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.

Yotto - Nova (Cassian Remix)

Aussie Cassian has been lending his incredible abilities to many a track as of late, taking on Bob Moses, Hayden James and Rüfüs Du Sol in recent months. Today he's offered up a massive mix of fantastic Finn Yotto's enormous "Nova." Just as the original seems to take place in the ever expanding reaches of outer space, Cassian's take on "Nova" is too an interstellar odyssey. The down under talent turns down the brightness, flipping the solar sheen into a nocturnal nightmare through bounding bass strides. However, this is not to say that the original is a simply all sunshine and weightlessness, but there is no denying that Cassian has keyed in on the explosive energy that drives "Nova," giving it a fearsome fuel injection. A fantastic and far reaching remix, this cataclysmic convulsion is truly captivating. Unleash it on the dance floor via Yotto's Odd One Out imprint with download from Beatport.FOLLOW CASSIAN: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW YOTTO: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

2020 Grammy Predictions

As you likely know the 2020 Grammy nominations were announced yesterday, and instead of waiting until the day of to make my predictions, I've decided it'd be more fun to get them out of the way, forget about them and then surprise myself with my picks while I have a laugh at the eventual ceremony January 26th. Once again I'm going to do my usual shtick of making predictions for categories I know/care about, and again I'll be doing my 'who should win' and 'who will win' double pick scenario. Check out how I did last year, here, and check back here on the day of as I'll be updating with results.

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

BEST DANCE RECORDING

Bonobo - Linked
The Chemical Brothers - Got To Keep On
Meduza & The Goodboys - Piece Of Your Heart
Rüfüs Du Sol - Underwater
Skrillex & Boys Noize with Ty Dolla $ign - Midnight Hour

Who Will Win: Skrillex & Boys Noize X
Who Should Win: Rüfüs Du Sol X
Reasoning: Skrillex has never lost when he's been nominated in this category and while I don't think "Midnight Hour" should win, I think the academy will 'play it safe.' However, this one strikes me as the least likely winner of Skrillex's now four nominations. Lately the winners have been more towards the typical dance pop side of things so there's a real possibility of Skrillex being upset by "Piece Of Your Heart." With that in mind, you have to go back more than a decade for something like "Linked" or "Got To Keep On" as a winner, and if it were either of those two The Chemical Brothers strike me as far more likely. All of that said, I give "Underwater" a real shot, and find it the most deserving because of its enrapturing beauty, mystifying vocals and stunning sound design.

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM

Apparat - LP5
The Chemical Brothers - No Geography
Flume - Hi This Is Flume (Mixtape)
Rüfüs Du Sol - Solace
Tycho - Weather

Who Will Win: The Chemical Brothers ✓
Who Should Win: The Chemical Brothers ✓
Reasoning: Much like last year, this is an incredibly tight category, and truthfully I wouldn't be surprised if any of the latter four took it home. Apparat's album is nice, but there were less than a handful of tracks that stood out to me. I will say the same for Flume's mixtape too as it's just not for me, however I can easily see the academy going his way once again. Having lost to Flume in 2017 with what in my eyes is a better album, I once again see Tycho coming up short. This leaves me torn between two undeniably excellent albums, both with singles in the category above. I've sided with the academy going to The Chemical Brothers based on name recognition and legacy, something they've done the last two years. I also feel they are the most deserving if only by a slim margin. That said Solace boasts a spectacular soundscape and beautiful breadth while remaining tight and true.

