STHoldings: End of year review 2011
So that’s another year almost done and with it come the inevitable top this, top that lists. Here are details of how STHoldings distributed labels/artists featured in the end of year lists from around the web.
RA Poll: Top 50 tracks of 2011
http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1422
46. Maurice Donovan - Babeh [SSSSS]
The man formerly known as Ramadan cuts up a classic into something resembling house.
SSSSS02 A – Maurice Donovan – Babeh by Hemlockrecordings
22. Peverelist - Dance Til the Police Come [Hessle Audio]
Jungle-inspired-swinging post-dubstep—or in other words, a Bristol-based genius at the top of his game.
Peverelist ‘Dance til the Police Come’ by Peverelist
19. Scuba - Adrenalin [Hotflush]
A lot of 2011′s big tracks inspired as much bickering as they did dancefloor mayhem, and Scuba’s only single under his usual moniker was no different. Following in his new, looser, and housier direction, “Adrenalin” is eight minutes of rigid repetition, incessantly catchy basslines and a strobing vocal sample. But the song’s lopsided progression is the important part, because three minutes in it melts away into one of the year’s most decadent breakdowns, several minutes of building synth washes and whooshes that unashamedly ascend to the highest of the gurning trance heavens. The song’s title might imply a certain energy, but we all know there’s a different chemical driving this one.
Scuba ‘Adrenalin’ Hotflush Recordings [HF030] by stholdings
17. Pangaea - Hex [Hemlock]
Pangaea’s “Hex” was perfectly fine for the first 86 seconds. Pretty swell even. A bit of rhythmic trickery, a nice organic bed for it all to sit on. Then there was this: “Buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh kut buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh kut be booooooooooooy be boooooOOOOOOOoy.” It was at that moment that “Hex” became one of the most exciting songs we’d heard all year. That Kevin McAuley had further tricks up his sleeve later on is icing on the cake of course, but it’s also why we kept coming back to it throughout the year.
HEK 013 A Pangaea – Hex by Hemlockrecordings
10. Unknown Artist - Sicko Cell [Swamp 81]
Be honest: When you finally heard “Sicko Cell” in full, you were a little bit underwhelmed. (If you even bothered to track it down at all.) There’s not much to say about the rhythm. There’s hardly a drop. Even the melody—if you can call the atmospheres a full-fledged melody—don’t inspire much poetry. There is a vocal, though. Perhaps you remember? It’s the one about cocaine powder. The one that drove you mad in a club this year trying to figure out where it was from. The one that Loefah, Oneman and others couldn’t stop playing. The one that landed this tune in our top 10 tracks of the year.
? – Sicko Cell / Knock Knock [SWAMP014] Swamp81 by Surus
01. Blawan - Getting Me Down [White Label]
The whole story behind “Getting Me Down” is a bit corny really. I went out on New Years Eve—like everyone else does, and I did the whole thing, had a good time, left quite early and came back home and kind of just sat at my computer all night/morning. I had these disco loops I had been working on that I wasn’t really doing much with, and I started messing around with the a cappella and then something just clicked. I did it in about four hours and kind of forgot about it.
This one dropped off the radar for me a little bit, because I actually thought it was one of the weirder things I had written. I never really grasped the catchy vocal properly until I put it into context. A few guys said, “Yeah, I really like that tune,” but nothing more than anything else I sent before. The first person to get anything from me is usually Ben UFO. Ben gave it the first play on Rinse FM, and somebody then ripped it from the radio stream and uploaded it to YouTube—something that seems happen all the time now. That played an integral part of getting the tune in people’s heads really.
I’d been playing the tune out a lot, and it had got an OK reaction. I mean, I had always thought of it as filler for a set anyway. But once the YouTube clip was up, a lot of people in clubs knew what it was, even though it was only three or so weeks after I had finished making it. It’s really strange how things move so fast.
