Best Of 2012: Staff Lists
Each year we ask our growing family of contributors from across the globe to pick their own personal top 10 for the year, with a open remit when it comes to the subject matter. In some cases we had to suggest a rethink in order to not offend, while some touted lists didn’t bear fruit simply because there weren’t enough examples (someone tried to concoct a list of the top 10 usages of an R&B vocal in a bass music track but got stuck at about three). Ultimately, these lists reflect the personal tastes of our writing staff, from apocalyptic techno destroyers to rediscovered gems and the best tracks to hear in a windowless basement club in Osaka.
Brendan Arnott’s top “3:45am in a windowless basement club in Osaka” Tracks:
1. Jai Paul – Jasmine (demo) (XL Recordings)
2. きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ – Pon Pon Pon / チェリーボンボン (Warner Music Japan)
3. Joy Orbison & Boddika – Dun Dun / Prone (SunkLo)
4. O.m.a.r-S* And L’Renee – S.E.X – The Remixes (FXHE REcords)
5. Jam City – The Courts / The Nite Life (Night Slugs)
6. Kindness – World, You Need a Change of Mind (Female Energy)
7. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange (Def Jam)
8. Anna Lunoe & Friends* – Real Talk (Future Classic)
9. Madteo – Mad Dip Revue (Trilogy Tapes)
10. Percussions – Bird Songs / Rabbit Songs (Text Records)
Nik Mercer’s top 10 remixes of 2012:
1. Candi Staton – “Hallelujah Anyway (Director’s Cut Signature Praise)
2. Impulsion – “The Trip (DJ Pierre Remix)
3. Lauer – “Macsat Ring Down (Lee Douglas Remix)
4. Concept e25 – “Deep Orange (montel Remix)
5. Gary’s Gang – “Let’s Lovedance Tonight (Jacques Renault Remix)
6. Los Amigos Invisibles & Dimitri From Paris – “Glad To Know You (Ray Mang’s Flying Dub)
7. The Dead Rose Music Company – “Tonight (Ooft! Remix)
8. Lindstrøm – “Ęg-gęd-ōsis (Todd Terje Extended Edit)
9. Róisín Murphy – “Simulation (Mano Le Tough Remix)
Oli Warwick’s 10 Mayan calendar-ending techno destroyers:
1. Aardvarck – Yogya (Skudge Presents)
2. Bintus – Drink Ye From The Acid Chalice (Power Vacuum)
3. Blawan – Why Do They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage? (She Works The Long Nights)
4. Control Voltage – The Bounce (Dissident)
5. EDMX – Cerberus (Power Vacuum)
6. Emptyset – Armature (Raster-Noton)
7. Fishermen – Blood Knot (Skudge Presents)
8. Jagdstaffel 66 – Grossenwahn (Crème Eclipse)
9. NHK’Koyxen – 45 (Pan)
10. Vessel – Zero (left_Blank)
Richard Brophy’s best LP & 12″s:
LPs:
1. Andy Stott – Luxury Problems (Modern Love)
2. Terrence Dixon – From The Far Future 2 (Tresor)
3. Legowelt – The Paranormal Soul (Clone)
4. Drexciya – Journey Of The Deep Sea Dweller 2 (Clone)
5. Various Artists – The Modern Electronic Element Series 2 (Nation)
6. Delta Funktionen – Traces (Delsin)
7. Forward Strategy Group – Labour Division (Perc Trax)
8. Shed – The Killer (50 Weapons)
9. Silent Servant – Negative Fascination (Hospital)
10. Rob Hood – Motor Nighttime World (Music Man)
12″s:
1. Vc118a – Information System (Trust)
2. Erp – Lunar Ruins (Frustrated Funk)
3. Versalife – Nighttime Activities 3 (Clone Basement Series)
4. Sanys – Daily Situation (Downfall Theory)
5. Patrice Scott – Orbital Bliss (Sistrum)
6. The Traveller – A100 (Ostgut)
7. Floor Plan – Altered Ego (Mplant)
8. Alex Cortex – Raw (KilleKill)
9. Go Hiyama – Arc (Token)
10. BMB. -Where Pail Limbs Lie (Mute)
Pietro Barbieri’s top 10 leftfield picks:
