en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal The Last.fm journal for Fidgital. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2012/01/06/59x5x6_best_of_2011_dj_set Fri, 6 Jan 2012 00:15:45 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2012/01/06/59x5x6_best_of_2011_dj_set http://soundcloud.com/fidgital/fidgital-best-of-2011-dj-set

Welcome back for another of my “best of” DJ sets.This time, it’s a look back on some of my favourite tracks of 2011.Again, I’ve kept it upbeat and dancey, with apologies to the many great downtempo and non-dance records of 2011.Cheers!

Grace Jones - Hell Dub
The Field - Looping State of Mind
Destroyer - Song For America
The Go! Team - T.O.R.N.A.D.O.
Lykke Li - Get Some
The Drums - Money
Cold Cave - Confetti
M83 - Midnight City
Battles - Ice Cream
Sebastian - Hudson River
When Saints Go Machine - Kelly
CSS - Red Alert
Ford & Lopatin - Joey Rogers
Cut Copy - Sun God
The Walls - Into Our Midst
Thievery Corporation - Light Flares
The Japanese Popstars - Take Forever
Toro Y Moi - I Can Get Love
Hercules And Love Affair - Revenge
Phreek Plus One - New York Dolls
Jessica 6 - White Horse
The Rapture - Sail Away
Superhuman Happiness + Cults - Um Canto de Afoxé para o Bloco do Ilê
The Modernist - Remodernist
Isolée - Hold On
Orchestre Poly Rythmo - Lion Is Burning
Holy Ghost! - It's Not Over
Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn (Whatever/Whatever remix)
Yelle - Unillusion
Friendly Fires - Live Those Days Tonight
Florence + the Machine - Spectrum
Lights - Toes
Radiohead - Bloom [Objekt RMX]
DJ Afro - Quedate a Dormir
Death Cab for Cutie - Doors Unlocked And Open (Cut Copy Remix)
Junior Boys - Kick the Can
Superpitcher - White Lightning
Daft Punk - Arena (Remixed by The Japanese Popstars)
Lady Gaga - Born This Way [Zedd Remix]
Los Amigos Invisibles - La Lluvia Sabe Que No Andas Sola
SBTRKT - Pharaohs
Foster The People - Helena Beat
VCMG - Spock
Glasvegas - Shine Like Stars
John Tejada - Subdivided
The Japanese Popstars - Our Building Block
Handsome Furs - When I Get Back
YACHT - Paradise Engineering
Apparat - Song of Los
Gus Gus - Deep inside
Gui Boratto - The Drill
Johan Agebjörn - Watch The World Go By
Austra - Lose It
Little Dragon - Nightlight
Friendly Fires - Hawaiian Air
Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2012/01/05/59wxer_my_top_20_albums_of_2011 Thu, 5 Jan 2012 21:52:36 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2012/01/05/59wxer_my_top_20_albums_of_2011 2011 was an incredible year for music, at least music in alignment with my tastes!

#1 - Friendly Fires - "Pala"
A new desert island album for me, this makes my personal top 10 albums of all time. In fact, I have to go back to 2002 to find anything that beats it, and that album is my #1 of all time (Morelenbaum2 / Sakamoto's "Casa"). "Pala" is Friendly Fires' second album, a densely layered but stylistically tight collection of upbeat post-punk-influence dance rock with soaring pop immediacy. Somehow it manages to sound fresh, not overly retro, earnest without being cloying. I can’t recommend this album highly enough, especially the first two singles, “Live Those Days” and the gorgeous “Hawaiian Air”, and the nostalgic filter disco dancy-ness that is “Blue Cassette”.

#2 – Gui Boratto – “III”
The third full-length from the Brazilian producer further develops the themes of his first two wonderful records on Kompakt. The grooves are deep and mostly instrumental, filled with warm and buzzy analog electro-techno with New Order-style guitars.

#3 – Apparat – “The Devil’s Walk”
Gorgeous and emotional electronic pop from Germany’s Sascha Ring. Although the songs have beats and the tempos are often in the right range, it’s not made for dancing. This is beautiful ambient pop with wonderfully emotive male vocals.

