Grab XLR8R’s Top Downloads of 2010, Part 2

Well, now you know what held the places between numbers 26 and 50 in the year’s top downloads, as chosen by the readers of XLR8R.com. So today we share with you your own best of the best, numbers 1-25. (And yes, we’re sure that Jimmy Edgar is indeed worthy of the number one and 20 spots, and that it has nothing to do with a bunch of pervs Googling “Hot” “Raw” “Sex” and unwittingly ending up on XLR8R.com.)

25. Tiefshwarz “Home feat. Daniel Wilde”
24. Salem “King Night”
23. Robot Koch “Devil Drums (Alex B Remix)”
22. Todd Edwards “I Might Be (Joy Orbison Remix)”
21. Flight Facilities “Crave You ft. Giselle (Version 2)”
20. Jimmy Edgar “Hot, Raw, Sex (Instra:mental Remix)”
19. Loops Haunt “Huarache (NastyNasty Edit)”
18. Mount Kimbie “Field”
17. Asura “Silver Trees”
16. Themselves “You Ain’t It (Lazer Sword Remix)”
15. M.A.N.D.Y. vs. Booka Shade “Donut (Gui Boratto Remix)”
14. Magnetic Man “I Need Air (Redlight Remix)”
13. Telefon Tel Aviv “Lengthening Shadows”
12. Eliot Lipp “GoldenEye”
11. Eskmo “Come Back (Lorn Remix)”
10. Four Tet “Angel Echoes (Caribou Remix)”
9. Onra “Long Distance (feat. Olivier Daysoul)”
8. Andreya Triana “Lost Where I Belong (Flying Lotus Remix)”
7. Alex B “You and I Both Know”
6. Jori Hulkkonen “I Am Dead (CFCF Remix)”
5. Caribou “Sun (Midland Re-Edit)”
4. Gyptian “Hold Yuh (Major Lazer Remix)”
3. Aloe Blacc “I Need A Dollar”
2. The Glitch Mob “Drive It Like You Stole It”
1. Jimmy Edgar “Hot, Raw, Sex”

Jürgen Paape “Take That”

Cologne’s Kompakt imprint has been a leader in all things techno since its inception in 1998, so it is only right that a record compiling the work of one of its founding members, Jürgen Paape, be regarded as something special. “Take That,” which originally appeared on this year’s Total 11 compilation and now again as part of Paape’s upcoming retrospective album, Kompilation, is an anthem with one foot placed firmly in the future and the other in the past. The track is dark and heavy, recalling some classic techno aesthetics in its sound and structure, but something seems to also be reaching out to the unknown. Maybe its the lazery rhythmic lines that carry the track along, or the stripped down, minimal bounce that Paape employs; either way, as you listen it becomes clear why taking a look at the work of one of techno’s most influential label heads/artists is a worthwhile endeavor. Paape was also known as one of techno’s most secretive artists, as he never did any interviews, played any shows, or published any pictures, until now. The image above is Paape’s first published photo which, not surprisingly, looks like a German guy who has been making techno for over a decade. Kompilation will be released exclusively from Kompakt on December 17 physically and January 10 digitally.

Take That

Ghostly and Spectral to Release Two New Giant Compilations

Ann Arbor’s now-legendary Ghostly International and sister-label Spectral Sound are set two release two new giant digital compilations next week with We’ll Never Stop Living This Way (album artwork above) and Spectral Sound Vol. 3. The former is a 30-track collection which spans Ghostly’s rich and diverse output over the last 11 years. The comp, which was put together as a companion to The Ghostly Book, includes all the standouts, new and old, from their roster such as Matthew Dear, Gold Panda, Kate Simko, Dabrye, and Tycho as well as a track from newcomer Com Truise. Spectral Sound Vol. 3 is also quite an ambitious endeavor, the 50-track compilation will include one song from every Spectral release starting with SPC-51 to SPC-99. Expect 50 Midwestern-leaning techno tracks from the last two or so years from the likes of Audion, Broker/Dealer, Benoit & Sergio, Seth Troxler, and an unreleased track from James T. Cotton. You can check the complete tracklists below and stream We’ll Never Stop Living This Way over at NPR. Both comps are set to be released December 14. (via Resident Advisor)

