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Last Active 02-25-16 1:12 am
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| 2012 Year Of Aids: Top 25 Eps
2012 was a year that saw me start with one of the best months of my
life, volunteering near Cape Town, and take me all through southern and
eastern Africa. Later it was Europe for a month (all my bank account
could permit at this point) before working in Southwest England for the
summer tourist season. The last three months have seen me try to re-
find my feet in Vancouver, and start to attempt a second shot at this
whole being a grown-up business. There have been ups and downs, but
the one constant has been music's omnipresence. Here are the 25 short
players that most helped to fill the soundscape of my journey this year. | | 26 |  | Dot Hacker
Dot Hacker
ok I lied. 26 EPs cause this one needs an honourable mention. Someone told me
that this band includes the guy that took over for Frusicante in RHCP so that
piqued my interest (though I'm still not sure if that's actually true). It's pretty
cool, and some of it is really impressive, but it's so disjointed an inconsistent that I
can't dig it that hard. It's better than their LP that they put out this year though
by quite a substantial margin. | | 25 |  | Ghost Ship
Golden Girls
Adam Downer plays drums for this kinda post-punk group and wouldn't you know
they're pretty cool. Downer-core for the masses, you have no sput-cred if you
haven't jammed this already. | | 24 |  | Martyn
Hello Darkness
hello darkness, my old friennnnnnd. No, wait, this is pretty much the exact
opposite of that. Is this dubstep? I don't know, I think so. It's Dutch and it's really
damn awesome so get it in you. | | 23 |  | Sun Glitters
High
This guy was busy in 2012, but this is his most worthwhile offering. Let the warm
bass melodies surround you and get lost in the cool chillwave stylings of Luxembourg (who knew?!!?!?!?!). | | 22 |  | Sorrow (UK)
Art is Dead
Art aint dead so long as groups like Sorrow keep the UK Bass scene fresh and
interesting. | | 21 |  | TNGHT
TNGHT
"this goes hard" but seriously if you don't like this at least a lil bit then I probably
would hate partying with you. The era of Trap music is upon us, let us rejoice and
share jaggerbombs while we exclaim loudly that these beats do, in fact, go hard. | | 20 |  | Frightened Rabbit
A Frightened Rabbit EP
Do Scottish folk-rockers Frightened Rabbit have another masterpiece up their
sleeves? Time will tell, but for now we have this EP: a definite step in the right
direction following The Winter of Mixed Drinks. State Hospital, their other EP
released this year, is also worth listening to. | | 19 |  | bansheebeat
Wutai
More delightfully danceable "video game IDM" from Arizona's bansheetbeat. Let's
hope that 2013 is the year that sees young Dylan Browne produce his much-
anticipated full-length debut. (bansheebeat is the musical project of sputnik user
TheReverend724...or something. It's Dylan you guys, he rules.) | | 18 |  | Ulrich Schnauss and ASC
77
"but is it techno?" | | 17 |  | Solterra
Umbra
Colorado Progressive Rock outfit Solterra were busy in 2012, producing a marvelous
LP as well as Umbra. For me, this is the band at their best. Their sound is
deliciously crisp (I want to bathe in the guitar tones). The guitar lines are
interesting and dynamic and the music is exciting in all the right ways. Never are
you bored when listening to Umba, for Solterra do not want you to be. (Solterra are
sputnik user Twlitchy's band) | | 16 |  | ETCH
Hills
This kid is sure to be a name to watch in 2013. He's just finishing school now, and
his craft is already sounding like something special on this, his "amateur" release.
2-steppers, take note: ETCH is a name to know. | | 15 |  | Jacques Greene
Ready
While 90% of emerging electronic music producers in North America are replaying
the same dozen songs over and over, some are committed to moving their scenes
forward. One of these artists is Montreal house musician Jacques Greene. The era
of EDM is over, Deadmau5 is dead. Time to turn off the crap and get some
intelligent, forward thinking music into the spotlight. | | 14 |  | Arrange
Five Years With The Sun
My iPod crashed when I was in Namibia, and for a week this was all I had to listen
to, but I did not mind one bit. For the most part, this is more of the same mellow
alt. rock that Arranged offered listeners with 2011's full-length Plantation.
