Greetings!

As I was planning to start a monthly music selection feature, I realized 2015 has come to an end and the thought of making a “best of” started evolving in my head, and content was building up so rapidly that I reckoned multiple posts were due. So this is part 1 of what I believe will be a 3 part series. This is where I get to talk about the music I like (bla bla oh so bla bla…), what I think about the music I like (bla bla was so totally bla bla…) and how this affects me (I was so bla bla’d I completely bla’d out…). So as my fellow Gremlin described it:

 

Perfect!

I would like to dedicate this post to one of my favourite labels this year, Claude VonStroke’s DIRTYBIRD. http://dirtybird.com/

I find this label to be totally unique as it manages to produce the most innovative club sounds while retaining a party club vibe, sounding underground and powerful. Now underground is a tricky word, as it doesn’t really mean a lot today (unless it’s a bomb shelter), but for me, underground means using bold and distinctive sounds that come out rudely out of the mix  and give an unpolished touch to a track, making it sort of radio unfriendly and night out – hi & drunk – totally friendly!

I don’t know if you’ve experienced this as I have, but Techno music and especially Deep House in recent years have brought a sophisticated yet somehow downbeat and mellow-ish vibe to music, that even though you’re appreciating the sounds and ideas you somehow almost fall asleep on the dance floor…now here’s what I like about DIRTYBIRD – the groove is upbeat and funky, while retaining the utter most production innovation and detail.

So I selected three tracks from this label that I liked the most:

 

 

Artist: Justin Martin, Ardalan

Title: Function feat. Partypatty

Only one thing to say about this track: Chapeau, Chapeau, Chapeau! The low frequency percussion combined with the synth work, the funky vocals, totally brilliant. Got that sexy vibe to it too, maybe because of the wobbling synth, truly nasty!

Link to Beatport: http://tinyurl.com/guzorlt

Artist: Ardalan

Title: It Doesn’t Want

This is Ardalan again, a solo production this time as opposed to the collaboration of three artists on the previous track. What I like about this track is it uses very few elements to create a dark atmosphere that’s banging and hard hitting all the way to the end. Retaining a funky groove, it holds an awesome low frequency content that moves the entire room!

Link to Beatport: http://tinyurl.com/zhmlzmf

Artist: Claude VonStroke

Title: Barrump

Ok, so I ranked this track third, even though as far as dance floor response this should probably have gone as number 1. Mastermind and label honcho Claude VonStroke delivers a club banger of true hit fabric. The vocal sample is so funky and funny, makes a a perfect match on the beat. The bass line is a pure funky groove, probably a loop sample (my guess).

Link to Beatport: http://tinyurl.com/z47zrbg

This was the first part of my insight into the sounds of 2015. More will come! Stay tuned.

Happy holidays,

Yoni