Top 100 Tracks Of 2020: 100-76

Starting today through New Year's Eve (Thursday), I'll be revealing my list of the "Top 100 Tracks Of 2020." The following is my disclaimer, as I feel it important to preface this kind of list with some insight into its creation and the methodology behind it. While I spent a lot of time seriously pouring through this year of music, this is not really a serious endeavour. No one was polled. Sales and streams are irrelevant. This is merely my fun way of sharing the tracks and artists that made my year better, in hopes they do the same for you. The rankings are not scientific or even fair, rather they are simply a reflection of how strongly I felt these tracks and how much praise I felt they deserved. 

You'll notice the thread of disco/funk continues to run through these year-end lists, while DnB and breaks appear more than ever before. Another trend continues as we see a further diminishing amount of club-type tracks included, primarily as circumstances changed consumption and led to the vast majority of my musical enjoyment coming on my many escapist bike rides. That said, the power of some of these tracks is unavoidable as they will assuredly kill when clubs come back.

Finally, I will once again say that this is by no means an exhaustive list; there are without a doubt exceptional tunes that somehow failed to make the cut. However, onward and, in this case, downward, from tracks 100 to 76 we go. Find the Soundcloud playlist here and Spotify here.

#100: Weiss & Harry Romero - Where Do We Go?

An early summer earworm. Makes masterful use of the sample from Alan Parsons Project "Games People Play." Not overly inventive or banging, but rather slick, smooth and altogether enjoyable. The first of many house tracks in this list that captured my heart this year, even if only for a moment.

#99: HAIM - I Know Alone

While it's been half a decade since I spent day after day with HAIM and Days Are Gone, the sisters and their work with Ariel Rechtshaid and Rostam Batmanglij remain close to my heart. A toss-up as both this and "Now I'm In It" are perfect for 2020, I landed on this garage joint thanks to its catchy, crisp and crackling production and overall atmosphere.

#98: MERCER - Lemonade

Fabulous French filter disco house. Almost too slick. Undeniably good and groovy. The kind of track that has you tapping your toes uncontrollably and later leaves you humming its magnificent melody.

#97: Nikki Nair - 3XL

An acid-induced fever dream. Propelled by Nair's potent percussion and scintillating synths. Like so many of the tracks in this year's list, "3XL" is all about the journey. There's no skipping ahead to a dope drop or sick section, rather one has to ride out this rolling wave of resplendence.

#96: SBK. - One Man

Perhaps the most ominous and irksome track in this list. Spine-tingling strings, all kinds of ingenious percussive hits and of course the equally screwface and shiver-inducing sub-bass. Truly diabolic dubstep.

#95: Soda State - Midnight

Among the year's most fun and funky productions. I know nothing about Soda State, nor had I ever heard them before this, however their inclusion in Magic Tape 98 made for an incredible introduction. An awesome mix of pop sensibilities alongside retro dance resplendence.

#94: SOSA - The Sax

A track so infectious that I can turn a blind eye to its misleading moniker. The trumpet (not sax) top-line is awesome, as are its babbling vocal bits, but it is the way those two elements play with the rollicking percussion that makes this track one of the year's best house offerings. Like many on this list, I expect this would have ranked much higher were clubbing possible in 2020.

Enlightened Listening for September 25

Another Friday and another epic edition of Enlightened Listening. This week's playlist runs over 70 tracks and six hours and includes three massive albums (from Lane 8, Marie Davidson and Kölsch), three awesome EPs (from warner case, Sam Interface and Pastiche), more remixes than you can shake a stick at (including Eric Kupper's take on "The Whistle Song," Hot Chip's take on "Enola Gay" and Special Request's take on Baauer "HOME"), and finally some simply fabulous originals (including The Brothers Macklovitch, Bonobo x TEED and Karma Kid). Dig in below and enjoy!

