So yeah, this year was pretty stupid. Everybody is probably aware of this by now, I’d like to think. So I’m not gonna spend time summing that up. Thankfully music was still here to get us through. Obviously my experience with hearing these jams was mostly in my house, but a few outdoor parties in the late fall were good opportunities to drop some of them and watch people dance to the grooves.
I’ve peeped a few streams here and there (and played one, with another coming up on NYE that I will post about on here more extensively later this week, here’s the flyer) but mostly I have zero clue what anybody outside of my friends has been playing or listening to in 2020. And I’m alright with that.
Click here for a Y*uT*be playlist of many of the tracks from this list…Many are not on Y*uT*be so go seek out the records to hear them!!!
I’ve written about a bunch of these earlier in the year, so apologies to our regular readers but I do this one for all the year end list crowd. These are listed in no particular order.
Albums
This is probably where the year was strongest, which is surprising in a number of ways not least of which is the obvious fact that dance music is not often best suited for the format. But all of these albums are memorable and feel complete for listening, and as a bonus will beat up a dancefloor.
Celebrity BBQ Sauce Band – Celebrity BBQ Sauce – Mahogani Music
Gerald Mitchell and Billy Love are not new names to anybody familiar with deep house and techno, but here they join forces along with some of their friends to create the excellent Celebrity BBQ Sauce Band. They lean heavily into the concept, with the artwork and sounds all contributing to that feeling of a backyard BBQ with soulful, funky music blasting while everybody eats, socializes, and dances. Perhaps the absence of such get togethers this year helps make this feel even warmer and more like home than usual, but the fact is that this record captures what house music is really all about at its core. Not high end clubs, not social media followers, not any of that bullshit. They capture the essence of sharing good music with your best friends and having fun together. This album will soundtrack those future such gatherings for many years to come.
IG Culture Presents LCSM – Earthbound – Super-Sonic Jazz
One of the foundations of the West London broken beat scene is IG Culture, and on Earthbound he assembles a group of killer musicians and orchestrates one of the more remarkable fusion records of the last decade or more. Weaving a path through a number of rhythms associated with different Black music genres, LCSM are able to create an album that captures the melting pot of influences that is London, while feeling loose and fresh in doing so. At times spiritual and at others rugged, everything is perfectly balanced here from the varying tempos to the live vs programmed nature. I hope we will eventually see some live shows from LCSM, I can only imagine how mindblowing that would be.
Various Artists – The First Circle – Neroli
Neroli head Enrico “Volcov” Crivellaro has shown a deft hand at running record labels as well as assembling excellent compilations over the past two decades. On The First Circle, he combines the two in celebration of Neroli’s 20th anniversary. For deep techno heads, the lineup is like a who’s who: Dego, Kirk Degiorgio, Ian O’Brien, Fred P, and many more all contribute exclusive tracks that fit the vibe and ethos of the label like a glove. The progression of sounds is just as expertly done, leading from K-15’s ambient “Disillusioned” to Linkwood’s deep “Citrus” without ever breaking stride. This was probably my most listened to record of the year!
Linkwood & Foat – Linkwood & Foat – Athens of the North
Linkwood & Other Lands – Face The Facts – Athens of the North
Linkwood dropped two essential collaborative albums this year, one early and one late. Linkwood and Foat came first, and it’s lush ambient textures are the perfect bedding for Greg Foat’s jazz chops. This one is best suited for home listening, and at times feels almost like an extension of the vibe of Linkwood’s track on the Neroli compilation. More recently, Face The Facts dropped which sees Linkwood get together with Other Lands aka Fudge Fingas aka Gavin Sutherland. Boogie and house are more directly at play here, but with influence of deep electro and UK street soul. Some of these will certainly create dancefloor appeal as well. It is very nice to see Linkwood stretching and shifting his sound so confidently to work within different concepts. And there is more of that to come in 2021!
Theo Parrish – Wuddaji – Sound Signature
Theo has always been off doing his own thing, never trying for mass appeal. He is one of the artists in dance music I respect the most for maintaining a commitment to the underground. His 2019 single “This Is For You” was a bit more straightforward than his usual and was a pretty big hit, so you might think that its inclusion here is a signal that he was looking to replicate that style. Well, that’s not the case. The rest of the tracks here are much more abstract and strange, which actually frames “This Is For You” in a different light, bringing out its almost psychedelic drum rhythms and subduing that obviousness into something that fits as part of the larger picture very well. Wuddaji might be the most off kilter album in Theo’s catalogue, and that’s really saying something. At times it reminds me of what the steampunk aesthetic aspires to be: a machine that is hand built, both futuristic as well as from the past, coming together to create a lurching, shuddering funky creation.
