It was challenging trying to put together a best of list this year. I don’t think I bought 10 albums released for the first time this year. I’ve no doubt there’s been lots of great music out there but my willingness to look for it hasn’t been there this past year.
I did however, buy a lot of 2025 reissues. To make this years look back more interesting, this will be done chronologically and cover the new albums as well as those reissues.
Winter:
January, as is often the case, saw Mogwai release an album, The Bad Fire. They’re not the Young Team anymore, but it was yet another solid Mogwai album. Live Drugs Again by The War On Drugs got a vinyl release as did the, effectively a demo, 1991 by Drop Nineteens, being pressed on vinyl for the first time. I always loved it but it was rough back in the day. It cleaned up well into a very good album in its own right.
February and March produced albums by Sinner DC with Sonic Boom and bdrmm. Maps, musically, was fabulous, but I could’ve lived without Sonic’s vocals. It pains me to say that as a Sonic fan. bdrmmMicrotonic was one of my musical highlights of the year. Their blend of shoegaze and electronica works for me.
Microtonic by bdrmm
Spring:
Springtime started early. It was shorts season the moment the clocks changed. Held by Trees released their 2nd full length album Hinterland. I finally got to see them live in July and it was as good as I hoped it would be. They are a very special outfit. Probably my favourite reissue this year was Amorphous AndrogynousAlice In Ultraland which landed for Record Store Day. It was my only purchase from RSD but one I always wanted to own. Lovely double orange vinyl to boot. The album is a trip start to finish. I do love this version of Future Sound Of London.Doves Constellations For The Lonely was an early birthday present, and remains one of the better albums this year. During this time I picked up a few reissues such as Slowdive’sPygmalion but 1993s Quique by Seefeel was one that I’ve played the most since. Darkly hypnotic stuff and well ahead of its time.
Summer:
Most of the gold often happens over the summer. Everyone seems to have loved More by Pulp. It’s no different in our household. It was also the 45th anniversary of Cafe Del Mar so they released a, better than recent efforts, compilation to commemorate this years milestone. My good friend bought me Stars of the LidMusic for Nitrous Oxide )35th anniversary pressing) for my birthday. Best described as jaw clenching, edge of the seat ambient, it’s an immersive experience. Nils Frahm released Night and Day together. At points, it’s barely audible music. Gentle as you like.
The highlight and best album of the year was Still Out by KiF. It’s a homage to Chill Out and includes John Martyn, Steve Hillage, Pink Floyd and Virgina Astley as well as bits from the original album. I first heard it in May and I finally received my record late July. It’s very true to the original whilst still remaining sufficiently different. Between you and I, I can’t believe the album exists but I’m so glad it does. This was the soundtrack to my summer and inspired me to do something similar, more later.
Still Out by KiF
Autumn/Winter:
I’ll be honest, Autumn has been a disappointment. Last year so many good albums were tail end of the year releases. This year it was Richard Ashcroft and his album Lovin’ You. A massive disappointment and my end of the line with Ashcroft purchases. Robert Plant and his Saving Grace project got an album release and it was good to hear his project have something tangible to show. The American Analog Set’s album The Fun Of Watching Fireworks reissue was a delight to pick up. 30 years late to the party but at least I made it to the party.
I asked my mate to recommend a Fall best of as I was starting to listen to them more. He recommended the Cherry Red 50,000 Fall Fans reissue. I preordered it and ended up loving it. It includes all the tunes I really like apart from Eat Yourself Thinner and Oswalds Defence Lawyer. Seems you can’t have it all.
50,000 Fall Fans Can’t Be Wrong Reissue
Top 5 Albums:
Still Out – KiF
Microtonic – bdrmm
More – Pulp
Hinterland – Held by Trees
Constellations for the Lonely – Doves
Top 5 2025 Reissues:
Alice In Ultraland – Amorphous Androgynous
50,000 Fall Fans Can’t Be Wrong – The Fall
Quique – Seefeel
1991 – Drop Nineteens
Music For Nitrous Oxide – Stars of the Lid
Something new I learned:
Every year there’s a punt that pays off. A second hand album that grabs your attention in some way so you buy it. Both the cover art and tune Cosmic Kangaroo Juice did that with the 1976 albumAlpha Waves by Locust. It’s stoner funk and a total revelation. It just stays the right side of elevator music. It’s not on Spotify but I’m sure it’s kicking around on YouTube. Well worth the 33p paid for it.
Alpha Waves by Locust
The inspiration:
I mentioned the inspiration that Still Out gave me. From late May until early September I worked on my own interpretation of Chill Out. Starting with the original album I used samples and tunes that aligned with each stage of it and built it out from there. Where there was ElvisIn the Ghetto there was Strange Fruit by Billie Holliday, waves replaced sheep and so on (the sheep still featured heavily). The mix needed a central theme and that was Caddyshack. I realise using the 1980s movie classic as the central theme in the mix, isn’t exactly Chill Out, but it is an interpretation, my interpretation. I always planned to remove the original album at the end of the process but it worked well as part of the mix, so it remained. A few months on, and I’m still very proud of the outcome. If you’re interested you can find the mix here 👇 See you next year.
This year has been the proverbial game of 2 halves. The first 6 months of 2024 produced a trickle of great albums. A couple of them have stuck with me throughout the year, a testament to how good they are. However, towards the end of the summer there was a virtual deluge of outstanding albums, many within a 4-6 week period. For me, this has been one of the best years of music for quite some time. My favourite album of last year, Daughter’sStereo Mind Games, was a well loved album but I’ve hardly listened to it since. Many of this years albums will live with me for many years to come.
The notable mentions category was strong this year. Roger Martinez under his Horizontal Excursions guise released Inner Space. I missed his listening party as I was seeing King Creosote but I bought the album when I got back from the gig. It’s proper space ambient. Huge swells of sound and deep ambient drops.
