One of the producers that stands out from the infinitely deep pit of those those making "bass music" is Canadian Jacques Greene. I really rate his versatility, and it's shown in this track, his remix of Alicia Keys' "Unthinkable". Check it out, similar vibes to Deadboy's remix of "Fireworks", I guess. Hoping for a sneaky white label.
Today is the second part of our countdown of the best tracks of the year, so if you missed the first part, I command you to read it here now! Continue reading below for tracks 40-31 and pick up the pieces you like...
Some might call it techno, but to me, this has a raw, garage-y feel to it that sets it apart from many of the standard 4x4 techno tunes this year. Quite a menacing tune that held its own on one of the most impressive releases to land on my radar in 2011. (Buy here)
Ok, so it was a clear mash-up of Burial's 'Pirates' and 'Wounder' but it doesn't stop it being amazingly good. Volor Flex has perfectly replicated that urban sound that Burial did so perfectly on his debut LP, and that's certainly something Night Tracks can get down to. (Buy here)
38. Session View - Orange (from Royal Road (Enypnion))
Session View's release, Royal Road, proved to me that there was more than enough life left in Techno as long as there were stand outs like this. That bassline and those drums could've been crafted by Basic Channel and nobody would've known any better. One of those tracks where everything fits perfectly. (Buy here)
When this dropped when I was at lunch at work and sold out within minutes, I spent the rest of the day searching for a record shop that had it in stock. How could this not be good? Four Tet dropping them on Rinse that night just confirmed what many already thought. (Err... buy here?)
Another show of Black Box's strength, this release from two of the "newer" producers was one of the high points, standing out amongst the bigger names on the label, although those in the know knew this collaboration couldn't go wrong. (Buy here)
35. Andy Mac - Everytime(from Everytime/Asteroid Belt (Punch Drunk))
Apparently a bit of anthem in the Bristol area for those lucky enough to hear it, but the rest of us had to wait for a full release to be surprised by the sort of track that really would conquer the mainstream if only Radio 1 played it. (Buy here)
34. Radiohead - Lotus Flower (Jacques Greene Remix)(from The King Of Limbs Remixes (Ticker Tape))
Jacques Greene's remix of Lotus Flower might not have been released when the hype around this series was at its fullest, but it was certainly the strongest. Whilst others focussed on more experimental edges, Greene managed to make something so danceable. Those who held their attention during the epic build up were definitely rewarded. (Buy here)
33. Massive Attack & Burial - Four Walls (from Four Walls/Paradise Circus (Inhale Gold))
Fans had wanted this since they first heard snippets dropped by Kode 9, recorded on mobile phones, years ago. This had been "forthcoming" for some years, and many had given up. Forget the controversy about prices, forget the controversy about possible sound issues. In fact, if you haven't got much patience, forget about the first 9 minutes of this track, because even if it only consisted of those last 2 minutes, it would still be on this list. (If you're very rich, buy here)
Compa is definitely part of a group of "up-and-comers" that are producing their own take on the halfstep variety of dubstep. Posting a youtube link of 'Dreams' doesn't really do the track justice, so I can't recommend that you buy a high quality download and turn on your sub to enjoy it. Then pray that one day Compa gives you his dubplate of his Anti-War Dub refix. (Buy here)
31. Fedbymachines - Last Stop (from First Light EP (Warminal))
Probably the most frantic drums on any release all year, that really keep you on edge, and in this case, that's a good thing. They really are the focal point, but that's only because the grainy pads and ghostly vocals lurk so deep in the ether and that's just where they're meant to be. This is music to be out on the streets to. (Buy here)
Keep your eye's peeled for 30-21, and again, if you missed the first part, 50-41, check it out here.
Thought it had been quite a while since I put together a mix after Ollie Macfarlane's top notch guest mix so I got on making a mix that I thought highlighted more of the danceable night tracks. Check it out.
First we start off with Birmingham producer Krytikal and his track I Need. This is a sleek track, has a real Roots Of Dubstep feel to it (if you don't know that CD, it's definitely worth checking out), and as such I can't really pin this as garage or dubstep, but what I am sure of is that it's impressively well produced. This is followed by Majic's refix of Brandy - The Boy Is Mine, where he gives the original a funky shuffling twist. Next up we have the absolute stormer by Hackman, Close. I've already wrote about this track, and no matter how many times I hear it, I'm never quite ready for that drop. Following Close, we have a track from Night Tracks favourite Ollie Macfarlane, with his remix of Jacques Greene's Baby (I Don't Know What You Want) where he takes the thumping house of the original and twists it into a more garagey, snipped-up version that can definitely hold its own compared to the original. Next up was the unexpected release that was Burial, Four Tet & Thom Yorke - Ego. Every artists work is evident in this future classic. Following this is Wax with Untitled from No. 10001, with jarring chords gradually coming in over the techy groove. Next in the mix is Jacques Greene's impressive take on acid house, Sorted which moves straight into Satoshi Fumi & Steve Millwith their collaboration Night Purring (Dub Mix) with some lush pads underlining the thudding kicks. Ollie Macfarlane returns with another remix, this time of Burial's Stolen Dog adding his familiar house/trance influences to form it in his own vision. Finally, we have the classic long-runner Phylyps Trak II/IIby the minmal techno gods, Basic Channel.
