The 10 best albums of 2011

Its been another great year of musical discovery. Here are the ten records I enjoyed most...

1. Whokill – Tuneyards

I, like many others, have spent much of the last decade moaning about the lack of decent guitar music. The majority of it is simply a re-tread of what we’ve already heard and therefore in my opinion effectively worthless. I spent a good chunk of this year really enjoying this album before actually realising that at its heart it is the most original guitar based album I’ve heard in years although its also so many other things as well (including making very effective use of a lo-fi sampler). At first listen the immediate reference points are post punk, dub, soca and afro pop but listen again and the guitar is as key an element as is Meryl Garbus’ wonderful voice (especially on the epic Po-wa which is one of the best vocal performances I’ve heard in years). This album doesn’t sound like anyone else and this lady is clearly one of the eccentric characters that make great pop music what it is.

2. Space is only noise – Nicolas Jaar

The key components to music are generally considered to be rhythm and melody but this record focuses on something else entirely – atmosphere. Jaar isn’t doing anything particularly new on one level – trip hop based beats – but it’s the way he does it that’s so interesting – drawing individual glitchy sounds over the top of the mix to give you tingles and bumps. He draws from everything from American soul to Ethiopian Jazz and  constructs track in the style of a techno record but with much more warmth. This record is best listened to on immersive headphones while travelling or walking. Clearly a talented producer who is happy to forgo commerciality in the name of art.

3. Let England Shake – PJ Harvey

 Yes it’s overheard, yes the critical consensus is dull but the simple fact is that Polly made a great (and somewhat timeless) record. This isn’t trad rock or indie, it’s a songwriter who has matured to the point that she is able to create an artistic vision and deliver it without ever once sounding like she’s trying to force the songs into it. Somehow bringing in influences as diverse as traditional folk, reggae, Eddie Cochran and the Doors to create something that is ultimately and undoubtedly hers. She like many is both disgusted by our nation’s history and in love with its beauty and this is a great commentary on the state of our nation (and you can’t say that about Coldplay can you?).

4. House of Balloons – Weeknd

I’m not quite sure how I stumbled upon this – I had no real expectations of a great R&B album when I clicked on whatever link it was but this was ace. A sleazy trawl through a weekend of vice girls, coke and cars it made me feel dirty by just listening to it but listen again and there is some really interesting stuff going on here. First, the production is clearly in debt to the forward thinking UK producers – most notably Jamie XX – post dubstep sounds aren’t really what you think of when you think of this genre. Second, Abel Tasfaye’s falsetto voice is wonderful – overwrought, emotional and smooth – perfectly complimenting the occasional 80’s guitar. This album makes me want to go on a bender…

5. Dedication – Zomby

I love dubstep in small doses but very few of its LPs stand up to scrutiny on repeated listens. Zomby’s take on the genre has previously been to focus on the euphoria of rave and channel it through a bassbin but this (his second album) was different. Much more subtle than its predecessor and more comparable to the electronica of Dan Snaith, Alam Bacab or Kieron Hebdon. Reassuringly short and packed with short pieces (they aren’t really what you can call songs) this is a lovely record whether sat on the night bus through Hackney or in a field on a hot summer’s day.

6. Peanut Butter Blues and melancholy jam – Ghostpoet

Who would have thought that the best hip hop album of the year would be from Coventry? It’s not hip hop in the purest sense and he is clearly as influenced by guitar music and dance as he is Jay Z or Public Enemy. Like Roots Manuva or Tricky (both of whom he bears comparison to), he is a story teller. Cash and Carry me Home is about a drunken night of regret while Survive it is a torch song beyond compare. If you want to like UK hip hop but don’t get Tinnie Tempah I suggest starting here…

7. King of Limbs – Radiohead

There will no doubt be a suspicion that I’ve included this out of blinded loyalty to one of my favourite bands. Many consider this record not to be a patch on its predecessor In Rainbows. I loved it from the off though. Yes, its short and understated but that’s what makes it so good. It’s not indulgent (the video to Lotus Flower revealing Thom Yorke’s humour), it cherry picks influences from the best music (Jazz, Afrobeat, Flying Lotus, David Bowie) and yet sounds only like them. The ballads are fantastic and I can’t wait to hear them in a live setting next summer.  The most important band of our times – we just need to continue to realise that.


     

8. Jill Scott – The light of the sun

neo soul ladies are prone to. There are ballads but I’m pleased to report an album dedicated to female empowerment played out in such a fun way -jams with Eve and Doug E Fresh, Gil Scott Heron style monologues and a song about her ‘rolling hills’ – the girl back y’all!

