2018 Top 10's Round Up

The Watcha

The Watcha

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As this year draws to a close.... let's hear em then! Here's mine in some sort of order

Tunes
Inside Info - Lost It (InsideInfo Music)
Halogenix - Bitter (Critical)
The Untouchables - Fibreglass (Samurai)
Skeptical - Cold Fold / Elevator (Exit)
Circuits - Coming Through (Circuits)
Spectrasoul - Untitled Horn (IshChat)
Arkaik - Kid (Dispatch)
Sam Binga & Foreign Concept - Meditation (Critical)
Black Barrel - Labyrinth (Dispatch)
Commix - Daggers (Dispatch Dubplates)
Traumatize - Gas Dem (Biological Beats)

Serum - Mixed Grill (31) for being I.D'ed but I believe it's coming out in 2019

Remixes
Majistrate - Pick Em Out (T>I rmx) (Low Down Deep)
High Contrast - If We Ever (Unglued rmx) (Hospital)
Handra & Mystic State - Side Effects (Fre4knc rmx) (Absys)
Zed Bias - Pick Up The Pieces (Skeptical rmx) (Exit)
Mutated Forms - Wastegash (Shield rmx) (Grid)
Twisted Individual - Swan Cake (T>I rmx) (Grid)
Andy C & Shimon - Recharge (Benny L rmx) (Ram)
Shimon & Benny L - Monsters (Sub Zero rmx) (Audio Porn)

EP's
Foreign Concept - Gozen (Critical)
Mauoq - Refabricated (Mauoq)
VA - Microfunk EP 3 (Microfunk)
Torn - Internal (Samurai)
Circuits - Coming Through (Circuits)
Groves - Tengmo Rah (Exit)
DLR - Dispatch Dubplate 13 (Dispatch Dubplates)
Commix - Generation EP 3 (Metalheadz)
Alix Perez - Enchirideon (1985)
Arkaik - Kid (Dispatch)
Es.Tereo - Earthbound (Sub Channel Music)
Monty - Spatia (1985)
Shiken Hanzo - Myth (Samurai)
Black Barrel - Labyrinth (Dispatch)
HLZ - Vectors (Dispatch)
Strategy - Lanterns (Exit)
Monty - Hypnotize (1985)
Kasra - Ski Mask (Critical)
Kiril - Boxes (Guidance)
Deft - Belly Boy (20/20LDN)

LP's
VA - New Energy volume 1 (Critical)
VA - Decade part 2 (Samurai)
Halogenix - Deep News (Critical)
Black Barrel - Last Frontier (Dispatch)
The Untouchables - Mutations (Samurai)
Skeptical - Enjoy This Trip (Exit)
Break - Another Way (Symmetry)
Martsman - Kerner (Hidden Hawaii)
Fearful - Interference (Diffrent Music)
Books - Station (Detuned Transmissions)
Rainforest - Rise Of The Warrior (Monochrome)

Special mention because of the hype it had / sold out like hot cakes first time around

Blocks & Escher - Something Blue (Metalheadz)
VA - The Fifth Column (Rupture)

Labels
Dispatch
Critical
Samurai
Exit
1985

Special shouts
• @antc1dispatch - Just look at how much music that man has helped put out on all the Dispatch and Metalheadz labels this year.
• Synkro & Es.Tereo - for starting their own labels, also with vinyl releases
• Kasra - for starting another label
• InsideInfo - for starting his own label
• Ulterior Motive - for partly getting Future Cut back on making tunes again

Disappointments
• That god awful vip of Bungle - Cocooned
• dBridge - A Love I Can't Explain.... will I ever 'get it'?
• VA - Splinters LP on AMAR.... given the names involved, expected a lot more
• VA - Gradients volume 2.... the first volume was a great balance of 160 and 170 bpm. This is more 3/4 160bpm :-/
• As much as he's a good guy with a respectable label, Fatman D uploading Bou - Poison (Unglued rmx) as a free download on Christmas day without the permission of Bou or Unglued
 