Steve Spacek – Houses – Black Focus Records
Spacek is another producer who works in such an idiosyncratic style that it is simultaneously easy to tell that a track is made by him but also never knowing what to expect before actually hearing it. On Houses, he narrows his focus to (duh) House music and within that manages to explore a number of different moods and ideas. Using just his phone to make the album, the production is appropriately stripped back but still manages to allow him to touch on everything from soulful house to jacking 80s Chicago house, with his own twist. His vocals are generally soft and restrained and it helps add a bit of neo-soul flavor to tracks even when the instrumentation is very electronic.
Larry Heard – Sceneries Not Songs, Volume One – Alleviated Records
This one is a double LP reissue of a single album from 1994, but I am always happy to get my hands on these old Larry Heard albums which are often damn near unobtanium in their original press. The cover art sums up what you find within the grooves quite well: Larry in outer space making soul music for another planet. Melodies and chord progressions stand out more than the drum work, though we are treated to some R&B-esque rhythms as much as we are ambient and house styles. All is tied together with an endearingly early 90s production aesthetic that might read as overbearingly cheesy in the hands of a lesser artist, but here manages to work in concert with the otherworldly music to create something wildly original.
Singles and EPs
Big Strick – Paper Chase University – 7 Days Ent.
Generation Next – The Pines Collective V1 – 7 Days Ent.
ButterBandz – Legacy EP – 7 Days Ent.
There’s a certain rough and rugged but still funky and soulful feel that is missing from a lot of house and techno music that I hear these days. For me this is not really something that is optional! It’s an essential part of the recipe, and the fact that it seems to be becoming harder to find has made its importance even more evident. Big Strick is unquestionably one of the artists that I look to for consistency in delivering just what I’m looking for. It has been four years since his last release, and the wait was 100% worth it. These are some of my favorite tracks of his, but especially the B2 “Deep Don’t Die” which is one of the top jams of the year, as well as a sentiment I agree with. And if you needed proof of that sentiment, you only have to look as far as these two releases by Strick’s kids, Generation Next and ButterBandz. It’s probably easier to have the right approach to music when your father and cousin are Strick and Omar S respectively, but it’s such an uncommon thing amongst the youth that I can’t help but be excited to see where these guys are going to take us next. Tré aka Gen Next is really coming into his own at this point, and for this to be ButterBandz first outing is just ridiculous. It’s almost like these cats just totally ignore all the dance scene bullshit and just crank out jam after jam.
Jay Simon – Untitled White Label – Must Have Records
In my never ending quest to find that kind of music that speaks directly to me, another simple shortcut is to just pay attention to whatever Jay is doing. Whether it’s releasing other people’s music on his label or his thus far infrequent forays into original production, he always represents music that has that extra edge to it. This EP has six cuts and you can close your eyes and drop the needle on any one of the jams and find a track with more energy and life in it than most DJs entire sets contain. From acid to funk and soul samples, this is just straight up dope HOUSE music.
The Trilaterals – “Afro-LaTeena” – Worldship
Teflon Dons – Teflon Dons Vs. The Si-Fan – Worldship
Another reliable place to find what I like is the Worldship label. Relaunching a few years back after a long hiatus, the label has not dropped off in its quality in any way, continuing to put out deep and gritty music that feels custom designed for the underground. The Trilaterals’ jam “Afro-LaTeena” is produced by long time LA DJ Kristi Lomax and makes great use of Teena Marie’s vocals on top of a tough garage beat. The Teflon Dons remix takes it a bit darker and dubbier but no less tough. And then on their own release, the Dons make a long lost and impossible to get track available again with some other minimal and funky garage jams that had never seen the light of day. The man James Duncan makes an appearance on horn to round it all out.
