Objekt – Theme From Q (Objekt)
Ooof. This shouldn’t work. 90s synths and Think breaks. It’s been done to death. But good God Objekt made it work. Track of the year from the moment I heard it.
Telephones – DTMF (Call Super Remix) (Running Back)
I loved the original but now I can’t listen to it. Call Super took its key elements and gave it a sick beat, teased it out, made it even more ethereal and Balearic than it was originally. It builds for four minutes, lands on its central theme for a minute, then the remaining four minutes feel like the longest outro ever written.
Lanark Artefax – Touch Absence (Whities)
This is another one with older tropes that transcends its dated elements through compositional genius. That faded intro, the tinny kicks, IDM-esque floating synths and robotic bass, they all coalesce into something mournfully beautiful. The moment it truly stamped on to my consciousness was on a train journey listening to Morning ~ Gardening With Jenn – I’d dozed off and woke up in the middle of this track. It was a beautiful moment.
AZURA – Paraíso ’89 (Worldbuilding)
I didn’t realise there had been some buzz about Hunee playing this – I heard it when it went up on the World Building SoundCloud. It’s lush and airy and summery and I could listen to it all day.
Bullion – Blue Pedro (TheTrilogyTapes)
This is such a weird track. New layers seem to come in all the time that don’t quite fit with previous elements, but the overall vibe is so fun and silly it’s impossible to hear it and not break into a massive grin.
Best Gig
Run the Jewels at the Olympia was stupidly fun, partly because of the incredible balcony seats I secured, partly because of the company I was with, but mainly due to the Jewel Runners in Chief. Long may they reign.
Best DJ Set
Avalon Emerson at Wigwam. Just a great dirty sweaty November night, that finished with her playing sleazy 90s Madonna.