The Brothers Macklovitch - I Can Call You

Eli Escobar - Give Love

Frankie Knuckles - The Whistle Song (Eric Kupper Sound Factory Re-Rub)

Quentin Harris & Jason Walker - Stronger (Mattei & Omich Remix & Vocal Dub)

warner case - dance music for dancing, vol. 2 (the remixes)

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay (Hot Chip Remix)

Bonobo & Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Heartbreak

Sam Interface - Pink Dolphins

Karma Kid - Freedom (Never Let You Go)

Lane 8 - Brightest Lights Remixed

Baauer ft. Bipolar Sunshine - HOME (Special Request Remix)

Marie Davidson & L'Œil - Renegade Breakdown

Kölsch - Now Here No Where

Pastiche - Together We Are

Speaker Honey - Space Arp

Bensley - Vex

Enlightened Listening for September 18

Another Friday and another HudMo album? Yup! This week's Enlightened Listening features a whole bunch of Canadian content you'll certainly hear on Bump In The Hump (one of which you already heard) alongside some of the biggest, and my favourite, international artists. I'm still trying to squeeze every second of even remotely summer-like weather, so I'm again keeping the write-up short. Dig into the diverse playlist below, find each individual release linked at the bottom and have a great weekend!

Horse Meat Disco - Message To The People (ft. Amy Douglas & Dames Brown)

Eli Escobar - Blue Magic

Bullion - Yawn

Sofasound - You Been On My Mind (ft. falcxne)

Damian Lazarus - Flourish

London Grammar - Baby It's You (Kölsch Version)

Jody Wisternoff - Nightwhisper (Remixed)

Sonja + MOUR - Root

Will Easton - Apex

TDJ - TDJ001

Broken Future & STUND - Technium

Cloverdale - Keep Dancing

Kryojen - Infinite

Hudson Mohawke - Airborne Lard

Holly - Just Enough (ft. Baauer)

Blanke - Change & Decay: The Fall

Enlightened Listening for September 11

You know why you're here. All this week's new music that you need to hear compiled in the playlist known as Enlightened Listening. This week's edition opens with a slice of genius from SebastiAn, a new single from New Order and perhaps my favourite band's new album RE-ANIMATOR. The playlist then turns towards house with sick stuff from Bruno Furlan, Valentino Khan and Bassani x Prayer Handz. Finally we get a bit manic as Kölsch and DJ Swisha lead us into a couple remix packages which surround a killer EP from Sodhivine. Find each release linked at the bottom and listen now below.

SebastiAn - Hysterias

New Order - Be A Rebel

Everything Everything - RE-ANIMATOR

Matroda - The Movement (Bruno Furlan Remix)

Valentino Khan - Blackmail

Bassani & Prayer Handz - Sour

Douglas Greed ft. Odd Beholder - Numbers (Kölsch Remix)

DJ Swisha - Nothing But Net

Big Gigantic - Free Your Minds Remixed

Sodhivine - Future Bollywood Trap Sounds

Maddy O'Neal - The Rush EP (Remixes)

Armand Van Helden & Riva Starr - Step It Up (ft. Sharlene Hector)

Enlightened Listening for August 21

Yet another week has come and gone and what a legend-laced edition of Enlightened Listening it left for us. Kölsch, Four Tet, Cerrone, Frankie Knuckles, Boys Noize, Skream, Keys N Krates, Netsky and DJ Zinc all released new tracks. Yes, you read that right; basically everything in this week's wrap up is from a legend. And even those whose names don't quite carry the same weight have delivered laudable productions. While I obviously recommend each release included in the playlist below, I'd be remiss if I didn't specifically shout out the awesome ATTLAS remix package, which gives four equally inspired takes on "Half Light." Dig into this week's Enlightened Listening below and have a great weekend!

Anderholm - Delirious

Kölsch - While Waiting For Something To Care About / Now Here No Where

Tame Impala - Is It True (Four Tet Remix)

ATTLAS ft. Alisa Xayalith - Half Light (Remixes)

Duke Dumont ft. RY X - Let Me Go (Cerrone Remix)

Frankie Knuckles - Carefree (I Am A Star)

Frustra - Southbank

Willaris K. ft. WaveIQ - Chapel (Boys Noize Remix)

Franc Moody - Flesh And Blood (Skream Lockdown Autonomic Remix)

Keys N Krates - Double Dutch

Netsky - Mixed Emotions (ft. Montell2099)

DJ Zinc - Out Of Control (ft. Kudu Blue)

Enlightened Listening for March 27

We're returning to as close to a normal edition of Enlightened Listening as we can during this COVID-19 pandemic. This week's playlist opens with a trio of exceptional albums, dives deep into dance before turning to techno and hard hitting house. There's a bunch of big names and a whole host of truly top notch releases. Stream below and find brief descriptions after the Spotify embed. Stay safe & enjoy!