We’ll Never Stop Living This Way Tracklist:
01. Gold Panda – Peaky Caps
02. Shigeto – Eternal Life
03. Outputmessage – Bernard’s Song
04. Matthew Dear – Fleece On Brain
05. Dabrye feat. Waajeed – Jorgy
06. Mobius Band – Multiply
07. Tycho – Coastal Brake
08. Daniel Wang – Berlin Sunrise (Diskjokke Version)
09. School of Seven Bells – Half Asleep (Lusine Remix)
10. Aeroc – My Love, The Wave Break
11. Lawrence – Five Leaves
12. Choir of Young Believers – Hollow Talk
13. Tadd Mullinix – Exchanging Modes
14. The Sight Below – No Place For Us
15. Loscil – Union Dusk
16. Benoit Pioulard – Little A Strongly More Go I
17. Pale Sketcher – Dummy (Bahnhoff Version)
18. Cepia – Tape
19. Midwest Product – Clarity
20. Osborne – Outta Sight (Luke Vibert Remix)
21. Lusine – Double Vision
22. Solvent – Loss For Words (Solvent’s CompuRhythm Mix)
23. JDSY – Horizon Line
24. Deastro – Tone Adventure #3
25. Michna – Redline Flights
26. The Reflecting Skin – Traffickers
27. Mux Mool – Crackers
28. Kiln – Flycatcher
29. Kate Simko – The Creative Part
30. Com Truise – Cyanide Sisters

Spectral Sound Vol. 3 Tracklist:
01. Audion – Fred’s Bells (Onur Ozer Remix)
02. James T. Cotton – Got To Let You Know
03. Osborne – Ruling
04. Osborne – Afrika
05. Matthew Dear – Hammers
06. Matthew Dear – Killjoy
07. Kate Simko – She Said (Ryan Elliott Edit)
08. Daso & Pawas – Det (Shatrax Beats Plus Remix)
09. Daso – Chair And Table
10. Audion – Snap into It
11. Sami Koivikko – Sapphire (Daso & Pawas Remix)
12. James T. Cotton – Electronic Justice
13. Broker/Dealer – Soft Sell (Thomas Fehlmann Remix)
14. Matthew Dear – Dog Days (DJ Sneak Remix)
15. Lawrence – Forever Anna
16. Kate Simko – Margie’s Groove
17. Jonas Kopp – Cero
18. Osborne – Wait A Minute [Instrumental]
19. Audion – I Am The Car
20. Audion – Look At The Moon
21. Bodycode – Imitation Dub
22. Bodycode – Immune
23. Kate Simko – Take You There (Bruno Pronsato’s Break-Up Day Remix)
24. Seth Troxler – Hurt (feat. Matthew Dear)
25. Seth Troxler – Panic, Stop. Repeat! (Paco Osuna Remix)
26. Audion – Stoplight
27. Audion – It’s Full Of Blinding Light
28. Jabberjaw – Safety Flirt
29. Lee Curtiss – Black Door Beauty
30. Lee Curtiss – Smoking Mirrors
31. Audion – That’s That
32. Jabberjaw – The Connie Shake
33. Audion – Push
34. Gadi Mizrahi – Oh Love
35. Audion – Instant In You
36. Ryan Crosson – Don’t Look Further
37. Gadi Mizrahi – She Don’t (Lowtec Remix)
38. James T. Cotton – On Time
39. Childproof Man – Whose Been Meaning To?
40. Birds & Souls – Birds & Souls
41. Birds & Souls – Birds & Souls (Runaway’s Mountain & Ground Remix)
42. Mike Parker – Protolanguage
43. James T. Cotton – Jak Your Own Stars
44. Osborne – 5th Stage (John Roberts Remix)
45. Childproof Man – Fat Head
46. Shonky – KorgM1
47. Hieroglyphic Being – Got No Place To Go
48. Benoit & Sergio – Midnight People (Technasia Dub 2)
49. Benoit & Sergio – Midnight People [Vocal Version]
50. James T. Cotton – Blast Reed [Unreleased]