#4 – Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues”
Stunning, ambitious nu-folk from the Northwest beardos. All the layered harmonies and multi-instrumental acoustic beauty you would expect from the first record, but taken to the next level. Wonderful songwriting with real pain in the lyrics and vocal delivery.

#5 – M83 – “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming”
I never expected to love an M83 album as much as I love this double album of shoegaze-influenced dream pop. The first half of the first disc is near flawless, from “Midnight City” through “Raconte-Moi Une Histoire”.

#6 – Hercules And Love Affair – “Blue Songs”
Again, H&LA really exceeded my expectations after their first record, which was fun but didn’t hit the heights the project promised. Second album “Blue Songs” is great retro grooves that will remind you of the best moments of vocal house circa 1989.

#7 – The Go! Team – “Rolling Blackouts”
Retro grooves of a different sort, The Go! Team stick to their if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it formula of combining big beat ‘70’s funk-rock grooves with marching bands and cheerleader vocals. OMG it’s too much fun.

#8 – John Tejada – “Parabolas”
Yes, I listened to a lot of stuff on Kompakt this year. The eighth album from the electro-techno pioneer. Sounds and moods to get lost in, this is a collection of growers that really need to be heard in their full length to be appreciated.

#9 – Phreek Plus One – “Phreek Party”
What a fantastic surprise! I bought this album because it was on Compost and available at a killer price. Imagine my delight in finding one of the best albums of the year from this trio of Italians whom I only knew previously from a few Compost “black labels”. Deliberately retro, this hearkens back to the very best of underground ‘80’s disco and acid house, while remaining fresh. Super fun.

#10 – SBTRKT – “SBTRKT”
Yes, this record has been overhyped, but not by much. Although it’s associated with the UK dubstep scene, this record doesn’t sound like dubstep to me. The tempos are higher, more in the traditional dance range, and the sound, while still math-y like dubstep, has more of a emotional hook for me. A great debut record. My favourite track: “Pharoahs”.

#11 – Grace Jones – “Hurricane Dub”
I really enjoyed 2008’s “Hurricane”, and now that it has been released in North America, it boasts an extra “bonus album” that (for me) outshines the original. “Hurricane Dub” is a dark, moody dub exploration of the sounds and spaces in the original recordings. Best dub of the year.

#12 – Brian Eno and Rick Holland – “Drums Between The Bells”
This collaboration between the guru and poet Rick Holland doesn’t quite reach the gorgeous heights of 2010’s “Small Craft on a Milk Sea”, but it’s a different beast entirely. If you can, check out the 2-disc limited edition, which pairs the standard album of Holland’s poetry backed by Eno’s remarkable music, alongside a (sometimes) completely different dubbed-out collection of instrumental mixes of the same tracks.

#13 – The Japanese Popstars – “Controlling Your Allegiance”
No sophomoric slump for the Irish trio. This collection of stadium big beat techno improves greatly on their first album, attracting such vocal guests as Robert Smith (from The Cure) and Jon Spencer (of The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion).

#14 – Drc Music – “Kinshasa One Two”
I think everybody knows that Damon Albarn is one of my musical heroes. Almost everything he’s done, from Blur to Gorillaz, Monkey and the unnamed project everybody calls The Good the bad and the queen, Damon is always challenging and exploring. In this case, he brought a lot of A-list musicians and producers into the Congo to work with local musicians and their self-invented instruments. The result is exciting and fresh, surprising in its combination of rough acoustic sounds with electro production. Exciting

#15 – Radiohead – “The King of Limbs”
This is probably the first entry on my list that’s on everybody’s else’s list. I enjoyed this a lot more than “In Rainbows”. The remix album “TKOL RMX 1234567” almost made this list as well.

#16 – Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi – “Rome”
The auteur producer pairs up with the spaghetti western film composer to create a soundtrack for an imaginary film, featuring guest vocals from [artist]Jack White and [artist]Norah Jones.

