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Hello Everyone!

Below is the eagerly awaited Top 10 of 2008, from some of our favorite music aficionados that graced our presence in 2008. Each track is either linked to a place where you can listen to or purchase the music, or find out more about the artist or other ways to track music. Check ‘em out…and enjoy!

Measax (Maxwell Joseph) 2008 chart

In no particular order:
DOP – I’m Just a Man [Eklo]
Johnny D – Orbitallife [Oslo]
Sascha Dive – The Basic Collective 3 [Deep Vibes]
Seth Troxler & Partric Russell – Last Date [Circus Company]
Ricardo Villalobos – Minimoonstar (Shackleton Remix) [Perlon]
Markus Fix – House in the House [Love letters from Oslo]
Kreon – Just Jack [Cecille Numbers]
Bruno Pronsato & Daze Maxim – Take 1 / Take 2 [Musique Risquee]
Smirk – Wolf + Lamb – Side of Penis [Wolf + Lamb]
Sascha Dive – Annihilating Rhythm [Drumpoet Community]

Favorite Producer 2008: Sascha Dive
Favorite Label 2008: Deep Vibes

Aligning minds top 10 for 2008

1. Ochre – Threnodie – Benbecula
2. City Rain – Over the Field (aligning minds rmx)
3. The Great Mundane – No Dumping in Jersey
4. Portishead – Threads
5. Headhunter – Your Say
6. D Bridge – Blush Response
7. Aligning Minds – Knowledge of the Rift
8. Dj Slouch – Window Seat (Leaving)
9. Headhunter – Birk’s Range
10. Shulman – After Silence

Ian Funk’s Top 10 for 2008 (Full Releases in no particular order)

VA-Uno (Antena Discos) - The guys from Antena are good friends on mine from Guadalajara.  This is their first release and there are several highlights in the package.  My fave was Fanfarrosa’s I like’m Blonde:  super wonky.  Also label head Luis Flores’ track The Pain In My Left Arm is great, just on the edge of techno and electro.  Another great, and strange, one from this release was No2′s Interpretacion Desertica.

VA-Bongolize It! (Harry Klein Networks) – This was a netlabel release that I know got heavy play around the DC area.  For me, it was one of the first releases that started the new micro house movement that has been gaining speed all through 2008.  After this hit, people started using a lot more hand drums in their productions.  For me, it was all about Violett’s Beamamma, Dana Ruh’s Ohemja and Ralph Haugwitz’s Corcey Funk.

Paravoice-BUOSA EP (StirDigital) – The title track, Breakin’ Up on Solid Acid did nothing but blow up every single party I played it at.  It’s super simple but with a great edge to it.  Half the Paper is on a totally different tip and great the sunrise.

Maetrik-Space Chronic EP (Mothership) – Sex with Bass is a great track, really nice on a dancefloor.  The Bside, Crawl Machine, works it out too.

Paul Panzer-Alibi (Knall) – This one is a little more obscure.  A dear friend of mine gifted it to me after I just about flipped over backwards when the breakdown of the title track, Alibi, dropped.  Super simple but strange.

Hirtenfeller &Philip Bader-Monday EP (Stil vor Talent) – Vocal in the title track, Monday, did it for me.  My theme song of the summer.  The rest of the EP is solid too, great production.

Futt to Fino-Spam My Attention (Metroline LTD) – Again, good friends of mine from London and Rome.  There’s not a whole lot out there like this EP and it really stole my attention.  My faves were Hot In Hat with it’s wibbledy wobbledy synth sounds and Make Nor Brake for the arrangement.

Christian Burkhardt-Contemporary Box (Oslo) - Phey Boom is jam, no questions.  The whole EP is nice, clean and funky.  No filler and no bullshit.  Not quite tech house but def not ‘minimal’.  Always makes me shake a leg.

Tom Ellis-In Circles (Trimsound) – This dude has been on fire all year with an incredible output level.  The whole LP showcases his very specific style of cut up deliciousness and it’s free!  Trimsound is a fantastic label too and has a great roster.

Version Steve/Version Sound DC * Top 10 / 2008

Happy MF Festivus etceterus<><><> Here’s my Top 10 from 2008… shouts to 88s, Version Sound, Drivesafe, JB/Video Killers, Rusty/AGFA, Sparky/Alphabet, ELM crew, 2Tuff and Tribalistix for helping make 2008 a great year for underground sounds in the district!

Flying Lotus – Los Angeles (Warp / UK)
Super Smoky Soul – Assortment Of Beats Volume 1 (Jazzy Sport / Japan)
Neil Landstrumm – Lord for £39 (Planet Mu / UK)
Rusty B & Nice Slice – Africa/Bmore (Baffin Island Beat Brigade 001)
SamiYam – Rap Beats Vol. 1 (BrainFeeder)
Baron Zen – Rhythm Trax Vol 3 (Stones Throw)
Mr. Oizo – Lambs Anger (Ed Banger / FR)
King Midas Sound w/ Dabrye & Flying Lotus – Cool Out EP (Hyperdub / UK)
Bochum Welt – Robotic Operating Buddy (Rephlex / UK)
Dan Curtin – Space Politics EP (Autoreply)

From our main reviewer Adam B. Ross:

This list recognizes the best of those themes delivered throughout the year and (because 88 loves not judges) we give them in no particular order.

Osborne – Ruling – Spectral Sound  Classic Deep House came back into vogue and thankfully without much of the flamboyancy of previous revivals. For all intents and purposes however, house music will never die and with faithful stewards like Osborne (house/edm moniker of brilliant technician Todd Osborn) it can grow indeed.