Nicolas Jaar - Cenizas
Delicate and moving pieces, largely made up of organic instrumentation. A divine dive, perfect for piquing your palate ahead of a bunch of other brilliant releases.

Robotaki - The Grand Mirage
Each early taste has been sublime and Robotaki has instilled that unique quality throughout.

Louis La Roche - Saturday Night Griever
A feature heavy album, that doesn't feel like the slightest bit disjointed as though it were a bunch of singles slapped together. That said, it often does slap. Really enjoyable and dance friendly.

falcxne - Studio 54
Even more slaps here. Fantastic funky stuff. Worthy of its iconic title.

Duck Sauce - Captain Duck
My favourite Duck Sauce single and sample yet. Unfortunately the extended mix is not on Spotify. Enjoy it in its full glory here.

DJ Fresh - Drive (Skream Remix)
Skream stays hot with this jacking mix. Yet another notch in his belt; is there anything he can't do?

warner case & Subrinse - impeccable
The off-kilter delivery of warner case is back in brilliant form. An instantly catchy, feel good club cut.

CastNowski - I Can Show You
CastNowski's capacity to craft quality house cuts in all its sub-genres is incredible, but I like him best in this more jacking, funky, disco-adjacent style. Groovy baby!

Tensnake ft. Fiora - Automatic (Remixes)
Holy stacked remix package, Batman! Gerd Janson, Kraak & Smaak and a Tensnake VIP?! I'm weak!

ABSOLUTE. - My Love
This man cannot miss. The original is awesome, but like with "String Theory" I'm drawn to the breakbeat VIP. If you're not on the ABSOLUTE. bandwagon yet, you're missing out big time.

Bicep - Atlas
Must I say anything more than new Bicep? I guess that's the point of this post, but really, they speak for themselves. An instant joy. The kind of track we need in these dark days. A ray of hope and light.

Kölsch - Time / Sleeper Must Awaken
See what I mean about a bunch of big names? The usual stunning, epic quality of Kölsch.

Sian - Electricity
Everything this man's put out on mau5trap has been excellent and the same can be said here. Killer crackling cuts that ought to inspire a bout of shadow boxing or a wicked round of an FPS melee.

BROHUG - Mixtape 1
The sick single "Detox" was in this playlist two weeks ago and the rest of the EP lives up to that lofty standard. Ridiculously banging bass house that thrives through exceptional sound design.

Dr. Fresch & FREAK ON - THICCC
Darker and dirtier than the above, believe it or not. I have not looked at the waveform but I can assure you it lives up to its title. This is some fat ish.

Enlightened Listening for January 24

After last week's Enlightened Listening leaned towards experimental cuts through a couple cool albums, this week we're treated to tons of top notch techno alongside some dope DnB and deep house.

Opening the playlist is the brilliance from Four Tet's forthcoming album Sixteen Oceans (due out in March). He's followed by an epic and gorgeous track from Endrik Schroeder, which receives an equally enamoring remix from Marco Passarani. Staying with remixes, Blende graces the groovy NICOLAAS cut "XXO." Closing out these first five tracks is my favourite of the whole playlist and perhaps my favourite new release of the year, a fantastic take on Pointer Sisters classic "Automatic" from Tensnake. Playing perfectly with the already awesome original, Tensnake's contemporary touch is simply sublime.

While we've had A-Trak and Chromeo cross paths a couple times, we've never been treated to a track like the next one. The Brothers Macklovitch are now a real thing and we get our first taste with a deep take on Raphael Saadiq. Another reworked classic follows that as warner case takes us all the way back to 1987 via a cover of Mr. Fingers' "Can You Feel It." Turning towards house, OCULA offers up an inspired five track EP in Summit. After that brief house hiatus, things turn techno with a couple absolutely killer EPs from Kölsch and Hidden Empire, the latter truly taking you on an Odyssee. They are followed by the massive debut EP from HUNTER (Siegel) and his new jet black techno turn.

