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

Various Artists – Think And Change

Label: Nonplus

In 2011, two compilations nimbly took the stage to explore the current state of UK bass music. Hessle Audio’s 116 and Rising and Hotflush’s Back And 4^th indulged in the delights of a nebulous scene where imagination and vision were valued just as much as the ability to make an all-out banger. Two years later, Boddika takes to his Nonplus imprint, no longer a fringe-DnB portal, to offer a fresh perspective on the scene: it’s deeper and darker, every producer fashioning their sounds in Nonplus’ trademark monochrome, yet despite frequent flashes of brilliance, seems to comment on a scene whose sound is beginning to homogenise.

For the DJs, Think And Change supplies a steady stream of involving, unconventional club tracks from a selection of huge names. Joy O turns in another typically excellent game-changer in the form of the facetiously titled Big Room Tech House DJ Tool – Tip!, where an enormous, hollow bassline echoes out over an earworm vocal and his familiar dusty, shuffling drum patterns. Further afield, Pearson Sound supplies a destructive percussive workout threaded through with quavering vocals and rebounding bass notes. Quivver has all the rhythmic complexity of his latest Clutch EP on Hessle, but with the welcome addition of a vocal hook and a showstopping second drop. Meanwhile Four Tet takes an uncharacteristically straight approach with his gorgeous For These Times, where his trademark addictive vocals and acoustic samples are suppressed by a harsh snare assault pulled off to perfection. Those listening to the digital edition will also receive four extra tracks including Boddika’s VIP of his storming Mercy collaboration with Joy Orbison, a rough assault on the senses with distorting synth accents and suffocated vocal clips.

Youtube Playlist of LP Clips

For all the style of its bangers, Think And Change perhaps impresses most with its more introspective additions to the canon. Endian’s Straight Intention is a winner, deeply atmospheric house with percussive and synth additions mutating over the slightly menacing bassline. Meanwhile Lowtec and reliable experimentalist Kassem Mosse turn out some intruiging noodles, with the former’s The Rhythm (Remix 2) offering a meditative selection of softened synthwork, while the latter turns out two of the EP’s highlights with the shimmering IP Mirrors that swings like glass shards glittering in the light, and the yet more impressive Broken Patterns where a tight techno drum progression is assailed by frayed synthwork and finely treated strings. The vinyl edition's closer comes in the form of Martyn's impressively minimal Bad Chicago, an understated finale where the devil is in the details: look out for the casual touch of reverb here, the simmering synth noodles there. Yet for all the forward-thinking music on this compilation, one of the most intriguing is also the song most rooted in Nonplus’ past, the Instra:mental and dBridge collaboration White Snares, long thought to be never see the light of day. As the only track on offer that steps out of the 120-130bpm bracket, it offers a lush piece of thoughtful, stirring atmospheric DnB that shows just how far the label has come since its inception.

The fact that the vast majority of these tracks are innovative and impressive doesn’t change the fact that they are mostly cast in the same hues and crafted with the same sound pallettes. When a few stray tracks fail, say, Boddika’s Beats Me which stagnates without any real musical progression or SCB’s predictable exercise in build-and-release Dissipate, one is reminded of just how derivative the genre can become when the producers aren’t really trying something new. At least in the bass scene’s early days the missteps were more likely to be intriguing experiments that didn’t quite work, rather than me-too operations that lack a killer ingredient.  Yet ultimately one can’t criticise Nonplus for having a darkened sound pallette, and the potential stagnation of the scene shouldn’t be transposed onto the label. Think And Change remains a stellar selection of tunes with only a few missteps, showcasing Boddika’s excellent prowess as an A&R man as well as a producer, as he drafts in a formidable selection of the scene’s best and brightest who do their best twist, challenge and reincarnate the darker fringes of the bass scene as we know it.

8.5/10

Scuba – Personality

Label: Hotflush

Hotflush label-head Paul Rose has moved from cerebral Dubstep pioneer to a ‘Big Name In Dance Music’ pretty swiftly over the last year or so, and so a lot of things have changed. Alongside his outspoken tweeting and expert label management he’s been charting a musical shift to parallel that of his own position in the dance sphere. Last year’s singles Loss (as SCB) and Adrenalin signalled a stark move away from the dark, heady sound of Scuba past and a clear stride towards the bombastic, ‘Big Club Music’ that we hear now in Personality. Change is always welcome, especially from a producer so established and talented, so the problems that this album potentially poses are less of not being experimental enough, and more of limiting excess and holding an album together coherently.

Scuba hinted at this monumental shift in last month’s single release of Hope, a balls-out House stomper that essentially beats the listener around the face with huge beats and roaring synths, even adding a deadpan, cliché-bating monologue to make the 90s club-referencing complete. It’s a track entirely devoid of subtleties, but when something is so expertly constructed and enjoyable to listen to, detail isn’t a big worry. The track, like much of this album, is clearly indebted to the upbeat, faintly tasteless club sounds of the late 90s, but as Rustie proved with last year’s phenomenal Glass Swords, re-appropriation of ‘uncool’ genres can be a killer tool.

On Personality, Scuba offers up big, muscular sounds that tend towards the sunny daze of the album cover but occasionally descend into colder, more mechanical territory. In a similar fashion, there are big Dance tunes and more chilled out tracks, with little in the way of a middle ground, and within each half there are successes and failures. For example, there are a few tunes that tread a broad, upbeat path, with bright 80s synths conjuring images of Miami in the sunshine. First track Ignition Key is a good example, following an extended (and kind of depressing) spoken-word intro with big, sharp chords and snappy percussion. Vocals are injected with style, carefully treading a line between a retro feel and contemporary filters. Out of any of Scuba’s earlier material it most recalls Adrenalin B-side Everywhere’s sun-bleached disco workout, and although it lacks the latter’s sense of tension it’s a good entrance point for such a big, fun album. Rose triumphs towards the close of the album in the same vein with standout track NE1BUTU, which builds with sharp, heavy beats and dreamy sun-drenched chords into the drop (‘never seen you break it down like this’) which is pure bliss with bright House chords, proving that even when Scuba goes all out he can still get it so right. Elsewhere these shiny tracks can wear a little thin, such as in July which starts promisingly with a bouncing bassline and iridescent synth stabs but then doesn’t really go anywhere.

This is the problem with Personality’s weaker tracks, they feel a little undercooked, as if the track’s second half is just left to repeat the first. For example while amongst the harder Techno-inflected numbers Underbelly is a subtle and muscular slow-burner and Cognitive Dissonance is an impressively moody exercise taking in Autonomic-style DnB with style, these tracks are accompanied by Action, a disappointingly thin slice of Dub Techno, and Gekko, a messy and overlong shifter that has no real sense of movement or progress.

Apart from the pure and sunny glory of NE1BUTU, Personality’s best moments are when Rose doesn’t choose quite so clearly between light and dark. Dsy Chn is an early highlight, an intriguing track with hefty beats and a perfectly-implemented array of clipped vocal samples scattered throughout the tune, particularly the male voice emerging and receding around halfway through the song, played perfectly against the ebb and flow of the instrumentation. Final track If U Want is another choice cut, with a simple bassline drawing a crowd of emotive chords and voices into the mix before it dissolves into a backmasked version of Rose’s introductory monologue.

As the track comes to a close, it’s hard to really know what to make about Personality as a whole, and that’s because it never quite comes together as an LP. The album jumps quite radically in both style and quality from track to track, and whilst they are all of a very high production quality, not all of the cuts on offer have enough substance to keep you listening. It’s encouraging to see a producer trying something so new, and there are some great songs here as well as a lot of fun, big-room killers, but some may miss the rewarded repeated listens and subtleties of Triangulations or A Mutual Antipathy. It’s clear that Scuba is capable of very great things and isn’t constrained by a specific genre or tone, so I’m happy to enjoy some of the tunes on here and see what he does next.

7.5/10

February Roundup

It’s that time of the month again. February has been as explosive as ever with loads of big artists emerging from their winter hibernation, and I’ve got a fantastic selection of tunes this month. Kicking off with the biggest tunes are upbeat House offerings from Huxley, Scuba (x2) and John Talabot. Next we delve into Bassier territories with GoldFFinch’s best track to date, followed by a darker Techno turn; featuring huge tracks from heavyweights Objekt, Model 500 (Juan Atkins), Shed and SIgha. Next some glorious Deep House courtesy of Dusky, Matthew Dekay and Christian Löffler, followed by some cerebral cuts from Synkro and Shlohmo. It’s all topped off with an extraordinary new cut from Burial and The Field’s magnificent Cries (released as Loops Of Your Heart), and I hope you get as much out of February’s treasure trove as I did.

