Sasha – Vapourspace

For our money if you’re not a fan of Sasha’s second artist album ‘Airdrawndagger’ you can’t really call yourself an electronic music fan. Critically, ‘Airdrawndagger’ was a disaster by all accounts, back then I didn’t really pay much attention to “critics” (oh the irony), and the internet didn’t really exist past dial-up and Soulseek. But, despite that ‘Airdrawndagger’ found its way to me via word-of-mouth. Derided for its lack of club structure it was the first album that really made me appreciate his nuanced approach to production. With all that in mind, in 2015 Sasha released his first proper single for 4 years, via his own imprint Last Night On Earth, and like almost all of his music it’s not about the pay-off but the journey to get to said pay-off, and that’s exactly what you get with the don’s ‘Vapourspace’: a proper journey.

Hundred Waters – Animal (Siriusmo Remix)

Despite not releasing a great deal of music this year, maverick German producer Sirisumo was actually pretty busy this year – he toured (finally!) across the world with Modeselektor as Sirisumodeselektor for the the final year of 50 Weapons. The one track he did release was a stunning remix of Hundred Water’s ‘Animal’ and it saw the producer back to his playful best. Fingers crossed 2016 will see the release of the German’s third album.

Du Tonc – Animals

Du Tonc’s ‘Animals’, for our money, is every bit as good as ‘Darkness’, and ‘Surging Memories’; and ‘Every Song’ for that matter – they all seem to possess the same balance of heartfelt emotion from Matt Van Schie’s vocals combined with Mighty Mouse’s jaunty arrangements and choice of psychedelic synth palette. What you have with Du Tonc is an act in that “special zone” where it comes so naturally to them – so it’ll come as no surprise that an album is in the works, and we for one can’t wait.

Diskjokke – Hear No Evil

One minute he’s back and then he’s gone again – revered Norwegian producer Diskjokke reappeared after a long hibernation with the enthralling ‘Hear No Evil’ in January 2015. But it would seem the Norwegian disco don isn’t quite ready for a return because it appears ‘Hears No Evil’ never actually got a release, well at least according to his Discogs. Anyway, ‘Hear No Evil’ is dark, menacing, one of the best disturbed disco tracks we heard in 2015. Here’s hoping he reappears so we can sample the fruits of his labour in 2016.

Hudson Mohawke – Very First Breath

Taken from the Hudson’s latest electro opus, ‘Very First Breath’ was easily the standout track from the Scottish producer’s new album. In fact, there wasn’t anything on the album really that could hold a candle to it – it was that good. Arguably, its biggest selling point was the humdinger of a vocal from Breakbot collaborator Irfane, who’s then doused in saturated basslines, heavily compressed drums and neon lead synths.

Leftfield – Universal Everything

Leftfield proved once and for all with ‘Universal Everything’ that ages is merely a number when it comes to crafting of full-throttle bangers. ‘Universal Everything’ is an unrelenting techno assault on the senses from start to finish, as you’re pummelled with waves of throbbing basslines and rave-induced hooks all the while set to a ridiculously brisk 90s drum line. It’s easily one of the many highlights from legendary producer’s new album ‘Alternative Lightsource’.

Jesse Rose & Claude Vonstroke – Bare Mountain

Long-time friends Jesse Rose and Claude Vonstroke came together for the debut release on Rose’s new label A-sided, which was a huge weapon for the two during Miami Music week. ‘Bare Mountain is a chunky SLAB – and we emphasise the word slab because the basslines are thick like porridge – of house that forgoes any pleasantries and just goes straight for the jugular.

Tensnake – The Walk

Tensnake back making house music was a real treat in 2015. From the moment we heard ‘The Walk’ we knew it was going to be a huge track for the German producer, and sure enough it was, the nostalgic slice of uplifting house saw the German producer on imperious form combining rousing strings with doughy synths and gut-wrenching basslines.

Madison – Gotta Have You (The Twelves remix)

The Twelves are back, no seriously. They’ve released 4 remixes and one original this year, which in Twelves terms is like a disco Tsunami. We could have easily chosen the duo’s only original which was released on Kitsune’s America compilation – but instead we’ve actually chosen the duo’s remix of Madison’s ‘Gotta Have You’. Quite simply: this is the Brazilian duo back to their very best, and hopefully this little purple patch will continue well into 2016.

Mickey – You Know The Beat

Quite often the nearly man of disco, Mickey really made his mark in 2015 thanks to his French touch-inspired banger ‘You Know The Beat’. The track has two things going for it. 1) it’s straight French touch fire. And 2) it’ll make you feel about five years younger. You’ve literally got nothing to lose.

Tensnake – Holding Back (My Love) (Tiger & Woods Remix)

Italian disco dons Tiger & Woods delivered a dizzying 10-minute disco remix of ‘Holding Back (My Love)’ that pretty much blew all the others remixes out of the water. Part of Running Back’s re-release of Tensnake’s breakout 2009 EP ‘In The End’ when Tiger & Woods are on this sort of form – which seems to be always – they are untouchable.

