There’s long been talk about podcasts usurping mix CDs, but that never felt as overwhelmingly possible as it did in 2010. It isn’t just that there were only a handful of convincing commercial mixes available, although that certainly didn’t help. What really made the influx of podcasts feel so intense was the sheer quantity of them. Plenty sit here on my computer unheard simply because of time constraints and there are hundreds more out there just waiting to be discovered. 2010 may have been stocked to the brim with WikiLeaks and anti-austerity protests, but some days it seems that neither compare to the glut of podcasts. That said, I cannot claim this is the definitive list of the best mixes from the second half of 2010, but these are the ten that hit me the hardest and still get regularly aired. If you want to know the soundtrack to this writer’s 2010, this list and the first half list should just about cover it.

Steffi – mnml ssgs labyrinth special
Steffi’s productions may tend towards deep, sometimes-vocal house (just check her latest “Reasons” for Underground Quality or “Kill Me” on Ostgut Ton), but as a DJ she’s nearly impossible to define. What’s most impressive about her mixes are the many moods and styles she manages to go through while keeping everything cohesive, and her mix for mnml ssgs in anticipation of Labyrinth was no exception. Her deft touch and always killer selection make her one of the most exciting DJs, and made this mix simply one of the best of the year.

Peverelist – RA.218
I can’t quite figure out Peverelist. On the one hand, he seems to be one of the only DJs around with a purist attitude towards dubstep, and on the other hand he pushes bass music further than almost anyone else. Both sides are on display in his killer contribution to RA’s podcast series, where Pev keeps true to dubplate culture while showcasing some of Punch Drunk’s finest 2010 emissions (of which there were many) and plenty of other big tunes the UK offered up this year. Essential.

reagenz – lunar landing live
David Moufang and Jonah Sharp’s recent releases on Workshop were excellent, but hardly the only reason the reagenz project has been so vital. This vast, immersive live set, made available at the beginning of this year on Soundcloud, has been on constant repeat for me. Kicking off with slowly moving textures and eventually encompassing more beat-driven pieces (climaxing with, of course, the indomitable “Keep Building”) resulted in an incredible, glowing set. As a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, nothing sent me to the moon quite like this.

Function – Promo Mix 009 /// Red Zone
Function: Sandwell Collective member, techno extraordinaire. But that would be selling Dave Sumner’s talents short, given that his Promo Mix representing New York’s Red Zone in 1991 was an incredible trip through the most classic of house music. This mix, and its explanation provide a top notch history lesson, from the use of rotary mixers to the decay of New York nightlife in the early 90′s.

Conforce – FACT mix 168
Conforce may have produced one of the best EPs of this year (the incredible, ethereal Grace EP on Delsin), but his sheer talent was probably best on display in this sterling live set. FACT’s podcast series can be a tough one to keep up with, but this mix shines brightly above the almost one hundred podcasts they offered this year. Melodic and swinging, this hit my techno pleasure zones every time.

Eli Verveine – bptchk! fanzine #03
I feel like Eli Verveine may be the most underrated DJ on the planet. Perhaps my perception of her popularity is a bit off, but if gigs were booked based on straight talent Eli would be traveling the world with the best of them. Her “Rawmance” mix for French website-cum-print-publication Boing Poum Tchak! is a perfect example of her warm and romantic style. To dance with fireside with a bottle of red wine.

Ramadanman – Bestimix 23
These days Ramadanman sets are almost unfair given that he can play so many of his own productions and dubs. The man’s 12″s and various unreleased goodies this year were like gold; giving any DJ who wielded them an incredible leg up. That’s not to diminish David Kennedy’s own DJing chops, as his Bestimix is an addicting mix of modern bass music. But when his own productions hit, watch out.

JD Twitch – Optimo Podcast 06: Acid Eyeful
Optimo may be known for their eclectic DJ sets, but when they focus on a singular sound the results can be staggering. Case in point: JD Twitch’s ode to acid house “Acid Eyeful” (cheeky name). Flurries of 808s and, of course, 303s are all here, sure to induce wild and jacking acid flashbacks. A great companion to their fabric 52 CD, released around the same time.

