Oh no not another ‘best of’ post. Yes. Though this year I’m striving to keep it short, sweet and interesting through the combination of having little time to work on this and little wish to add to what is a colossal amount of ‘best of’ related internet chatter considering it’s also the end of the decade. And no I ain’t going near the decade, my only contribution to that fun is the ‘A Boom Bap Continuum’ mix I released with 2tall and Clockwork a few weeks back.
So without further ado here some of my best of 2009 lists, all related to music more or less. I may add to it over the coming weeks.
20/12/09 – Added Jamie Vex’d and Mark Pritchard singles.
Best albums, singles, tracks of 2009
No particular order, all worth checking. No words as such, I’m letting the music do the talking. Format is artist name / title / label.
Shafiq Husayn – En-A-Free-Ka – Plug Research
If life was always sunny | Album Sampler | Buy Album
Architeq – Gold+Green – Tirk
Dub, not as you know it | Buy Album
Various Artists – 5 – Hyperdub
Hyperdub is the future, otherwise we’re all fucked | Buy Album
Paul White – The Strange Dreams of Paul White – One Handed Music
Sweet dreams are made of these… | Stream Album | Buy Album
King Midas Sound – Waiting for You – Hyperdub
Killin’ soundboys with their Shaolin styles… | Album sampler | Buy Album
El Michels Affair – Enter the 37th Chamber – Fat Beats
Take old instrumentals, make them ‘new’, please old fans, make new ones | Stream and Buy Album
Diamond District – In The Ruff – Mellow Music Group
Boom bap ethics for ’09 | Stream and Buy Album
Heliocentrics and Mulatu Astakte – Inspiration Information – Strut
Fonk for your soul | Interview | Buy Album
Exile – Radio – Plug Research
The hip hop album of 09, bar none | Radio Podcast | Buy Album
Peverelist – Jarvik Mindstate – Punch Drunk
Bristol’s finest delivers his take on that dubstep thing | Album Sampler | Buy Album
Aardvark – Tiki – Eat Concrete
Will make you think ‘what?’ before you press play again | Buy Album
Blockhead – The Music Scene – Ninja Tune
Not a clown | Buy Album
2562 – Unbalance – Tectonic
Seriously engaging takes on dubstep, techno and more | Buy Album
Kryptic Minds – One of Us – Swamp 81
Like hip hop, but with lots of sub | Buy Album
KenLo Craqnuques beat tapes
Beats for days | Download
FaltyDL – Love is a liability – Planet Mu
This man was in a lot of places in 09 and rightfully so | Buy Album
Various Artists – Beat Dimensions vol 2 – Rush Hour
Beats for days | Album Sampler | Buy Album
Blu Jemz – Beat Machine – Turntable Lab/Scion
More beats for more days | Buy Album
Nosaj Thing – Drift – Alpha Pup
The hype came but it was justified | Buy Album
Dorian Concept – Trilingual Dance Sexperience – Affine
The most amazing dancefloor tracks this year, bar none | Sampler | Buy 12″
Ben Sharpa – B. Sharpa – Jarring Effects
Two years on this album still sounds like the future of hip hop | Buy Album
King Tubby & The Dynamites – Sound System International Dub – Pressure Sounds
Tubby dubs The Dynamites and surprises everyone. Ridiculous re-issue | Buy Album
Mos Def – The Ecstatic – Downtown
The hip hop album return of the year. Quiet dog bite hard | Buy Album
Mr Chop – For Pete’s Sake – Five Day Weekend
Covers of Pete Rock instrumentals? Normally I’d say no but when you’re that talented | Buy Album
Martyn – Great Lengths – 3024
Further proof that the whole ‘dubstep album’ thing can work | Buy Album
Machinedrum – Late Night Operation – Norm Rex
Stand out cut from the new album. Pop-minded hip hop that doesn’t take itself seriously | Download from XLR8R | Buy Album
Fulgeance – Smartbanging EP – One Handed Music
Like Jean Michel Jarre on ectasy for the beat generation, but better | EP Sampler | Buy EP
Soundspecies – Can We Call It Love? ft Ahu – Burntprogress
My vocal anthem for ’09. Standard | Stream here | Buy Album
Floating Points – Love Me Like This (Non sense dub) – R2
The deepest dancefloor cut of ’09 by a mile… | Watch the video | Buy 12
Instra:Mental – Watching You – NonPlus
Someone called it a roboballad. I like that name. Hauntingly beautiful | Buy 12
Jamie Vex’d – In Systems Travel – Planet Mu
Bass-heavy electronic music with a hip hop aesthetic from one of the best | Buy the EP
Mark Pritchard ft. Om’mas Keith – Wind It Up – Hyperdub
The ‘get down, get stupid’ anthem of the year | Listen to it | Buy 12
Labels of 09
Hyperdub – Still the most forward thinking electronic music label out there full stop
One Handed Music – Bullion, Paul White, Fulgeance. Quality not quantity as they say
Ramp Recordings – Doing eclectic is easy. Doing it well isn’t. Ramp showed you why in ’09, and came out winning
Plug Research – They released two of the best albums of the year. And they’re looking strong for 2010 too…
Live of 09
Hyperdub 5 party, London – Most ridiculous electronic live shows I’ve seen in a long time
Flying Lotus at Lightbox, London – More like sweatbox, with lazers and bass and shit
Brainfeeder 09, London – Parking lot rave, with beats and lazers and shit
One Step Beyond, NYC – A small rave in a museum, underneath a planetarium, with bass and sweat and shit
Just got the Paul White CD. The package is lovely!