However, it does see them begin to dive deeper into the world of electronic sounds. | | 13 |  | Maya Jane Coles
Easier To Hide
This chick knows the score. Coles creates some captivating deep house music that
I dare you to not get lost in. Perfect for coming down, or working yourself back up
for another big night. (also, DJ Kicks did a Maya Jane Coles mix this year and it's
really, really good.) | | 12 |  | Toe
The Future Is Now
Japanese math-rockers Toe continue to impress. This is a bit of an expansion on
their progressive rock sound, while still staying true to their core of math/post-rock
build ups and dynamics. | | 11 |  | Biome
Shaman
This grew off me a little bit, as it absolutely raped me on first listen, but it's still
settled in nicely as one of my favourite dubstep albums of 2012. This mahfucka
knows how to work a bass grove, he gets REAL. (Tell your parents no.) | | 10 |  | The Antlers
Undersea
The Antler's new EP continues to take them in the direction that Burst Apart hinted
at: a more cohesive, subdued indie-rock sound, based on lush melodies and
brooding jams. I saw them tour this EP and even the longer songs came out great
live. As a super-fan, I have no objective analysis of this record. All I can say is
that The Antlers continue to be one of my favourite bands in 2012. All hail
Silberman. | | 9 |  | Burial
Truant/Rough Sleeper
I'll level with you: this guy could fart into a mic for 20 minutes and as long as he
still gave it a lil click-clack and included a sample with some variation of
"loooooooovin u" I would 4.5 it easy. | | 8 |  | Shlohmo
Vacation
A rising star in the instrumental hip-hop scene (I won't say "Wonky" in case a
certain staff member is reading), Sholhmo has been touring the globe hard and
repping the Los Angeles sound all the way. His sets are mainly based on old-school
west-coast rap and pop/r&b music, more often than not resulting in an explosively
entertaining party. However the highlight of his eclectic mix is always one of his
originals, the breathtaking Wen Uuu from 2012's Vacation EP. That song is without
a doubt, one of the standout pieces of electronic music from 2012. Get it in your
earholes on the ASAP. | | 7 |  | Biome
Two Way
A deep and haunting journey into the world of Biome's warped mind. My foray into
dubstep has seen Biome emerge as one of my early favourites, and this EP displays
everything I like so much about him. (Tell your parents no.) | | 6 |  | Killawatt
Mantra/Schizophonia
(Yes this is a single technically, but so is Truant/Rough Sleeper so step off.) Deep
dubstep is where it's at, and I jam stuff like Biome, Proxima, Kryptic Minds, and
Killawatt on the daily. Two huge tracks right here, guaranteed to make any bass
enthusiast groove. (Tell your parents no.) | | 5 |  | Vales
Clarity
I spend three months working for a living, going fucking stir crazy in Cornwall this
summer. It's definitely the most beautiful area of England I have seen, but I'm from
a town of 80,000 and live in Vancouver. Cornwall is tiny tiny tiny, and there was
NOTHING to do at night. I was frustrated that here I was, finally living in England,
but I couldn't go to any shows because no one played fucking Bodmin Parkway. If
only I had known that this melodic hardcore outfit were based in Newquay, I would
have tried to catch a show. But alas, alas. Anyway, this is super solid melodic
hardcore for those that are into the current rise of UK melodic bands like More Than
Life. Great tones and super good vocals. | | 4 |  | Proxima
Lie Detection/Brainstem
My beginner's journey into the world of deep, dark dubstep has not yet seen me
find my solid ground as I twirl around trying to absorb the dozens of producers, DJs,
and scenes to be aware of. But at the end of 2012, two songs keep me coming
back more than most: these two absolute bangers by Proxima. As with the other
entries on this list, I won't attempt to go into detail as I don't know what the fanny
I'm talking about, but if you're mildly interested in the sound, this might be the best
place to start exploring. (Tell your parents no.) | | 3 |  | Thriftworks
Hydromancy
RIYL: tripping hard, hazy beats, catchy sounds, dancedancedance, Flying Lotus | | 2 |  | Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson
Small Changes We Hardly Notice
This Norwegian post-rock/emo group first caught my attention with their 2010 LP.
