the countdown-end of year list

So this is our list with the best long players, singles and compilations from the year 2008.We tried to keep it short but it was quite hard.So without further ado this is our best of the best list for the year that's going away.

Best Singles



1.The Laughing Light Of Plenty-The Rose-Whatever We Want Records

This record was featured on this blog last September and it was a tune that long before it's release had left us wondering of it's origins.Thomas Bullock of Rub and Tug and Eddie Ruscha produced a record that mixed elements from the baggy era with hippy and disco.The mixture sounded like Stone Roses on acid.Released on Harvey's ultra eclectic label Whatever We Want Records, this is an item that's selling for about 50 dollars on discogs only after some months of it's original release.If you want a record to impress your friends well this is the one.






2.Dolle Jolle-Balearic Incarnation-Permanent Vacation



This was probably one of the tracks i enjoyed palying more than any other this year.Although many would argue that the remix of Plastik by Simon Baker was Todd Terje's finest hour,my pick is this one.Terje is proving to be an amazing producer that leaves his re edit duites to second place.Carrying the weight of Jean Luc Ponty's original this is record that builds slowly from a Balearic lullaby to a dancefloor killer.Played at the right moment it can be the record of the night.Todd Terje is showing off his producer teeth this year and we just hope to get more things from him in the same vein.





3.Primal Scream-Uptown-Andy Weatherall Mix-B Unique


Quite a natural selection if you take in consideration the fact that the man behind the production credits is one of my favourite producers ever and this marks his return after a many years silence as a remixer.The main attraction of the track are the lush strings that go wild towards the end of the song and the overall dubby feel of it,a trademark of Weatherall's productions.Overally a future classic that brings memories from the past.






4.Bastard-A Mountain Of One Rework-Not On Label


If i was making a list about last year these guys would be a candidate fore many categories.This year they offered as a remake of track by Ian Hunter that was rumored to be from Mott the Hoople but proved to be a track from Ian Hunter's ''You Are Never Alone With A Schizophrenic''.The raw energy of this song is overflowing through it's heavy guitar riff and the demented rock vocals of Ian Hunter.MOF brought an instant classic to surface and gave it a polished re work.If you like your disco with rock guitars well this one is the perfect choice when you want to go heavy.



5.C.O.M.B.I. Re Edits- You Got Love Song-It A Late

Yet another re edit release is featured on my list.When it comes to edits the ones that get really appreciated are the ones who get totally fucked up.This choice is what i believe to be the best re edit around as it features two songs that in their original form are quite low quality disco tracks opposed to the mountain of one rework who was based one a track that is killer in a any form.Rub and Tug who are rumored to be behind these Japanese series of re edits,do an remarkable job.Here we are dealing with two edits that are top notch and left me and Vags arguing about which one is best.After some time b side ''It a late'' with its slow motion action,rocky edge and eerie vocals proved to be the winner.If you think that the original song is by Village people then you get the point of successful re editing



6.It's a Fine Line-Woman-History Clock Records

This one has a long story behind it.Canadian space disco outfit G B and the tracks produced this stunning piece of protohouse electronic monster back in 1978,featuring some Supermax styled solid r vocals that gave a real rocky edge to it.This year Taco gave this track an edit in which he only extended the instrumental intro of the original.At some point Tim Sweeny spinned a record on BIS radio that sounded like a re edit of the original but with the vocals on.I was instantly hooked and since the original sells for as much as 100 euros i was craving for this mysterious release.I was so obsessed with the record that i made a re edit myself to play on my Dj sets.Quite recently i was relieved when i finally bought this great record.A must have!



7.Maelstrom-Enter The Cosmos-Solar Disco


If there is supposed to be one club record of the year then i'd have to choose between this one and Joakim's take on Dj MEdhi's Pocket Piano.After some thought i picked Maelstrom's Enter The Cosmos as the Sangt Goran remix on thsi one was one of the tracks that featured heavily on my playlist this year and it was always a sure winner on the crowd.A record that has a real housy feel to it with great piano hook ups that bring in the mind classics like Strings of Life.It's a pumping floorfiller that works on people every single time.It's a record that has put me out of many tight spot this apart from being a personal favourite so it definitely deserves a place in this list.



8.Metronomy-Heartbreaker-Diskjokke Remix



It was quite a drag to decide on this one.Without doubt one of the top releases of the year.It was almost impossible to decide which version we liked best.Every single on of them including the original are almost equally good.All the remixes are handling the original material in a totaly different and creative way.Although my dj sets were usually focused on Faze Action's dubby disco take on the original after some persuasion from Vags i settled for Diskjokke's dark and trippy version that keeps part of the amazing vocals and use them in full effect.Almost every single to emerge from Metronomy's great LP gets top remix treatment rating it amongst the best releases of the year.




9.Lovelock-Don't Turn Away From My Love-Balearic Beats 1-Eskimo

Almost every release on Eskimo tends to be setting the standards for top quality dance music.This one is no exception to the rule.Cosmic Balearic Beats was on e of the top compilations of the year with all the hot producer of the moment like Phoreski,Maelstrom and Disco Devil giving away top laidback tracks for this contemporary balearic record.The winner of this compilation though was a newcomer from the states under the name Lovelock.Don't Turn Away From My Love is track that sounds like it got out of the recording sessions of a late seventies European disco rock outfit that decided to go electronic.Imagine Supermax blended with french electronics wizard Frederik Mercier and you get a glimpse.With a promise of a new album and with the samples we were lucky enough to hear it seems that this guy is gonna hit the right spot in 2009.





10.Discodeine-Homo Compatible-Dark And Lovely

Some years earlier noone could predict the meyhem caused by a forgotten 60's northern soul allnighter re edited by guy called Cédric Marszewski.Back in 2006 this unexpected edit reached mainstream audiences and became the dance anthem of the ear.In the beginning it was like everyone favourite's toy but after it got out of the box i remeber being so annoyed by it's use even in cell phone ringtones that i decide to play psych uk outfit Timebox's from that moment on and only when people asked me to.Pilooski is for me one of the smartest and trained producers out there with an ear for the catchy as well for the obscure and his re edit skills are that of a suit tailor.Pilooski doesn't just extend songs.He beats the shit out of them with taste.And his knowledge in 60's psych repertoire gives him the privilege of going into territories that other dj's don't dare to.I mean who would have thought of re editing Beggin or Music Machine's trouble as he did on his latest re edits for Moxie label.A lot of you would think that all this is the intro for his latest installment in the dark and lovely series and that Elvis re edit in particular.Well although this re edit maybe in fact the release of the year i decide to concentrate on Pilloski's production duties and especially on the b side of his music vehicle called Discodeine.Most people would go for Joystick but give Homo Compatible a spin and you ll see that this under 100 bpm monster can rock a crowd better that any aspiring disco edit.




11.The Presets-Anywhere-Still Going Mix-Modular

Since we couldn't use an Underworld release on this list,this track qualifies fro the job.Although this hasn't even been printed on vinyl yet it easily became one of the most loved songs of the year even though it was a real late contender.At least one half of the Rub And Tug duo are featured on our list.Eric Duncan's and Liv Spencer's Still Going after releasing one of the signature tracks of last year,came back with some remixes that were on our top shelf for this year and if it hadn't be this one then Low Motion Disco ''LOve LOve LOve'' would have been here.The original song comes courtesy of on of the best LP's of the year from a group that took a while to convince me of their merits since im really stubborn sometimes(a loved person out there knows the story) but made me ending up loving them.It's a song that is surely reminiscent of Underworld finest hours and this makes it alone a classic.It's a love song for the concerning dancefloor.




12.Max Essa-Back To The Beach


Probably the best release to come out of the Bear Funk label.its a record that surpises me every single time i hear it.It has a certain quality that leaves me speechless.It's a contemporary balearic monster with great guitar work and dreamy synths.A record that takes you back to the beach anytime of the year.It's one of Vags' trademark tunes and everytime he plays it i keep asking what's playing.I don't seem to get it.









LPs and Compilations

1.Lindstrom-Where you Go I Go Too-Smalltown Supertown


If a dance record appeals to hard boiled indie fans then it's a sucess.Especially one that has tracks that go on for as much as 25 spaced out minutes.Leaning on the electronic mastership of artists like the Greek half god Vangelis and adding a Giorgio Moroder touch to it Lindstrom produced an album of just 3 tracks that explore space territories in balearic disco style.Aimed rather at your head and not so much at your feet this record needs a pair of good headphones or a good soundsystem and some of your precious time to get you on a an acid spaced trip that is hard to believe that is produced today.It seems that they put something in the water up there in Scandinavia.



2.Quiet Village-Silent Movie-Studio !K7


When Can't be Beat was released on Whatever We Want Records back in 2005 everyone was talking about the release of the year before the year was coming to an end.This slow and sensual scorcher backed by Pillow Talk,using sample from Alan Parson's project Voyager was followed by two more EPs on Whatever We Want records that gave a cult following to the band and paved the way for their stellar Lp that was released this year after much anticipation.Silent Movie is the soundtrack to an imaginary movie that is yet to be filmed.Songs like Giorgio Moroder's Flying High are becoming the ground on which Quiet Village are basing their tracks.Although not completely original this album flourishes of innovation as the way that it's makers handle their material is what makes it sound new.It's the best late night record your money can get this year.From the Spaghetti Western mood of Circus of Horror to the almost eerie 70's soft porn Broken promises this is a record that floats like water from start to finish.



3.The Time And Space Machine-5D Recordings


It's hard to believe that the man behind this record was partly responsible for one the most classics Balearic records of the 90's as a member of the 90's dance combo the Grid.Richard Norris is partner in crime of ex trashman Erol Alkan in the superstar remix duo Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve.This year they produced an album of reworked on obscure 60 and 70's psych pop tracks that was a million miles away from their usual remixing duties.Although this release could qualify for just an extension on the BTWS LP it's got an identity of it's own.I had to think hard which one of the two i would put in my top list and i ended up with this one.Once again Psych pop,Freakbeat and Kraut are blended together to an unbeatable result that's the perfect soundtrack to watch movies like The Wicker Man and burn incense sticks.It's an acid trip to space and back.Richard Norris collects the cream of the crop of 60 and 70's psych messes with them and serves them up in the best psychedelic record to come out in 2008.



4.El Bum-Bumrocks


If there was a spot for blog of the year here then Bumrocks would be without a doubt the winner.With guests like Tim Sweeny,Phoreski and Taco choosing the music Bumrocks became the best destination for anyone who wanted to get the most exclusive tunes to use on his cosmic flavored sets or showing off to his friends.The most common answer to the ''Where did you get this?'' could be ''At Bumrocks".So you can imagine that when Bumrocks decide to put out a compilation with some obscure balearic and disco cuts with Tako,Beat Broker and Hey Convict on the job,then you realize it's one of the best compilations around.Ultra limited and collectible this record is one of the best things i got my hands onto this year.All 8 tracks on the album are worth every penny and as a bonus you get the biggest and most hairy piece of ash you have ever seen featuring on the front sleeve.If you don't go for that then flip the record around and you get a chicken's bum.Weird..




5.Low Motion Disco-Keep It Slow-Eskimo Recordings


With Eskimo records producing some of the best LP's and compilations of the year it's easily tagged as label of the year.This case is one of the most accomplished releases of original material we dealt with this year.The name of the band and the title of the album couldn't be more informative on the music that's included in here.Low Motion Disco is a dark album of slow motion dance music that's maybe more base on early nineties dance indie acts than disco.If you liked One Dove,Love Corporation,Screamadelica and have a taste for seedy films then this is a record you should check out.The singles of the album got remixed by some of the best men in the job.Love Love Love got to be remixed by Aeroplane,Soft Rocks LSB and Still Going with the latest being one of the top releases of the year.Their latest single The Low Murderer Is Out All Night got an epic remix of slow motion king Mark E.