Well I feel that as I am posting this on the first day of the grand year that is Two Thousand and Nine I should put up some of my preferred music released in the last 12 months. Firstly, I’m afraid to say that I will be doing it in the clichéd way of naming releases (that’s including EP’s and LP’s) - which is always hard work so I may just have to do a similar idea to this soon but merely using single tracks. Secondly, I wish to point out that these are not necessarily what I feel to be the best albums of ‘08 because that would take me forever and then I would probably still be no closer to a conclusion. I think I will end naming the albums that I have listened to most in this list.

I chose the seemingly random number of 6 because I couldn’t limit it to the normal 5:

6 . Kitsune Maison Compilation 6 - Various Artists
A great collection of electronic tracks from such artists as Digitalism, La Roux, AutoKratz and many more. Definately worth a buy.

5. Oracular Spectacular - MGMT
MGMT seem to have taken the world by storm, and their major label debut is anything but a disappointment - a great album worthy of the soundtrack to ‘08 in my opinion.

4. Music For An Accelerated Culture - Hadouken!
From USB sticks to pure digital releases - Hadoukens numerous collective releases were finally released in their debut full-length album, and anyone who even remotely likes them must have this album.

3. Nights Out - Metronomy
Metronomy’s second album carries on from the first very well. Sticking to the original but catchy style this is a truly great release that makes it into my top three.

2. Fantasy Black Channel - Late of the Pier
A fan of the band for a few years now, I have been eagerly awaiting the full release of this debut album after listening to numerous demo’s and remix’s. An amazing first LP, worthy of the second spot.

1. Tonight (EP) - Yuksek
Throughout making this short list I have to admit the few tracks released on Yuksek’s 6th EP, “Tonight” have always stuck in my head as the ones I have constantly been listening to in the last year. Only released in September I really do admit that this does come in at number one for me - the songs are just masterpieces in my opinion. A MUST have.

To sum up, I feel that there is a huge amount of potential there - since half of those releases are debuts, and all of the artists have a lot more to give I am sure. It’s been a good year for music, but obviously everyones list will be different so just add any comments if you want to put forward yours.

Happy New Year,

- Stuart

Currently based in Aberdeen, Sabrepulse is a 22 year-old Yorkshire born laptop/chip musician. He was influenced by the 8/16bit videogame era and this is very apparent in his music - and indeed in the recently coined ‘chipbreak’ genre. He started producing music at the beginning of the decade after deciding to rewrite the soundtracks to Amiga 500 classics.

He has recently finished touring the UK as part of the Chiptune Alliance, with Anamanaguchi and Firebrand Boy, and has also toured in Europe this year. I have been listening to his albums and EP’s quite a lot recently and am really enjoying it. Even though the ‘chip’ genre is the main focus for Sabrepulse I hear elements of jungle/drum and bass/breakcore in his work, and I guess thats where the new ‘chipbreak’ comes in.

Something that may only have a limited appeal for the wider community but I am really enjoying listening to it. It is refreshingly different from the mainstream and I think there’s a big amount of potential on top of what has already been achieved.

Merry Christmas to all,

- Stuart

Bloc Party have just released their new video for the third single from ‘Intimacy’ out on the 26th of January on Wichita Recordings…. check it out on youtube by clicking here. The animation is pretty immense, check it out.

My apologies for the lack of posts,

I haven’t forgotten about you all - keep the emails coming!

- Luu

Alas, I have found a new local band that I feel like I should mention to anyone reading! They are called Lighthouses. Tagged with “Think Justice meets Bowie crossed with Bloc Party”. they have an interesting sound that I am enjoying listening to on the world that is myspace. Influenced by Surkin, Justice, Kitsune etc. the sounds of the French electro scene is apparent within their tracks, however there is an undertone of the Bloc Party genre and Bowie-esque sounds are apparent.

Photo by Dom Fisher

The duo consist of Joe Boyle, and Richard Williams and they use synths, drum machines, guitars, bass, macbooks and vocals to produce their electro-indie pop tracks. Their myspace profile currently has a few of their recent tracks on and they are playing live at Liquid/Envy in Portsmouth on the Waster night tomorrow (4th December). They are also due to play at the Windsor Liquid Club on the 22nd December. They seem to take their influences from most of the music I love to listen to, which is always nice! I see a lot of potential coming from these guys and I hope to keep track of how they do in the future. Check them out…

- Stuart

Just a quick post to let you know about some guys that I have recently started listening to again. Leo “Olja” Drougge and August “Benni” Hellsing make up the duo that are Lo-Fi-Fnk . They reside from Stockholm and I used to be addicted to their debut release, “…and the jfg?”, and their 2006 album, “Boylife”.

After listening to them again recently I feel that I have to mention them. Their releases so far were very popular in Sweden and over the internet, but over the last few years they have gained a following throughout the rest of Europe and North America. I am not sure exactly what I would class their music as really… it is quite light, high-spirited indie/electro with some well thought out lyrics. You can check out some of thier songs on their Myspace Profile. A good listen.

- Stuart

Ok ok so I’ve been a little busy with a new project for Eyemaylisten (news to come shortly), but I’m back to share an awesome sound.. The Japanese Popstars. These guys have a beautiful if slightly arrogantly named debut album out; ‘We Just Are.’ which I have had the fortune to taste. It flows seamlessly, definitely meant for a big night.. somehow I’m not feeling the full effect sat in my bedroom. They are electronic dance, they are big and from what I see, create some amazing atmospheres. Just youtube them, you won’t be disappointed. Hailing from Northern Ireland; Declan McLaughlin, Gary Curran and Gareth Donoghue make The Japanese Popstars, a live electronic music experience that has been likened to the days of ‘vintage’ Chemical Brothers, Orbital and Underworld. They are popular festival movers and have had some great gigs and reviews… “A Star Is Born….Or Should I Say Stars!” - Pete Tong, BBC Radio 1.. and a rather enthusiastic Zane Lowe; “I’m knocked out! That is a BIG BIG record! Very strong!!”.