"Small Changes..." are their first recordings since then, and their craft has been
refined and improved greatly. Few bands can pull off this sort of sound with such
overwhelming success: the texture-based (post) rock instrumentation and song
compositions fit well with the band's increased use of vocals and indie/emo
aesthetics. This is likely THE sleeper hit of 2012, and you'd be doing yourself a
great disservice if you missed out on hearing it. | | 1 |  | Burial
Kindred
After my month volunteering in Muizenberg finished, I began backpacking again.
This meant staying in hostels and paying for food, but it also meant access to wifi
once more. The buzz around Kindred had been killing me for weeks, but one sunny
day in mid-February, I finally had the songs in my possession. I could hardly wait
another second, but I was to be heading up to the top of Table Mountain that day,
so I knew I should wait. For those who don't know, Cape Town is fucking
gorgeous, maybe the most beautiful landscape I've ever seen, and Table Mountain
is a large plateau situated right in the middle, offering incredible 360 degree views.
(Interjection: I had the tracks mixed up for the longest time, so my experience
started with Loner). As that amazing synth line came out of the ether, my gondola
was just reaching the top and Cape Town's astonishing glory presented itself to
me, somehow combining perfectly with Will Bevan's surreal, otherworldy sounds.
For the next half an hour, I stumbled around in a daze, taking in all I could see, but
trying to come to grips with the pure magnitude of what I was hearing. Throw any
preconceptions about "hype" out the window, because this is something else
entirely. Simply put, Kindred is three sprawling pieces of fluid garage music, each a
masterpiece in its own right, presented over 30 minutes of pure, unrelenting
creativity and vision from a man who has long been seen as on the leading edge of
innovation in electronic music. Some will say that this album isn't worth the mounds
of hyperbolic claims it receives, but some people are wrong. The race for short-
player of the year was over almost before it began - for me, it was always Kindred:
my favourite piece of music from 2012. | |
Aids
01.08.13 | pretty much half of this is electronic music which at first I thought was weird but when I think about it, a lot of electronic producers prefer to not release full-lengths so I guess that makes sense. | Wolfhorde
01.08.13 | "this goes hard" but seriously if you don't like this at least a lil bit then I probably would hate partying with you. The era of Trap music is upon us, let us rejoice and share jaggerbombs while we exclaim loudly that these beats do, in fact, go hard."
Agreed hard, except on the Jäger. Shit makes you stink worse like an animal carcass but hell yeah also on some of the other stuff on here like Burial. | Ignimbrite
01.08.13 | fuck, you reminded me that I need to start on my LP list... damn it | Ignimbrite
01.08.13 | also, feature plz | Aids
01.08.13 | nah, I'd rather any potential aids-feature be saved for my list of LPs or live shows. but if they wanna feature all of em I won't stop them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | kris.
01.08.13 | no larry and his flask
sad day | demigod!
01.08.13 | Yeah Kindred really is too good
haven't heard most of these as i don't usually check new eps | Aids
01.08.13 | kris what is that, would I like it? | Deviant.
01.08.13 | We've had this discussion before but I still don't get the hype for a lot of the new breed dubstep DJs around atm. Biome, Proxima etc
Holding out like a mofo for MJCole's LP
I think that's it
Oh wait, feature | Aids
01.08.13 | "Holding out like a mofo for MJCole's LP"
same
"We've had this discussion before but I still don't get the hype for a lot of the new breed dubstep DJs around atm. Biome, Proxima etc"
yes we have. Different strokes? rinse.fm fo lyfeeeee
"I think that's it
Oh wait, feature"
haha cheers | Aids
01.08.13 | wolfy i missed your comment. Love you bud, we'll have a j-bomb together one day, on me. | twlight
01.08.13 | Sweet list dude, nice to see umbra on here! | Wolfhorde
01.08.13 | "wolfy i missed your comment. Love you bud, we'll have a j-bomb together one day, on me."