1. Madteo – Noi No (Sahko)
2. Raime – Quarter Turns Over A Living Line (Blackest Ever Black)
3. Lee Gamble – Diversions 1994-1996 (PAN)
4. Aaron Dilloway – Modern Jester (Hanson Records)
5. VA – Langesthal (Meakusma)
6. The Durian Brothers – Cubs EP (Diskant)
7. Shackleton – Music For The Quiet Hour/The Drawbar Organ Eps (Woe To The Septic Heart!)
8. Eleh – Homage To the Pointed Waveforms (Taiga)
9. Pekka Airaksinen – Other Power (Harmonia)
10. EMG – Sounds From Brussels (Experiential Learnings)
Matt Anniss’s top 10 rediscovered gems:
1. Ability II – Pressure Dub
As heard on This Ain’t Chicago (Strut)
2. In Trance 95 – Presidente
As heard on The Minimal Wave Tapes Vol 2 (Stones Throw/Minimal Wave)
3. Unfinished Business – Out of My Hands (Love’s Taking Over)
As heard on 122 BPM (Still Music)
4. Drexciya – Davey Jones Locker
As heard on Journey of the Deep Sea Dweller II (Clone Classic Cuts)
5. Azymuth – Jazz Carnival [Unreleased Unedited Original Mix]
As heard on Light As A Feather: Remastered and Remixed (Far Out Recordings)
6. Bell’a Njoh – Ebolo
As heard on Sofrito: International Soundclash (Strut)
7. Miro – Safari of Love
As heard on Psychemagik presents Magik Cyrkles (Leng)
8. Equation – I’ll Say A Prayer For You
As heard on The Burrell Brothers – The Nu Groove Years ’88-92 (Rush Hour)
9. Holger Czukay – Music Is A Miracle
As heard on 5 Years of Claremont 56 (Claremont 56)
10. Biting Tongues – Meat Mask Separatist
As heard on FAC Dance 02 (Strut)
Tom Banham’s top 10 kick drums of 2012:
1. MPIA3 – Acid Badger
2. Skirt – Collider (HG remix)
3. AnD – Making Circles
4. Shed – VIOMF!/The Killer
5. Wishmountain – Kingsmill Hovis and Warburton
6. Lee Gamble – ExpRand Trace
7. Ste Roberts – Tram and Pier
8. Robert Hood – Drive (The Age of Automation)
9. Arkist – Spiderdrudge
10. Cardopusher – So What U Want Me To Do
James Manning’ top 10 slightly rude, amusing, meaningless, longwinded, unpronounceable, confusing or wanky track titles of 2012:
1. Barker & Baumecker – Buttcracker [Ostgut Ton]
2. EDMX – Rushing My Tits Off [Power Vacuum]
3. SHXCXCHCXSH – NMHNMHNMNMH [HEM]
4. Chevel – Mind’s Eye [Enklav]
5. Obtane & Giorgio Gigli – Underlying Destruction Of The Environmental Ties (Claro Intelecto Remix) [Zooloft]
6. Blawan – Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage [Hinge Finger]
7. Szare – Excavated And Remodelled By Hand [Horizontal Ground]
8. Slazenger’s People – Basil Piss Test [Don’t Be Afraid]
9. Cassegrain – The Rain Is A Spilling Lake [Prologue]
10. Jagdstaffel – Alle Piloten Mit In Den Tod [Crème Eclipse]
Scott Wilson’s top 10 hand stamped white labels:
1. Peverelist – Salt Water/Erosions (Livity Sound)
2. Vapauteen – LIES 008.5 (LIES)
3. Marquis Hawkes – Cabrini Green EP (Dixon Ave Basement Jams)
4. Special Request – Lolita (Warehouse mix) (Special Request)
5. Helix – Stacks Riddim (All Caps)
6. The Sun God – Being Hieroglyphic (Bio Rhythm)
7. AnD – 001 (AnD)
8. Hands Up – Hands Up (Hands Up)
9. Parassela – Parassela 01(Parassela)
10. Frak – Wobbler (Kontra Musik)
Tony Poland’s top 10 mixes of 2012 to stroll along the Regents Canal to:
1. Tea Special – AnD No UFOs mix
2. FACT mix 349 – Silent Servant
3. WTBS Jan 30th 2012 w/ Legowelt/Xosar/Speculator/Prof. Genius/Morelli
4. Resident Advisor 333 – Pangaea
5. Test Pressing 214 – Lee Douglas
6. BIS Radio Show #623 Beautiful Swimmers vs Ron Morelli
7. Hidden Summer – A Regis Mix Tape
8. Juno Plus Podcast 45 – Bill Kouligas
9. Stones Throw Podcast #70 – J Rocc: Stones Throw 2012
10. Mlat71: Torn Hawk
Aaron Coultate’s top 10 new labels of 2012:
1. Hinge Finger
2. Death Waltz Recordings
3. Mister Saturday Night
4. Hotline Recordings
5. Antinote
6. Sullen Tone
7. The Corner
8. Dixon Ave Basement Jams
9. Bird Scarer
10. Brothers