May Roundup 2013

White Noise may have taken a break from writing, but we certainly never stopped listening. Before normal service resumes with a fresh set of reviews and features, here's a 25-strong selection of our top tunes from the month of May(ish). In keeping with the inconsistent weather, our list is split, kicking off with bumpin’ party grooves and backloaded with dark, percussive stompers. Get listening.

Tracklist:

Wildchild – Renegade Master (Applebottom Power Bootleg)

Genius of Time – Love Thang (Genius of Time Re-edit)

Innershades – That Girl

Huxley – Walk 2 U

Kingdom – Bank Head feat. Kelela

Head High – Burning (Keep Calm Mix)

Laszlo Dancehall – Gave Up

Lucretio – Want

Glimpse – True South

Pev & Hodge – Bells (Dream Sequence)

Dark Sky – In Brackets

Laurel Halo – Throw

Ron Hardly – Subway Antlers

Cliff Lothar – Dro Friday

DJ Haus – Cold As Ice

Helix – Whoosh Ice Dispenser

Kowton – TFB [Clip]

Akkord – Navigate

Paula Temple – Colonized

Huerco S. – Apheleia’s Theme

HNNY – Boy

Kevin McPhee – Who Loves You

Pearson Sound – Figment

Koreless – Sun

Mala – Changes (Harmonimix)

Huxley – Bellywedge

Label: Hypercolour

Tring’s Michael Dodman, aka Huxley, burst onto the scene in a big way last year, following up the early success of 2011’s Shower Scene with the tasty Out Of The Box EP and, most notably, the excellent all-out house monster that was Let It Go on Hypercolour, which charted on our own year-end list of 2012’s best tracks. The latter half of 2012 saw Huxley’s sound holding strong but refusing to change, with a series of remixes and an EP that didn’t quite live up to his early promise. A year later Huxley returns to Hypercolour on strong form, and while he’s still not really going for variation, these two offerings are the young producer’s strongest pieces since his last outing on the taste-making label.

Little Things

Bellywedge kicks off with tropical notes and skipping hi-hats before syrupy synths and a strong vocal (à la Shower Scene) lead up to a strong drop, a sub-bass rattling rhythm that dominates over earworm vocal snips and a boisterous bassline. It’s a more stripped-down affair than one might expect for the producer, and it feels at times like a key element is missing from proceedings, but Bellywedge functions due to its ruthless efficiency, providing a generous dose of just what the dancefloors crave.

B-side Little Things is a little more interesting, and ultimately the more exciting cut of the pair. A skipping 2step pattern builds up to a series of arresting, metallic stabs that introduce a deep, intoxicating garage burner with tight drumwork, an irresistable bassline and sweltering vocal cuts. After a good but slightly unimaginative A-side, it’s gratifying to hear that Huxley can still knock up a surprise without sacrificing the raw scale of his unashamed big-room sound.

6.5/10

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

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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. 

Best Breakthrough Artists of 2012

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!

It gets harder every year for new artists to rise up and gain prominence through the fickle hype machine of the internet, in a world where every other Soundcloud user is an anonymous figure copying tired genre tropes. But it's clearer than ever that the one thing that will really get you noticed is quality tunes.

Not all of these are new artists, but for all of these producers this was the year where they truly broke into the limelight, capturing our hearts and imaginations here at White Noise. Because these artists have such diverse tastes and sounds, they will be listed alphabetically to save having to place them in a meaningless order. Without further ado, here are our favourite breakthrough artists of the year. Enjoy!

Bicep

 

Vision of Love

90’s house revivalism reached its peak (so far…) this year, but Northern Irish duo Bicep’s astonishing rise to prominence in the dance scene this year was more than a case of being in the right place at the right time. Coming from the success of their Feel My Bicep blog, the pair put out the excellent $tripper white label on Love Fever, where deep New Jersey pads and a jackin’ beat put the pair firmly on the map. They continued the thread in style with the inaugural release on their own Feel My Bicep label, Vision of Love, which offered three massive slices of feelgood throwback, and spawned the ubiquitous title track. But let’s not forget the duo proved themselves a cut above a simple throwback outfit with the superb You / Don’t EP on Aus, which offered two strikingly modern collaborations that explored more contemporary strains of the UK House sound.

Bondax

Baby I Got That

Young UK duo Bondax came to our attention at the beginning of the year with sugar-sweet bass numbers All Inside and Wet Summer. But it was their September release Baby I Got That which cemented the pair’s talents, an infectious bass / disco hybrid that was one of the year’s essential summer tunes. With a perfect synthesis of clipped vocal snips with longer hooks and bubbling, upbeat melodies, the pair have so far managed to conjure catchy tunes without ever venturing into total Pop territory. With the upcoming release of Gold on Just Us / Relentless in January, it looks like there’s a lot more to be excited about for Bondax in 2013.

Disclosure

 

Flow

Guy and Howard Lawrence couldn’t have possibly predicted the rise to fame that their Disclosure outfit has brought them in the space of a single year. Fusing garage and classic house tropes with bass trappings and more than a touch of pop, the duo’s productions have achieved a crossover success that’s perhaps not that surprising given the sheer quality of their tunes. While Latch and some of their Face EP were a little poppy for White Noise’s tastes, there was no arguing with their Jessie Ware Remix or the brilliant Tenderly / Flow single from the beginning of the year.

Dusky

Flo Jam

The Dusky duo of Alfie Granger-Howell and Nick Harriman have been producing together for years now, including an album as Dusky on Anjunadeep in 2011. But this year, thanks to some killer tunes and being played by the right DJs, the pair have broken into the big leagues. Dusky produced more bangers than almost anyone else this year, including the emotive epic Lost Highway, Flo Jam’s irresistible bounce and the bassy garage swing of No More. The pair pluck equally from house and garage but the end product is always polished and unpretentious, precision-built for the dancefloor. With their great new release Calling Me on Loefah's School imprint, there are surely big things to come.

Huxley

 

Let It Go

Huxley scored a high place on our Top Tunes of 2011 with the fantastic Shower Scene, but this year the house magician from Tring showed his true colours, prolifically putting out a series of unashamed big-room house numbers, with the sharp beats and big basslines to match those fantastic vocal hooks. He opened up the year with the ridiculously large Let It Go and didn’t let up, with an onslaught of other great tunes like Box Clever on the Out Of The Box EP.  With clear production chops and the consistency to match, Huxley nimbly stepped into the big leagues this year, and he doesn't look like he'll be leaving anytime soon.

Indigo

Symbol 7.1

The Mindset boss put out his first release back in 2008, but this year has really marked a breakthrough for Indigo. With a history of tasty collaborations with like-minded producer Synkro, Indigo put out a series of stellar releases for Exit, Hype Ltd and Apollo that showed a unique talent for combining twitchy beatscience with lush ambient soundscapes. Nowhere was this more evident than on his White Noise Picked Symbol 7 EP for Auxiliary, where the producer hopped nimbly between Oriental strings, impeccably precise drum patterns and pure ambient dread.

Leon Vynehall

Picture Frame

Brighton’s Vynehall turned quite a few heads recently, shining out amongst the legions of upstarts who were toying with the House formula. His debut EP, Mauve on Well Rounded, set the scene with warm soundscapes and slow beats that referenced classic House without ever seeming like pure throwback. But it was over the summer on his superb single Gold Language / Don’t Know Why for ManMakeMusic that Vynehall showed his true colours, producing a lush and genre-defying dance track on the A and one of this year’s most supremely chilled dance cuts on the B. With a return to WRHP due in the new year with the Rosalind EP, the future is looking very promising.

South London Ordnance

Trojan

Appearing out of nowhere, SLO has had a monumental first year. A prolific release schedule didn’t stop every tune from being of the highest quality, releasing big House numbers on Well Rounded and deeper Bass numbers for the likes of Teal Recordings. Wherever he turned, SLO’s productions all paid careful attention to the lower frequencies, with a keen bass-focus adding flavour to his elastic rhythms. Some slave for years on a single tune, in 2012 SLO was making superb music straight out of the box.

Tom Demac

Critical Distance Pt. 2

Although his debut was as far back as 2004, Tom Demac turned it up a notch in 2012. The producer put out an insane amount of releases this year, often on Hypercolour or its offshoots. He proved himself a versatile House producer, with highlights ranging from the lush Obstructing the Light EP on Glass Table to the monstrous Critical Distance Pt. 2, which was considered at White Noise HQ one of the year’s very best tunes.

Vessel

Court of Lions

As the only producer on this list who isn’t dedicated to the dancefloor, Vessel stands out about as much on this list as he did from his peers over the course of the year. White Noise has taken an interest in Sebastian Gainsborough since the beginning, but it appears the Wax Dance and Standard EPs were paving the way for something very special indeed. The producer’s debut album for Tri Angle, Order of Noise, touched a nerve for us, as Vessel experimented with an embarrassment of styles to stellar effect.

Honourable Mentions:

These artists are definitely ones to watch for 2013, but didn’t quite release enough quality material to make the list this time round.

Citizen

 

Room Service

GoldFFinch

Funky Steppa

Happa

Freak

Helix

Honig

Locked Groove

Rooted

Lorca

Can’t See Higher