You're on, brother. And we'll have some fine wine some day - on me. | Aids
01.08.13 | box or bottle? | Wolfhorde
01.08.13 | Dude, that's even a question? Bottle obviously. Where I come from drinking wine out of anything else than a glass or a bottle is a public offense. | Rev
01.08.13 | Adrian, youre such a babe :3
Great list | Aids
01.08.13 | wolf haha I was totally joking. I guess that's a North-American person kinda joke. I've been completely broke, getting wasted off a $6 box of red wine. I'm not proud of it.
hanson dude that's lame cuz they go real hard. different strokes!!!!!!!
banshebeeat youre the babe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wow im high | Wolfhorde
01.08.13 | Does that shit even taste like wine? | Aids
01.08.13 | no
box white wine is tolerable but box red wine is the worst thing you could ever put in your mouth | FromDaHood
01.08.13 | TNGHT is pretty rad I agree | tommygun
01.08.13 | dot hacker sweet | Wolfhorde
01.08.13 | Probably yeah.
Hell, we don't even use box wine for sauces. Everybody here knows someone who can get some good bottles of wine without much of a hassle. | RickySpanish
01.08.13 | Larry and His Flask are from my high school, they played in battle of the bands....just funny to see their name dropped on sputnik. | foxblood
01.08.13 | man i still need to check out Toe | Jash
01.08.13 | Killer list (Tell your parents no) | anarchistfish
01.08.13 | I played 21 at a party and they were like lolnope. shit party.
congrats on having the correct #1 | Sanders
01.08.13 | "Dude, that's even a question? Bottle obviously. Where I come from drinking wine out of anything else than a glass or a bottle is a public offense."
necked a box of rose wine during freshers week in my first degree. Ended up asleep inside my laundry dryer. Holy shit it was vile, and I think it was so sweet it gave me diabetes | Buzzkillr
01.08.13 | actually, aids has only been around since the end of the 19th century | Wolfhorde
01.08.13 | ^ Reading comprehension, dude. | Buzzkillr
01.08.13 | were you talking to me? because that was a joke. and yes, I'm aware that there's no "s" at the end of "year" but I
was just trying to be funny :S | Adabelle
01.08.13 | Hahaha, why did you choose to go to Cornwall? | Wolfhorde
01.08.13 | Idk what you call a joke but eh. Besides that it only slightly contextually tied in because of the list title. "necked a box of rose wine during freshers week in my first degree."
Well no surprise if you go to town on Rosé. Pure. Out of a fucking box. | Buzzkillr
01.08.13 | I doubt anything could make a cynical fuck like you laugh | Sanders
01.08.13 | "Idk what you call a joke but eh."
User "Buzzkillr". Are you surprised? | Aids
01.08.13 | "although i see you havent heard the braids and max cooper ep"
did not know this existed, swag
"I played 21 at a party and they were like lolnope"
yeah but French people are silly
"Hahaha, why did you choose to go to Cornwall?"
