LWE’s Top 20 Singles of 2008 (Part 4)


05. Matias Aguayo, “Minimal”
[Kompakt] (buy)

In the year that minimal either went cynical or cyclical, or simply gave its critical audience more to harp about than usual, Matias Aguayo played devil’s advocate with “Minimal.” Aguayo’s late-night lover-man persona can be hard to read, so who really knows if this is smackdown or pisstake (I daresay it’s both at the same time), but it’s the groove that carries the track, a bumptious, licentious shake and slide. File it next to Barbara Morgenstern’s “Come To Berlin” (its sister track) as polemic you can party to. (Jon Dale)

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04. The Mole, “Baby, You’re The One”
[Wagon Repair] (buy)

The Mole really out-did himself with this towering monster of a track, finding the perfect intersection between poppy house music and forcefully looped production. Whirling onto dance floors like a cyclone, it was near impossible not to be ensnared in its hopscotched rhythms, chanting along to fiercely cheerful vocal samples, heads thrown back, faces plastered with smiles. Some of my favorite moments while dancing this year involved this song and massive amplification, and I think I know why. (Steve Mizek)

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03. Dave Aju, “Crazy Place”
[Circus Company] (buy)

It’s hard not to think of “Crazy Place” as epic — all slow motion build, a wobbling warm siren against a landscape of percussion. But even though “Crazy Place” might’ve been built from Aju’s mouth, what really mattered is how large he could make it sound. Open wide, indeed. (Nate DeYoung)

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02. DJ Bone, “No Sleep (True To Da Roots)”
[Sect Records] (buy)

In a year where the influence of the Motor City was proliferate in house and techno, one of its native sons effortlessly showed the rest how it’s done with this jacking, emotive firestorm of a track. With its tough, raw proclivity and yearning, melodic soul all filtered through a mesmerizing key line “No Sleep” made itself a 2008 essential. This faultless stripped back funk served as reminder that sometimes it’s the simpler things that pack the most heart. (Per Bojsen-Moller)

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01. tobias., “I Can’t Fight The Feeling”
[Wagon Repair] (buy)

2008 will be remembered as the year Tobias Freund struck back. Whether it was a tirelessly excellent stream of remixes or his work for Wagon Repair and Ostgut Tonträger, Freund was at the top of his game and a resurgent master of techno. The year’s best song was also his, the hypnotic “I Can’t Fight The Feeling.” Freund coaxes such sympathetically savage patterns from his synths which grow more potent each time the sultry vocals crawl up your spine and into your brain. Connecting with body and soul, “I Can’t Fight The Feeling” is the deepest and most heartfelt piece of techno I’ve heard all year. (Steve Mizek)

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Read individual staff lists after the jump.

Staff Singles List:

Per Bojsen-Moller:
01. Vladislav Delay, “Recovery Idea” (Andy Stott remix) [Semantica Records]
02. DJ Bone, “No Sleep (True To Da Roots)” [Sect Records]
03. Claro Intelecto, “Operation” [Modern Love]
04. Prosumer & Murat Tepeli, “Serenity” (Soundstream’s Dusty Machine Mix) [Ostgut Tonträger]
05. Force Of Nature, “Sequencer” (Stefan Goldmann Macro Version) [Mule Musiq]
06. Bvdub, “Vermillion” [Millions Of Moments]
07. Shackleton, “Death Is Not Final” [Skull Disco]
08. TRG, “Broken Heart” (Martyn’s DCM remix) [Hessle Audio]
09. Silent Servant, “Lo Profundo” [Historia Y Violencia]
10. Black Dog, “Train By The Autobahn” (Robert Hood’s DJ Mix)
[Soma Quality Recordings]
11. Headhunter, “In Motion” [Tempa]
12. Sascha Funke, “Mango” (DJ Koze’s Pink Moon remix) [BPitch Control]
13. Santiago Salazar, “Santuario” [Historia Y Violencia]
14. Simon Flower, “Still Here, Still There” [Curl Curl]
15. Miss Fitz, “Drifting On” [Contexterrior]
16. Sami Koivikko, “Sapphire” (Daso & Pawas remix) [Spectral Sound]
17. Deadbeat, “Deep Structure” [Wagon Repair]
18. Nicolas Jaar, “The Student” [Wolf + Lamb]
19. Kenny Larkin, “Glob” [Planet E]
20. Morgan Geist, “Detroit” [Environ]
21. Seth Troxler & Patrick Russell, “Love Spray” [Circus Company]
22. DJ Koze, “I Want To Sleep” [International Records Recordings]
23. Wareika, “Belonging” (Vocal Mix) [Eskimo Records]
24. 2562, “Channel Two” [Tectonic]
25. Mikkel Metal, “Lumever” [Echochord]
26. Appleblim & Peverelist, “Circling” [Skull Disco]
27. Slowhouse, “Slowhouse 2 A1” [Slowhouse]
28. Loco Dice, “Black Truffles” [Desolat]
29. Ricardo Villalobos, “Minimoonstar” [Perlon]
30. Move D, “Drøne” [Modern Love]