Roberta – Reaching Out EP – NDATL
Various Artists – NDATL Special Edition 2020 *Covid Edition – NDATL
I knew this Roberta record was something special when I trainspotted my man Eric a number of times at our second party in the park and every time I asked it was another jam off of this record. Roberta specializes in sample based MPC grooves and has shown herself to be a master of them. Creating such timelessly beautiful tracks like this is nowhere near as easy as she makes it seem on each of these six tracks, any one of which could be a highlight of a DJ’s set, also bringing great value to those who keep the culture of vinyl DJing alive. There was no Deep Detroit party this year, but the EP came out anyway and it is yet again a nicely rounded set of tracks. Jon Dixon steps up first to craft another one of his signature vocal tracks. His musicality allows him to use only the most bare bones structures, leaving room for Milan Jae’s vocals to really breathe. It’s truly an uncommon talent for somebody so skilled at playing an instrument to know how to let the groove and feeling do the heavy lifting, but Mr. Dixon proves quite adept at this over and over again. On the flipside Kai Alcé and DJ Kemit give us some of that soulful house that Atlanta is becoming more and more (correctly!) known for.
Stefan Ringer – Side Notes – Second Hand Records
Stefan Ringer – FWM 003 – FWM Entertainment
Speaking of Atlanta, Stefan Ringer had what must be his most prolific year with four 12”s and a handful of digital only releases, including collaborations with Ash Lauryn and Divine Interface. My picks of the bunch are these two EPs, with Side Notes especially standing out as perhaps my favorite overall record by Stefan so far. The rhythms here sound influenced a bit by West London, adding a nice jazzy touch to his bass heavy house joints especially on “Freethought”. For his own FWM label’s release this year, Stefan adds heavy doses of his own vocals, by now a signature move. A little less varied than the previous FWMs, but it is no less ass shaking.
Darryn Jones presents Chi-Town – “Willing & Able” – Durty Truth Records
Probably my track of the year is the A side jam here, “Willing & Able”. I’m not the biggest fan of the direction that disco edits have taken, but there are still a handful of people that I check to get the real deal. Darryn Jones is one of those. There is something in the water in Chicago that makes for some of the best disco and funk DJs in the world, and this edit shows how incredible they are. Flipping a cheapo LP joint into one of the most epic and beautiful songs is just ridiculous, and it’s hard to think of this as anything but a masterpiece of editing. The flipside jams are both strong too, adding some 80s jack and Liasons Dangereuses into the mix. This could only have come from Chicago!
Jay Daniel – SSD EP – Watusi High
Jay’s sound has continued to mature, with each release seeming to delve more and more into other tempos but retaining a loose and grimy production style that ties it all together. On this short EP, he manages to go from ambient to hiphop to experimental to ending on a house track that recalls some of his older material on Wild Oats, and makes it sound not only natural but almost obvious. The texture of the synths and drums is thick and dreamy, adding a quality reminiscent of spiritual jazz to the whole EP.
Meftah – Information Travels Through EP – No Label
Meftah is another younger Detroit cat coming up, spreading his wings with a similar mix of jazz, hiphop, and dance music. Samplers and a deep knowledge of records provide the backbone of his sound, but he adds his own synth and electric piano on top to increase the spiciness. It really excites me to see artists disregard tempo and make music that is primarily about expression first and foremost and that is the case here. From the downbeat deepness of “Patient for Now” to the uptempo energy of “6 Minutes”, this feels like a record by somebody whose concept of good music is decided by spending time digging through dusty LPs, not reading dance music media.
Alex Attias Featuring Georgia Anne Muldrow & Kid K – “I Wanna Know” – Visions Inc.
In the late 90s and early 00s, there was a kind of loosely defined scene of music that took broken beat, house, hiphop, jazz, neo soul, and Brazilian music and mashed it all together. The magazine Straight No Chaser was a good document of what was happening, with artists like as Madlib, Theo Parrish, Jneiro Jarel, Azymuth, 4 Hero, Waajeed, Jazzanova, Aardvarck, and more all represented. This was a very influential era for me personally, and this is all a very long winded way for me to say that this track feels like 2003 in the best way possible. Sick chord work, nicely live feeling drums, and great vocals and lyrics make this seem like an obvious hit amongst those DJs at that time. This was one of my top tracks for this year without question!
DJ Spinna – Refreaked Vol 1 – Refreaked
Here is another killer that feels primed for that kind of mixed-up-genre scene that I wish was more of a thing right now. The legend who is DJ Spinna takes the vocals from Janet Jackson’s “Pleasure Principle” and makes it into a soulful house killer. Loose drums and slick chords keep the energy level high and positive, making this a surefire peak time joint.