Autonomic Layer 11
The Instra:Mental/dBridge/Autonomic juggernaut has been near unstoppable this year. Their own label NonPlus+ reached well outside the confines of drum and bass (Kassem Mosse, Actress), and so do the Autonomic mixes. While 2009 saw a new one almost every month, the appearance of Layer 11 in October after an unfortunate drought was more than a welcome sight. Unsurprisingly it’s a destructive bit of modern drum and bass, electro, house, and everything in between, bookmarked by the always-enjoyable influences sections. If you want to hear the future, the Autonomic crew have you covered.

John Roberts – LWE Podcast 59
We’ve gotta give props to our own series, especially in a year where we felt with each Monday came a really killer listen. Picking just one LWE mix from the past couple months has caused many headaches, but I’ve got to give it up to John Robert’s magical set of dusty Chicago house. Classics from Trax, Robert Owens and others sat alongside future classics, especially Roberts’ own “Porcelain.”

[Workshop]

Improvisation. In house? Sure, DJs do it every night. Move D did it before with Benjamin Brunn on Songs From The Beehive, creating sketches beforehand but recording everything in more or less real time. Plenty of parallels exist between that record and Playtime but none are quite so telling as this. To be frank, I don’t know if the recording of Playtime was actually in real time or improvised, but this is a release whose unfolding seems so natural and human it seems unlikely that it’s the work of automation. Many complain about the lack of musicianship in house and techno, and Playtime serves, in part, as a solid response to such silly claims.

[zero r="Playtime" a="Reagenz" t="Keep Building"]

Sure, Playtime may violate most of Workshop’s criteria, but its devotion to analog synthesis feels right at home on a label that’s become the poster child for the those interested in all things sans-MIDI. This is a showcase of two virtuosos of their machines, or in some cases guitars, as on the building early-morning workout of “Dinner With Q.” Guitars in electronic music are a hard thing to pull off, but Reagenz make it feel like they’ve belonged all along, with Moufang’s airy guitar complementing the breezy electronics and vocal hums surrounding it. “Shibuya Day,” recorded at the home of a Japanese synth collector, is a laid back and mostly beatless play with texture.

“Keep Building” is the star dance floor cut of the pack, pairing warbled narration from Fred P with what sounds like a constantly descending bass line. Its thirteen minutes feel almost stunted; the slow but steady changes and progression Moufang and Sharp provide keep every bar captivating. Elsewhere, shorter cuts like “Freerotation” combine cloudy backgrounds with almost two-stepping percussion. The 23 minute “Du Bist Hier!” closes the record on an ambient note, and is a nice way to finish off a record full of both parallels and differences. Unlike Songs From The Beehive, Playtime has the floor at the front of its mind, and its ambient passages seem directed straight towards the chill out rooms of yore.

[zero r="Playtime" a="Reagenz" t="Freerotation"]

Given some of the previous releases on Workshop one might not expect Playtime to be quite as light as it is, but with its brisk sound and natural progressions it’s one of the most enjoyable listens I’ve come across in awhile. Many great electronic works (of 2009 at least) trended towards the dark and serious (Vertical Ascent, Three EPs), but Playtime evokes the kind of feeling that its name does: a sense of play and light-heartedness connected with childhood. As academic as you like, Reagenz combine the exploration and amusement of youth with the skill and panache that comes with years of experience. With both of their albums inspired by seeing Autechre play live, I hope the pair have the opportunity to see Autechre again; I’d rather not wait another fifteen years for the next Reagenz release.

