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Juno Plus: Top 50 tracks of 2010
by
Juno Daily
on 09.12.2010 at 13:35pm.
Last edited: 20.01.2011 at 17:17pm.
After a week in which we’ve cast fond glances back at our favourite labels, albums and more besides from the past 12 months, now is time for the pièce de résistance – our top 50 tracks of 2010. From sprawling disco chuggers delivered in one take to brooding techno, boundary pushing future bass and killer throwback house primed for sweaty dancefloors, there’s been something to suit everyone’s musical palette.
The collection you see before you are the 50 tracks that have soundtracked the past year at Juno Plus, and considering the site launched in late 2009 this serves as a neat little snapshot of where we are at. Our small team of contributors have all had a say, with the final list assembled through the kind of open, democratic process that would make Sepp Blatter blush. Some of the tracks included are obvious selections that will populate many a ‘best of’ list – and rightly so – but we’ve also taken time to include some of the less heralded but equally awesome tracks from 2010. Drum roll please…
This colossal raw acid remix from Andy Blake, which clocks in at a monumental 17 minutes and 36 seconds, was delivered in one take. It’s named in honour of the World Unknown parties he runs in Brixton, South London. In a word, amazing.
A staple of the Firecracker/Prime Numbers crew all summer and winner of this years warmest bassline “Shake Your Body Down” references first wave Detroit techno and early Chicago house but has a contemporary feel that ensures it a status beyond mere pastiche.
Absolutely massive remix from Motor City Drum Ensemble here – employed to tackle the psychedelic scuzz funk of “Hoola” he focuses on the female backing harmonies and wraps them in a hypnotic 117bpm Detroit house groove replete with enchanting keys and straight kicks.
“The Boxer” shows Bristolian Pinch at his no holds barred, unyielding best – militant basslines, skittering tribal percussion and ethereal moans all combine for a tear out that towers imperiously above the pretenders.
Belfast wunderkid Space Dimension Controller effortlessly joins the dots between deep house, Detroit techno, 80s soul, P-funk, space disco, IDM and classic 90s ambient house. “Translatlantic Landing Bay”, which featured on the sublime Temporary Thrillz EP on R&S, was our pick of the bunch.
Killer debut from Arp101 on the Eglo imprint, “Dead Leaf” rises into a sick 100bpm beat filled with drunken intent, the slaps and kicks falling over themselves but generally given enough room for the funk to really shine.
Everything Ramadanman touches at the moment invariably becomes a must have for DJs, be it a remix – his Burial beating Woon effort for example – or original production. His ubiquitous anthem “Work Them”, released on Loefah’s Swamp 81 imprint, was the best of the lot.
Taken from the third volume of the awesome RH Direct Current series that saw Falty DL and Cosmin Trg indulge in some mutual backscratching, the New Yorker turns the Romanian’s “See Other People” into a crazed futuristic techno R&B hybrid – potentially what Kyle Hall remixing Kingdom would sound like
Taken from their imperious debut album (which just missed out on our top 10 list) Teengirl Fantasy’s “Cheaters” was perhaps the finest moment dipping a late 70s track by The Love Commitee in a pitched down lo fi Chicago house beat that’s brilliantly rough around the edges. We could listen to this all day.
Jacques Renault knows his disco onions but this is arguably his best work to date, taking the signature track of Brooklyn live act Midnight Magic and turning it into an insouciant, hands up disco bomb. “Beam me up, beam me up uptown!” as repeated across the world with glee!
Nottingham based producer Lone set the standard for his Magic Wire imprint brilliantly with “Pineapple Crush”. The epitome of future retro warehouse business, the track lays down relentless heavy rave stabs on top a crashing 808 pattern underpinned by that distinctive Think break and topped off by a unique melody.
After maximun play on Rinse, vociferous chatter on the internet and even critical if some what misplaced acclaim by Paul Lester we just had to include “Wut”! Instantly recognisable thanks to uplifting trance-like synths swathes of hazy atmospherics and shimmering, shrieking vocals calling out the hypnotic riff over a heavy crunk beat.
In a year that has ended with Blake among the nominations for the BBC Sound Of 2011, it was perhaps “CMYK” that offered the truest indication of his potential. A signature for his futuristic vision of R&B further, sampling Kelis and Aaliyah and mangling them beautifully over a melancholy and glitchy beat.
Kassem ‘The Boss’ Mosse had an outstanding 2010, and this remix for the Commix Re: Call To Mind series outshone some serious competition. Mosse dropped cheeky slo mo vocal samples from Goldie’s most famous moment on top of a bumping deep throb augmented by a scattergun rhythmic pulse. Track of the year!
