>>>>>>>best of 2007<<<<<<<

uusitalo / karhunainen / huume

Finnish producer Sasu Ripatti, also known as Uusitalo, Vladislav Delay and Luomo, has created the perfect blend of deep fractured grooves with organic elegance on his latest release, Karhunainen. The album celebrates all of Ripatti's brilliant signature sounds including reverberating beats, treble-kicking clicks, cut-up micro-house grooves with warm echo and delay. Created only with analogue equipment, Karhunainen completely submerges the listener with delicious funky organic bliss.


part 1
part 2

pantha du prince / this bliss / dial

Hendrik Weber, aka Panatha du Prince blew my mind with his first release Diamond Daze and now this techno master has claimed international success with his second release, This Bliss. Pantha du Prince creates richly textured and chiming minimal techno that's lush and darkly beautiful. Pantha du Prince is unique with his approach and is one of my top three favourite techno producers.


asha mp3
saturn strobe mp3

beirut / the flying club cup / ba da bing

The Flying Club Cup is a celebration of theatrical songs that take you through a lavish array of emotions and epic string arrangements. Beirut creates a feeling like you're at some Eastern European festival that's full of swinging ruffled skirts while being surrounded by mugs of frothing beer until the wee hours of the morning. This is an album you'll return to over and over again.


preview

efdemin / efdemin / dial

Another release from my favourite label, Dial. Efdemin will make your heart sing with his softly woven beats and quietly drifting ambient undercurrents.


knocking at the grand mp3
lohn & brot mp3

frank bretschneider / rhythm / raster noton

Bretscheider, co-founder of Raster Noton comes out with his most direct and essential release. Rhythm is an exploration of percussive patterns that slowly strip down the funk to the bare minimum, creating a kind of rhythmic table of elements that is inspiring and mind-blowing to listen to. Minimal at its finest.


preview

paper / as as / states rights records

Husband and wife duo Aaron and Adrienne Snow, currently based in Connecticut release their debut As As. Aaron describes the sound of As As as "poppy krauty trippy floaty funny drummy bassy trippy stuff." To me it's a lush and tranquil first release that I haven't been able to stop listening to. With Andrienne's angelic vocals and Aaron's repetitive shoegazer ambiance it's the perfect album for almost any situation.


preview

apparat / walls / shitkatapult

Apparat's, aka Berlin's Sascha Ring, latest release Walls is a celebrated pop album. This album speaks to me the same way Tom Yorke's solo album did last year. Well constructed songs that vary in emotion and delivery. Apparat's integrated songwriting with modern electronica explores a wide variety of genres. "This record isn't really a focused and conceptual production," says Apparat, "it's more of a last-two-years of Apparat compilation."


preview

burial / untrue / hyperdub

Anonymous UK artist Burial blows me away with his second release, Untrue. Burial surprised me with Untrue as I'm a minimal techno lover at heart and here I find myself back-peddling when I thought I didn't like dubstep or garage. Untrue is a spiritual dark exploration about love and hope coming from the darkest hole. His production and percussive innovation is powerless to resist.


preview

boy is fiction / boy is fiction / list records

Australian artist Boy is Fiction's self-titled debut is not getting the recognition it deserves. His dark ambiance usually starts off with hopeful piano melodies that pluck with your heart-strings, while introducing heavy drum beats layered with delicate guitar fuzz. The sentiment and construction of his tracks will have you going back for repeat listens.


preview

onur özer / kasmir / vacant

Turkish minimal DJ, producer and resident at Fabric, Onur Ozer has finally released his debut album Kasmir. His textured melodic rhythmic tech-house is a dance floor blend of ancient and modern expression. Fans of Alex Under will appreciate this release.


preview

Happy Holidays! Posts will return late January.

alex smoke / 842 college, toronto / 15/12/07



Apparently Toronto experienced the worst snow storm in 20 years today, yet that didn't stop people from coming out to witness Alex Smoke's gold performance. His textured deep integrated production techniques are like no other and had the dance floor in hysterics. Santa came early because his set was the best gift. The poor guy that came on after Alex cleared the dance floor, as nothing compares to the top quality performance Alex Smoke gave Toronto tonight. Unbelievable. Alex Smoke is one of my favourite techno producers next to Lawrence and Pantha du Prince and his live set lived up and beyond my highest expectations.
youtube clips
blog TO review

efdemin / lohn & brot (remixes) / liebe*detail
preview

beroshima / horizon remixes / soma
preview

alex under / trapezones erectos & extrapezlo remixes / trapez
preview

Check out Joel Pryde's latest tracks.
aqua dots mp3
mother board mp3


Theodore Watson

peter van hosen / december mix

norman nodge / 3.0 intro / mdr
claro intelecto / warehouse sessions 1 / modern love
peter van hoesen / new territory / t2x
marcel dettmann: let's do it / mdr
cisco ferreira / transported thru / parallel 125
peter van hoesen / l.o.c. / t2x
isomer transition / dark star / future days
ellen alien / go - marcel dettmann remix / bpitch
norman nodge / 7.4 / mdr
these kinky dudes from germany / kinky dudes / soloaction
ben klock / radio city / memo
andy stott / hostile / modern love
modeselektor / bmi / bpitch
claude young / acid wash conflict / 7th city
per grindvik / continue me / spectral
download

John Vogt

john tejada / labyrinth / palette recordings
preview

adam freeland / silverlake pills / gu music
preview


Zedz

the magnetic fields / distortion / nonesuch
preview

fennesz / on a desolate shore a shadow passes by / touch
boomkat review
preview

prhizzm, b. kawula, minisystem / alex. p. keatons, london / 08/12/07

Prhizzm, B. Kawula and minisystem transformed a wee little pub in London, Ontario into a intimate social dance party. Prhizzm started off the night with his gorgeous textured song melodies, B. Kawula surprised us with his quality dial-style techno and minisystem's melodic banging synth-pop is always a pleasure to listen to. I only wish these guys would do a show like this in Toronto. View youtube clips here.


prhizzm / myspace / minutiae video


b. kawula / back to basics mp3 / all over mp3


minisystem / myspace
we'll be ok mp3
madingley mp3
what about me mp3

Holger Pooten

michael mayer / live at skc beograd / 11/03/2007
download

sascha funke / mango / bpitch
preview

dominik eulberg & gabriel ananda / kirschplunder & jasmin tee bei gabriel / traum
preview



This isn't music related, but last night I finished the second season of Dexter. Michael C. Hall who we all know as David from the hit TV series Six Feet Under, proves he won't be typecast in his amazing delivery as Dexter. Dexter is about a serial killer who works as a forensics officer for the Miami metro police. The show is rich, amazingly original and will keep you in suspense. Highly recommended.

Shary Boyle

dilo vs. gurtz / tundra remixes / adjunct
preview

jesse somfay / serendip / archipel
preview

raz ohara and the odd orchestra / kisses / get physical music
*includes a pantha du prince remix
preview


Ed Pien

agaric / november mix / 07
preview

murmur / undertone / meanwhile
boomkat review
preview