Turning towards legends, Booka Shade bring a couple new cool moving cuts with their Dear Future Self EP before Paul Woolford dons his Special Request moniker for two equally intoxicating and inspired remixes of the one and only Erol Alkan and his "Spectrum." But now it's time for bangers, so let's head to Night Bass for the dope title track of Jay Robinson's LSD EP. That's followed by the sensational standout Ibranovski remix of "Better" from Valentino Khan's House Party (Remixes) EP. Finally we close with two DnB EPs. First Jake Robertz mesmerizes us, ultimately turning us to stone with Medusa. Said stone is promptly pulverized by three immensely powerful collaborative cuts from René LaVice and Future Cut. Stream everything below, find individual releases linked at the bottom and enjoy!

Four Tet - Baby

Endrik Schroeder - Everyday Of Your Life

NICOLAAS ft. Chela - XXO (Blende Remix)

Tensnake - Automatic

Raphael Saadiq - So Ready (The Brothers Macklovitch Remix)

warner case - Can You Feel It

OCULA - Summit

Kölsch - Shoulder Of Giants / Glypto

Hidden Empire - Odyssee

HUNTER - I Might Forgive I Don't Forget

Booka Shade - Dear Future Self

Erol Alkan - Spectrum (Special Request Mixes)

Jay Robinson - LSD

Valentino Khan & Wuki ft. Roxanna - Better (Ibranovski Remix)

Jake Robertz - Medusa

René LaVice & Future Cut - Nine Strings / Eyes

Top 100 Tracks Of 2019: 75-51

Continuation of the list started yesterday: from 100-76, which also includes my disclaimer/preamble. Soundcloud playlist here and Spotify here.

#75: Flume ft. Vera Blue - Rushing Back (MJ Cole Remix)
While Flume had a huge year as countless clamored for his mixtape, you won't find any of those tracks here. Instead he appears in this list twice having released a few sick singles that made way for fantastic remixes. Here MJ Cole kills the catchy "Rushing Back" with a brilliant bleepy flip that makes masterful use of Vera Blue's vocals. A spine-tingling sensation.

#74: Jai Paul - He
The enigmatic master returned in 2019 and he seemingly hasn't missed a step with two sublime singles. And of course I gravitated towards the b-side, as "He" seemingly delivers more of that genius "Jasmine" vibe. It's soulful and ridiculously satisfying. And of course it showers its listeners in ethereal ecstasy.

#73: Barney Lister - Matchu
Not the only track in this list I first came across in a Magic Tape mix. Of course it's got the awesome alchemy one would expect for an inclusion in said series. It's beautiful, buoyant and oh so easy to dance to. That said, the slippery, squelching groove that emerges as the track progresses is some kind of sick, satisfying perversion.

#72: Angelov - Chero
An alien awakening, this is some serious top notch techno and one hell of a debut record. The whole EP is sick and I really thought about adding "Retrida" to the list but the vocal feel of this one took the cake. Like the others on this EP, Angelov's abilities shine the strongest when all elements come together in supremely satisfying syncopated fashion.

#71: Stanton Warriors ft. Sian Evans - Up2U (René LaVice Rooftop Remix)
Like so much of my favourite DnB this year, this one absolutely explodes out of the gate. It's got so much to like. The piano. Sian Evans' vocals. The way the two play together: <chef's kiss>. Then of course there's the drops that play like a defibrillator forcing you onto the dance-floor. A roaring success.

#70: Kölsch & Sasha - The Lights
The kind of epic, clean quality you would expect from a legendary pairing like this. Once you've heard that unreal lead line you'll never hear the track the same again, as you wait breathlessly for it to kick in. I know I'm doing that right now as I listen to it yet again. And as good as that lead line is, it's nothing without the duo's deliciously effective backing.

Top 100 Tracks Of 2019: 100-76

Starting today through Friday (with a break on New Years Day), I'll be revealing my list of the "Top 100 Tracks Of 2019." The following is my disclaimer, as I feel it important to preface this kind of list with some insight into its creation and the methodology behind it. While I spent a lot of time seriously pouring through this year of music, this is not a really a serious endeavour. No one was polled. Sales and streams are irrelevant. This is merely my fun way of sharing the tracks and artists that made my year better, in hopes they do the same for you. The rankings are not scientific or even fair, rather they are simply a reflection of how strongly I felt these tracks and how much praise I felt they deserved.

