And we're done. It's been too long since we posted the last bit so without further ado, here's the list of our favorite LPs of 2013:
Rhye – Woman (Innovative Leisure)
Woman is an extremely sensual album. Just take the
heartbreakingly lovely single ‘Open’ with the funkiest bass line and stellar
vocals, which promptly could make a hardcore Satanist godly. All songs are,
however, luxury produced smooth operators on a plate, which leads you back to
the 80s at a luxury spa break for the soul - and who the hell do not want it?
The girl behind the vocals appeared to be a man, Mike Milosh from Canada, and
the guy behind the dreamy and feather-light-soul productions is a Dane, Robin
Hannibal.
FaltyDL – Hardcourage (Ninja Tune)
Hardcourage album has become one of my favorites even
though there are many other much more hyped cats on the scene. Lustman’s album is calm and focused balancing somewhere between
bouncy two-step or flicking through the pages of classic house. Hardcourage was definitely a fresh sonic
approach to electronic music. ‘She Sleeps’, with vocals from Ed Macfarlane is
an absolute highlight on the album.
DJ Koze – Amygdala (Pampa)
Second proper album from German Stefan Kozalla, arriving
on his own Pampa Records, includes collaborative tracks with Caribou, Apparat,
Dirk von Lotzow, Hildegard Knef, Matthew Dear, Ada and Milosh. Although the
album is 1.2h long, it builds anticipation and never puts listener to sleep.
Amygdala is indeed a dance music record, but we think that there is much more
to it than a standard bass line and some hand claps. Everytime I listened to
this record, I was left with a sense of satisfaction. ‘We need to eat, we need
to sleep and we NEED music’.
Quadron – Avalanche (Epic)
Avalanche was the album I listened most in 2013 (and I
still do!). Danish duo’s decision about moving to LA back in 2009 was probably
not a bad idea. Cause in Los Angeles’ warm wind currents, they were not only
able to meet Prince, but also put a track on Jay Z’s The Great Gatsby soundtrack,
hang out with Tyler, The Creator and others from the Odd Future. Amazingly,
after Hannibal’s huge success with Rhye (duo with Mike Milosh), Robin Hannibal
and Coco managed to meet all the expectations of their second album. The album
has got the unsurpassed pop-catchiness that melts together with the discreet
electronic soul universe.
Eddie C – Country City Country LP (Endless Flight)
I’m pretty sure that this album makes it top 13 is
because of it’s diversity and unpredictability. Canadian producer and DJ
(residing in Berlin) is mostly known and respected of his stellar
disco/soul/boogie edits, yet Country City Country LP is an absolute treat,
cycling thru 16 dusted and mostly downbeat or mid-tempo groove aces operating
just beyond the dancefloor. This record passes away into some cool hip-hop
instrumentals full of haunting samples easily loop in your head, but you will
also hear Funk, Cosmic, Boogie, House, Balearic, Disco deepness.
Lapalux – Nostalchic LP (Brainfeeder)
First full length album by UK artist, Stuart Howard,
aka Lapalux. Signed to Flying Lotus’s Brainfeeder, which is renowned for its
forward thinking take on music, the album Nostalchic has certainly lived up to
Brainfeeder’s reputation. Lapalux brings several interesting concepts together,
creating very emotional sounds that are deeply layered with texture. Music on
Nostalchic seems to be cobbled together from scattered bits and pieces, finally
fusing into very well finished tracks. The album is actually bursting with
feelings, what was most important for me when listening to Nostalchic.
Space Dimension Controller - Welcome To Mikrosector-50 (R&S)
Artists try to make concept albums based on catching certain moods, soundscapes or places but a full feature film on a double LP? Nah, ain't nobody got time for that. Well, SDC is back in time with a mission of groove, accomplished his duties in style and made the most fun record out there. Paying homage to every 80's shade of galactic funk, electro, proto-house and techno SDC blasts them straight into the 2013 (dance) music landscape. Cut-scenes and radio ads just add to the fun. For more four-on-the-floor jams check the album follow up Correlation EP, just as good.
Yosi Horikawa - Vapor (First Word Records)
We've predicted great things for Yosi Horikawa in 2012 and our favorite Japanese beatsmith didn't dissapoint. Vapor's extensive use of field recordings take the listener for 16 different journeys in style, mood and texture, yet all share the same attention to detail and melody. In the organic-meets-electronic category we can't really find a worthy rival in 2013. And we're praying for a vinyl release, Yosi please!
Vakula - You've Never Been To Konotop (Selected Works 2009-2012) (Firecracker)
Konotop? Nope, never been there. But is it really true? Instead of pouring millions on tourist advertising, cities should give Vakula time to work his magic and then distribute it through Firecracker. The Slavic Spiritual Warrior paints the picture where everybody in town's into oddball jazz, soulful Chicago house packed with layers upon layers upon layers of abstract keys and synths and experimentation is just how it goes in Konotop. A very rewarding, yet surreal trip.
Shigeto - No Better Time Than Now (Ghostly)
No Better Time Than Now demonstrates that the road from being a beatmaker to a proper musician requires lots of hard graft. Zach really matured on this one, the tracks hit the next level when led by sheer emotion not constrained by the structural hip-hop background looming to this day over many artists in the beat scene. Still instrumental hip-hop? Nah, it's the ritual rowl for soul searching.
Jessy Lanza - Pull My Hair Back (Hyperdub)
The iconic bass label Hyperdub has in the beginning of 2013 signed the Canadian singer Jessy Lanza. On her outstanding debut album 'Pull My Hair Back’, she, together with Junior Boys ' Jeremy Greenspan searched the minimal border between pop and r'n'b with electronic input from disco and house. With this album, Lanza joins the increasingly long line of singers who over the last few years have had their unique vocals played against more or less sophisticated electronic soundscapes. In the tension field between Grimes and Jessie Ware, Jessy Lanza manages after all, to establish her own elegant take on the modern bass influenced r'n'b.
Letherette – Letherette (Ninja Tune)
Letherette is no longer UK’s best-kept secret duo as their first full length self-titled album reaped the Wolverhampton duo much critical praise. Their blend of hip-hop, house and ’80 funk & soul and an impressive palette of rich sounds and textures makes Letherette LP one of the hottest dance floor releases from the past year. Each track on this album is a technical masterpiece, where the guys take a series of long-form compositions and round them off so perfectly that they fly by like a bunch of short beats on a mixtape.
Classixx - Hanging Gardens (Innovative Leisure)
In the perfect world Hanging Gardens would get as much airtime as Random Access Memories. Guess Classixx's signature take on disco isn't for masses, just for the connoisseurs of the LA electronic music scene. Hanging Gardens are the summertime affair of 2013, breezy, sometimes balearic blend of disco, funk with a little hints of house. And by no means throwback, great songs or long-ish instrumental interlude disco-bliss shouldn't be considered retro.
Dam-Funk feat. Snoop Dogg/ Steve Arrington - 7 Days Of Funk // Higher
You just knew it was inevetable that one day Dam-Funk would team up with a g-funk legend and funk pioneer like Steve Arrington. 7 Days Of Funk are the best, blast from the past postcard sent directly from the g-funk era to happen in the last few years. Snoop effortlessly glides on Dam's beats who just knows how to filter modern-funk into heavy-hittin' hip-hop. Higher however is way more experimental, by no means a cheap shot at recreating Slave classics. Steve Arrington's on top of his game while Dam-Funk steps aside a bit and lets him do his thing.
