It's hard to encapsulate 2012 musically into one blog post as this is finally coming to fruition as we said goodbye to 2012 a few days ago and welcome 2013 with open arms and legs stretched ready for new adventures. The six of us at DPC have put together an ode to 2012 highlighting some of our our favorite EP’s, experiences, concerts and mixes. While we've collectively seen, listened and scoured for more music this year than humanly possible, it was hard to pick favorites. But here's to a great year of music; many thanks to our readers, guest mix contributors, and friends for joining us on the ride! Let's boogie!
<3,
Mr. Bonkerz: Nine Lives - Bounce
Bounce EP (Nine Lives / Drop Out Orchestra) by Vendition Records
This was released on the British label Vendition Records back in October and features a dark, creepy Drop Out Orchestra remix and a dance party approved edit by Cat Funk. Why is it my favorite EP? The ingredients include funk & disco with a splash of cosmic darkness. Delicious stuff :)
Becca: Todd Terje - It's the Arps
TODD TERJE - It's The Arps EP by toddterje
Surprise! This EP is the truth. It was released off the label Smalltown Supersound back in January of 2012 and while many dance party aficionados are well-aware of Inspector Norse, the EP was named so lovingly because Terje produced each track using the ARP 2600. Four songs. 30+ minutes of synth perfection. One hell of an EP. And I couldn't have said it better myself as I read my friend's description (paraphrased): there's a reason why there are no remixes (of Norse) - it's already perfect ;)
Sam: Jimmy Edgar – Majenta
jimmy edgar - majenta (album preview) by experimedia
Jimmy Edgar's introduction to the world, Majenta is a compulsively addicting merging of techno, garage, and house that's staggeringly brilliant at points. Infinitely relistenable.
Tyler: Dusky - Flo Jam
Dusky - Flo Jam EP by Dusky
Dusky didn't really come onto my radar until the end of 2012. When I first heard their Warehouse Project set, I was blown away. When I dug a little deeper, I discovered their Flo Jam EP. It was released on Dogmatik Records in July and features 4 great deep house tracks that I really enjoyed.
William: Soul Clap - E-FUNK
EFUNK: The Singles by Soul Clap Records
An obvious favorite for me, just check out the album review I did on it in April. The Boston duo did a bang up job sticking to their hip hop influenced Deep House funky-ness. With the success of their years of touring and the excellent promoting job done by Wolf + Lamb Records, these producer/djs started their own label appropriately called Soul Clap Records.
Rashad: Kill Frenzy (feat Sacha Robotti) - Go to the Mo
Kill Frenzy - Go To The Mo [Preview] by dirtybird
This one took me by surprise. The ensemble was was released in September on DirtyBird Records. Kill Frenzy and Sacha sauted up some Techy, and Garage-y -with a hint of House- sounds for this one. This “Booty-Tech” EP reminds me of the stuff I’ve heard from Nick Monaco as each the three low-end heavy tracks feature silly syncopated rhythms littered with vocal loops. Each track has it’s own way of making you want to drop it to the floor, and since their release I always find myself sneaking at least one them into the weirder parts of my DJ sets.
**Mix**
Mr. Bonkerz: Butch Le Butch - Live at Shantytown November 2012
I'm going to bend the rules on this one and include a live set because it plays like a mix tape and it's so damn good! Butch Le Butch, one of the best classic disco edit dudes in the Biz, blends some of my favorite tracks from the past year while incorporating some of his own edits and the final result has this guy listening on repeat. P.S. - Don't sleep on the Fugees remix at the 18:00 mark !
Becca: Monitor 66 - Live @ Decibel, Slakthuset 2012.09.22
Following Mr. Bonkerz' suit, I am going to bend the rules on this one, too. I was intrigued after seeing the Swedish trio uploaded a live DJ set of theirs on Soundcloud from a party in Stockholm and it doesn't disappoint. With a deep house flavor, this mix is a nice step away from their usual tropical infused disco - which is probably why I am so pleased with the entire thing. It’s not something you'd expect from them, but awesome nonetheless.
Sam: LWE Podcast 112 - Deetron
Eclectic, complex, and perfect. Deetron's Little White Earbuds podcast was one of my favorite of the year.