Blawan ‘Getting Me Down’ (White label) by punchdrunkmusicdotcom
RA Poll: Top 20 albums of 2011
http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1423
19. Instra:mental - Resolution 653 [NonPlus+]
The problem with Instra:mental? They release too much good music. “Problem” is the wrong word, but such has been the standard of Alex Green and Damon Kirkham’s output these past couple of years it’s become tough to ruminate on each new offering in isolation, fully appreciating the true extent of its merits. They’ve spoilt us, basically—and none more so than on their debut album, Resolution 653. Barely pausing for a fag break across its 13 tracks, the pair coaxed jaw-clenching amounts of warmth and grit out of their machines, coming off like the natural heirs to Drexciya’s electro throne.
Instra:mental ‘Resolution 653′ Album audio clips Nonplus Records by stholdings
RA Poll: Top 20 compilations of 2011
http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1424
20. Various Artists - Mosaic Vol. 1 [Exit]
A lot of the tunes on Mosaic were earmarked as singles for Exit. But it became really clear that I wasn’t going to have the schedule to get everything out, so a compilation seemed like a good idea. In the same way as the [Autonomic] podcast, putting this music together served as a platform for people to get their heads around it. If the tracks are all in dribs and drabs it sort of goes unnoticed. I think compilations and the podcast kind of helped identify this group of artists producing this music. I suppose that’s where the title Autonomic came from. It’s funny that it became a genre name sort of, because that was never the intent.
- dBridge
Mosaic Vol 1 CD by Exit Records UK
14. Various Artists - Back & 4th [Hotflush]
I wasn’t directly involved in the process of choosing tracks for Back & 4th, but the goal was to present a gradual evolution of the label’s sound over the last few years. It was also an opportunity to bring in a few newcomers who provided a clear manifestation of that same evolution, with Roska, Boddika, dBridge, and FaltyDL adding their own flavors to the mix. I was also glad that Scuba picked up my own track, “Axis.” It’s the first one I made that I was really satisfied with. My favorite track on the compilation, though, was Boxcutter’s “LOADtime.” He’s always been really inspiring to me, as a veteran producer whose talent and skill really set him apart. – Incyde, Label Manager
BACK AND 4TH – Disc 1 by Hotflush
10. Various Artists - 116 & Rising [Hessle Audio]
We had the idea for the compilation at the end of 2010 and started putting the wheels in motion soon after that. We approached some people we hadn’t worked with before as well as asking those we had if they were interested in the concept too. Luckily for us, everybody was. In terms of the name, the three of us were on the train coming back from our distributors after talking about the project, thinking of titles. I’d been re-listening to Experience by the Prodigy a week or two earlier and one of the tracks on there is called “Everybody in the Place (155 & Rising).” So 116 & Rising (referring to the BPM of the slowest track in the comp) is a bit of a joke, but at the same time summarises the project and a lot of what we’re about nicely.
- Pangaea
James Blake – Give A Man A Rod (Second Version) by BOILER ROOM
RA Poll: Top 20 labels of 2011
http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1421
20. NonPlus+
Nonplus+ heads Alex Green and Damon Kirkham simply claim to release what they like—no matter the genre. That’s what everyone says…until the distributor steps in. Luckily for us, Green and Kirkham didn’t get the memo, and spent the year reaffirming their pan-genre approach by putting Actress’ blurry electronica next to Lowtec’s tired house, and Boddika’s breezin’ electro up against the Neil Landstrumm and JD Twitch collab Salsa Apocalypso. Add Instra:mental’s own brutal and beautiful Resolution 653 to the mix, and you have yourself a wonderful and confusing year
19. Idle Hands
Saunter down Stokes Croft in Bristol with some cash in your pocket and you’ll likely end up trawling the racks of Idle Hands. The label of the same name was started up in 2009 while Chris Farrell was still employed a bit further up the street by the erstwhile Rooted Records. Much like the stock in both these stores, the label hasn’t been wedded to any one genre. In 2011 that’s meant an impeccable string of singles from artists like AnD, Kowton, Kevin McPhee, Szare and Outboxx which have run the gamut between charcoal techno and jazzy house.
