As we celebrate the end of the year three of our contributors selected 10 tracks each which stood out to them in 2013. Check out Sian’s choices below and looks out for 10 from Bonnie and 10 from Terry later today:
Amirali – ‘Just An Illusion’ (MK Remix)
This track was an absolute no brainer when considering the best tracks to have surfaced in 2012. The emergence of newcomer Amirali on Crosstown Rebels was a refreshing discovery entailing some original, dark melodic productions entwined in powerful, emotive vocals. Combining this with undoubtedly the greatest remixer to have ever graced the house scene MK Mark Kinchen, then it was always going to be a recipe for success.
http://soundcloud.com/
Adana Twins – ‘Strange’
This was the first track I’d ever heard from this German duo, and what an introduction it was! Epitomizing deep house at it’s very finest, Adana Twins certainly made their mark (and what better label than Exploited to do it on) with this dark, melodic production. Few tracks manage to construct a build up such as this track does and the 4 minutes of anticipation never fail to give me goose bumps.
http://soundcloud.com/
Perseus – ‘Running Back To You’
2012 got off to a cracking start with the release of relatively unknown Perseus’ ‘Russian Girlfriends’ EP in January. Being released on French Express should have been a dead give away that this was going to be an outstanding release and although every track failed to disappoint, ‘Running Back To You’ was certainly the stand out track for me. Maybe more suited for a summer release, this is the perfect soundtrack for a gloriously sunny day accompanied by a drink… or 10. The inevitably catchy vocals are cleverly sampled from R&B queen Ashanti, and once crafted around a mellow beat and some uplifting synths, this is the perfect chilled house track.
http://soundcloud.com/
MAM – ‘Crushed Ice’
Keeping with the melodic summer theme, MAM is up next – brainchild of newcomer of the year Miguel Campbell and Matt Hughes. The MAM sound is notably groovy, mellow and timeless and this track certainly embodies this.
http://soundcloud.com/fina-
Greg Paulus – ‘Light Years’
Initially I didn’t really take to this track much, but a few listens later and I was hooked. Featuring on the ‘Further Adventures of Soul Clap’, this production was suitably deep and soulful with a distinctly unique sound. Constructing a beautiful build up with some smooth and sleazy vocals in such a rare manner was very refreshing to come across and I’ve had it on repeat every day ever since!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Jesse Perez – ‘Hialeah House Party’
After an underwhelming release on Hot Creations Jesse Perez hadn’t really appealed to me, however this track soon made me sit up and pay attention to the American producer. Having no clear genre to his name, and simply listing his productions as ‘Bump’N’Grind’, this track is a genre in itself with a deep penetrating bass line soon kicking into some high synths and skewed yet catchy vocals.
http://soundcloud.com/
Rudimental – ‘Spoons’
Rudimental shot to fame this year, notably for the colossal release of drum and bass infused ‘Feel The Love’, however this seemed to overshadow another (arguably better) production from the quartet. ‘Spoons’ sucks you into its elusive beat and poignant vocals, and is certainly a timeless tune that I don’t think I will ever tire of.
http://soundcloud.com/
Anthea – ‘Distraction’ (Dan Ghenacia Remix)
Highlights of the year couldn’t be discussed without mentioning powerhouse One Records and this was certainly one of their releases of the year. Dan Ghenacia puts a dark, sinister twist on the track and the menacing vocals transport you to the murkiest, underground club you can think of.
http://soundcloud.com/bitter_
If there was one thought that I’ve held in 2012 it would be that blog-turned-label French Express can simply do no wrong. Churning out some seriously smooth productions bursting with soul and groove, artists such as Jonas Rathsman and previously mentioned Perseus really raised the standards for the label. However, it’s the label’s undisputed star Chris Malinchak that blew me away this year, and had me constantly looking forward to his ‘delivery Wednesdays’ on which he would kindly put his tracks up for free downloads. Choosing a favourite track proved to be as hard a task as picking a favourite child, however I eventually whittled it down to ‘All Shook Up’. This track is impossible to keep still to and is guaranteed to set the dance floor off every time.
http://soundcloud.com/
Huxley – ‘Box Clever’
Michael Dodman a.k.a Huxley has certainly cemented his place in the UK house scene in the past 2 years and his distinctive blend of house and garage has been a joy to discover. After releasing ‘Let It Go’ on Hypercolour earlier this year a lot more people were starting to sit up and notice this up and coming producer, however ‘Box Clever’ was the stand out track of the year for me. It’s rolling bass line and colourful synths perfectly blend with the warm house keys, making this such a timeless track.
http://soundcloud.com/