Spoiling us with 2 albums this year The Smile are prolific. Although Walls of Eyes has Bending Hectic, Cutouts is a more memorable album. Probably the more downbeat of the 2.
Whilst Ride’s later albums don’t reach the heights of Nowhere and Going Blank Again, I take my age into account when forming an opinion. I was in my late teens/early 20s when the first 2 albums came out. Weather Diaries and This Is Not a Safe Place (Kill Switch 💪) are strong albums but Interplay is the pick of their latter albums. Packed full of anthemic moments and signs of classic shoegaze. For most of the year I thought the album was let down by Side 3 which is just that bit weaker. Over time I’ve warmed to those tunes also.
Pet Shop Boys put out the best pop album of the year in nonetheless. Loneliness and A New Bohemia covering both ends of the pop spectrum.
Cigarettes After Sex released Xs. I read of a different direction but what I heard was the CAS of the last 2 albums. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but they appeal less and less as time goes on.
Held by Trees (highly recommend checking them out) released the expanded edition of Solace for Record Store Day. I didn’t include it in my top 10 given the album was originally released a few years back. Their EP with Martin Smith, who added vocals to the project for the first time, included one of my favourite songs of the year in Lay Your Troubles Down.
James released Yummy to continue their high standard of output putting out an album a year over recent years. Listening back to that album recently, I only then realised how good it is. Kudos to them for pressing a 52 minute album to a single bit of vinyl.
Another year, another Fontaines DC album and further softening of the edges. They’ve grown into a mature outfit pretty early on. In Grian Chatten they’ve got a rare talent. Starbuster and Death Kink show signs of what they once were. In Favourite I hear a different direction. One I hope they don’t go in. At the moment, it all works whatever they do, wherever they head.
bloody/bath finally committed an album to vinyl. Their sound is evolving to include a little less darkness, even dipping their toes in shoegaze. I snapped up the vinyl as the first 50 or so were numbered, signed, prints etc.
Those albums were all great in their own right but in age old tradition from 10-1:
10. All Good? – Nonkeen
Seeing Nils Frahm finally this year was a highlight. The pissing rain on a July evening couldn’t dampen it. There were 2 nippy women who insisted on talking through the gig until my wife had enough and sssh’d them. Nils has released the very short and stupidly expensive Day album and also the live Paris in December. However, the Nonkeen album is the one I feel I know best.
All Good? is Nils and his 2 friends making an album that sounds like Nils Frahm but doesn’t in equal measures. There’s the big ambient moments like Exclamation and more rhythmic work such as That Love. It closes with the rousing Mark. Nils Frahm always represents the ambient and downbeat genres very well.
9. Da Vinci Genius – Sasha
An album that came just a little too late in the year to trouble the upper reaches of this list, but it’s still a fabulous album. Predominately ambient / modern classical, there are still a couple of occasions where Sasha cuts loose into more familiar territory (Super Hero & Last Supper). I hoped, before the album came out, that it would be an evolution from Scene Delete into even more ambient territory. It is. This is the Sasha of my 50s.
8. In a Landscape – Max Richter
I can take or leave Max Richter’s film scores and TV work but it’s his studio projects that are special. There’s always a significant gap between them so they are events to me. In a Landscape came out the same day as Luck & Strange (see later) and got a little bit overshadowed by it.Over time I played it more and I came to appreciate it for what it is, beautiful and full of emotion. The album reminds me of the voiceless Voices project. The stuff that appeared on Voices 2. In fact Spotify often plays some of that album after Landscape is finished. I rarely notice the transition.
7. Iechyd Da – Bill Ryder-Jones
It seemed back in January that everyone loved this album, me too. Along with The Smile it brought a bit of musical class to a month sometimes bereft of it. I played it for a few months until other albums, that were as good, were finally released. I’ve always enjoyed his solo albums but this is my favourite of his by a stretch. Full of melancholy and really catchy tunes. First album of the year and I finally get it as a Christmas present.
6. Frog In Boiling Water – Diiv
It was Jacko that suggested these guys to me. He was right to. There’s been a lot of modern day shoegaze bands, often homogenous. The Asteroid No. 4, Blankenberge and Diiv stood out to me. Both Asteroid and Diiv released albums this year. This was the better of the 2. An album that stuck after a few listens and I now know very well. Strong start to finish.
5. Growing Eyes Becoming String – The Telescopes
For a long time this was my favourite album of the year as it was released the tail end of Q1. Apparently, it was recorded 10 years ago. It’s The Telescopes at their dark languid best. Far more accessible than the Taste era output. This album has a vibe that’s been stuck to throughout. Really delighted they are producing stuff like this now.
4. Songs of a Lost World – The Cure
I bought this as Mrs W wanted to have it with a secondary interest in it myself. It’s definitely an album aimed more at my tastes. It’s like a darker Disintegration and closes with the epic End Song. There’s a darkness that runs through it. Surprised at just how much I love this album. For me, it stands shoulder to shoulder with Disintegration as their best work.
3. Luck and Strange – David Gilmour
This album is pure Gilmour. Loads of solos, relative restraint being exercised until album closer Scattered when he enters full Comfortably Numb mode. The songwriting is a great, especially on The Pipers Call and Sings but the highlight is Between Two Points where his daughter performs the vocals, perfectly. I was surprised to find out on Jools Holland that it’s a cover version. I didn’t care much for the 2 extra tunes on CD and streaming platforms. It was kinda perfect as it is. It’s an album that exceeded my expectations.
2. No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead – Godspeed You! Black Emperor
It helps having seen them perform half of this live this year on that roasting hot Barrowlands evening. It’s easily become my favourite album of GY!BE even eclipsing Skinny Fists. It’s musical, visceral and memorable. It was well worth buying the vinyl at the gig for Track 7 (Untitled). A 13 minute ambient sesh which brings the album to a natural conclusion which other formats don’t have. Listening via streaming, the album fairly abruptly ends.