The Watcha said:
dBridge - A Love I Can't Explain.... will I ever 'get it'?
Click to expand...
tumblr_o0w1aq0qHB1tq4of6o1_250.gif

Thought I was the only one, especially after listening to Gemini Principle

Also Deep News is an EP, not an LP. It’s about length of tunes, not number :teeth:

Will get on my list later this week, still have a few to listen to
 
Tunes:
Zed Bias - Pick Up The Pieces (Skeptical Remix)
GLXY - Priya
Alix Perez - BXL
Blocks & Escher - Wings
Kid Drama - Moments In Lust
LSB - Jazz Strings
Calibre - Addict
Redeyes - Back In My Soul
Seba & Jr Vallo - Simon
Monty - Hypnotize

EPs:
GLXY - Vision
Zero T & Unitsouled - Baby Grand
Alix Perez - Enchiridion
Satl - Everything To Me
Monty - Hypnotize
Forest Drive West - Set Free
Halogenix - Deep News
Arkaik - Timelapse
War - Come Cross
Quartz - Hall Of Mirrors

LPs:
Skeptical - Enjoy This Trip
Tokyo Prose - Wild Grace
Blocks & Escher - Something Blue
Mitekiss - Crate Six Seven
Calibre - Shelflife 5
Redeyes - Broken Soul
Break - Another Way
Calibre - 4AM
Amoss - Everything Is Temporary
OneMind - OneMind Presents OneMind
 
top 20 tunes, 2018 has been good for D&B, these are all full blown 10/10's imo

and I agree, WTF happened to D-Bridge.....

Calibre - Zee Tone
Forest Drive West - Nothing Else
SB81 - Reversal
Madcap - River Soul
Sully - Digitalis
Thing & Inztance - Breathing City
Ricky Force - Make it right
Spirit - Murderer
Calibre & Jet Li - Wind in the trees
FD - All Yours
Seba & Jr Vallo - Simon
Benny L - Summoned
Bungle - Illuminate
Ricky Force - Special
Nucleus & Paradox - Volantis
Enjoy - Horacle
Blocks & Escher - Something borrowed, something blue
Theory - Heartbreak in paradise
Silent Dust & DRS - Refuse (Calibre remix)
Survey - Orka
DLR, Break Randall - Song & Dance
 
Culture Shock - East Block
Satl - Everything to Me
Satl - Each Day
Fields, Break, Villem & Mcleod - Intention Dub
Breakage - Tape Bubbler Spesh
Need For Mirrors - Speedy Boarding
Enei & Kasra - Projections
Kasra - From the Outside In
Mefjus - Sinkhole
Break, DLR & Randall - Song & Dance

Probably something like that. Haven't been listening to as much new stuff as I would have liked, looking back.

Also, I'm on the dBridge disappointment bandwaggon too. Too much chordy-bippetyboppety, get on some breakbeats again Darren
 
I really like the dBridge album apart from the last track with the Alia Fresco vocals

It’s not a drum & bass album, but it works imo
 
Its nice that DnB is so diverse that in fact my top ten is none of the above ! Thing is there is so much there is no excuse for any DJ to have the same sound as the next DJ. Some really promising new artists and good stuff from established ones. But have to say I was really disappointed by some of the "big releases" like the D Bridge LP.
 
Can’t really narrow it down to 10 dnb tunes tbh. Alphabetical by artist. Also may add a few more as I still have some releases to catch up on

