Best Tracks of 2015 - Part 3

Our last two instalments lined up some of the very best tunes of the last year, but now we’ve got the absolute crème – White Noise’s twenty favourite tunes of the year.

20. Denis Sulta – It’s Only Real [Numbers]

Glasgow’s Denis Sulta’s two releases on Dixon Avenue Basement Jams marked him out as a serious new talent, and this single-sided outing on Numbers showed that he could pull of an anthem too. It’s Only Real is deceptively simple, essentially an unchanging drum loop and one showstopping melody, but it tears apart dancefloors like little else.

19. Pender Street Steppers – The Glass City [Mood Hut]

Scene favourites Pender Street Steppers offered a perfect distillation of their sound with this year’s The Glass City, an ultra-chilled confection of gentle percussion, fluttering melody and a broad bass swagger.

18. Bicep – Just [Aus]

Honestly, we didn’t expect to see Bicep on this list again. After the trend for balls-to-the-wall 90s diva house faded, we rather thought the Northern Irish duo would disappear along with it. But we’ll be the first to admit where we were wrong. Bicep turned out the winning Just in 2015 and rightly dominated dancefloors. While earlier Bicep tracks were instant-gratification affairs, Just is sinuous and subtle, its earworm synthline calling out like a siren til the soaring scifi keys reach boiling point.

17. Khotin – Sorry Sequence [Normals Welcome]

We expected great things from Dan White on his split EP with Khotin, and we got them, but we never thought he would get so dramatically upstaged. Sorry Sequence is a stunner, raw yet melancholy with its stainproof rhythm, cycling melody and corrosive acid flex.

16. Soichi Terada – Sun Showered [Rush Hour]

It was hard to pick a single tune from Hunee’s superbly curated compilation of Soichi Terada’s forgotten house gems, but Sun Showered hits the sweet spot of rhythmic drama, colourful melody and flat-out optimism that makes all his tracks so winning.

15. Merle – Mimi Likes 2 Dance [Stripped & Chewed]

Chicago outpost Stripped & Chewed did a stellar job reissuing this lost beauty from ’99. Merwyn Sanders even reworked the original lead single, with a new vocal line and cleaner production (and a change of title as a nod to his wife). With its catchy pop vox, funky backbone and urgent synth sweeps, this cut adds a pinch of joy to any set.

14. Whispers Beirut – Away [Unreleased]

Still officially unreleased, this collaboration between Baba Stiltz and Petrodollar caught us off-guard with its simplicity and its melancholy. A yearning synth rules the track’s first half, before a slack hip hop beat picks up the pace. Sometimes less is so much more.

13. Hidden Spheres – Waiting [Distant Hawaii]

If you’re going to open a sub-label just for one release, it better be a good one. Lobster Theremin heeded this rule when they opened Distant Hawaii for a single summer release by Mancunian Hidden Spheres. Opener Waiting was the most sublimely chilled house track we heard all year, a breeze of warm melodies wafting over a textured drum workout.

12. Palms Trax – Sumo Acid Crew [Dekmantel]

Two years after Equation, Palms Trax went one better with this elegant slice of acid. Here the 303 is far from its alienating roots, burbling beside warm Chicago pads and harmonising with a soaring synth climax.

11. Harvey Sutherland – Bermuda [MCDE]

It’s easy to see why Motor City Drum Ensemble snatched up this synth-maestro for his own label – in 2015 Sutherland brought the funk like no other. Bermuda is an absolute masterclass in songwriting, from its virtuosic opening to its astonishing climax which crams in more melodies than we would’ve ever considered coherent. But Sutherland pulls it off with flair. More please.

10. Florist – Final Bounce [All Caps]

After a long gestation period on Soundcloud, one of the Vancouver scene’s best releases showed up unexpectedly on the Glaswegian All Caps imprint. The Phenomena EP was a winner, the feather in its cap Final Bounce, a spare slice of house with aquatic vibes and a soulful choir that rises magnificently from the mist.

9. Haydn – Booty Meat [Junk Yard Connections]

Buried on the B2 of a V/A release from Sweden’s underlooked Junk Yard Connections imprint, Haydn’s Booty Meat is the definition of a secret weapon. The unusual combination of gentle keys and a racy vocal line keeps dancers on their toes, and when that mighty rhythm kicks back in after the dubby breakdown everyone on the ‘floor will drop to make it clap.

8. Raw M.T. – Untitled [Mörk]

After he wowed us with the brittle techno of Walkman Is Dead a couple of years back, Italian producer Raw M.T. was back with a vengeance this year. In the middle of a superb EP on Lobster Theremin offshoot Mörk was Untitled, a humid house killer with exotic vocals and a malevolent bassline. Intoxicating stuff.

7. Nebraska – Emotional Rescue [Mister Saturday Night]

White Noise’s favourite party-starter of 2015 came from the reliable MSN stable courtesy of Nebraska. On the diverse Stand Your Ground EP a disco killer nestled on the B2, a shot of euphoria served over filtering brass and earworm vocals.

6. Route 8 – The Sunrise In Her Eyes [Lobster Theremin]

We’ve got a bit of a fetish for melancholy deep house heavy on the ambience, and few producers bring the feels as magically as Hungarian talent Route 8. The opener to This Raw Feeling is as dreamy as its title suggests, warm pads caressing the ear like a gentle tide, a quickened pulse and hopeful chimes leading us deeper down the rabbit hole.

5. Fatima Yamaha – What’s A Girl To Do [Dekmantel]

Okay, so maybe everyone’s sick of hearing about this tune by now. But if we leave aside the bittersweet melody, searing synth lead and solemn bassline, we’re left with a hopeful story.

Keeping up with the lightning-paced electronic music world can lead us to treat tracks as disposable tools, each EP skimmed for parts, forgotten by the month’s end. The fact that a house tune from 2004 caused such a stir in 2015 proves that longevity and beauty can triumph over disposability. We are capable of treasuring our beloved music like the art it is.

4. Dude Energy – Renee Running [Animals Dancing]

Not content just issuing a fine album under his Suzanne Kraft moniker this year, Californian wizard Diego Herrera also dropped one of our favourite club tunes of the year as Dude Energy. Combining impressive bass weight, razor snares and a mesmerising melody that sounds plucked from a gypsy songbook, this tune was a shot in the arm of samey dancefloors throughout the year.

3. Leon Vynehall – Midnight On Rainbow Road [Rush Hour]

From the very start, Leon Vynehall has had a way of evoking complex emotions with his music that few artists can parallel. His only release this year was a solitary tune on Gerd Janson’s lovely Musik For Autobahns 2, and, though beatless, it's one of his greatest compositions to date. A glittering melody flutters through a rain-streaked landscape, accompanied by skipping snares, traffic sounds and a heaving ambient wash. It’s music to get lost in, and you won’t want to be found.

2. Fit Siegel – Carmine [Fit]

Detroit’s Aaron Siegel doesn’t put out much music, but when he does it’s practically buy-on-sight. This year’s Carmine was an immensely emotive slice of house that takes you places that little music can reach. A delicate construction of gossamer synthwork, filtered snares rattling through the scales and a taut electro rhythm, this was the tearjerker to rule every 5am dancefloor in 2015.

1. DJ Sotofett – Nondo [Honest Jon’s]

Sex Tags head DJ Sotofett has risen to underground legend status over the last few years, and it’s not hard to see why. With an excellent label and mix series, an adventurous DJing style and a penchant for explorative, breakbeat-fuelled remixes, Sotofett (and his crew) stand as rather unique figures in an often homogeneous scene.

Yet one of the reasons why Sotofett’s releases are so successful is how adeptly he adapts and works with a stream of varied collaborators. This is the story of White Noise’s favourite tune of 2015. On a superb album chock full of ace collaborative efforts, the standout tune had Sotofett jamming with Karolin Tampere on drum machines and synths while Maimouna Haugen offered hushed, sinuous vocals. With a seductive synth motif and spare afrobeat percussion it’s a simple piece, but all the deadlier for it. It’s easy to feel jaded by the 4/4 scene if you don’t keep searching for something different. Sotofett always provides.

*** 

That’s all for 2015, we’ll be back soon with fresh coverage for the new year. Hope you enjoyed the roundups, check out all our Best Of articles below:

Best Albums 2015

Best Tracks Part 1

Best Tracks Part 2

August / September Roundup 2015

Here's White Noise's favourite songs of the last two months, including a few that slipped through our net earlier in the year. It's a bumper package spanning all our favourite styles, get stuck in.

We kick off on the sunny side, with top soulful house from Damiano Von Erckert, Braque, Chaos In The CBD, and new blood Flørist. Things get deeper and stranger via new material from top producers John Roberts and DJ Richard, alongside new slices from 45 ACP and CAll Super. Bicep and Midland keep the heat up in darker waters, before we descend to full-on electro with Helena Hauff, Aurora Halal and intriguing new voice Rita Furstenhof.

Tracklist:

Leon Vynehall - Midnight On Rainbow Road [LP Review]

Damiano Von Erckert - We Flow ft Amalia

Flørist - Final Bounce

Laguna Ladies - Egyptian Bag (Moomin Remix)

Braque - Diners En Ville

Chaos In The CBD - Midnight In Peckham [EP Review]

Bell Towers - Hyper - Realised - Self [EP Review]

DJ Richard - Vampire Dub [LP Review]

John Roberts - Orah

45 ACP - Fjm

Call Super - Meltintu

Jayda G & Fett Burger - Velvet Vortex (Sleep D Rainforest Version)

Severed Heads - Greater Reward (Piano Power Edit)

Paradise 100 - Heat.Wav

Lipelis - Weirdshit Xu Paelk (ft. Simple Symmetry)

Khotin - Sorry Sequence

Midland - Stop (Don't Let The Beat)

Bicep - Carmine [LP Review]

Rita Furstenhof - Hadron Collider

Helena Hauff - L'Homme Mort

Aurora Halal - Shapeshifter [EP Review]

Andrea - Outlines

2 8 1 4 - 恢复

As ever, here's the one we couldn't find on Youtube:

Kasra V - Last Orders

Various Artists - Musik For Autobahns 2

Label: Rush Hour

The art of DJing has long been a synthesis of two skills: technical expertise and curation. The arrival of digital mixing possibilities has made the former an option rather than a necessity, but the importance of sequencing, reading a crowd and picking great tunes remains the measure of a good DJ. Given all this, it’s a shame that more of the dance world’s best DJs don’t put their time into releasing compilations.

German DJ Gerd Janson has made his name largely as a record-slinger. This is an increasingly rare feat in a world whose club scene initiates are now asked to be masters of both production and selection. Not content with sharing his curatorial skills one dancefloor at a time, three years ago Janson put out his first Music For Autobahns compilation, a compelling selection of cuts that explored the melodic possibilities of the dance scene.

Now he’s returned with another collection of cuts handpicked for a house-head road trip, taking in Kraftwerk-era electronics, ambient house and even synth pop. Here we have new talents exposed and old hands trying new tricks, and a compilation unafraid to explore colour and light in a scene so often stuck in monochrome.

The collection is inspired by trips along German highways, and in true road-trip mix-tape style the LP is varied, dreamy and propulsive. Roughly half of the cuts are variations on melodic, electro-indebted house, and here the more familiar names tend to shine brightest. It’s not that their tracks are technically better, but more that a handful of these producers are more adept at eliciting emotion from the melodies they weave.

Fort Romeau’s Seleno snaps along with an Italo-disco bounce, as melancholic synths soar and ripple across the surface. Melody-maestro Orson Wells drops the 90s-indebted Orbiting Jupiters, whose cheap reed synths are eaten away by a boiling acid line, the two later entwining in a bittersweet coda. For a closer Bicep drop the LP’s best club-track, the churning Carmine, where an endlessly mutating synth line and tunnelling bass are counterpointed with a deft balance of muscle and patience.

Elsewhere similar styles are attempted ably but with a little less finesse. Conga Radio’s 168 North is an upbeat house burner combining Nugroove synth washes and chiptune melodies, while Disco Nihilist’s Melancholy is saw-toothed construction of shimmering synths and a beetling bassline that doesn’t quite conjure its titular feeling. Lauer’s Autofahrn is a moody retro cut with a Kraftwerk-esque vocoder, whose closeness to its inspiration makes it sound more parody than regeneration.

The other half of the long-player is occupied by more intriguing variations which range from good to excellent, the best being Leon Vynehall’s superb opener Midnight On Rainbow Road (his second cut referencing Nintendo). Here is a stunning slice of sound design, as a glittering motif plays out over subtle percussion and shifting ambience, evocative of rain-streaked windows at night and feelings more complex than your average musician can conjure. A rare Joy O track continues the relatively unshowy musical path he’s been walking recently in his work with Boddika, most notably TMTT. Here A213 is restrained but impressive, with fluttering synth figures occasionally brought to the boil over a woody rhythm section.

Janson includes some stranger variations which still manage to fit the aesthetic snugly, such as Orlando Voorn’s spindly Turn Left Here or Running Back alum Shan’s Awakening, who turns the mechanics of dub techno up to eleven with a huge aqueous synth bounce and a glittering lead. Perhaps most unexpected of the lot is AKSK’s Breaking (produced by the chameleonic Suzanne Kraft), a cut of retro-leaning synth pop that proves particularly catchy over repeated spins.

On any compilation you’re bound to like some tracks more than others, but Janson has done a wonderful job eking gems from talents old and new, sticking to a strong core aesthetic while providing variation and style. He makes it look easy.

8/10

Summer Sessions: House

To close out the summer, we have two bumper house playlists, full of instant classics and soulful melodies. The house session comes in two flavours: the peak playlist deals in shiny, fist-pumping bangers, while the deep playlist is dustier, more analog, packed with after-hours sounds from some of the scene's top producers. The deep playlist is a more typical White Noise list, but we aim to please, and there are countless scorchers on each list to keep the sun shining out of your speakers well into the colder months.

Make sure to check out all of our summer playlist series, and to follow White Noise on Facebook and Twitter!

Summer Sessions:

Classic House

Hip Hop
Chill

Bass
Funk and Soul

Peak House Playlist

Tracklist:

Krystal Klear - From The Start

First Choice - Love Thang (Genius of Time Re-edit)

DJ T. - City Life (Maceo Plex Remix)

Scuba - Everywhere

Sophie - Nothing More To Say (Dub)

C.R.S.T - Monster Munch

FCL - Let's Go

Capracara - Ronin

Bicep - Vison of Love

Classixx - Into the Valley (Julio Bashmore Remix)

NY Stomp - The NY House Trak

Paul Woolford - Untitled

Medlar - Can't Stop

Floorplan - Never Grow Old

Kyodai - Breaking

Lone - Airglow Fires

Simian Mobile Disco & Bicep - Sacrifice

Todd Terje - Strandbar (Disko Version)

Teengirl Fantasy - Cheaters (John Talabot's Classic Vocal Refix)

Crazy P - Heartbreaker

Deep House Playlist

Tracklist:

Floating Points - Love Me Like This (Nonsense Dub)

HNNY - For The Very First Time (Dirtytwo's Midas Touch Remix)

Nicholas - Things Of The Past (NY Club Mix)

Anthony Naples - Mad Disrespect

The Phantom - Vogue Dub

Chesus - Special

Damiano von Erckert & Funkycan - Symphonie of a Brother

Wbeeza - Billy Green Is Ded

KMFH - Down!

Session Victim - Good Intentions

October - String Theory

Andres - Jack City

Motor City Drum Ensemble - Raw Cuts #6

Last Magpie - (Who Knows) Where Love Goes

Nitetime - Teddy's Jam

Trevor Deep Jr - Keep On!

Omar S - The Shit Baby

Wil Maddams - Stand In For Love

Mosca - The Way We Were

Space Dimension Controller - The Love Quadrant

Tito Wun - The Way U Do It

Theo Parrish - Solitary Flight

June / July Roundup 2013

2013 is shaping up to be the best year for dance music since White Noise began, and this summer has been incredibly exciting, particularly on the album front. To pay credit to the best of the best, here's a selection of our favourite tunes from the last couple of months, all organised in an easy Youtube playlist. The list comprises instant classics and lesser-known works, venturing from big-room bangers to techno rollers, finishing off with a satisfying selection of synthy noodlings. Enjoy!

Tracklist:

Sophie - Bipp [Single Review]

Paul Woolford - Untitled

Ikonika - Beach Mode (Keep It Simple) [Album Review]

Simian Mobile Disco & Bicep - Sacrifice

Todd Terje - Strandbar (Disko Version) [EP Review]

Floorplan - Never Grow Old [Album Review]

Midland - Archive01

Alden Tyrell & Gerd - Luv Thang

Walton - Need To Feel [Album Review]

Special Request - Broken Dreams [EP Review]

Zomby - Memories [Album Review]

Machinedrum - Eyesdontlie

DJ Rashad - I Don't Give A Fuck

Lords of Midnite - Drown In Ur Love

June - Face This (Deep House Mix)

Tuff Sherm - Burglar Loops

The Mole - Lockdown Party (DJ Sprinkles Crossfaderama) [EP Review]

Gerry Read - Crave [EP Review]

Claws For? - Profumo

Octo Octa - Come Closer [Album Review]

Jon Hopkins - Breathe This Air [Album Review]

Boards of Canada - New Seeds [Album Review]

Holden - Renata

Forest Swords - The Weight Of Gold

Fuewa - Blhok [EP Review]

And the one that's not on Youtube:

Guy Andrews - Tapes [EP Review]

April Roundup 2013 & Hiatus

Another month of excellent music is over. White Noise collects our favourite April releases (and a couple that slipped through the nets last month) in a monthly roundup.

In other news, my university finals are coming up and as a result White Noise will be taking a hiatus until the end of May. Expect a return to usual reviews in June, including some new exciting features and our second round of big summer playlists. For now, the cream of April's crop, and you can keep up to date on the latest music through the White Noise Facebook page.

Enjoy!

Tracklist:

Omar S - The Shit Baby [LP Review]

Murat Tepeli - Forever (Prosumer's Hold Me Touch Me Mix)

Divvorce - E3 [EP Review]

Arkist - 23 Summers [EP Review]

Joy O - Donell

Citizen - So Submissive

Bicep - Rise [EP Review]

Adalberto - In Your Face

Lorca - Have I Told You [EP Review]

Koreless - Sun

L-Vis 1990 - Ballad 4D [EP Review]

Jon Hopkins - Open Eye Signal

Pev - Livity [EP Review]

Kode9 - Xingfu Lu

Demdike Stare - Primitive Equations

DjRum - Honey [LP Review]

Not satisfied? Check out our Roundup archives:

March 2013

February 2013

January 2013

November 2012

October 2012

September 2012

August 2012

June / July 2012

May 2012

April 2012

March 2012

February 2012

January 2012

Best of 2011 Playlist

Bicep – Stash

Label: Aus

Rise

Irish duo Bicep’s meteoric rise to stardom over the last twelve months has been an impressive journey. With an early interest in 90s revivalism and no-nonsense Jersey sounds added to the superb You / Don’t EP (whose A-side made the top ten of our Year End Roundup), the duo have been taking the scene by storm. However this ascent has not gone without its share of detractors. For every listener enamoured by Vision Of Love’s straight-up euphoria, there was someone dissatisfied by their wholesale appropriation of a decades-old style to cash in on a trend. This criticism did not seem unfounded at the time, but the duo’s choice to air years worth of unreleased material on their Beats In Space podcast hinted at something different; darker sonic territory explored with the deft craftsmanship that has marked out each of their releases to date. Now for their second release on Will Saul’s Aus imprint, the pair give some of their new material a chance to shine, effectively heading off any critics in the process.

Opener Stash should serve as a perfect transition for those familiar with Bicep’s previous material. While the moody bass line and twitching percussion may lack the wide-eyed ecstasy of their last EP’s piano stompers, the heavy 4/4 and shimmering synthwork provide ample compensation. On Courtside Drama an ambient synth wash locks into the analog sound that is currently sweeping the scene, as piping synth notes take a dreamy lead over a deep bass throb and syncopated drum patterns.

The Game

Up until this point it’s been a largely successful stylistic shift for the pair, but the first two tracks never truly amaze. Thankfully, this is because whoever is in charge has backloaded this EP, saving the two best cuts for last. While Stash is positioned as the primary club cut here, superb third track Rise outstrips the title track’s dancefloor credentials with ease. While many of the sounds are familiar; jangling syncopations and heavy kicks, here iridescent synthwork plays out with alacrity across a track whose structure is clearly indebted to slow-burning techno, easily making for one of Bicep’s most memorable tunes to date. The Wire-sampling closer The Game is just as impressive; languid synthworks recall Twin Peaks' sounds, playing out mysteriously over a spacious arrangement of hissing hi-hats and an echoing woodblock hit.

There’s nothing wrong with this EP’s first two cuts, it more feels like the stylistic switch-up took a moment to get going. Once they get deep on the B-side the effect is magical, and quite besides being great music, the Stash EP fiercely proves that Bicep have more than a few tricks left up their sleeve.

7.5/10

March Roundup

Here's White Noise's pick of the month's best tracks. Going from the biggest numbers through house, techno, and then the stranger corners of the dance spectrum, March was great and here are some highlights in our handy Youtube playlist.

Enjoy!

Remember to like White Noise on Facebook or Twitter for a daily dose of fresh tunes.

Tracklist:

Tessela - Hackney Parrot [EP Review]

Headless Ghost - Basik Fire [EP Review]

Breach - Jack [EP Review]

DEVolution - Listen To The Badman

Dusky - Dummy [EP Review]

Dark Sky - Confunktion [EP Review]

Four Tet - For These Times [LP Review]

Mørbeck - Pleasure To Burn

Florian Kupfer - Feelin

Anthony Naples - Busy Signal

Martyn - Oceania [EP Review]

DjRum - Blue On Blue (Voodoo) [LP Review]

Romare - Your Love (You Give Me Fever) [EP Review]

DJ Rashad - Let It Go [EP Review]

Deadboy - Nova [EP Review]

Shlohmo - Later [EP Review]

Bicep & Ejeca - You (Ejeca's Piano Mix)

And the one we couldn't find on Youtube, Divvorce's excellent new EP on up-and-coming NY label Fifth Wall:

Best Tracks of 2012: 25-1

Year End Coverage

* Best Albums of 2012

* Best EPs of 2012

* Best Labels of 2012

* Best Breakthrough Artists of 2012

* Best Tracks of 2012 - 101-76
* Best Tracks of 2012 - 75-51
* Best Tracks of 2012 - 50-26
* Best Tracks of 2012 - 25-1

Follow White Noise on Facebook and Twitter!

After two weeks of rounding up the year, here are White Noise’s very favourite tracks of 2012. It was murder to try and arrange these great tracks into some semblance of an order, but whether you agree or disagree with the countdown, you’re sure to find a lot of music to love here, so check it out!

25 – T. Williams – Think Of You

Fusing dance music and pop sensibilities rarely comes up with an end result that pleases either fanbase. But on that rare occasion, such as this anthemic closer to Williams’ great Pain & Love EP, everything falls into place perfectly. It’s impossible to tire of Tendai’s sensuous vocals and the snappy 2step beat pattern. Calling this one ‘catchy’ would be both an understatement and the highest possible compliment. EP Review.

24 – Objekt – Cactus

Objekt said that “Cactus was never really meant to be taken seriously; it's just an irreverent bit of fun taking the piss out of wobble dubstep.” However seriously he intended it to be, the havoc this impressively detailed tune wreaked on dancefloors at the beginning of the year was the stuff of legend, and the track still sounds as great today as it did on first release. EP Review.

23 – Elgato – Luv Zombie

With only two releases to his name, both on tastemaking label Hessle Audio, Elgato’s leftfield bass excursions, defying genre tropes, have always been something to look forward to. With an earworm vocal loop and nervy atmospherics, Luv Zombie drops in its latter half into an intensely vibey number that moves the mind as much as the body.

22 – Lorca – Love Like This

The Church boys who’ve been running a great night at Corsica Studios in London entered the label game with this white label refix of Faith Evans refix from up-and-comer Lorca. Mashing those instantly recognisable vocals with Nuyorican Soul’s soaring strings, this killer House cut got more play than almost any other track at White Noise HQ this year.

21 – Jam City - …Now We Relate

The Night Slugs genius made the top of our Best Albums list, but it was on Classical Club Mixes, the dance edition of some of his album’s more propulsive cut that we found his best tune. A tune of truly epic proportions, the perfect drop just before the 5-minute mark is something that has to be heard to be believed.

20 – Joy Orbison, Pearson Sound & Boddika – Faint

This unexpected post-everything tune from an unholy trio of producers was as strange as it was brilliant. A genius vocal sample and dangerously spare percussion made this one blow up dancefloors all the way up to the mind-bending static that closes out the track.

19 – Hackman – Forgotten Notes

UK producer Ben Hackman had a fairly quiet one in 2012, but it didn’t stop him releasing this slow-mo Bass masterpiece. Great sampling and lush chords established a powerful groove as emotive as any other dance release this year.

18 – DJ Q – Brandy & Coke

DJ Q is one hell of a versatile producer, and it was hard to pick from his bassline excursions and junglist cuts. But this Brandy-sampling Garage track was unbearably fresh, as deftly produced as it was catchy. (Audio is the VIP edit, which is basically the same. Free download)

17 – GoldFFinch – Funky Steppa

One of White Noise’s favourite 2012 dicoveries was this Belgian duo, who knack for weaving unusual sounds into their deftly-produced Bass numbers resulted in this total smasher, where sirens and vocal loops played second fiddle to a superb pitch-shifting woodblock rhythm. EP Review.

16 – Julio Bashmore – Au Seve

For the second year in a row, Bristolian Bashmore’s love of bouncing basslines and catchy vocals created one of the year’s most ubiquitous dance hits. This track’s no-nonsense approach just goes to show how effective the genre can be in its simplest form.

15 – Huxley – Let It Go

Huxley’s love of big House sounds was a perfect fit in 2012, and this monster single’s unstoppable bassline and infectious vocal had us grooving right up into the new year. EP Review.

14 – Omar S Presents Aaron ‘Fit’ Siegel – Tonite (Detroit Mix) feat. L’Renee

Omar S and his FXHE label were unstoppable this year. Nowhere was this more apparent than on this powerful classic House number. Addictive piano and sax samples kept this one riding a wave of happy dancers throughout the year.

13 – Pearson Sound – Untitled

It’s been a quiet year for David Kennedy, one of the UK’s freshest producers. But that didn’t stop him from putting out this nervy slice of excellence. Twitching percussion and a showstopping descending melody made this tune stand out from the competition.

12 – Tom Demac – Critical Distance Pt. 2

Demac showed wobble done very right on this monstrous House roller. Primal cries and a loping 4/4 establishes a strong groove under that overpowering, floor-destroying bassline.

11 – Moodymann – Why Do U Feel

One of the House scene’s true legends delivered the goods on this fragmented dance track. Both modern and timeless, the souful vulnerability of this raw cut shone out over rough beats and slick vocal cuts. EP Review.

10 – Andrew Ashong – Flowers

Proof that Theo Parrish is as good at recognising talent as embodying it, his release (and production) of Andrew Ashong’s Flowers created one of the year’s most addictive slow-house jams. Chilled vibes and great acoustic instrumentation made this one of the year’s defining sunrise jams.

9 – Head High – Rave (Dirt Mix)

No one disputes Shed’s legendary status within the Berlin Techno scene. But it still somehow came as a surprise when he put out two of the year’s very best tunes on a single 12”, with the gritty B-side’s crunchy percussion just taking the edge.

8 – Nitetime – Teddy’s Jam

This dusty House number stood out for us by trading as much in melancholy as in feelgood vibes. The moody synthwork and basslines felt like House that had lost its sheen, wearied by the weight of the genre’s past. Add the phenomenal late entry of those descending piano chords, and you’ve got one of the year’s very best tunes. EP Review.

7 – Bicep & Ejeca – You

Though the Bicep duo have earned acclaim for their 90s throwback stylings, this single with Ejeca on Aus had us a lot more excited here at White Noise. Phenomenal vocal sampling and cinematic synthwork drove this propulsive bass number to instant-classic status. EP Review.

6 – Blawan – Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage

This nasty Techno roller created one of the UK club circuit’s strangest sing-alongs to date. The inspired vocal (copped from The Fugees) was only the icing on the top of a raw beat pattern and billowing horror-movie effects.

5 – Todd Terje – Inspector Norse

Last year saw Nowegian disco connoisseur Terje returning to the scene with a vengeance with his Ragysh EP. In 2012 he blew that 4-tracker out of the water with Inspector Norse, an unstoppably feel-good synth bounce that built up to one hell of a climax.

4 – Anthony Naples – Mad Disrespect

The highest position for a newcomer on our list, this shuffling House number suited every occasion. Mellow enough for chilling out but punchy enough to kill on the dancefloor, this cut felt utterly timeless.

3 – Joy Orbison – Ellipsis

Another year, another phenomenal club anthem from Joy Orbison. This tune seemed almost like a mission statement for the young producer, never doing less than his ‘own thing’, Joy O rejects trendy genre stylings and goes right for the jugular. A dusty house roller with a winning vocal sample is more than good enough, but that piano loop made this one of the unfathomably brilliant producer’s very best.

2 – Burial – Ashtray Wasp

William Bevan bookended the year with a magnificent pair of releases that signalled a true return to the scene. The evolution of his sound towards unconventional sonic structures could have been an unwise move, but we've learned to always put our trust in Burial. With the closer to the superb Kindred EP, Bevan created one of his best songs to date. With a new eye for cinema and drama, Ashtray Wasp led the listener by the hand through a fractured sonic landscape whose desolation was only equalled by its beauty. EP Review.

1 – Andrés – New For U

Forgive us for not being original with our number one choice. With a heart-melting string sample, former Slum Village DJ Andrés ruled 2012 with this stunning single. Effortlessly fusing Disco, Soul and House into a tune as life-affirming as it was bittersweet, New For U was an inescapable summer success story from a man who formerly toiled as one of House music’s great unsung heroes.