Witnessing Paul Rose’s perpetual aesthetic evolution has been a thrilling and often confounding experience. While the UK producer best known as Scuba came into prominence making darker dubstep between 2007-8, that sound didn’t define him for long. Invariably brave enough to try new styles even as the spotlight grew brighter around him, Rose has moved ever further from his starting and fully integrated his house and techno influences. Now, as his third album Personality looms on the horizon, it’s somewhat difficult to believe it’s made by the same guy introduced by A Mutual Antipathy. This week’s download is another indication of how far he’s come. “Flash Addict” is the somewhat subdued B-side to the loquacious, album-leading single “The Hope.” It’s suffused with a bell loop whose enduring pitches conjure the daze (and perhaps the headache) of the blurry morning after, while thumping and jagged chords are sprayed with an odd assortment of noises in a way that recalls the wild night that brought it on. Our thanks to Hotflush Recordings for making this one available for free.

Scuba, “Flash Addict”

In a departure from the regular format of LWE’s Curator’s Cuts series, the 21st edition features some of LWE’s writing staff discussing five of electronic music’s prevailing trends in 2011, noting some of our favorite underrated tracks, and opining on what 2012 might have in store for us. Editor-in-chief, Steve Mizek, served as the moderator of a conversation between Per Bojsen-Moller, Steve Kerr, Chris Miller, Jordan Rothlein, and Andrew Ryce.

Curator’s Cuts 21: LWE Staff (67:34)

One of the most popular ways of attempting to invalidate a negative record review is some variation of, “The reviewer doesn’t make music.” In fact, many critics are artists or have made music in the past — not that doing so is a requirement for reviewing. One such critic who indulges both sides of his personality is William Rauscher, who is known around these parts for his LWE reviews a couple years back and occasional contributions to RA. He’s begun to make a nice name for himself under the guise Night Plane, releasing a 12″ for THISISNOTANEXIT, remixing Charli XCX, Detachments and Warpaint, and more recently collaborating with DJ Harry on a design/dance project CCC. One track to be included on CCC’s forthcoming 12″, Sonic Underground, is Rauscher’s remix of Baby Alpaca’s “Rainbow Fields.” What started as a drifting indie tune is given more pep and danceability, its guitar leads magnified and the vocals underscored by smudged, quivering pads. Think one of Kompakt’s poppier releases — or specifically the music of Walls — and you’re most of the way there. Many thanks to Rauscher/CCC for making this one available.

Baby Alpaca, Rainbow Fields (Night Plane Remix)

Little White Earbuds seeks an editorial intern to work for us from February through July. All candidates must be available roughly 5-10 hours per week, beginning February 6th and ending July 31st. Tasks include, but are not limited to, social networking management, writing and formatting administrative posts, and data entry. An ideal candidate is well versed in social networking, possesses strong computer skills, and is familiar with the artists we cover. The ability to gain school credit for the internship is preferred.

Please submit a resume in an email (no attachments or follow-up emails, please) to editor[at]littlewhiteearbuds.com with the subject line “LWE EDITORIAL INTERNSHIP” by Wednesday, January 25th at noon CT.

While many of welcomed the new year with kisses and some cheap bubbly, the fine folks at Freude-am-Tanzen took a less traditional tact: releasing an entire label compilation for free. Entitled Muchas Fatcias, the 11 track collection highlights many of the Jena-based collective’s members, and therein the diversity of sound under the F.A.T. banner. Highlights include the twisted metal dub workouts of Monkey Maffia’s “Red Rude Boys ‘FJ’”; the drifting, jazz-drizzled “Just” by Taron-Trekka; the bubble and scrape of Gathaspar’s “Serwus”; and the loose, harpsichord laden “Portofino” by Kadebostan. But the whole comp, which also features Douglas Greed, Krause Duo, and Juno6, is an enjoyable listen, one that elucidates the organic and often jazz or classically motivated connections between the disparate producers. A fine way to start 2012, indeed.

Download Muchas Fatcias here

Brace yourselves, Chicago, we’re about to get flooded with excellent shows at Smart Bar. While the deluge begins this weekend (Craig Richards and Mister Saturday Night? We’ll be there), the biggest block opens with Pearson Sound on Thursday, January 19th. LWE is here to hook you up with two guest list spots to what is sure to be an excellent and well attended show. All you have to do is email contest@littlewhiteearbuds.com with “PEARSON SOUND” as the subject by 12PM CST on January 18th. We’ll pick one winner at random from the entries and notify them via email. Good luck and see you out there!

LWE’s 107th and final podcast of 2011 comes from the hilariously named 2toomanygays of London, the duo of Michael Oswell and Samuel Ashton who have been DJing around the city together for a few years. Their house-flavored mix is imbued with all the depth and grace of two scene veterans, melding rare classics and recent favorites in a manner which left each selection feeling simultaneously fresh and timeless. Theirs was easily the most ambitious mix we received, sliding through 17 tracks in just over 48 minutes while maintaining a naturally entertaining pace. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself putting this on during your New Year’s Eve celebrations, as it will sound as good this year as it will a decade from now. Many thanks to the guys for their mix; make sure to catch them in action if you’re around London.

LWE Podcast 107: 2toomanygays (48:16)

Tracklist

01. Bernard Badie, “Party Jacktrack” (Oracy’s House Call Edit) [Mojuba]
02. OCH, “Bombay Bedbath” [PAL SL]
03. XDB, “Recago” [Dolly]
04. STL, “That Mnml Track” [Perlon]
05. Vulva String Quartet, “It’s Out of Sight” (Farben Says: It’s Out of Sight Mix)
[Combination Records]
06. Daniel Bell, “Warped” [Elevate]
07. Makam, “New York Hustler” (Losoul Remix) [Sushitech Purple]
08. Groove Chronicles, “Your Powers Taking Over” [Groove Chronicles]
09. Terrence Parker & Claude Young, “Untitled B1″ [Dow Records]
10. Trankilou, “Bill Collector” [BPM Records]
11. Melchior Productions Ltd., “The Later The Evening…” [Perlon]
12. Kotai+Mo, “Music for Ranches” [Elektro Music Department]
13. STABLO, “No. 9996-A” [STABLO]
14. Cooly G, “It’s Serious” [Hyperdub]
15. DJ Qu, “Sliding Thru” [Strength Music Recordings]
16. Mr. James Barth & A.D., “Inner City Lullaby” [Svek]
17. Social Material, “Class” [Comatonse Recordings]