You'll notice the thread of disco/funk continues from last year, as once again it dominated my consumption. But once again you'll notice I touch on a variety of genres, while sticking to the brand of this blog, which is indeed a reflection of my personal preferences and ideals. There's a lot of pop music, but the list is largely electronic and dance dominant.

Finally, I will once again say that this is by no means an exhaustive list; there are without a doubt exceptional tunes that somehow failed to make the cut. However, onward and, in this case, downward, from tracks 100 to 76 we go. Find the Soundcloud playlist here and Spotify here.

#100: Robotaki - Quasar
As so often seems to be the case I'm called most strongly to the b-side of a release. Here "Quasar" captures my attention with a truly dizzying display of musical craftsmanship. Robotaki rifles off a resplendent mix of electronic and organic instruments that reminds me of both the extraordinary quality of early future bass and the indie rock energy of Erol Alkan, specifically his "Forever Dolphin Love" remix.

#99: High Contrast - Going Up
The first in a long line of DnB tracks in this year's countdown. The consistent quality of High Contrast is on full display here with this crisp, crackling cut. It's both exceedingly beautiful and seemingly simplistic, while somehow still feeling fresh and exciting after a plenitude of plays.

#98: DROELOE - Only Be Me (Duskus Remix)
Immediately heavy on the heart, this one is actually brilliantly buoyant. The swinging nature of the drop is sure to leave you swooning while the whole thing oozes poppy positivity. While a few years ago I would've said bitbird is one of my favourite labels, I can no longer say that. However this mix seems to have found the perfect balance between their sappy saccharine ethos and sharp, catchy synths.

#97: Nelly - Air Force Ones (Klutch Remix)
While I don't often get into tracks primarily for a single sound, this remix and its rattling bass is so banging that I cannot help myself. The drops are stupid dope and the rest of the track is built with enough ear catching punctuations that it deserves recognition in a list like this. It would be a banger with the first drop alone, but a progressive second drop and its sensational use of Nelly make it a can't miss.

#96: Sub Focus - Solar System
With a name like "Solar System" you'd expect some serious magnitude and Sub Focus did not disappoint. This one hurdles along at light-speed and if you go along with it, you're apt to burn up like a supernova. A lot of electronic music has an outer-space, futuristic feel and this is most definitely one of this year's best, most banging examples.

Enlightened Listening for May 20

Once again I'm late with this week's Enlightened Listening, but as always these tunes deserve showcasing. Starting funky Gramatik and Big Gigantic get together for some fat grooves, which Goldroom then follows with a cool, glistening joint. Slightly more spaced out, Massimiliano Pagliara blends disco and acid in his remix of "Zone Non Linear." Another rolling ride follows with Amtrac's chugging "Formal Disco," which is then followed by the latest luxuriousness of Kölsch. Things get progressive as we turn to the evaporating ease of "Car Park In The Sky," before Jaytech blasts things back to earth with "Tigerlily." Techno then takes over with another unreal EP from mau5trap in Sara Landry's Wait. Finally the inimitable, both wonderfully organic and entirely unearthly, sound design of thook turns the final trick with NOISE. Find individual releases at the bottom and stream below.

Gramatik & Big Gigantic - Better Believe It Now

Goldroom - U (ft. Chela)

The Juan Maclean - Zone Non Linear (Massimiliano Pagliara Remix)

