As winter began to set in, some time towards the end of August, the minds of the staff on the electronic music floor at National Towers began to vibrate in unison with a single question: in a year of copious great music, was there some way we could assemble what to our knowledge would be the world’s first extremely subjective list feature of what some randomly selected people thought were the year’s best tracks, albums and labels?
We duly reached out to friends in Scotland and far beyond with this dangerously radical idea, and, undeterred by the odd naysayer asking us what the real value of such lists is and how we got this phone number, we eventually managed to assemble what we think are some pretty interesting end-of-year musings from a galaxy of electronic music stars. Spoiler alert: the big winners are Huerco S and Rihanna. And we're almost sure that sentence really is a world-first.
David Barbarossa (Loosen Up, Glasgow)
Track: Voilaaa
Le Disco Des Capitales French Afro Disco dancefloor action, the most asked-about record that I’ve played this year
Album: Dices & AEM Rhythm Cascade - Thoughtstream
Scottish Galereux guzzlers release oddball electronics and weirdo house from St Petersburg after meeting in the comments section on Discogs. A modern love story
Label: Music From Memory
Beautiful reissues of forgotten and undiscovered gems from the Redlight Records gang and Jamie Tiller. From track selection to packaging, everything is just perfect
Man Power (Correspondant/ESP Institute)
Track: Lizards – Tanni
The one record I wish I’d made myself. A complete anthem and the one track I never tired of playing all year
Album: Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
It came out long enough ago now for me to feel confident in saying this is their finest album ever
Label: ESP Institute
This year they turned the corner from being a curio label to a hit factory, but without losing their unique identity
Richard Chater (Numbers/Rub a Dub, Glasgow)
Track: Abra – Cry Baby
Abra hitting the sweet spot by rebooting the sledgehammer beats and heartbreak of 80s freestyle for 2016
Album: Equiknoxx – Bird Sound Power
Stunning record made by two of Jamaica’s most interesting producers and released via the Mancunian fam – Demdike Stare and Jon K. Jordan from Equiknoxx told me he made weird dancehall and that pretty much sums this record up
Label: Proibito
Gotta give it up to Anthony Naples and his Fairview crew. Operating out of Queens, NYC, the mighty PRB catered for the true freaks with records from the world’s first “deep reggaeton artist” DJ Python, Bell Ley Roy and Larry Leaba, HJ & AN and of course there was Huerco S’s ambient tour de force For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have). Also have to shout out Apron Records, Berceuse Heroique, Music From Memory, Future Times and Mood Hut. Too many good records this year
Kornel Kovacs (Studio Barnhus, Stockholm)
Track: Rihanna – Work
Album: Huerco S – For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have)
Label: Born Free
Blisi Bako (Interval/Captain Midnight, Cluj-Napoca)
Track: Traumprinz – 2 The Sky (Metatron's What If There's No End And No Beginning Mix)
As simple as this may sound, this track got under my skin and I've listened to it many, many times throughout the year. I'm sure beautiful music like this can't become a cliche no matter how many people resonate with it. Maybe that's the whole idea
Album: Dorisburg – Irrbloss
This stands out as the best collection of exceptional music for me this year. Dorisburg is a modern mystical man, I can't understand how he can make super-effective club tracks and then an absolute listening gem such as this. It's not just dark or hypnotic or deep, it's extremely immersive, introspective music written by a producer who is seriously skilled in sound design
Label: Dekmantel
This year has been full of excellent releases for Thomas, Casper and their crew. Their very particular, very open-minded selections – Robert Hood, Matrixxman, Palms Trax, Call Super, Motor City Drum Ensemble and Young Marco all released with them in 2016 – are representative of the best kind of eclecticism out there
Sad City (Emotional Response/Meda Fury)
Track: Avalon Emerson – 2000 Species of Cacti
Totally addictive piece of music. Expansive and perfectly arranged. Beautiful
Album: FP Oner – 6
Warm, cold, fizzy, spacey, repetitive depth that I keep coming back to. Endless love for Fred P
Label: Sublime Frequencies
Been an avid fan of this label since my teens. The Indian Talking Machine collection that they put out this year is among their best
Nic Tasker (Whities, London)
Track: Sensational & Kruton – You in the Right Spot (Bintus reconstruction)
Album: Huerco S – For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have)
Label: DDS
Becky Marshall (So Low, Glasgow)
Album: Tomorrow The Rain Will Fall – Wreck His Days
In a year defined by a frightening growth in right-wing sentiments across the democratic world, this politically driven debut LP felt ever more vital. Laced with subtle tributes to heroes of the left, the album captures both a sense of loss and an enduring hope for a better future
Track: Asusu – Hallucinator / Sendak
This was a really tough one but I’ve gone for this 2-sider because I think it’s been somewhat overlooked. Hallucinator is my pick of the two - perfectly formed hard but emotionally driven techno
Label: 1080p
Diverse and prolific, the Vancouver-based 1080p has had a pretty exceptional year. From the nostalgic synths of Betonkust & Palmbomen II’s Center Parcs EP to Ex-Terrestrials ambient techno, Minimal Violence’s uncompromising excursions and Jayda G’s celebratory house, I can’t think of a label that has put out such an amazing range. Also, if anyone tells you women are less interested in making electronic music than men, take a look at 1080p’s artist roster
James F Throne (Throne of Blood Recordings, New York City)
Track: Roy of the Ravers – Emotinium
An almost timeless bit of old school acid that could easily have been on a label like Rephlex fifteen years ago if it hadn't been discovered and pressed to vinyl by Emotional Response
Album: Playgroup – Previously Unreleased
This was an amazing reminder of the immense impact and influence Trevor Jackson has had on me. Working with him for his DJ Kicks mix while I was at !K7 introduced me to a load of music I wasn't up on and the relationship we cultivated altered the course of my life. A year later I was helping him launch Output Recordings in the US and his incredible taste and prickly nonconformism have been an inspiration for so many of my musical endeavours in the decade since we stopped working together, be it my label Throne of Blood or DJing
Label: Invisible City Editions
Total quality over quantity situation with this reissue juggernaut from Toronto. Unreal Caribbean disco and African digs. Mashisa is a near-perfect jam
Scott Fraser (Crimes of the Future/Body Hammer)
Track: Karen Gwyer – Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telophase
I’ve been hammering this most of the year. Put simply, it’s a beautifully emotional record with added klarting percussion for the club. Karen Gwyer has been on fire this year and this track exemplifies, in a nutshell, why she has been so good. The label DBA has just gone from strength to strength in 2016
Album: Tom Boogizm – Posh People Make Me Ill
From back in April on a fairly limited run, the sound of Detroit is emanating from Moss Side right here. Urban Tribe meets Drexciya with some UK Bass and dancehall lobbed in there too. Deliriously tripped out music sounding just as good at home as it does in the club
Label: Brokntoys
I’ve been into this label with a heavy leaning towards electro for a few years now but this year has been something else. Recent EPs from Versalife and Komarken Electronics complete with a banging Delta Funktionen remix sit along marvellously with Dan White’s beautiful Digital Physics EP from earlier in the year. Add to that a couple of brilliant various artists 12s you have the label I’ve probably played out the most this year. They have not put a foot wrong for me in 2016
Matt Karmil (PNN/Idle Hands)
Track: Sassafras Gesundheit – Tarquin Manek
OK, it’s from 2015, but December… and I listened to this constantly throughout 2016, an absolute classic
Album: Nina Kraviz – Fabric 91
Maybe cheating to have a compilation / dj mix – but this is amazing, and puts nearly everyone else to shame – serious emergent properties. Someone at the top of their game making a supreme effort, while making it sound effortless
Label: Giegling
Almost a crafty way of choosing two best albums (Prince of Denmark), but everything they release is of the utmost quality. I’ve never seen an advert from them and their webshop more often than not has nothing for sale – kind tells you all you need to know
Nightwave (Heka Trax/Nightrave)
Track: Rihanna – Work (Murlo Remix)
I think Work got played everywhere from Campus to Berghain this year, no one can deny it’s an absolute belter. Murlo made it even better
Album: Jubilee – After Hours
This is a masterpiece – a meticulously constructed album with flawless production but full of soul, fun and essence of who Jubilee is. I love it
Label: Local Action
One of my favourite labels really got the shine it deserved this year. This year it pushed the experimental into charts RnB by signing Dawn Richard and I think this will be a very interesting development in 2017
Ewan Chambers (Healthy, Woodlands)
Track: Zarate Fix/DJ Sotofett – Planetary Involvement
A perfect mix of trippy, weird and the future
Album: Andras – House of Dad
Andras’s tribute to his plumber dad features track titles like Stereo Dunnies and real-life toilet-flush field recordings
Label: 10 Pills Mate
Only bought one record off this label but it has the best name ever
Alin Stunned (KUNE, Copenhagen)
Track: Loquace – Back From Space
This one stands right by its name, sending you on an emotional, introspective journey within the confines of your mind
Album: Lawrence – Yoyogi Park
This has got to be one of my all-time favourite albums, simply perfect for home listening or for those early mornings in a club
Label: International Sun-Earth Explorer
With four releases out in its first year, this one touches hard on my dub/minimal techno softspot. Besides the overall excellent quality in music production, I love the choice of cover art. The perfect mix of melancholy and optimism
Auntie Flo (Highlife, Glasgow)
Track: Black Motion X Amampondo – Far Lands
Album: Jay Daniel – Broken Knows
Label: Rhythm Section
A Spotify playlist of some of the music chosen here, plus tracks from the artists and labels who contributed to this feature, can be found at http://spoti.fi/2iEsPQc
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here