The 50 Best Albums of 2016
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The reissue market has grown considerably in the last few years thanks to the resurgence of vinyl. Both the house and disco reissues provide many choice unforgotten gems and huge anthems from the past with labels such as Mint Condition, Flash Forward, Isle of Jura and Floating Points’ Melodies label starting just to provide us with choice reissues. Not to forget the excellent work of Josh Cheon’s Dark Entries label which gives us the most obscure post-punk or synth-wave release one day and then a huge Italo disco reissue the next – with a lot of love spent on mastering and artwork, setting the blueprint for other labels.
Recently, we have also seen classic labels such as Salsoul releasing unofficial mixes ‘officially, with the likes of Pangaea’s mix of Loleatta Holloway’s ‘Stand Up’ getting a full release and a stamp of approval from the Salsoul label.
Far too many to feature in this countdown and far too many records to compare - how can we compare a 1988 house record with a 1978 funk / soul / disco crossover rarity anyway? And how old does a record have to be before it is considered a reissue, rather than just a repress?
The records we have featured on this list are here for a number of reasons - they have either sold phenomenally well in the shop and online, or have been records held dear in the hearts of at least one member of staff here.
‘New Beats the House’ released on R&S in 1989, was the debut single from Dutch producer Marcel Hol. Utilising a synth sample from Kraftwerk’s ‘It’s More Fun to Compute’ and a plethora of vocal samples from Art of Noise, Ice T and an extract of Ian Penman’s essay “The Annihilation of Rhythm” – the end result is a piece of 303 gold. Detroit’s Jared Wilson adds even more acid flavour with a heavy B-Side remix.
This was Photek's first dive into Techno and science fiction future-jazz all the way back in 1996. This reissue was flying off the shelves some twenty years later. Timeless!
Guy 'Plez' Pleasant dropped this monstrous slab of proto-tribal Techno on his own Plezure label way back in '88. The rest, as they say, is history. A stone cold NYC club bomb was dropped. Literally. The fact that this record is still played, still talked about, still sought after really says something about it's heady mix of heads down dark corner tribalism, it's screeching, soaring synth lines and it's sheer balls out attitude. The 'Acid rainforest' mix featured on this 12" is a dangerous weapon in any DJ's bag, submerging the dance-floor into an otherworldly jungle planet. Heavy, heavy stuff.
More classic, ghetto Chi-town business from the DM vaults here (and there were a few to choose from this year)- 2-Bit Project's (aka Larry Thompson of LNR fame!) 'Bump That Pussy' EP is another hot, collectible entry into the DM catalogue. This special, enhanced 2017 repress version features all the OG cuts and boasts 2 extended edits from UK man of mystery and all round house digger extraordinaire Jonny Rock. Honorary mention should also go to Playground Productions 'Orgy XX', another stonking re-release!
Isle of Jura went back to 1976 to resurrect ‘Anambra’, the jewel in the crown of Dub, Soul & Funk outfit Ozo. ‘Anambra’ is something of a classic, a unique song that’s slow, ritualistic and spiritual, mixing African & Nyabinghi drumming with a Buddhist Sanskrit mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’.
A true Belgian classic, championed by everyone from 2manydjs to The Glimmers to Joakim and beyond, this was a big record during the late 80s/early 90s in both the new beat/ebm AND balearic circles. After appearing on a handful of compilations and receiving updated remixes, this is the first time the whole original 12" has been reissued with it's tracklist and artwork as first released.
Endless Flight revisit Jacob F. Desvarieux's red-hot Zouk productions over three 12"s, each featuring re-interpretations by label-boss Kuniyuki and all equally essential. We've plucked for 'Sweet Florence' and its low-slung blend of psyche/boogie. Irresistibly funky!
Melodies International re-issue Maurice Moore's evergreen 'Everything That Shines Ain't Gold' exactly 40 years since it's release, splicing both sides of the original 7" onto the whole side of this 12" with label boss Floating Points behind the flip's edit.
Nyami Nyami unearth 'Baleka' by Dutch band Zimba, originally released in 1983. Zimba was founded by Zimbabwean ex-pat Phil Arosa alongside his partner Marga and toured for a decade around Holland. Curiously, they only released one record, but what a record it is, combining African rhythms with New Wave vocals. The original 12" featured long and short versions while this release adds new reinterpretations by The Comet Is Coming and Siwo.
After appearing on Optimo's brilliant 'Sleepwalk' compilation back in 2008, J.D. Twitch finally makes Peter Christopherson's updated version of 'A Cold Cell' available on vinyl, complete with screen-printed b-side artwork by House Of Traps aka Firecracker boss Lindsay Todd.
The highly sought-after 1983 Italo anthem 'Woman' with it's slower instrumental dub on the flip got an official and timely re-issue on Discoring, complete with original picture cover.
Best Record Italy re-release this John Jellybean Benitez-remixed gem from 1981/82. Italo Disco classics from Kasso (the pseudonym used by Claudio Simonetti)which later became classic in the underground house music scene of both N.Y. and Chicago !
Following on from the reissue of DJ Nature's 'Ruff Disco Volume One', they shine the light on Gerd's very first record he produced with friends Mark and Dirk-Jan back in 1992 under the alias 'It's Thinking'. Trading hands for high amounts on Discogs, the original was proving to be tricky to track down so now's the perfect time to present a classic European deep house record to a fresh audience!
Running Back Double Copy delivered a series of 90’s re-edits by DJ Oyster, in particular, Kalk - Akasha. Akasha is a tasteful tech-house record driven by open hi-hats and crisp snares which are packed with energy.
The incredible downtempo instrumental version of Ottomix's 'Sahara Sand' has been a digger's favorite for many a year and ripe for a reissue. Thankfully Attic Salt did the right thing and have rescued this classic 12" from obscurity, using the same complete tracklisting as the original.
‘Frame of Mind’ introduced us to one of the lesser known figures of the early 90s US rave scene with a re-issue of the soulful EP ‘Deepest Shades’ by Toyin Agbetu A.K.A ‘Shades of Black’. Silky smooth production – a must have for fans of Mr Fingers, Larry Heard and Frankie Knuckles!
Shadow's 'Sweet Sweet Dreams' album was one of last year's biggest re-issues but for many it brought attention to the fact that 'D'Hardest' had remained an impossibly difficult 12" to find and everyone agreed it needed the same treatment asap! Jam Wax dutifully came to the rescue and re-released this obscure disco/soca 12" (with violin solo!) with original tracklist and artwork.
Originally released by the legendary Junior Boys Own crew on their highly coveted Jus Trax imprint this is some pure 1995 heat that will have heads rushing the booth asking for a track ID. Essential London business here from the heady, og days of 'Nu-Disco' & House.
Following their reissue of the astonishingly good Shoc Corridor album 'Experiments In Incest' Dark Entries follow up by reissuing their debut 12" 'A Blind Sign'. While it features album cut 'On Reflexion' the real draw here is 'A Blind Sign' and 'Sargasso Sea' plus its previously unreleased 1981 demo version. The West-London group would release a second LP and handful of singles before coming to a halt in 1984 following the death of band-member Paul Humphries.