Eat them up; MP3: The Japanese Popstars - Electronic Poet

Hope everyones well.. sorry again that I’ve been so busy. I do have something pretty spesh coming up though, as well as the long awaited competition ^_^ Keep emails coming!

-Luu

I have recently been introduced to Eleanor Jackson aka La Roux. I first heard her new single, “Quicksand” a couple of weeks back when it came in at second on the track listing of the aforementioned Kitsuné Maison Compilation 6. This is now being released through Kitsuné on the 15th December.

“La Roux” - simply meaning “The Red Haired One” is to me, described best I think, by a quote I read, saying that she is; “targeting charts, clubs and hearts”, and to be honest I totally agree. The melodies in her songs could almost become electro chart-toppers by themselves but she says herself, “It’s not that I can’t listen to music without words that mean something, I do all the time. It’s just not the kind of music I want to make. I’ve cried between vocal takes. I want to connect with people at that level.”

She is not alone in this creation however… no credit can be taken from the other half of La Roux. Ben Langmaid helped produce the music that creates the style, almost unique to her and the duo are sure to produce more great stuff in the future. La Roux is on my personal list of new artists to watch in the next year and I’m sure this won’t be the last time I write about them!

- Stuart

8 Venues down, 10 to go. This is the “Annie Mac Presents” Tour of the UK which I am really annoyed I am not able to attend.

The madness started in Lincoln on the 28th September with Annie Mac, Simian Mobile disco and others at the Engine Shed. Recent gigs in Oxford, Birmingham and Manchester were HUGE, and have included people like Yuksek, Surkin and Kissy Sell Out.

Bournemouth is next on the list with someone who really needs no introduction, Mr Erol Alkan. Some words from the profile of him on Annie Mac’s website sums up his career so far:

“That’s the thing about Erol Alkan hearing is believing. Until’you’ve borne witness to one of his legendary live sets, poured’headily over one of his meticulously crafted productions, or been’catapulted to a sudden sonic nirvana by the dropping of one of his’remixes, you might be justified for dismissing his existence as an’extremely elaborate myth of the musical underground. After all, how’can one man, still in his early thirties, have kept so many kids’dancing for so long?”

He is at Bournemouth on the 14th November and then the tour continues throughout the UK from Brighton, to London and all the way up to Liverpool and Newcastle. The tour dates can be found on the official Annie Mac Presents website.

I would love to be able to make it to Fabric, London on the 21st November to see Annie, Yuksek, Surkin, DJ Mehdi, Brodinski, Chase and Status but I can’t! So… anyone who has a chance to catch one of these nights - GO TO IT! I highly recommend!

- Stuart

Giggle me timbers, what an unusual afternoon. I haven’t slept for that long in tiiiiiime.

Whats more; South Central’s debut CD “Owl Of Minerva” is due for release in December through Egregore Music. You should defintatly get your claws into it. I have had the chance to listen early and was pleasantly suprized. Bedroom rave. Yep yep, went straight into my five star ratings for my ipod and now assists me on many a commute.

Owl Of Minerva is a collection of South Central’s finest from the past two years, all the stuff you couldn’t get on CD or mp3 anywhere else. To date, South Central has remixed artists including Klaxons, Van She, The Whip, Metronomy, Shy Child, Maccabees and Shitdisco, the list goes on…

For me, the strongest tracks on the CD are ‘Golden Dawn’ and ‘Nothing Can Go Wrong’ - something about them touches me… and in an almost inappropriate way? They move me; interacting with my soul as well as my ear drums. I like them. They make me feel.

Do me a favor.. feast; MP3: South Central - Aeon

Hope all is well across everyone’s corners… Thanks for the emails from Russia, they were awesome ^_^ Keep them coming!

- Luu

It’s that time of year again when Kitsuné Music release another brilliant compilation of the artists on their label. Kitsuné Music was created in 2002, and is part of the Kitsuné Fashion Label. Artists such as, Alan Braxe, autoKratz, Bloc Party, Boys Noize, Digitalism, Hadouken!, Klaxons, Simian Mobile Disco and many more have found themselves part of the Kitsuné entourage at some point.

I first heard about the record label about 2 years ago when I first heard Lo-Fi-Fnk’s: Change Channel and Metronomy’s track: This Could Be Beautiful emerge from the first Kitsuné Maison Compilation. I was instantly hooked and thinking back, was one of the first CD’s that really made me explore the apparent boom of electro sounds coming from Paris.

Released on October 27th, the Kitsuné Maison Compilation 6 is tagged, “The Melodic One”. Lo-Fi-Fnk start the album nicely with their usual but more defined style, whilst Digitalism, Beni, autoKratz and many others carry you through the album at a nice pace with some great new music. It’s pretty similar to what you would expect from the Kitsuné Maison series except I found that a lot of the bands/artists had a more evolved and mature sound to when they first appeared on the scene. Kitsuné themselves say; “There is a Kitsuné sound, but it keeps on evolving towards always more melody. A sometimes aggressive, violent sound and sometimes throbbing, melancholic or all of that at once.”

More evolved or not, I am loving the new album and it fits in nicely to the past editions. Definitely worth a listen.

- Stuart