Tyler: Summer Series GuestMix Vol. 4 - Sare Havlicek
It's incredibly difficult to pick a favorite mix from any given year. I probably listened to well over 500 and going back through these would be quite a task. The true sign of a great mix, to me, is re-listenability. One mix that stood out to me as one that re-listened to countless times, was the Sare Havlicek DPC Guestmix. It featured a ton of great tracks, and what may have been my favorite remix of the year, Maxxi Soundsystems remix of Scandal's "Just Let Me Dance."
William: FACT mix 358 - JETS (Jimmy Edgar & Travis Stewart)
My favorite mix came out later this year as I started getting into more Tech House and Techno during the second half of 2012. Among the many, I found a love for Jimmy Edgar and his percussive melodic style and for Travis “Machinedrum” Stewart. Now together they for the tech-funk powerhouse known as JETS. This mix was created for FACT Magazine and is definitely the best one to date. What I love about this mix is the unique mixing styles and genre blending abilities they bothe posses, all the while sticking to that Detroit techno sound. Debuting an arsenal of unreleased tracks and remixes including an edit for Three 6 Mafia’s “Who Run It”.
Rashad: Dusky - BBC 1 Essential Mix
I don’t have too much to say about it. Just listen. Two hours of, well, essential Deep House and Garage. Plus, there’s a good amount of Dusky bangers in the mix. Flo Jam, Henry 85, the remix of Don’t Go, and handful of unreleased, soon to be dance floor heaters!
**Concert and/or Festival**
Mr. Bonkerz: Dimitri From Paris @ U Street Music Hall (June 8, 2012)
I'll be perfectly honest in saying this wasn't the best show or set that I saw this past year but it was definitely my favorite. And why shouldn't it be? For those who missed it, DFP played an open to close, 6 hour disco set. Truly legendary stuff as he spanned 50+ years of disco. APPROVED!
Becca: Flight Facilities @ U Street Music Hall (October 20, 2012)
This one was probably the toughest for me as I’ve changed it about three or four times before hitting publish. As a DC resident, we are constantly bombarded with amazing music and talent each and every week. That being said, the show I was most looking forward to this past year was definitely Flight Facilities. The Australian duo has had me infatuated since late 2009 and on my “must-see” list for the last three years. Their mixing skills and song selection at their show had me absolutely smitten. Bonus: I wore their shirt at the show and was totally a fan girl that night.
Sam: Maceo Plex/Catz n' Dogz/Eats Everything @ U Street Music Hall (March 15, 2012)
A night of revelry celebrating U Street Music Hall's 2nd anniversary, this night featured some of my favorite artists doing their thing. Highlight was Maceo Plex's set, where he went all “Maetrik” on everyone and played deep, scary tech-house until all hours of the night.
Tyler: Movement Detroit Electronic Music Festival (May 26-28, 2012)
This was a no brainer for me. This was my first adventure to Detroit for Movement Electronic Music Festival and it was truly an unforgettable weekend. I saw some of the best DJ/Producers in the world and danced more than I thought was humanly possible. Needless to say, I will be returning in 2013. Check out our recap here and here.
William: Tiger & Woods (Live)/Tim Sweeney/Beautiful Swimmers @ U Street Music Hall (April 20, 2012)
I dunno if it was because it was 4/20 or if Uhall was truly on some next level shiz, but Tiger & Woods killed the Live DJ game for me! Remixing some of my favorite tracks on the fly made me an even bigger supporter of their music. Also I would like to note: Discovember was a close second. Even though it was a house party all the DPC crew put on Uhall worthy performances! BEST PARTY OF THE YEAR!
Rashad: Ritchie Hawtin (Cntrl: Beyond EDM) @ Echostage (November 1, 2012)
This was the toughest decision for me because we’ve had some serious talent come through D.C. lately. Just recently I have had my mind blown by Kate Simko, Magda, and Till Von Sein. ...And that was just within the past 2 months. So the deciding factor was that Ritchie’s set was full of technique I had never seen or experienced before. My ears as a electronic music fan and DJ were tickled and I left that show in complete awe (not mention with a serious ringing in my ears).
Here’s to another great year of music on the dancefloor or in headphones alike!
ooo this is a fun post, i like!
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