01. Azari & III, “Reckless (With Your Love)”
[Permanent Vacation] (buy)
With the deluge of year end lists finally petering out I’ve finally had a chance to dig into music released at the end of 2009 that was overlooked. There’s no better place to start than with Azari & III’s irresistible tune, “Reckless (With Your Love),” one of the year’s few house anthems. In keeping with the old school instrumentation and track structure, “Reckless” is no less than a full fledged song with vocalist Starving Yet Full flinging his commanding pipes all over the organ stabs and between synth string sweeps. Not only is there an intriguing personal narrative winding through the vigorous arrangements instead of more trite vocal samples, the tune balances Azari & III’s reverence for house music fundamentals with a fresh feeling that all but assures future classic status. “Reckless (With Your Love),” only Azari & III’s second single single together, is an accomplishment that seems to portend many more such milestones in the coming months.

[zero r="Reckless (With Your Love)" a="Azari+III" t="Reckless (With Your Love)"]

02. Reagenz ft. Fred P., “Keep Building”
[Workshop] (buy)
Another late arrival that’s still worth your time is “Keep Building,” the centerpiece of Reagenz’s sophomore album, Playtime. Featuring Fred P. as an unlikely but affective cheerleader who prods producers, dancers and Reagenz themselves to “keep moving forward,” the 13+ minute track lives up to its title by constructing hazy synth castles in the sky. Reagenz (aka Dave Moufang and Jonah Sharp) allow their slender drum programming to take a back seat to multiple players of minor pads and organ vamps, Fred’s hissing vocals swirling about like smoke curling up from a cigarette. Indeed, “Keep Building” is a slowburner of the highest nature, allowing plenty of time for its progressive message to sink in. Producers young and old, take heed!

[zero r="Playtime" a="Reagenz" t="Keep Building"]

03. Pangaea, “Why” [Hessle Audio] (buy)
It’s fitting that Kevin McAuley waited until now to come out with a self-titled release because Pangaea EP is, without a doubt, his most mature and nuanced set of tunes yet. It starts with the exquisite “Why,” a natural progression from the jazzy palate of his “Mosaix” but one which is far more affecting. His relatively spare framework of organ jabs, drum kit samples broken into ambling patterns and soft but steady bass progressions provides the perfect stage for a powerful performance by an uncredited female vocalist (though her cadence is obviously manipulated, it appears original to this tune rather than the result of crate-digging). Her gorgeous portamento runs are often punctuated by herself demanding, “Why? Why?” Pleading her case to listeners, “I tried to make it clear / I don’t know,” her she adds so much heft to an already compelling slate of bittersweet melodies. Although I’m still curious what she’s denying, the only question left in my head is why the tune has to end at five minutes. Essential gears from Pangaea.

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04. TJ Kong & Modular K, “Venusberg”
[Four:Twenty Recordings] (buy)
At first glance, TJ Kong’s digital-only Serenade EP for Four:Twenty Recordings is merely decent tech-house from an unfamiliar name. Peel off a few more layers and you’ll find Dutch producer Erwin van Moll, also known as max 404 and Proteus Generation, who has recorded for Djax-Up-Beats, Eevo Lute Muzique, Compost Black Label, and Eskimo Recordings since the early 90′s. Pare away all but “Venusberg,” a collaboration with Modular K, and you’re left with an thoroughly written tune which is redolent of mid-90′s techno yet quite relevant to dance floors today. Where so many producers are ready to stop after adding a few dinky sounds, van Moll and Modular K lavish their track with bleepy leads, an old school bass line, loose tambourine twinkles, and a variety of attention-grabbing synth vamps which keep the tune fresh throughout its nine minutes. Although I’m disappointed this never received a vinyl release, I’m happy hearing veteran producers still cranking out the goods.

05. Hot Chip, “One Life Stand” (Carl Craig PCP Remix)
[EMI] (buy)
Carl Craig is usually good for at least one killer remix of an indie-oriented group underground dance fans might otherwise shy away from each year. In 2007 he remixed Junior Boys’ “Like A Child” with memorable results, and 2008 saw him push Francesco Tristano’s “The Melody” to near “Strings Of Life” heights. Although he took 2009 off, he’s back and as strong as ever on his Paperclip People-styled remix of Hot Chip’s “One Life Stand.” True to form, Craig distills the tune to raw and reduced fundamentals: snarling synth loops, spiny guitar licks, and percussion which steps into cavernous settings at random intervals. He knows just how to ratchet up the tension, leave room for cool, collected vocals, and then return with a vengeance. This 10 minute floor-filling monster is a great reminder of the piercing prowess of the Paperclip People moniker.