BEST REMIXED RECORDING

Madonna - I Rise (Tracy Young's Pride Intro Radio Remix)
Miley Cyrus - Mothers Daughter (Wuki Remix)
Jorja Smith - The One (High Contrast Remix)
Mild Minds - Swim (Ford. Remix)
Marie Davidson - Work It (Soulwax Remix)

Who Will Win: High Contrast X
Who Should Win: Soulwax X
Reasoning: What a category! For the first time in a while we've got five remixers making their first appearance. That's right, neither High Contrast nor Soulwax have ever been nominated! This only makes this already incredibly unpredictable category even more so. I feel like there's a good chance Tracy Young can capture the title, as Madonna is a name voters can latch on to and her remix is quite slick. I'm really happy for Wuki, but I'd be pretty surprised if he won as the academy has not gone for something quite so banging in years. The Ford. remix has a shot but I'd put it as the least likely, both because of name recognition and its fit in the academy's recent voting patterns. Those two criteria would lead me to believe High Contrast will take the title, while I would love to see Soulwax and Marie Davidson get some well deserved recognition.

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL

Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
John Hill
Finneas
Ricky Reed

Who Will Win: Finneas ✓
Who Should Win: Ricky Reed X
Reasoning: There's a not a single holdover from last year's category which is an oddity, but Auerbach, Hill and Reed each have been here before. It's pretty rare that a first time nominee takes this crown, but I see Finneas taking the title for his inextricable role in the success of Billie Eilish. However his relatively small catalog (for which he is nominated) has me worried about this pick and could easily see Auerbach taking the title. That said, it really ought to be Ricky Reed for his work with Lizzo, Maggie Rogers, Maren Morris and SZA among others.

***OTHER, MORE UNINFORMED PICKS***

Best Music Film: Beyonce ✓
Best Music Video: Gary Clark Jr. X
Best Comedy Album: Dave Chapelle ✓
Best Reggae Album: Koffee ✓
Best Rap Album: Tyler, The Creator ✓
Best Urban Contemporary Album: Lizzo ✓
Best Alternative Music Album: Vampire Weekend ✓
Best Pop Vocal Album: Billie Eilish ✓
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus ✓
Best New Artist: Lizzo X
Song Of The Year: Billie Eilish ✓
Album Of The Year: Lizzo X
Record Of The Year: Billie Eilish ✓

Enlightened Listening for June 2

Once again I'm late with this week's Enlightened Listening but it turned out for the best as it now includes Jai Paul. THAT'S RIGHT, JAI PAUL IS BACK! He leads the playlist with a double b-side of brilliance. Following that is the fantastically funky and highly anticipated LP from The Kount that had me floored with "Yesterday's Gain." Next up is Myd with another funk number, this time remixing Charlotte Gainsbourg. After that comes three consecutive killer vocal performances from Kaleena Zanders, Melba Moore and Kariya. As if that trio weren't enough to leave you heaving in ecstasy, how about another taste of Hot Chip's A Bath Full Of Ecstasy in the engrossing excellence of "Melody Of Love."

Moving towards techno comes a trio of remixes of RÜFÜS DU SOL's "Underwater," which is followed by EMERCIVE's latest and double shot of Booka Shade. Changing gears, Drainpuppet comes through with an epic 17 track album in Bliss. Turning dark and heavy, Falcons follows that up with a wicked remix of his classic "Aquafina." A couple of bangers follow in The Bloody Beetroots and Dr. Fresch's "Fkn Face," which is what you'll be making when you hear Trentino's remix of "Hustler." As if this list of legends weren't enough, Dog Blood come through with an exceptional EP in Turn Off The Lights, which is followed by an equally wild and twisted release in Wilted Woman's debut on Phantasy Sound.

Enjoy all the new music via playlist below and find individual releases linked at the bottom!

