2017 in Electronic: Zen's Top 50
There we have it, my electronic music list to end the year. Absolute avalanche of releases this year, few of which I'm sure I missed and perhaps should have included. Nevertheless I'm happy with this list as a pretty accurate catalogue of the stuff that really grabbed my interest. Please note I included EPs and LPs together, so some of the ordering may be a bit dubious... Each album has my standout track and I also decided to include some rough notes for the top 25 to makeup for the lack of sound-offs in the past years. Hope there's something here you can discover and enjoy.
Please check out Relinquished and Lucid who put great lists out also collating the best of the year in electronic, and from which I took inspiration from.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all Sputters! |
| 50 |  | Visible Cloaks
Reassemblage
Ambient | "Terrazzo" |
| 49 |  | M.E.S.H.
Hesaitix
UK Bass | "Search. Reveal." |
| 48 |  | Equiknoxx
Colón Man
Bass/Dancehall | "Flank" |
| 47 |  | Porter Ricks
Anguilla Electrica
Dub Techno | "Prismatic Error" |
| 46 |  | Call Super
Arpo
Nu-Jazz Tech-House | "I Look Like I Look in a Tinfoil Mirror" |
| 45 |  | Ricardo Villalobos
Empirical House
Minimal House | "Sub Pad" |
| 44 |  | Lanark Artefax
Whities 011
IDM/Electro | "Touch Absence" |
| 43 |  | Arca
Arca
Ambient Pop/Glitch | "Desafio" |
| 42 |  | Forest Swords
Compassion
Ambient Dub | "Raw Language" |
| 41 |  | Special Request
Stairfoot Lane Bunker
Breaks/Ambient/Electro | "Stairfoot Lane Bunker (Minor Science Remix)" |
| 40 |  | Octo Octa
Where Are We Going?
House | "Fleeting Moments of Freedom (Wooo)" |
| 39 |  | Lee Gamble
Mnestic Pressure
IDM/Ambient Techno | "Tergo Real" |
| 38 |  | Jlin
Black Origami
Footwork | "Carbon 7 (161)" |
| 37 |  | Bicep
Bicep
House/Rave | "Glue" |
| 36 |  | Machine Girl
...BECAUSE I'M YOUNG ARROGANT AND HATE EVERYTHING
Digital Hardcore Slammin music | "Beta Beast" |
| 35 |  | Kettenkarussell
Insecurity Guard
Ambient/Techno | "Brueder" |
| 34 |  | Umfang
Symbolic Use of Light
Minimal Techno | "Where Is She" |
| 33 |  | DJ Python
Dulce Compania
Deep House / Reggaeton | "Acostados" |
| 32 |  | DB1
Zwischenwelt
Dub/Ambient Techno | "Drft, Pt. 2" |
| 31 |  | DJ Sports
Modern Species
Ambient House | "World Class" |
| 30 |  | Karen Gwyer
Rembo
Wonky Techno | "The Workers Are On Strike" |
| 29 |  | Galcher Lustwerk
Dark Bliss
Deep House / Hiphop | "Yeeno" |
| 28 |  | Happy Meals (UK)
Full Ashram Devotional Ceremony Volumes IV-VI
Noise / Ambient | "May You Be The Mother, May You Be The Sun" |
| 27 |  | Tzusing
東方不敗
Industrial/Techno | "日出東方 唯我不敗" |
| 26 |  | Steffi
World of the Waking State
IDM/Techno | "World of the Waking State" |
| 25 |  | Four Tet
New Energy
Downtempo | "LA Trance" |
| 24 |  | Talaboman
The Night Land
House Balaeric | "Safe Changes" |
| 23 |  | Finn
Sometimes The Going Gets A Little Tough
House/Club/Chipmunk | "Give Us A Hand" |
| 22 |  | Dauwd
Theory of Colours
Ambient Downtempo | "Theory of Colours" |
| 21 |  | Shinichi Atobe
From the Heart, It's a Start, a Work of Art
Dub Techno | "Regret" |
| 20 |  | Iglooghost
Neo Wax Bloom
UK Wonky | "Infinite Mist"
Uncompromising, maximal and undoubtedly one of the most spectacular releases of the year. |
| 19 |  | Gas
Narkopop
Ambient | "Narkopop 8"
The atmospheres rendered feel nearly unprecedented in scale. In the right setting there’s nothing more inviting than being encumbered by the dense haze. |
| 18 |  | Blanck Mass
World Eater
Electro-Industrial | "Rhesus Negative"
Although the epic proportions of this EP can be overwhelming in some places, a hugely gratifying cinematic experience that needs to be heard. |
| 17 |  | PTU
A Broken Clock is Right Twice a Day
Techno | "Yes"
