The Music Floss 2013 Round Up!
In no particular order:
1) Jai Paul
Okay, so he never officially released the album and there are many alleged stories about how it leaked; however, for those few moments in April when the “album” was searchable online, each track was a highly promising blend of Indian beats, electro synths and melodic vocals. From the refreshingly catchy cover of Jennifer Paige’s ‘Crush’ to the traditional Indian ‘Tabla’ drumbeat behind ‘Zion Wolf’ and ‘Str8 Outta Mumbai’ (let’s assume these are actually the names), I only hope we see more of Jai Paul in 2014.
2) Moderat
It is impossible to talk about 2013 without mentioning Moderat. The genius assembling of Modeselektor and Apparat came at us with their second album release ‘II’ which was positively received by critics and fans alike. From the bass-heavy ‘Bad Kingdom’ to the beautiful, ‘Versions’, ‘II’ is the flawless follow up to their self-titled debut.
See my second blog post for a full album review: https://themusicfloss.wordpress.com/2013/09/21/2-moderat-ii/
Moderat – ‘Gita’
3) Jon Hopkins
Though always a aware of Jon Hopkins it wasn’t until his ‘Immunity’ album dropped in June that I really sat up and paid attention – hate to admit this. I’m gutted not to have seen him play live at any point (set to change in 2014!), however, every track made it onto my playlist, and the album became somewhat of a personal anthem for the summer.
Jon Hopkins – ‘Breathe This Air/We Disappear (live)’
4) Stubborn Heart
So the Stubborn Heart self-titled debut album was officially released in November 2012; however, in 2013 the British pair, Luca Santucci and Ben Fitzgerald, have really come to prominence. After the success of debut single ‘Need Someone’, the soulful electro duo played at a string of festivals throughout the summer – they were a personal highlight at Field Day. With a succession of faultless synth propelled tracks, which include ‘Two Times a Maybe’ and the dreamy ‘It’s Not That Easy’, 2014 can only get better for Stubborn Heart.
Stubborn Heart – ‘Do Tomorrow’
5) Tessela
Everyone has that moment when they hear a tune and goosebumps instantly form; something similar happened to me upon hearing Tessela’s musically aggressive, ‘Nancy’s Pantry’ (Posted previously on The Music Floss: https://themusicfloss.wordpress.com/2013/09/22/4-tessela-nancys-pantry/). Brit producer Ed Russell, who in the past brought us ‘Slugger’ and dancefloor favourite ‘Hackney Parrot’, this year signed the iconic Belgium label, R&S Records. Not one for subtlety, the Tessela sound is a mash-up of early UK Hardcore, stonking basslines and percussion-heavy rhythms.
– Have a good Christmas! I will try and post a final 2013 entry in the following week.
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