1. Ritual – Jon Hopkins
Wow! I appear to have written on Twitter when I first heard it and it’s still Wow! now. From that first intake of breath at the start, the album lives at its own pace and is never hurried. It’s a masterclass in a subtle shifting of gears until a relative peak time. The smallest incremental build occurs at just the right moments. Layering and layering until breaking down to a big ambient drop and an outro via a Nils Frahm style piano piece. It’s genuinely a work of art. This is an album that will live with me for life. I’ll be telling anyone that’ll listen, just how good Ritual is bla bla.
As always, it all starts again in January. Mogwai and The War on Drugs (Live Drugs Again) are already preordered.
Every year I learn new stuff. Amen etc. One of the biggest joys of record shopping is ‘taking a punt’ and learning about someone new or an album you’d never heard. The punt doesn’t always pay off but when it does, it means something. In 2023 I discovered, or rediscovered, Genesis and Yes. I had albums by them but I ended up taking a deep dive into both acts. I’m still not properly finished with either.
This year I finally got into The Beatles. I made a promise to myself I’d plug the holes in my collection. With a little help from my friends I got their entire back catalogue. Mrs W buying me the Red and Blue albums for my birthday completed it.
2024 brought a host of, often, first time discoveries. Others were albums by bands/artists I was already familiar with. Although, there have been many great new albums released this year it is some of these bargains that will endure. The ones that cost very little were the most fun to find.
What I learned this year – In no particular order:
Blackstar – David Bowie 2016 (£1)
It sounds ridiculous that I only discovered this album this year. So many great tunes on it such as I Can’t Give EverythingAway. I played this a lot back at the start of the year. I won’t be drawn into his back catalogue as that sounds an expensive business.
This Silent Year – eagleowl 2013 (£1)
I bought this as it was a Fence Records release. It is beautifully packaged and still has the Fence seal on the plastic cover. There beer mats as well as the inner sleeve and booklet. The album veers from folk to post rock. Too Late In the Day is the rousing peak of this album. Short but perfectly formed.
channel Orange – Frank Ocean 2012 (£1)
This was probably the best find. Double Orange vinyl bootleg that has never sold on Discogs. Languid Hip Hop/RnB that seeps into the mind: ‘Too many white lies and white lines’. He was either grammy nominated or won a grammy for this. The album was a total punt that really paid off. My wife loves it.
Bursting at the Seams – Strawbs 1973 (£1)
I’d heard Part of the Union (we all have trust me) and thought why not. To be honest, that’s one of the poorest tunes on the album. Folk, prog and often whimsical describes the album well. I ended up getting Grave New World a couple of months later. Given the era is not a big surprise they sound like Genesis in parts. It’s no bad thing.
Out of the Blue – ELO 1977 (£1)
Apart from my Rock & Roll Is King 7″ I had no ELO in my collection. This seems to rank highly in their best album list. It’s a great melodic album from start to finish. The lyric Driving You Insane I always thought was Driving USA. The things you thankfully learn before you make a clown of yourself.
In Search Of the Lost Chord – The Moody Blues 1968 (£11.99)
Costing more than the rest of this list combined this is one of my most surprising discoveries. If you would have said I’d like The Moody Blues at the start of the year I would’ve dismissed that allegation out the park. This was recommended to me by someone because I posted about the StonesSatanic Majesties album on a Facebook group. I gave it a go and totally fell under its spell. I was delighted when I saw it in a record store in Dundee. Who would’ve thought The Moody Blues made albums like this.
The Bell That Never Rang – Lau 2016 (£1.50)
Not a massive punt as I knew Lau through a couple of friends. This is as celtic as it gets and contains the wonderful Ghosts, a song that will always remind me of this year. It’s a sad and beautiful song supported well by the rest of the album.
Decade – Neil Young 1977 (£2)
Covering his early work including the Buffalo Springfield era, this has so many stand out tracks. Someone said to me that it was the perfect route into Neil Young. Songs like A Man Needs a Maid and, the multi movement, Broken Arrow were a revelation.
Bought because of Aidan Moffat’s involvement. This album makes me laugh and is often very poignant. When he’s taking about buying a suit in The Copper Top you can’t help thinking about getting older. Other parts of the album can be a little close to the bone but all in, it’s a quirky listen.
Murmuration – Jo Mango 2012 (£1)
I knew nothing about this artist. She has great lyrics and melodies set to her quiet ethereal voice. The Moth and the Moon is well worth checking out.
There you have it, £24.50, for a years worth of education and fun. Basically the price of a throwaway album you buy, play once and never listen to again.
Here’s a playlist with a track from each of the albums I bought 2nd hand this year.
Every so often the urge takes me to create a house mix. It had been a couple of years since I’d put one together. It was John Digweed – Live in Stereo that gave me the nudge this time. Across 5 CDs (over 6 hours) he subtly changed gears from Deep House (eg. Lost Desert) through to peak time Marc Romboy, Alican with its Tears for FearsPale Shelter sample, ending with the epic I Met You On the Heel by Moshic.
On my mix there’s 5-6 tunes taken from Live in Stereo and a handful of tunes I’d heard over the course of the year. If deep and progressive house is still your thing then this may be for you. Do let me know what you think at Mixcloud. Thanks.
November 2024
1. ‘Melia’ (Ranj Kaler 5am Sunrise Remix) – Alexander Church
2. ‘Feed My Soul‘ (Guy J Remix) – Moshic feat. Joe Elbaz
3. ‘Paraiso 94’ (Original Mix) – Martin HERRS
4. ‘Mind’ (Original Mix) – Carerra & Tavares
5. ‘Malaya’ – Lost Desert
6. ‘Indigo Bleu’ (Original Mix) – Lost Desert
7. ‘Reaching Stars’ (Original Mix) – BP
8. ‘Always’ (Original Mix) – DAVI
9. ‘Kray’ – Alican
10. ‘I Am A Dancer’ (Skatman Remix) – Marc Romboy & C.A.R.