10. Agnès presents Cavalier, A Million Horses
[Drumpoet Community] (buy)

It wasn’t until this year that Agnès, partially under the guise of Cavalier, laid out his blueprint for an ideal house on a canvas bigger than an EP. In many ways A Million Horses lives up to the Swiss producer’s great potential, offering his refined take on more than a dozen facets of house. They arrived in an array of sizes — some only as baubles, others as full-on Jesus pieces — each bearing his Swiss precision hi-hat programming, attention-grabbing bass lines, and subtle melodies that stand up to close scrutiny and club play. The tracks really move, too, putting all their weight into swinging rhythms or playing it deliberately straight, but always with a grace that feels instinctual instead of studied. Rather than trying to turn house on its head, it was obvious Agnès preferred to work with the same forms as his peers and just did a superior job within those parameters. Although at times uneven, A Million Horses repeatedly proved Agnès is one of house music’s most talented craftsmen whose low-profile toiling paid off even in the tricky album format. (Steve Mizek)

09. Steffi, Yours & Mine
[Ostgut Ton] (buy)

With just six tracks to her name at the start of the year, no one knew much at all about Steffi. Setting aside her lauded DJ sets, that is. Nevertheless, with the release of Yours & Mine, it became clear the Dutch artist had been doing much more than just collecting records. For a debut album (hell, any album) it was technically impeccable, delivering stomach-dwelling bass and radiant synth work with equal clarity. One thing it didn’t do was break the mold compositionally, nor offer incredible variation. That didn’t matter: in distilling deep house down to such reliable elements, Steffi created a long player that was exceptionally dependable, wherever you dived in. There was the innocent dreaminess of “Lilo,” the relentless pulse of “Nightspacer” and of course, “Yours,” the track that lodged Virginia’s imploring vocals deep into everyone’s brains. Who wants to race to the end of the pool when treading water is this pleasant? (Nick Connellan)

08. Legowelt, The TEAC Life
[Self-Released] (buy)

A sprawling 14 tracks which often come close to the 10-minute mark, The TEAC Life was Danny Wolfers’ most engrossing album yet. Released as a free download, he memorably described it as “raw as fuck Detroit unicorn futurism made on cheap ass analog and digital crap synthesizers recorded in a ragtag bedroom studio.” Raw it may have been, but it was also a powerfully emotive listen, navigating the completely idiosyncratic landscape he’s been building up for over a decade. Tracks like “U Can Fly Away from the Hood” and “The Soul of a City” summed up everything that was great about this LP — layer on layer of colorful synth swirls grounded by warm and rounded drum machine funk. But while the obvious influences, both musical and cultural, are writ large, The TEAC Life never sounded contrived — or, worse, twee. Rather, the dual engines of vintage house and electro were twisted further and further away from the club, and into areas that speak of space navigation, lo-fi futurism, and innocent escapism: a real trip, from one of the great journeyman of electronic music. (Harry Sword)

07. Tim Hecker, Ravedeath, 1972
[Kranky] (buy)

Physicality is something that draws many to dance music, but Ravedeath, 1972 isn’t body music in the same sense as everything else you’ll find on this list. Tim Hecker’s finest hour (not to mention 2011′s best ambient record) does’t set your body in motion so much as it moves you — physically, sure, but its vibrations penetrate deeper, rattling obscure organs and dredging up emotions you maybe weren’t sure you had. While the effect isn’t unheard of in Hecker’s music, some credit must go to Ben Frost, the Australian composer and master of harsh beauty who engineered the sessions in Reykjavik where these almost painfully lush sounds originate. Though it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with any beatless, experimental, or modern classical record you could get your hands on this year, Ravedeath struck a chord with many who might not normally know what to do with this sort of stuff. Perhaps its structure, moving from the bitterness of the “In the Fog” through to the blurry, gossamer sensuality of “In the Air,” helped this abstract music become as seemingly universal as a four-to-the-floor kickdrum. Or maybe it’s just that the album actually delivers on its cover (which is pure class, by the way): you feel like that nearly-alighted piano has slammed straight into your chest, a collision sure to cause more than a bit of internal bleeding.
(Jordan Rothlein)

06. Roman Flügel, Fatty Folders
[Dial] (buy)

It’s hard to believe Fatty Folders was the very first solo album to bear Roman Flügel’s birth name. After all, he’s been releasing music with his real title since the late 90s. In that respect, the LP’s appearance may have been more of a surprise than its actual contents. Besides featuring previously released tracks “How To Spread Lies” and “Bahia Blues Bootcamp,” Folders continued the steady course Flügel has been plotting for several years, rather than swerving to an unfamiliar vector. As always, however, there was no one on the path but him. Armed with his customary confidence and poise, the Frankfurt-based producer delivered neon-lit electro-funk with “Deo,” idyllic synth noodling via “Krautus” and a touching elegy in “Song With Blue.” It was an album of carefully spread variation, though wherever it went, Flügel’s hand was always audible. And perhaps that’s the simple reason why Fatty Folders was so popular. In one big hit, it delivered more of the celebrated producer than anyone has heard in half a decade.
(Nick Connellan)

05. Jonsson/Alter, Mod
[Kontra-Musik] (buy)

Every once in a while a friend or acquaintance asks me to recommend an album of exemplary house music which they, the uninitiated, might enjoy. Since Jonsson/Alter’s LP Mod landed in October it’s been my go-to recommendation, one that’s been met with more than a few approving head nods and foot taps from said recipients. My reasons for recommending it are the same reasons it’s been so well received: the duo exhibit an absolute mastery of house music’s fundamentals and have excised anything that might detract from them. Listeners get the sense every synth tone and timbre has been labored over for just as long as it took to arrange them into a track, yielding sumptuous melodies that ricochet around the brain for weeks. Their work is obviously indebted to classic house and yet makes no attempts to reanimate the past, preferring to belong to the canon of classic house records because of its quality. And like all the best dance albums, Mod cultivates a series of moods and feelings that justify its existence rather than relying on utilitarian notions to get by. Put succinctly, Mod offered everything I wanted in a house album. Given its inclusion in this list, I suspect I’m not alone in this conclusion. (Anton Kipfel)

04. Morphosis, What Have We Learned
[Morphine Records/Delsin/M>O>S Recordings] (buy)

Rabih Beaini’s daring and unconventional approach to his album, What Have We Learned, ended with equally audacious results. Using a limited amount of equipment and taking a live jam approach that extended over just two days, he was able to create a work immersed in an exotic atmosphere that is equal parts eerie and thrilling. His penchant for jazz shows itself in many ways, most notably on the abstract side during “Silent Screamer,” “Ascension,” and again with “Gate Of Night” as cosmic synths swirl and xylophonic percussion envelop the listener. Elsewhere jazz tonalities are felt within the melodic strains or within the loose drum programming and spontaneous percussive fills. On “Too Far” we see Beaini combining those jazz idioms with Middle Eastern motifs, an ominous bass line and haunting lyrics from vocalist Kae to create something truly unique. With “Spiral” and “Dirty Matter” Beaini offers up chugging percussive techno that has a primitive, hypnotic quality that is richly textured. That What We Have Learned is considered techno is almost beside the point, as Beaini has masterfully achieved a cohesive atmosphere that seems to transcend the album’s individual components. It’s as if he’s created a mythical sonic world where anything goes and usually does. (Kuri Kondrak)