My dad was born in Plymouth and lived there for the first 2 years of his life, so we have loads of close family friends in Southwest England. My dad's godmother is a business genius and basically owns Cornwall with her restaurants and shops, so they hooked us up with jobs there. I'm glad I visited cause it's beautiful, but I would never have picked there to live for the summer. Maybe one day when I want to retire and do nothing but east pasties and surf, but not in my young 20s. I'm moving to the UK in a few years but it's gonna be either Bristol, London, or Manchester (probs Bristol). | Sanders
01.08.13 | Yeah southwest's good for holidays, but I wouldn't live there until retirement either. I think I'll be staying in the midlands for a while yet! | Aids
01.08.13 | where do you live? I used to know shit all about British geography ("Where do you live?" always used to translate to "How many miles from London is that?") but I know the southern half decent enough now. I spent some time in Bristol and it was lovely, I wanted to head through the midlands and get up north a bit (at least as far as Leeds) but I didn't have enough time. | LifeAsAChipmunk
01.08.13 | thriftworks m/ | Sanders
01.08.13 | I'm currently in the West Midlands, about half an hour south of Birmingham in Warwick. I'm originally from up North in Lancashire though! Bristol's nice, my cousins live around there. Leeds is sweet, cracking night out. How far north did you manage to get? | mindleviticus
01.08.13 | props for 13 man love some that sweet deep house :] | SeaAnemone
01.09.13 | awesome list especially 2, I didn't know there were many other fans of that band on sputnik
have you heard Unnoticeable... by them? It's loads better than their 2010 one imo | Aids
01.09.13 | "How far north did you manage to get?"
Bristol lol. I left Cornwall a day later than I had intended, and I had 5 days before I need to fly out from London. So we saw some of Devon, got up to Bath and Bristol (I wanted to go to Cardiff or Newport: no time) and then stayed with a friend's relatives in Dorchester along the south coast before heading for greater London (Old Winsdor for some reason, family friends, then of course a couple solid days in the city itself). I'll be back again though, gotta check out the scene up North (I NEED to go to Warehouse Project in Manchester, like, NEED to).
"have you heard Unnoticeable... by them? It's loads better than their 2010 one imo"
I have not, but I'll check it. The 2010 one was good but not flooring, like the new EP is (imo), so I'll defs check that out.
and hell yeah love for Thriftworks and MJC. Sometimes you don't disgust me, sputnik userbase! | SeaAnemone
01.09.13 | "I have not, but I'll check it. The 2010 one was good but not flooring, like the new EP is (imo), so I'll defs check that out."
ugh you'll love it, exact same feelings on the 2010 one and Unnoticeable (especially the first track) is flooring | Aids
01.09.13 | I'm on it | iwasnvrurbf
01.09.13 | 21, 12 and 5 were among my EPOTY too | Aids
01.09.13 | I almost passed on that Toe EP, no idea why. I'm so glad I didn't because I needed to be reminded what an awesome band they are. | AliW1993
01.09.13 | The new Frightened Rabbit record sounds a lot more like State Hospital than 20. It's not a masterpiece, but it's not far off. | anarchistfish
01.09.13 | ""I played 21 at a party and they were like lolnope"
yeah but French people are silly"
they were English | anarchistfish
01.09.13 | English people are silly agreed | Aids
01.09.13 | English people are just the silliest | AngelofDeath
01.09.13 | Plenty of good stuff here.
deez beatz go hard | Aids
01.09.13 | not nearly as hard as deez beatz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byNlqUFddeo
Sudan repreSENT | kris.
01.10.13 | super late on this, but larry and his flask is kinda bluegrassy punk, i dunno your taste too well but
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgzUInVhd4s | Sanders
01.10.13 | "I NEED to go to Warehouse Project in Manchester, like, NEED to"
Haha yes you do | WhiteNoise
01.11.13 | Dude! Letur Lefr was the best EP of 2012! | Aids
01.11.13 | oh man I totally forgot to include that one, how did that happen? It would be in the top 10 for sure. Much better than the LP imo. | Apollo
01.11.13 | "(I want to bathe in the guitar tones)"
Aids....you are so gay sometimes haha
Interesting list though. Sounds like you had a cool year. | Tyrael
01.11.13 | 1,2,5 and 9 are the only ones that matter
so good job | Wolfhorde
01.11.13 | Ty, you're a very sad human being if 21 doesn't matter to you or doesn't lift your spirits. | Havey
01.11.13 | dl'ing 2 | lou1000
01.12.13 | "my favourite piece of music from 2012." AMEN |
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