     9.Locussolus - Locussolus

 I was very cynical about this one before hearing it. Harvey is one of those DJs so name droppingly cool that you expect 12 minute long jams of 80’s Balearic throughout. Imagine my surprise then when this actually revealed itself to be a selection of well-focused dance pop songs. True, some draw out over a period of time and ‘go off on one’ but with focus maintained throughout and the use of guest producers (Weatherall, Prins Tomas etc) keeps things interesting. I want it even steals a snatch of Venus which is just ace. Definitely worst sleeve mind….

    10.ISAM – Amon Tobin

 The most unique record on my list. Some of this record (Surge for example) arguably isn’t even music – more a collection of sounds. It is completely original (one of the main virtues in music for me) and yet isn’t in any way difficult for anyone prepared to give it time. The lightness of touch on tracks like Wooden Toy ensures it’s a work you can return to time and time again.

And my favourite singles...

1. Rolling in the deep (Jamie XX re-rub) – Adele

Two of the most significant musicians of the year combine to wonderful effect. Jamie XX doesn’t do anything particularly clever with the original recognising its strength but he strips it back, adds the odd touch of weirdness and bass and creates something that is great for both the dancefloor and home listening. Remix job done!

2.Street Halo - Burial

 This is exactly what I would want to be listening to in a dark nightclub at 4am – imposing and ‘diiiirty’ – the bass line just makes you want to blow your mind.

3.Ice Cream – Battles

 One can’t help but consider the scientific approach Battles bring to their records – this is so well constructed! Starting simply with a grunt it accelerates gradually until we are caught up into one of the guitar songs of the year (although the first half of the song is much better than the second). Should have been a huge hit – and the video is ace!

Album review: Dedication - Zomby (4AD)

I've written before about the lack of decent long players in the realm of dubstep. Many albums are simply too hard on the ear and not varied enough to warrant repeat listens. I was very pleasantly surprised therefore when Zomby's new effort reached my Iphone. Not only is it varied but its light of touch and, dare I say it, uplifting in places - not something one might say about most releases in the genre.

Dedication is similar to the likes of Mount Kimbie in the way it draws in from a range of urban sounds and regurgitates them. Zomby's ongoing love of rave (first showcased in his slightly underwhelming debut Where Were U In 92? is again at the fore but this time more focused. It has a more human element than some of his previous efforts.

The first thing to say is that this is a record that covers a lot of ground in little time. It's 16 tracks fly by in a 36 minute exhilarating ride (once again the case for the short, focused album is made). Many tracks blend seamlessly into each other but each has a distinctive sound and Zomby has learnt the importance of providing differing moods and textures to keep things interesting.

Witch Hunt kicks things off and is punctuated by gunshots but its far from a bleak listen. Natalie's song meanwhile uses snatches of vocal (again very Mount Kimbie or maybe even Geogaddi era Boards of Canada) and is closer in spirit to rave than any bass driven sound. Even its lyrics 'move together...closer' verge on the euphoric. At various times the more abstract drum and bass acts (Photek, Omni Trio etc) come to mind as synths are introduced over soothing waves of bass (Alothea and Riding with Death are good examples). Black Orchid is a wilder trip - similar to some of the sounds on the Brainfeeder label with its juddering beats reverberating across the speakers from left to right.

The most accessible track (as well as the most distinctively dubstep) is undoubtedly Things Fall Apart. For one it features a conventional vocal (from Animal Collective's Panda Bear). It builds gradually to greater intensity before the 50's exotica of the following track (Salamander) releases the pressure. My own favourite track is Digital Rain - this is quite beautiful, streaming playful arcade-game melodies over a slippery beat-  the sort of thing you might imagine Kraftwerk recording if they were still doing so. Wonderful stuff.

The end of the album notably sees the introduction of piano. Both Haunted and Basquait make use of the instrument and here, as elsewhere, the label of dubstep becomes irrelevant. This is instead someone understanding the range of electronic music and combining with real instrumentation to push boundaries. Just as things slip away were are confronted by final track Mozaik - this is a shock to the system, upbeat. Rather than let things fizzle out Zomby demands our attention before ending things suddenly.

If you don't particularly like dubstep but do like electronic music I suspect you might like this. The best music is often that which transcends genre and despite my own initial reservations this does exactly that.

Ten songs to remember London by...

I hope you’ll forgive me a little self indulgence this week. After 14 years of living in the big smoke I leave London in the next couple of days to start a new life in the country. Fear not, the blog will continue to bring you the best music across the spectrum but this week I felt a reminiscence was in order. Below I select the ten tracks that will forever remind me of the greatest city on earth.

