So here it is, my favorites of 2k9 list — my adobe slabs, as it were. Last year’s dance and electronic music tunes felt looser, fresher, and downright sexier than previous years. For too long on too many dance floors, it seemed like people were either trying too hard to have fun or all doing homework together (those darn laptops!). Now, genre boundaries shruggingly blurred, and it seemed that — despite the ready availability of quick and dirty technology — people were spending much more time and thought on their compositions while at the same time freeing the audience to indulge in some sweet escape.
The tunes that retained my ear most this year were ones that took me on a journey — in mind and in feet — full of excellent flourishes, multi-hued grooves, a voracious sense of intelligence, some cheeky historical finagling, and solid production. A variety of organic instrumentation also shone through. And, yes, they were a ton of fun. Here’s a whole bunch in no particular order, because I just couldn’t settle on any given number or place of prominence. I’m lazy that way.
Still Going, “Spaghetti Circus” (DFA)
It took New York’s Still Going boys years to come out with this track and it sounds like it, not just in the exquisite production, but also in the perfect timing of the release. The dance world, apparently, was aching for a sexy Sylvester funk-rock explosion. The underground queer dance contingent loved it, too. That guitar!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgaOg3_XG0A
House of House, “Rushing to Paradise (Walkin’ These Streets)” (Whatever We Want)
“Oh, and hey,” Still Going member Liv Spencer must have thought as he prepared to unleash “Spaghetti Circus” on the world. “Why don’t I team up with vocalist Saheer Umar and reinvent the deep house epic for a digital-jaded world?” So he did. And now we have this beautiful, slippery, ecstatic thing.
http://www.youtube.com/v/o2qXAifCMnk
Floating Points, “K & G beats” (Planet Mu)
Joy Orbison’s “Hyph Mngo” and Joker’s “Digidesign” — outstanding slices — were widely credited for reinvigorating the dubstep sound in 2009 by making it more rapturous and accessible. But even though it lacks the classic dubstep bass riproar, this knocky, worldly track by young Mancunian Floating Points got my dubber goat more than either of those. (And brought back fond memories of this.)
http://www.youtube.com/v/k4iONfj0gRQ
The Lowbrows, “Dream in the Desert (Flight Facilities Remix)” (Bang Gang)
Tokyo art-wave duo The Lowbrows teamed up with super-buzzy Flight Facilities for a good ol’ fashioned Italo house barnburner, saxophone solo included (and that guitar again!). I looked really embarrassing all last fall dancing down the street to this.
http://www.youtube.com/v/BrHzN8qNMWs
Silver Columns, “Brow Beaten” (Silver Columns)
There’s a lot of talk in musical sphere about being in a “post-gay” period — and this tune, which twists the falsetto melodies and structural openness of Bronski Beat together with the Hi-NRG sounds of Patrick Cowley to form a biting riposte to Hercules and Love Affair’s fiercely over-dramatic “Blind” (Don’t blink your eyes, your eyes won’t blink) could arguably be the first post-meth anthem. Plus: this bit of interview with the uber-mysterious, Hot Chippy fellows:
Would you care to introduce yourself?
Hello. I are Silver Columns.
How would you describe the music you make?
I would describe it as ‘effervescent’ and ‘sparkling’. That doesn’t necessarily mean ‘gay’.
How did you start out making music?
Turning on the computer.
http://www.youtube.com/v/gXLR9JzVbYU
Sia, “Buttons” (CSS Remix) (Astralwerks)
Every pop remix should sound like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrjMlNxQ-co
Coyu & Edu Imbernon, “El Baile Alemán” (Liebe Detal)
The Berlin-Spain underground railroad was in full force this past year — and not just on the isle of Ibiza. This was the seminal track, a deep-gong summons to minimal technicians to get some simple Latin-tinged swing going. Plus, Spanish DJs are hot. Einfach?
http://www.youtube.com/v/AZKYHO3-o7s
Losoul featuring Fadila “Time Passes (Dyed Soundorom’s Code Quantum Remix)” (Freak N Chic)
Two of last year’s most buzzed-about players, Losoul and Dyed Soundorom, took lovely French chanteuse nu-jazz singer Fadila’s voice and made it transdimensional, genderless. Show me more.
http://www.youtube.com/v/tA7ZjI4ANL0
Mr. Raoul K., “Sun of Gao” (Fatsouls)
An absolutely lovely, leisurely paced journey through Africanica, courtesy of Germany’s dreadlocked Mr. Raoul K, on local label Fatsouls.