Club Cheval – From The Basement To The Roof (Oliver Remix)

Oliver didn’t do a lot in 2015 (word is they’re working hard on their long-awaited album) but what they did produce was an emotionally charged electro remix of Club Cheval’s ‘From The Basement To The Roof’. A hook-laden cut of boot-shaking electro it brought into sharp focus why we’ve been tipping this duo for greatness for what seems like an eternity, and everything points to 2016 being their year.

Julio Bashmore – Holding On

We wouldn’t go as far as saying that 2015 saw French touch revival – but when you starting hearing joints like Julio Bashmore’s ‘Holding On’ on a regular basis, it kind makes you take stock of the musical landscape. The standout track from the producer’s debut album ‘Knockin’ Boots’ it could just as easily have been a long lost gem from messrs Bangalter and De-Homem – it’s that good. And who knows maybe 2016 we’ll hear even more of the filtered good stuff.

Kolsch – DerDieDas

Kolsh’s unique brand of techno-with-feels was best typified by the producer’s track ‘DerDieDas’. The main centrepiece of the Dane’s excellent album, it’s deceptively simple on first inspection yet manages to be incredibly enthralling, offering an excellent taster of what you can expect from the producer’s latest album, ‘1983’, which dropped this summer on the ever-excellent Kompakt Records.

Blood Orange – Sandra’s Smile

Dev Haynes finds his way back into our picks of the year once again, after the immense Cupid Duluxe a couple of years ago, his latest single sees him continue to create enchanting melodies and eerily empty verses to great effect.

Health – Men Today

Energy doesn’t come close to expressing how action packed the latest Health album is, delivering a slab of heavy pop that’ll knock you off your feet, ‘Men Today’ is as fresh as it is brutal with pounding Panteraesque percussion, layers of distortion and ghostly vocals.

Kelela – Gomenasia

Deep slow bass and echoey chimes provides the perfect accompaniment to Kelela’s delicate, glassy vocals. The EP builds on her debut album earlier on in the year and definitely shows the artist maturing in a very short space of time.

Niki and the Dove – Play it on my Radio

Embracing an 80s Phil Collins with warm pads, shuffling percussion and Niki’s sweet vocals, ‘Play It On My Radio’ is a perfect late night blanket of a song one of their best to date.

Jamie xx, Oliver Sim – Stranger in a Room

There’s so many tracks to choose from the London producers latest album ‘In Colour,’ refining and developing his sound from his xx days. Although with signature echoey guitar and simple chord progressions, this track still has one foot firmly in the xx sound.

Floating Points – Elaenia

Subtle, dark and powerful, Sam Shepherd delivers a sublime album with its title track being such a slow grower that it’s a tease. Take with a small hour and a glass of single malt.

Oneohtrix Point Never – I Bite Through It

Supporting NIN in their latest tour OPN has always been sonically interesting, pushing the digital soundscape further with each record. In Garden of Delete Daniel Lopatin delivers a more bonkers affair with ‘I Bite Through It’ being the more sane of the bunch, successfully blending jagged distortion with classical guitar.

Chromatic – In Films

Always coming up with the goods it’s hard to find anything we don’t like from Johnny Jewel’s head, this latest single comes instead of an album but its upbeat melodies and dreamy vocals more than make up for it.

Gallant – Weight In Gold

Gallant’s rise in the R&B and electronic scene has been quick these last couple of years, but ‘Weight In Gold’ is definitely the hit that put his name on the map. With a voice smoother than a baby’s bottom, Gallant really doesn’t need much musical accompaniment and this track maintains a simple production to emphasize his powerful vocals.

Bob Moses – Too Much Is Never Enough

Canadian grown duo Bob Moses, who named themselves after the legendary New York builder Robert Moses, have a deep sound that resonates in your rib cage and gets stuck in your consciousness. ‘Too Much Is Never Enough’ is taken from the pair’s debut album ‘Days Go By’ and builds around highly evocative lyrics that have been set to a blues-burnished, house rhythm.

Blonde – All Cried Out

Though the mainstream success of this hit is partially due to the vocal contribution of ‘Glee’ TV actor Alex Newell, ‘All Cried Out’ is a bona fide dancefloor filler in its own right. It was a DJ set staple all this past year and has equally enticing remixes from The Magician, Oliver Nelson, Don Diablo, and others.

Percussions – Digital Arpeggios

Kieren Hebden, known to most as Four Tet and less familiarly as Percussions, has kept busy these last months releasing a massive amount of originals and remixes on top of extensively touring the globe. The title ‘Digital Arpeggios’ sort of speaks for itself because it is essentially just that, but it is Hebden’s arrangement that makes this track a beautifully metamorphosing piece of work.

Rufus Du Sol – You Were Right

Tyrone Lindqvist’s seductive lyrics paired with the group’s upbeat instrumentation make this track an emotional tour de force. It is all at once danceable and sentimental for a strange mix that will have fans simultaneously dancing and reminiscing over their last heartbreak.

Written by Andrew Rafter, Shea Kopp, James Trigo and James Brown.