Jon Dixon – Times of Change – 4evr 4wrd
Jon already made an appearance on this list with his NDATL jam, but his best overall work this year was on his own 4evr 4wrd label. The title track “Times of Change” was a no doubt, full on anthem from the moment I first heard it. Building up energy with a nice jazzy chord progression, you almost don’t expect it when De’Sean Jones’ sax finally drops in along with the epic Detroit strings to finally take it over the top. Jon’s time spent in UR’s Timeline band has never been more obvious! The rest of the EP is also excellent, which can’t really be said to be surprising at this point. I expect excellence when I see his name or this label.
Scott Grooves – Always 001 – Natural MIDI
A single sided 7” would seem to be one of the least likely places to find a sneaky little dub house banger, but this is Scott Grooves we are talking about. It’s almost impossible to fault anything in this man’s discography over the last ten years especially, and this one is perhaps a bit more low key than some of them but it does the little things so well that it is worthy of special mention. The bass and drums are the most prominent elements and they remain almost static, allowing the hiss and slight chord changes to keep your interest. Understated but dope.
Julion De’Angelo/Viola Klein – We – WE-001
This record’s credits still make no sense to me but I think that air of mystery adds to the quality music and packaging to help keep it in my mind. Julion’s tracks (remixes?) combine organic drums with haunting electronics for something that is uncategorizable, while Viola and Who Dat add some booty bass tempo funk to theirs. A really outstanding and odd record.
Kyle Hall – The Shark EP – Forget The Clock
Kyle has been dropping one solo record per year over the last few years, and they are showing a nice progression into a deep synthetic take on broken house beats. There are organic sounding moments in the drums especially, but the lush synth work helps it retain a detroit techno sheen. “Vexed” also adds nice distorted house track to the mix, calling back to Kyle’s earliest releases.
Specter – Dreamscape – Into The Deep Records
In a post earlier this year I mentioned Specter’s excellent EP for Second Hand Records, and he followed that up this fall with Dreamscape on the French label Into The Deep. This record features one of my favorite Specter jams so far, “Rolling With Tops” with its memorable synth chord hook and melodic bassline. This is perfect 4am at the afterhours type shit right here.
Afrikan Sciences – Have It Tall – ESP Institute
Afrikan Sciences’ music definitely has some of that beat scene appeal to it with lofi synth and sampled elements woven into a tripped out arrangement. Sometimes he journeys into dancefloor land and on “Have It All” he gets there and lets it roll out with especially nice drum work. The flipside is also cool, but far more abstract. It’s crazy that this was one of the first records I picked up this year, all the way back before lockdown. It still sounds amazing now.
Emma-Jean Thackray – Ley Lines EP – Movementt Records
I’m not one to buy many reissues, but the original of this dropped in 2018 and was quickly unavailable and very pricey. I’d been hoping for this to get repressed and instead it’s a similar package but on Emma-Jean’s own Movementt label which has so far made available two of her older records and dropped a new one as well. This whole record is top class jazz music from Emma-Jean who is a ridiculously talented musician, but the highlight is the title track which is easily one of the best tracks of the last decade. If you missed it before, I highly recommend picking up this timeless classic now that it is available again.
Various Artists – 2000 Black Sampler Vol. 1 The Never Seen On Wax Jams – 2000 Black
Various Artists – 2000 Black Sampler Vol. 2 The Never Seen On Wax Jams – 2000 Black
These are not new jams, but they are seeing vinyl release for the first time. These two volumes collect tracks that were originally released around a decade ago on CD-only albums by Shokazulu, Tatham Mensah Lord & Ranks, and 2000 Black. Thanks to the skills and musicianship of the artists involved, these have not dated in the slightest. This is still future soul music, taking in so many styles of music but coming out with those characteristic rhythms of the 2000 Black label.
Tiombé Lockhart – The Aquarius Years – Mother Tongue Records
Another (mostly) previously CD-only reissue, the bootleg from Tiombe came out waaaaayyyy back in like 2006 or so and has been a mainstay in my car CD deck and then on my phone ever since. This is some of the best neo-soul music you can find, with production by Bilal and keys by Robert Glasper. There are a couple other compilation tracks from that era which are mixed in here as well, but it all works together nicely. Five stars, my highest recommendation, etc etc.
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There you have it. Hopefully 2021 will be better overall, and I feel pretty confident predicting that my first record on my own new label will finally see full release early in the new year. Keep your eyes peeled for that. And don’t forget to join us on NYE on Twitch with tons of cool special guests. I will make a full post about this later in the week!