05. Hotflush
With a hefty label compilation occupying the first quarter of the year and a busy 2010 behind him, it could have been a year of consolidation for Scuba’s Hotflush. Instead, the imprint pushed forward with new talents George FitzGerald, Braille) and old Paul Woolford & Psycatron). Looking over the names that released on Hotflush in retrospect, and things seem obvious. (Err… of course Sepalcure and Sigha go together!) But it speaks to the platform that Scuba has created that artists from house, techno and bass music even think to send him tracks—and that he finds a way to work all of them into his DJ sets.
Pitchfork The Top 100 Tracks of 2011
http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/8726-the-top-100-tracks-of-2011/
94. Sepalcure “Pencil Pimp” [Hotflush]
As Sepalcure, Travis Stewart and Praveen Sharma slid in right before the whistle to remind us that electronic music devices can do more than evocatively sputter and fritz. “Pencil Pimp” whirls on a machine-lathed spindle of Chicago footwork, capturing a feeling of curtailed tension and lurking danger with its soulful vocal clips and warm synth pads. There are no gestures of rebellion or subversion, only an argument for well-made music at a time when it might seem besieged. “Pencil Pimp” demonstrates why we feel so comfortable breaking the mold: We know someone will come along who feels passionate enough to cast it again, tempered even stronger. –Brian Howe
Sepalcure – Pencil Pimp / I’m Alright (album single) by Hotflush
86. Blawan “Getting Me Down” [self-released]
Blawan first drew attention with tracks that wielded wild drums like a toddler banging on household objects, but his most powerful moment this year came when he reined in those tendencies for a straightforward house thumper. A lot of the impact in “Getting Me Down” comes fromthat Brandy vocal, squeezed and wedged into a galloping beat that recontextualizes the R&B slow-jam original as a sugary, hyped-up rush that’s dangerously contagious. Released discreetly after months of dubplate domination, the track’s landing was titanic: it was impossible to walk around record stores in London in May without hearing it blaring from speakers, or go to a club night without it being rinsed at least once. For the first half of the year, “Getting Me Down” was an event, and listening back to it at year’s end, it’s easy to see why. So few tracks combined candyfloss rave, UK garage hysteria, and dubby dread (check the growling basslines) into something that sounded so universal yet so subversive, helping to kick off a new impulse in the bass music world that was all about house. –Andrew Ryce
Pitchfork The Top 50 Albums of 2011
http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/8727-the-top-50-albums-of-2011/?utm_source=related
47. Sepalcure ‘Sepalcure’ [Hotflush]
In an interview with The Guardian last month, Hotflush boss Scuba named “Outside”, the closing song from bass music duo Sepalcure’s self-titled debut LP, as the song he would want to open his next DJ set with. It’s a strange choice for a set opener– “Outside” is beatless, essentially four minutes of drone and clipped voices– but then again, not much about Sepalcure makes sense in the constant forward-thinking climate of bass music circa 2011. As an album, it doesn’t really do anything new, and a few of the signifiers that Travis Stewart and Praveen Sharma plunder onSepalcure were, to some, reaching their expiration dates– specifically, the use of pitched vocals that Stewart liberally splayed on his album this year as Machinedrum, Room(s). Part of what makes Sepalcure such a deeply enjoyable listen is how familiar it all is, pogoing between juke-derived textures, IDM’s click-clack machinery, misty pastoral ambience, and house music’s 4/4 insistence while weaving a web of shivering romance that still manages to move bodies. Above all else, Sepalcure offers a necessary reminder that, yeah, change is good, but elegant, refined perfection also has its place. –Larry Fitzmaurice
Sepalcure – Sepalcure LP *Album Preview* [HFLP006] Hotflush Recordings by Surus
Fact Magazine 50 best: tracks of 2011
http://www.factmag.com/2011/12/05/50-best-tracks-of-2011-50-41/
47: PAUL WOOLFORD & PSYCATRON ‘STOLEN’ (HOTFLUSH)
Almost five years on from ‘Erotic Discourse’, someone, somewhere did 2011 a massive favour and relit the fire under Paul Woolford’s arse, prompting the Leeds veteran to roll back the years and deliver some of his all-time best material. ‘Razor Blade’ and his remix of T. Williams and Terri Walker’s ‘Heartbeat’ were sublime, but this colossal collaboration with Psycatron on Hotflush simply took the biscuit.
Paul Woolford and Psycatron – Stolen [HFT018] by Hotflush
40: OLD APPARATUS SIDE A PART 1 (DEEP MEDI)
Old Apparatus’s mysterious debut – 20 minutes of music spread across two untitled sides of vinyl – is something we recommend enjoying as a whole, but there’s no doubt that the first distinct movement of the A-side packs the fiercest punch. It sounds like UK garage gone industrial, its perfectly swung rhythm riven by distortion and an overloaded darkside bassline. The end, it suggests, is very much nigh.
39: TEETH ‘SHAWTY’ (502 RECORDINGS)
Smoked-out drum machine pop from Helsinki’s TEETH that suited 502′s darkroom aesthetic (see also: Jay Weed, Fis-T) to a tee.
Oneman’s 502 Label: Teeth – Shawty/Shawty [FaltyDL Remix] 502003 by stholdings
24: KAHN ‘LIKE WE USED TO’ (PUNCH DRUNK)
Kahn’s beautifully crafted debut single bowled us over, with its vocals chopped into the syllables of pure energy and longing – “feminine pressure” writ large – and strapped to the most lithe and undeniable dubstep rhythm we heard all year.
Kahn ‘Like We Used To’ (Punch Drunk Records) by Punch Drunk Records
20: BLAWAN ‘GETTING ME DOWN’ (WHITE LABEL)
This year, Blawan expanded on the promise of his 2010 debut single ‘Fram’ to become one of the UK’s most in-demand, and refreshingly, heaviest producers, proving that you can still go hard in the paint without resorting to dubstep or electro-house cliches. He showed off his lighter touch, however, on this vinyl only edit of Brandy’s ‘Wanna Be Down’; it’s still his finest track to date.
17: PANGAEA ‘WON’T HURT’ (HESSLE AUDIO)
Pretty much everything Pangaea touches turns to gold, but nothing gleamed so bright in 2011 as ‘Won’t Hurt’ – a rude-as-all-fuck but masterfully honed onslaught of scything synths, choppy drums and outrageous sub-bass.
13: UNKNOWN ARTIST ‘SICKO CELL’ (SWAMP81)
I’m the information… co-caine powder. Say no more.
07: ROCKWELL ‘ARIA’ (CRITICAL AUDIO)
The most atmospheric, emotive and dynamic drum’n’bass track of the year, and an instant classic – wrought out of fierce, fanatically detailed drum programming, ghost-traces of This Mortal Coil’s ‘Song To The Siren’ and impeccably timed, gut-skewering bass stabs.
Fact Magazine 50 best: albums of 2011
http://www.factmag.com/2011/11/30/50-best-albums-of-2011-50-41/
42: 2562 FEVER (WHEN IN DOUBT)
Fever is a concept album with a very simple but rigorous set of rules – every nuance and texture is half-inched from disco records produced from the mid 70’s to the early 80’s, with producer Dave Huismans’ own birth year of 1979 acting as a temporal pivot. The results don’t sound like disco at all – beyond a certain joyous, celebratory quality – but rather a new kind of dance music; dynamic, shapeshifting and irrepressible.