#17 – Death Cab for Cutie – “Codes and Keys”
Death Cab embrace a slightly less guitar-focused sound, bringing keyboards and textures to the front, while still remaining a rock-based guitar pop band. Even better when paired with the remix EP.

#18 – The Drums – “Portamento”
Another example of a band rising way above it’s already-exciting first record. “Portamento” sounds like Marc Almond fronting a fast, raw guitar-and-synth pop band in the tradition of early New Order, U2 and Echo And The Bunnymen.

#19 – Little Dragon – “Ritual Union”
The Swedish nu-soul trio bring a live (read: unquantized) synthpop edge to their third album, with Yukimi Nagano’s inimitable vocals and the band’s well-hyped cool factor. Fun and forward-looking.

#20 – JoAsh – “Don’t Fear It, Fight It”
Similar to Phreek Plus One, I discovered Joash by virtue of his being on Compost and this album being available at a good price. What a great record! This combines thriller soundtrack orchestras with nu-jazz beats. A great discovery.

Of course, the year also saw great compilations and reissues from U2, Zang Tuum Tumb, Depeche Mode and Horse Meat Disco. What an amazing year for music![img=http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/389801_10150559661273980_600148979_10691807_2072798439_n.jpg][/img]]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2011/01/02/44vtl1_best_of_2010_dj_set Sun, 2 Jan 2011 14:43:50 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2011/01/02/44vtl1_best_of_2010_dj_set Thanks for checking out this set of some of my favourite tracks from 2010. To keep things moving, I had to skip the downtempo tunes this year, but there’s still room for surprises! Enjoy.

Direct download link: www.fidgital.com/media/DJSet.mp3

Brian Eno Late Anthropocene
The Roots A Peace of Light
Gorillaz Stylo (Featuring Bobby Womack & Mos Def)
Arcade Fire Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Aeroplane We Can't Fly
Massive Attack] Girl I Love You (feat. Horace Andy)
Bonobo El Toro
Broken Bells The Ghost Inside
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark The Right Side?
Groove Armada Cards To Your Heart (featuring Nick Littlemore)
MGMT Siberian Breaks
Matthew Dear You Put A Smell On Me
Gotan Project Panamericana
Ratatat Grape Juice City
Show-B Jammin' (Black Label Edit)
Tricky Time To Dance
Vampire Weekend Run
Tosca Joe Si Ha (Reverso 68 Version)
!!! AM/FM
Andy Bell Non-Stop
Robyn Dancing on My Own
LCD Soundsystem I Can Change
Caribou Odessa (Junior Boys Mix)
Spoon The Mystery Zone
Matthew Herbert Alex Duwe
Coma Bruxelles
Tosca Rosa (Rodney Hunter Version)
Sia You've Changed
Janelle Monáe Dance or Die (feat. Saul Williams)
Daft Punk Derezzed
Robyn We Dance to the Beat
Lindstrøm & Christabelle Baby Can't Stop (Idjut Boys remix)
Scissor Sisters Invisible Light
M.I.A. XXXO
School of Seven Bells Camarilla
Hot Chip One Life Stand
Yeasayer O.N.E
Robert Owens It Takes Me High
Valerna Keep Up (Feat. Countre Black)
Röyksopp The Drug
The Chemical Brothers Horse Power
Trentemøller Sycamore Feeling (Gui Boratto Remix)
Pantha Du Prince Satellite Snyper
Mark Ronson and The Business Intl The Night Last Night
Jonas Bering For Yves
Jamiroquai White Knuckle Ride
Pet Shop Boys Together (Pepptalk mix)
The National Afraid of Everyone
Sleigh Bells Tell 'Em
Marina & the Diamonds Oh No!
Goldfrapp Alive (Joakim Remix)
Cee Lo Green Fuck You
Kelis Acapella
Kylie Minogue Get Outta My Way (Kris Menace Remix)
Kylie Minogue Get Outta My Way (SDP Extended Mix)
Color Theory Two
Four Tet This Unfolds
Cobblestone Jazz Sun Child
Underworld Always Loved a Film
Christian Prommer Groove La Chord
Tommy Walker III Flight Mode
Jaga Jazzist 220 V / Spektral
Crystal Castles Not in Love (feat. Robert Smith)
UNKLE Natural Selection (feat. The Black Angels)
Broken Social Scene Texico Bitches
Balkan Beat Box Kabulectro
Jónsi Around Us
Zzouf That Drum Track
Kanye West All Of The Lights
The Black Keys Sinister Kid
Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2011/01/02/44vs8w_my_top_20_albums_of_2010 Sun, 2 Jan 2011 14:26:20 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2011/01/02/44vs8w_my_top_20_albums_of_2010 Happy New Year! As every year, I'd like to share with you my favourite albums for 2010. I realize the album format is in decline, but I still love it. And this year, we had no shortage of great records. I've kept the list to the 20 I loved the most.

