic.
Favourite Albums: Major Lazer - Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do Jack Penate - Everything Is New Jesse Rose - What Do You Do If You Dont? XX - XX Anthony and the Johnsons - Crying Light The Get Up Kids - Something To Write Home About (I'm allowed, it got re-released!) Japandroids - Post nothing
DARK PARTY is originally a Saturday club night in Luton, playing whatevers fun to dance too /new indie/electo/alt/dub
we came out of the ass end of ssshhhh!!!who, in its short life managed to pull off parties in office blocks, and disused hair dressers. putting on Tiger Force, CockNBullKidand T3ETH
i love this :) 2010 will be THE year. I can feel it in my bones. xx
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