2562 – Fever (doubt001cd/lp) [April 2011] by 2562 / A Made Up Sound
XLR8R’s Best of 2011: Labels
http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2011/12/xlr8rs-best-2011-labels
5. Hotflush
If you’re wondering why we think Hotflush is one of the best labels of the year, then you are not reading XLR8R enough. Let’s start with the obvious reasons: Sepalcure’s debut full-length topped Hotflush’s year off with a stunning display of dense post-dubstep, George FitzGerald dropped two more solid singles of R&B-infused garage, and label head Paul Rose (a.k.a. Scuba) unleashed one of 2011′s biggest tunes, “Adrenalin.” Meanwhile, Praveen Sharma of Sepalcure dropped four tracks of luscious, rolling garage with his A Meaning EP as Braille and Lando Kal stepped outside his usual role as the taller half of Lazer Sword long enough to deliver two of his most impressive solo cuts to date, “Further” and “Time Out.” Big, soulful tunes, consistently top-notch output, and a proven ability to not only shift within the ever-moving bass-music scene, but, more importantly, the power to influence it, made Hotflush a force yet again in 2011. Glenn Jackson
4. SWAMP81
Second acts can be hard to come by in electronic music, particularly in the lightning-quick environs of London’s hardcore continuum, but DMZ co-founder Loefah doesn’t seem to be having much of a problem with it. Since founding the SWAMP81 imprint in 2009, he’s quickly assembled a roster that functions as a sort of all-star team for upfront, low-end-heavy sounds. After serving up massive tunes like Addison Groove’s “Footcrab” and Ramadanman’s “Work Them” in 2010, the vinyl-only label stepped it up even further in 2011, dropping releases from FaltyDL, Zed Bias (both solo and as one-half of the Funkbias collaboration with Funk Butcher), and another single from Addison Groove. SWAMP81 was also home to records from Boddika—establishing him as a solo artist and one of the year’s biggest producers. Perhaps most notably, the label (eventually) released “Sicko Cell,” one of 2011′s most anticipated tunes. (The song may not have quite lived up to the hype, but it did snag the #13 slot on our countdown of the year’s best tracks.) Even as folks begin to wonder about the state of so-called bass music and attempt to figure out exactly where it’s heading, there appears to be no shortage of quality music coming from the SWAMP81 camp. Shawn Reynaldo
XLR8R’s Best of 2011: Tracks
http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2011/12/xlr8rs-best-2011-tracks-part-one
http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2011/12/xlr8rs-best-2011-tracks-part-2
47. Boddika
“2727″
(SWAMP81)
Even in a year when Instra:mental, the duo he’s been a part of for more than a decade, released a widely acclaimed and sonically adventurous new album, the ascent of Boddika as a solo artist could not be stopped. Tracks like “2727″—with its thunderous drums, acid lines, and unapologetically raw aesthetic—are the reason why. Shawn Reynaldo
46. French Fries
”Champagne”
(ClekClekBoom)
Legend has it that Claude VonStroke wanted to sign “Champagne” to his Dirtybird label, but young French producer French Fries politely declined and kept the tune for his own ClekClekBoom imprint. True or not, it’s quite the story, not that this tune, which uses white space as effectively as it employs snappy drums and eerie synths, needed much help finding its way into DJs’ playlists. Shawn Reynaldo
French Fries – Champagne / Hugz ft. Bambounou [CCB001] – Out Now! (12″ Ltd Ed Vinyl) by ClekClekBoom
44. Sepalcure
”Pencil Pimp”
(Hotflush)
Sepalcure seems to compose bass music on the most loose, yet subtle terms, and the pair’s unique perspective on the genre has continued to yield stellar results. Somehow both tribal and smooth in the same breath, “Pencil Pimp” immediately stood out during the course of the duo’s debut LP, mostly due to the sheer weight infused into its post-happy sound—think Mount Kimbie with slightly bigger balls (and maybe some more drugs in the mix). Glenn Jackson
43. Blawan
”Getting Me Down”