06. Roni Nachum, “Guest Service Shalom”
[Fine Art Recordings] (buy)
07. André Lodemann, “Still Dreaming”
[Freerange Records] (buy)
08. Anthony “Shake” Shakir, “Arise”
[Rush Hour Recordings] (buy)
09. EQD, “Equalized003-B” [Equalized] (buy)
10. Brandt Brauer Frick, “Button” [The Gym] (buy)

Staff Charts:

Per Bojsen-Moller
01. Four Tet, “There Is Love In You” [Domino Recording Company]
02. Nicolas Jaar, “A Time For Us” [Wolf + Lamb]
03. Anton Zap, “Adide” [Millions of Moments]
04. Ation, “Lovers Dub” [Abucs]
05. Joy Orbison, “BRKLN CLLN” [Doldrums]
06. STL, “Myxmassong” [Quintessentials]
07. Aybee, “Underworld” [Underground Quality]
08. Levon Vincent, “Double Jointed Sex Freak” [Novel Sound]
09. Smallpeople, “Before Leaving To Paris” [Laid]
10. Ryo Murakami, “Just For This” [Dessous]

Chris Burkhalter:
01. nsi., “Eitherway” [Non Standard Productions]
02. Protect-U, “Double Rainbow” [Future Times]
03. Alex Smith, “Here With Me” [FXHE]
04. Tensnake, “Coma Cat” [Permanent Vacation]
05. Mark Du Mosch, “Revenger” [Cyber Dance Records]
06. DJ Qu, “Party People Clap” [Deconstruct Music]
07. Area, “Missing A Few” [Wave Music]
08. Scott Grooves, “Afro Riddum” [From the Studio of Scott Grooves]
09. A Made Up Sound, “Drain” [A Made Up Sound]
10. Levon Vincent, “Double Jointed Sex Freak Part 1″ [Novel Sound]

Peder Clark:
01. Smallpeople, “Before Leaving To Paris” [Laid]
02. I.F.M., Back In The Days EP [Uzuri]
03. Pawel, Pawel [Dial]
04. Wbeeza, City Shuffle EP [Third Ear Recordings]
05. Bruce Ivery, Things I Want [Stilove4music]
06. Heaven & Earth, Prescription EP [Running Back]
07. M. Pittman, Erase The Pain [Fit]
08. DJ Qu, “Party People Clap” [Deconstruct Music]
09. Anton Zap, Take It As It Comes [Underground Quality]
10. Entro Seenestre, “La Caccia” [WT Records]

Anton Kipfel:
01. Roni Nachum, “Guest Service Shalom” [Fine Art Recordings]
02. Pawel, Pawel [Dial]
03. Gerd, “Freedom” (Gerd Mix) [Royal Oak]
04. EQD, “Equalized003-B” [Equalized]
05. Tensnake, “Coma Cat” [Permanent Vacation]
06. My My ft. Emika, “Price Tag” (Appleblim & Komonazmuk remix)
[Aus Music]
07. DJ Qu, “Party People Clap” [Deconstruct Music]
08. Ed Davenport, “Life In the Balance” [Vidab]
09. Joshua Iz, “Earthrise” [Vizual Records]
10. Enola, Alone [Inital Cuts]

