The 50 Best Albums of 2016
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The compilation (as we used to know it) is not as big as it once was. As we saw last year, playlists and mixes have become the new ways for DJs to show off their sets and only the established series such as Fabric and DJ Kicks seem to be releasing mix CDs these days. However, we have definitely seen the increased popularity of ‘Curated’ collections with some choice platters, such as Jan Schulte’s ‘Tropical Drums Of Deutschland', Dekmantel’s Selectors series and Bill Brewster’s ‘Tribal Rites' collection. These unmixed collections of tracks can concentrate on a micro-genre, a geographical area (John Gomez’s excellent ‘Outro Tempo’ compilation of Brazilian music was a highlight) or even a cross sections of many genres but having a common thread… this reflects digging culture and diversity in DJ sets, ways in which you can be original when presenting records to people despite an age when everything is on YouTube!
The top of our compilation pile this year was a DJ’s selection highlighting a particular sound linked to Italy in the early 90s – whether catching a wave or starting a trend, this particular release was perfectly timed for the return of breezy, summery Italian house which continued all year.
21
Macadam Mambo drop this deluxe triple pack of EBM/Industrial/Post-Punk/Weirdo Disco edits from friends of the label such as Ivan Smagghe, Guillaume De Bois, Kilian Krings, Mori Ra, Panoptique and more... All killer no filler!
22
Rough Trade invite Max Cooper to curate a mix that demonstrated his influences, knowing he’d dig up some unexpected gems. The result gives a fascinating and enriching guided tour through Richter’s musical cosmos, with insight into the sounds that help inspire his singular talent and vision. This 36-track compilation features music from Mogwai, Boards of Canada, Let’s Eat Grandma, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Philip Glass, Aphex Twin and Low, plus classical works by Rachmaninoff and Bach.
23
New Beach Diggin' compilations from Mambo & Guts are always something to get excited about! For Volume 5 the guys dug deep and pulled out an outstanding selection of Tunisian Reggae, Japanese Disco and West Indian jazz-funk. Top stuff!
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BADBADNOTGOOD contributed towards the long-running Late Night Tales series with an eclectic 21-track mix featuring such artists as Stereolab, Thundercat, Lydia Lunch and even The Beach Boys!
25
Balearic maestro Phil Mison brought us a new compilation on Leng, inspired by the warm, loved-up vibes of his earliest Ibiza sets. This one is packed full of soothing, beautifully crafted atmospheric beats!
26
The Pop Makossa adventure started in 2009, when Analog Africa founder Samy Ben Redjeb first travelled to Cameroon to make an initial assessment of the country’s musical situation. He returned with enough tracks for an explosive compilation highlighting the period when funk and disco sounds began to infiltrate the Makossa style popular throughout Cameroon. Years later and just before release, they came across a mighty song entitled ‘Pop Makossa Invasion,’ recorded for Radio Buea, a tune so obscure that even in Cameroon it had never been released. Suddenly the whole compilation fell into place. ‘Pop Makossa Invasion’ makes its debut here and joins the pantheon of extraordinary songs that plugged Cameroon’s Makossa style into the modern age.
27
Too Slow To Disco Volume 3 was pure sunshine. A bunch of beautiful songs that might have missed the charts, but can still break your heart!
28
Thoroughly researched and highlighting many of the stand-out tracks from Nigel Ayers' long-running Nocturnal Emissions project, Mannequin shine the light on an under-appreciated sonic adventurer. It's no mean feat going through the sheer amount of material he recorded over the years but we find no fault in Alessandro Adriani's selections. It's the ultimate primer and a highly recommended selection for those already familiar with Throbbing Gristle, Coil or Cabaret Voltaire.
29
A great selection of Doxa Sinistra member Hanjo Erkamp's mellower solo material recorded in the late 80s. Operating out of Amsterdam following a move from Texel and Heiloo, Hanjo was a prolific prodicer yet all the material featured on this compilation was released until now. After recent appreciation for Doxa Sinistra (in particular the track 'The Other Stranger') we're lucky that JJ Funhouse reached out and grasped this material from the brink of never seeing the light of day.
30
Gerd Janson's Running Back imprint saw its 15th anniversary towards the end of the summer. They marked the occasion with a wonderful compilation from the legendary Tony Humphries which featured a selection of the label's classic tracks from artists such as Todd Terje, Leon Vynehall and Tiger & Woods!
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In September, Lone took us on an epic journey through the various shades of Electronica, Techno, Experimental and Downtempo. This eclectic mix features tracks from unlikely artists like Radiohead and Balil!
32
Knekelhuis present a new compilation of Dutch masters (Das Ding, Plus Instruments, De Fabriek for a start!) from the Amsterdam Fetisj scene and cities such as Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, and Zwolle. It gives "a glimpse into the artistic DIY music movement that was growing extensively outside of mainstream circles."
33
Roman Flugel's seamless mixing shines through on his Fabriclive mix. The compilation is full of emotive melodies, vocals and oddities... including his 'Troubled Mind' track, taken from 'Black Acid' EP on Phonica!
34
Call Super delivered his first official mix CD in the form of a killer 24-track selection for Fabric, featuring rarities and future club classics from the likes of Convextion, Objekt and Photek.
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This was a truly solid compilation with a very powerful black power backstory! The release coincided with an amazing exhibition at Tate Modern called "Soul of A Nation - Art in the Age of Black Power"
36
Big dog Kerri Chandler stepped up for the legendary DJ-Kicks series in the latter end of the year, sharing with us some of the soul, funk, disco and boogie treasures which have inspired him over the years. Really top stuff from the iconic house master.
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Erol Alkan’s ‘Reworks Volume 1’ landed on our shelves in late October. We were all excited to listen back and reminisce over some of Erol's legendary reworks from over the years, including such artists as Hot Chip, Justice and Scissor Sisters!
38
Local Talk's Mad Mats put together a diverse selection of cuts, ranging from reggae, hip-hop and soul to boogie, electronica and house on this awesome 2xLP!
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Part 2 of the 'Acceptable Presence' story and the ever enigmatic Light Sounds Dark selector(s) don't disappoint with more obscurities touching on underground sounds from beautiful atmospheric ambient to dark industrial and post-punk with most tracks never appearing on vinyl before.
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This collection of amazing soul, funk and disco cuts came straight from New Zealand in the 70s and 80s and features some incredible bits and pieces!