03. BNMJMN, Plastic World
[Rush Hour Recordings] (buy)

It’s impossible to know now if BNJMN would have broken as large as he did if he hadn’t have released his debut on Rush Hour. The most on-point label in the world was the perfect fit for the producer who also turned out to be one of the most compelling finds of 2011 with not just one but two incredible albums. His first, Plastic World, was his introduction; the densely packed, rich rhythms finding a home in ears appreciative of the meeting points between techno and bass music that have been so prevalent this year. In places the pure strains of Dutch and Detroit techno were plastered all over the tracks, such as on the celestial opener, “Blocks,” or the deeply grooving “Tunnel Flight.” Elsewhere, like on “See Thru Stars” or “Miniature Steps” the influence of UK bass music is clearly felt. But Plastic World was much more than simply being a derivative strain of these popular trends. Its force lay in both its sonic architecture and the unique take that the producer had on the ideas contained therein. In the first instance BNJMN intensifying and heightening the frequencies contained in his tracks to the maximum, and in the latter being able to fully realize his ideas and shape them how he saw them, making Plastic World sound unlike anything else that came out this year. (Per Bojsen-Moller)

02. Andy Stott, Passed Me By
[Modern Love] (buy)

Although Andy Stott experimented with dropped tempos on last year’s Tell Me Anything, this spring’s Passed Me By drastically redefined his career, squashing and dragging his shimmering dub techno to a lurching, lethargic pace. Often a slight drop will add a bit of sex to a rigid rhythm, or as Jochem Peteri says, the “simply dissolves in a more beautiful way.” But on Passed Me By (and its companion, We Stay Together), Stott took his tracks a step further. Any slinkiness is smothered in unrelenting bass weight, creaky industrial ambience, and claustrophobic side-chain compression. The recent trend for slowness — not only in music, but also in movements like slow food — has been widely attributed to the rapidly increasing speed of media and communications, as its proponents attempt to exert some control over their environment. Passed Me By seems much more about being trapped under the weight of that information flow, and its solemn trudge is frequently punctuated by sharp cries ringing out into the graininess, skewed beyond intelligibility. It’s this pervasive unease that makes it such an intoxicating, relevant effort. (Steve Kerr)

01. Machinedrum, Room(s)
[Planet Mu] (buy)

It might have been the tapping of fingers, closely clipped samples, or some nameless drummer going nuts on the kit, but if there’s one sound that defined the year’s best album, it’s percussion. A complete and utter reinvention, Travis Stewart’s nth album as Machinedrum splashed intricate percussive tracks across all sorts of landscapes, beats that click, clack, and bang at incredibly high tempos, speeding ahead of everyone else in “bass music” in 2011 both literally and artistically. While there was no shortage of footwork influence seeping into dance music — especially that made on American shores — Stewart takes what was fast becoming a cliche and flies off with it in a direction that I don’t think anyone could have predicted or even really imagined. Recognizing the music’s compatibility with jungle, with Room(s) Stewart crafts an eminently futurist album that tears and twists bits of footwork — its thrill-seeker pace, its dislocated bass frequency dread politics, and its penchant for hypnotic repetition — and weds it with the uniquely flighty feel of jungle, music that feels like it’s hurtling joyously and unapologetically in any direction it could fling itself toward.

What makes Room(s) so much more than “footwork for white people” is its expansive sonic makeup: while there’s a definite formula here, each does it with completely different sets of ingredients. Forgoing footwork’s roughly hewn, sawed-off vocal aesthetic, every vocal on Room(s) — a mixture of Stewart’s own cooing and the usual array of disembodied sample — sounds shimmering and iridescent, touched just slightly with AutoTune and other processing effects. Its near-convoluted percussive patterns range from soft (“She Died There”) to lusciously tactile (“Youniverse”) to just plain drummer’s abandon (“U Don’t Survive”), and even throws in a few tender moments, like the tender “Lay Me Down,” a slow jam at 150 beats per minute, making the most of the Burial recipe of mallets, makeshift drums, and strangled yelps. The album’s unrelenting breakneck speed might scare off prospective listeners, but even at its most frenzied the elements congeal into something attractively psychedelic and sonically adventurous (the piano-house-on-speed of “Come1″ or the Boards of Canada-sampling “Sacred Frequency”) rather than a deafening jackhammer.

Far be it for me to go all “consensus rules,” but maybe the biggest indicator that there was something special happening here was how music like this — music that takes the most extreme elements of “bass music” in terms of sampling, speed, and structure — managed to unite sticklers and scenesters from all over the dance music map. Sometimes critical acclaim really does line up with greatness, and Machinedrum’s Room(s) deserves no less than the uproarious reception it received: there was no other album this year more adventurous, confident, perfectly executed or so damned exciting every single play through. There was no album either as giddily celebratory or celebrated as Room(s) in 2011, he owned this spot since bits and pieces of his masterpiece started trickling earlier out this spring. (Andrew Ryce)

++

Staff Charts:

Per Bojsen-Moller
01. BNJMN, Plastic World [Rush Hour Direct Current]
02. Machinedrum, Room(s) [Planet Mu]
03. Rick Wilhite, Analog Aquarium [Music 4 Your Legs]
04. Andy Stott, Passed Me By [Modern Love]
05. Martyn, Ghost People [Brainfeeder]
06. Legowelt, The TEAC Life [Legowelt]
07. James Blake, James Blake [Atlas Recordings]
08. When Saints Go Machine, Konkylie [Studio !K7]
09. Jonsson/Alter, Mod [Kontra-Musik]
10. DJ Qu, Gymnastics [Strength Music Recordings]

Nick Connellan
01. Roman Flügel, Fatty Folders [Dial]
02. Steffi, Yours & Mine [Ostgut Ton]
03. Morphosis, What Have We Learned
[Delsin/Morphine Records/M>O>S Recordings]
04. BNJMN, Plastic World [Rush Hour]
05. Dominik Eulberg, Diorama [Traum Schallplatten]
06. tobias., Leaning Over Backwards [Ostgut Ton]
07. Jonsson/Alter, Mod [Kontra-Musik]
08. Nebraska, Displacement [Rush Hour]
09. Vincenzo, Wherever I Lay My Head [Dessous Recordings]
10. Massimiliano Pagliara, Focus For Infinity [Live At Robert Johnson]