Kuri Kondrak:
01. Carlos Nilmmns & Ian Elgey, “Blo” [Fizzy Duck]
02. Kirk Degiorgio, “A Way Of Life” [ART]
03. Nebraska, “Time Has Come Pt. 1″ [Rush Hour]
04. Jared Wilson, “This Love” [777]
05. Russ Gabriel, “Returning Home” [Dieb Audio]
06. Delano Smith, “Road To Nowhere” [Mixmode]
07. Alex Smith, “Three Blind Rats” [FXHE]
08. Jakob Corn, “Mirrorflip” [Dolly]
09. Sensual Beings, “Detached Feelings” [Future Times]
10. Mr. Fingers, “Slam Dance” [Alleviated]

Chris Miller:
01. Levon Vincent, “Double Jointed Sex Freak Part 1″ [Novel Sound]
02. Pangaea, “Sunset Yellow” [Hessle Audio]
03. nsi., “Scale” [Non Standard Productions]
04. Delta Funktionen, “Silhouette” [Delsin]
05. Martyn, “Seventy Four” (Redshape Remix) [3024]
06. Alex Smith, “Three Blind Rats” [FXHE]
07. DJ Qu, “Party People Clap” (Anthony Parasole & Fred P Remix) [Deconstruct Music]
08. Ramadanman, “Tempest” [Hemlock]
09. Jeff Mills, “Something In The Sky 01 B1″ [Something In The Sky]
10. Martyn, “Friedrichstrasse” [Fabric]

Jordan Rothlein:
01. Lerosa, Dual Nature [Further Records]
02. Anthony “Shake” Shakir, “Arise” [Rush Hour Recordings]
03. Levon Vincent, “Double Jointed Sex Freak Pt. 1″ [Novel Sound]
04. DJ Qu, “Party People Clap” [Deconstruct Music]
05. Reade Truth, “Soundwav” [White Label]
06. Patrick Cowley & Jorge Socarras, “Memory Fails Me” (Oni Ayhun Remix) [Macro]
07. André Lodemann, “Still Dreaming” [Freerange Records]
08. Roni Nachum, “Guest Service Shalom” [Fine Art Recordings]
09. Reggie Dokes, “The Beginnings of Ra” [Royal Oak]
10. Alex Smith, “Here With Me” [FXHE]

For our fourth year-end report, LWE correspondent Will Lynch calls your attention to the top five free downloads from the second half of 2009

Here at the end of 2009, we find ourselves on the brink of a terrifying new decade. With Obama-shaped ecstasy pills, slippers made out of bread, and people saying “twitter” more than any other word in the English language, the road ahead grows increasingly strange and menacing. Then you’ve got assholes like Chris Anderson at Wired ranting about the power of “Free” and how it’s ultimately a good thing that newspapers only last a few more months, because the information just wants to be Free and there’s nothing we can do about that. Anderson’s ramblings may be reckless and ill-informed, but no one can deny he’s onto something — to point to an easy example, we are, after all, still waist-deep in an endless torrent of free house and techno mixes that shows no sign of abating. Due to an unfortunate dearth of free-time (and a work computer that has no soundcard), I unintentionally shied away from the regulars this quarter (The Bunker, mnml ssgs, ROOF.FM, Bodytonic) and surely missed some great mixes because of it. But thanks to social networking media and some particularly juicy Soundcloud accounts, I managed to find a handful of mixes that still haven’t worn thin after dozens of listens. So, while it would be unwise to call these the all-out best mixes of the quarter, here are five mixes you can play death once the media empires crumble and some kind of horrific Cormac McCarthy-esque scenario ensues.

Wolf + Lamb Variety Show
For Zev Eisenberg and Gadi Mizrahi, most of this past decade was consumed by one thing: Wolf + Lamb, the label and self-described “music community” that very discretely carries their namesake (in Hebrew, zev = wolf, gadi = lamb). 2009 was their most prolific year yet, with a handful of tours, notorious parties at the Marcy Hotel, and over a dozen sexy modern house records released since January (all of which can, quite snazzily, be downloaded directly from the W+L website at $0.99 per track). Earlier this fall, when Zev and Gadi were passing through London, they hosted a show on Diesel New Music Radio, during which they showcased new tracks by themselves and their friends, and chatted about their labels, Burning Man, and how to throw your own Marcy-style party. Now available as an installment in the incredibly rich W+L podcast series, the aptly titled Wolf + Lamb Variety Show offers two hours of amazing new music and plenty of interesting banter to boot, making it an easy choice as one of this quarter’s best downloads. (Note: Lee Foss’ Marcy recording and Deniz Kurtel’s tribute to JDilla also come very highly recommended.)