Amtrac - Formal Disco

Kölsch - AC1609

M.I.G. - Car Park In The Sky

Jaytech - Tigerlily

Sara Landry - Wait

thook - NOISE

Enlightened Listening for May 12

A couple days late, but these tracks absolutely had to be shared. This week's Enlightened Listening gets underway with The Shapeshifters and Chic vocalist Kimberly Davis and the brilliant, biting brass of Glitterbox joint "Life Is A Dancefloor." Up next Paul Woolford unleashes an exceptional piano-led take on Hot Chip's heater "Hungry Child." The unstoppable force of Kölsch then ups the intensity with his remix of "Stella." Leading us further towards techno with a touch of midtempo, mau5trap once again wows with their recent releases through Sian's Ultraviolet EP 1.0. Marking the midway point in the playlist, Dimitri Veimar dazzles with 3 new originals alongside Dean Grenier's remix of the EP's title track "Planet." Changing gears, Pham returns with a diverse and delectable mixtape in Nostalgia. And indeed it is nostalgia you get upon seeing the title of Madeaux's massive "Black Magic Woman," a production worthy of one Carlos Santana. Next up Ninajirachi gives "303" some much needed movement, progression and captivating sound design, taking it from blah to banger. Finally, Night Bass bring us seven bangers worthy of their high standard; standouts include: "Desert Moon," "Killers" and "Fresh Prince." Enjoy everything below and find releases linked individually after the playlist.

The Shapeshifters - Life Is A Dancefloor (ft. Kimberly Davis)

Hot Chip - Hungry Child (Paul Woolford Sunrise Mix)

Jam & Spoon - Stella (Kölsch Remix)

Sian - Ultraviolet EP 1.0

Dimitri Veimar - Planet EP

Pham - Nostalgia

Madeaux - Black Magic Woman

Anna Lunoe - 303 (Ninajirachi Remix)

Various Artists - This Is Night Bass: Vol. 8

Enlightened Listening for March 23

A day later than usual, but with the futuristic leanings of so many of the releases in this edition of Enlightened Listening, you could say it's actually early. Of course everyone is talking about Flume's fantastic return, but equally brilliant and epic is Shlohmo's The End. Taking a different approach to the future, Henry Saiz plays with his synths in mystifying fashion for Digital Mirages Vol. 1. After that comes a trio of techno releases including the utterly intoxicating "Puppets" from Patrice Bäumel, Denis Horvat's Miracle Of The Rose EP from which "Noise" made waves in Tale Of Us' Afterlife Voyage 013 mix, and a stunning collab between Kölsch and Sasha. House then follows with Jack Back dropping a dope Defected release and Matroda's mean The RED Tape - Side A EP. Finally, the enigmatic and always adventurous Mr. Oizo offers up 4 more pieces of mind-fuckery, concluding in the auspicious "Nuque." Find the full playlist below and each individual release linked at the bottom. Enjoy!

Flume - Hi This Is Flume

Shlohmo - The End

Henry Saiz - Digital Mirages Vol. 1

Patrice Bäumel - Puppets

Denis Horvat - Miracle Of The Rose

Kölsch & Sasha - The Lights

Jack Back - Survivor / Put Your Phone Down (Low)

Matroda - The RED Tape - Side A

Mr. Oizo - Rythme Plat

Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: Rhett & Attlas - Crater

Over the course of the year Attlas has trained my brain to expect new music from him with regularity. Seems that timer had gone off as I found myself thinking, "Jeez, I could sure go for that feeling new Attlas brings." Well thanks to Rhett's Hollow Earth, out now on mau5trap, we got that new new. "Crater" combines Rhett's robust techno builds and Attlas' always colourful and captivating cinematic arcs. At times it is wild, others entirely restrained. Sometimes shrouded in darkness, other times overflowing with warmth and light. The "Crater" in the middle of the track, and the striding egress that returns to the raucous entrance, imbues the track with an always entertaining progression. Like Tiga and Kölsch's "Still So High," it showcases the best of each artist in compelling fashion. Enjoy now below!
Catch "Crater" on Bump In The Hump tonight closing out a 30 minute run of disco, house, and techno to open the show. As always our Canadians have been cooking up a flurry of fire, with the likes of Dr. Ozi, Snails, and Sam Lamar going back to back to back. However we don't close with killer cuts, but rather synth sensations as we look ahead to Honey Beard's sophomore episode of My Mixtape, this Saturday at 11 PM EST. Supporting them not just at their November 24th Reverie EP release party at Junction City Music Hall (RSVP), Bon Villan make their Radio Humber debut courtesy Sleepycatt's remix of "When I Came Up." Catch a clip of my interview with Gaz and Tom of Honey Beard closing out tonight's episode live from 7-9 PM EST here and find it after the fact on Mixcloud here.