Jon Dale:
01. DJ Sprinkles, “Ball’r (Madonna Free Zone)” [Mule Musiq]
02. Barbara Morgenstern, “Come To Berlin” [Monika Enterprise]
03. Matias Aguayo, “Minimal” [Kompakt]
04. Ricardo Villalobos, “Enfants” [Sei Es Drum]
05. A Guy Called Gerald, “In Ya Head” [Perlon]

Nate DeYoung:
01. Appleblim & Peverelist, “Circling” [Skull Disco]
02. Paleface feat. Kyla, “Do You Mind” (Crazy Cousins remix) [Maximum Bass]
03. Omar-S, “Psychotic Photosynthesis” [FXHE]
04. DJ Koze, “Zou Zou” [Kompakt]
05. Hercules & Love Affair, “Blind” (Frankie Knuckles remix) [DFA]
06. Zomby, “Liquid Dancehall” [Ramp]
07. Matias Aguayo, “Minimal (DJ Koze Remix)” [Kompakt]
08. Move D, “Drøne” [Modern Love]
09. The Mole, “Baby, You’re the One” [Wagon Repair]
10. Dave Aju, “Crazy Place” [Circus Company]
11. D1, “I’m Loving” [Tempa]
12. Matthew Styles, “We Said Nothing” [Diamonds & Pearls Music]
13. Seth Troxler, “Doctor of Romance” [Circus Company]
14. Sascha Dive, “Deepest America” (Moodymann remix) [Ornaments]
15. Mugwump, “Boutade” [Misercord]
16. TRG, “Broken Heart” (Martyn’s DCM remix) [Hessle Audio]
17. Laughing Light of Plenty, “The Rose” [Whatever We Want]
18. Adriano Celentano, “Prisencolinensinaincuisol” (GW Ruff Edit) [Ruff Edits]
19. Darkstar, “Need You” [Hyperdub]
20. Ricardo Villalobos, “Minimoonstar” [Perlon]
21. Sety, “Mogane” (Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts remix) [Circus Company]
22. Chymera, “Ellipsis” [Figure]
23. C.B. Funk, “Subway to Cologne” [Story]
24. Joker, “Snake Eater” [Soul Motive]
25. The Juan Maclean, “Happy House” [DFA]
26. Afefe Iku, “Mirror Dance” [Yoruba]
27. Loco Dice, “Pimp Jackson is Talkin’ Now!!!” [Desolat]
28. Richard Bartz, “Diamond Girl” [Kompakt]
29. Theo Parrish, “Love Triumphant” [Sound Signature]
30. Andomat 3000, “Vertical Smile” [Cécille Records]