#1 - Robyn "Body Talk" - This has been hailed by everyone as an electro-pop masterpiece. Even though I liked the first two EPs (Body Talk Pt. 1 and 2) a lot, this record still floored me. Great pop songs like "Dancing On My Own", "Time Machine", "Hang With Me" and "Call Your Girlfriend" sit side-by-side with hard-hitting club numbers like "None Of Dem" and "We Dance To The Beat". Robyn's voice does tough-yet-vulnerable better than anybody else's.

#2 - School of Seven Bells "Disconnect From Desire" - Icy and ethereal upbeat dance-rock with beautifully disaffected vocals from the Deheza sisters. It's hard to pick favourites but "Windstorm", "I L U", "Camarilla" and "Bye Bye Bye" are some of the stand-outs.

#3 - Brian Eno "Small Craft on a Milk Sea" - The ambient master shows us that he still knows how to rock, not just produce rock. Still, my favourite moments on this are the ambient ones, like "Complex Heaven", "Emerald and Stone", "Late Anthropocene" and the title track.

#4 - Yeasayer "Odd Blood" - Although their debut was no slouch, this album is an incredible leap forward. Wild, quirky-but-catchy pop songs with cutting-edge electronic rock production. After The Knife-influenced misstep of an opening track, the rest of the record is terrific. Check out "Ambling Alp", "O.N.E.", "Love Me Girl" and "Mondegreen".

#5 - Jaga Jazzist "One-Armed Bandit" - Challenging, tight maxi-jazz from the Swedish collective. Rock, drum-and-bass and glitch-influenced ensemble jazz. I always expect great things from this Ninja Tune outfit and they never disappoint. "220V / Spektral", "Toccata", "Music! Dance! Drama!" and the title track are just some of the great tunes.

#6 - Janelle Monáe "The ArchAndroid" - Crazy weirdo space-age R&B for the Metropolis set. A little trimming would have tightened this sprawling outpouring of genius into an even greater record. Still, I was shocked at how good this is. The second half, with "Neon Valley Street", "Wonderland" and "Say You'll Go" is better than the first, with stand-outs "Dance Or Die" and "Tightrope".

#7 - LCD Soundsystem "This Is Happening" - James Murphy says this is the "final" full-length LCD Soundsytem record. I hope he's pulling our leg. He's been known to have a cranky sense of humour. This record, indeed, is happening, with its Bowie Krautrock No Wave dance party. Almost as good as "Sound Of Silver". My favourites are "Dance Yrself Clean", "One Touch", "I Can Change" and "Pow Pow". Oh, and the second half of "Drunk Girls" is wild.

#8 - Gorillaz "Plastic Beach" - I like pretty much anything Damon Albarn does, but this year he outdid himself. Electro rules this self-produced post-hip-hop album. "Stylo" is one of the very best track of the year, by anybody. Other great moments: "White Flag", "EmpireAnts" and "On Melancholy Hill".

