Chris Daly struck that little chump out.
As a rule of thumb, I’m not one for “Best Of” lists. First off, why does everyone post theirs in December? We still have a full month left, people. Secondly, most people feel they’re entirely subjective exercises in self-masturbation. Clearly, as a music blogger, my opinions are objectively better than yours. What, you think Jeff just lets anyone write for PotW? Nope. Un uh.To keep the champagne flowing in the office lobby fountain, our fearless editor has put together a crack team of the finest ears in the business, who incidentally also have fresher breath and more appealing genitalia than most. All this being said, Jeff told me to get off my shapely ass and put something together. So instead of telling you what I know for a fact were the best beats of 2011, I’m simply going to point out a few things you might have missed. To quote the Bard, fuck what you heard, this is what you need to hear.
1. oddlogic
The just turned 20 year old beathead also runs one of the tightest beat labels out there today in Outlier Recordings. 2011 was a good year for the man and the brand, with multiple releases from the maestro and a stable that includes the likes of Somepling, m∞n and Polozov, amongst others. Don’t worry, if those names aren’t immediately familiar to you, they will be. As an artist, the young Alex Gohorel made some major strides, too. Normally falling somewhere between outer space funk and some bastard offshoot of robotic glitch, November’s Autumn Wilt saw the maestro add a more organic feel to his palette. If there’s one name to look out for in 2012, oddlogic is it.
Stream: Outlier Recordings Bandcamp
2. Project: Mooncircle’s Finest Ego Series
Look, comp series are hit or miss, we all know this, so when one stays this consistently excellent, you need to take notice. Project: Mooncircle is another one of the best labels in the beat biz. The Finest Ego series has a simple premise—gather the finest beatstrumental maniacs in a given country and turn them loose. 2011 saw comps from Germany/Austria/Switzerland, New Zealand/Australia and the UK/Ireland. P:M shares my fondness for beats of a blunted and funky nature, and this series proves it. Utilizing the mad skills of everyone from Robot Koch to fLako to Demokracy, you’re not going to find a better grouping of hits even if you play with one handed dart players who cheat. The time has come for this series to be spoken of in the same reverential tones as DJ Kicks, LateNight Tales and the like.
Stream: Project Mooncircle — Finest Ego
3. Shlohmo – “Places” (the song)
Don’t get me wrong, the Places EP ranked very highly on my personal list of 2011 favorites. However, there were times it went astray, and the end was not as satisfying as I would have liked. Regardless, the eponymous track remains my favorite of the year. Having seen the young spin doctor perform on tour with Shigeto and Stargazer myself, you might be forgiven for thinking the Cali beathead was more of a hardcore hip-hop fanatic. His live set certainly was indicative of such. The track, Places, however, is the perfect wake and bake buzz on a Sunday morning, all hazy and groovy with a caramel center and various other stoner references. As long as Shloh keeps coming up with grooves like this one, this kid is going to continue to lead the pack.
4. The second half of L’Orange’s The Manipulation EP
I’m almost embarrassed to admit how much I love the last seven tracks of this album. There’s nothing particularly technical or overtly skillful about the songs. Hell, it’s just a well-chosen crate digger’s paean to jazzy beats. But, goddamn, I can’t recall the last time someone so perfectly encapsulated a particular mood of funked out loneliness. Tracks like “Pretty Ugly,” “Let Me Explain” and “No Friend of Mine” sum up the concept pretty well. Those tracks are automatic non-skips when they come up in my shuffle.
Download: L’ Orange-The Manipulation EP
5. The Odd Bloggings Exclusive Mixtape Series
That’s right, I’m pimping my own shit here. Doesn’t matter, though, as I’ve had the overwhelming fortune this past year to procure mixes from such luminaries as oddlogic, Alphabets Heaven, chris△re, Option Command, Deckard, FreshNerd, Hourglass Sea, m∞n, Somepling and Vox Katana. And along with each mix, a little Q&A for you, the reader, and the mothers of the various producers, who always like to see something nice about their babies. Grooving grooves by groovers. What the fuck more do you want, you jackals?
Download: Odd Bloggings Mix by Odd Logic
More Mixes @ Odd Bloggings