Mr. Raoul K., “Sun of Gao (City Mix) by elpuma70
Alex Celler, “La Palma” (Arearemote)
Tribalish chants replaced brass snatches as the go-to samples of choice on most dance releases in 2009, culminating in Dennis Ferrer’s runaway vocal house hit, “Hey Hey.” (And this was Ferrer’s year — I loved his Sinfonia Della Notte, even if it was an energized redo of Octave One’s classic “Black Water.”) But Londoner Alex Celler kept it nice and nervy, and his attention to the drums is superb.
http://www.youtube.com/v/yyjUxgBe0Tc
Lazer Sword, “Gucci Sweatshirt” (Innovative Leisure)
Finally, hometown future blap heroes Lazer Sword officially released this sonic tesseract. The shift at the end is crazy. And the video delights me.
http://www.youtube.com/v/YWJZcPeT74M
Junior Boys, “Work” (Prins Thomas Remix) (Domino)
Another possible post-gay wonder, this time in an autumnal vein, jangling with legendary space-discoer Prins Thomas’ acoustic tweeks. Cruising never sounded so sunset.
http://www.youtube.com/v/meTFfeWOsP4
Guy Gerber, “Timing” (Cocoon)
Deep tech meets a little Doctor Who. If only all Israeli trance sounded like this …..
Guy Gerber – ‘Timing’ by elpuma70
Joe Goddard, “Apple Bobbing (Fourtet Mix)” (Greco-Roman)
Hot Chip member + dubstep jazzer, with Cassy samples = solid gold. The original is quite genial as well.
http://www.youtube.com/v/2wtbWxp_Td0
The Streets, “Trust Me” (Twitter)
Fed up with label shenanigans, the sort-of creatively moribund Mike Skinner started posting tracks directly to Twitter. He never sounded better, and “Trust Me” could be the anthem of a club generation.
http://www.youtube.com/v/k-_NmsxW6go
Destroyer, “Bay of Pigs” (Merge)
For ravers of a certain age (ahem) this is the 13-minute post-caravan comedown epic we’ve been waiting for. Syd Barrett meets Dubtribe in indie prince Dan Bejar’s not quite stream-of-consciousness narrative, and the shards of singalong ambient disco pierce the nightlifer soul.
Destroyer, ‘Bay of Pigs’ by elpuma70
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Crazy Cousinz, “Inflation”
http://www.youtube.com/v/8XW0Zgy9InY
Delorean, Ayrton Senna EP
http://www.youtube.com/v/3CKkLucwM0c
The Glass, “Wanna Be Dancin'”
http://www.youtube.com/v/Lw0_LmKi0_Y
Bonus: The Glass, “Wanna Be Dancin'” (Clubfeet Remix)
http://www.youtube.com/v/nCYRXoO-C88
Mount Kimbie, “Maybes”
http://www.youtube.com/v/WMaKsZDD2Go
Jamie Jones, “You!”
http://www.youtube.com/v/5WJxCHEAHjQ
Marina and the Diamonds, “I Am Not a Robot (Starsmith 24 Carat Mix)
(Even if it does bite off this)
http://www.youtube.com/v/NAaQFDcqz60
jj, “Ecstasy”
http://www.youtube.com/v/q66Ia-XlBRg
Pangaea, “Memories (Aaron Jerome Mix)”
Pangaea – Memories (Aaron Jerome Remix) by aaronjerome
Darkstar, “Videotape”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGScCsEtQtk