Featured DJ Chart: Jolka (Best of 2009)

Talented Croatian techno producer Jolka wraps up a landmark year by talking to Juno Plus about his top tunes of 2009. Davor O, Planetary Assault Systems and the Marcel Dettmann/Shed collaboration Deuce all come into the reckoning, as does his own debut 12″, The Jolka Experience.

1. Silent Servant/Santiago Salazar – La Noche/La Minoria (Historia Y Violencia)

Both sides are dope, but my pick is Servant’s. Definitely track of the year for me. It’s so lo-fi and straight forward – I love it to bits.

2. Davor O – Transitional Objects (Matrix)

Davor’s sense of arrangement is uncanny, you don’t get many techno records arranged like this. I did a remix on the flip side and think it is probably my best work to date (and gives you a fair deal of emo/feel good goosebumps all over).

3. Wax – No 20002 (Wax/Hardwax)

Gritty sound, weird timing against spot-on harmonical structure make such an interesting blend on this record. Top notch release.

4. Deuce – Twerp Wiz (Ostgut Ton)

Twerp Wiz tune is the one that makes it for me here. Works so well on the floor and it’s got energy that’s so focused. Raw, raw, raw. What else is there to add? Proper techno.

5. D5 – Floatation Tank (Delsin)

This is a repress or rather a record containing two amazing tunes from previous Delsin releases. It happens so that I spent this summer listening to Floatation Tank numerous times and the release came out in September, so definitely had to put it on the list, even if the original is back from 2005. The sense of space recreated here is amazing. Really beautiful piece of music.

6. Ancient Methods – Third Method (Ancient Methods)

AM continue to amaze with each release. Where Makaton and BMB left off, they continue the industrial heritage of techno. No nonsense here from the German boys.

7. Kuba – Message From Earth (Matrix)

This is right up my alley. Beautiful melodies and lead works. This guy’s got a good sense for harmony.

8. Planetary Assault Sytems – Temporary Suspension (Ostgut Ton)

This one sounds a bit like a trip down the memory lane. There is something very 90s about Temporary Suspension (in a very good way). A textbook example of how to induce a trance state of mind.

9. Silent Servant – Negative Fascinations (Sandwell District)

This whole EP is oh-so-awsome, two very powerful tracks that do wonders on the floor. Highly addictive repetition.

10. Jolka – The Jolka Experience (Sect)

Not so very cool to chart your own shit, but when I look back at 2009, this one will definitely come up in mind to remember the year by.