Steve Kerr
01. Julia Holter, Tragedy [Leaving Records]
02. Zomby, Dedication [4AD]
03. Hype Williams, One Nation [Hippos In Tanks]
04. Max B, Vigilante Season [Amalgam Digital]
05. Maria Minerva, Cabaret Cixous [Not Not Fun Records]
06. Afrikan Sciences, Means And Ways [Deepblak]
07. Oneohtrix Point Never, Replica [Software]
08. Andy Stott, Passed Me By/We Stay Together [Modern Love]
09. Niggas With Guitars, Ethnic Frenzy [Digitalis Recordings]
10. LV & Joshua Idehen, Routes [Keysound Recordings]

Anton Kipfel
01. Andy Stott, Passed Me By [Modern Love]
02. Machinedrum, Room(s) [Planet Mu]
03. Portable, Into Infinity [Perlon]
04. BNJMN, Plastic World [Rush Hour Recordings]
05. Maria Minerva, Cabaret Cixou [Not Not Fun Records]
06. Agnès presents Cavalier, A Million Horses [Drumpoet Community]
07. Roman Flügel, Fatty Folders [Dial]
08. Steffi, Yours & Mine [Ostgut Ton]
09. Jonsson/Alter, Mod [Kontra-Musik]
10. tobias., Leaning Over Backwards [Ostgut Ton]

Kuri Kondrak
01. Morphosis, What Have We Learned
[Delsin/Morphine Records/M>O>S Recordings]
02. John Heckle, The Second Son [Mathematics Recordings]
03. Conforce, Escapism [Delsin]
04. Afrikan Sciences, Means And Ways [Deepblak]
05. J.T.C., Creep Acid [Nation]
06. Kuba Sojka, Mysterious Intrigue [Mathematics Recordings]
07. Legowelt, The TEAC Life [self-released]
08. Lerosa, Amanatto [Uzuri]
09. Fudge Fingas, Now About How [Prime Numbers]
10. Fred P, The Incredible Adventures of Captain P [Soul People Music]

Chris Miller
01. Andy Stott, Passed Me By [Modern Love]
02. Morphosis, What Have We Learned
[Morphine Records/Delsin/M>O>S Recordings]
03. Machinedrum, Room(s) [Planet Mu]
04. Fred P, The Incredible Adventures of Captain P [Soul People Music]
05. Tin Man, Perfume [Salon]
06. tobias., Leaning Over Backwards [Ostgut Ton]
07. BNJMN, Black Square [Rush Hour Direct Current]
08. DJ Qu, Gymnastics [Strength Music Recordings]
09. Tim Hecker, Ravedeath 1972 [Kranky]
10. Martyn, Ghost People [Brainfeeder]

Steve Mizek
01. Machinedrum, Room(s) [Planet Mu]
02. Jonsson/Alter, Mod [Kontra-Musik]
03. BNJMN, Plastic World [Rush Hour Recordings]
04. Agnès presents Cavalier, A Million Horses [Drumpoet Community]
05. Tim Hecker, Ravedeath 1972 [Kranky]
06. Andy Stott, Passed Me By [Modern Love]
07. Portable, Into Infinity [Perlon]
08. Morphosis, What Have We Learned [Delsin]
09. James Blake, James Blake [Atlas Recordings]
10. Hercules & Love Affair, Blue Songs [Moshi Moshi Records]

Jordan Rothlein
01. Machinedrum, Room(s) [Planet Mu]
02. Tin Man, Perfume [Salon]
03. BNJMN, Black Square [Rush Hour Direct Current]
04. Africa HiTech, 93 Million Miles [Warp]
05. Tim Hecker, Ravedeath, 1972 [Kranky]
06. Legowelt, The Teac Life [Legowelt]
07. Roman Flügel, Fatty Folders [Dial]
08. Steffi, Yours & Mine [Ostgut Ton]
09. FaltyDL, You Stand Uncertain [Planet Mu]
10. Elektro Guzzi, Parquet [Macro]

Andrew Ryce
01. Machinedrum, Room(s) [Planet Mu]
02. The Weeknd, House Of Balloons [Not On Label]
03. M83, Hurry Up We’re Dreaming [Mute]
04. Andy Stott, Passed Me By [Modern Love]
05. araabMUZIK, Electronic Dream [Not On Label]
06. Instra:mental, Resolution 653 [NonPlus+]
07. Kuedo, Severant [Planet Mu]
08. Salva, Complex Housing [Friends of Friends]
09. Balam Acab, Wander / Wonder [Tri Angle]
10. Lucy, Wordplay For Working Bees [Stroboscopic Artefacts]

Harry Sword
01. Pinch & Shackelton, Pinch & Shackelton [Honest Jon's]
02. FaltyDL, You Stand Uncertain [Planet Mu]
03. Andy Stott, We Stay Together [Modern Love]
04. Alex Kortex, Kihon [Pomelo]
05. Planetery Assault Systems, The Messenger [Ostgut Ton]
06. Machinedrum, Room(s) [Planet Mu]
07. Omar-S, It Can Be Done But Only I Can Do It [FXHE Records]
08. Legowelt, The TEAC Life [self-released]
09. Surgeon, Breaking the Frame [Dynamic Tension Records]
10. Steffi, Yours & Mine [Ostgut Ton]

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05. Steffi ft. Virgina, “Yours”
[Ostgut Ton] (buy)

Taken from her faultless Yours & Mine long player from the early days of 2011, Steffi’s lead single “Yours” was not only the perfect calling card for the album but also one of the stand-out hits of the year. Easily one of the 2011′s most recognizable tunes thanks to simple yet compelling chord stabs that lead in to Virginia’s honeyed vocals, “Yours” was so popular it eventually became a victim of its own success. At its height, “Yours” could be heard in almost every house and techno set, sometimes being played multiple times in one night as each successive DJ took to the decks and waited for the time when they could drop the tune. Finally becoming too played out, DJs took the track off of its high rotation, but not before it had been indelibly embossed on everyone’s aural memories. A near perfect example of how to write an instant hit dance track, “Yours” takes relatively standard elements (the aforementioned chord stabs, understated, swinging percussion and chord variations) and marries them with an unforgettable vocal that never veers towards being too saccharine or diva-like. A soft shot to the heart of sonic serotonin, “Yours” provided one of the eyes-closed, melting moments of the year. (Per Bojsen-Moller)

04. Kassem Mosse, “Untitled-A”
[Workshop] (buy)

Kassem Mosse has never been afraid of going abstract, but the untitled opening track of Workshop 12 shows him working at new levels of trippiness. The nearly 14 minute piece is almost entirely underlined by a vocal loop that ends up sounding like several different words at once; it’s repeated so frequently that the elements he throws on top — a bulbous bass line, shuffling percussion, strained horror movie strings — seem almost totally commanded by it. He deftly plays with time, interspersing the rhythm so delicately that the effect is somewhat dissociative. It’s hard to say where the “track” even begins, and as if to prove the bizarre hypnotic power of his mantra, the last three minutes consist of just the vocal. In a catalog that oscillates between sinuous, low-slung house and heady experiments, the two have never been so convincingly, intoxicatingly combined. (Steve Kerr)