Stimming – Eine Kleine Nachtmusik – Buzzin’ Fly  Most year end lists call Una Pena the “era” defining 2008 track from Stimming but this track just seems too gorgeous to leave off someone’s list.  What we have in this track is a subtle release from minimalism and a return to intricate house dance style.  The light tinkling over top of a very rich bass and almost Beck like jangle mix perfectly.  Though Stimming used his broad brush to other marvels over the course of the year, he succeeded here is in use of space in between musical ideas of rhythm and accent. Excellent listening.

Hercules and Love Affair – Blind – DFA  In a word…..timeless.  You could probably put this track on in about any set from indie dance, house to of course disco and techno.  More importantly, your audience will remember every moment.

My My – Everybody’s Talkin – Playhouse.  When Berlin caught the deep house bug, Mymy were already knee deep with marvelous tracks “Southbound” and Pink Flamingos” out on Ostgut Ton.  Here, the build is most significant.  The vocal, likely nabbed from “C.R.E.A.M.” intro, services the floating and haunting midtempo bounce the ebbs and flows through the track.  The track succeeds chiefly in how it might move a body whose been in Watergate all night, is out of Euros and still wants more.

Kerri Chandler – Pong (Ben Klock’s Bones and Strings Rework) – Deeply Rooted House.  In early to mid 2008 it seems many of techno’s torchbearers would be tapped for remix early and unacknowledged artists.  Kerri Chandler got the continental Europe treatment from Argy and here Ben Klock on his Computer Games trilogy of 10″ releases.  Ben Klock, as a Berghain resident, already mastered the spacey movement prevalent on this track and in the eyes of berghains many attendees.  The track is highlighted, however, by a driving string stab that really propel the track to places Kerri had yet to imagine.  Top remixing from one of 2007′s best producers.

Seth Troxler – Love Never Sleeps – Crosstown Rebels.  Seth Troxler brought a lot of much needed energy to dance music and techno.  Even if he follows the  Berlin via Detroit route his taste, creativity and  bass punch separate him from many of his peers or elders – he is but 22 years of age.  This track is but one of many notable releases each somehow better than the last.  Other highlights include Mrutalkin with Shaun Reeves and his EP as Sex Trothler.

Martyn – Natural Selection – 3024.  Absolutely otherworldly dubstep.  The dubstep genre should not be attached to this single because that might deter readers from buying “underground” music.  If a track could relax one more upon first listen (2/2 off of Eno’s “Music for Airports” comes close) an artist has yet to write it.

The Mole – Ain’t that the way it’s supposed to be – Wagon Repair.  Taking a groovy churning tip from Moodymann, this single from Mole’s wonderful first album is great deep house.  Soulful vocals layer over thumpy bass that builds into an outstanding locked moment as the beat comes to fruition.  As with Ben Klock The Mole tips his cap to his predecessors while developing a consistency we hope continues in 2009.

Delano Smith – Trans – Third Ear – Though released in December 2008 the Sunrise EP could not have been better timed.  Delano Smith is among the Detroit House faithful still releasing records.  This release comes from the typically “buy on sight” good Third Ear Recordings as opposed to Detroit stalwart labels such as Detroit Wax or Harmonie Park.  The difference in labels likely has little to do with the quality however the release leans more in quality to Brendon Moeller than Eddie Fowlkes.  Just the same a notable release from one of Detroit House’s finest which I hope remains in bags for a long time to come.

Radio Slave – Grindhouse (Dubfire Planet Terror Remix) – Rekids.  Rekids released many an excellent record this year.  So much so, few can believe the label began in late 2006.  In the last 15 months after his schism with Sharam, Dubfire’s music turned dark and very techno minded.  This exploration finds him using the 2007 low voice gimmick and the 1999 trance build and release, however the combination just works.  The straight tech house beat throughout is infectious and its easy to see why Ali and Matt make a great combination.
DJ C!

Here’s my top 10 fave tracks of ’08 list:

South Rakkas Crew “Mad Again (Boy 8-Bit Remix)”
Si Begg “Are You A Big Boy DJ”
Scuba “Twitch (Jamie Vex’d remix)”
DJ Elected “Potato 42″
Mochipet (feat. E da Boss & Bicasso of Living Legends) “Banana Split (Frikstailers Remix)”
Dizzee Rascal “Pussyhole (Oldschool) (Radioclit Remix) (Schlachthofbronx Remix)”
DJ Flack “Ready For Peace”
Benga “26 Basslines”
Cauto “Bona Vida”
2562 “Moog Dub”

Here are 2 DJ mixes from DJ C this past year:

http://www.mashit.com/2008/07/09/dj-c-b-low-mix/

http://www.mashit.com/2008/04/25/on-the-night-bass/

Top 10 from Kompakt’s Fresh Andy

Lattice/Clime EP – Marcel Dettman – Groove

I Want To Sleep – Koze – International Records

Night/Diary of an Afro Warrior – Benga + Coki – Tempa

Subway to Cologne – Story 01 

Live Goes On – Soundstream – SST04

Billy Says Go – Audion – Ghostly

Who never rests (Khan Rmx) – Khan – I’m Single 01

Dependant – Claro Intelecto – Modern Love

Bassqueen – Glowing Glisses – Mule Electronic

Bad Landing – Andy Stott – Modern Love

Albums/Mixes/Compilations of the year:

1.) Prosumer and Murat – Serenity (ostgut ton)

2. carl craig + moritz von oswald – bolero recomposed (deutsche grammophon)
3. ezekiel honig – surfaces of a boken marching band (anticipate)
4. claro intelecto – metanarrative
5. Sten – The Essence
6. shed – shedding the past (ostgut ton)
7. 2562 – aerial (tectonic)
8. quantec – unusual signals (echocord)
9. ø – oleva – sähkö
10. v.a. – dubstep allstars vol. 06 mixed by appleblim – tempa

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