#9 - Various Artists "Kompakt Total 11" - 11 years in, Kompakt's Total series is still going strong, but what a stark contrast between the 2 discs in this set. Disc 1 is minimal, experimental and difficult. Disc 2 is fantastic, dancy and inviting cutting-edge techno. I'm glad they keep taking big chances, but I would have rated this higher had they trimmed it to a single disc, so long as they kept Jonas Bering's "For Yves", Walls' "Hang Four (Allez-Allez Mix), Maxime Dangels' "Dysnoptik" and Coma's "Bruzelles".

#10 - [artist]The National "High Violet" - My friends have good taste. I trust their recommendations. Although I'd liked The National previously, I'd never been moved to buy one of their records, but "High Violet" is a great album of moody up-beat atmospheric rock. Some great moments: "errible Love", "Afraid Of Everyone", "Bloodbuzz Ohio" and "Runaway".

#11 - Lindstrøm & Christabelle "Real Life Is No Cool" - As a space disco enthusiast, I can't get enough of Lindstrøm, no matter who he's working with. But this great record, pairing him with punky, attitude-saturated Christabelle, is end-to-end fun. Still, it wouldn't have rated so highly without the awesome bonus disc, with the best tracks of the bunch - an Off The Wall homage in "Baby Can't Stop (Idjut Boys Remix)" and the Italo Disco flavours of "Looking for What ([artist]Sally Shapiro remix)".

#12 - Corinne Bailey Rae "The Sea" - After a solid first record, poor Corinne obviously suffered some really inspiring heartbreak and stepped up her songwriting and sense of adventure considerably. A way better (and slightly less accessible) record is the result. Great! High points: "I'd Do It Again", "Closer", "I Would Like To Call It Beauty" and "Paris Nights / New York Mornings".

#13 - Hot Chip "One Life Stand" - Again, a huge improvement from their last record, which while interesting, I couldn't quite love. This is great indie-rock-influenced synthpop. "Hand Me Down Your Love", "Brothers", "Keep Quiet" and the title track are stand-outs.

#14 - Tosca "Pony - No Hassle Versions" - A collection of remixes from tracks from their last, good-but-not-as-good-as-they-used-to-be, record? I guess so. But this collection far outshines everything they've done in 10 years. Guest producers should take the credit (and they do)! Whereas the originals were for chilling out, these mixes are for getting down. Highlights: "Springer (Smith & Mudd Version), "Rosa (Rodney Hunter Version), "Elektra Bregenz (Bottin's Disco Spritzer Mix" and "Joe Si Ha (Reverso 68 Version)".

#15 - Bonobo "Black Sands" - As much as I loved sample-based music in the '90's, I'm so thankful to seeing masterful musicianship emerge from artists like Bonobo. Great atmospheric jazz over laid-back grooves, with plenty of emotion and a sense of improvisation. Best tracks are "El Toro", "We Could Forever", "Stay The Same" and the title track.

#16 - Christian Prommer "Drumlesson Zwei" - Christian Prommer has taken the opposite approach - he's gone from being an accomplished jazz pianist to being a great electronica producer. In his Drumlesson series, Prommer uses electronically-treated acoustic instruments (traditional jazz instruments) in a live, storming techno jam. "Groove La Chord", "Acid Eiffel" and "Jaguar Pt 2" all have me begging for lesson drei!

#17 - Spoon "Transference" - Surprisingly great but mostly straightforward rock. I didn't expect to like this record as much as I did. The best tracks are "Is Love Forever?", "The Mystery Zone", "Who Makes Your Money" and "Out Go The Lights".

#18 - Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs "God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise" - Who thought they'd see this on my list? Not me! But it is so great. Smoky, dreamy, blues-influence alt country ballads that caught me off guard and made me fall in love. "Repo Man", "Are We Really Through", "Like Rock & Roll Radio" and the title track all make this too good to miss, whatever your musical taste.

#19 - Arcade Fire "The Suburbs" - Since I met them at the Indie Awards back in 2004, Arcade Fire seem to have taken over the world, now releasing one of the biggest records of the year. And the praise is well-deserved. "The Suburbs" is an appropriately-sprawling collection of synthpop-influenced guitar rock, a mix of tempos and moods. Check out "Empty Room", "Half Light II (No Celebration)", "Surburban War" and "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)".

