#50: ATLiens - Interstellar (ft. Sara Skinner)
One of the heaviest and most beautiful productions of the year. As many twists and turns as the Christopher Nolan film of the same name. Deft design leads the two unique drops with plenty of room for the organic instruments to play in the other sections. And while the drops will leave your jaw on the floor, their power would be nothing without the bristling bass guitar and hollow drums, especially noticeable in the final 30 seconds.
#49: David Guetta & Sia - Flames (Aazar Remix)
Easily one of the most upbeat and dance-friendly tracks of the year, it also brought about some of my biggest smiles of the year. Picture your favourite 80s film, now throw this in its soundtrack. Perfect fit, right? It could replace "Take On Me" or maybe better yet, Flashdance. Aazar let it all hangout with this one. The drums slap, the groove kicks ass and the solo at the end takes no prisoners. Fabulous fire!
#48: Iglooghost - New Vectors
Some geniuses can be a little much for some ears and sometimes that brilliance can simply miss our simple minds. That is not the case here with the seemingly alien intelligence of Iglooghost and "New Vectors," which has the ability to speak to us a whole new plane of existence. The wild, rapid fire, never ending list of ingredients combine and coalesce in one of the most inspired tracks of the year. It dazzles and uplifts especially through the angelic vocal samples and resplendent bells. True brilliance.
#47: MIST - Wish Me Well (ft. Jessie Ware)
Right in the midst of my latest love affair with Jessie Ware, as I awaited the chance to see her live (definitely in my top 5 shows of the year) this dropped and there was nothing that could pull me away from its crazy catchy, super smooth bounce. I can't get enough of the contrasting timbres of the two voices or the way they play atop this heater of a beat. Easily one of my favourite pop tracks of the year.
#46: Marcus Worgull - Love Song
Again my true colours are on full display as I just cannot find my way out of the 80s. The Cure's original, and its accompanying album, one of my favourites, Disintegration came out nearly a month after my birth so maybe that's why it holds such a special place in my heart. Or maybe it's because Robert Smith saved us from Mecha-Streisand... But seriously, this new version is simply sensational. The brilliant bass-line remains intact and is alluring as ever, while the expanded electronic soundscape sweeps you off your feet, like you're home/whole/young/fun/free/clean again.
#45: Sébastien Léger - Lost Miracle
(As featured on EFYE) An epic expansive, exquisite production that thrives off subtlety. A warm wanderlust, it feels more organic than it does electronic, and that is the brilliance of Seb Léger, an uncanny ability to breathe beautiful life into his synths. Do yourself a favour and check out his Youtube/Instagram for videos of him doing this live. And don't bother with the 4 minute version, the 10 is more than twice as a good, and really gives you time to grow with the genius grooves he lays down.
#44: Mixhell & Joe Goddard - Strong & Wrong (ft. Mutado Pintado)
Sound the alarm, it's the end of the world! Just like the #5 track I cannot help but hear Mutado Pintado's voice as a part of the 'Shut Up And Dance' episode of Black Mirror. And of course the Mixhell, Joe Goddard backing plays perfectly to that dire, helpless feeling. Brilliant brooding apocalyptic production from Mixhell with the right amount of bounce and funk from Goddard to make it easily consumable. Gotta give a nod to the Craig Williams remix which really digs into the funkiness. Awesome.
#43: ANGELZ - Yeah Yeah (ft. D'Aaron Anthony)
One hell of a year this man had, if you're into G/bass house and you aren't following ANGELZ like a hawk, you're doing it wrong. The whole of Saint Thug: Numero III is awesome, with this and "The Letter F" as my two favourites. That said, I just cannot get enough of the rolling groove this one exudes, especially through the percussion. Add in D'Aaron Anthony's braggadocios bravado atop the bouncy hypnotic whirlwind of a beat and you've got one of the grooviest, most banging house tracks of the year.
#42: George Fitzgerald - Burns (Lane 8 Club Mix)
The original is one of the more beautiful tracks of the year in large part due to the shimmering atmosphere, but mostly because of the sensational vocal chops. Those same chops play even more front and centre in this boosted club mix. This bright and bouncy revision is as hypnotizing as they come, building itself into an anthem of epic proportions. Close your eyes, raise your hands to the sky, and let Lane 8's lush aura lead into a land of wonder.
