This isn’t a “Best of 2009″ list. These are the tracks that I liked the most from last year. I didn’t want to try to make the perfect all-encompassing irrefutably correct list. I don’t think they exist. I decided to cut the mix in to two parts. The first is more laid back and has a fuller sound. The second; less going on and a bit more up tempo. Achtung! This post is longer than the others I write that include mixes. This isn’t a ploy to try to make you click to read the rest of it. I promise. Just trying to conserve real estate for my colleagues. Instead of clicking through to see the whole thing, I suggest you do whatever your OS requires to pop it out into another window so you can stream the mixes while going about your internet-based business, or download them so you don’t have to worry about keeping that window open. I hate accidentally closing a window that’s streaming music mid-mix.

Part 1:

1. Love In Looxor (Original Mix) – Kadebostan – Freude Am Tanzen. In the spirit of honesty (I’m not ready for full transparency yet, but I fear it is inevitable) the week this track was released, a few tracks were most likely bumped so I could make a halfway decent go at making a coherent mix. Turns out, I didn’t have time to do a mix. Sorry guys from that week. Looxor is all about the space – perfect use.

2. Spice Market (Original Mix) - Joel Mull and Sean Palm – Railyard Recordings. I spent a good deal of time listening to this album when it came out. A lot of good material was there, but this was always my favorite.

3. Closer (Original Mix) – Nicolas Stefan – Kompakt Extra. Ahhh… Kompakt.

4. Landscapes (Tim Paris Remix) – Idioma – Marketing. Another instance of an album that made it hard to pick a favorite. Though I’m still trying to reconcile good music from “Shit Robot”… the Shit Robot remix is fantastic too.

5. Aaron (Original Mix) – Paul Kalkbrenner – BPitch Control. The first of many tracks from BPitch that I liked this year. The synths in this song…. Damn… I’m always happy when melodic is good and not cheesy. Melody gets a bum rap. Use it for good and not evil.

6. Rabbit Hole (Facundo Romano Dub) – Marcelo Vasami – Kansak Recordings. Again, use of melody. Rabbit Hole rolls along but keeps you honest with some funky synth stabs.

7. Colour Of Love (Derek Howell Remix) – Soulfinder – Outside the Box Music. Colour of Love took me to Bowie-land and I’m always ok with that, unless it’s that picture where he has a sucker in his eye. Still gives me chills…

8. Mamastroficos No Time (Jason Statham Remix) – Luis Trasto – Fairlads Digital Records. There are two small parts in this one that nail it for me (neither of which are the horns). It’s the little things.

9. Cocktail Tokio (Original Mix) – Kresy And Handrus – Galvanic. I was either very open to suggestion when I first heard Cocktail Tokio, or it does a good job of delivering the mood implied by the title.

Part 2:

1. Farley Johnson (Brendon Moeller Reshape) – Michel de Hey – Lilith. (Seth to Mr. Moeller). I like your style dude.

2. Perfect Naturalism (Original Mix) – Tim Xavier – LTD400. I enjoyed pretty much everything TIm Xavier put out this year. The rhythm and rhyme of “combination of the lack of medication and the lack of external stimulation” works for me.

3. Drama Society (Almodrama) – Drama Society, Vladislav Delay – Drama Society. Drama Society is a mix combination of a strange lead line and subtle but persisting bass.

4. Robin Hood (Original Mix) – People Get Real – Magicbag Music. What a great track. And the remix by Jamie Jones… Not bad. Not bad at all.

5. Bass Reflex (Original Mix) – Stefano Patarnello – Mini Bomb Records. I just like this one. It’s my list. I don’t have to explain myself.

6. Taurine on Sunday (Original Mix) – Roland M. Dill – Trapez. I heard Taurine and knew I was going to love it right out of the gates. I’ve been a big fan of Trapez for a while. This is one of their standout tracks of the year (again, just one man’s opinion). Such a well produced track… Hats off to Mr. Dill.

7. Liberation (Estroe Remix) – Alemo – EevoNext. I said this when I first heard the track and I’m saying it again because, after listening to it for months, Liberation still takes me to the same place: a Patrice Baumel mix. That’s someplace I like to be and I think this track would fit right in there (especially one from the Spring of 2008).

8. The White Flash (feat. Thom Yorke) – MODESELEKTOR FEAT. THOM YORKE – BPitch Control. I love BPitch. I love Thom Yorke. I love Radiohead. This track came out in 2008 but is featured on a 2009 release so it’s on the list.

9. Cepheid (Chloe Harris Remix) – Liz Cirelli – Mirabilis Records. Mirabilis put out some of my favorite tunes last year. This is great example of the kind of moody-but-not-too-moody music they’re putting out.

10. Backroom (Original Mix) – Deepchild – Trapez. Trapez strikes again. I’m a big fan of anything that can get weird and keep it together.

11. Good Voodoo (Visionquest Remix) – Kiki – BPitch Control. Yep… Almost feels like a guilty pleasure at this point, but I spend a good deal of time feeling guilty so I’m not too worried about it. How about those boys from Detroit spend more time in the studio together. Viva Visionquest!

12. Breakfast Club (Trippy Edit) – Mark Henning – Hypercolour. Mark Henning deserves credit for taking Rick James and putting his vocals over a track so well produced that it begged the question: do I like this because of the novelty or because it’s that good? I reached the former conclusion, but it wouldn’t have taken me weeks to get there had there not been some of the latter as well. The Right Time aside, Breakfast Club doesn’t have to worry about James’ shadow. It casts one of its own.

13. Alpha (Original Mix) – MaRLo – Pangea Recordings. The last track speaks for itself.

 

 Favorite Tracks of 2009 Pt. 1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Favorite Tracks of 2009 Pt. 2: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: 2009 Review, Best Of, Seth's Picks, Year In Review