#20 - Anais Mitchell "Hadestown" - An ambitious folk opera recasting of Orpheus and Eurydice in a post-apocalytic setting, I had to listen to this all the way through before I even started to form an opinion. And then that opinion was so strong and so positive that I had to listen again. And again. It's really a strong argument for the album as a format, because the songs work so much better as a suite. My favourite moment: " How Long?".

There were so many other good records this year, but for me, those are 20 I love most. Let me know which albums were your favourites!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2010/01/10/3btyns_best_of_2009_dj_set Sun, 10 Jan 2010 14:30:46 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2010/01/10/3btyns_best_of_2009_dj_set Thanks for checking out this set featuring a lot of my favourites from 2009. It’s a long set this time – there was just too much great music to squeeze in. The mix is eclectic, so hang on for a ride through pop, rock, techno, jazz, hip hop and even ambient. Enjoy!

Streamable on the Fidgital website
Download here (right click, save as)

The Flaming Lips - Virgo Self-Esteem Broadcast
LCD Soundsystem - 45:33 (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)
M. Ward - RAVE ON (featuring Zooey Deschanel)
Minus 8 - Enigma of a Summer Afternoon
Tortoise - Northern Something
Flevans - 27 Devils
Zoot Woman - More Than Ever
Air - Missing The Light Of The Day
Animal Collective - My Girls
Bibio - Lovers’ Carvings
David Sylvian - Small Metal Gods
Arve Henriksen - Migration
Quantic & His Combo Barbaro - The Dreaming Mind Part 1
Owl City - Fireflies
Discovery - Swing Tree
Grizzly Bear - Southern Point
YACHT - I’m In Love With A Ripper
Bebel Gilberto - Sun Is Shining
Passion Pit - Little Secrets
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band - Watching The Rain
Breakestra - Low Down Stank
Nickodemus - 2 Sips & Magic
Zwicker - Traumdeuter
Franz Ferdinand - Katherine Hit Me
Fever Ray - Seven
Junior Boys - The Animator
Tosca - Elektra Bregenz
Prefab Sprout - God Watch Over You
Ocote Soul Sounds - Revolt of the Cockroach Peoples
The Herbaliser Band - Mr. Chombee Has The Flaw
Annie - Don’t Stop
The Whip - Divebomb
Sally Shapiro - Moonlight Dance
Ryuichi Sakamoto - Firewater
The Presets - A New Sky
Depeche Mode - In Sympathy
Fat Freddy’s Drop - Shiverman
Ada - Lovestoned
U2 - Magnificent (Fred Falke Full Club Mix)
The Juan Maclean - The Simple Life
Basement Jaxx - Raindrops
Gui Boratto - Ballroom
Vitalic - Poison Lips
Kylie Minogue - The One (Bitrocka Remix)
Lady Gaga - Paparazzi (Moto Blanco Club Mix)
Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling (Dave Guetta FMIF Remix)
Pet Shop Boys - Did you see me coming? (PSB Possibly more mix)
Calvin Harris - Flashback
GusGus - Bremen Cowboy
The Field - Yesterday & Today
Simian Mobile Disco - 10000 Horses Can’t Be Wrong
Adriane Lake - So Beautiful (an A and a B mix)
Fischerspooner - The Best Revenge
The Raveonettes - Suicide
Peter Bjorn & John - It Don’t Move Me
Bat for Lashes - Daniel
White Lies - Death
La Roux - Quicksand
Landscape Body Machine - Purpose Part 2 (Golden Shield)
Nuuro - Avila
Peaches - More
Boxcutter - Sidetrak
royksopp - Tricky Tricky
Phoenix - 1901
Mulatu Astatke / The Heliocentrics - Addis Black Widow]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2010/01/10/3bsm14_my_top_20_albums_of_2009 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:27:24 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2010/01/10/3bsm14_my_top_20_albums_of_2009 As lousy a year as 2009 was planet Earth, it was a great year for music. Pop music seemed to rediscover the joys of innovation, and underground music pushed forward into new and amazing new directions. Here, then, are my very favourite albums of the year.