An unsettling and sometimes frantic EP of shape-shifting techno that finds its place as a standout on Nina Kraviz’s ‘Trip’ label and one of the most original releases of the year. |
| 16 |  | Perc
Bitter Music
Industrial Techno | "Look What Your Love Has Done to Me"
Head of the distinguished and unrelenting Perc Trax label, Ali Wells’ striking industrial techno is the necessarily bleak soundtrack to 2017. |
| 15 |  | Forest Drive West
Persistence of Memory
Dub Techno | "Persistence of Memory Pt. 2"
To highlight my single of the year, the Berlin-based UK producer released 3 excellent EPs of trippy techno and this is my pick of the bunch. |
| 14 |  | Harvey Sutherland and Bermuda
Expectations
Nu-Disco | "Clarity"
The Australian nu-disco producer carries on a strong run of form with another stellar EP of bright and musical groovers. |
| 13 |  | HNNY
Ta Paus
Downtempo/Ambient | "Trettio"
In one of the more understated releases of the year, HNNY returns from his hiatus to deliver a short but incredibly affecting LP of peace-inducive music. |
| 12 |  | Errorsmith
Superlative Fatigue
Digital Dancehall/Techno | "I'm Interesting, Cheerful & Sociable"
Whimsical drum programming, infectious rhythms. |
| 11 |  | Ryuichi Sakamoto
Async
Ambient/Experimental | "solaris" |
| 10 |  | Buttechno
Super Siziy King
Ambient/Dub Techno | "Poleva"
A highly versatile EP of unconventional dub and downtempo music that will move you in ways you won’t expect. An instant classic from The Trilogy Tapes label. |
| 9 |  | Skee Mask
ISS002
Breaks/Techno | "Routine"
Hard to find production as lush as on "Routine". One of the standout EPs of the year. |
| 8 |  | Moon Diagrams
Lifetime of Love
Ambient Techno | "Magic Killer"
The Deerhunter drummer and co-founder illustrates an ability to build contrasting moods and sweeping atmospheres with this stellar album of ambient post-indie techno. |
| 7 |  | Varg (Swe)
Nordic Flora Series Pt. 3: Gore-Tex City
Deep Techno | "Snake city / Maserati music"
Considered use of spoken word and Yung Lean are the distinguishing features in this deeply atmospheric and gripping portrayal of Varg’s busy and isolating world. |
| 6 |  | LOFT
Three Settlements Four Ways
UK Bass/Wonky/Breaks | "Oh Well, We're All Fucked Now"
Evocative, exciting, bustling bass/techno/breaks (?) well.. “club” music from the extremely talented Manchester producer who after last year’s “Heffalump” EP is leading the charge for forward-thinking electronic music. |
| 5 |  | Second Storey
Lucid Locations
Techno/UK Bass | "Barrel Roll"
An invigorating album of heavy club-centric tracks packed with complex rhythms and off-beat percussion. |
| 4 |  | Kelly Lee Owens
Kelly Lee Owens
Ambient Pop/Techno | "Throwing Lines"
Gentle, blissful, sleekly produced ambient techno and pop. |
| 3 |  | Various Artists (Electronic)
Absolutely Wino
Electronic/Experimental/Leftfield House | "Paco's Ode"
A delightful collection of quirky left-field music that spans house, electro and indie modes. There’s an undeniable humour and an infectious playfulness that makes this one of the most enjoyable releases of the year from the Wah Wah Wino Crew haling from Dublin. |
| 2 |  | Ninos Du Brasil
Vida Eterna
Industrial Techno/Batucada | "Condenado Por Un Idioma Desconhecido"
Establishing a scene deep in the jungle wilderness, everything to love about percussive techno packed into a rigorously produced, intense, physical journey. |
| 1 |  | Laurel Halo
Dust
Experimental Pop/Nu-Jazz | "Who Won?"
Hard to pinpoint what exactly makes this such an enamouring album. Whether it be the haphazard jazz arrangements, delicate vocal deliveries, ambiguous and quirky lyrics, it all works out to form an entirely compelling and beautiful dive into the avant world of Laurel Halo. |
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