In regards to our last respective year, I expect it’s now a little late past the cut off for a ‘Top Something of 2010’ list, and besides, our boy Pelski has done a pretty swell job already. However, I will note, that since we stroked the chime that is 2011, I deeply resent having missed out on the opportunity to drop my top selection of tunes on a loud system. Catching a 24 hour virus on the dawn of the annual new year house party, quickly scuppered any chances of running through 2010’s many pinnacle tracks. And so it happened, I was hastily put to bed after the count down, without even cue-ing up one track. Yes I know, how tame. 2011 was looking good.
The preceding morning I tossed my disheveled memo of all the tunes I had intended to play, and followed my waste paper basket swish, with a rather unsatisfying and embittered coffee. Yet my mood was quickly resuscitated by the ramshackle site of various bodies who had remained wide awake to greet in the new year. Their bushy tailed energy was a twitchy spectacle to behold, interjected by enthusiastic resolutions flying here and there, and the mood was infectious to say the least. 2011 was looking up.
Anyway, getting to the point, I’m going to do exactly what I said I wouldn’t do. So here is a list of what I would of dropped on the 12:00 dot. It’s also what I like to drop. It’s what I drop when your on the floor. It’s what I drop when you enter the door. It’s what I drop when you want. It’s what I shoulda of dropped cos it’s your song. I only drop it when she’s in the room. I wanna drop it cos he said it’s cool. I gotta drop it cos you knew I would. Wouldn’t it have been good if he dropped that too?
Jones & Mizrahi – Nasty Things 
My hips gyrate and my shoulders swing, I just generally love nasty things. Finding a bass-line that spanks the foundations of your funk is hard to come by, and when the vocals breath the soul, then you know you have a winner. Besides, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, who doesn’t want to do ‘nasty things’ to certain individuals? So the lesson here is…if you add one ‘Wolf & Lamb’ label head, then combine it with a Jamie Jones, then the solution is a sexed up slow-burner no? This was the fourth chapter in the Wolf & Lamb ‘Black series’, and there are several other notable chapters to mention. Check the limited press of Soul Clap ‘Love Light’ for starters.
Pantha du Prince – Lay A Shimmer
Crushed with compression, the whole track blows over you like a whisper. So draw the covers close, and keep the pulse next to a warm heart, as you really can’t really find such sentiment in many productions akin to Hendrik Weber. More dreamy glock-pop releases such as ‘Stick To My Side’ also deserve a mention, which were followed by a string of excellent remixes, most notably Four-Tet’s dance-floor touch. Weber breathes the humility of nature into the medium of electronica, where if you were to close your eyes, you could find yourself lost amongst the snowy canvases that the ideas fell from.
Thomas Bjerring – 2:45
Dubby trance stabs wander aboard David Skog’s sailing vocals, only to become shunned by thick bass drums, and followed by the late crossing of disco snares. It’s a declaration to the popular keys derived from many a pop song, owing much to the glo-fi nature of Scandinavian charm, yet it leans towards a progressive stance in house, proving any sign of regression obsolete.
Dominik Eulberg – Daten Ubertragungs (Max Cooper Remix)
I’m quite often astonished by the quality of Max Cooper’s production, but I am also surprised at the sheer quantity of his releases that remain to be quality. There could be several notable entries here, such as ‘Sea of Sound’ or his ‘Mi Pieza Esta Llena De Cosas’ remix of Ricardo Tobar. His tweaked rendition of Au Revoir Simone was one of the most understated down step pieces of electronica last year, as was his tempered glitch of Hot Chip’s ‘I Feel Better’. Here, Dominik Eulberg’s original was charming, however Max Cooper’s revamp re-altered the parameters of expectation, injecting true grit and firelight warmth. Last year saw lengthy leases of melodic techno from the likes of Traumschallplatten, Loki Recordings and Wide Angle Recordings that was truly astounding. Be sure to look to the likes of Lanny May if you wish to hear harmonious frequencies of a similar fashion.