1- Quantic & His Combo Barbaro - Tradition In Transition
2 - Pet Shop Boys - Yes
3 - Prefab Sprout - Let's Change The World With Music
4 - Ryuichi Sakamoto - Out Of Noise
5 - White Lies - To Lose My Life
6 - Depeche Mode - Sounds Of The Universe
7 - Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
8 - Robin Guthrie - Carousel
9 - Air - Love 2
10 - Arve Henriksen - Cartography
11 - La Roux - La Roux
12 - Trashcan Sinatras - In The Music
13 - Sally Shapiro - My Guilty Pleasure
14 - Adriane Lake - Morning Glow
15 - Landscape Body Machine - Manifest Destiny
16 - U2 - No Line On The Horizon
17 - Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue
18 - Zoot Woman - Things Are What They Used To Be
19 - Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
20 - Gui Boratto - Take My Breath Away

There are probably 50 albums from 2009 which I could recommend highly, but I have to draw the line somewhere. These are definitely my top 20. Check out my annual DJ set for some great tunes from others that didn't make the top 20.

I should also mention some amazing reissues or compilations from The Beatles (that Apple USB is a milestone, releasing 24 bit versions of the entire catalogue!), Kraftwerk (The Catalogue is amazing - wish it was in 24 bit!), U2 (for their The Unforgettable Fire remaster), Iron & Wine (Around the Well), the alt folk Red Hot compilation Dark Was The Night, Underworld's eclectic semi-mix-album Athens, the next installation in the always-great minimal techno Kompakt Total series (Kompakt Total 10), and Tom Middleton's surprisingly great mix album One More Tune.

Here's hoping 2010 is an even better year for music!

Cheers,

-Keith]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2009/02/22/2i81f4_best_of_2008_dj_set Sun, 22 Feb 2009 05:26:27 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2009/02/22/2i81f4_best_of_2008_dj_set Fidgital's Best of 2008 DJ Set

Click here to download the DJ set directly!

Hi – Keith Gillard here, from Fidgital. Welcome to the DJ set of some of my favourites from 2008. Every New Year, I try to cram the cream of crop of the previous year into a DJ set. Every year, I’m disappointed ’cause I can’t possibly fit all the wonderful music in. This year, I’m especially sad to neglect The Cinematic Orchestra, Fennesz, Sigur Ros and 2 Banks Of 4, all of whom put out fantastic records that just didn’t quite fit in with this set. What did make it is all the best of the best from 2008, at least in my opinion. Enjoy!

The Matthew Herbert Big Band - The Story
Bajofondo Tango Club - Grand Guignol
Four Tet - Wing Body Wing
Señor Coconut - AROUND THE WORLD
Cut Copy - Out There On The Ice
Brazilian Girls - Good Time
Sonar Kollektiv Orchester - (I Got) Somebody New
Stereolab - Three Women
Death Cab for Cutie - I Will Possess Your Heart
quasimode - The Land of Freedom
Beck - Profanity Prayers
Ra Ra Riot - Each Year
Monkey - Out of the Eastern Sea
Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno - Make Dub Not War
Fidgital - Departure
Bombay Dub Orchestra - Feasting With Panthers
Skyphone - All is wood
UNKLE - Black Mass
School of Seven Bells - Wired For Light
Jazzanova - Let Me Show Ya (Featuring Paul Randolph)
The Black Seeds - Make A Move (Dub)
Fleet Foxes - English House
Thievery Corporation - (The Forgotten People)
Supreme Beings Of Leisure - Ride (Fidgital's brilliant tide remix)
The Herbaliser - The Next Spot
Zuco 103 - Beija A Mim
Goldfrapp - A&E
Hercules And Love Affair - Herclues' Theme
Brian Eno & David Byrne - Strange Overtones
Thievery Corporation - Mandala
Color Theory - Pins and Needles
Jazzanova - theme from belle et fou (danny krivit edit)
Lykke Li - Little Bit
M83 - Couleurs
Morgan Geist - Palace Life
Burnt Friedman & Jaki Liebezeit - Entsafter
Wagon Cookin - Start To Play (Christian Prommer Remix Pt. 2 - Piano Mix)
Deadbeat - Grounation (Berghain Drum Jack)
OnTa - Light My Fire (Fidgital remix)
Xaver Naudascher - Motor City
Kylie Minogue - Wow
Mogg & Naudascher - Moon Unit Pt.1
Recloose - Catch A Leaf (Mark De Clive Lowe Remix)
Monkey - The Living Sea
Ella Fitzgerald - I Get A Kick Out Of You (Cinematic Orchestra Remix)