Video: Eskmo “We Got More”

Well, it looks like the Inception ripples are starting to hit the shore. But what better pairing could those kinds of mind-bending visuals have than the hyperreal 3-D sounds of Bay Area producer Eskmo? Director/animator Cyriak Harris plays with some footage of a New York City street to the slow groove of producer Brendan Angelides’ crunchy “We Got More” track from his recently released Eskmo (Ninja Tune) album. Things get more and more intertwined, psychedelic, and all around unreal as the piece moves on, and just like the movie that must have inspired Eskmo’s music video, it ends with no confirmed return to reality. Is it all a dream?!

Tvyks feat. C.Monts “Mitte Riddim”

For the third release on burgeoning Czech imprint Mean Bucket, Prague-based DJ/producer Tvyks crafted a two-song single, Prague to Berlin, filled with the skittering bounce of UK club rhythms, the airy pads of old-school rave tunes, and the expertly delivered verbiage of UK MC C.Monts. Here, we’re given the opportunity to pass on one of those tunes, the solid dancefloor heat of “Mitte Riddim.” The song kicks off already in high gear—a shuffling future-house beat follows some introductory blips and clicks, which is quickly joined by a handful of hyped-up synths and lyrical gymnastics. Just about everything thereafter climbs higher into the realms of late-night revelry, though Tvyks still makes way for a somber breakdown around the midpoint before he builds it right back up to the heights where we started. You can check out the whole Prague to Berlin single here.

Mitte Riddim

Mobilee Records Offers Alexi Delano Podcast and New Releases From Schneider and Miss Kittin

Brooklyn techno veteran Alexi Delano (pictured above) has a new podcast available thanks to Berlin’s Mobilee imprint. Delano’s podcast comes on the heels of his recently released single, “Un Do Me” b/w “Watch Out,” from Leena (a Mobilee sub-label) and he’s delivered an hour’s worth of slippery dancefloor burners to help spread the word. The podcast finds Delano bouncing through a few different veins of the techno spectrum: from the minimal and melodic to the funky and soulful, all while keeping everything worthy of the sweaty dancefloors he’s been rocking for years. The purveyors of the podcast (the 20th in their series), Mobilee, appear to have a busy 2011 already scheduled; Miss Kittin will be dropping her first track in over a year with “All You Need”; label co-founder Anja Schneider will have a new EP, Pushin’; and relative newcomer to the techno scene, Maya Jane Coles, will be following up her excellent 2010 with her Beat Faster EP in January. You can stream the podcast below or head over to Mobilee’s Soundcloud to take a listen.

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mobilee podcast 020 – Alexi Delano by Mobilee records

DMX Krew Wave Funk

Ed Upton has proven, for the past 15 years, that he’s a pious disciple of ’80s electro, but his 10th album as DMX Krew, Wave Funk, calls for an intervention to break his addiction. In the past, Upton and his arsenal of vintage analog synths and drum machines could easily melt away the 25 years since electro’s heyday. On Wave Funk, he departs from his vocal-driven electro pop and falls into abstract synth instrumentals that often don’t quite gel. “Flanging” and “Garden Gate” find Upton trying his hand at crunk rhythms, but the efforts come across as stale. He even indulges in ’80s kitsch with the sitcom-friendly funk of “Mr. Blue” and “Particle Burst,” and although both tracks can reap an initial chuckle or two, they don’t hold up beyond that. His ventures into dark moods fare worse, as queasy melodies and legless beats hinder “Byzantium” and the aptly named “Funeral Procession.” That said, there are still a few specks of gold in the muck—the strutting groove of “Gravity Boots” has a nice, sleazy vibe and “Get Down (To the Sound)” would have been fine, romantic acid-funk if it wasn’t for those annoying chord progressions. Ultimately, Wave Funk is the sort of record that follows each step forward with three steps back.

Video: The Crystal Ark “The City Never Sleeps”

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While we’re over here at XLR8R HQ compiling, revising, and fine-tuning out year-end favorites lists, DFA just goes ahead and drops a new video for The Crystal Ark‘s massive “The City Never Sleeps” track on our lap, like we don’t already have enough on our minds. But we’re not too bothered by it, and now we might have to amend our Favorite Videos of 2010 list to include this well-made clip. While producer Gavin Russom and vocalist Viva Ruiz, who also directed the piece, sit amongst vintage equipment, sing in a bath of light, and dance around like they’re part of a religious ceremony, a handful of New York’s sleepless people come to find themselves in the company of some sort of celestial being, who then transforms them into… Well, you’ll have to see for yourself, but between the psychedelic visual effects, awesome costumes, and overall high production values, this is definitely a video worth your time—whether it’s best-of material or not. (via FADER)

Guest Reviews: Benoit & Sergio

Benoit & Sergio‘s 2009 debut EP, What I’ve Lost, is a lesson in sophistication, each song displaying a level of musical maturity rarely reached by producers in a whole lifetime of work. Vocals, melody, and dancefloor-ready rhythms all come together to create a vision of house music that could live in the club or the solitude of your bedroom. Their latest release, “Midnight People,” out now on Spectral, is a head-turning club track that uses a deep and dark piano melody reminiscent of Chicago house’s finest moments, and serves as an interesting follow-up to the romanticism of What I’ve Lost. The Berlin-DC duo’s ascendance may seem explosive given the pair’s limited discography—which will soon include upcoming releases on Vision Quest and DFA—but it’s all the more reason to see what they’re listening to these days.

John Roberts
Glass Eights
Dial
It’s as if Arvo Pärt and Theo Parrish (at his most abstract) sat down at a cafe in Berlin, became good friends, and then decided to make a record. Every move on Mr. Roberts’ debut LP has the complex, deliberate feel of a chess game between elegant minds. Deep yet clear, gentle but not dull, strong without rage, full without overflowing.

Seuil & dOP
“Prostitutes (Visionquest Remix)”
Eklo
We discovered this EP driving at night through the privileged neighborhoods of LA toward summer’s end. The Visionquest remix is perfect for the beast of any night. Epic and weird, its casino-style voice-overs and Dirty Harry hi-hats are underpinned by a tension between bass and kick that only a trip to that massage parlor on Wilshire Boulevard can release.

Listen here.

Woolfy
“Looking Glass (Extended Mix)”
DFA
We wish we could go back in time with this song and play it for Charlotte Rampling around 1982, and then walk along the River Seine with her, talking of the future. We think she would love the song’s melancholy, and the way its synth lines grow slowly toward Woolfy’s forlorn plaint. The Canyons remix is beautiful and forlorn, too.

Matthew Dear
“You Put A Smell On Me (Breakbot Remix)”
Ghostly International
Breakbot’s remix culls something unexpectedly light from the black-rock quarry of the expert original. There’s a neo-Prince flavor to the groove, the passing falsetto, and the big LinnDrum clap and snare.

Slackk “Crucial Love”

The latest record to come from the excellent Numbers label is the debut release from London producer Slackk, a three-song jaunt entitled Theme From Slackk. “Crucial Love” isn’t one of those next-level, so-called “eski-house” burners, but the track does find the producer in similarly funky territory. While samples from New Edition’s “Crucial” tune are toyed with at the core, a slow, booming dance beat carries the funky guitars, buzzing synths, and low-bit electronics that make up the rest of the song’s instrumentation. Slackk’s “Crucial Love” is probably a bit too slow for anyone’s peak-hour playlist, but it’s certainly a weird one that’ll bring you down in style. You can get more info on Slackk’s new EP, not to mention pick up your own copy of the record, here.

Crucial Love

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