Posted on January 08 2022
Happy New Year!
I had intended to post this before Christmas, but time ran away from me. Anyway, here is a list of my 10 stand out tracks from 2021. This is really an impossible task when so much good music came out in 2021 and so I have also provided a spotify playlist of my favourite 50 in mood order. I hope you find something you like.
Nightfly Records – Tracks Of The Year – 2021
10. Lakou Mizik, Joseph Ray – Ogou (Pran Ka Mwen)
Taken from the LP - Lakou Mizik, Joseph Ray – Leave The Bones (Anjunadeep)
Ogou is the Haitian Vodou God of Iron and War. A Vodou follower asks for protection from the brutality of life’s daily battles, ‘Ogou you brought me here, take care of me’. A superb traditional spiritual cry with modern electronic beats and textures, plaintive but uplifting.
9. Liam Mour – If We Only Had
Taken from the digital release – Liam Mour – If We Only Has (Ode To Youth)
Track found on Bandcamp from Liam Mour, I don’t know anything about him, but this is fab. A longing vocal line and a chugging stuttering beat that builds until eventually explodes into a thousand glistening stars before descending back to earth. A producer to watch.
8. Anunaku - Spirale
Taken from the 12” single Anunaku – 042 (AD 93)
Eastern flavours with a hypnotic vocal embedded into tough beats, this is a deep and spiritual house track with a relentless groove, trance music, that envelopes you on a mystical journey into the heart of darkness.
7. Bremer McCoy – Aurora
Taken from the LP – Bremer McCoy – Natten (Luaka Bop)
Recalls Van Morrison’s ‘Scandinavia’, glacial piano, background electronic mood textures and with a spine of double bass which prevents it from sinking into a deep Winter Lake.
6. Sam Gendel – Eternal Loop
Taken from the LP - Sam Gendel – Fresh Bread (Leaving Records)
Atmospheric electronic texture loop with a snaking saxophone line gliding so gracefully and hypnotically that Sir Hiss would have slithered all over it.
5. Fruit Bats – Gullwing Doors
Taken from the LP – Pet Parade (Merge Records)
Wistful and melancholic, a bittersweet mellow anthem that tugs at your heartstrings, nothing more needs saying.
4. Max Richter – Flowers of Herself
Taken from the LP – Max Richter – Exiles (Deutsche Grammophon)
Originally from Max Richter’s ‘Woolf Works’ which is one of my all-time favourite albums. This track wasn’t included on the original album but fits perfectly and is simply beautiful, it skips, jumps, twirls and runs, climaxing in a dancing crescendo, 'perpetual motion'. I couldn't get the video to share unfortunately, listen insead on the Spotify playlist.
3. Lee Burridge – Satellite Girl (Tim Green Remix)
Taken from the 12” EP - Lee Burridge - Leee EP (All Day I Dream)
Tim Green is a master at creating deep house mesmeric moods, a favourite producer from the last couple of years, this is a standout. Close your eyes and enjoy the ride as it bumps along for over nine minutes, can you see the stars?
2. Charlie Charlie – Save Us
Taken from the 7” Single Charlie Charlie – Save Us/Charly (International Feel)
The LP ‘Little Things’ should have been in our top ten as it was ace but this is the highlight, a slice of LA style upbeat yacht rock soul which definitely steered us through the Summer.
1. John Carroll Kirby – Sensing Not Seeing
Taken from the LP – John Carroll Kirby – Septet (Stones Throw Records)
Another LP I criminally missed off my 2021 best albums list was ‘Septet’ LP, hopefully rectified now by placing this at no.1. This is classy top-drawer marimba led jazz funk.
Below I have included a Spotify playlist of my favourite 50 tracks from 2021 for your discovery.
Thanks For Calling!
David – Nightfly Records
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