nine for the year, randomly

1 Decomposed Subsonic - Gradients
Deep deutsch house; the transcendent Etoile bleue, with vocals by Olivia Steyaert, makes you smile and moves your body.

2 Swayzak - Dirty dancing
Paraphrasing F Scott Fitzgerald, the very cool are different from you and me; Make up your mind is their current theme song.

3 Various - Disco not disco 2
White horse and Problemes d'amour back to back...? You tell me.

4 DJ Hell - Electronicbody-housemusic
Mix of the year. Double CD that digs deep: multiple tracks by Front 242 and the underrated Nitzer Ebb on the one, and the best of Underground Resistance and Metro Area on the other.

5 The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi battles the pink robots
On everyone’s list and should be; camped out in my player for a month. Gorgeous; our generation’s Rumours (in the best sense)?

6 Timo Maas - Loud
Kelis and MC Chickaboo over incredible trance. Help me, Manga, and Shifter are standouts.

7 Various - Soundtrack: 24 hour party people
Reminisce and reenjoy the title track and Voodoo ray; Here to stay is a pleasant if somewhat banal surprise.

8 Various - Digital disco
Buy; any one of Data 80’s Baby I can forgive, Mathias Schaffhauser’s Musik ohne bass, or Metro Area’s Miura is worth the price.

9 ATB - Dedicated
Sanitized trance from Mr Tanneberger. Current retro single: You’re not alone. Favorite: Halcyon.

13-December 2002