DJ Kool – Let me Clear my Throat

I moved to London in 1996 and was immediately drawn to the emerging (and now deeply unfashionable) big beat scene. In later years this became very formulaic - hip hop beats punctuated with big vocoder builds (think Propellorheads or Bentley Rhythm Ace) but this did big beat, as it was initially conceived, an injustice. The key club and the one I went to on a number of occasions was the Heavenly Jukebox at Turnmills. Resident DJs were Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers and (in my opinion the best of the lot) Jon Carter. The ethos of Heavenly was simply to mix it all up – hip hop next to indie next to techno next to dancehall. For a club scene which had been dominated previously by house and techno purists this was thrilling and (until the beer monsters moved in) created a unique atmosphere. Carter always played this track – essentially a call and response track over the top of the 45 King – and the place would explode.

Red Astaire – Follow me

If you are a Dj it goes without saying that you can’t play bangers all night. A good DJ takes the listener through a range of moods and as such there is a genre that will forever be known as ‘warm up’ records. The records you play as people arrive are crucial in setting the mood. This record has become my ultimate warm up record. It features what can only be described as a xylophone riff over the top of some funky beats but it has a certain loungy, cheesy listening quality which draws the listener in. Astaire has recorded under a number of guises including Freddie Creuger and his work is well worth a further listen.

John Holt – Ali Baba

The first night I put on in London was Shop Local. Myself and mate Will secured a residency at an old boozer in Stoke Newington in 2000 and we spent the next half a decade playing all over east London to anyone who would listen. The general consensus was that the Trolley Stop in Dalston was the best place we played. It was run by an Irish guy who didn’t give a shit what went on and as a result it would go off in there. Pitchers of Vodka and Red Bull were downed at a tenner a time and that was just the people who hadn’t taken something stronger! Our ethos was eclectic – everything from reggae to house and back again. We would love taking people up to a peak and then drop some reggae or soul later on to build the lovey vibe. Ali Baba was an example of the sort of track we would play at 2am with everyone boogying together before the inevitable after party back at someone’s flat. Happy times!

Jean De Kou Kou – Fela Kuti

One of the best things about Lnodon’s nightlife is the way it draws on influences from around the World to create something new. The Future World Funk guys were a real influence on me for a while – turning me onto Brazilian Drum n Bass, Afrobeat, African House and Balkan Reggae. I had a residency at a bar called District in Hackney where I would seek to play some of this stuff and this track has been a favourite ever since. It isn’t particularly typical of Kuti – you couldn’t really call it afrobeat as its much mellower but its 10 minutes of great instrumentation.

Da Funk – Daft Punk

In my humble opinion the best dance music record ever made. A huge club and chart hit and yet no vocal and, like the clash, completely uncompromising. If there was a word to describe this track its ‘dirty’ – it instantly takes you to a sweaty club at 3am with no-one thinking about anything but enjoying themselves. This track will never let you down.

Standing in the Rain – Don Ray

I couldn’t not include some disco which is without a doubt my favourite genre of recent years. The track starts with a wonderful floaty synth before a catchy vocal and an irresistible breakdown. I played this track many times at my Castle residency in Walthamstow in recent years.

Chi-ching Party – Lady Sovereign v’s Fred Wesley.
Bootlegs really hit London hard in the early part of the last decade. For me, this was one of the very best – taking Fred Wesley’s funk classic House Party and putting a Lady Sovereign accapella over the top. Again, well utilised in the Walthamstow years – I think it was put together by a producer from Bristol called Rhythm and Booze and is probably pretty difficult to pick up now.

London Calling – The Clash

I can’t really have a list of songs that remind me of London without having at least one that refers to it. For me, this is one of the best singles ever made – it has a great melody but isn’t in any way compromised. Strummer’s wolf howl is perhaps one of the most thrilling moments in popular music. If you don’t know the London Calling album seek it out as its brimming with ideas and an absolute classic.

Tarrantula – Zomby

London is always at the forefront of musical innovation and Dubstep is the latest of a number of genres to explode out of the capital since I’ve been here. This is a great example – quite melodic and accessible compared to much dubstep. It features on the excellent Hyperdub 5 compilation which has been on my CD player pretty much non stop over the last couple of years.

Les Fleur – Minnie Riperton

Mentioned on this blog a number of times already. If push came to shove my favourite song of all time and one which has ended many of my finest nights in London. The folky start gives way to a crescendo of joy and there is no feeling in the world better than punching the air, hugging mates and living for the moment. Goodbye London, I’ll never forget you but it’s time to move on...