01. Prosumer & Murat Tepeli, Serenity
[Ostgut Tonträger] (buy CD)
On Serenity, Achim and Murat deftly avoid the pitfalls of making anachronistic music while crafting stylistically faithful floor jackers. I’m enthralled with its full-bodied, Chicago-styled intonation and true emotional depth; it’s all too rare to personally identify with a house track these days. Remind me to take those guys out for deep dish pizza when they finally make it to the Windy City.

02. Lee Jones, “Aria” (Tiger Stripes remix) [Aus Music] (buy)
So glad that one of my favorite producers is back and being remixed by another favorite. Jones taps into the minimalized deep palatte which made Gaiser’s “Withdrawal” such a winner, and dots this tune’s subtle ideas with perfect chiming pitches. Tiger Stripes streamlines “Aria” from there and the end results lands right in my crate. Why it’s taking so long for this gem to hit stores on our shores, I don’t know, but I’m absolutely clamoring for a copy.

03. Basic Soul Unit, “Tunnels” (Sebo K & Metro remix) [Mule Electronic] (buy)
Further confirming my suspicions that Sebo K’s remix and DJ skills greatly surpass original production skills, his and Metro’s tidying revision of “Tunnels” evokes subterranean deep house motifs with modern fixtures. Because the pair produces with the DJ in mind above all else, “Tunnels” glides perfectly in and out of mixes — a welcome balance of floor-filling melodies and utility. However Sebo K does it best, I’m with him.

04. Marcel Wave, “27 Holton” (Serafin’s Back To New York Re-interpretation)
[Freerange Records] (buy)
Whether as part of Mountain People or solo, Serafin has had quite a streak of powerful releases of late, and his remix of Marcel Wave is no exception. This one works a pumping house rhythm brushed in a muted tonal slate, reminding me of 2000 And One’s “Work” and Kerri Chandler, if a bit more warped. Now for him to release those tantalizing tracks up on the Mountain People Myspace.

05. DeepChord Presents Echospace, “Untitled” [Modern Love]
Leave it to Rod Modell and Stephen Hitchell to put a spacey dub opus gleaming with only the edges of dulcet resonance on a single-sided 12″ limited to 500 copies. In a maelstrom of humid static clouds pulses amorphous dub patterns flush with warm tones. Its human touch stands out in delayed tambourine samples among Modell’s distorted field recordings. “Untitled” might not want to make much of its existence, but its aural embrace is hard to forget.

06. Matthew Dear, “Sunday Adventure Club” [unreleased]
Now that he’s shown his rocker side, Matthew Dear is ready to infuse minimal techno with a searing, highly filtered 303 vamp that recalls the blistering leads of Funkadelic visionary, Eddie Hazel. The Bar25-referencing “Sunday Adventure Club” is lean enough to be layered with other tracks and compelling enough to blaze its own trail. How long we’ll have to wait before it see official release is to be seen, but I’ll be wearing it out in the meantime.*

07. Brendon Moeller, “One Man’s Junk…”
[Third Ear Recordings] (buy)

08. Jimpster, “Dangly Panther” (Joris Voorn remix)
[Freerange Music] (buy)

09. Luke Hess, “Believe & Receive EP”
[Kontra-Musik] (buy)

10. Francesco Tristano, “The Melody” (Carl Craig remix)
[Infiné] (buy)
With pianos once again en vogue only a truly well written chord progression stands out from the pack of rudimentary exercises. Tristano’s rambunctious lead on “The Melody” is infectiously catchy while maintaining a sophisticated air. Carl Craig’s remix is shockingly gentle, its singular patterns and hushed drones simply adding texture for the sparkling chords to poke through. Bonus points for the beatless version as well, a tool I plan to employ often.*

*Borrowed from my Get the Curse playlist.

[ProgCity Deep Trax]

Mikael Nordgren (aka Tiger Stripes) was a hugely busy cat last year, firing out slab after slab of house that swam in the deep end (some of which ended up on my year end lists). So it’s entirely forgivable to have skidded past his limited edition single for ProgCity Deep Trax, a new collectors’ arm of the ProgCity monolith. “My Deep Space Part One” is a treat for dub techno fans and deep house fans alike, not least because Sven Weisemann stops by to plunge Tiger Stripes in the dunk tank. Of all Nordgren’s tracks I’ve heard from 2007, “My Deep Space Pt. 1″ (denoted on the label as the instrumental version) ventures the closest to dub techno: The opening salvo of chords is soon caught in reverb and rebounds endlessly into a sawing riff, surrounded by supple bongos, long-decaying piano washes and aquamarine synth throbs. The end destination of this introspective stomper seems to be a lagoon of ear-catching echoes.

Listen to Tiger Stripes, “My Deep Space Pt. 1″ (Instrumental Mix):

But if your deep space experiences tend to be more relaxed, Sven’s “dSpace Mix” has you covered. Like falling asleep as high tide makes its way up the sand, Weisemann’s broad brush strokes of calming blue/green melodies lap away at the ears, anchored by stiff, blocky kicks and ticks. But where some dub tracks tend to get too washed out and diffuse in their reverberating ambitions, Sven maintains well-written arrangements around which his delay forms an inviting moat. Two great explorations from these producers, ones which should be heard and purchased regardless of limited print runs.

01. Matthew Dear, “Don & Sherri”
[Ghostly International] (buy)

Picking my favorite track from Asa Breed was no small task, but “Don & Sherri” emerged as the winner because it combines all of Matthew Dear’s varied facets in one brief tune. He unabashedly revels in the weird (both aurally and lyrically), he knows a great hook when he hears one and he’s not afraid to go balls out to make an impact. I tense up every time during the short breakdown, just waiting for that unforgettable chorus to lay me flat once again. That’s the kind of feeling I demand from my favorite music, and MD and “Don & Sherri” delivers.

02. Lee Jones, “There Comes A Time”
[Aus Music] (buy)

Lee Jones reprised the stunning quality of my favorite My My track, “Propain,” with the achingly beautiful Aus Music release, “There Comes A Time.” He packs in hovering tones that soothe, lithe rhythms to set the pace, peculiar crackles to keep dancers and DJs on their toes and acid chirps for everyone’s delight. Even Prins Thomas, the tune’s flipside remixer, couldn’t do the tune any better. Hopefully we get more bombs like this in 2008.

03. Arto Mwambé, “Noh Ngamebo”
[Brontosaurus] (buy)

Easily my favorite track in 2007 from a previously unknown producer, Arto Mwambé’s take on deep house reflects his surroundings (Burkina Faso, if his Myspace is to be believed) and a heavy respect for artists like Moodymann and Ron Trent. On “Noh Ngamebo” his percussion jangles like bells around a cow’s neck, while the piano chords, fizzing arrangements and sensually shifting bass line split the difference between the best of Chicago and Berlin. Highly recommended for those who pine for soul to overtake minimalism in modern deep house.

04. Âme, “Enoi”
[Innervisions] (buy)

The constant evolution of Âme is wonderful to pay witness to; fittingly, “Enoi” catches them halfway between nu-deep house roots and a dynamic, experimental future. Frank and Kristian fill the club with bizarre vocal snippets and bombastic foghorn blasts and still make room for highly nuanced percussion patterns, tense melodies and a bass line on the edge of fuzzing out. To paraphrase their own album art, Âme, I Luv U!

05. Henrik Schwarz, “Walk Music”
[Moodmusic] (buy)

“Walk Music” marks Henrik Schwarz’s return to releasing his own material after a seemingly endless string of prime cut remixes. As with many Schwarz productions, it’s meticulously constructed from choice timbres, and in its more muscular 2007 form, it’s solid enough to move more deeply-inclined dancefloors. And though it was largely ignored upon its release, “Walk Music” stands as one of 2007′s best tracks and a high point for Henrik Schwarz himself.