I recently started the process of converting my old mixes to something that doesn’t involve digging out my Walkman or Minidisc player. It’s been an enjoyable experience hearing them all again. All the Minidiscs are now converted, the tapes are for another day.
The mixes were variable in quality. The monthly Spectral series at the start of 2000 was better than I remember, but a bit fast for my aged taste. It’s hard to believe I liked my house at about 128-130 BPM back then.
Spectral Red – January 2000
There then followed a few mixes from August 2000 through to March 2001. Some of the mixes were decent but the tunes hadn’t always aged well. The last mix I did for over 3 years, and the last ever on my Technics 1210s, was March 2001. It stood out listening to it again after 22 years. It was a stellar time for the tunes. Timeslip was on Danny Howells Nu Breed, Xzique was Steve Lawlers Nu Breed, QuivversOne More Time was on a DigweedGlobal Underground and the Bedrock Mix of Nalin & Kane’s Live at Crystal Palace I heard on a Sasha & DigweedEssential Mix. The other tunes appeared mostly via Global Beat Records.
To get it to Mixcloud, the mix went from Minidisc > Ableton > Pitched Down > and ‘tweaked’ a bit. I hope you enjoy it. I loved hearing it again.
The tunes
March 2001 – 77 minutes
1. Dirty Logic – Deep Funk Project
2. Timeslip – The Beloved
3. Outside Looking In (Down) (Sub Project Remix) – Xzique
4. Fire Escape – Sean Cusick & Rogue Radio
5. One Last Time (Dub) – Quivver
6. 2 Heavy – Deep Funk Project
7. Live at Crystal Palace (Bedrock Mix) – Nalin & Kane
Another stellar year in 2023. I say year, but a vast majority of this list comes from the 2nd half of 2023. I had only bought one new album by April. There was no need to panic as things picked up beautifully. I remember saying I’d buy less music this year, I’m not sure that played out.
10. The Ballad of Darren – Blur
I was never big on Blur but then britpop passed me by in a haze of house music. I got them as a band when they released Think Tank. This is full of great pop songs and was pretty immediate. Someone once said to me that Blur were the only Britpop band that will stand the test of time. I don’t know if that’s true but I’m glad they’re back producing high class albums.
9. I DES – King Creosote
It’s a joyous affair when a new KC album is released. Given how much music he’s made over the years, it’s criminal it has been 7 years since Astronaut Meets Appleman. It was one of those worth the wait situations. I’ve yet to listen to the 30 odd minute Drone in B#. Waiting on the right time (when the house is empty). I love Kenny’s voice, Fife’s finest.
8. Yarns From The Chocolate Triangle – Chocolate Hills, The Orb
A surprise album that popped up on my Spotify Release Radar. It’s Alex Paterson and the chap from Bomb the Bass collaborating. It’s a meld of styles providing a textbook late night soundtrack.
7. Chaos For The Fly – Grian Chatten
I’m daft for Fontaines DC and love Grian Chatten’s voice. His first solo album is short but perfectly formed. One of those albums I knew I’d love before hearing it. I did/still do. It’s much more folky than Fontaines but that style suits him well.
6. Think of Me When You Hear Waves – John Massoniwith Sonic Boom
After The Sundowner Sessions I was curious what this would be like. Sundowner was almost unlistenable but this one falls on the tuneful side of Sonic Boom. A really lovely album and a bit gothic in parts. It was one of my 2 RSD purchases (along with BRMCLive at Levitation) this year. The nine minute title track has Sonic written all over it. The album I didn’t expect to be so good in 2023.
5. Everything Is Alive – Slowdive
Slowdive felt like a secret between a few of my mates back in the early 90s. Just For a Day is a top 10 album in my lifetime. It brings back a lot of memories. It’s so good to see how popular they are now. Far more so than they were in my day. Everything Is Alive is modern day Slowdive being slightly more ‘upbeat’ than they were but no less ethereal. Album closer The Slab is also the best tune I heard all year. Looking forward to The Barrowlands in February.
4. Hard Light – Drop Nineteens
If Slowdive felt like secret between a few, Drop Nineteens felt like my own. It’s been over 30 years since the lesser known classic Delaware. The musical suicide of National Coma is long forgotten. It’s a return to the glory days. It’ll never be the same as when I was 21, but Hard Light is Delaware in my 50s.
3. Black Bay – Silver Moth
I heard about Silver Moth on the Twitter from Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai fame, who is one of the band. It’s 6 tunes, 40 odd minutes with the epic Hello Doom covering most of side 2. I saw them in November touring the album, ending with Hello Doom in deafening style. As it usually does, seeing a band live made an already great album, greater. I hope the project keeps going. Been there, seen them and bought the T-shirt.
2. Rain Before Seven – Penguin Cafe
I bought this on a whim from my local store as I loved Penguin Cafe Orchestra from the Cafe Del Mar days. I think they are the next generation of PCO without the ‘orchestra’. They have a very similar sound to the previous incarnation including a tune the bears more than an uncanny resemblance to the Beatless mix of Smokebelch II. The most uplifting album I heard all year.
1. Stereo Mind Games – Daughter
Daughter were new to me this year. It’s great to discover a band a few albums in. Their sound could be viewed as Slowdive/Cigarettes After Sex/Drug Store Romeos in style. From the first tune ‘I got a feeling that we’ll repeat this evening’ throughout both sides, it’s class. Each time I heard it, a different tune would pop out at me. In the end, the entire album is wedged in for life. It’s always a good sign when Mrs W gives an album a thumbs up as well. I’ve not done it yet but I will revisit the back catalogue very soon.
Notable mentions to Sigur Ros with Atta, James, Helios, Rufus Wainwright, BJM and The Lemon Twigs with the ridiculously catchy Everything Harmony.