Tracklist:

Huxley – Let It Go

Scuba – The Hope

John Talabot – Destiny feat. Pional

Scuba – NE1BUTU

GoldFFinch – Funky Steppa

Objekt – Cactus

Model 500 – The Messenger

Machinedrum – What U Wanted 2 Feel

Shed – RQ-170

Sigha – How To Disappear

Dusky – Lost Highway

Matthew Dekay & Lee Burridge -  Für Die Liebe

Christian Löffler – Aspen

Above & Beyond – Love Is Not Enough (Synkro Remix)

No Fixed Abode – Indian Street Slang

Shlohmo – Wen Uuu

Burial – Loner

Loops Of Your Heart - Cries

Scuba – The Hope

Label: Hotflush

The Hope

Flash Addict

The last six months have seen Hotflush label-head Scuba, aka Paul Rose, become something of a Dance superstar. With his label’s increasing popularity (and quality) and his stunning Adrenalin EP that came out last summer, this fame is clearly deserved. In fact, his amazing slew of releases in 2011 earned him a spot on White Noise's Best EPs of 2011 and two entries into our Best Singles of the year. Good news for Scuba fans, his Personality LP will be out next month, and The Hope is being released as a single ahead of the album to whet our appetites.

Scuba’s productions used to be characterised by cerebral, complex tunes but with Adrenalin he took a turn towards the maximalist, with big sounds and bright effects combining to create House tunes that are, in a word, massive. Here he looks set to continue on this track, kicking off with no-nonsense club stomper The Hope. Rough, techy beats recall some of his work as SCB, but the anthemic vocal chant is a clear signifier of his bigger style, with acid-flavoured synths ramping the energy up to eleven midway through the track, and a classic House vocal cry icing the cake. Bright synths streak across the second half of the track, and it’s clear that this tune is nothing short of enormous, sure to light up dancefloors all over Europe. The inclusion of a Radio Edit is interesting, because although the vocals on this are fairly catchy, the shear driving force of the tune suggests it might not be the most radio-friendly tune, but time will tell if it can be a crossover success.

Flash Addict is a headier take but no less enjoyable, with swift synths arpeggiating a near-tropical rhythmic loop over a bouncing drum pattern. The blinding pace of both these tunes counteracts the criticism of an over-indulgent breakdown in Adrenalin, as on this second tune he barely lets up the pace for a second, the tune grinding to a quick halt midway through and being added to by various clever effects throughout to ensure a sense of variation even though the pace never lets off. Both these tracks continue to prove just why Scuba is so much the man of the moment right now, able as he is to make big tunes that are also interesting and well-constructed, while varying his stylistic output in a manner that puts a lot of other one-note producers to shame. Bring on Personality.

8.5/10

25 Best Dance Singles of 2011

Best of 2011

EPs

Singles

Albums

It’s been an incredible year for dance music. While Bass music finally formed a concrete identity, a few keen artists continued to take House and Techno in new and exciting directions. Here are my very favourite tracks of the year across a variety of genres, each one sure to get bodies moving on any dancefloor. Although I’ve put these in a loose order, when the tracks are this good they’re all fantastic.

P.S – I’ve embedded a Youtube playlist of all the tracks at the top of the page in case you’d prefer to listen to the whole lot continuously.

25 - Braille - Breakup

Both Braille and Machinedrum have had busy years independently as well as with their collaboration project Sepalcure, but this track on Braille's A Meaning EP really stood out for me. Here Praveen Sharma harks back to classic House stylings with a very contemporary twist, combining great vocal snatches and clean beats with an uneasy synthline and lovely soft keys.

If you like this, check out the rest of Braille's A Meaning EP.

24 - Objekt – CLK Recovery

It’s been a breakthrough year for Berlin-based TJ Hertz, and nowhere is this more evident than on his second white label single. This is Techno at its most exciting and boundary-pushing, with deep mechanical beats and a rich soundfield guaranteed to bring that Berlin sound wherever you go.

If you like this, check out the monstrous B-side Unglued.

23 - Storm Queen – It Goes On (Vox)

The most recent entry on this list is from House stalwart Morgan Geist, of Metro Area fame. It didn’t seem likely he could follow up his last solo outing, but It Goes On pulls it off with style, building slowly and assuredly with superbly catchy vocals, eventually erupting into a stripped and euphoric breakdown before settling into some great and unexpected deviant sounds towards the close that ensure this tune can be played again and again.

If you like this, check out any of Morgan Geist or Carl Craig’s recent output.

22 - Ital – Culture Clubs

2011 has been a great year for the 100% Silk stable, an offshoot of leftfield indie label Not Not Fun, and no one has been releasing for the label with quite as much style as Ital. This unique dance cut revolves around several stripped but intoxicating elements; a shifting percussive click, woozy pitchbent synths and tumbling tropical melodies. It’s a hypnotic and drugged-out tune, and nothing else sounds quite like it.

If you like this, check out any of 100% Silk’s releases from this year, particularly Ital’s other work or the new-Disco stylings of Octo Octa.

21 - Teeth – Shawty

Who knew a spoken Beyoncé sample would become so ubiquitous this year? On this unsettling and sexy cut, a repeated vocal line from pop song Videophone is twisted to ghostly effect over percussion drenched in knife-edge tension and ethereal rising synths.

If you like this, check out FaltyDL’s excellent percussive remix of this tune.

20 - Eats Everything – Entrance Song

Eats Everything came out of nowhere this year to craft one of the best House tunes of the year. Slowly building over that warping vocal line, warm keys and neat claps give way at the drop to a massive bouncing beat that’s sure to get anyone on the dancefloor.

If you like this, check out the producer’s recent self-titled single.

19 - Huxley – Shower Scene

Sadly still going without a vinyl release, Huxley’s magnificent Shower Scene really has everything you could possibly want from a dance track. The stunning tune includes not one but two expertly applied vocal lines, a deep growling bassline and enough cunning micro-edits to keep the most ADHD-addled minds riveted throughout.

If you like this, check out recent tunes from Ethyl and Detroit Swindle, particularly the latter’s The Wraparound.

18 - Rustie – Ultra Thizz

Rustie followed no one but himself with his trailblazing approach to production this year. The most exuberant and ecstatic cut from his brilliant Glass Swords album is Ultra Thizz, which was released as a single in the Autumn. Irresistible chipmunk vocals are twinned with shifting handclaps and one of the most ballsy and colourful drops heard this decade, never mind this year.

If you like this, check out the rest of Rustie’s superb Glass Swords album.

17 - New York Transit Authority – Off The Traxx

Although released on a joint-single with White Noise favourite Redlight, under this new moniker Mensah dropped one of the most menacing and well-crafted slices of dance this side of Sicko Cell. Along with a suitable vocal line, lyrically bizarre but threatening in intonation, we hear dissonant effects applied liberally to make the track veer towards the unsettling, but it never falls short of  being a sure-fire hit on the dancefloor.

If you like this, check out Pearson Sound / Maurice Donovan’s output this year.

16 - SCB – Loss

The first of what was perhaps an inevitable pair of entries in the list for Hotflush label-head Paul Rose, Loss from his techno-based SCB guise was without a doubt one of the big DJ favourites this year. Rather than building to a drop this track introduces itself with all the elements already present; a gnawing vocal line that won’t leave your head, an occasional tumbling bassline punctuating the space and a lush synth wash. It all came together as an undeniable masterwork, cementing Scuba as potentially the year’s most exciting and varied producer.

If you like this, check out anything released by Scuba / SCB this year. Seriously, this guy has been on fire.

15 - Kahn – Like We Used To

Emerging from the nebulous Bristol post-dubstep scene, Kahn put out a couple of low-key but superb releases this year, and this was my favourite. Woozy synth washes introduce a pitch-perfect choppy vocal line, before a big bassline enters to form a tune that feels like it never quite settles down, but uses this fact to a clear advantage. The icing on the cake is the Zomby-esque introduction of an untreated synthline midway through the tune, proving that Kahn is a producer who really knows what he’s doing.

If you like this, check out Kahn’s excellent release from later this year, Illy / Tehran.

14 - Jamie xx – Far Nearer

Although this release was only one of many reasons for Jamie xx’s rise to prominence this year, alongside some great DJ sets and his album remixing Gil Scott Heron, it’s also a song that will very easily settle into its own little niche in your heart (yuck, I know). It’s hard to create a dancefloor knockout that tugs at the heartstrings, but here it’s pulled off with style, and it sounds effortless. The combination of those warm steel drums and a deep bass-driven dance tune is masterful, and those emotive vocal lines are just the icing on the cake. More than anything what stands out here is Jamie xx’s masterful sense of space in his tracks, displayed with style on The xx’s debut album and shown here again to remarkable effect.

If you like this, check out The xx’s debut album, or similarly emotive dance tunes released this year by the likes of Hackman in Close or Mano Le Tough with In My Arms.

13 - Deadboy – Wish U Were Here

Surprisingly absent from a lot of other site’s year-end lists, I’m unsure how White Noise favourite Deadboy managed to slip through the gaps this year with his excellent Here release. This fantastic lead single features a great vocal line set into a massive overall sound, with big synths duelling disco-tinged beats to great effect.

If you like this, check out Deadboy’s stellar back-catalogue, especially singles U Cheated and If U Want Me, as well as his soulful and melancholy classic Heartbreaker (along with Julio Bashmore’s stunning remixes released this year).

12 - Pearson Sound – Deep Inside Refix

David Kennedy hasn’t let up in 2011, and his various outings as Pearson Sound and Maurice Donovan continue to prove he is one of the Dance world’s very brightest stars. Nowhere is this clearer than on his rework of Hardrive’s 1993 anthem Deep Inside, where a cloying vocal line repeats across finely textured percussion and subtly overlaid synths.

If you like this, check out Kennedy’s fantastic classic House offerings as Maurice Donovan this year, such as Babeh and Call My Name.

11 - Martyn – Masks

This year Martyn made a clear shift towards House from his DnB / Dubstep origins, but his superb Ghost People LP proved that his skill wasn’t constrained to a single genre. This was most evident on lead single Masks, where a spectacular disaffected vocal punctuates a great swung rhythm, with a rich field of perfectly tuned synths adding up to a stunning dance cut that occupied a lot of space in some of the best DJ sets I’ve heard this year.

If you like this, check out the rest of Martyn’s fantastic Ghost People LP.

10 - Burial – Street Halo

Burial’s much-anticipated return to production was one of the most welcome returns of the year, and the Street Halo EP had another surprise up its sleeve in the form of his first true solo Dance production this side of his genre-defining masterpiece Untrue in 2006. Street Halo has all the classic signs of a Burial tune, dusty percussive clicks, ghostly vocal samples and ethereal synths, but added a massive gravelly bass throb that proved the producer could still get bodies moving when he wanted to.

If you like this, check out any of Burial’s superb releases, either his Garage-centric self-titled debut LP or masterful dubstep long-player Untrue. Also watch out for his Kindred EP out next month.

9 - Pangaea – Hex

Kicking off as fiery 2step with a thoroughly menacing synthline, Hessle label-head Pangaea’s biggest single of the year could at first sit easily alongside recent offerings from Sully or the rest of the dark UK Garage crowd. But when that downright-threatening reggae vocal line is brought into the mix, Hex becomes another beast entirely, and one of the strongest dance releases of the year.

If you like this, check out Sully’s Carrier LP from earlier this year.

8 - Unknown – Sicko Cell

The most surprising thing about this year’s most talked-about tune is just how strange it is. Eschewing most recognisable genre tropes; here Joy O the unknown producer combines sparse percussive elements with the ubiquitous cocaine-touting vocal line and that massive crunchy synthline to bizarre but intoxicating effect. It gets odder as you listen deeper; the ‘I’m so addicted’ vocal line is out of time, the near-inaudible noise that sounds like a cloth wiping glass in the song’s bulk, it’s all very unsettling. But in a lot of ways, it doesn’t really matter. The song works, and it’s massive.

If you like this, check out the work of similarly-minded UK producer Joy O.

7 - Classixx  - Into the Valley (Julio Bashmore Remix)

This tune came out of nowhere, apparently commissioned by Mountain Dew, but nothing could stop Bashmore’s massive remix from getting a lot of playtime this year. This tune is pure euphoria, combining old and new sounds; vintage-style House vocals twinned with bright contemporary synths and beats to intoxicating result.

If you like this, check out Julio Bashmore’s fantastic Everybody Needs a Theme Tune EP.

6 - Hackman – Close

Another tune that seems to have slipped from most year-end lists, this gorgeous single was one of my most played of the year. Beginning with warm and bouncy steel drums, the tune soon drops into a snarling bass throb, with an achingly emotive vocal line applied to stellar effect.

If you like this, check out Hackman’s recent Agree to Disagree 12” and watch out for his album out early next year.

5 - Jacques Greene- Another Girl

The best of a sparkling catalogue of releases from the Canadian producer this year, Another Girl is for me the most impressive examples of all the best qualities of today’s Bass scene. An eye for subtlety rather than big drops, airy vibes, and spliced RnB samples (here courtesy of Ciara) resulted in the perfect Bass tune. This is probably my most played track of the year, and I’m still not bored.

If you like this, check out Greene’s GREENE01 white label release which dropped in August.

4 - Blawan – Getting Me Down

One of the year’s first big releases is still one if it’s best. Blawan’s shown a staggering variety of styles are well and truly under his belt this year, but this genreless tune was a cut above the rest. Sharp percussion held up the track, which was topped off by a bassy growl and that vocal line, which is absolutely impossible to get out of your head.

If you like this, check out Blawan’s latest Peaches EP or his recent collaboration with Pariah as Karenn for his new tougher Techno sound.

3 - Scuba – Adrenalin

What is without a doubt one of the year’s most decadent tunes is also one of its finest. Scuba finally came out of the shell of his cerebral post-Dubstep work to produce the sublime Adrenalin EP, and the title track is an absolute monster. Taking influences from the unlikely world of Trance, this lush tune revels in vintage synths, a euphoric vocal line and includes a breakdown so long and finely wrought, you’ll be begging for the drop by the time it finally hits.

If you like this, check out the rest of Scuba’s Adrenalin EP or his great singles Loss and Mace as SCB.

2 - Mosca – Bax

It was hard to choose between this and Done Me Wrong on Mosca’s masterly double A-side out over the summer. Bax just edged it out, with an intoxicating synthline taking prime positions amongst a host of great vocal snippets, sharp percussion and a deep, growling bass. 2011 was truly the year that Mosca did no wrong, and out of all of this year’s dance releases, this 12” will be one of the most valuable any DJ could’ve bought this year.

If you like this, check out the amazing A-side Done Me Wrong, along with Mosca’s superb Wavey EP.

1 - Julio Bashmore – Battle For Middle You

Was number one really ever going to be anything else? Bristol-based producer Julio Bashmore defined this year’s sound before it had even really begun with his fantastic Everybody Needs a Theme Tune EP, and prime cut Battle For Middle You was the standout of the bunch. Every aspect of this track screams classic, from the unique synth effects and expert pacing to one of the heaviest, dirtiest drops I’ve ever heard in a club. I expect it’s a drop that I’ll hear time and time again as 2012 rolls on, and deservedly so. No one rocked the dancefloors like Bashmore this year.

If you like this, check out the rest of the Everybody Needs a Theme Tune EP, as well as his excellent remix work for the likes of Classixx and Deadboy.

12 Best EPs of 2011

Best of 2011

EPs

Singles

Albums

We’ve had a mammoth year for Electronic and Dance music, and the EP format has not only seen a huge amount of great releases but also some redefining ones; from dance classics which are essentially triple A-sides (Mosca, Scuba, Jacques Greene) to releases which are LPs in all but name, like Floating Points’ staggering late-entry Shadows. Here are my 12 favourite EPs of the year, with links to my original review where available. The list is in no particular order, because when it comes down to the very best of the year, they’re all fantastic. Here’s to a great 2012.

DjRUM – Mountains

Mountains Pt 1

On this spectacular EP DjRUM finally made good on all the promises made by his early work, producing four varied and exquisitely produced cuts situated somewhere between Dubstep, Garage and Ambient.

Floating Points –Shadows

Sais

With Shadows, Floating Points produced what is sure to be one of the most lasting EPs of the year, including distended experimental pieces fusing Techno, Jazz influences and references to today’s nebulous Bass scene. Above all, it was his finest release to date, and sounded utterly like nothing else.

Braille – A Meaning

Breakup

If Sepalcure’s full-length didn’t quite meet my expectations this year, Praveen Sharma’s debut EP as Braille certainly exceeded them. Showing a straight-up House muscle unseen on the duo’s deviations, here Braille amazed with a selection of dancefloor powerhouses that showed a skill evident on Sepalcure’s compositions but a sound entirely Sharma’s own.

Jacques Greene –Greene01

Motivation

This has been a great year for Greene and the Canadian Bass set, who brought a whole new meaning to RnB sampling. Not content to rest on his laurels after the killer Another Girl, here Greene focussed his attentions elsewhere, issuing on this White Label release not only the best RnB inflected track of the year in Motivation, but some fantastic forays outside the RnB bubble on this Triple-A side.

Octo Octa – Let Me See You

Let Me See You

The 100% Silk label has been flying high this year, and nowhere is this shown more clearly than in Octo Octa’s gorgeous debut EP. Every track on here is a winner, from the fantastic old-school sounds of the title track to end of the night stomper Coldwaves by way of the utter brilliance of EP standout I’m Trying.

Sepalcure – Fleur

No Think

I’ve already discussed my opinions on Sepalcure’s full-length, but at the beginning of the year their Fleur EP was a fierce mission statement. Defining the ill-defined Bass sound with lush and beautiful compositions, here the pair really flexed their muscles, veering from the rich beats of the title track to Ambient closer Inside by way of surprising Techno stunner No Think.

Bok Bok – Southside

Silo Pass

Night Slugs didn’t have quite as big a year in 2011 as they did in 2010, but their few releases like EPs from Bok Bok and Jam City continued their mind-bending sounds. On the Southside EP, label-head Bok Bok mixed Bass and Dubstep and Grime traits to create something gritty, brilliant, and utterly unique.

Downliners Sekt – Meet The Decline

Rising Saudade

The anonymous group completed their three-part series of free EPs this year with Meet The Decline, their most accomplished release to date. Across the four tracks Downliners Sekt deconstructed popular Dance and Electronic tropes with unerring precision and skill, creating a brilliant set of dusty, fascinating tracks which offer gorgeous worlds to explore.

Mosca – Wavey

Orange Jack

It’s been a great year for Mosca, with his flawless double-A side Done Me Wrong / Bax dominating the sets of all the best DJs this year. On the Wavey EP, he released a surprising but brilliant set of Techno tunes that will be sure to fill up dancefloors in the year to come.

Burial – Street Halo

Stolen Dog

After a much-felt absence, the king of dusty and emotive Dubstep returned for his first solo release in four years. Every track here is a stunning construction of his trademark DIY percussion and deeply atmospheric sounds, from the late-night dance cut Street Halo to the gorgeous and melancholy Stolen Dog.

Scuba – Adrenalin

Adrenaline

Hotflush head Paul Rose finally came out of his shell this year, turning from his normal cerebral dance cuts to Adrenaline, which essentially made Trance cool for the first time in over ten years. Add this to a killer couple of tunes on the B-side (including the fantastically groovy Never), and you’ve got one of the most impressive and enjoyable releases of the year.

Lunice – One Hunned

I See U

Lunice was another producer to emerge from the Canadian ether this year, releasing a sexy selection of Hip-Hop infused Bass cuts, none more sinister and alluring than summer anthem I See U.

Dance and Electronic Roundup September – The Present

And here’s part two of the roundup, encompassing the freshest dance and electronic tracks of the last month or so. And trust me, with these tunes the next month is going to be very, very good.

Download the whole playlist on mp3 here.

Mosca – Done Me Wrong

Without question one of the biggest tunes of the year, Mosca’s (just out) first solo single is something that has to be heard to be believed. After a top-notch intro featuring, of all things, a built-in rewind, this tune settles into an easy 4/4 garage throwback, anchored by a particularly sticky bassline. What really makes this track though is Mosca’s unbelievable skill chopping up vocals, ensuring this tune will not leave your ears for a long, long time. If you dig it, check out the similarly excellent B-side, Bax.
PS - Check out two free and chilld new Mosca tracks here.

Scuba – Adrenalin

Kicking off with a very fresh single from Hotflush head Scuba, this track is a perfect fusion of the styles most prevalent in UK dance music at the moment. A simple 4/4 beat and a wide range of percussion is twinned with a bassy repeated vocal, soon supplemented with an acid Roland synthline, recalling the euphoric Chicago sound at its finest. The track is then submerged and a fantastic vocal hook slowly surfaces, before breaking wave-like back into the main track euphorically. Showcasing the current trend of abandoning showy drops in favour of restrained layering and thoughtful but simple production, this is an easy contender for single of the year.

Blawan – What You Do With What You Have

After cracking dancefloors wide open with Done Me Wrong, Blawan shows not only his talent but also his versatility in his second superb release of the year. Classic acid house stylings are smashed up by enormous industrial beats, with more of Blawan’s unique and brilliant vocal chopping.

Pangaea – Hex

Moving to darker waters for a new cut from the head of the on-point Hemlock label, this new release kicks off with a racing garage beat and a paranoid knife-edge synthline. Aggressive and time-stretched reggae samples ramp up the tension to craft a fantastically dark tune that deserves a place in the collection of any DJ worth his salt.

Detroit Swindle – The Wrap Around

Detroit Swindle - Starvin' EP (Saints & Sonnets) by Detroit Swindle

(This track isn't on youtube, but the mp3 is still included on the playlist downloadable above, and here is a preview on soundcloud)

Not released until Christmas, this track has been doing the rounds recently (I found it on Huxley’s RA charts), but I’m justified in putting it up here already for the simple fact that it’s absolutely enormous. The Dutch duo craft a classic bass intro, a woozy synth wash with a light beat and a vocal line not permitted to complete its phrasing. However just after the one-minute mark, the track drops out into a huge, bouncy bassline that is guaranteed to get anyone moving. Then out come the vocals, and the central bassline is played with and bitcrushed exquisitely. This one really is dancefloor perfection.

Eats Everything – Entrance Song

This track almost passed me by but I’m glad I paid attention because this is a masterclass in production. In a similar fashion to the previous track, a fairly predictable intro gives way to dancefloor brilliance when the vocal line is pitch-shifted up over a bridge and gives way to a dark and brilliant bouncing beat just after the two-minute mark. The beat is fantastic but it’s really the vocal sampling that makes this track, stretching and contorting to stellar effect over and over across the course of this great tune.

Braille – Breakup

Another track that’s been a real favourite of mine over the last month, from one half of NY’s fantastic bass outfit Sepalcure. A surprising range of great vocal lines are combined over a powerful beat and a tense synth line, keeping the track fresh, pacey, and always brilliant.

Jacques Greene – I Like You

It’s official: Jacques Greene can do no wrong. After fronting the bass assault on dance music earlier this year with the indescribably perfect Another Girl, Greene’s new EP consists of three stellar tracks, and this is the best. Classic bassy beats vie for dominance with a vibrant dancing synth-line, all mixed with the ‘I like you’ vocal, pitched down so low you just can’t quite know what to make of it. Either way this track is another restrained and beautiful piece of dance perfection from the bass kingpin.

Octo Octa – Let Me See You

(This track isn't on youtube, but the mp3 is included on the playlist downloadable above. I’ve included another excellent Octo Octa track,I’m Trying, on the youtube playlist))

One of my most played songs this month, this track just gets everything so right. A great vocal line introduces an old school breakbeat, followed by ecstatic rave piano chords and characteristic whooping. When the cascading synths lace themselves over the arrangement, I really feel like I could let this track play forever. Not only this, but the track is edited with beautiful precision, keeping it continuously fresh and new. One not to miss by any means.

Rustie – Ultra Thizz

Rustie’s unacceptable day-glo exuberance crosses so many lines here, and you can either go with it or not. Sounding a bit like someone speedballing before playing Super Mario, the colours Rustie paints are almost blindingly bright, but if you can stomach that then this is a gorgeously constructed and utterly unique track.