Daniel Mehes – Tone Trap (Darko Esser Bass Trap Mix)
Some of you may think I have a slightly soft spot for those who site the word ‘Dark’ within their alias. You might be right. However, Darko Esser is man of sound profile, with a biography that speaks a clear conscious in regards to his art. Often condoning a tech house approach, his chord oppressions build one upon another, instigating several different moods within the confines of one track. His ‘Tone Trap’ remix has constantly provided me with a progressive step to a warmer atmosphere when dj-ing, where upon I will be quick to say he is by no means a ‘filler feature’ in a dj set. But I can confirm for you now that he does fill the dance-floor.
Commix – 
Japanese Electronics (Instra:mental Moog Remix)
Calling in the reworks from all respective quarters of the globe, Commix’s Re:Call To Mind LP is a true reflection of drum & bass’ revitalised character, bearing all the signals of potential that remain within the medium. Re-interpreted by the likes of Dettmann and Pangaea, the original album release was actually back in 2007. It acted as a public testament of proof, that the overtones of aggravated Tru Playaz and mid range wobble was a mainstream conquest for d&b, and not it’s legacy. Instra:mental provides a gear changing sub structure that is textured upon tone after tone, with harping leads reverberating around the walls of it’s arrangement.
Fran Von Vie – Don’t Look Back
Hailing from the island of Menorca, Fran Von Vie refers to his home territory as ‘the island without club culture / the island without clubs’. So not much stomping on his stomping grounds, and as much as this this lack of club culture must have been frustrating, all energies were clearly released in the home studio, where he has steadily been honing his production of electro body tech. Here we are engulfed by stripped down EBM sensations, where the duration of ‘Don’t Look Back’ is fittingly reflected in it’s title, as we ride forward through panoramic soundscapes, never needing to look back.
Timmy P – Snare Blackout
This is not the first time I have mentioned Timmy P, and I don’t think it’ll be the last. It’s far too easy to make tech-house sound dull, and it’s far too difficult to make it really stand out from the crowd. In Timmy P’s case, his spin on tech-house is neither dull nor parallel to that of much I’ve heard before, and as a result is simply very sick. But I should warn you that ‘Snare Blackout’ induces dizziness and light headed sensations on the dancefloor, which must be something to do with the loop de loop vocal stabs that giddy up the crescendo throughout, sounding as if they’ve caused neuronal damage on ravers by. ‘Snare Blackout’ was privately requested and recommended by Steve Lawler, and Timmy continues to release tracks on George Morel’s ‘Groove On Records’ in 2011.
Pan-Pot & Cari Golden – Captain My Captain
Another strong year went by for Pan-Pot, landing right in the middle of the RA DJ polls, generally maintaining their reputable veneer of classy techno and house related releases, and assuring us that they are a constant to say the least. It’s the usual injection of fluttering house stabs, gently relayed back and forth over their stanley sharp rhythms, revealing their text book formula, but keeping the secrets safe. I really can’t quite pin what I actually really like about this track, I’m lost for words it seems…uh oh. I guess ‘nothing is clear’ in this case.
Helixir – I’ve Never Wanted To Hurt You
Acutely cautious in his step by step production, Helixir nods his hat to the 2-step tempo in the final portion of studio album ‘Undivided’. ‘I’ve Never Wanted To Hurt You’ almost never fills it’s hollow space, where the overall understatement is seemingly it’s main goal, allowing the listener to focus on the engineering and percussion, rather than a surface of instrumental textures. The viscous nature of dubstep often renders it to be attributed with commentary that is fitting to documentaries such as ‘Blue Planet’, and can often make a track sound like an Alan Titchmarsh water feature, so I will refrain from doing so. Yet when I do hear this track, my mind is cast back to a young fumbling age of incoherent noises, where I drifted off to sleep under the comfort of a rotating Fisher Price mobile. Yes that’s right, I was repping ambient electronica in my cot.
Darkly