I spent much less time listening to ambient in 2023. It’s not that there aren’t great albums around, it’s just I didn’t spend time looking for them. Most of this years mix comes from my Release Radar and various playlists I listened to of an evening. The tracks from Daughter, Chocolate Hills, Helios and Penguin Cafe were from albums I love and play regularly. Weirdly, I started listening to perennial charity shop favs Sky again, so they made an appearance courtesy of Sky 4. Enjoy.
Jaykits 18 – Breathe
‘Ascending, Dawn Sky’ – Jon Hopkins
‘Tramonto’ – Aamina Russo
‘Najwa’ – Le Palade
‘Rever’ – Phialia
‘(Missed Calls)’ – Daughter
‘Quiet Motions’ – Spheres
‘Independencia’ – Miravaldini
‘Jij Bent Alles’ – Dardan Leistra
‘Being 432 Hz’ – Fravula
‘Weathering’ – From Overseas
‘Ambient Guitar (Demo)’ – Slowdive
‘Symmetry’ – Sea of Waves
‘Visions’ – Zazenki
‘Heavy Water Pt. 1’ – Andrew Heath
‘Zone (A Tale of a Mourning Mother)’ – Mary Ocher feat. Mogwai
A new millennium and my own adventures in clubland had diminished to ‘occasional’, but my love of the music remained. The big players: Renaissance and Global Underground kept putting out multiple releases each year and the Australian seriesBalance,started with Kasey Taylor and Bill Hamel amongst others. Some of those series strongest output was in the first few years after the turn of the century. Renaissance Mix Collection had changed to the Masters Series. The first 4 (Dave Seaman x 2, Deep Dish and the Nick Warren and Danny Howells Revelation were excellent. For GU, Digweed’s LA and Deep Dish Moscow, and for Balance, the first 7 releases, were their peak. Renaissance introduced James Zabiela and Hernan Cattaneo to the Masters Series roster but nothing has particularly stood out since then. The output became less DJ led and more about the producer. GU and Balance are still going but, apart from the odd gem (Joris Voorn GU43), were no longer for me.
The Global Underground city series
New blood was on the way. Global Underground created the Nu Breed series introducing, curiously, DJs I was more than familiar with. Pappa, Howells, Burridge, Lawler, Satoshi Tomiie and Sander Kleinenberg all got early outings. This was a great side project for GU even if the concept was a little flawed. It was still going with new releases 2-3 years ago. I’d long since bailed out but did buy the uber progressive HabicshmanNu Breed just to hear what prog sounded like in the present day. It’s alive and well.
The Renaissance Mix & Masters Series
Many of the DJs featured on Nu Breed curated their own series later. Howells (Nocturnal Frequencies), Lawler (Dark Drums, Lights Out & Viva) Kleinenberg (Everybody and This Is…) and Pappa (Moments and Resolutions). Anthony Pappa is probably the most technically gifted DJ I’ve heard. All of his mix albums were very beautifully crafted, but for me it was his Resolutions album that endures. Both mixes are works of art in the way they build. CD2, I still listen to on occasion now. A proper driving journey peaking at Head Honcho – Afrochrome (Gentle’s Dirty 131 Mix).
Resolutions by Anthony Pappa
Fabric and Fabric Live series began is 2001 and ran until 2018. There was literally hundreds of releases, including offshoots. It was impossible to keep up with all of them. I bought some of them by eg. Jon Marsh, Global Communication, LTJ Bukemand laterally Sasha’s Fabric 99. The 100th and final release in the Fabric series included Craig Richards, the guy who did the very first. Due to the sheer volume of releases the series was a bit hit and miss but did, nevertheless, produce some classic mixes.
Around 2008 I heard a tune on a Dave SeamanRenaissance Masters Series mix by a South African DJ/Producer called Culoe De Song. The track was called A Bright Forest. It blew me away and still does today. I’ve been a fanboy since 2008 when his debut album, A Giant Leap, was released. It’s an artist album but also beatmixed by him. It was so different to other stuff around that time. I’ve followed him through AGL – Elevate – Exodus – Washa. His sound got a little more European as he became more popular over here. For his last album Washa I had to get it from South Africa as it wasn’t sold outside the country. I didn’t go there clearly, but was lucky someone I knew was going on holiday there. I subsequently got into Black Coffee as a DJ and producer. The music from South Africa at that time was truly special.
A Giant Leap by Culoe De Song
I have to admit that I ‘evolved away’ from dance music during the 2010s. Surprised I lasted that long if I’m honest. In what I would consider recent years there have only been a couple of mixes I’ve bought that push things forward. One of those is Joris Voorn’s – GU 43 Rotterdam. It is astonishing stuff with 100+ tunes over 2xCD. Many cite his Balance album as one of the greats of the genre. I think this flows better as it doesn’t have the big ambient drops. This is the type of project I’d love to do if I had the time, the tunes, the ability and talent to create. This is Ableton Live used by a guru. The tune God at the end of CD1 is gorgeous.
Global Underground 43 by Joris Voorn
The home listening/chill albums took off during the 00’s. Those, that were the clubbers and the mix buying public were now in their late 30s/early 40s. These type of albums resonated well. Another Late Night/Late Night Tales produced 3 releases that stood out – Those by Nils Frahm, Olafur Arnauldsand Jon Hopkins. We’ve spent many a winters evening listening to those 3. The Choice series were DJs going back through the soundtrack to their lives. Danny Howells and John Digweed putting out mixes that felt like they were aimed solely at me. Back to Mine continued but ended up being curated by indie bands and totally lost its ethos.
Late Night Tales
The DJ Kicks series carried on after the millennium and is indeed still going. Notables included Apparat and John Talabot. The Talabot one particularly was a stand out mid tempo masterpiece in a similar style to Balance presentsJozif.
DJ-Kicks by John Talabot
Speaking of masterpieces, The Masterpiece series by Ministry had DJs creating 3 different mix concepts. Andrew Weatherall, did different times of the evening and Carl Craig had a meditation mix. It was a stellar cast on this series with Giles Peterson and Francois Kevorkian amongst others also providing mixes.
