Man, what a year it's been for electronic music.
In 2022, we have a huge variety of tunes, from good stuff, club tunes, to conceptual, hyper-experimental and body-jackin' house. In fact, we had to narrow this selection down from a long list of about fifty. . There are so many interesting albums we want to talk about that it would be a shame to miss out (not even counting this EP and the 12 bag). So don't despair if you haven't seen Left Field Place's Blood Incantation , Daniel Avery's Ultra-Truth , Soichi Terada's debut LP of the year or the excellent The Unfolding . Between Hannah Peel and the Paraorchestra. Cooperation. All this is calculated and transmitted by Fiskar
But with all that in mind, here are ten of Norman's best records with music to keep you up at night...
Bati-Upal
Batu (Omar McCutchen), the founder of Time Dance Records, has been entertaining ravers with his music at the Graffield Club for over a decade. Bristol-based producer and DJ Opal has been behind a number of mini-releases on major labels such as Heasley Audio, Livivity Sound and XL. We often hear Batu mixing sound system effects with techno in his music. Along with producers Peverlist, Hodge and Pearson Sound, Batu Bass' music has created a space for experimentation.
"Opal" finds McCutchen walking in unfamiliar territory. With extraordinarily rich production and captivating sound design, Batu's songwriting is honed and brought to the fore here. "Opal" is a techno-influenced listen, with a sine wave, cavernous sub-bass and haunting drums. With its intricate texture, rhythmic beats and vibrancy, Opal is a record suitable for grabbing on the dance floor, at night out parties and even listening at home.
HAAi - Honey, we're going out.
Along with HAAi's 'Systems Up, Windows Down' and 'Keep Your Head Above the Parakeets' EPs, we're looking forward to the debut album from Australia's biggest dance music export. "Baby, We're Going Up" finds Tennille Trossell continuing in the booming techno vein of the Mute EP, albeit with a softer touch, more melodies and a focus on crafting a listen from start to finish. LPs from the 90s
"Baby, We're Going Up" evokes the spirit of that decade, a particularly transformative period when electronic musicians began to be invited to perform on major festival stages. A nod to Orbital, Underworld, London's Future Sound and Sasha, "Baby, We're Acending" features huge, fast, crisp synths, hypnotic trance passages and a hook or three. It's easy to imagine Trossell sifting through old footage of these bands' iconic Glastonbury performances, looking for moments that go hand-in-hand with the music featured here.
Hakob Chaparyan - Bolts
Hakob Chaparyan's debut album is a remarkable discovery. The Anglo-Armenian producer releases a deeply autobiographical LP based on personal experiences shaped by culture, environment and upbringing. Not only do the field recordings shed light on Chaparyan's character, some of them fifteen years old, but the album art and song titles are also carefully considered.
Produced by Kieran Hebden (aka For Tate) and released on Hebden's record label, 'Bolts' is an explosive listen where the sounds of UK house/techno meet the sounds of world travel, most notably Armenian Madness. This mix is most pronounced on the album's lead single, "Right to Riot," where Jury's powerful blasts and pounding bass sound both unsettling and conflicted. A defining example of the Bolts' celebration, Rite to Riot is a clever form of storytelling that sheds light on the everyday cultural events where excitement is greatest.
Kali Malone - Living Torch
Cal Malone's drone music rises to the level of Living Torch. Acoustic instruments such as the organ, trombone and bass clarinet are powered by the ARP 2500 sine wave generator and synthesizer, an instrument made famous by none other than electroacoustic pioneer Ilian Radigu. Living Torch was as much an experiment in composition as it was a total listening experience created by the Groupe des Recherches Musicales, a French institution that has been at the forefront of left-field sound design since 1958. With GRM, a twelve-channel multi-speaker setup designed to simulate an orchestra.
Luckily, we won't have to wait long for new music from Malone. In January 2023, Spring plans to release Hide It's Joy, a collaborative triple album with Sunshine's Stephen O'Malley and cellist Lucy Relton. Totally unmanned.
Kelly Lee Owens - LP.8
On her third album, Welsh musician Kelly Lee Owens explores the more expressive and subtle moments heard on her self-titled album (2017) and 2020's Inner Song. His most adventurous and thought-provoking work to date, LP.8 is a surprising breakthrough. on the left side of his first two albums, which featured high-quality electronic production.
When the Covid-19 pandemic forced him to cancel his world tour, Owens flew to Oslo to work with the great Les Marhaug. The result is the most unusual approach to Owens' compositional approach, although the dynamic punch and wide sub-bass add more detail to the sound design.