03. SCB, “Loss”
[Aus Music] (buy)

Even though you might associate Paul Rose in 2011 with the endlessly controversial trance-baiting “Adrenalin,” the much more universally loved “Loss” was inescapable for a good half of the year, whether it was seeping into sets from house, techno, or bass music DJs. There’s a reason: unadulterated accessibility. Released under an alias more often reserved for stripped-down techno, SCB’s first go on Aus Music is gleeful, candy-coated tech house, still built with the familiar Scuba elements — jaunty bass line, leaden percussion, and syrupy synths — but arranged with a disposition much sunnier than usual. Rose has always had a way with repetitive vocal samples, but “Loss” wins you over with pure infectious delirium, completely unintelligible but no less singable. It might all be a little simplistic were it not for those iridescent synths that pipe through the track’s peripheries, overwhelming it for a good old-fashioned Scuba-style breakdown before chugging back to life in earnest. Sure, it’s odd to hear the perennially-downcast Scuba this unguarded, uplifting, and, cheery, but no one’s going to question something as potent as “Loss” — that it came from such a surprising corner of the dance music world only added to its unique, irresistible charm. (Andrew Ryce)

02. Tin Man, “Nonneo”
[Absurd Recordings] (buy)

Tin Man has long been spoken of with hushed tones and beatific language, but in 2011 Johannes Auvinen went straight for the jugular. More than peek his head out of the realm of nightshade-crooner-techno he seems to perpetually inhabit, “Nonneo” saw him return to the acid house of his first couple records but with a brightness and groove very much in contrast with those early, austere Roland jams. Uptempo, vaguely tribal percussion and punchy, beaming chords give an almost sunny disposition to the track, but the masterstroke of a 303 line that is the tune’s centerpiece is moody and glum enough to make it clearly a piece of Tin Man’s storied oeuvre. That bass line, easily my most listened to and loved of 2011 by a very generous margin, twists and turns through “Nonneo”‘s length, turning up the psychedelic cutoff and emotional resonance with each iteration. It didn’t get played out a whole lot, and I would like to think that’s because this one lay a bit too close to our hearts: playing it out would mean bearing our souls a little too much. During Tin Man’s staggering live set in New York earlier this year, the whole room certainly felt when that bass line came in, and I don’t think I was the only one with a glimmer in my eyes. (Chris Miller)

01. Omar-S, “Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance!!”
[FXHE] (buy)

Sometimes the track of the year truly defines it. (See Kassem Mosse’s “Untitled,” our top pick from last year, which seemed to neatly summarize everything that was happening in dance music in 2010.) But Omar-S, as high as his stock rose in 2011, has always existed a bit out of time, a scene and subgenre of one. Truth be told, “Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance!!” — first issued on a single-sided 12″ (that decoy side was truly a brilliant touch) earlier this year before presiding over Omar-S’ It Can Be Done But Only I Can Do It full-length — could have come out at any time for the last few decades, and it likely would have topped any year-end list it was a part of. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel or, as Machinedrum seemed to do this year, rip the wheels off the car and install magnetic levitators; rather, it invites us to revel in the power of a supremely well-oiled machine, and that’s no small feat. For while it may not ask much of us intellectually (as the title implies, there’s really only one reaction it’s after), “Here’s Your Trance” truly couldn’t have been made by a lesser producer: it’s as if Omar-S has spent his entire discography sorting out the very sounds bodies require to be set in motion, and we revelers are currently proving his hypothesis. And how lucky we are to be part of this experiment — the sort of chain reaction one imagines won’t be slowing down for some time. (Jordan Rothlein)

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<< 30-21

++

Staff Charts

Per Bojsen-Moller
01. Omar-S, “Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance!!” [FXHE Recordings]
02. Steffi ft. Virginia, “Yours” [Ostgut Ton]
03. James Blake, “The Wilhelm Scream” [Atlas Recordings]
04. Eduardo De La Calle, “Disco 05A” [Analog Solutions]
05. Zomby, “Natalia’s Song” [4AD]
06. Rick Wilhite, “Music Gonna Save the World Pt. 1″ [Music 4 Your Legs]
07. Spector, “Pipe Bomb” [Sound Signature]
08. BNJMN, “Keep The Power Out” [Rush Hour Direct Current]
09. Andy Stott, “North to South” [Modern Love]
10. Crystal Maze, “Crystal Maze” (Chicago Skyway Remix) [aDepth Audio]
11. Frank Martiniq, “Golden Dusk” (Panther Version by Scott Grooves and Kataconda) [Curle Recordings]
12. Vakula, “Dub As Always” [Shevchenko]
13. Eduardo De La Calle, “Disco 06A” [Analog Solutions]
14. Martyn, “Masks” [Brainfeeder]
15. Reggie Dokes, “Haiti” [Royal Oak]
16. Seaside Houz Boyz, “Deephouse Yall” [Crème Organization]
17. Oni Ayhun, “Meets Shangaan Electro” [Honest Jons]
18. Steffi, “Sadness” [Ostgut Ton]
19. Kassem Mosse, “Enoha” [Nonplus Records]
20. Hieroglyphic Being, “Night Thoughts (2AM Remix)” [Sequencias]
21. Oskar Offermann & Moomin, “Nasty Nate” [Aim]
22. Juju & Jordash, “Bleached Roots” [Rush Hour Recordings]
23. John Beltran, “Brilliant Flood (Kassem Mosse & Mix Mup Remix)” [Delsin]
24. Jerzzey Boy, “Get It Started” [My Love Is Underground]
25. Gunnar Jonsson, “Tempelhof Zoo” [Just Another Beat]
26. Mark E, “Call Me (Dixon Edit)” [Merc]
27. BNJMN, “Nightvision (Andy Stott Remix)” [Stolen Kisses]
28. Erdbeerschnitzel, “Always Remain” [3rd Strike]
29. Juniper, “Jovian Planet” [Ominira]
30. Myriadd, “Beyond This Life” [Crème Orginization]