FOLLOW RHETT: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW ATTLAS: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Enlightened Listening for November 2

Busy Friday for me, but that doesn't mean I can neglect my weekly Enlightened Listening post. This edition includes awesome albums from Redlight, Riva Starr and Poppy, Kölsch's return to Kompakt, a mad remix package featuring Kotek, LICK and Cloverdale, my dudes Marco Marz and ZABO on Ghetto Ghetto, fire from Ricco Harver and Visceral Minds, plus the latest from Anjunadeep. Enjoy!

Redlight - Active

Riva Starr - Curveballs

Kölsch - Speicher 106

Dee Montero - Headspace

Poppy - Am I A Girl?

Ricco Harver - Thunderfunk

Mikey Dollaz & King Louie - WW4

Chuurch & Strange Future ft. Blak Trash - Rabbit Hole Remixes

ZABO - Ghost Lab

Tiga & The Martinez Brothers - Blessed (Dirty Mix)

Tiga continues to use 2018 as his year of collaboration, working with the likes of Clarian, Kölsch and now longtime friends The Martinez Brothers. From the first of multiple EPs, today we were welcomed with the lead single and title track "Blessed" from forthcoming Blessed (Part 1), which is due out November 16th on Turbo Recordings. Says Tiga, the track "really sounds like Tiga and The Martinez Brothers, which makes a lot of sense if you think about it. They believe in God. I believe I can fly. As it turns out, we're both right." This kind of cheekiness is on full display in the production as well with Tiga's trademark acerbic wit appearing in the lines "I woke up blessed" and "It's not me, it's you." The track is not only hip, but hypnotic with a Svengali-like web spun through the thumping bass, rattling drums and killer club atmosphere. Be careful consuming this one, it might just be running around your head all day.FOLLOW TIGA: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Thanksgiving Throwbacks

After an uneventful scroll through my Soundcloud feed this morning, I changed gears to focus on tracks not released this year, but indeed played an immense role in my year. So here's a quick taste of some throwback tracks that I'm awfully thankful for. Enjoy via playlist and read brief descriptions below.

Shina Williams - Agb'oju L'ogun
First heard in an Erol Alkan mix. Minimal yet massive, majestic groove-fest.

Poolside - Harvest Moon
First heard in a Greg Wilson mix. As if Neil Young recorded the original on a moon. Weightless wonder.

Turbotito and Phillipi & Rodrigo - Canção Para Laia (JKriv Remix)
First heard in a Kölsch playlist. Brilliant blend of techno, acid, and funky electronic grooves.

The Salsoul Orchestra - Salsoul Rainbow (Dimitri From Paris DJ Friendly Classic Re-Edit)
First heard in Horse Meat Disco's Essential Mix. Sublime strings, godly grooves in a pure disco delight.

Ignition - Sunday Secret Lover (Greg Wilson Edit)
Can't exactly remember where I came across this, but I feel like someone asked about it on Twitter, inciting me to look it up myself. My favourite Greg Wilson edit, in large part due to the section at 2:42.

Michael McDonald - Sweet Freedom (Live)
First heard this version on PBS' Soundstage, but it was the 12" version that got me hooked. I've always enjoyed MM's voice but it's the horn riffs that kept me coming back. My favourite track to throw on as I'm walking home, whistling and singing all the way.

Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces
Another one first heard in a Greg Wilson mix, although it feels so familiar. Can't help but get lost in this funky groove. Very few tracks induce such a confident strut the way this does.

Todd Terje & The Olsens - Baby Do You Wanna Bump
Right up there with my favourites song of the year, so it's weird I can't remember where I first heard it, although I feel it was another Erol Alkan nod. Cannot get enough this groove or the horns. Top Terje.

Paul McCartney - What's That You're Doing (ft. Stevie Wonder)
Another one first heard in Horse Meat Disco's Essential Mix. Jumped out at me immediately, like "damn, I need this" only to have jaw drop to find out it was McCartney. One of the funkiest riffs ever.

