2019 Grammy Predictions

In breaking news, I've learned the Grammys are tonight. I kid, but basically that's what this whole post is going to be: a little levity to close out the weekend. I'm gonna do my usual shtick of making predictions for categories I know/care about, and again it'll be my 'who should win' and 'who will win' double pick scenario, because even with two picks per category I'm still out to lunch most times. Oh and one more thing before the predictions, will the dance/electronic categories be in with all the obscure categories? Or will they continue to disregard their impact and treat them as a sideshow not fit for their floundering broadcast? I'd lean towards the latter, but let's just get to the good stuff, shall we?

*** Update: Results noted with ✓ or x ***

BEST DANCE RECORDING

Above & Beyond - Northern Soul (ft. Richard Bedford)
Disclosure - Ultimatum (ft. Fatoumata Diawara)
Fisher - Losing It
Silk City - Electricity (ft. Dua Lipa)
Virtual Self - Ghost Voices

Who Will Win: Silk City ✓
Who Should Win: Silk City ✓
Reasoning: I feel like the Academy is equally likely to go with any of Disclosure, Silk City and Fisher as they are seemingly the most widely-popular productions in the list. My bet is that they will make the 'right' choice with Silk City as they love both Diplo and Mark Ronson, and it is indeed the most accessible and perhaps most successful production of the bunch. That said, I would not be surprised if "Losing It" got the nod, as love it or hate it, it was without a doubt the club track of the year.

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM

Jon Hopkins - Singularity
Justice - Woman Worldwide
Sofi Tukker - Treehouse
SOPHIE - Oil Of Every Pearl's Un-Insides
TOKiMONSTA - Lune Rouge

Who Will Win: Justice ✓
Who Should Win: TOKiMONSTA
Reasoning: This was a tough one. Obviously any of these could take the trophy, but I feel like they'll be too scared to go with SOPHIE, who might be the obvious choice in many eyes. The other nom that set itself apart from the group in terms of hype was Singularity, and I think it's got a solid chance. However, due to last year's seemingly unfair Kraftwerk catalog/best of winning, I see them doing the same with Woman Worldwide this year. That said, I've got Lune Rouge as the most enjoyable album through and through.

BEST REMIXED RECORDING

LSD - Audio (CID Remix)
Charlie Puth - How Long (EDX's Dubai Skyline Remix)
Gabriel & Dresden ft. Sub Teal - Only Road (Cosmic Gate Remix)
Kygo ft. Justin Jesso - Stargazing (Kaskade Remix)
HAIM - Walking Away (Mura Masa Remix)

Who Will Win: EDX
Who Should Win: Mura Masa ✓
Reasoning: This marks the 5th time Kaskade has been nominated in this category since 2008, and his 4th time in 5 years. Surely this is his year right? But sadly for him, I think not. I put CID and EDX in a near dead heat, with the advantage going to EDX in the kind of dance delivery that seems to get recognized most at The Grammys. My choice is obvious though, as I love both HAIM and Mura Masa, and see "Walking Away" as by far the most adventurous and progressive production in the list.

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL

Boi-1da
Larry Klein
Linda Perry
Kanye West
Pharrell Williams

Who Will Win: Kanye West
Who Should Win: Pharrell Williams ✓
Reasoning: I see the Academy going for drama with this pick, and while he's likely deserving after an incredible year, there's no doubt Kanye will have people talking. That said, I believe Pharrell's output is more wide-ranging and because of his contributions to Timberlake and Grande's albums, he ought to become just the 4th person to win this category 3+ times.

***OTHER, MORE UNINFORMED PICKS***

Best Music Video: Childish Gambino - This Is America ✓
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media: Black Panther ✓
Best Spoken Word Album: Jimmy Carter ✓
Best Americana Album: Brandi Carlile ✓
Best American Roots Song: The Joke ✓
Best American Roots Performance: The Joke ✓
Best Rap Album: Mac Miller x
Best Rap Song: Sicko Mode x
Best Rap/Sung Performance: This Is America ✓
Best Rap Performance: Sicko Mode x
Best Alternative Music Album: Björk x
Song Of The Year: The Joke x
Album Of The Year: Janelle Monae x
Record Of The Year: All The Stars x

Enlightened Listening for January 25

Friday's never disappoint when it comes to new music, and for this week's Enlightened Listening, I've honed in on a couple albums, and the latest Afterlife EP, alongside a handful of fantastic singles. As always stream below, find individual releases linked with brief descriptions at the bottom and enjoy!

Rudimental - Toast To Our Differences
Massive album from the masters. More features than you can count, including Jess Glynne, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Maverick Sabre, and more. The kind of quality and range you can expect from one of the world's best outfits. Some easy listening poppy bits with its share of heavier, DnB stompers.

BOT - BOT New World
Serious callbacks to his crazy Crookers days with weird, often times trippy deliveries. Colourful, vibrant and transportive techno. If this means we're coming back to this style, I'm game.