Chris Burkhalter
01. Kassem Mosse, “Untitled A1″ [Workshop]
02. Spekter, “Pipe Bomb” [Sound Signature]
03. Move D, “Your Personal Healer” [Uzuri]
04. Rolando, “Junie” [Ostgut Ton]
05. Tin Man, “Nonneo” [Absurd Recotdings]
06. Instra:mental, “From The Start” [Autonomic]
07. Omar-S, “Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance!!” [FXHE]
08. Terrence Dixon, “The Parkhurst” [Thema]
09. Frank Martiniq, “Golden Dusk” (Panther Version by Scott Grooves & Kataconda) [Curle Recordings]
10. Nina Kraviz, “I’m Week” [Rekids]
11. D’Marc Cantu, “Set Free” [M>O>S]
12. Octo Octa, “High Reflection” [100% Silk]
13. Sandwell District, “Speed + Sound (Endless)” [Sandwell District]
14. Chicago Skyway & Dcook, “Lager Nord” [M>O>S]
15. 2562, “Aquatic Family Affair” [When In Doubt]
16. Terekke, “Damn” [L.I.E.S.]
17. Gerd, “Palm Leaves” [Royal Oak]
18. Ethyl & Flor, “Shelter” [Secretsundaze]
19. Lone, “All Those Weird Things” [Wigflex]
20. John Heckle, “The 4th Dimension” [Mathematics]
21. Ital, “Ital’s Theme” [100% Silk]
22. Kowton, “Show Me” [[Naked Lunch]]
23. Reggie Dokes, “Haiti” [Royal Oak]
24. Dijkhuis, “Underground Persistance” [Night Gallery]
25. Gesloten Cirkel, “Yamagic” [Moustache Records]
26. Protect-U, “U-Uno” [Future Times]
27. Benjamin Brunn, “Queen Mary” [Smallville]
28. Trevino, “Chip” [3024]
29. Murphy Jax, “It’s Time To Bump” [Turbo Recordings]
30. Raiders of the Lost Arp, “Night Theme” [Lunar Disko]

Nick Connellan
01. SCB, “Loss” [Aus Music]
02. Steffi, “Yours” [Ostgut Ton]
03. Roman Flügel, “Mulish Crease” [Live At Robert Johnson]
04. Roman Flügel, “Iron Curtain” [Live At Robert Johnson]
05. Marcel Dettmann, “Translation One” [Ostgut Ton]
06. Martyn & Mike Slott, “All Nights” [All City]
07. Todd Terje, “Ragysh” [Running Back]
08. Todd Terje,S”nooze 4 Love” [Running Back]
09. Robag Wruhme, “Ende” [Pampa]
10. Tin Man, “Nonneo” [Absurd]
11. Objekt, “CLK Recovery” [None (white label)]
12. Omar-S, “Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance” [FXHE]
13. RNDM, “Hideaway Lane (Dub)” [Laid]
14. Mathew Jonson, “Learning to Fly” [Minus]
15. Conforce, “Vacuum” [Delsin]
16. Julius Steinhoff, “Mischief of One Kind and Another” [Geography]
17. Legowelt, “Sark Island Acid” [Long Island Electrical Systems]
18. Basic Soul Unit, “Soulspeak” [Dolly]
19. Basic Soul Unit, “Groundswell” [New Kanada]
20. Juniper, “Jovian Planet” [Ominira]
21. Lawrence, “Just Like Heaven” [Smallville]
22. Cottam, “Sunrise Sunset” [Use of Weapons]
23. Dionne, “Back On the Planet” [Smallville]
24. Jacques Greene, “Another Girl” [LuckyMe]
25. Josef Jaktmark, “Breathless” [Crime City Disco]
26. Reggie Dokes, “Haiti” [Royal Oak]
27. Slow Hands, “Sweetest Taboo Cover” [Double Standard]
28. Stefan Lohse, “Fog Patches” [Uncanny Valley]
29. Legowelt, “Moonmist” [None (white label)]
30. Tiger & Woods, “Gin Nation” [Running Back]

Steve Kerr
01. Laurel Halo, “Head” [Hippos In Tanks]
02. Gesloten Cirkel, “Yamagic” [Moustache Techno]
03. Moomin, “Watermelon (Marvin Dash Edit)” [Aim]
04. Ital, “Culture Clubs” [Lovers Rock]
05. D’Marc Cantu, “Set Free” [M>O>S Recordings]
06. Prostitune, “NJ Turnpike” [Just Another Beat]
07. Minus Yogis, “All Tied Up (Juju & Jordash Gospel Mix)” [Jansen Jardin]
08. Kassem Mosse, “Untitled A1″ [Workshop]
09. Terekke, “Damn” [L.I.E.S.]
10. Burial, “Stolen Dog” [Hyperdub]
11. Legowelt, “Poverties Paradise” [Echovolt Records]
12. Virgo Four, “It’s A Crime (Caribou Remix)” [Rush Hour Recordings]
13. Spekter, “Pipe Bomb” [Sound Signature]
14. Protect-U, “World Music” [Future Times]
15. Invisible Conga People, “Can’t Feel My Knees” [DFA]
16. Genius of Time, “Houston We Have A Problem” [Royal Oak]
17. Vakula, “Dub As Always” [Shevchenko]
18. Juju & Jordash, “Chelm is Burning” [Golf Channel Recordings]
19. Jhene Aiko, “Do Better Blues Pt. 2″ (Marvin’s Room) [Self-Released]
20. Hype Williams, “Rise Up” [Hyperdub]
21. B-Tracks, “Specialize” [Supply Records]
22. George Fitzgerald, “Silhouette” (John Roberts Remix) [Aus Music]
23. CFCF, “Looking So” [UNO]
24. Reggie Dokes, “Haiti” [Royal Oak]
25. Abdulla Rashim, “Asayita 1″ [Abdulla Rashim Records]
26. MD, “Megapolitan Soul” [Not On Label]
27. Omar-S, “Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance!” [FXHE]
28. Jay Simon, “Faith” [Wild Oats]
29. Mark Ernestus, “Mark Ernestus Meets BBC” [Honest Jon's Records]
30. Panda Bear, “Surfers Hymn” (Actress Primitive Patterns Extended Mix) [Kompakt]