There have been a few DJs who have appealed further down the line. As I got older, i preferred more mid tempo mixes. One that appealed was the Balance presentsJozif. It’s an emotive experience and one I still return to. It peaks with his BT’s 3 & 5.
Balance presents Jozif
Dixon, releases are fairly infrequent but when he does they are special. – Body Language, Temporary Secretary and the Grandfather Paradox with Ame and Henrick Schwartz were excellent but it was his Live At Robert Johnson (Volume 8) that was my favourite. It goes right through the gears very subtly. I can’t recommend that mix enough.
Live at Robert Johnson volume 8 by Dixon
A few years on and Ewan Pearson, who I’d come across via his remixes, created We Are Proud of Our Choices. I’m sure he is with that album. Another Ableton special, as they all became. In many ways they were all the better for it.
We Are Proud Of Our Choices by Ewan Pearson
As special mention must go to the Hotel Costes series by Stephane Pompougnac. It’s not chill, it’s not house but calling it ‘lounge’ is doing the series a disservice. They are joyous mixes with tunes you’re unlikely to hear anywhere else. The packaging was pretty high end for CDs. All in boxes, with posters etc. The series ran to about 16 with some side projects. Definitely worth checking out if you’ve never heard them.
Hotel Costes 5-11
What of Sasha and John Digweed? Digweed continued his Bedrock series to around 20 of them. Whilst some were good, there was unmixed releases and as a concept became less appealing. His Transitions series (there were 4 of them) were all excellent 1 mix packages. They were always a good representation of where he was as a DJ. As his Bedrock label grew he started the Live In…..series. These ranged from regular 2 x mixes to nearly 11 hrs, over 8 or 9 CDs. More and more tunes were, unsurprisingly, from his own label to avoid licensing issues and could be a ‘bit samey’ over such a long period.
Transitions volume 1 by John Digweed
Sasha put out some variety over those years. Some were more successful than others. HisInvolver (x3) project, where he remixed all the tunes then sequenced them, was very popular. His Live at Avalon mix where it was recorded live then sold at the end of the night, wasn’t his best (by his own admission, but I liked it). His artist album Airdrawndagger is for another day but Fundacion and later, Emfire, Scene Delete and Refracted Live were more for the home listener. His final offering, and the last mix CD I ever purchased, was Luzoscura. A playlist he curated during lockdown morphed into a bigger project. Mostly ambient, breakbeat stuff, it gave him an outlet as clubland was shut. It’s an outstanding mix and is backed with 3 x 2 hr Luzoscura radio shows and a live at Alexandra Palace event. I think the playlist still exists. My first mix CD was Sasha and so was my last. It’s a proper circle.
Luzoscura by Sasha
CD mix albums aren’t really a thing now. There’s unlimited access to punters mixes online and the paid for Mixcloud if you want to follow your old favourites. Ableton Live has meant anyone can beat match. Mixes are ubiquitous including my own, which I still occasionally make. In fact, here’s my last one. Enjoy.
Looking back over the music that has influenced my life has landed at the 90s, and the emergence of the DJ Mix album. I’d always intended to create a best of the genre list covering all the years I bought mix albums, but realised this was a difficult ask. Firstly, the early 90s were the formative years, the time when those memories were created. It was all new then, we were all younger and a proper community/family vibe was around. From those you recognised at club nights to the trainspotters beavering away creating the tracklists so we could say we knew what ID – ID was, it was a community. As time wore on and I got older, the times had were always compared to those early years. Renaissance at the Que Club and Bakers in Birmingham, Up Yer Ronson, Back to Basics and Vague in Leeds, The Rhumba Club and the early Essential Mix nights wherever they were held.
The upshot of all this nostalgia is a couple of posts: the first covering the 90s, then another casting a net over the noughties and 2010s. The only way to do this properly was to listen to the mixes again. It has taken months, but was most enjoyable.
The art of creating the mix album developed from live club recordings to studio mixes, Protools then Ableton Live. It is funny now listening back to the pre-Ableton mixes. In my head I’m trying to correct those wavering mixes that are now totally locked on via Ableton. It didn’t make listening to them again any less enjoyable. I only marvelled at how good they were given the technology available to them back then.
It began (for me) with bootleg tapes from various clubs or radio shows. Sasha’s ‘Giving It Up’ Kiss FM show did the rounds for a while. Lots of the tunes forming the original Renaissance Mix Collection. On the show he also introduced a young John Digweed. His ‘Unplugged’ tape was flawless, having been a studio mix rather than live. Shelley’s tapes, Pimp tapes, Rhumba tapes are were copied or shared amongst the troops. One the first mix CDs I can remember getting was Sasha & Dave Seaman – DJ Culture Non Stop in the Mix which was a mix put out via Stress. The CD is nothing but classics start to finish (eg. Bedrock, Brothers Luvs Dubs & Last Rhythm) recorded in a seminal era.
Then house music gospel Mixmag created a Mixmag Live series which paired Sasha and CJ Macintosh on one CD, Digweed with Gordon Kaye on another as well as Nick Warren with Dimitri together, each doing shorter 30min (ish) mixes of contrasting styles. There were many others, some of which were a joy to revisit. Mixmag ended up providing a covermount CD with their monthly magazine. Some of those were well worth having as a release on their own.
Around the same time, or maybe slightly earlier the Jouneys by DJs series started with Billy Nasty and Judge Jules. Two releases from that series stood out – John Digweed’s Silky Mix (JDJ4) and Coldcut’s 70 minutes of madness (JDJ8). The series carried on for a few years but eventually slipped away due to the deluge of others that appeared. Another early notable series was DJ Power with Danny Rampling, Sister Bliss, Farley & Heller each producing a mix.
