2010 Roundup

To be honest I’ve thought about NOT writing an end-year roundup post. What’s the point of it? Just take a look at those major online dance music magazines and you’ll see their charts are all different. Those “our top tracks/albums/compilations/remixes/labels/DJs/live acts” actually merely reflect the taste of a particular group of people who run a music website together. In fact, most of my favourites of the year are either not included in those charts or not in the same range of ranking, which I think is a good sign for myself – if your selection is all the same as others, what’s ur own value/identity as a DJ or even music lover?

But on second thought, if music isn’t about sameness, then the difference – or diversity – between those charts indeed can be inspirations for expanding one’s musical horizon. As a writer of DataTransmission I’m actually rather happy with the fact that my taste is a bit different from other contributors and that I can inject some variety to the website every now and then. Now with 2010 coming to an end, I think it’ll be nice to select some of my favourites of the year and gather the youtube clips here. They aren’t “top” or “best” but just my favourites, that’s it. And they aren’t arranged in any particular order or ranking system as I don’t find it necessary – you can listen to them however you want!

Albums:

Baustelle by Greie Gut Fraktion

“Baustelle” literally means “construction site” in German, and this is a techno-tinged experimental LP crafted with field recordings from construction sites. I found the arty vibe throughout the album quite inspiring. Read my review on it here

Chamber Music by Raudive

Another experimental album, but leaning more towards house and techno. Oliver Ho has done a great job melting musical boundaries here. My review

Into The Great Wide Yonder by Trentemoller

I’m just so glad that the Danish genius has finally got rid of his dated electro shadow. His latest work is solid and versatile, and just check out the video, the live performance is absolutely stunning.

Triangulation by Scuba

When it comes to bass music x techno , the UK artist is definitely one of the masters. Some people call his music “future garage”, well I just know it’s great music.

Traversable Wormhole Vol 1-5 by Traversable Wormhole

This digital album version includes 10 inspiring original tracks by the Berlin-based artist, as well as two mixes by himself  and CLR label head Chris Liebing respectively. One of the most ambitious and inspiring projects in the techno scene this year indeed. For details read my review here.

Compilations:

fabric 50 by Martyn:

A fitting celebration of the half century of the London superclub’s label from the Dutch star, on the mix we can see bass music and techno and everything in between mixed and programmed impeccably. Read my review here

Funf by Various artists:

Crafted with field recordings from the infamous Berghain in Berlin, this fifth anniversary compilation of the club’s label Ostgut Ton shows why it’s one of the most influential forces in the techno scene these days. Read my review here

DJ-Kicks by Apparat:

Featuring tracks from Martyn to Burial to Thom Yorke, this mix from the Berliner is very atmospheric and resonating, and you can imagine how eclectic it  is.

DJ-Kicks by James Holden:

Lush, edgy and melodious, this is a very James Holden piece. And with the tracks mixed in key, the flow of the whole mix is superbly fluid and effortless.

Berghain 04 by Ben Klock:

With the immaculate mingling of house, techno and dubstep, the fourth installment of the Berghain series sees the club’s ambassador deliver an intelligent and eclectic sonic journey that traverses the past and present.

Tracks:

Edgy, sexy and playful, this is definitely one of the hidden gems of the year.

A lot of people have suggested that it’s been a great year for UK Bass music and that we’ve entered the post-dubstep era, with different forms of the Bass sound thriving and developing into some fresh and exciting branches. Taken from the 20th anniversary compilation of the London-based Ninja Tune imprint, this track by Two Fingers really impresses me with its floor-shaking, heart-pounding sci-fi bass wobbles.

This year has also seen French star Agoria’s Infine imprint continuously test and expand the boundaries of house and techno with the classical-tinged releases from Arandel, Francesco Tristano and the label boss himself. Yet amongst all the special talents at the label, Kid A, a young singer-songwriter from the US, really stood out and caught my ear. Just check out her Bjork-esque delivery here on this stunning track by Spitzer.

Almost two decades after its inception, the term Trip Hop may be dead now, but Massive Attack certainly aren’t. The melancholic yet edgy feel is still here; and thankfully, it just sounds so precise, upfront and contemporary.

Besides producing and performing live with Modeselektor as Moderat, as a solo producer Apparat of course also hardly disappoints – the ominous, industrial and grinding dub-tech vibe here is simply amazing.

One of the hot-rising producers of 2010, Singapore’s Xhin has successfully risen to the global stage of techno and is now a core member of Stroboscopic Artefacts, one of the most forward-thinking techno imprints of the year. Deep, stark and cutting edge, this track entitled “Blade Moth” is the opener of my Summer Mix broadcast on di.fm.

Also under Lucy’s Stroboscopic Artefacts imprint, Argentina’s Jonas Kopp is another up-and-coming producer that has attracted a great of attention in the techno scene over the past 12 months. A basic 4/4 techno rhythm here, but just listen to how the track subtly – and yet powerfully – evolves and complexifies into a heart-throbbing peak-time destroyer. Sublime indeed.

Originally released as an anonymous project in 2009, the aforementioned Traversable Wormhole series was digitalised and remixed on Chris Liebing’s CLR imprint this year, and it really encapsulates some of the most upfront and inspiring dark techno tracks you can find.

As mentioned above this year the sound of Berghain and its label Ostgut Ton has been immensely influential to the development of techno. This relentlessly floor-shaking remix by the club’s resident Marcel Dettmann is part of the first installment of the Traversable Wormhole re-release series on CLR, and is one of the best remixes of the year too.

A wholly mesmerising and mindfucking techno trip from the Sandwell District artist. Enough said. Happy New Year!

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