1. HTRK | Slo Glo
It took me 33 years to figure out my first Tattoo, and this album was playing in the parlour when I got it. Powerful Music has the Ability to not just Evoke but Transmute our Feelings - Expansive, Cathartic, Liberating stuff.
2. AMBALANCE | Gregory
These guys are a couple buddies from Toronto; you need to know about them. I think it's even a Free Download thing. Anyway, Gregory is the perfect Jam to start your Breakdance battle at the edge of the Gamma Quadrant - 24th Century Boombox Music.
3. Tim Exile | Don't Think We're One
Exile is a Singular Genius when it comes to the Technology behind his Music; despite his amazing Live Shows, the results from his Studio aren't always so listenable. But this nasty little Jam manages to combine Depeche Mode at their most fierce with Aphex Twin in one of his more Remorseless moods. Good for a shot in the arm when Caffeine's in short supply.
4. FaltyDL | Encompass
The whole Love Is A Liability album was on repeat with me for about a year, and this track in particular highlights what I consider the Best Marriage of Analog Techno Aesthetics with 2-Step Rhythms I've Heard To Date: Otherworldly, Sensual, Futuristic andSleek - if this track were an Animal, it would be a Cyborg Panther.
5. Ryoji Ikeda | data.reflex
When I first heard this record, it made me think of Heavy Metal from Another Dimension: Virtuosic Precision and Rhythmic Complexity expressed through a somehow Comforting Palette of Sampled Noise. It's Rare and Exciting to hear something that feels Completely Fresh in Music these days, but this one did the trick for me.
6. Minilogue | Jakata A
I'm admittedly a huge fan of the Swedish Duo, but this track uniquely embodies my Vision of Peak-Time Techno in a Perfect World. The Groove is suitably Irresistible, with all sorts of subtle flourishes putting their mastery of Dynamics on display. I'd Love to hear this at a massive Festival. Epic in all the right ways.
7. Kenneth James Gibson | Something In The Way (feat. Kelly Johnston) (Extended Mix In 3 Passages Later Edit)
Kenneth is one of the Most Talented and Prolific Musicians I've Met: when he's not Producing Minimalist Club Music as [a]pendics.shuffle, Reverse Commuter, or Dubloner, you can find him fronting his Psychedelic Chamber Pop Quintet, Bell Gardens. On this Masterpiece, he explores the full Cinematic Potential of Deep House Music.
8. Acharné | Ghostling
Newcomer Acharné caught my attention with this Debut Release, juxtaposing Eroded Disco Chants with Mischievously Pungent Synths and a heavy Low-End; Drums on lock and a tight Arrangement seal the deal. He's actually someone I know, but it's a secret. I can't tell you.
9. Versalife | Electronic Suspect
Still haven't driven the Autobahn, but if I close my eyes while listening to this, I feel like I might be - essential Electro Perfection from the man also known as Conforce. If High-End Cocktail Bars played Music like this, I might go to more High-End Cocktail Bars.
10. Mr. James Barth | Hold Still
Kari Lekebusch is one of my Favorite Producers of All Tme, if for no other reason than Unwavering Commitment to His Own Artistic Integrity. He doesn't get enough credit for his Versatility, and this track as Mr. Barth for the mighty Svek imprint might surprise you if you only know his Techno. Dusty Late Night Soul from a Classic Era of Dance Music.
+11. Lee Fields & The Expressions | Money I$ King
Speaking of Soul, Lee Fields is dripping with it. I saw him play the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto; He Sweat Through Everything, Pouring Himself Into Every Syllable, His Voice Carrying the Weight of Lifetimes. He really gets the Time-honored Message across on this one: Unchecked Profit is a Sickness and Disease.
+12. Lusine | Auto Pilot
The intricate Drum Programming on this song conjures Megalithic Brutalist Architecture, vast Concrete Beams interlocked with Iron and Shimmering Glass. Probably in the Desert somewhere - Bright Light, Dry Heat, a Wavering Horizon and Wide Open Sky. The drifting Melodies tie it all to Something Bigger still.
+13. Krill.Minima | In Einem Traum Den Ich Einst Hatte
A Side Project of Marsen Jules, this album was first released on a Free Net Label called Thinnerism. With Roots in Dub Techno and Ambient, it's really Something Else; more like some kind of Intergalactic Lullaby. Many long weeks have ended with these Subaqueous Tones helping me Slide into Welcome Murky Dreams.