Todd Hutlock:
01. Ricardo Villalobos, “Minimoonstar” [Perlon]
02. Marcel Dettmann, “Lattice” [MDR]
03. Intrusion, “Tswana Dub” (Beat Pharmacy Dub) [echospace [Detroit]]
04. Sascha Dive, “Deepest America (Moodymann remix) [Ornaments]
05. Matias Aguayo, “Minimal” [Kompakt]
06. Dave Aju, “Crazy Place” [Circus Company]
07. Kevin Saunderson, “Good Love” (Luciano’s Good Love remix) [KMS]
08. Pacou, “Sound of Thought” (DeepChord Mix) [Cache]
09. Mikkel Metal, “Frico” (Pole remix) [Echocord]
10. A Guy Called Gerald, “In Ya Head” [Perlon]
11. DJ Bone, “No Sleep (True To Da Roots)” [Sect Records]
12. Petar Dundov, “Oasis” [Music Man Records]
13. tobias., “I Can’t Fight The Feeling” [Wagon Repair]
14. John Roberts, “Hesitate” [Dial]
15. Stimming, “Una Pena” [Diynamic]
16. Portable, “Release” [Perlon]
17. Rhadoo, “Slagare” [Cadenza]
18. Super Flu, “Rattelschneck” [Traum]
19. DOP, “I’m Just A Man” [Eklo]
20. Model 500, “Starlight” (Mike Huckaby SYNTH remix) [echospace [detroit]]
21. Dave Aju, “Crazy Place” (Luciano’s “Likuid” remix) [Circus Company]
22. Omar-S, “The Further You Look – The Less You Will See” [FXHE Records]
23. Francesco Tristano, “The Melody” (C2 remix) [Infiné]
24. Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts, “They Only Come Out At Night”
[Musique Risquée]
25. Invisible Conga People, “Cable Dazed” [Italians Do It Better]
26. Melchior Productions Ltd, “Choir” [Cadenza]
27. The Mole, “Baby, You’re The One” [Wagon Repair]
28. Cassy, “A Plea For Me” [Cocoon]
29. Efdemin, “America” [Curle Recordings]
30. STL, “Lost In Brown Eyes” [Perlon]

Will Lynch:
01. Move D, “Jus House” [Uzuri]
02. Melchior Productions Ltd, “Who Can Find Me” [Cadenza]
03. Deepchord Presents Echospace, “Untitled” [Modern Love]
04. Prosumer & Murat Tepeli Feat. Elif Biçer, “Turn Around” (Cassysmoothmix) [Ostgut Tonträger]
05. Ricardo Villalobos, “Enfants (Chants)” [Sei Es Drum]
06. Mikael Stavostrand, “Dark Eyes” [Lick My Deck]
07. The Mole, “Baby, You’re the One” [Wagon Repair]
08. Four Tet, “Wing Body Wing” [Domino Recording Company]
09. Matthew Styles, “We Said Nothing” [Diamonds & Pearls Music]
10. Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts, “They Only Come Out At Night”
[Musique Risquée]
11. Lowtec, “Untitled A1” [Workshop]
12. Bruno Pronsato & Daze Maxim, “Take 1” [Musique Risquee]
13. Toby Tobias, “The Feeling” (John Daly remix) [REKIDS]
14. Shed, “Another Wedged Chicken” [Ostgut Tonträger]
15. Shackleton, “Shortwave (Pole remix) [~scape]
16. tobias., “I Can’t Fight The Feeling” [Wagon Repair]
17. Bruno Pronsato, “Nobody Calls” [Hello? Repeat]
18. Kassem Mosse, “578” [Mikrodisko Recordings]
19. Gabriel Ananda, “Mahatma Regatta” [Platzhirsch Schallplatten]
20. Efdemin, “The Pulse” [Curle Recordings]
21. Radio Slave, “K-Maze” [REKIDS]
22. TRG, “Soho Girls” [Naked Lunch]
23. Forsaken, “Boat Noodles” [Punch Drunk]
24. Adam Beyer & Agaric, “California Gold’ [Mad Eye]
25. Move D, “Drøne” [Modern Love]
26. Pigon, “Kamm” [Beatstreet]
27. Radio Slave, “Tantakatan” (The Drunken Shed Mix) [REKIDS]
28. Claro Intelecto, “Rise” [Modern Love]
29. Peverelist, “Gather” [Punch Drunk]
30. Martyn, “Natural Selection” [3024]

Steve Mizek:
01. tobias., “I Can’t Fight This Feeling” [Wagon Repair]
02. DJ Bone, “No Sleep (True To Da Roots)” [Sect Records]
03. Osborne, “Ruling” [Spectral Sound]
04. Ben Klock, “October” [BPitch Control]
05. Sound Stream, “‘Live’ Goes On” [Sound Stream]
06. Niggemann & Poppke, “L’aurora” (Agnes Chicago Take) [Moonpool]
07. Henrik Schwarz, Ame & Dixon, “D.P.O.M.B.” (Version 2) [Innervisions]
08. Dave Aju, “Crazy Place” [Circus Company]
09. Ricardo Villalobos, “Electonic Water” [Perlon]
10. Lee Jones, “As You Like It” (Recloose remix) [Aus Music]
11. The Mole, “Baby, You’re the One” [Wagon Repair]
12. DJ Sprinkles, “Midtown 120 Blues” [Mule Musiq]
13. Hercules & Love Affair, “Blind” (Hercules Club Mix) [DFA]
14. Mixworks, “Berlin Dub” [Mixworks]
15. Scott, “Memory Core” (Paul Frick remix) [My Best Friend]
16. Matias Aguayo, “Minimal” (DJ Koze remix) [Kompakt]
17. Kevin Saunderson, “Good Love” (Luciano’s Good Love remix) [KMS]
18. SIS, “Nesrib” [Cecille Records]
19. My My, “Everybody’s Talkin” [Playhouse]
20. dOP, “Cum With Me” [Milnor Modern]
21. Intrusion, “Intrusion” (Phase 90 Reshape) [echospace [detroit]]
22. STL, “Zeitsprung” [Something]
23. Melchior Productions, “Who Can Find Me (I Can’t)” [Cadenza]
24. Luke Solomon, “People, Places, Thoughts And Faces” (Ajello Remix) [REKIDS]
25. John Roberts, “Hesitate” [Dial]
26. Matthew Styles, “We Said Nothing” [Diamonds & Pearls Music]
27. Burger/Voigt, “Wand Aus Klang” [Kompakt]
28. Cassy, “A Poem For You” [Uzuri]
29. Brendon Moeller, “N-Train” [Third Ear]
30. Francesco Tristano, “The Melody” (Carl Craig remix) [Infiné]

Colin Shields:
01. Shackleton, “…But The Branch Is Weak” [Skull Disco]
02. Move D & Benjamin Brunn, “Radar” [Smallville Records]
03. Wax, “Wax 10001 A” [Wax]
04. Andy Stott, “Hostile” [Modern Love]
05. Luke Hess & Omar-S, “Renewal Part II” [FXHE Records]
06. tobias., “I Can’t Fight The Feeling” [Wagon Repair]
07. Slowhouse, “Three B1” [Slowhouse]
08. Lawrence, “Miles” [Dial]
09. Shed, “ITHAW” [Ostgut Tonträger]
10. Move D, “Sisters and Brothers” [Uzuri]
11. Marcel Fengler, “Friction” [Ostgut Tonträger]
12. Sebbo, “Watamu Beach” (Moritz Von Oswald remix) [Desolat]
13. Vladislav Delay, “Recovery Idea” (Andy Stott remix) [Semantica Records]
14. Shackleton, “…But The Branch Is Weak” (Geiom Mix) [Skull Disco]
15. Luke Hess, “Believe and Receive” (Shed’s Deepanddubbydub remix)
[Kontra Musik]
16. Kevin Saunderson, “Good Love” (Luciano’s Good Love remix) [KMS]
17. Model 500, “Starlight” (Mike Huckaby S Y N T H remix) [echospace [detroit]]
18. Omar-S, “The Further You Look – The Less you Will See” [FXHE Records]
19. Radio Slave, “Tantakatan” (The Drunken Shed Mix) [REKIDS]
20. Silent Servant, “Violencia” (Function remix) [Sandwell District]
21. Sven Weisemann, “Slices” (Boris Hotton remix) [liebe*detail spezial]
22. Toby Tobias, “The Feeling” [REKIDS]
23. Sound Stream, “‘Live’ Goes On” [Sound Stream]
24. Martyn, “Vancouver” [3024]
25. Ricardo Villalobos, “Minimoonstar” [Perlon]
26. Radio Slave, “K-Maze” [REKIDS]
27. Marcel Dettmann, “Plain” [Beatstreet]
28. 2562, “Channel Two” [Tectonic]
29. Kassem Mosse, “578” [Mikrodisko Recordings]
30. Cassy, “Idle Blues” [Cassy]

Read the rest of our Top 20 singles lists:

