to my mind, 2012 was as diverse a year as any in electronic terms, with disperate scenes, locales, labels and so on all plotting thier own unique routes rather than following some overriding but unwritten consensus.
teshno
'in germany, they can't say 'techno,' they say 'teshno'' ~ seth troxler [march 2008]
compilations of the year ~ 2011
i included compilations in my top 20 albums list last year. that was lazy. given that it’s been a vintage year for the (ever dying, apparently) things, i thought i’d do a separate list this year. first couple are firm favourites and after that it’s pretty hard to decide.
10 years of secretsundaze mixed by james priestly & giles smith on secretsundaze
since james priestly and giles smith’s first gatherings of forty people in a london pub over a decade over ago, they have grown into two of the most respected promoters in the city. and yes, whilst there have been some inspired bookings over the years; it’s their own dj sets which have most defined the seretsundaze brand (which now encompasses a booking agency and a recently rejuvenated label as well as parties across the planet). dealing most often in deep but clubby, proper house (rather than loopy, dull as dishwater catwalk stuff), it’s an aesthetic this double cd compilation would suggest they have perfectly mastered.