Top 100 Tracks Of 2018: 50-26

Continuation of the list started Friday: from 100-76, which includes my disclaimer/preamble. The second quarter of the list can be found here: from 75-51. Soundcloud playlist here and at the bottom.

#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.

A-Trak - Sunday Afternoon Mix for The Do-Over

Coachella is still on the mind of many, with good reason, and we're still reaping the benefits of opening weekend. A-Trak was everywhere: he crashed his brother's interview on the live stream pre-Chromeo set, DJ'ed for Brockhampton, was behind the scenes for Beyoncé (read his commentary here), then played a set at The Ace Hotel & Swim Club Sunday. The latter as part of The Do-Over's Desert Sundays party (also happening next weekend), and in a rare act he recorded the set, see below.First off, it's A-Trak so obviously it's awesome, not just in selection but mixing. Second, it's tagged disco, and it indeed delivers. Third, it's got Chromeo, Steely Dan, Talking Heads, and that's just in the first half hour. Not enough for you? Perhaps Folamour's "The Power And The Blessing Of Unity," Sophie Lloyd's "Calling Out," or Aretha Franklin's "Jump To It" will get you into the groove.

Of the strings that ties the mix together perhaps Purple Disco Machine is the most prominent. It was his mix of "Juice" in the opening, his original production "Move Or Not" (which samples "Rappers Delight") shortly after, and then his collab with Aeroplane, "Sambal" about a third of the way in.

But my favourite part? That's a tough question. The triple shot from Justice's "Pleasure" to Oliver and Thee Mike B's remix of Blondie's "Heart Of Glass" and Parliament's "Flash Light" is bloody brilliant. The fact that it's followed by an unidentified track which may be new Chromeo, is just a little too much to take. Then again I'm a sucker for The Pointer Sister's "Automatic," and the move to Anderson .Paak's "Am I Wrong" is wild. Oh and how about the section from Marcus Marr, Tiger & Woods, Talking Heads, Luke & Jimmy to Steely Dan? You quite simply cannot go wrong with this mix. Find the tracklist here.

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Enlightened Listening for April 13

Here we are again, another fantastic Friday of releases, even though it's the unlucky 13th. We've been treated to a tremendous selection with big names like Joker and Destructo; personal favourites like Robotaki and Coucheron; and those that I'd never heard Karim Sahraoui and Shmuck The Loyal. As always there's a heap of house, some fun funk, and electronic music of all kinds. This Friday also marks the release of ABSOLUTE.'s Harmony EP, but I've already written about that here. So buckle in for another edition of Enlightened Listening, enjoy the playlist, and read brief descriptions below.

DJ Seinfeld - Sakura
Despite his name, this is no joke. Absolutely massive atmosphere throughout. An incredible mixture of world influenced electronic, house and techno. Each and every track is a wicked weapon, but my favourites are "Sakura" and "Battery" for the strong sweeps and delectable drums respectively.

Chrome Sparks - Chrome Sparks
The albums coming out this year are proof that this format is not dead. The lead track "Rocket" propels you into Chrome Sparks' world, and his genius takes over from there. It has a cooly crafted future feel, with a wonderful mixture of laidback lush, bounding bass and strong storytelling.

Karim Sahraoui - Plenitude
Excuse my ignorance for not knowing Karim before, but I'm definitely on-board now. This is the kind of long-form deep house that I absolutely love: simple, subtle and strong. "Born Again" is sheer brilliance. It swings, slaps and brings a smile to my soul, especially as the piano creeps in in the second half. I would not be surprised if my infatuation with it lasts through the summer or longer.

Deetron - Choose Me (ft. Steve Spacek)
Walloping warm house, with just the right vocal breeze. Another aspirational summer tune.

Fehrplay - Malnati
Anjunabeats never disappoints, and Fehrplay's latest is fulsome fire. I'm starting to notice a trend in my selections today (and most days), I'm searching for feel good tracks. And this one is rapturous.

Joker - Anamorphic
The trend of feel good may die here, but this is one of the biggest and best tracks I've heard in a long, long time. On par with his undying classic, "Tron," this one roars to life, proving dubstep is not dead. Rather I think it'll inspire many more to take to its wobbling waves of wonderment. A truly epic creation.

Oliver ft. Sam Sparro - Last Forever (Destructo Remix)
Whereas the Lifelike version kept closer to the original, with his french house vibe, Destructo props the tempo up a touch and makes it more friendly for the North American DJ crowd. An oomph-ridden edit.

Robotaki - Science
We've heard all but two of the tracks already, and were already wowed. The intro, "Trial" welcomes us to the bubbling lab where this all takes place, with the conclusion, "Satisfied," sending us off in spectacular fashion. And perhaps that's the best way to describe this EP: fashionable, chic and swank.

