
Here's our first annual rundown of notable albums, compilations, singles and EPs (all listed in no particular order) that impressed us this year.
Standout albums of 2007 include Burial's near-perfect second LP, Untrue, a superb new longplayer from Detroit-based dub techno pioneers Rod Modell & Stephen Hitchell (a.k.a. Echospace), third album from Ulrich Schnauss — and finally the rather 'tasty' debut, From Here We Go Sublime, from Swedish producer Axel Willner (a.k.a. The Field). Also featured are two albums that don't really fit into the 'electronic music' category, however, the influences are clearly there: Panda Bear's third solo effort, Person Pitch, and new instrumental LP, Dealin With Signal And Noise, from Michael Lueckner (a.k.a. Guitar).
As far as compilations, London-based Fabric imprint hit the spot this year with incredible mixes from Ellen Allien and Ricardo Villalobos, including a mix to remember from Ewan Pearson. Then there's a live recording from Henrik Schwarz, first-ever official mix-CD from techno veteran Surgeon (with a catchy title This Is For You Shits) plus mixes from Optimo and Tobias Thomas.
The list of singles and EPs is a work in progress. We are pretty sure there's still more stuff to be added, so feel free to suggest and discuss your personal favorites in the comments.
ALBUMS
Arne Weinberg - Path Of The Gods // AW-Recordings
Basteroid - Upsets Ducks // Areal
Black Devil Disco Club - Black Devil In Dub // Lo Recordings
Burial - Untrue // Hyperdub
Damero - Happy In Grey // BPitch Control
DeepChord Presents Echospace - The Coldest Season // Modern Love
Guitar - Dealin With Signal And Noise // Onitor
Lawrence - Lowlights From The Past And Future // Mule Electronic
Marsen Jules - Golden // Genesungswerk
Modeselektor - Happy Birthday! // BPitch Control
Morgan Packard - Airships Fill The Sky // Anticipate
Mudd - Claremont 56 // Rong Music
Panda Bear - Person Pitch // Paw Tracks
Pinch - Underwater Dancehall // Tectonic
Pole - Steingarten Remixes // ~scape
Swayzak - Some Other Country // !K7
The Field - From Here We Go Sublime // Kompakt
Thomas Fehlmann - Honigpumpe // Kompakt
Ulrich Schnauss - Goodbye // Independiente/Domino
Uusitalo - Karhunainen // Huume
COMPILATIONS
Ewan Pearson - Fabric 35 // Fabric
Henrik Schwarz - Live // Studio !K7
Optimo - Walkabout // Endless Flight/Mule Musiq
Surgeon - This Is For You Shits // Warp
Tobias Thomas - Please Please Please // Kompakt
SINGLES / EPS / REMIXES
A Night With Dick - The Dick Dickler EP // Max Trax
Art Of Tones - Praise // 20:20 Vision
Bloc Party - Where Is Home? (Burial Remix) // Wichita
Chymera - Wish EP // NRK
D-Pulse - Euphoria EP // Pro-tez
DeepChord - Vantage Isle // Echospace [Detroit]
DJ Koze - All The Time // Philpot
Henrik Schwarz - Walk Music // Mood Music
Jens Zimmermann - Tranquillite // K2
Jichael Mackson - ...Wasn't Me EP // Musique Risquee
Junior Boys - Dead Horse EP // Domino
Matthew Dear - Deserter // Ghostly International
Mudd - Spielplatz (Quiet Village Deep Space Remix) // Rong Music
Ovatow - X - Dub // SD Records
Partial Arts - Trauermusik // Kompakt
Randolph - Believer (Jazzanova Remixes) // Still Music
Pedro Madeira - Long Shadows // Buzzin' Fly
Quantec - Subsurface Structure EP // Echocord
Sasha - Coma // emFire
Serafin & Roman Bruderer - Mountain004 // Mountain People
Solomun & Stimming - Feuer & Eis EP // Diynamic
Substance & Vainqueur - Reverberation / Reverberate // Scion Versions
Sven Weisemann - Shade EP // Meanwhile
Underwold - Crocodile // Underworldlive/Different
For albums, False - 2007 should make the list.
Comps - Both Villabobos' & Steve Bug's Fabric mixes should be on the list too.
@Phurge: False's "2007" was halfway decent, so was Villalobos' Fabric. Steve Bug's Fabric mix was a real disappointment, though - a bit dull to my taste.
Agree with your compilations choice! IMO, I would add Agoria - At The Controls.
@Michael: Yeah, good choice. Somehow we forgot about it ;(
Nice blog! I think about half the selection should have been noted, i thought the underworld and Sasha material had no place up here, by far their worst work to date(not to say i ever liked a Sasha release, he is a trend follower and made trance music, nuff said) The Matthew Dear singles and album were hyped by everyone and by far last on my list, hype, hype and no delivery. Burial album is exceptional but not my favorite, I like the first album much more, I would reserve my favorite of 2007 for the echospace album on Modern Love, it honestly was my favorite album in the past 10 years, so good decision on that as well as vantage isle on echospace, amazing album. I think 2007 was the best year i can remember since the 90's where music has been so good and if it weren't for the echospace guys i wouldn't commit to saying that. I also really enjoy the new Scion Versions releases but wish vainqueur would go back to his 'elevation" or "solanus" sound I just adore. To be honest though I haven't really cared for any of the new guys within the "dubtechno" sound, quantec or the sven weisemann releases and that atheus guy samples way to many deepchord records to ever have an inch of respect for him. A few singles i thought should have been mentioned were the (Juan Atkins)Model 500 "Starlight" re-release, the two new Moritz Von Oswald remixes and cv313 on echospace, those 3 releases made 2007 one of the best years in electronic music since the 90's, by far my favorite stand outs of this year. But all and all this is a pretty good blog and some great taste in music!
@Daniel: Yeah it seems that dub techno experienced some sort of revival this year and that makes me very happy. Lots of great tunes, including cuts from Modern Love, Scion Versions, Statik Ent., Styrax and other cool labels. I personally like Quantec's output - lots of deepness and heavy reverbs there - just the way I like it. As far as Sven Weisemann, I think his output is heading more towards deep house than dub techno.
"The Matthew Dear singles and album were hyped by everyone and by far last on my list, hype, hype and no delivery."
That's true. Asa Breed was a bit of a disappointment for me, however, "Deserter" is great - especially that Four Tet remix.
"A few singles i thought should have been mentioned were the (Juan Atkins)Model 500 "Starlight" re-release"
Great release indeed. I can;t believe I forgot about it :-(
I think Boys Noize - Oi Oi Oi should make it up there for sure.
@daniel
he made trance so we shouldn't listen to anything else he has to offer... rather close minded don't you think?