For the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’, here’s some of Update’s ‘Albums of the Week’ from across the year, should you need something to warm the stocking over Christmas:
Various – Back To Mine: Krafty Kuts (DMC)
Funk in abundance as the cheeky Martin Reeves mixes up an endearing addition to DMC’s Back to Mine series – numbering 28 at the last count.
Carl Craig – Sessions (!K7)
Simply mandatory for techno fans, this was a double CD of pure Detroit goodness. As Kris Needs said, “Magnificent, untouchable, essential.”
Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree (Mute)
Goldfrapp returned to softer climbs with ‘Seventh Tree’, described by Ben Hogwood as “an album to wallow in, over and over”. Folky around the edges, it was pure bliss.
Cut Copy – In Ghost People (Modular)
Australian trio Cut Copy made a fine debut in ‘Bright Like Neon Love’, but ‘In Ghost Colours’ brought out their electro-pop sensibilities, and singles such as ‘Lights & Music’ were too good to be ignored.
Midnight Juggernauts – Dystopia (Siberia)
Beefier drumbeats than compatriots Cut Copy, cinematic chord changes and textures flickering like lightning. The big, concrete sound of Midnight Juggernauts had to be experienced live – and in a sweaty tent at Lovebox, was revealed as one of the best albums of the year.
Various – The Art of Acid mixed by Justin Robertson (Harmless)
If you wanted one compilation to help you celebrate the 20th anniversary of Acid House, this was the one to have. Robertson included seminal tracks from Phuture, Derrick May, Frankie Knuckles, Fast Eddie and Marshall Jefferson among others.
Various – Prins Thomas & Full Pupp present The Greatest Tits (Full Pupp)
Another ground breaking year for Scandinavian electronic music with the likes of Diskjokke and Lindstrom, and labels like Bear Funk, but the finest compilation was the cheekily named ‘Greatest Tits’ on Prins Thomas’s label. “Classy, enjoyable and emotionally butt-shaking” was Kris Needs’ verdict.
Lindstrom – Where You Go I Go Too (Smalltown Supersound)
The Norwegian invasion – all over in three tracks and fifty minutes of seamless electronic writing, the like of which might not have been seen since Jean Michel Jarre wrote ‘Oxygene’. The title track, a shade under half an hour, develops slowly but inexorably with its joyous hook – revealing more strands with each hearing.
Various – Masterpiece mixed by Jazzie B (Ministry of Sound)
An imaginative choice for the Ministry’s second in the Masterpiece series, Jazzie B offered two discs of vintage soul and funk before pulling some Chicago biggies out the bag for a third disc. The flame still burns brightly.
Deerhunter – Microcastle (4AD)
Warped Americana formed one of many superb albums from the 4AD roster in 2008. Deerhunter were described by Dean Thatcher as “an absolute stunner, if you like your music shot through with class A!”
Various – ZTT’s 25th Anniversary Box Set (ZTT)
A quarter of a century for the label that brought us Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Seal and 808 State. Paul Morley’s imprint was always pretty forward looking, and this superb package brought together two CDs and a DVD of hard to find footage – all for an affordable price.
Common – Universal Radio Control (Island)
Crowing a strong year for US hip hop, after fine albums from the Game and Kanye West, was the eighth album for Chicago’s Common. Produced by the Neptunes, it was most definitely his ‘pop’ opus and behaved as such, with a shake and a shimmy to go with the rapper’s trademark lyrical invention.