Kideko - Good Thing
Get me that GIF of the woman on the floor grabbing for the bed (here). It takes less than 5 seconds for me to assume that position after pressing play. So good it hurts. Holy funky grooves Batman!

Will Clarke - Take A Seat
Did I jump the gun on both the life alert and holy Batman references? Probably should've saved them for the wobs on this one. It shouldn't be called "Take A Seat" but rather "Fall To The Floor;" that's what this freaked-out track will cause you to do. Make sure you're near a soft surface for this one.

Shmuck The Loyal - Not Alone
A new name to me, but a sound that will always be close to my heart. Electronic music for me will always be about the apocalyptic battle between humans and machines, and this one nails it.

Lemaitre - Machine (Coucheron Remix)
Whereas the above sees the machine beat out humanity, Coucheron has calmly quelled the uprising and enslaved technology. Funky flourishes and rips, as I'm taken back to seeing Lemaitre and Coucheron on the now fateful date of November 8th 2016.

New Music For Your Weekend

Fridays are always the best day for finding new music, and today is no different. The first thing I found upon opening my computer may be my favourite, not just of the day, but of the year thus far. It is Oliver's Inner Circle: Remixes & Rarities. The original release, Full Circle, was in my shortlist for albums of the year here, and this matches it, perhaps even surpassing it. Putting aside my disco funk bias, it is undeniably some of the best sound design I've ever heard. But that's just par for the course with U-Tern and Oligee, who never disappoint when it comes to crafting the cleanest, most crisp sounds. The four new originals are all top notch and the three remixes, brilliant turns on tracks we've come to love.



Of course this was not the only outstanding release today, and while the playlist I've put together below is not entirely made up of today's tracks, they are all new to me. So like last week I've put together a number of random selections that I found and enjoyed today. Once again, no genres, just good music. Listen below and pick up those tracks marked with an asterisk for free download.



Hotwagner - _thro
One of the wonkiest, most unique tracks I've ever heard. Plus it actually seems to work, in that it actually flows and works well together, as opposed to some of the uber glitched out, almost sound-clown type tracks out there. It's hard to wrap your head around, but that's half the fun. Imagine the screw faces if you dropped this in the club; you'd be both a hero and a legend. Just need a download.

Jesse And The Wolf - Selecta (ft. Ghostface Killah, Juelz Santana & Telli)
Fool's Gold always deliver, but I'm not sure I've enjoyed a rap track from them this much since A-Trak's "Piss Test." Even though it's three minutes, it doesn't feel like enough. Several replays for sure.

LeSage & J Whitty - Affinity*
Beautifully chill and smooth with subtle samples teased in the mist of its majesty. Thankfully the snow's melted away here, however this would play beautifully as the snow sparkles and glistens in the sun.

Syskey - Nerven
The kind of stomping bass house we've come to expect from CONFESSION. Yet another club weapon from the rising star that is Syskey. Don't be sleeping on him.

Bingo Players - Devotion (Boehm Remix)*
One of Bingo Players many classics, bolstered with a deep bass house delivery more suited for 2018.

Danni Darries - Different Ways (ft. Scope Joe)*
A more dreamy house delivery than the previous two track. The future feels invoke the awesome image of beach-side, sunset DJ set with a cool breeze and tasty mojito in hand.

Riddimz - Where I'm From (prod. Lamont Dex)*
Is grime supposed to be this smooth? Either way I like it. Lamont Dex's production is strong yet lets Riddimz unique accent shine through. Sneaky good stuff.

DROELOE - Backbone (ft. Nevve)*
How Nevve has not "lost her voice" is beyond me. She's been everywhere lately. Just like her track with Robotaki that was in my playlist last week, she's used to perfection here, not just in her natural vocals, but in the vocal chops. DROELOE's percussion and chord choices are so damn good. Brilliant.

Gigi D'Agostino - L'Amour Toujours '94 (Ibranovski Remix)*
Another classic receiving a 2018 update, but where Boehm's delivers with a more wild, raucous drop, Ibranovski leaves a more tempered touch, staying true to the original. Another excellent club tool.

Shortlist For Album Of The Year

It's that time of year. Time to look back at some of our favourite moments. While I'm working on crafting my top 100 tracks countdown, I've decided to come through with a 'shortlist' of my favourite albums of the year. I've gone with 17 to tie in with the year itself and will cut down to a select few to tackle on a more in depth basis. For now I'll just share the list in alphabetical order, while saving the review and my reasoning for those that make the cut in the coming weeks. Of course this is by no means a scientific undertaking, just the simple act of sharing the music I most enjoyed this year (electronic or not). Enjoy!

