So back in December I noticed this trend of Top 10 lists, ranking and filing the best music away for posterity… This list is a bit different though, first of all trying to narrow my 2014 crate down to a few favorites was difficult… I really love a lot of the music I played last year, I grew so much as a DJ and dug up so many great tunes, the thought of having to choose a single one even as my favorite seemed unfair, because my feelings towards music changes so readily…. Instead I decided to go through my collection label by label, release by releases and skim through it for gems. The releases I chose to select for this list almost all inspired me to buy multiple tracks, and in some cases an entire album, further more I took time to weed out the duds and freebee albums that sometimes seem to clutter up a good music collection.
The releases that are left here represent the wide variety my musical tastes embrace, but don’t nescessarily reflect my overall music buying / selecting habits, as I’ve chosen not to include the oh so many releases on which I only found a single track or perhaps two that inspired me enough to include them in my collection. Instead this list is about the straight dope, 100% pure cuts because as any true connoisseur knows it’s about the quality, not the quantity. Now without further au due, enjoy some of this pure grade A 100% good music.
Ragtime Records –
Remixed Vol 1 – The Woohoo Revue
Phat Electro swing house I played Babushka(Mortisville,) El Torero (audio Prophecy,) and Fat Tuesday (mouldy soul.)
Champagne Machine – Jenova Collective
Electroswing is one of my secret loves, Jenova Collective presents a new take, up beat break and house beats, if Lawrence Whelk through a swingers ball Jenova Collective would be the house band. I Played Digital Fandango, Get on Down, It Ain’t Right, It Can Happen To You, and *****Champagne Machine.<—One of my favorite tracks in 2014.
Amoeba Records –
Mixtape Vol 1 – VA
Deep House – Pretty chil, but deep and driving. I played Chica, Guassapjazz, Morocontongo and The After Hour.
Enig’matik Records
Organic Mechanic Part 2 – Grouch
Down / mid tempo, beautiful and organic. I played: Exile*** this chill / lounge track has an insanely phat bass line.
Fragm’nts – VA
Amore Down Tempo, I played: *Flutterby, MetaCognition, Chute, Amendment XVII
Adapted Records –
Multifunktionality & Funky Borderline – Beat Fatigue
These guys blew the doors off of funky Glitch this year, both of these albums and the second part of Multifunkitionality pretty much killed it for me when playing for the hippie / festy kids. For a second I thought funky glitch was doomed to an endless parade of Opiuo knock offs, but Beat Fatigue may have saved the sub –genre I played most of the tracks on each album at some point.
Fractal Beach – Orphic
Definitely the best thing to come out on adapted this year, Orphic kills, this whole album is good, in fact there are only two tracks on the album I don’t recall having played out at some point or another, *Burn that Ego, *Disco Booty, *Getting Weird.
Addictech Records –
Telescopic Future – kLL sMTH
One of my Favorite glitch hop albums all year, kLL sMTH always whips up the best sound scapes with multi rhythmic synths stacked and layered to create rich bassy worlds dripping with psychedelia. I played: Katzenjammer, Oragami Peanut, Telescopic Future, and Transcendent Delusion**
Foundations Recordings
Foundations – Gladkill
I’ve been a Gkill fan since 2010 or early 2011, his trademark “Snugstep” sound has since been a major inspiration for me. If you’re familiar with the Gladkill sound there aren’t a whole lot of surprises here, so it’s not a revolutionary album, but worth picking up anyways. Don’t let the female vocal hooks, or soft sensual synths fool you this shit moves subwoofers just as much as any big dick swinging trap song. I played: Most of the album, ***Accolades is great for transitioning between sexy trap and deep house.
Symphonic Distribution
Primal Melodies – Emog
The sound of Street Ritual was much more too my liking this year, this Emog Album is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. The production is rich and full, it’s unique and original, **The Mystery List ***The After effects
Street Ritual
A Sacred Space – Spundose
I love this album, it’s a bit diverse in sound, epic use of synths, phat bass, trippy and ethereal. I played many of these tracks but *Mindwebs, Mnemonix, Neural Handshake, Urban Shaman
Merkaba Music –
Liminal Spaces – Kaminanda
I didn’t play these tracks too many times, but it was worth mentioning the album because it’s pretty dope and well produced and a name your price on Bandcamp, Kaminanda’s sound is what I would call ethno –psydub, bordering on glitch-hop. Definitely on the chiller side of things, but there are still some decent dance tunes here.
Tipper Music
Forward Escape – Tipper
Much more a listening album than a dance album for sure, but this is definitely worth picking up, especially since proceeds help with homie’s heart surgery.
Whomp Music –
Love is never Enough – Angus Green
This is the first I’ve heard of Angus Green, but this first album is a pretty good start. Honestly there were elements of the production I was not so fond of, but I love how this guy makes his music. Can’t wait to hear his sound develop.
HopSkotch Records –
Hot Sludge Sunday – The Sludge Junkies
This was one of my favorite albums of the spring / summer. The bass in these tracks is so phat; the production work is top notch. I played the shit out of some of these tunes, ***Extra Pedestrial, ***Mothership Disco, ***The Itsies
House Muzik Records –
Easy to Say – Maqabe
Awesome Deep house, very jazz and up beat, you can’t go wrong with this shit. I played Booty Dance, Night Life, Easy to Say and Jazz Meets Deep.
Swamp Music
The Swampilation – VA
Swampy and fat, this is a dark and psychedelic low tempo comp that really rocks I played:* *Bugbites, Ether, ***Gift #1, ****Moose Knuckle, *Haluphonic Megablaster and ***Phase Locking
Gravitas Recordings
Parallels Pt 2 – Psymbionic
I had never heard of Psymbionic before this album, the Austin based artist really lays it down, the album is essentially sexy trap, reminiscent of Gladkill but still unique. I really liked this one, ***One Thing (so sexy), **Sonder, *Silkscreen (Ill-esha Rnx)
Def Con 22 Sound Track – VA
This is a pretty killer comp, with heavy hitters like Mochipet, Opiuo, Elite Force, KRS-One, Mc Frontalot and DJ Spooky this comp is jam packed with good stuff,Indi-electro, trip hop, glitch trap, and even DnB. I played: Drippin’, Parallels, Night City, and Antarctic Rhythms
Freakquency – Zebbler Encanti Experience
This Album kinda just blew my mind, one part banging psytrance, and one part slamming trap… It’s wild for sure. What’s even more amazing is their stage show (or at least so it looks from the videos.)
Four40 Records
How We Go Down – Hostage
2Setp Garage Deep house awesomeness ***How We Go Down, Conscious
Kings Cross – Funkystepz
2Setp Garage Deep house awesomeness ***Boyz in Da Hood
Mor than just a dj... 