Aardonyx - Down (Detached Audio)
Akuratyde - Wonder, Love & Loss (BMT)
Alix Perez & Halogenix - Rollcage (1985)
Black Barrel & Dissident - Flat Ocean (Dispatch)
Blu Mar Ten - Empire State (Pola & Bryson Remix) (BMT)
Break - Sunset Dub
>insert any Calibre track here, they were all good
Camo & Krooked - Come Together (Bop Remix) (RAM)
Commix - Daggers Dub (Dispatch)
Culture Shock - Get Physical (RAM)
DRS & GLXY - Rain Dance (Space Cadet)
Halogenix - Don’t You Know (Critical)
K2T & Option - Lush Life (Detached Audio)
Kid Drama - Moments In Lust (Headz)
Logistics - Lotus Flower (Hospital)
LSB - Jazz Strings (Footnotes)
Maozon - Best of Me (Konami)
Marcus Intalex - Roller 170 (Sun & Bass)
Mitekiss - Farmost feat. Emer Dineen (Hospital)
Mosaic - Moon feat. Collette Warren (Integral)
Need For Mirrors - Tribulations (Commercial Suicide)
Rockwell - User (Shogun)
S.P.Y - Midnight Blue (Hospital)
Seba & Jr Vallo - Exit (Secret Operations)
Seba & Manos - Etherall (Paradox)
Spectrasoul - Untitled Horn (Ish Chat)
Sweetpea - Closer (Med School)
Tokyo Prose - Gusts (North Quarter)
USAO - Boss Rush (UOM/Konami)
War - Come Cross (Dispatch)
War, M-Zine & Scepticz - Nakam (Commercial Suicide)
Zero T - Tromso (Dispatch)

LPs:
Akuratyde - Past Lives (BMT)
Black Barrel - Last Frontier (Dispatch)
Blu Mar Ten - Empire State Remixes (BMT)
Calibre - 4AM (31)
Calibre - Shelflife 5 (Signature)
Logistics - Hologram (Hospital)
Need For Mirrors - Swim (Commercial Suicide)
Tokyo Prose - Wild Grace (North Quarter)
V/A - New Blood 018 (Med School)
V/A - New Energy Vol. 1 (Critical)
Yeah, I didn’t include the Blocks & Escher LP. Don’t @ me :teeth: Also haven’t listened to the Break or Pola & Bryson LPs yet so may add them later

Best producers: Kid Drama, Commix (even though almost everything he/they released this year was super old), Calibre, Halogenix

Best labels: Dispatch, Critical, 1985

Non-dnb LPs:
Arctic Monkeys - Tranqulity Base Hotel & Casino
Beach House - 7 (both of these are great music to have playing in the background while having sex, btw)
Chvrches - Love Is Dead
Franz Ferdinand - Always Ascending
Interpol - Marauder
Lapix - L
Rolling Blackouts C.F. - Hope Downs
Ross From Friends - Family Portrait
The Smashing Pumpkins - No Past No Present No Sun
The Wombats - Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life
 
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My top 10 for the 2nd half of 2018, in alphabetical order.

Antagonist - Below [Samurai]
Calibre - Existing [31]
DB1 & DYL - Forma [The Collection Artaud]
Equinox - Feeling You [AKO Beatz]
Forest Drive West - Inverse [UVB-76]
Gremlinz & Jesta - Nessus [Metalheadz]
Nucleus & Paradox - Volantis [Esoteric]
Reactiv - Secrets [Scientific Wax]
Scape - Spirit World [Dope Plates]
Theory - Heartbreak In Paradise [Rupture LDN]

Honorable mentions

Calibre - Snoopers Dub [Samurai]
Drummotive - Ensnared [Subtle Audio]
Dub One - Inglis [Scientific Wax]
Earl Grey - Levitate [Western Lore]
Outer Heaven & Sully - Dream Sequence [Rupture LDN]

top 15 for first half of the year https://dnbforum.com/threads/post-your-mid-2018-top-15-d-b-tunes.201750/#post-1650529
 
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Mean Teeth - Breaking Point
Majistrate - Being Afraid
Upgrade - Popular
upgrade-deluded
Serum & $pyda - All Ganja Man
xyphon-now_hear_dis
Certified - 90 Seconds (Nu Elementz Remix)
king_yoof-soundboy_balling_out
mefjus-pivot_(camo_and_krooked_remix)
prolix_and_dc_breaks-beat_down
simula-belly_of_the_beast
slipz-not_laughing
D-Minus & Kutz - Deprogramme (D-Nasty Remix)
Rene LaVice - Drop It
Rafau Etamski - So Sweet
 
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