06. Tiger Stripes, “Hooked”
[liebe*detail] (buy)

Mikael Nordgren knows how to start quite a fuss with relatively little, as evinced on “Hooked.” Shying away from his meatier stylings, Nordgren pounds simple deep house patterns into the floor as a flirty, twinkling pattern that shows dancers the steps. 2007 was a big year for Tiger Stripes, and while his “Voyager” may have sold more copies, “Hooked” likely won more hearts.

07. Ricardo Villalobos, “Primer Encuentro Latino-Americano”
[Sei Es Drum] (buy)

We’ve all heard someone described as the guy/gal who “brings the party.” Ricardo Villalobos, my beloved Chilean techno muppet, is definitely one of those people; and on “Primer…” he manages to stuff an entire festival into his cheerful house structure. Rousing almost to a fault, it has the potential to get clubbers arm in arm, chanting along with unintentional but no less heartfelt South American pride.

08. Cobblestone Jazz, “W”
[Cocoon Recordings] (buy)

The highlight of Cobblestone Jazz’s debut album first appeared on the already tremendous Cocoon Compilation G, and wow, what a highlight. “W” cuts straight to the chase, launching off the back of a deep and spring-loaded bass line, kept moving by shimmy and shake rhythms, vocodered whispers and reaching the peak with its step-like progression of broad ambient planes. Almost makes you wonder why the Cobblestone boys bother with the jammy stuff (though that has its place too).

09. Ben Westbeech, “Hang Around” (Wahoo Main Mix)
[Brownswood Recordings] (buy)

Georg von dem Bussche and Steffen Berkhahn (aka Dixon) craft an effortless deep house monster here, its hard, pacing motif a perfect platform for Westbeech’s buttery pipes. Even better, they pull an Âme and utilize every inch of speaker for overwhelming swells. I’ve played this one more times than I dare admit and I still can’t get the lyrics out of my head. Oh wait…

10. Prosumer & Murat Tepeli, “What Makes You Go For It?”
[Ostgut Tonträger] (buy)

When audiences ran from mechanical minimal into the beefy arms of deep house I expected to hear more tunes covering the range of human experiences. Only “What Makes You Go For It?” dared to really try, and I have a great deal of respect for Prosumer and Murat Tepeli for it. They paired vintage gear sounds with a jealous tale sung beautifully by Prosumer, ending with the most memorable line of the year: “Will you tell your friends about me/or will you tell your friends about a fuck?” A great prelude to their excellent forthcoming album.

Honorable mentions:

11. Len Faki, “Odyssee II” [Podium] (buy)
12. Gaiser, “Withdrawal” [M_nus] (buy)
13. My My, “Fast Freeze” [Cocoon Recordings] (buy)
14. Paul Kalkbrenner, “Altes Kamuffel” [BPitch Control] (buy)
15. Melchior Productions Ltd., “Her Majesty” [Perlon] (buy)
16. Al Usher, “Here Today” [Misericord] (buy)
17. Andy Stott, “Massacre” [Modern Love] (buy)
18. Justice, “D.A.N.C.E.” [Ed Banger Records] (buy)
19. Simian Mobile Disco, “I Believe” [Wichita] (buy)
20. Marc Romboy vs Chelonis R. Jones, “Helen Cornell” (Stefan Goldmann Macro Version) [Systematic] (buy)
21. Beck, “Cell Phone’s Dead” (Ricardo Villalobos Entlebuch Remix) [BPitch Control] (buy)
22. Burial, “Archangel” [Hyperdub] (buy)
23. Etienne Jaumet, “Repeat Again After Me” (Âme Remix) [Versatile Records] (buy)
24. Shackleton, “Blood On My Hands” [Skull Disco] (buy)
25. Brendon Moeller, “Space” [Third Ear Records] (buy)
26. Substance & Vainqueur, “Reverberation” [Scion Versions] (buy)
27. Len Faki, “My Black Sheep” (Radio Slave remix) [Figure] (buy)
28. Motorcitysoul, “Space Katzle” (Sydenham Blacktro Penetration) [Aus Music] (buy)
29. Kraak & Smaak, “No Sun In the Sky” (Henrik Schwarz remix) [Jalapeno Records] (buy)
30. Efdemin, “Just A Track” [Dial] (buy)
31. Escort, “All Through the Night” [Escort Records] (buy)
32. Len Faki, “Rainbow Delta” (Jerome Sydenham remix) [Ostgut Tonträger] (buy)
33. Metazoo, “Sigh” (2000 and One remix) [Cray1 Labworks] (buy)
34. Stereotyp, “Keepin’ Me” (Fauna Flash remix) [G-Stone Recordings] (buy)
35. Matt John, “Soulkaramba” [Bar25] (buy)
36. Harri & the Revenge, “Lunar Tune” [Five20East] (buy)
37. Solomun & Stimming, “Feuervogel” [Diynamic Music] (buy)
38. Osborne, “Outta Sight” [Spectral Sound] (buy)
39. Jichael Mackson, “The Grass Is Always Greener” [Musique Risquée] (buy)
40. Stimming, “Funkworm” [Diynamic Music] (buy)
41. Kalabrese, “Not the Same Shoes” (ft. Kate Wax) [Stattmusik] (buy)
42. Mark August, “Old Joy” [Connaisseur Recordings] (buy)
43. Dusty Kid, “Tsunamy” [Systematic] (buy)
44. Chaim, “It Never Ends” [Love Minus Zero] (buy)
45. Pigon, “Promises” [Dial] (buy)
46. dOP, “Allo Boom Boom” [Circus Company] (buy)
47. Fabrice Lig, “X-Slaves Who Changed The World” [Versatile Records] (buy)
48. Agnès, “Controversial Advantage” (Ripperton’s Game Set & Match remix) [Resopal Red] (buy)
49. Naughty, “World of a Woman” [Moodmusic] (buy)
50. Aril Brikha, “To Begin” [Poker Flat Recordings] (buy)

02. Ricardo Villalobos, Fabric 36 [Fabric] (buy)
Fabric 36 was not an easy sell for me (and many others), at least partially because it wasn’t meant to be. You have to bend your framework for what an album or mix should be, how it should develop, how it should flow. Villalobos hits the reset button on these expectations and offers one of his most creative statements to date — oh yeah, and some killer tunes. “Won’t You Tell Me” and “4 Wheel Drive” are future classics, weaved into a dense web of exuberant rhythms and movements. Artists and fans will be reacting to this for some time to come.

03. Efdemin, Efdemin [Dial] (buy)
Efdemin’s debut album meticulously and gracefully re-interprets deep-house with a minimal lens in a manner unmatched in 2007. Phillip Sollmann utilizes his musique concrete/sound design knowledge to construct stunningly melodic movers and challenging experimental cuts still capable of wonders on a dance floor (“Acid Bells”). Together, its 10 tracks form a compelling and cohesive statement. Those who argue against the long-player format as it pertains to dance music should stick this in their pipes and smoke it.

04. Melchior Productions Ltd., No Disco Future [Perlon] (buy)
Thomas Melchior’s first full-length since his stellar 2004 album, The Meaning, is even more demanding of listeners with a similarly sweet payoff. Favoring tight loops of atonal textures and samples over past colorful patterns, Melchior invites the audience to revel in the tiniest of details while reserving a great deal of utility for the dance floor. Still more proof after two decades in the biz that he’s sharp, that micro-house isn’t dead, and that new listeners will soon be digging through his back catalog. I know I have.

05. Henrik Schwarz, Live [!K7] (buy)
Though Henrik Schwarz’s productions stand up well on their own, Live suggests they’re best heard sewn together into a gorgeous and flowing document of his talents. But the most stunning facet of Live is how human and alive the tunes feel. It’s evident in the loose jangle running through his Kuniyuki remix, the calming marimba pattern and rootsy upstroke of “Stop, Look & Listen” and the busted, live band funk of “Leave My Head Alone Brain.” It’s the refreshing sound of people outnumbering computers.

