#75: Cloverdale & OSOTYT - Funky Junky
Where disco was the biggest riser in my listening habits in 2017, that title goes to funk in 2018. That said, house is still my bread and butter, so the combination of the two here is an obvious fit. The drops are solid to say the least (with some special stank on the second), but for me it's the sections around the drops that propel this track into the countdown. The funky scratching in the conclusion nails my tastes so much so that I had to include it in my new intro for the 8th season of Bump In The Hump.
#74: Moullinex ft. Georgia Anne Muldrow - Say It Slow (Wild & Free Remix)
A bright and beautifully bouncy number right from the get-go, but once those shimmering synths join the action, I'm hooked. Add in some slick little solos and flourishes and you've got a truly divine disco number. It is fabulously full of life and brilliantly buoyant, and while it's supposedly slow, it hits on all cylinders pumping out one of the more pleasurable pieces you'll hear all year.
#73: Hoodboi - True Colors
Hoodboi showed us a new side of his artistic abilities with Breathing Room, and that title track could very well have been in this spot. However, "True Colors" makes the cut as a result of its restrained, uber smooth roll out. It is like waking up to the world with new eyes, seeing shapes and colours with a renewed, childlike wonder. Full of heart and feeling it may not dazzle with banging bass or an overwrought melody, but rather it kind of floats down into your consciousness like a feather in the wind.
#72: RealMind - Actif (ft. Billboard)
Some tracks leave you speechless, and I knew this one was going to do this to me, but I could not let it go uncovered. So here's my go at it. The levels or acts as "Actif" progresses are incredible, and the fact that these two have tied them together so seamlessly is even more so. The opening build is beautiful, but boy is the punchy push into the second section some kind of special. And really that's the key for me. The way it kind of clicks and stomps and wobbles is stunning, especially as it kicks back in following the obsidian third section. And yes, if you're getting deadmau5 vibes you're not alone.
#71: Chromeo - One Track Mind
With Head Over Heels firmly in the running for album of the year, I think back to the first time hearing it in full and the laughter and joy it brought me as I drove to that night's baseball game. I'll say that this isn't the only album cut on this list, and for a bit this was the one. Actually I still go back and forth, but here we are at forth. Smooth grooves, cool call and response, and one hell of a build towards the triumphant final frame that is sure to send shivers down your spine. I can't help myself, I'm obsessed.
#70: Benny Bridges - Are You Okay?
As a part of Justin Jay's Fantastic Voyage Facebook group I got an early copy of Benny Bridges' EP and this came on in my car without proper attribution. I had to know who it was because it bumped so good. The drums and bass combine brilliantly, but it wouldn't be half as good without the extra little effects further punctuating the already punchy affair. Simple yet strong, there's no denying this delivers.
#69: TroyBoi - Frustrated (ft. Destiny)
No one does it quite like TroyBoi. Sick with strings, wicked with wobbles, vicious with vocals and top notch with twists, he really does it all. And it's all here in perhaps his best work to date. The intro teases perfectly and you know you're in for something special, but like "Do One," his other single released on that very same day, there's no way of predicting the warped genius in store. Scary good stuff.