Fideles - Endless Sacrifice
I cannot get enough of Afterlife at the moment, and while I would've loved to have got my hands on some of the IDs in Tale Of Us's Voyage mix, this is certainly satisfying. At times overpowering and others spine-tingling, each track has an engulfing energy that, like BOT above, takes you places.

Sheridan Grout & GXD - Dam
Was not expecting this kind of banger, but I am most certainly here for it. Reminds me of one of my favourite mixes of all time, Cosmic Gate's 2011 Essential Mix. Beyond brilliant, absolutely euphoric!

Ducky - Day Zero
Lyrically and sonically punchy. Captures the same kind of energy as early Porter Robinson/San Holo.

QUIX - Stronger (ft. Elanese)
QUIX keeps innovating and moving the bar, keeping not just us listeners on our toes but his peers too. The consummate quality he always brings is astounding, and while we may already know that, it's hard not to get blown away by the drums and brass in the second drop. Wow, just wow.

Rusko - Squeeze (Burnin)
The world is a better place with Rusko pumping out beats, and that's exactly what he did with this one: pump. Fat af, this simple stunner is sure to get rinsed out all summer long, in fact it might just speed summer along, and I don't think anyone's complaining about that...

Haus Of Panda - Kick It
I don't know what I like more: 1) that Haus Of Panda's been dropping fire like this with incredible regularity for over a year now, or 2) that he seemingly raises the bar with each release. Certainly seems as though speed house is here to stay!

Dr. Fresh x BIJOU - Gangsta Party
The masters of menacing g-house combine for a couple chest rattlers. Not for the faint of heart, these are sure to do damage on the dance-floor.

Throwback Thursday: My 5 Favourite Essential Mixes

With the long weekend looming, I'll be away from my computer as I attend a bachelor party in Montreal. With that in mind I've decided to share my five favourite episodes of BBC Radio One's Essential Mix that we'll certainly be turning to as the party rages on through Monday. It of course serves as a Throwback Thursday post as each of these mixes original aired between 2009 and 2011, an era I'll forever find close to my heart. Find each five linked alphabetical order with short descriptions. Enjoy!

Alex Metric - April 16, 2011
This has been my exemplar for mixing and track selection, and is best described by the man himself as his past, present and future. Records that he grew up listening to and takes in "80s synth, funk, italo-disco, nu-disco, techno, house, electro, indie, [...] filters the attitude and feeling of big beat through it, [...] that anything goes ethos, [...] no genres, just good music." Picking one highlight is nearly impossible, as there are so many, but the combination of LCD Soundsystem's "You Wanted A Hit" and Yuksek's dub of Katy Perry's "Peacock" is still stunning. (Tracklist)

Boy 8-Bit - May 14, 2010
An obvious inclusion as this is my favourite artist, but what can be said about this epic mix? The crate digging and mixing reign supreme, showcasing so many of my favourite productions, soon to be legends, and just downright dirty deep cuts (see the unknown mix of Detroit Grand Pubahs). Again a single highlight is tough to pick, but the move from the groove of Thomas Shumacher's "Red Purple" to Joe And Will Ask?'s "Rusty Pig" gets me every time. (Tracklist)

Cosmic Gate - February 12, 2011
The only non-house mix in this list, and an oddity in that I had really never heard Cosmic Gate before this. That said I still turn to this mix incredibly often, there's just such a grandness to it that fills me with an immense energy. I use it for long bike rides or other extended travels, where I may need to focus for short stretches, but can still enjoy the overall epicness. The track selection is again top notch, with so many now classics. Dune's "Heiress Of Valentia" still sends me into a tizzy, but the move from "Zero76" to Tristan Garner remix of "Rapture" is rave resplendence. (Tracklist)

Fake Blood - March 14, 2009
Quite possibly the first Essential Mix I ever heard, and it was because of Fake Blood that I became introduced to Boy 8-Bit. Fake Blood was bloghaus at its best, but he was so much more. His skills on the deck, undeniable. His ear for fire mashups and acapellas, perfect. His own productions, awesome. At times it is pure explosive energy and others, sublime and sweet. The sledgehammer to the face that is the trio of Zinc's "Blunt Edge," Lazy Jay's "Float My Boat" and Ink & Needle's "Tattoo Number Three" is stupid good. (Tracklist)

Jack Beats - February 20, 2010
Another excellent example of handfuls of my favourite productions (from Jack Beats and otherwise) being brought together in incredible fashion. One hell of a start with their ridiculously wicked "Little Secrets" remix. But then there's what I've called the best 40 minutes of music starting from their remix of "Epic Last Song" through to Popof's "Serenity." Then there's the transition from "Peanuts Club" to "Donut" that still sends shivers down my spine. The release there with the drums and the depth of "Donut" underneath is almost more than I can bear. True and undeniable brilliance. (Tracklist)