06. Panda Bear, Person Pitch [Paw Tracks] (buy)
Looking back, only one new rock album actually impressed me this year, and its source was quite unexpected. Panda Bear’s Person Pitch is the joyful intersection of techno (the liner notes, which list some of Noah Lennox’s influences, start with Basic Channel, Luomo and Wolfgang Voigt) and experimental rock — an euphoric, encompassing experience you won’t soon forget. Its loop-based construction brings Panda Bear’s Beach Boys influences into the 21st century, stretching the walls of more traditional rock arrangements nearly to their breaking point. As important of a record for dance music as it is for rock.

07. DeepChord Presents Echospace, The Coldest Season
[Modern Love] (buy)
Perhaps the best way to describe The Coldest Season is immersive: music to let seep into your brain while laid out flat, used to wash away worry or conjure a contemplative atmosphere. You can feel the icy wind creep across your body as the album unfolds and take comfort in the scant blanket of melody draped across the glacial movements. Rod Modell and Stephen Hitchell’s desire to make something new (and largely influenced by the latter’s experience of becoming a father) results in a truly innovative hybrid of dub techno, ambient and experimental sounds that defies obvious influence or reference points. Chicago’s oppressive winter meets its match on this album.

08. Burial, Untrue [Hyperdub] (buy)
If dubstep ever does crossover into the pop realm, Untrue will likely be the first to crack its rarely porous shell. At first I wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of vocals which distinguishes the album from its predecessor, and ultimately perches melodic halos on Burial’s urban phantom rhythms. In his rather revealing interview with The Wire, Burial admits the final version of Untrue was composed in a scant two weeks, a baffling fact to consider when basking in the depth of its tunes, the murky landscapes from which they crawl out — not to mention when “Archangel” gets caught in your head. Untrue gives me the good shivers.

09. Tiger Stripes, Safari [Nite Grooves] (buy)
If there’s one house record I neglected to tout enough, it’s certainly Safari, Mikael Nordgren’s first compendium of Tiger Stripes tracks. Though many of these tracks were previously released on King Street Sounds, they hang together remarkably well in the long player format. Here Nordgren’s palatte leans towards classic elements of house through live instrumentation, recruiting Swedish Hitmusic Strings, Kerri Chandler’s keys and Rasmus Faber’s marimba. If mnmlzd house is too emaciated for you, stick on Safari and climb through some meaty rhythms.

10. Gui Boratto, Chromophobia [Kompakt] (buy)
Boratto is particularly apt at sculpting big, bold and beautiful melodies which resonate across genre lines; and with Chromophobia (Kompakt’s best release this year, don’t let The Field fans fool you), the Brazilian producer adds “cohesion” and “diversity” to his list of talents. Lush, hovering ambient tracks like “Acrostico” and “Malá Strana” fit snuggly between big room bangers (“Terminal”) and future stadium anthems (“Beautiful Life”) while providing plenty of fodder for remixers (Babicz’s remix of “Mr. Decay” has been a big local favorite). A very 2007 album for a very 2007 year.

Honorable mentions:

11. Various artists, Soundboy Punishments [Skull Disco] (buy)
12. Justice, † [Vice Records] (buy)
13. Various Artists, Shut Up and Dance! Updated [Ostgut Tonträger] (buy)
14. Pantha Du Prince, This Bliss [Dial] (buy)
15. Thomas Fehlmann, Honigpumpe [Kompakt] (buy)
16. Simian Mobile Disco, Attack Decay Sustain Release [Wichita] (buy)
17. False, 2007 [M_nus] (buy)
18. Dettmann & Klock, Scenario [Ostgut Tonträger] (buy)
19. Cobblestone Jazz, 23 Seconds [Studio !K7] (buy)
20. Petre Inspirescu, Tips [Cadenza] (buy)