Jai Paul - Do You Lover Her Now / He

The Kount - Virtually Yours,

Charlotte Gainsbourg - Bombs Away (Myd Remix)

AC Slater - Final Fantasy (ft. Kaleena Zanders)

Melba Moore - My Heart Belongs To You (Ferreck Dawn Remix)

Weiss - Let Me Love You

Hot Chip - Melody Of Love

RÜFÜS DU SOL - SOLACE REMIXES VOL. 6

Kiro - Anubis

Booka Shade - The Unseen / Banderas

Drainpuppet - Bliss

Falcons ft. GoldLink & Chaz French -  Aquafina (2K19 Remix)

The Bloody Beetroots & Dr. Fresch - Fkn Face

Destructo & DARKO ft. Ice-T - Hustler (Trentino Revision)

Dog Blood - Turn Off The Lights

Wilted Woman - Lon Lon Night Vision

Booka Shade - Night Surfing

Techno titans Booka Shade are a gift that just keeps on giving. You might think that after more than a dozen years in the scene their output may have slowed down or that their best work lay behind them, but with this forthcoming release, Night Surfing/Future Primitives, those doubts are all but cast aside.

Of course we know them for their landmark productions "Body Language" and Movements, yet a decade later their recent releases continue to be nothing short of spectacular. They released a full length album Galvany Street, a new EP Aftermath/Limelight, and remixed Rufus' "Be With You," my personal favourite production of theirs in the last two years. That being said, I think I've got a new one with this soon to be released a-side. While we haven't yet got a full play of "Future Primitives," it's counterpart was uploaded to Mixmag's Youtube channel yesterday, with a full release February 2nd.

Their trademark top notch sound design is on full display right from the get go with strong, sweep you off your feet, shuffling and the dopest of deep synth throbs. Then there's their potent percussion work with nearly every drum imaginable taking the track into a wild scene of nature. And I'd like to stop here to note that this is perhaps the most enjoyable part of Booka Shade's productions. As with "Night Falls" and "In White Rooms" they're able to inject a natural-world feel into their overtly electronic productions. The scenes they create remove you from whatever dark club you're in and transport you to an incredibly vivid landscape, whether it be a sweeping savanna, a gigantic jungle or an island paradise. In the case of "Night Surfing," I envision a tropical jungle at the ocean's edge, of course in the evening with the stars sparkling like the synths. And this is where our story continues.

As you exit the jungle of the atmosphere set out by the drums, the roaring synths and rumbling in the distance beckon you to the water. The rising top line is tremendously tempting, causing you to cast aside all angst of entering the ocean alone. It's allure is magical yet alien, as the scintillating night sky screams out its siren song. But once you get out there the darkness and danger once again rears its ugly head. All hope seems lost as you've become stranded, cast away with the current. The only saving grace is Booka Shade's god like combination of these two opposing narratives around the 5:30 mark. The hopelessness has sunk in at this point but you've come to accept it, opting to bask in the beauty of the brightly lit sky. Like the track itself, it is impossible to look away, only to enjoy every last second. The power of progression is on full display, and Booka Shade have shown their prowess yet again.

FOLLOW BOOKA SHADE: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

Rufus - Say A Prayer For Me (MK Remix)

Yet again Marc Kinchen (MK) has graced the world with two more masterful remixes. Friday, marked the release of his remix and dub versions of RUFUS' divine track, "Say A Prayer For Me."

Alongside remixes from Alex Metric and Mazde, MK performs some of his trademark messianic mixing, giving "Say A Prayer For Me" his club blessing. Placing our hand in MK's, he leads us on a mystical journey, lead by swelling synths, god-like bass rhythms and pious percussion. Its refined and subtle in it's ascendancy; we wave goodbye to our flawed corporeal forms as Kinchen canonizes his listeners with his immaculate groove. The holy spirit runs deep as the baptismal water flows over us, as Father MK washes us clean, absolving us from the debauchery of the rave culture.

The supernatural power of MK's remix is perhaps best seen in the powerful bassline conversion, at the 3:40 mark. MK has answered prayers that we didn't know we had. He is quite possibly the saviour of the EDM bubble, with his playful, thought provoking and progressive productions. I highly recommend picking up his RUFUS remix for your daily prayers and his dub for those darker moments in your life (Beatport link here). Check out more of MK's hymns here and add them to your daily prayer routine.

SUPPORT MK: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
SUPPORT RUFUS: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER