The roller coaster we jumped on in the March of 2020 continues. For many people, music has been a necessary remedy that helped them deal with the situation we are currently in. There’s a lot of uncertainty in the air, but one thing is for sure, music will never stop. 2021 brought us exquisite releases, great collaborations, and mind-bending DJ mixes from our usual suspects as well as from new artists we discovered along the way. Here are our favorites of 2021:

FAVORITE TRACK OF 2021

Irina:

Tom Vernon - Disappear [Shall Not Fade]

I get goosebumps every time I hear this track.

Elena:

Dycide - Coincidence [Crescent London]

I first heard it while dancing during one of our Delayed getaways and remember feeling stunned by the pure beauty of this track. Like going through a mysterious, dim, enigmatic forest and unexpectedly reaching that open, friendly place feeling all hopeful, mesmerized, and alive again.

Gilles:

map.ache - Where Do We Go From Here [Giegling 2021]

A handful of producers can do sampling as good as Giegling’s mainstay and KANN founder, map.ache. In this specific track, map.ache sampled vocals from Kings Of Tomorrow - Finally, one of the house anthems from the early 2000s that had a huge influence on me at that time. Pair the acapella from ‘Finally’ with map.ache’s signature melancholic pads and melodies, and you instantly have ‘the’ moment on the dancefloor that everyone will take home and remember for a long time. 

Zach:

Christina Chatfield - Reeds [Mysteries of the Deep]

In a year chock full of ambient and downtempo releases, Christina Chatfields’ Sutro is a standout for me. An incredible album from cover to cover and close to being my album of the year as well. Reeds is my eyes closed, goosebump giving, an excursion into the unknown.

Michael:

Ditterich von Euler-Donnersperg - Der Luftbusen des kleinen Fritz [A Colourful Storm]

From compilations such as I Won’t Have To Think About You and Still In My Arms to Princess Diana of Wales’ new album, pretty much everything released on Moopie’s A Colourful Storm label over the past few years has been essential listening.  Much like Moopie’s DJing, the often disparate and disjointed jumps in genre and style across the label gain coherence through a certain shared sensibility and his ability to pick the coolest shit you’ve ever heard before.  All the tracks on Weisheit aus Des Kindes Mund tut uns stets die Wahrheit kund are fantastic, but I’ve picked the opener as it really sets the tone for what is a beautifully strange and often uncomfortable listen.   

Slava:

Stanislav Tolkachev - Be Careful And Nobody Dies [Semantica]

A great example of Stanislav deftly mixing melodic and weirdness.

FAVORITE REMIX OF 2021

Irina:

Olorun - From Name To Meaning (LANOCHE Spiral rework) [Danza Nativa]

I love to explore textures and sounds. LANOCHE’s spin on Olorun’s “From Name To Meaning” is a beautiful arrangement of deep, intricate textures, atmospheric soundscapes steering towards the realms of introspection. 

Theresa:

Amandra & Karim - Sqala 3 (Donato Dozzy Remix) [Tikita]

When I listen to this track I have to instantly close my eyes, it takes me to the place within where peace resides. The depth, the subtly built tension, and the hypnotic main loop are built to provide an escape from this reality - may it be to reach meditative states on the dancefloor or to dream away at home.

Elena:

Adhémar - The Roots System (Simone Bauer Interpretation) [Diffuse Reality]

Adhémar’s ‘In Praise of The Plant’ as a whole is a pleasure to listen to and one of my year’s favorites. Bauer’s take on it is hitting hard on my soft spot for the silky, trippy, and delicately seductive rhythms - the best way to lure me into the state where I can’t resist but move along wherever it goes.

Gilles:

Charles Webster - Secrets Held (Francis Harris Re​-​Form) ft Emilie Chick [Dimensions Recordings]

A brilliant Charles Webster’s track Secrets Held featuring Emilie Chick on vocals got a very nice ‘twist’ from Brooklyn’s own Francis Harris. Being a long-time fan of Hariss’ productions, this one was a no-brainer for me since it brought a wonderful Francis Harris touch to an already amazing track. 

Zach:

Aki Himanen & Aleksi Kinnunen - Dawn Drops (Polygonia Remix) [Jazz-o-Tech]

Never quite far from the top of my most used djing crates, Polygonia’s tribal-infused take on Dawn Drops has cemented its spot since being released in the first half of the year. Always flowing so well within sets, and its versatility is proven through club nights, many afters, and some Brooklyn rooftops.