Anton Kipfel
01. The Citizen’s Band, “West 42nd” [Live At Robert Johnson]
02. D’Marc Cantu, “Set Free” [M>O>S Recordings]
03. EQD, “Equalized#005-B” [Equalized]
04. Crystal Maze, “Crystal Maze” (Chicago Skyway Remix) [aDepth Audio]
05. Matthew Styles, “Polee” [Running Back]
06. Hitsafe, “Let The Acid Out” (Tin Man Remix) [Shaddock Records]
07. Gesloten Cirkel, “Yamagic” [Moustache Techno]
08. Machinedrum, “Now U Know The Deal 4 Real” [Planet Mu]
09. Julius Steinhoff, “Mischief Of One Kind And Another” [Geography Records]
10. Storm Queen, “It Goes On” [Environ]
11. Roman Flügel, “Iron Curtain” [Live At Robert Johnson]
12. Martyn, “Masks” [Brainfeeder]
13. Oskar Offermann & Moomin, “Nasty Nate” [Aim]
14. Burial, “Stolen Dog” [Hyperdub]
15. Todd Terje, “Snooze 4 Love” [Running Back]
16. Jonsson/Alter, “En_Livfull Skildring” [Kontra-Musik]
17. BNJMN, “See Thru Stars” [Rush Hour Recordings]
18. Ital, “Ital’s Theme” [100% Silk]
19. Moomin, “Watermelon” (Marvin Dash Edit) [Aim]
20. Recloose, “Tecumseh” [Rush Hour Recordings]
21. Legowelt, “Sark Island Acid” [L.I.E.S.]
22. Genius of Time, “Houston We Have A Problem” [Royal Oak]
23. Steffi ft. Virginia, “Yours” [Ostgut Ton]
24. Levon Vincent, “Tyner” [Soul People Music]
25. Gerd, “Palm Leaves” [Royal Oak]
26. DJ Duke, “Summer Madness” [Self Defence]
27. 2562, “Wasteland” (Head High Remix) [When In Doubt]
28. Nebraska, “The Mountains” [Rush Hour Recordings]
29. Contakt, “Not Forgotten” [Local Action Records]
30. Kruse & Nürnberg, “Daze Without You” [Liebe*Detail]

Kuri Kondrak
01. Protect-U, “World Music [Future Times]
02. Anthony Nicholson, “Suntek” [Neroli]
03. Alex Israel, “Gaz 13 feat. Etiku Dancer” [W.T. Records]
04. Terrekke, “Damn” [L.I.E.S.]
05. Juju & Jordash, “Chelm Is Burning” [Golf Channel]
06. Dijkhuis, “Salt Caramel” [Night Gallery]
07. Kevin Reynolds, “Liaisons” [Nsyde]
08. Tin Man, “Nonneo “(Donato Dozzy Remix) [Absurd]
09. Fred P, “Somewhere” [Soul People]
10. Omar S, “Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance!!” [FXHE]
11. Juju & Jordash, “Bleached Roots” [Rush Hour]
12. Terrence Dixon, “City Nights” [Thema]
13. M.D., “Megapolitan Soul” [X]
14. John Heckle, “The 4th Dimension” [Mathematics]
15. Esteban Adame, “I’ll Never Give Up” [Underground Quality]
16. C-Beams, “Thumbling” [Uncanny Valley]
17. Mark Du Mosch, “Blue Sphere” [Tabernacle]
18. R-A-G, “Harold’s Invention” [M>O>S]
19. D’Marc Cantu, “Set Free” [M>O>S Deep]
20. Spekter, “Pipe Bomb” [Sound Signature]
21. Kassem Mosse, untitled A [Workshop]
22. o1o, “Beat Datazz” [Further]
23. Tangula, “Jebisu” [Diametric]
24. Royalty, “Twilight Fades” [Five Easy Pieces]
25. Paul Bennett, “After All The Tomorrows Became Yesterdays” [Modernista]
26. The Florian Muller Project, “Jam With It” (The Olverwho Factory Vocal Remix) [Terpsichore]
27. Eduardo De La Calle, “The Concept Sampler [Analog Solutions]
28. Martyn/Mike Slott, “Pointing Fingers” [All City]
29. DJ Yoav B, “Temptation” [Syncrophone]
30. Shokazulu, “Part 4″ [2000 Black]

Chris Miller
01. SCB, “Loss” [Aus Music]
02. Tin Man, “Nonneo” [Absurd Recordings]
03. Omar-S, “Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance!!” [FXHE]
04. Levon Vincent, “Man or Mistress” [Novel Sound]
05. Tin Man, “Rockers Ravers” [Salon]
06. Ital, “Ital’s Theme” [100% Silk]
07. DJ Qu, “Get Sum” [Strength Music]
08. Sepalcure, “Taking You Back” [Hotflush Recordings]
09. Andy Stott, “Posers” [Modern Love]
10. Kassem Mosse, “Workshop 12 A1″ [Workshop]
11. Legowelt, “Sark Island Acid” [Long Island Electrical Systems]
12. Juju & Jordash, “Chelm Is Burning” [Golf Channel Recordings]
13. Hunee, “A Leaf For Hand In Hand” [Ostgut Ton]
14. EQD, “Equalized #005 B” [Equalized]
15. Machinedrum, “She Died There” [Planet Mu]
16. Ital, “Only For Tonight (Dubout Saviour’s Love Megamix)” [100% Silk]
17. Pearson Sound, “Stifle” [Hessle Audio]
18. Mark Ernestus, “Mark Ernestus Meets Shangaan Electro” [Honest Jon’s]
19. Black Jazz Consortium, “Stay” [Soul People Music]
20. Joy O, “Jels” [Hotflush Recordings]
21. Midland, “Through Motion” [Aus Music]
22. Martyn, “We Are You In The Future” [Brainfeeder]
23. Reagenz, “The Labyrinth” [Ostgut Ton]
24. Harkin & Raney, “Workin’ & Steamin’” [Throne of Blood]
25. Steffi feat. Virginia, “Yours” [Ostgut Ton]
26. D’Marc Cantu, “Set Free” [MOS Deep]
27. Versalife, “Solenoids of Insomnia” [Clone West Coast]
28. Octo Octa, “High Reflections” [100% Silk]
29. Patrice Scott, “3AM” [Sistrum]
30. Unknown Artist, “Sicko Cell” [Swamp81]

Steve Mizek
01. Todd Terje, “Snooze 4 Love” [Running Back]
02. Storm Queen, “It Goes On” [Environ]
03. Osker Offermann & Moomin, “Nasty Nate” [Aim]
04. Hercules & Love Affair, “My House” [Mochi Mochi]
05. BNJMN, “See Thru Stars” [Rush Hour Recordings]
06. Tin Man, “Nonneo” [Absurd Recordings]
07. Gerd, “Palm Leaves” [Royal Oak]
08. RNDM, “Hideaway Lane” (Dub) [Laid]
09. Roman Flügel, “Bahia Blues Bootcamp” [Dial]
10. Ital, “Ital’s Theme” [100% Silk]
11. Lauer, “HR Boss” [Live At Robert Johnson]
12. John Heckle, “What Once Was” [Mathematics Recordings]
13. Portable, “Fadeaway” [Perlon]
14. The Citizen’s Band, “West 42nd” [Live At Robert Johnson]
15. Ricardo Miranda, “Urbanism” [Noble Square Recordings]
16. Gesloten Cirkel, “Yamagic” [Moustache Techno]
17. Cuthead, “The Sinner” [Uncanny Valley]
18. Maxi Mill, “To The Next” [Rush Hour Recordings]
19. The Weeknd, “What You Need” [self-released]
20. SCB, “Loss” [Aus Music]
21. Peverelist, “Dance Til the Police Come” [Hessle Audio]
22. Nebraska, “The Cruives” [Rush Hour Recordings]
23. Cavalier, “Lipizzan” [Drumpoet Community]
24. OCP, “Little More” [Aim]
25. Prostitune, “NJ Turnpike” [Just Another Beat]
26. Kevin Reynolds, “Liasons” [Nsyde Music]
27. Morning Factory, “Fantasy Check” [Royal Oak]
28. FaltyDL, “Voyager” [Planet Mu]
29. Julius Steinhoff, “Mischief Of One Kind and Another” [Geography Records]
30. Spekter, “Pipe Bomb” [Sound Signature]

Jordan Rothlein
01. Tin Man, “Lost In LA” [Salon]
02. Vakula, “Picture Of You” [Dekmantel]
03. Omar-S, “Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance!!” [FXHE]
04. Machinedrum, “Come1″ [Planet Mu]
05. Levon Vincent, “Man Or Mistress” [Novel Sound]
06. Roman Flügel, “Brasil” [Dial]
07. Tin Man, “Nonneo (Donato Dozzy Remix)” [Acid Test]
08. Legowelt, “Poverties Paradise” [Echovolt]
09. SCB, “Loss” [Aus Music]
10. Sepalcure, “Taking You Back” [Hotflush]
11. Tin Man, “Nonneo” [Acid Test]
12. Steffi feat. Virginia, “Yours” [Ostgut Ton]
13. Archie Pelago, “ArcJoe” [Slime Recordings]
14. Boddika, “Soul What” [Swamp81]
15. Cottam, “Deep Deep Down” [Aus Music]
16. Ital, “Culture Clubs” [Lovers Rock]
17. Mark Ernestus Meets BBC, “Version 1″ [Honest Jon's]
18. Morphosis, “Too Far (Marcel Dettmann Definition 1)” [Delsin]
19. FaltyDL, “Voyager” [Planet Mu]
20. Harkin & Raney, “Workin’ & Steamin’” [Throne Of Blood]
21. Gerd, “Palm Leaves” [Royal Oak]
22. John Osborn, “Epoch4″ [TONSTAAFL]
23. Lauer, “H.R. Boss” [Live At Robert Johnson]
24. Incyde, “Axis” [Hotflush]
25. Kassem Mosse, “Untitled (A1 – Workshop 12)” [Workshop]
26. Mathew Jonson, “Dayz” [Crosstown Rebels]
27. Holger Zilske, “E Preciso Acreditar (Axel Boman Remix)” [Acid Test]
28. Achterbahn D’Amour, “Trance Me Up (I Wanna Go Higher)” [Acid Test]
29. Scuba, “Adrenalin” [Hotflush]
30. Burial, “Stolen Dog” [Hyperdub]

Andrew Ryce
01. Blawan, “Getting Me Down” [Not On Label]
02. Andy Mac, “Everytime” [Punch Drunk]
03. SCB, “Loss” [Aus]
04. Kahn, “Like We Used To” [Punch Drunk]
05. Mosca, “Done Me Wrong” [Numbers]
06. M83, “Midnight City” [Mute]
07. Scuba, “Adrenalin” [Hotflush]
08. P Money & Blacks, “Boo You” [Butterz]
09. 2562, “Aquatic Family Affair,” [When In Doubt]
10. Kevin McPhee, “Get In With You” [nakedlunch]
11. XI, “Gamma Rain” [Orca]
12. Boddika, “Soul What?” [Swamp81]
13. Pearson Sound, “Deep Inside Refix” [Night Slugs]
14. Hackman, “Close” [Greco-Roman]
15. Peverelist, “Dance Till The Police Come” [Hessle Audio]
16. James Fox, “New Jack Swing” [Well Rounded Housing Project]
17. T Williams, “Break Broke” [Local Action]
18. LV, “Northern Line” [Keysound]
19. West Norwood Cassette Library, “Get Lifted”
[West Norwood Cassette Library]
20. Distal, “Angry Acid” [Tectonic]
21. Jon Convex, “Falling Again” [3024]
22. Steffi, “Yours” [Ostgut-Ton]
23. xxxy, “Ordinary Things” [Ten Thousand Yen]
24. Maya Jane Coles, “Focus Now” [2020 Vision]
25. Spectr, “Dance 4 Me” [Roska Kicks & Snares]
26. Terror Danjah, “Full Attention” [Hardrive]
27. Paul Woolford & Psycatron, “Stolen” [Hotflush]
28. Kassem Mosse, “Enoha” [NonPlus+]
29. Bulb, “Tenderness” [Kokeshi]
30. Pangaea, “Inna Daze” [Hessle Audio]

Harry Sword
01. Mark Ernestus, “Mark Ernestus meets BBC” [Honest Jons]
02. Regis, “In a Syrian Tounge” [Blackest Ever Black]
03. Peverelist, “Dance till the Police Come” [Hessle Audio]
04. Nochexx, “Savage Herald” [Ramp]
05. AnD, “Hydrothermal” [Idle Hands]
06. Kowton, “Keep Walking” [Naked Lunch]
07. Andy Stott, “passed me by” [Modern Love]
08. Kaseem Mosse, “Workshop 12″ [Workshop]
09. Blawan, “what you do with what you have” [R and S]
10. G.H, “Ground” [Modern Love]
11. Pigon, “Sunrise Industry” [Dial]
12. Marcel Dettman, “Planning” [Ostgut]
13. Floorplan, “Baby Baby” [M Plant]
14. Pacific Blue, “Industry Part 1″ [Pacific Blue]
15. Midland, “Bring Joy” [More Music]
16. Paul Woolford and Psycatron, “Stolen” [Hotflush]
17. Boddika, “Electron” [Swamp 81]
18. Martyn, “Masks” [Brainfeeder]
19. Basic Soul Unit, “soulspeak” [Dolly]
20. Norman Nodge, “The Happenstance” [Ostgut]
21. Cooly G, “Its Serious” [Hyperdub]
22. D1, “Subzero” [Hessle Audio]
23. Legowelt, “Sark Island Acid” [Long Island Electrical Systems]
24. Bassclef, “Rollercoasters of the Heart” [Punch Drunk]
25. Ecoplecz, “Daytron Romance” [Mordant Music]
26. Shifted, “Control” [Mote Evolver]
27. Planetary Assault Systems, “The Messenger” [Mote Evolver]
28. Raime, “Told and Collapsed” [Blackest Ever Black]
29. Andy Stott, “we stay together” [Modern Love]
30. Jon Convex, “Convexations” [2562]