As the sun starts to dip on another 6 hours of winter light - well pretty much - we step sideways and look back at 2011 through the eyes of Bloc, Warm and Mulletover...
Sit back and enjoy the splendour that was two zero one one:
Warm
We added one more as we couldn't leave Envision out :)
Floating Points - Sais (Dub) - Eglo
Within five seconds you know this couldn't be anyone else but Floating Points. Sublime.
SBTRKT - Hold On (Mattias Meyer Remix) - White
A perfect re-work of one of the biggest artists of 2011. Mattias Meyer's remix is incredibly simple, yet so effective and hypnotic at the same time.
Levon Vincent - Pivotal Moments In Life - Novel Sound
Levon Vincent does it again. Pure house euphoria without sounding tired or sentimental. Topped off at the end by one of the best basslines of the year.
Osunlade - Envision (Ame Remix) - Innervisions
What else can you say about this remix? If you haven't heard this out this year, where have you been? Ame return in epic fashion.
Steffi - Sadness (Vinyl Version) - Ostgut Ton
One of the most emotive tracks of 2011 from one of our favorite producers and DJ's. Effortless deep house that transports you to early morning Berlin.
Virgo 4 - It's A Crime (Caribou Mix.) Rush Hour
Killer re-work from arguably the best artist / remixer of 2011. Caribou's mix has everything - sick drum programming, hypnotic vocals and an acid line no other track has equaled all year.
Bloc
Pangea - Runout
Because I'm a twat, I went into Halfords and bought the biggest bass-bin they had for the knackered bright orange estate I bomb round norfolk in. It makes a sound like hell has opened up in the boot of my car and is sucking the whole of humanity into a fiery netherworld of white noise and pain. For much of 2011, this track by Pangea has provided the soundtrack to me eyeballing old ladies at traffic lights and driving really fast backwards in a circle round bowling alley car parks.
Apparat - Song of Los
When artists turn up to play at Bloc, we never fail to remark to one another how surprising it is to learn that they can use their mouths to speak just like you or I do. One spends so long at home listening their records, which are universally composed of mechanical, clanking sounds or often high-pitched squeaks and beeps that sometimes it's difficult to remember that's not the sound they rely upon for day-to-day communication at all, but a kind of synthesised display. Having already once heard Apparat speak once backstage, I wasn't caught on the back foot quite as much as everyone else when he released this vocal, haunting and melodic indie-synth masterwork at the start of the year.
Scuba - Adrenalin
This one gets a huge mention because sometimes you just need to soundtrack being in all night, not even needing to go out, punishing the stereo and just kicking back, talking, laughing, drinking, dancing, arguing, falling down, getting up, reminiscing and maybe even crying a little bit but not because you're sad till the sun comes up. Everybody out there knows that these can be some of the very best nights of your life. Right up until it's ruined by your flatmate coming to ask what the fuck you've been doing in the living room by yourself all night.
Space Dimension Controller - Flight of the escape vessels
Just lovely, really great track, highly recommend it and a really great chap to boot. Lovely.
Boddika
Do you remember what it was like telling people you'd just met that you liked electro a few years ago? A horribly dispiriting experience of the conversation immediately grinding to a halt as they looked you up and down trying to work out which one of the blokes in Fischerspooner you fancied. As much as you wanted to say, 'Nah, its not that kind of...' it just sounded like the gurgles of a weakling child being lowered into a toilet headfirst. Then along came the raw and violent power of Loefah's Swamp 81 label, with the searing light of Boddika at its gory helm. I like to imagine him as a merciless angel of vengeance who will interrupt any social gathering at random by slamming his knuckleduster on the table, demanding to know if anyone present likes electro and then killing anyone who doesn't say 'yes' fast enough.
MULLETOVER
Mic Newman - Machine Love
'Was Mic's first EP with murmur since Sizzled Sally which gained some great feedback.'
Inxec & Droog - Unhinged
'Bassline in this track is mesmerising!'
KW - Detroit to London
'Proper 4am techno and one of the best tracks to date.'
Gus - Over (Life and Death Remix)
'Hammered this all summer, must have been one of my most played tracks.'
Noir & Haze - Around (Solomun Vocal Mix)
'Massive Track of 2011, probably the biggest!'
Eastern Electrics NYE 2011
Bloc:
Laurent Garnier 4 Hour Set (!!)
Mount Kimbie (live)
mulletover:
Anja Schneider (mobilee)
Geddes
Warm:
Tensnake (live)
Horse Meat Disco,
Warm Residents
Snowbombing: Secret Room - Winter Forest Lounge & Disco
Luca C (Hot Creations/Crosstown Rebels)
Ali Love (Hot Creations)
Donkeyboss (Return To The Future)
Danny Raper (2020 Vision)
Oscar & Croz (Farr Festival/Eastern Electrics)
Urban Knights
Straightola & Laith M
The Coronet
28 New Kent Rd,
Elephant & Castle,
London SE1 6TJ
-All £15 - £32.50 tix now gone.
£36.50 already selling fast
- Standard Tickets £40
Tickets Available From:
The Ransom Note