#41: Au/Ra & CamelPhat - Panic Room (Club Mix)
Where "Cola" brought CamelPhat into public consciousness last year, "Panic Room" made them one of the most sought after acts of 2018. A dazzling combination of lyrics and dance delivery, this one absolutely roars to life with one hell of a groove. It is expansive and progressive, getting better and better not just as the track grows, but with each subsequent listen. And like many of the tracks in this list, it's got to be the long version so you can properly experience the finer details like the creepy samples/sounds that seemingly bring one of the best pieces of album art to life.
#40: Poppy - Fashion After All
I stopped myself from using this word until I got to this song, because it, above all others in this list, is a BOP. Obviously one of the best pop tracks of the year, it is punchy, funky fun. The lyrics are ingenious and uplifting, and so is the lead synth. But most of all it is utterly infectious. No chance you press play and don't clap or tap along, let alone get down and dirty to those licentious licks. A fabulous fantasy.
#39: Drainpuppet - Puppet Theme
Of all the tracks in this list nothing is quite as unique as this one. Aether Light is firmly in the conversation for album of the year and while "Dark Water" could easily be in this spot, it's the wide ranging styles this touches on that earn it this slot. It's kind of classical, kind of chiptune, kind of electro, kind of dubstep, but above all it is cool, and gets upgraded to hypercool in the second drop. Just wow.
#38: Shash'U - GETDOWN #5
Announcing itself as a threat right off jump, this is PWRFNK at its best. It is ass-kicking cool, don't fuck with me kind of fire. Raw and passionate you can hear the uproarious energy throughout the track with little wobbling scratches, opportune cymbals and of course gritty vocals. The drums are dope and the shredding sensational, but the way they come together with the fire flow is stunning.
#37: Gizelle Smith - Dust (Dimitri From Paris vs Cotonete Discomix)
With these two combining to take down the number three spot in last year's list it's no surprise that this one makes the cut this year. There really isn't much better than funky, jazzy disco, and this seven minute sensation is certainly proof of that. Like watching a good movie for the second or third time you notice things you hadn't before or simply get excited by the little foreshadowing moments, and boy am I feeling that re-listening now. The brilliance of the live nature Cotonete bring to the table is the way they set the table and build into the groove. I could say how dazzled I am by each of the elements and how well they play with each other, but just press play and let them do the work. I will just note that the syncopation with Smith's vocals is worth keeping an ear out for.
#36: OFFAIAH - Private Show (Club Mix)
In the middle of February I was listening to Pete Tong and within the course of 20 minutes, he had played three tracks that now sit in this list, with this being the highest number. Pretty incredible to think that within the first month and half of the year we already got a taste of three of the year's best. Also appearing first in that show, I was taken aback by how much my house was shaking thanks to this jacking construction and potent progression. Simple yet supremely solid, and there is no better example of that than the double kick drops that at once releases and ratchets up the tension.
#35: NuKid - Hustlin'
As much as I love a free download, it might be time for NuKid to start charging for his tracks, but I guess the same can be said for his name. He's no longer that new guy making heaters, as he's had a massive year with nearly all his Soundcloud releases sitting above 100k plays. My favourite of the bunch, this one pits godly gangster grooves against massively satisfying, smashing drops and bass-lines that may bend but certainly don't break. Heavy and hard: that not just a description of the track but how you'll be breathing after listening to it...
#34: Silk City ft. Dua Lipa - Electricity (The Black Madonna Remix)
(As featured on EFYE) There's no denying Silk City's impact this year, I've seen several lists point to the original version of this track as one of the best of the year. "Electricity" is here, but in my purview The Black Madonna has done a masterful job in letting the original breathe while bolstering it's catchiness with an equally alluring piano lead. It will not blow you away with big bass or mind-blowing drops, rather like the original, it succeeds with structured play and heartful hooks. There have not been many tracks that were either as easy to dance to or gush about from a writing standpoint. A classic house mix with slick strings and pop sensibilities; the kind of track that never goes out of style.
#33: Amtrac ft. Anabel Englund - Old Times (Skream Remix)
Skream continues to be the epitome of cool, whether it be his time as dubstep don, the more recent techno titan or even more recent disco dancer. His set at CODA this summer was one of my favourites, not just of the year but of all time, and of course included all of the above. That said, I don't recall him playing this track, but I guess you can't have it all. Sharing much of the same allure of his Face Down In The Water EP that found its way into last year's version of this list, "Old Times" is another awesome display of diabolic dance grooves, massive movement and bleepy brilliance. His creation plays extraordinarily around Englund's voice with walloping locomotion shooting listeners into the stars.
#32: SG Lewis ft. AlunaGeorge - Hurting (Gerd Janson Remix)
One of only a handful of artists to appear on this list more than once, and Gerd Janson could've had even more than that. I'm still kind of taken aback by the direction he took this track, but there's no questioning either its power or efficacy. The way he's turned the original ease and aplomb into a throbbing, pulsating and pulverizing piece of electro-metallic power is simply stunning. That said this mix does not at all feel stifling or overwrought, it still hurts, but from a more soulful level playing perfectly with Aluna's always enrapturing vocal offerings.
#31: David Byrne - Everybody's Coming To My House
One could argue that electronic/dance music would not be where it is without David Byrne and Talking Heads. Certainly I would not be doing what I do without them. His genius was once again on full display this year with his album American Utopia, whose lead single, "Everbody's Coming To My House" stands above all the other curiosities. With Brian Eno sharing writing credits you know this is something special, but when you find out that he's also on the "robot rhythm guitar" you know this one is wickedly weird and whimsical. And speaking of quirky, I still can't quite wrap my head around the lyrics, but I'll sing 'em till the cows come home. Entirely off the wall and as cool as they come, there's no matching the awesomeness of watching it performed live on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
#30: Weiss - Feel My Needs (Purple Disco Machine Remix)
Like Gerd Janson, Purple Disco Machine could've been all over this list, however no track caught me the same way this one did. It has classic written all over it. I've seen the original appear in a number of lists, but this uber groovy and super slick twist we've got here is something special. It is the kind of track you and your friends can recreate as you mime the piano, guitar and strings all while dancing your favourite flourishes before falling in utter ecstasy as all the elements finally come together. And again it only gets better as these elements play around each other in the extended mix.
#29: Paul Simon - Homeless (Joris Voorn Remix)
A peak summer tune, and another one of my 80s nostalgia mainliners. That said this is a brilliant production no matter how you cut it. Voorn brings soulful sublimity to the already sensational original, extrapolating on the already dazzling direction. I could go for a little more Ladysmith Black Mombazo but for that you can turn to the Kitchen Table Mix, which I'd love to hear combined with this. But the way this one grows, not just in magnitude, but in warmth, is enough to make every day you listen to it a treat. As I said with Tennyson's "Face The Night," this would be a perfect fit in the new Lion King.
#28: Innellea - Vigilans
As with Dimitri From Paris' remix of "Nothing Breaks Like A Heart," I'm glad I waited to make this list when I did, because this is absolutely one of the most unique, adventurous, highly demanded and therefore best tracks of the year. However, just what this track is I'm not entirely sure, although every time I hear it I'm astounded. The gritty guitar lead, rife with robotic effects, is a strong hook but there's no way you can be ready for what is to come next. Alien speech? A mating call? An alarm? Cool crafted synths? Whatever you choose to believe, the way Innellea has sewn these two seemingly diametric sections together is incredible. There's just such an air about it, and I'm not referring to the little sectoin that sound almost exactly like "Sandstorm" (2:09-2:23), but yes I could absolutely see this being a meme in 20 years.
#27: Friendly Fires - Heaven Let Me In (Melé Remix)
With production from both Alex Metric and Disclosure, the original sat in this list until Melé brought his mix to the table, nearly propelling it into the top 25. A more jacking house-centric take, the allure of the original is still present with extra drums and a run time upped by more than a minute. Because of this it is much more of a teaser than the original which is a nearly perfect pop production, while this lets the groove play more as you fly across the dance-floor. That said there is no stop in the action, Melé goes absolutely ham, doing his best to convince you of his spot in heaven. And surely his ticket is now stamped (or stomped) as the drums ought to lead to some sick shuffling routines.
#26: Oliver - Big City
The year got off to a great start with Inner Circle: Remixes & Rarities, and any of the first three tracks from it could've made the cut, however there is just something so magical about the construction of this one. It is a majestic opening piece with some of the most sonically pleasing designs, not just of the year, but all time. And I have to say here that Oliver just dropped a sample pack, so if production is your thing, be sure to pick it up. I may be a sucker for church bells and their resonance but there's so much more to love in one of the most crisp, clean productions of the year. The grooves are gorgeous, the fills fantastic and the whole thing as wholesome as it gets.
Continue to 25-1 here. Note: #'s 95, 92, 64, 60, 54, 51, 48, 46, 38, 36, 27, 20 are not on Soundcloud.