XDB – Beatdown Mix
Since 2006, Kosta Athanassiadis, aka XDB, has built an excellent catalogue of hypnotic, dub-infected records. He keeps things fresh by always trying different angles on his own sound, releasing polished techno tracks for labels like Sistrum and Delikat, and gritty, pounding house numbers on Metrolux, the label he runs with Arne Weinberg and Atheus. This month, he’ll make an appearance at Süd Electronic’s “Yuletide Knees Up” in London, a basement party where he and Levon Vincent are set to provide a flawless one-two punch of dubby, rough-edged grooves. To help promote the party, XDB put together this “Beatdown Mix,” which is really much gentler than it sounds, consisting mostly of lo-fi slow-jams like Omar=S’ “Miss You.” His aesthetic is warm, raw and trippy, and the whole thing chugs along like a slow engine with sand in its gears. In addition the exceptional Descap and Cagomi EPs, this mix is all I need for XDB to become one of my new favorites.

Reagenz – Live @ Neumo’s Decibel Festival Finale
Ever since Move D played “Keep Buildin’” at House n’ Home last January, I’ve been pretty much dying to get my hands on new material by Reagenz, his collaboration with Jonah Sharp. It was brutally cold in New York that night, and Moufang was cozily bundled up behind the decks, playing for a small loft space where hot chocolate was being served. The party peaked sometime around 3 am, and Move D dropped “Keep Buildin’” not long after to fairly devastating effect: the emotional interlude was perfectly timed — and even Moufang seemed moved by it, grinning ear to ear as he sashayed slowly to the beat. This live set, recorded in September at the Decibel Festival in Seattle, nicely captures the lush, glistening vibes Reagenz conjure, with lengthy cosmic jams interspersing new tracks like “Dinner With Q,” “Confidence,” and of course “Keep Buildin’ (feat. Fred P).” If you’re on the fence about whether to shell out on Playtime, their new album on Workshop, this recording should seal the deal.

Dor – RA Podcast 180
Without a doubt, one of this year’s strongest new labels was Laid, the all-vinyl Dial subsidiary that’s given us excellent house music by John Roberts, Rick Wade and Rndm. Laid is managed by a guy named Dor, a formerly Tel Aviv- (but currently Berlin-) based DJ who RA very shrewdly commissioned for a podcast this fall. Much like the music he releases on Laid, Dor’s mix is deep, punchy, and in equal parts classic and contemporary, with gems by Azymuth and Freddie Fowlkes blending nicely with new ones by Big Strick and Levon Vincent. His track selection and sense of flow are perfect, reflecting truly refined skill and sensibility. Considering he threw this thing together in his PJs on a borrowed set of turn tables, Dor seems like quite the nimble jock. No wonder Lawrence lists him as one of his favorite DJs.

Specter – Uzuri Mix
Another label that had a great year, if a little more discretely, was Uzuri, a gritty British house imprint who first caught my attention last year with the release of Move D’s “Quit Quittin’.” This year, Uzuri’s trademark sound has come a bit more into focus, with raw, clunky tracks by Lerosa, Jitterbug and IFM contrasting nicely with more colorful contributions by Anton Zap. Earlier this fall, Chicago DJ and producer Specter joined Uzuri’s ranks, and judging by this mix he recorded for the label, it seems he fits the bill to a T: dirty, stripped down beats mix with quivering Sci-Fi synths, and the end result is weirdly sexy and ethereal. Specter’s got some very intriguing records in his crate, and he gives them an excellent workout in these 60 minutes.