With many nods to his previous work, LP.8 is a listen where deep atmospherics meet industrial electronica. Even if we hear moments from Jenny Haval's previous albums and beautiful hypnotic techno moments from Andy Stott, "LP.8" is the only work where Angel comes across.
Marco Zenker - Chanel scale
I accept it now. i am an iliac girdle. In the year I've been a fan of the Munich label since hearing Ski Mask's special 'Compro' in 2018 and meeting label owners Zenker Brothers DJ at the Mint Store in Leeds. Since 2008, he has continuously released EPs and released several albums, including 12 with his brother Dario.
Channel Accounting picks out the highlights of his individual and collaborative work, unlocking the label's wider impact. Zenker's work can be seen as an upbringing of early 90s club style, especially Breakdown, through the techno imprint that defines his homeland Main Wave/Chain Reaction or the experimental approach of Ostgut Tone. In twelve different tracks we find four-on-the-floor rhythms, echoes of dub electronics, nocturnal atmospheres and eerie interactions with a hint of psychedelia. Another sleeper on this list, Channel Balance deserves the same acclaim as Elyan's full-lengths like Compro, Steny's Upsurge, and Andrea's Returno.
Shinichi Atobe - love of plastic
Enigmatic Japanese producer Shinichi Atobe first wowed club music fans with his cult mini-album Ship-Scope on Basic Channel Chain Reaction. Since his re-release of Atobe in 2014 with The Bitterfly Effect , his first full-length album in thirteen years, we've seen his dub techno sound grow sunny and funky. There are deep and unique Balearic house influences in his productions, though don't expect to hear them all over Ibiza; Atobe's constant, minimal, and often repeated taps aren't for everyone.
The tracks on "Plastic Love" are layered with rhythmic hardware drum machines, samples and synthesizers to hypnotic effect. The songs immediately fit into the groove, which is punctuated by incredible samples, piano beats and mutations. "Plastic 1 Love" is a prime example of Atobe's drift and relentless world building; swaying with powerful synths and drums, Atobe soon creates a custom sample that sounds like dragging or killing enemies in a platform video game.
Soft pink - really - would it be deeper?
Drew Daniels Soft Pink True Mattes. After enjoying the 2020 SPT album Are We Looking To Increase Grace, I personally can't wait for my next ear. Oh boy, did it not disappoint.
"Does it go deeper?" A spacious and expressive LP with deep house in the spirit of DJ Sprinkles and Muddyman. Matmos' detailed sound design is here, weaving together a range of live instrumental textures with a slightly psychedelic edge to an ethereal glow. Although it sounds like an accompaniment to the dawn delirium that precedes it, "It's Going To..." is firmly tied to the livelier moments of the dance floor; there's a definite disco influence that appeals to Arthur Russell as Lindstrom. Daniel made the CD with a variety of groovy sounds that sounded like they were made for New Year's Eve celebrations. I mean, look at the champagne cork on my sleeve...
Warrington Runcorn New Town Development Plan - Boroughs, Streets, Open Spaces
Gordon Chapman-Fox's music seems to be the biggest open secret in the vinyl business these days. Although they haven't hit number one on Radio 1 or the Billboard charts recently, every new Warrington Runcorn album has topped the bestseller charts in UK record stores. Combining a unique synth style of electronic creation with a focus on the North West of England, Chapman-Fox has developed a passionate culture with clients in Norman and beyond.
If you're a fan of ambient electronic music, Berlin's Kosmische School, Craven Fouts and the ontology-inspired work of Ghost Box and Castles in Space, you've found your 2022 at District, Roads, Open Space. Favorites of the Year is a record that combines urban vibes with space-age sensibilities, with rushing and screeching analog synths, steady beats framed by metronomic drum machines and an eerie yet mellow atmosphere.
Whatever the weather, whatever
Regardless, The Weather is the first release from Lauren James' new project. Adopting a new moniker to distinguish it from some of his heavier work on Hyperdub, Whatever the Weather features a variety of electronic styles. The beautiful ambient sounds of opening "25°C" soon give way to "0°C" and from then on we hear a new genre in every track. Adapted by what seems to be a veteran of every talking subject, we're treated to the post-classic echoes of '14°C', the mixed darkness of '4°C' and '10°C'. Hopp has a similar emotional approach to the Ghostly International signed C418.
This October, James also released the stunning "Building Something Beautiful To Me," a remix and tribute to legendary composer Julius Eastman. With massive recognition from the underground music press and several new releases expected over the next year, we expect James' reach, popularity and success to only increase in 2023.
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