2019: Electronic Music, Year in Review
Hello! It has been a minute (actually one year) since my last post.
What a year it has been. I’ve been listening to music and attending 365 days of events and podcasts. Phew!
I would like to take this moment to go over my year in electronic music. Similarly to last year’s post, I break down to favorite dj sets, live sets, and albums. This year I have changed it up a bit to not have an ambient category or a b2b category. Also, I have added singles / single track category. I also broke down the podcasts into mixes and recorded live sets. There’s enough from each category that they deserve a separate category than looped together.
There is no particular order and I limited myself to 12 per category.
My musical tastes include techno, ebm, industrial, electro, and synthwave. I have crafted this list after taking into consideration, the numerous parties, records, and podcasts I have listened to throughout the year. This is not an end-all-be all list and is byproduct of my subjective tastes and experiences.
For dj sets, I am looking at their selection, mixing and overall atmosphere they provide for the party. A dj not only provides good music but elevates you and the party through the curation and building of each track within the space.
For live sets, I am looking at how they perform and how they drive their productions from recording into the flesh. We hear records and wonder how does this add, take away or resemble the studio productions. I look for sets that create new experiences that add dimensional to an studio created project. The performances here bring ferocity and an intensity that cannot be captured by production alone.
For dj and live sets, these were both rather difficult for me to choose because I have the privilege of seeing great music by local and traveling acts on a weekly basis.
For mixes and recorded live sets, it was rather difficult for me to choose as well. I listen to anywhere between 4–10 new mixes / recorded sets a week. The ones I chose I listened to until I could not listen to them anymore. They are my very favorites.
For records, these are records that stand out from the rest. They can be either a sequential journey or set of tracks that provide an overarching cohesive vibe. I choose the records based on the craft and the level production as well as the quality of tracks overall.
For the new category, singles and single tracks, these are tracks that I have heard time and again this year that are not necessarily part of an album / ep or that stand out from the rest of the record (no offense the rest of the tracks on the record if they are on a record or ep).
Before I get down into it the lists, I want to thank all of the key players in the electronic music community. I want to thank personally the artists, djs, producers, promoters, organizers, dancers, and music labels, for cultivating, creating, and producing, the music, events and spaces for which we all can enjoy great electronic music and have freedom of personal expression.
Hope you all like it! Enjoy! ❤
Top DJ sets of 2019
Adam X at Basement 09/01/19
Ancient Methods and Vatican Shadow at Basement NY 10/11/19
Becka Diamond Jack Dept. 01/13/19
Body Sushi (VTSS b2b Randomer) at Unter Spin-off Gabber
Cashu at Sustain-Release at Camp Kennybrook 09/15/19
Dax J at Monnom Black Night at Berghain 04/06/19
Gia in New World Dysorder at Nowadays 06/29/19
I Hate Models at Monnom Black Night at Berghain 04/06/19
Ne/Re/A at Unter Pride 06/29/19
Phase Fatale at Nails & Wax 12/07/19
Rebekah at Basement 05/11/19
Tommy Four Seven at Basement 06/01/19
Top Live Sets / Performances of 2019
Boy Harsher at Elsewhere 02/02/19
FadeFace at Dissonance at Bossa Nova Civic Club 08/07/19
Fixmer / McCarthy at Bound 04/27/19
Headless Horseman live at Basement 05/18/19
HTRK at Zone 1 at Elsewhere 11/10/19
Kontravoid at Synthicide at Brooklyn Bazaar 05/17/19
Maedon at Melting Point 09/19/19
Motiv-A at Jack Dept at Bossa Nova Civic Club 10/05/19
Octonomy at Fourth World at Basement NY 07/04/19
Orphx at Quo Vadis at Basement 06/09/19
Silent Servant at Bound X Elements at Elsewhere 08/23/19
Zanias at Monnom Black Night at Berghain 04/06/19
Favorite Albums + Eps of 2019
Boy Harsher — Careful
Crystal Geometry — XV Signs of Doomsday
Fractions — Scars of Love
Fee Lion — Blood Sisters
HTRK — Venus in Leo
Kontravoid — Too Deep
Linea Aspera — Preservation Bias
Multiple Man — High on The Hog
Paula Temple — Edge of Everything
VTSS — Identity Process
Xosar — The Possessor Possesses Nothing
Years of Denial — Suicide Disco
Favorite Mixes of 2019
Andi — Knife Podcast
Ellen Allien — Fact Mix
GIA — TechnoFist Podcast
Katie Rex — New Brvtalism
LOAA — Instruments of Discipline Podcast
LISSA — New Brvtalism:
Reka — Groove Podcast
Vatican Shadow — Berghain 09
VTSS — Crack Mix
Wallis — Instruments of Discipline Podcast
X-tin Fleisch Podcast
Zanias Ravage Mix
Favorite Recorded Sets of 2019
Ancient Methods Boiler Room x Belgrade: Drugstore
Crystal Geometry Soenda Podcast
Dasha Rush at Rebekah Invites by Intercell x Basis
Dax J @ Reaktor X Monnom Black NYE,
FadeFace live at Basement
Gia b2b Ne/Re/A at Melting Point
Hyperaktivist | Boiler Room x UNTER Latin America
Orphx — Katharsis 2018, MNMT Recordings (released this year)
Paula Temple at Katharsis 2019
Reka x Boiler Room X Mzesumzira X KHIDI
Rebekah at Rebekah Invites by Intercell x Basis
Favorite Singles / Single Tracks of 2019
Aurora Halal — Eternal Blue (Wata Igarashi Crossing Remix)
Black Merlin — Strip
Carnera — Io So (Ancient Methods remix)
Delectro — Coldness (Al Ferox remix)
Djedjotronic — Take Me Down featuring Douglas McCarthy
Dreams — N.B.D
Nur Jaber — Home featuring Zanias
Ne/Re/A — We conform
Wallis — Apt 1245
Article written by John Rohrer