20-16
15-11
10-6

tom/pipecock  on December 25, 2008 at 7:15 AM

you guys all have some good picks that didn’t make the final list throughout your individual picks as well. good stuff. i have to say though, i think the best Dave Aju track by far is “Anyway” which i conveniently forgot about in any of my year end polling due to not mentioning it on the blog when i got it. but that one crushes “Crazy Place” for me. keep up the good work in 09!

harpomarx42  on December 25, 2008 at 4:03 PM

No love for DPOMB, Steve? I’m surprised…

littlewhiteearbuds  on December 25, 2008 at 4:57 PM

It made my personal top 10, as you can see, but I was the only one to vote for it.

harpomarx42  on December 25, 2008 at 9:13 PM

Also, no love on ANYBODY’s charts for ‘Flat Axe’. Shame.

Diverse selection from all though. Good show!

chrisdisco  on December 27, 2008 at 9:36 AM

very glad the original of the aju track got picked. i have no idea why people like the luciano mix. it is such a half-hearted effort and sounds so lame compared to the original.

james kartsaklis  on December 27, 2008 at 7:28 PM

1. Surprised STL wasn’t on the radar or further up the lists. Still love “Lost in Brown Eyes.”
2. The original version of “Minimal” doesn’t do it for me at all. DJ Koze interpretation deserves all the praise it has received, but the original is (ironically) as boring as what’s being decried.
4. Personally had a great year getting to know Freund + co., and find it somehow fitting re: your #1 pick. Favorits that didn’t necessarily come out this year (aside from Margaret Dygas’ record) but that did find their way into my crate have been the Odd Machine record as well as an NSP track on Cadenza limited, “Clara Ghavami.” Very well done with the EP but the originals top the “versions.”
3. 2008 will go down (for me, at least) as the year of SECT 1. What a fucking record!

james kartsaklis  on December 27, 2008 at 7:30 PM

Not versions but “Beat Studies” rather.
Also his (Freund’s) remix for Jim Rivers’ “Mirage” is unbelievable.

hutlock  on December 27, 2008 at 10:34 PM

I’m with you on STL, James — I had “Lost In Brown Eyes” on my list at least (and I think I’m the only one!), but in retropsect, I wish I had ranked it higher. I think it was cursed with having come out so early in the year — January and February releases always get screwed on these charts thanks to the sheer number of tracks that come out in a given year. Oh well.

Also, are you talking about the one-sided release of “Clara Ghavami” with the Luciano/Tobias edit on it (Cadenza 5.5)? If so, I’m right with you on that — I bought it years ago, but that shit is never far from my turntable.

harpomarx42  on December 27, 2008 at 10:44 PM

@jameskartsaklis Agreed. That “Mirage” track is unbeatlievable (yes I made that word up.)

Another good track this year was Iron Curtis – Ass & Cash. One of the few tracks I know of that samples Allen Ginsberg.

james kartsaklis  on December 28, 2008 at 12:34 PM

@Hutlock, did see “Lost in Brown Eyes” on your list after putting together my own (based more on mixes and LP, don’t even know where to start w/ EP). Just kinda surprised STL didn’t get more “year end love” considering he had a pretty solid 2008.

Also, yeah, the single sided record on Cadenza… so good, man. I’ve been picking up quite a bit of excellent used techno at Gramaphone, I think either someone is selling off a collection or a bunch of different people are bringing in quality stuff. Either way, that’s how I got it, and I am loving it.

@Harpo, nice neologism you’ve got there. Also digging the title art on your xmas mix, which I have yet to listen to but will very soon.

james kartsaklis  on December 28, 2008 at 12:35 PM

re: “Mirage,” wasn’t so much into the original but that remix is truly “unbeatlievable.”

Al Smith  on January 4, 2009 at 9:25 AM

Very surprised not to see Pepe Bradocks Mandragore anywhere.

Krul  on January 8, 2009 at 6:11 AM

nobody mentioned kreon & lemos? :( poor greeks… and they did such a good job this year.

Trackbacks

Little White Earbuds » LWE’s Top 20 Singles of 2008 (Part 3)  on December 24, 2008 at 9:17 PM

[…] Read Part Four of our top singles list here. […]

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