• Bicep - Bicep
• Cashmere Cat - 9
• Everything Everything - A Fever Dream
• HAIM - Something To Tell You
• Hal Incandenza - Calor
• Jacques Greene - Feel Infinite
• Joe Goddard - Electric Lines
• Kölsch - 1989
• Krafty Kuts x Dynamite MC - All 4 Corners
• LCD Soundsystem - american dream
• London Grammar - Truth Is A Beautiful Thing
• Mura Masa - Mura Masa
• Oliver - Full Circle
• Pete Tong with Jules Buckley & The Heritage Orchestra - Ibiza Classics
• Sasha - re-Fracted: Live At The Barbican
• Sinjin Hawke - First Opus
• TroyBoi - Left Is Right

Coucheron - UFO

Norway's Coucheron has become a favourite of mine after seeing him open for Chet Porter and Lemaitre, nearly a year ago. At that time he was gearing up to release "Loud" and "Puzzled," and since then has added his unique brand of bouncy future pop funk to Kehlani's "Undercover." Today he returns with a brand new original called "UFO." It took me approximately 15 seconds to be beamed up by the brilliance of the otherworldly awesomeness. Like his previous productions it oozes with a funk appeal, while finding itself firmly in the future. I'm reminded of Datarock's post punk propensity, which just a touch of Chromeo/Oliver-esque disco groove. It's the kind of killer electronic creativity that I crave, and I find so astonishingly absent in the ultra sterile future bass we're getting at the moment. "UFO" is a nonstop thrill-ride through the stars, and a delightful diversion from the doldrums of meh mainstream music. Climb aboard the spacecraft via Spotify or iTunes, and be sure to follow Coucheron below.FOLLOW COUCHERON: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Bump In The Hump Sneak Peek: Bro Safari, Dillon Francis & Salvatore Ganacci - XL (Pat Lok Remix)

Apparently Pat Lok has been very busy producing. Even though his debut album just came out, he's proceeded to release two separate remixes in less than a week's time. After putting his spin on JNTHN STEIN's "Master Control," he returned with a rework of the three pronged collaboration, "XL." At first glance Bro Safari, Dillon Francis and Salvatore Ganacci's track doesn't seem ripe for the bright backbeat bounce of a Pat Lok production, but that's the genius of this mix. He recasts the vocals alongside a grand old groove, funking out everything with fabulous chords and effects. Stream below.We get "XL" on Bump In The Hump tonight, with a more full, dance-friendly set than usual. There's more funk from: Chromeo with Oliver, and Party Pupils' remix of Robotaki and Manila Killa. I've also got the premiere of a forthcoming Frustra collab, due out Friday Sept. 1st. Add to that some fire future bass and trap, some delightful deep house, a new banger from Leterna, and you've got yourself a full hour on Radio Humber. Listen live here starting at 6 PM EDT or find the episode uploaded to Mixcloud.

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Fred Falke - It's A Memory (Oliver Remix)

Los Angeles duo, Vaughn Oliver and Oliver Goldstein, aka Oliver, have injected their trademark style into Fred Falke's latest "It's A Memory" leading the six track remix package on Mercury Music.

The lyrics from Elohim and Mansions On The Moon, bear a striking resemblance to a previous Fred Falke release, his collaboration with The Knocks, "Geronimo." It's the high flying ethereal lyric "Do you want to float into the beautiful sky with me," that so closely mirrors Geronimo's "You wanna go to the sky with me." Personally, I think this is a brilliant, slightly tongue-in-cheek, memory testing callback to Geronimo, that only longtime fans of Fred Falke would recognize. Surprisingly, the original Geronimo is more bassline driven than the Oliver Memory mix. This is surprising because Oliver have become somewhat synonymous with their own bass heavy productions (see their To U, Electric Love and American Girl remixes, or their Mechanical EP).

All of that comparison aside, the duo simply succeed in mimicking the lyrical content of "the road is easy" and "dancing in the ebb and then the flow" taking our hand in theirs, lifting us up, with free floating synths. With fantastic 80s-esque tuning, Oliver's remix invokes memories of the music of yesteryear. This soaring, incredibly uplifting and beautiful remix is a breath of funky-fresh air. You'll find it easy to fall in love with this genius, ever changing, ebbing and flowing remix that so wondrously illustrates the lighter side of Oliver's production capabilities. Pre-order the remix package now and instantly get a copy of both Oliver and Amtrac's remixes of "It's A Memory," before the full release next Friday, the 26th.

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Monday Mashed Up Mix #3

Each Monday I post a little mix of less than 30 minutes for your listening pleasure. It contains a variety of electronic music mixed and mashed up to varying degrees. The music is always first and foremost while DJing and mixing skills are meant to take a back seat. It includes some brand new stuff but also some forgotten gems and whatever it was that had entered my consciousness. I'll be hosting them on my Dropbox page for your listening and downloading pleasure, MONDAY MASHED UP MIX VOL 3. You can find the tracklisting and links for each track after the break...