Enlightened Listening For October 5

Another busy Friday, another great day for releases. This week's edition of Enlightened Listening includes the returns of Tchami, Botnek and WHIPPED CREAM, a genius album from Marie Davidson, one of my most anticipated tracks in the last while, Kevin de Vries' "Aratak" and a couple other gems. Once again I've tried my best to curate the playlist for optimal flow but there's a remix album right in the middle which is sure to throw things off. Otherwise, enjoy individuals releases as listed below.

Anderson .Paak - Tints (ft. Kendrick Lamar)

R.LUM.R - With My Words

Tchami - Aurra

Martin Solveig - My Love (Kölsch Remix)

Lane 8 - Little By Little Remixed

Marie Davidson - Working Class Woman

Kevin de Vries - Aratak

Botnek - Wiggle / Vibrate

WHIPPED CREAM - Blood

Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: A-Trak ft. Todd Terry - DJs Gotta Dance More

There really is nothing like a meeting of legends, especially when they both span decades. That is the case with "DJs Gotta Dance More" from pre-millennium powerhouse and still sensational Todd Terry and his "spiritual godson" A-Trak. Out now on the latter's Fool's Gold, this is true New York house in the form of an ode to crate-digging and the connection between DJ and their dance floor (rather than disconnect we see so much today). It is funky fun and a reminder of the ethos that inspired the EDM we've come to know and love today. Hear "DJs Gotta Dance More" tonight and stream/purchase here.Also on tonight's episode of Bump In The Hump, we get more throwback vibes from Jerome Robins, Bit Funk and Hatiras in the opening hour before going bonkers in the second hour with maddening midtempo from KRILLA and Slooze in the Fire Finale. We also look forward to the weekend with tracks from Wess, Kölsch, and Rezz, all playing the 6ix this weekend. All this and more live from 7-9 PM EDT via Radio Humber or available after the fact via Mixcloud here.

FOLLOW A-TRAK: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW TODD TERRY: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Enlightened Listening for June 22

It's the end of the week and that means tons of new music is dropping. The digging has been done and I've got another edition of Enlightened Listening for you. As always the list runs through seemingly every genre, with new music from big names, new names and everything in between. This week I've done my best organize them in a cohesive flow from more chill future bass vibes, through funk and disco, where then things get a bit messy, moving from Wuki's take on "The Hustle" into Tiga & Kölsch's collab "HAL," then into heavy house and hard hitting bass. Stream below and grab the free D/Ls.

Clairo ft. Danny L Harle - B.O.M.D. (dream boi remix)*

Charli XCX - Lucky (Ö Remix)*

Birocratic - Holy Smokes

Maestro - Harmony (Yuksek Remix)

The Blackbyrds - Mysterious Vibes (LeBaron James Edit)*

Wuki - The Hustle*

Kölsch & Tiga - HAL

DJ Snake & Mercer - Let's Get Ill

KTRL & Cloverdale - Sphere*

Ape Drums - Shellz (Denzel Curry & Frizzo)

LITLBIRD - NEON ERROR*

Tracks marked with an asterisk denotes free download.

Four Fire Mixes

While I tend to spend most of my time digging through individual tracks, this past weekend afforded me the time enjoy some more mountainous mixes. So I've decided to share four of my favourites, two downright banger for banger blitzkriegs and two more tempered groove and dance oriented odysseys. Find them below in order of length from shortest to longest, with brief description attached.

An obvious contrast to Benzi's Girl Trapz series. All bangers all the time, plus the usual onslaught of edits and exclusives. Reworked from the original Diplo & Friends broadcast for even more fire. Free download and full tracklist provided.

Another epic mix of electro bangers, this time courtesy dope dudes 8-Bit Tits. Includes forthcoming fire from themselves and an electrifying list of the best belters from the last year plus. Also up for free download, with tracklist available upon request.

Turbo's top man Tiga takes us for a ride with his first set of the year. Live from Melbourne's Piknic Electronik, this two hour extravaganza runs through some of his classic like "Bugatti" and "Mind Dimension" as well as a handful of new cuts, including the forthcoming Tiga/Kölsch collab.

Almost at throwback level, considering it looks back at 2017's "choice edits and reworks," many of which take on disco classics. This is the sixth year in a row Greg Wilson had made such a list and I don't think I'm wrong to say that, with disco seemingly on the upswing, it's the best 20 yet. Also includes a blog post from the man himself delving further into the year that was.