Pete Tong’s Essential Mix started in 1993 with Tong himself, Danny Rampling, Farley & Heller again initially. However, it was Sasha’s Essential Mix 15/01/1994 that generated such a buzz. It felt like a change of style, much more proggy and no more piano anthems. It still sounds fabulous today. This was followed by Junior Vasquez the following week, then the immense John Digweed mix from early March, where I first heard ‘Bump – House Stompin’.
The bootleg tape was taken a stage further when the Boxed series emerged. Some of the output were studio mixes showcasing the DJs talents giving them more control over the final product. Boxed was the precursor to the Global Underground cities series, which is still going today but with a much reduced release schedule. The premise was, a DJ is sent off to do a party in some glamorous location. They then recorded a studio version representing those shows and packaged them up in limited edition long box. Nick Warren and Dave Seaman particularly, did some air miles back then. The standard of the GU output remained strong throughout, with Sasha, John Digweed and Danny Tenaglia all providing multiple mixes. There’s only a handful of those releases that i didn’t listen to again, as I remember not liking them much at the time.
The Renaissance series was kicked off back in 1994 by the original, and still the best, Sasha and John Digweed mix. I was only to happy to listen to those 3 mixes again, It’s timeless. Perhaps they didn’t think so, as they added Kym Mazelle to the 10th anniversary edition also removing all trace of M People. I do however, understand why they did it. It is a perfect representation of the time I properly got into house music. I could talk about that album for hours, but suffice to say that they missed off very little of importance in this release. There was a quality to the Renaissance mixes in terms of the DJs they used, their music and the packaging. This was reflected in the club which was always decadently presented, wherever it was. The series carried on for years with Dave Seaman being a mainstay, but adding Nick Warren, Hernan Cattaneo and James Zabiela to name but a few. The later year mixes were by DJs I didn’t know. Often producers putting a mix together, pretty forgettable stuff. That was most likely, just my age.
The Ministry of Sound(MoS) releases started with Tony Humphries and Clivilles & Cole as early contributors to the Sessions mixes. Those mixes in particular remain great snapshots of that vocal house era. Strangely, Paul Oakenfold did Volume 2 but with a tracklist that fitted the brand. Nothing like the euroscreamers he played for the rest of his career.
Ministry of Sound as a label also gave rise to the Northern Exposure series. There were 4 Northern Exposure releases. Like Renaissance, it was Sasha and Digweed’s first that was the true gem. Two very different mixes – Sasha’s (North) was very atmospheric, less club friendly. It included Banco de Gaia, Morgan King and the late Scott Hardkiss with Raincry under his God Within moniker. Digweed’s mix was darker, more club ready. It included the epic Rabbit in the Moon mix of Inner City Life and ended with UnderworldsDark & Long. Castle Trancelot – The Gloom also sounds epic on a big sondsystem. Northern Exposure 2 followed a similar theme with Sasha’s home friendly disc the better of the 2. Northern Exposure3 (Expeditions) was good but with both discs being much more aligned in terms of style. Northern Exposure4 (Communicate) was really disappointing. I still feel that way about it today.
Ministry also put out Junior Vasquez – The Future Sound of New York Sound Factory mix. Listening back, some of the mixing was patchy, but those tunes were outstanding and a great showcase of that moment in time. MoS may just be purveyors of cheese for the masses now, but early doors, they had more of an eye on quality and contributed massively to the 90s.
Tribal UK put out a lot of great releases in the mid 90s. This is the Sound of…, and Mix This Pussy by Danny Tenaglia mixes were notables. As was DJ Vibe via Tribal America who did the Kaos mixes.
Out of Australia came the Balance series. Kasey Taylor and Bill Hamel delivered a couple of blinding proper progressive mixes. The 5th in the series by James Holden is the most revered and is still cited as the best in the series. Personally, I liked those by Chris Fortier, Jimmy van M and SOS but agree the Holden one is class. Balance is still going today, with a release last year by a guy who wasn’t a DJ but a producer. The same way Renaissance went.
Towards the end of the decade John Digweed started his Bedrock series. His own mix was my personal highlight, but the Jimmy van M offering was also stellar. His ’99 Essential mix was based heavily on this album but had an even stronger ending. Digweed would later do Transitions and his enduring Live at series. That’s for next time.
The Back To Mine series started with Nick Warren and Dave Seaman doing beautiful ‘chill’ albums designed for after a club night, when the comedown was in effect. This series gave rise to a multitude of similar themed albums over the next couple of decades. Late Night Tales being the most notable. For the middle aged ex clubber, those albums still get a play every so often.
In a similar vein to Back to Mine, the DJ Kicks series emerged in the middle of the decade. Thievery Corporation and the genre fluid Kruder & Dorfmeister mixes we’re particular highlights. K&D also did their K&D sessions, widely heralded as one of the great downtempo compilations.
It wasn’t all progressive house though. I have always had a soft spot for a bit of cheese. A vocal, big break and drum roll went down well. The Fantasia series, including Jeremy Healy and Jon Pleased Wimmin was enjoyable. Trade, was a gay club that was represented by music that could best be described as bouncin’. The late Tony Di Vit, Pete Wardman and their peers put out some incredible mixes as Trade. Tony Di Vit was also given the honour of the very first Global Underground mix from Tel Aviv. He was taken far too young. I also remember fondly Pete Wardmans Essential Mix in 1995. It was a time and place though, as I find Trade mixes difficult to listen to now on account of my age. Kudos though, they were an outstanding set of ‘hard bag’ mixes and part of my life for a while. My personal favourite cheeser was Vague – Now & Then. I loved Vague as it was the friendliest club I ever visited. The night I was there was a Coronation Street outing as Angela Griffin was around with some others. On the clubs closing night, they changed the club sign from VAGUE to UGAVE, beautiful. The album covers old Vague (Then – pre 95) and a mix from ’95 (Now).