Slava:

IORI - Andromeda (Wata Igarashi Remix) [Kynant Records]

Good balance of putting Wata’s stylistic stamp while remaining faithful to the spirit of the original mix.

Michael:

Dominic Ridgway - People Dub (Kit Curse Remix) [Regression Media]

Dubby, propulsive drum & bass on Regression Media.  Kit Curse utilizes a pretty simple method for this remix: take a great track, then put the rudest bassline you can conjure up underneath it.  Reminds me of Walton’s rework of Wen & Riko Dan’s Play Your Corner in that regard.  Straight fire.  

FAVORITE EP OF 2021

Irina:

BLNDR - Callopsis [Kizen Records]

This EP reminds me of the Russian fairy tale “Twelve Month'', the story of a little girl sent into a cold forest in the winter by her evil stepmother to search for Spring violets. It’s a beautiful display of hypnotic rhythms, magical atmospheres, and detailed imagery.

 “The snow lay deep, and there was no trace of any human being. Long she wandered hither and thither and lost herself in the wood. She was hungry, and shivered with cold, and prayed to die.

Suddenly she saw the light in the distance and climbed toward it till she reached the top of the mountain. Upon the highest peak burned a large fire, surrounded by twelve blocks of stone on which sat twelve strange beings. Of these, the first three had white hair, three were not quite old, three were young and handsome, and the rest were still youngsters. There they all sat silently, looking at the fire. They were the Twelve Months of the Year…”

Theresa:

heka - (a) EP [Balloon Machine]

This is one for the category “small but mighty”. Usually, I am not a real big “girl with a guitar” bedroom pop listener but after coming across this one by accident, it grew on me with every listen. Soon I found myself humming along to Francesca Brierley’s melodies and got intrigued by one single line in the lyrics of “ (a) mask”: “let go the passion for forever”. An incredibly strong statement, almost a mantra. 

Elena:

Persuasion - Pure Delusion [idioms]

Although released in late 2020, this was my early summer 2021 obsession, to which I listened on repeat for days - a soundtrack of those not yet steamy early morning walks in the city, when everything is fresh and exciting, delusionally optimistic, and my version of the happy as it is. Every time I hear it, I’m back, smiling. And those ridiculous ‘quacking rattling’ sounds, still can’t get enough of it.

Zach:

Louf - Kilopascal [Omena]

Louis Fitton, aka Louf’s offering on Omena, just tickles my ears in pleasant ways. Glittery melodies braced by experimental drums make for a winning combination. None too heavy and none too light. The perfect marriage of sounds and feelings.

Gilles:

Kaap - Omen EP [De Lichting]

I keep getting back to this EP over and over. And the more I listen to it, the more I like it. Each track is great, and each track grew on me in its own way over time. At first, I got hooked on ‘Dead on Arrival,’ but lately, I caught myself listening to ‘Razor’ and ‘Omen’ more. 

Michael:

Synkro & DYL - Empty Faces [re:st]

As a bit of a dream team, Dyl and Synkro teaming up for a wonderful EP on the always stellar Re:st label and something of an autonomic fanboy’s wet dream.  Four tracks of delicate, restrained, lush, cavernous, and haunted drum & bass.  Simply beautiful.

Slava:

Plant43 - Unknown Structure EP [Future Massive]

Just an all-around beautiful EP.

FAVORITE ALBUM OF 2021

Theresa:

Mareena & JakoJako - Atlas der Gedanken [Muzan Editions]

It was love at first sight with this collection of shimmering, modular reflections and I had a regular Sunday morning rendez-vous with “Atlas der Gedanken”. The title couldn’t have been chosen better - this record invites contemplation, daydreaming, musings and improvisation. Its beautiful layering and wandering synths create a lighthearted, yet grounded ambiance. Specifically loved the parts that sound so clear and glassy that they reminded me of Hesse’s “Glass Beads Game”.

Irina:

Illuvia - Iridescence Of Clouds [A Strangely Isolated Place]

The man of many monikers, a prolific composer, producer, and musician, Ludvig Cimbrelius made a beautiful atmospheric drum & bass album as Illuvia for A Strangely Isolated Place imprint. 

The eight tracks presented on "Iridescence of Clouds" are each mantled in lush, dreamy soundscapes, which are elated with an impeccable use of drum 'n' bass rhythms and a sense of melodic finesse.

Elena:

Artificial Drm - Pythagoreo [Semantica]

Pythagoreo and the following vinyl-only Enigma released on Alpenglühen is how I like my techno - deeply sensitive, saturated in bewitching energy, and wholly absorbing spacious universe of its own. Every track tells a story transporting to a different corner of that rich interconnected world, each emotion is there on purpose, and the whole experience is undeniably metamorphic. After living through it, the exit is not the same place as was entered.  

Gilles:

Andy Stott - Never The Right Time [Modern Love]

This was an album that I got excited about like a teen when I first heard the news that it was in the making. As the date of the release was getting closer, I was skeptical that it might be one of those albums where the singles released prior are the best tracks. How wrong I was! 7-8 months in with this album, and it still gives me goosebumps. I mean, just listen to those vocals of Alison Skidmore; simply a bliss. 

Zach:

Tom Ellis - Life in Ostinato

Like pages in a book, each track of Tom Ellis’ Life in Ostinato brings to light a new twist, a new development. Building upon musical loops covered in crisp textures that snap and crackle around the listener, Ellis does a wonderful job of bringing in those warm, analog feelings.

Michael:

Moin - Moot! [AD 93]

Compared to the austerity and meticulous detailing of A Quarter Turns Over A Living Line or the strictly disciplined minimalism of Tooth, Moot! sees Joe Armstrong and Tom Halstead – joined by drummer Valentina Magaletti – producing something much less structured and almost approaching fun.  The album comprises eight jams touching on everything post-punk, with some doom metal, goth, and post-hardcore inflections along the way.  Stand-out tracks ‘Crappy Dreams Count’ and ‘Lungs’ remind me of My Disco circa Collapse Of An Erratic Lung/Language in Numbers, which is what anything with a guitar should sound like.  The latter, ‘Lungs’, sees Magaletti drumming with such twitchy, relentless insistence, it’s utterly sublime.  Moot! has a few forgettable tunes, but at its best, it is alive and vital, an expression of our past rendered into something different, and focused on a future we can dream of.

Slava:

Air Protection Office - Untitled. Semantica 128 [Semantica]

Consistently interesting and unique tracks.

FAVORITE MIX OF 2021

Irina:

Delayed with… Saphileaum

I have been listening to this mix so many times during our Delayed outings, on the way to work, or simply at home, every time discover something new to myself.  Andro Gogibedashvili created a beautiful journey traversing never-ending sonic landscapes. 

Theresa:

SPND20 Mixtape by Vril

Mix #159 - Vril

Both mixes came out in an unusually close timeframe and they display the producer’s development so far. Spandau 2.0 assembles works from ‘92 -’99, raw but intelligent and envisioning the future of IDM, Dubtechno, and beyond in true “cassette quality” style. Kudos to His Master’s Voice for the DJ mix parts. This warped sound takes you back to illegal warehouse parties and fog-impregnated basements, and don’t we need that right now? What was seen to be sprouting in the Spandau 2.0 tape grew to be the more refined and expansive sound audible in the BLEEP 159 mix. It is filled with mostly unreleased VRIL productions of the past three years and opens up a sound panorama with its celestial melodies, layers, and spacious synths. The chords in “Mother Dub” and the following transitions (McKenna!) are mesmerizing, and “Mother Dub” was certainly my emo moment of the year - it left me with the realization that eternity could possibly sound like this.

Elena:

Objekt - All night @ Nowadays [23/10/2021]

Coming back to the clubs after the covid hiatus to such a party was absolutely mindblowing. The vibe on the floor was so thick we could almost touch it. It was a rare party when everything was happening how it’s supposed to be - the connection between DJ and dancers was palpable, people were having it together, and at any given moment, you could not predict where we were going next. One for the books, for sure. 

Zach:

Sundays are for... Inhmost

A standout mix from a standout producer. This mix really embodies the idea behind Sunday’s ambient series and has been on constant repeat. Through subway commutes, long drives, quiet evenings in, a worthwhile companion to have through them all.

Gilles:

Delayed with... Rey Colino

I remember when Rey Colino sent me this mix, and the first time I listened to it, it felt like someone opened the curtains and let the sunshine in. For more than a year, I mostly listened to dark, drone, melancholic music, and this perfectly executed mix with such positive energy was super refreshing. I often put this one on while driving nowadays. 

Michael:

Grids - A New Utopia

I don’t know much about the context of this mix. I hope it's part of an ongoing series of radio shows. Out of a conversation with a colleague, I had a listen to this mix. Then I listened to it again, and again, and again most nights since. The goth section from the 17-odd minute mark on is a highlight, and the rest of the mix is great too.

Slava:

INCHMIX075: Retina.it

A dissonant breakbeat mix for a broken world.