Music to survive a year

A non-ordered, non-comprehensive list of music that got me through 2023, not necessarily released in 2023.

Expect everything from barely-anything-happening Ambient to peak-time rave hits, with a healthy dose of punk sprinkled in. Life’s too short to think in genres.

Daughter – Stereo Mind Game

When Daughter released their first album in 2013, I was young(er), depressed, and a bit lost. Oh boy did they save me.

Since then they’ve been a stable in my heavy rotation. Their latest offering Stereo Mind Game made it not only to the top of the rotation, but is – together with their debut If You Leave – my favourite album of them. So, naturally, one of the albums that saved me in 2023.

URTE - Parallel Heights

I discovered URTE through WARNING’s SoundCloud when they premiered Rave Kids 23. Parallel Heights is on a level of its own. After the release I wasn’t able to listen to anything else for two weeks. My favourite track? All of them. They are so unique, really showcasing URTE’s producer sensibilities.

Pugilist – Negative Space

For some reason, the UK always been ahead on future sounds. Pugilist’s latest outing on Of Paradise follows in this tradition, effortlessly merging Bass Music, Dubstep, and Techno.

The Trip – UK Business

There’s nothing like a UK Garage bassline. Not-friends of the sound might remark that they all sound the same. Which, true. But that’s the point of dance music. The Trip offers a nice variety from the slightly cheesy Big Buzz to the peak-time belter Who got the Funk?

Amen 81 – Musik aus der bayerischen Staatskanzlei

Say what you want about Bavaria, it does have its good things. Brezels and Amen 81, mostly. Returning to My Ruin, Amen 81 sound as fresh as ever, maybe even more so.

Naone – WAR1208

Depending on who you ask, dance music might have a trance problem. At times I tend to agree, but other times there are EPs such as these on the ever-reliant WARNING label. Shut up and dance with me.

Gray Acres – Dreams and Phantoms

I’m easily impressed when it comes to Ambient. The less happening, the better. Gray Acre’s Dreams and Phantoms packs a whole lot into not that much. It’s just a wonderful release to calm you down.

Vertical67 – Shades of Acid

Acid is a weird thing. It sounds like noise, but at the same time it’s one of the best elements ever added to House and Techno. Vertical67 took this, applied various shades to it on all of the tracks of this EP and it’s good. Especially Woozy is such a banger.

Desert Sound Colony – Infinite Strikes EP

I digged this record in some shop, and while I thought it is quite weird music, I also recognised that Another Fish in the Pan is a belter of a track that will at one point make a dance floor lose its collective mind. I’m so glad to own this. It’s a pure joy track. Take no prisoners, take ecstasy.

Charlotte Day Wilson – ALPHA

Back to pop music and some melancholy. Charlotte Day Wilson saved my heart this summer, when it lay on the ground broken through a love lost. She does it with more grace and feels than most.

Accented Measures – Space Drift EP

Ace House Music somewhere between Deep and Tech House. Don’t know, don’t care. Once the acid line in Bad Sectors hits, you’ll find me front row.

Loscil & Lawerence English – Colours of Air

How many colours are there in an air? Enough to compose an entire ambient album around it. Lucky for us. The signal to noise ratio would be much worse without it.

Syndrome 81 – Prisons Imaginaire

If you’d have asked if I’d consider listening to Oi! punk, my response would be a resounding «No». How foolish! It turns out there is a whole movement in France combining elements of Oi! and New Wave. Thanks to J. for recommending this to me.

Morphology – Lakeland Dubs EP

Let me put it simply: Merging Electro and Dub Techno is a genius idea, perfectly executed by Morphology, who seldom miss an opportunity to put out excellence.

Fotokiller – Eerie Nostalgia

If you need one album to listen to when walking through a gloomy night when everyone else is asleep, look no further than Eerie Nostalgia. While heavily citing late-80s Wave Punk, it sounds fresh. Bonus points for Fotokiller being an a+ live band.

Die Verlierer – s/t

Let’s stay with guitar heavy music for a moment. Die Verlierer’s self-titled album was released on the ever-reliable Mangel Records. Like Fotokiller, Die Verlierer are indebted to 80s sound, and equally like them they make it sound fresh as hell.

Splizz – s/t

Punk rock to stay at home to.

Black Light Smoke – Ghosts

This was released very close to my birthday and I couldn’t have thought of a better gift. Black Light Smoke already produced Firefly, one of my all time favourite moody house tracks.

With Ghosts he returns to House Music after a stint in the darker sides of dance music. It opens with a Sprinkles speech on culture under capitalism. Instant win. It stays strong after this, too. Stripped down, moody House Music just the way it needs to be.

Promising/Youngster – Bernesga EP

Released on Analogical Force who – for me – sometimes trip over the edge of acceptable weirdness, this one sits perfectly in the center of soundscapes you want to listen and dance – or fly to another galaxy – to.

Altinbas – Second Wind

I neglected Techno for quite a while. I felt that it got boring. So, when asked if I want to do a Techno podcast I hesitated at first. But when I started digging I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Techno got interesting again. Prime example for this is Altinbas’ latest string of releases.

Holden Federico – Inner Order

Another very strong example of my new found love for Techno is Holden Federico EP on SK_eleven’s excellent SK X series. Eerie ambiance, paired with tight percussion patterns. What’s not to like.

VC-118A – Waves of Change

VC-118A returned to Delsin offering his typical in-depth excursions floating somewhere between Ambient, Dub and Electro. Samuel van Dijk is second to none in crafting sounds through which the outer world disappears while one is fully submerged in them.

Hania Rani – Ghosts

Yes, I do have an affinity for ghosts and ghosts themed music. I also really like Hania Rani’s music. Home saved my sanity during the darker times of the COVID-19 pandemic. With Ghosts she returns to Gondwana Records. It’s audible that her approach to music has changed and expanded. Still rooted in her piano skills, it incorporates more electronic elements and vocals.

Low Tape – Escape from Road Valley

Another one from the acidic depths of Electro music. Space-flight stuff galore. Just leave me in the vicinity of the Virgo Supercluster, I’ll find my way back home. Eudemonia’s recent run of releases has been excellent.

Joe Davis – Shields in Full Sunlight

Smallville never disappoints. I can think of few labels that keep such a consistent level over 70+ releases. The first Smallpeople album firmly sits in my lifetime top 10 dance music albums. Naturally I was stoked when I saw Joe Davis’ album announced and it does everything it needs to do. Some samples, moody synths, sunlight baked into beats.

Various Artists – EEPPIICC002

I’m still a bit speechless how ridicolously good this Strike a Pose edit is. It, ahem, strikes right into the pop-affiliated 90s revival trend, but does so with humour and style. Every winter needs its summer hit. This is mine.

Bersarin Quartett – Systeme

Another one of those artists whose output I follow very closely and since years. Mehr als alles andere is in close contention to be one of my most listened songs ever. Systeme has just been released and fits Bersarin Quartett’s «slightly unsettling with sparks of optimism» schema perfectly.

A good year in music paired with a weird year, personally, and a catastrophe, overall. Will 2024 improve on those scales? Unfortunately, we’ll find out. Fortunately, we’ll have more music to survive another year.