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The fine folks at the BBC’s 6 Music got in contact and asked us if we’d contribute to a Zeitgeist of the best acts of 2012 so far, alongside a host of other blogs and, of course, our favourite blog aggregator The Hype Machine.

If our three choices end up in the final 25 we might even get a little mention on the radio – the only problem is we’re only allowed to choose three artists. That’s like asking Steve Aoki to only have 1 can of flat coke on his DJ rider. An impossibility.

We racked our brains for a few days, went through the HBF archives and came up with the names – and it’s goes a little something like this.

Jupiter

We’ve been banging our drum about Parisian duo Jupiter a lot recently, hell, we even took part in a Jupiter Appreciation Day to celebrate the release of their debut album ‘Juicy Lucy’. For those who are new to the duo the make sparkly pop music in the mould of greats like Blondie, Chic and Daft Punk – basically their debut references all the greats in a short, but oh so sweet 50 minutes.

“‘Juicy Lucy’ is a triumph in every sense of the word, the album snatches every memorable melody from the last 30 years and condenses them into a short, but sweet 50 minutes. It references everything from Les Rhythmes Digital, Chic and Daft Punk to Kate Bush, The Jacksons and Blondie. There are no weak tracks to speak of and Amelie’s vocals are incredible – they’re organic, yet, intisingly foreign – and for what it’s worth she’s not splattered across every song and chorus, but liberally sprinkled like magic pixie dust.

“With two of disco’s biggest stars passing within a week of each other, the changing of the guard is happening now. But thankfully, with Jupiter, disco is in a safe pair of hands.”

Hoaxx

Continuing the theme of artists of who have just released amazing debut albums in 2012 – we had to choose Hoaxx, the relatively unknown duo from London stole our hearts this week with the first full-length debut album – it’s a ode to the mesmerising electro from greats like Justice and many other French electro stars. It’s not a cheap rip-off, but more like we’re back in 2007, but instead of lauding a couple of scruffy Parisians it’s an unlikely duo from Croydon.

“We’re really quite excited about the debut album from Hoaxx – if you’re not familiar with them – they’re a UK duo from London who make a trashy, funky electronic version of 90′s brit-pop.

“Very rarely do you get an album that isn’t just filled the same idea regurgitated over and over, but an album that hops, skips and jumps from everything from futuristic synth music of ‘NewRotik’ to the Tron-laden reprise of ‘Each Other’, even rarer is it from a fairly unknown duo from London called Hoaxx.

“Ultimately, ‘Who’s The Queen’ proves that electro doesn’t have to be an exercise in who can make the loudest, nastiest, electro possible. It shows that it can be a carefully crafted journey of energy and emotion to the point that after each listen you feel the need to have a shower and cool off, that is, until you fire this bad boy up again. Don’t believe us? Then listen to the whole album below and judge it for yourselves. But if you’re a fan of French electro we guarantee you’ll fall head over heals for ‘Who’s The Queen’ and if you don’t, then you’re not human and should probably just read Pitchfork.

Oliver 

Oliver is a disco duo from LA who are probably the most exciting producers to come out of the US since Felix Da Housecat. From a cave in somewhere LA, with a arsenal of vintage synths, they have taken the blogs by storm over the last year with countless amazing remixes and an amazing EP released on French tastemaker Kitsune. Not only is their music a mesmerising combination of 80’s disco and funk – they duo have some of the tightest productions we’ve ever heard – if bands aren’t tearing their door down to produce them we’d be very surprised.

“Oliver is the moniker of two LA producers who are making quite a splash with their funk-laden big-room disco. Compromised of Vaughn Oliver (U-Tern) and Oliver Goldstein (aka Oligee) their first EP ‘Dirty Talk’ is out today via the always on the money Kitsune.

“Disco like many genres has got a large, and loyal, following – but can it ever reach the heights of a trance-y mcbobins like Tiesto? Or dare I say dubstep’s new poster boy Skrillex? If you’re an avid follower of blogs (which you are) you’ll already think it already has. Well, not quite, but just maybe with Oliver.

“LA duo Oliver might well be the duo to take disco to the next level; Dirty Talk is full of big-room swagger. The lead track has everything an anthem needs; catchy, but, clever vocals, which have a classic Felix Da Housecat quality to them – Americanised, if you will – super-snappy percussion a la Prydz and a smorgasbord of sumptuous synths – overall it’s straight out of disco’s top draw.”

Presented by Tom Robinson Now Playing @6Music| will be broadcast live on BBC 6music this Sunday 24th June 2012 6-8pm GMT – you can get involved on Twitter by tweeting your thoughts about the artists that make the Top 25 using #Blog6Music

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nowplaying/2012/06/blog6music—the-2012-music-bl.shtml

Andrew Rafter

Andrew Rafter is the editor and founder of Harder Blogger Faster.