That’s the 90s DJ Mixes as I remember them. The following list are just my favourites, the ones that have stood the test of time. It’s no surprise the list is dominated by two guys. They opened by eyes and ears to house music, and to the music that followed in the 2000s. In no particular order:
Journeys by DJs 4: The Silky Mix – John Digweed. This is a very different John Digweed from the man you may know now. It’s an album of classics from 93-94 seamlessly mixed. A who’s who of bangers that never gets cheesy. Even Atlantic Ocean – Waterfall seemed to fit. That haircut though.
Essential Mix: 15/01/94 – Sasha. Not even 2 news breaks in a 2 hour mix could take away from how well this flowed. It can’t be underestimated what this mix meant and still means. From Timeless Land right through, this is a phenomenal journey.
Northern Exposure – Sasha and John Digweed. I said it earlier, these are chalk and cheese mixes that together made the perfect package. I can remember the excitement of it coming out and first playing it. I’ll pretty sure i’ll never tire of it. It’ll be 30 years old soon.
Renaissance: The Mix Collection – Sasha and John Digweed. Renaissance was important in my life. This album represents that period perfectly. Even if you don’t like house music, but were interested in what 1993 – 1994 was like, give this a listen. All 3 discs.
Global Underground 9: San Francisco – Sasha. I ended up buying so many tunes from this album. Joi Cardwell, Stoneproof, Slick Mick, Incisions, the list goes on. The samples from the local resident and his harmonica, provide great intros to both mixes. The transitions suggested they were computer aided, but that doesn’t matter.
Global Underground 6: Sydney – John Digweed. This is fierce, as it’s played much faster than later mixes in the series. Disc 1 could be considered peak time stuff. I’m still stopped dead when The Crystal Method break happens on disc 2 – There is hope. Phenomenal mixing from Digweed considering this is done on 2 technics.
Unplugged: July ’93 – Sasha. From the ambient jungle sounds at the start and which permeate throughout, to the Def Mix of Kym Mazelle’s – Was That All It Was, this is textbook Sasha ’93. A clearly planned out studio mix which did the rounds as a tape. I’ve still got the tape.
Renaissance: The Mix Collection 2 – John Digweed. Sasha had moved on from Renaissance and Digweed was now the resident. For the second in the series he got all 3 discs to himself. He did a pretty decent job. His sound had moved on from the first album and was the beginning of him transitioning to where he is now.
Back to Mine – Dave Seaman. Often the back to mine series were eclectic tunes crashed together. This wasn’t like the rest. The mixing was seamless and the tracklisting was stellar. Craig Armstrong, Depeche Mode and finishing with Gorecki by Lamb. Very few chill albums have come close even as the technology improved. Timeless stuff.
Bedrock – John Digweed. The mixing on this release was something else. Over the course of the 2 mixes he slowly moved through the gears peaking at the closer, his own ‘Heaven Scent’. When I think of this album I always think ‘We Are Connected’. It’s a masterclass in DJing.
What a challenging year 2022 has been. With all that’s happened, I don’t feel like the same person that entered the year. It’s 12 months I’ll never forget but I’d love to. As always music played a crucial role in keeping some form of grounding to my life. The first half of the year was spent listening to an ever evolving playlist on Spotify called All Farewells Are Sudden, based on the A Winged Victory For The Sullen (AWVFTS) tune. AWVFTS feature every so often in the playlist. The tunes I heard formed the basis for my annual ambient mix of the same name.
The summer was long and helped push the earlier part of the year to the back of my mind. The albums I ended up buying were mostly not ambient but were returns by old favourites and also first time reissues on vinyl. I discovered a few artists, as is so often the way, well after they became established. Artists such as Julia Kent and The Soft Cavalry spring to mind. I also rekindled my love for Supertramp and early Genesis. I’d forgotten how much I loved Crime of the Century and Selling England By the Pound. Also, the band EAT from the early 90s and their album Epicure became a favourite again. Time spent listening to bands from that era (specifically 1992) gave way to a playlist. That was a golden era in music.
Here’s my best of for 2022. It wasn’t drawn from a massive pool but they are all albums I’ve grown to love. Apologies to Kathryn Joseph and The Smile.
10. The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Fire Doesn’t Grow On Trees.
It’s unusually been a couple of years since their last album. This is high quality psychedelic rock as always. There was talk of another album as a single was released. Maybe next year.
9. Suicide – Surrender.
One of the bands that influenced Spacemen 3. Not everything on this retrospective is easy to listen to but it shows what a great band they were. The title track will likely be familiar.
8. Loop – Sonancy.
It’s like they’ve never been away. A proper Loop album start to finish. I’ve went back and listened to A Gilded Eternity a few times of late – pure class.
7. Fontaines DC – Skinty Fia.
Another outstanding album. Watched their sets at Glastonbury and TRNSMT (on the telly) and they are excellent live. Maturing nicely.
6. Spiritualized – Everything Was Beautiful.
Still churning out great albums after all these years. It was May and the sun was out. We played this as we cleaned the house ready to move back home. I’ll forever associate it with that time ❤️
5. Tears For Fears – The Tipping Point.
Released back in February. 3 singles were released before the album which whet the appetite. An older TFF but still great songwriting and vocals. I’ve always loved Roland Orzabals voice.
4. The Dead Texan.
Taking liberties with this given it was released in 2004. This year saw its first vinyl release. One of the great ambient albums. Really pleased to have this in my collection finally.
3. Federico Albanese – Before and Now Sounds Infinite.
Another beautiful album made all the sweeter by an appearance by Ghostpoet. Federico Albanese never puts a foot wrong. One of Mrs W’s favourites so it still gets played a lot.
2. Andy Bell – Flicker.
The first album I bought in 2022. Every track is quality across both bits of vinyl. It’ll forever remind me of a difficult time but that doesn’t take away from how good it is.
1. Nils Frahm – Music for Animals.
This stands head and shoulders above everything else this year. I’ve played at least one disc daily. I’m sure I read it was music to watch leaves rustle. I love an album with no surprises. He’s created so many great albums but none as ambient as this. A thing of beauty.
Jaykits 