Sampling generously from Brandy’s “I Wanna Be Down” is kind of a no-brainer (whether or not you’re willing to admit it, we all loved that song), but Blawan did much more than simply edit Brandy’s half-forgotten hit—he propelled it into the club of some distant planet with monstrous percussion and whatever the hell that reverse low-end sound is. Wherever it comes from, it’s strange, unnerving, and just about perfect. Glenn Jackson
26. Instra:Mental
“When I Dip”
(NonPlus)
2011 found veteran UK duo Instra:mental completing a very large left turn, essentially abandoning drum & bass for old-school electro, heavy low-end, and lots of 808 drum sounds. Ahead of the acclaimed Resolution 653, the pair dropped “When I Dip,” an undeniable tune that also folds some Southern-style booty bass into the outfit’s new sonic formula. It proved to be quite the effective opening salvo, both for Instra:mental’s re-emergence and Boddika’s big year as a solo artist. Shawn Reynaldo
Instra:mental Resolution 653 LP Sampler ‘Thomp’ / ‘When I Dip’ [NONPLUS013] by stholdings
24. Julio Bashmore
“Ribble to Amazon”
(3024)
There’s a line somewhere between soulful, UK-style house and anthemic, almost cheesy, bangers that can be dangerous. However, when walked just right, that line is perfect for the dancefloor. Julio Bashmore knows exactly how to walk it, and “Ribble to Amazon” is one of his finest journeys on that limb—the pads are warm, the vocals are just right, and those breakdowns are too good to be true. Glenn Jackson
JULIO BASHMORE RIBBLE TO AMAZON (3024-011B) by 3024world
18. Teeth
”Shawty”
(502)
Like many selections on Oneman’s 502 imprint, there’s not a whole lot to “Shawty.” Listening to the song, it quickly becomes apparent just how much space there is in the production, a factor that’s just as important as any of the actual sonic elements being put to use. That said, each of those elements is just about perfect. Utilizing low-slung drum beats, haunting synth melodies, and a sultry vocal sample, Finnish producer Teeth not only put himself on the bass-music map, he also created one of the year’s most memorable tunes. Shawn Reynaldo
13. Unknown
”Sicko Cell”
(SWAMP81)
It’s amazing that when “Sicko Cell”—undoubtedly the most hyped tune of the year—was finally released in late July, the world was essentially already over it. In a world where anticipation grows exponentially online and DJs are mastering YouTube rips in order to play the latest tune, especially one created “anonymously” (it’s an open secret that Joy Orbison produced the track) and only passed along to a select few, “Sicko Cell” simply ran out of steam. Nevertheless, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a monster of a club track. With a stripped-down aesthetic and eerie vibe, the song is rather similar to Teeth’s “Shawty,” but the twisted, Burial-esque vocal samples put “Sicko Cell” over the top. Shawn Reynaldo
3. Scuba
“Adrenalin”
(Hotflush)
Scuba made a trance song. (Polite company might refer to it as progressive house, but we’re going to call a spade a spade.) On the heels of “Loss,” which he released earlier in the earlier under his SCB moniker (and already nabbed #41 on this list), it was apparent that Paul Rose was interested in exploring new sound palettes, but something this, well, epic was not really expected. While the notion of one of the most influential and boundary-pushing dubstep producers of the past decade making a tune that Sasha would play (yes, that happened) sounds like some kind of nightmare on the surface, it doesn’t change the fact that “Adrenalin” is not only an excellent track, but also a production that completely resets exactly what it is that Scuba is all about. Containing one grandiose and ethereal breakdown—not to mention a series of smaller ups and downs along the way—”Adrenalin” certainly plays to the dancefloor, particularly dancers looking to lose their shit once the beat comes back in and the song’s chunky bassline takes hold. The synths are washy and warm, the sounds employed are impeccably clean, and yes, the track is absolutely, undeniably a bit cheesy. It’s also eight of the most enjoyable minutes of music we heard all year (more or less on repeat, to be honest), and we can’t wait to hear what Scuba comes up with next. Shawn Reynaldo
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