Once again, we find ourselves at the turn of another year, another 12 months that have brought us all kinds of emotions, from sheer glee to utter despair, and in which every one of us kept building our own particular soundtrack to help cope with the bad times and celebrate the good.
This is the time of the year where we look back and decide what we take from 2017 into posterity, what our particular taste tells us was most exciting or memorable, what stood out for us from all the stuff we keep getting hit with all year round. And I´d like to share with you the electronic music I most enjoyed this year, the 10 best albums of 2017, IMHO.
There were many many other great records released this year, but it´s better to keep it short and sweet, rather than doing an endless, self-indulging list. So, here are my picks for best electronic music albums of 2017 (in alphabetical order):
1. Dark Sky – Othona (Monkeytown Records)
The London duo team up with the Monkeytown label once again to release their second LP, an album where they continue to showcase their versatility and prowess as producers. Ranging from shuffling opener “Othona”, to the hectic dance beats of ‘Angels’ and the subdued and melodic ‘Jjj’, Dark Sky, with Othona, prove to be one of the most exciting and unpredictable artists in electronic music today.
2. Four Tet – New Energy (Text Records)
A work from another UK producer worthy of praise, Four Tet, a prolific creator who´s now on his ninth full-length release. This time around, he attempts to pair his older downtempo style with a newer club sound, resulting in gems like “Planet”, “Lush” and the Zen garden-like “Two Thousand and Seventeen”.
3. Hiatus – All the Troubled Hearts (Lucky Thunder)
Tehran´s Cyrus Shahrad has given us some of the most soothing and beautiful music released this year, thanks to his latest LP, full of lush soundscapes where beats, samples, piano, and strings come together to form captivating, emotional tunes. For a sample, try “Father”, “Strays” or the title track, with smooth vocals from Daudi Matsiko. You will be moved.
4. Indian Wells – Where The World Ends (Friends of Friends)
An Italian producer now on his third record, Indian Wells turns out a beautiful, layered sound spread across 10 songs, where he addresses issues like immigration and international borders through his music. Based on a techno template, he adds atmosphere, depth, and melody, giving us excellent tracks such as ‘Cascades’, ‘Some Stripes’ and ‘Heart of Light’.
5. Maceo Plex – Solar (Lone Romantic)
Eric Estornel´s experimental alter ego, Maceo Plex, took electro and techno out of the club and into our heads with his Solar LP, with many variations on the theme, but keeping a deep, murky and sentimental vibe all throughout its 68 minutes. Guest vocals from the likes of Jono McCleery and DNCN give the tunes another dimension, adding a human element to tracks like ‘Solar Wind’ and ‘Indigo’.
6. Mount Kimbie – Love What Survives (Warp Records)
The third LP from this London pair continues on the path set by their previous outing, Cold Spring Fault Less Youth, producing yet another brilliant collection of songs that defy labels and become more and more engaging with each listen. Top-notch guests such as King Krule and James Blake perfectly complement the duo´s sound, raising the bar for any other electronic music artists. Watch out for ‘Blue Train Lines’, ‘We Go Home Together’ and closing tune ‘How We Got By’.
7. Om Unit – Self (Cosmic Bridge)
Spacey and powerful, Jim Cole´s signature style keeps evolving and evolving, mixing a bottom-heavy blend and incorporating elements of hip-hop, jungle, hardcore, footwork, bass music, ambient, you name it, coming up with deep, driving tunes in the end. Even the quieter bits, like ‘Passages’, have a menacing underlayer, giving the music an ever-present and disquieting edge. Rider Shafique, DRS and Amos add words to the beats on ‘Nothing’, ‘Make Believe’ and ‘What Can I Be’, respectively, but it´s the instrumental tracks, like ‘Out of the Shadows’, ‘Twilight’ and ‘Tahatan’, that get the most inside your head.
8. Phaeleh – Lost Time (Undertow)
Phaeleh (pronounced ‘Fella’) hails from Bristol and apparently can´t do no wrong. His last three albums are exceptional, with this year´s ‘Lost Time’ adding yet another jewel to his discography. A very detailed-oriented producer, he´s able to create delicate and atmospheric tracks, often accompanied by chilled vocals from artists like, for instance, Augustus Ghost, who lends her voice to ‘Feel You Fade’, herself fading into the production´s soundscape and becoming one with the song. Phaeleh´s style is surprisingly refreshing and familiar at the same time, taking the future garage sound to a whole different level.
9. Sasha – Refracted Live (Late Night Tales)
After delivering last year´s “Scene Delete”, and blowing any preconceptions about himself out of the water in the process, Sasha kept building his artistic output with a very ambitious project, joining his original music with live strings and percussion and presenting it to a very appreciative audience at London´s Barbican Theatre. There is little to be said about this masterful exhibition of Sasha´s talent and the possibilities of electronic music, save that it was a risky gamble that paid off very handsomely. By playing both the newer ‘Scene Delete’ tracks and classic originals in a completely new light, Sasha showed us he´s very well at the top of his game and eager to keep us very excited about his performances in the foreseeable future.
SOHN is one of electronica´s most soulful voices, bridging many musical gaps with a sound that is fast becoming his trademark. Blues and R&B drench his vocals, backed by strong beats and captivating melodies, resulting in a very compelling music listening experience. The title track is surely a must-listen-to track of the year, while the rest of the LP holds its own with a musical palette that ranges from the stomping blues of opener ‘Hard Liquor’ to the progressive synths of closing track ‘Harbour’.
So there you have it, the 10 albums I appreciate the most from 2017. In no way is this a definite or exclusive list, it´s just a personal selection I have made from all the music I´ve heard this year, I´m sure everyone has their own favorite records. But I hope it serves as a way to discover new artists and albums that may have otherwise been overlooked, over the information overkill we´re subjected to these days.
Here´s hoping 2018 brings us more outstanding music to write about! Cheers!