]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2009/01/11/2e2ouu_my_top_20_albums_of_2008 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:06:05 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2009/01/11/2e2ouu_my_top_20_albums_of_2008 January here again, time to look back and force rank my favourite records of the year. Fidgital's Departure is eliminated from the list, although obviously I love it, having written and produced it.

1 - Jazzanova - Of All the Things
2 - Bombay Dub Orchestra - 3 Cities
3 - Sigur Ros - Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
4 - The Black Seeds - Solid Ground
5 - The Cinematic Orchestra - Live At The Royal Albert Hall
6 - The Matthew Herbert Big Band - There's Me And There's You
7 - Stereolab - Chemical Chords
8 - Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
9 - Sonar Kollektiv Orchester - Guaranteed Niceness
10 - Zuco 103 - After the Carnaval
11 - Bajofondo Tango Club - Mar Dulce
12 - quasimode - The Land of Freedom
13 - Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
14 - Thievery Corporation - Radio Retaliation
15 - Incognito - Tales From The Beach
16 - 2 Banks Of 4 - Junkyard Gods
17 - Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant
18 - Monkey - Journey To The West
19 - Brian Eno & David Byrne - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
20 - Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs

Honorable mentions to Beck, Color Theory, Cut Copy, Morgan Geist, Lykke Li, Kylie Minogue, and Ra Ra Riot, all of which released excellent albums in 2008!]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2008/01/05/1h0s_top_20_albums_of_2007 Sat, 5 Jan 2008 02:47:47 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2008/01/05/1h0s_top_20_albums_of_2007 My favourite albums from 2007!

1 - Fennesz Ryuichi Sakamoto - Cendre
2 - Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra - Security
3 - LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
4 - Air - Pocket Symphony
5 - The Cinematic Orchestra - Ma Fleur
6 - Bebel Gilberto - Momento
7 - Stars of the Lid - And Their Refinement Of The Decline
8 - Robin Guthrie & Harold Budd - Before The Day Breaks
9 - LCD Soundsystem - 45:33
10 - Cornelius - Sensuous
11 - The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
12 - Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
13 - 4hero - Play With the Changes
14 - Rufus Wainwright - Release The Stars
15 - Bjork - Volta
16 - Ulrich Schnauss - Goodbye
17 - The Good, the Bad & the Queen - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
18 - Telefon Tel Aviv - Remixes Compiled
19 - Daniel Bernard Roumain - etudes4violin&electronix
20 - Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank]]> http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2008/01/04/1h0r_best_of_2007_dj_set Fri, 4 Jan 2008 18:31:52 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/Fidgital/journal/2008/01/04/1h0r_best_of_2007_dj_set Happy New Year! I've posted my annual "Best of" DJ set, this time looking back on my favourite tracks from 2007. You can download it here:

www.fidgital.com/media/DJSet.mp3

CorneliusLike A Rolling Stone
Bebel GilbertoBring Back The Love
BjörkInnocence
!!!Heart Of Hearts
AirMer Du Japon
The Good, the Bad & the QueenNorthern Whale
Studio R Feat Capitol AA&R (Llorca Remix)
MikaGrace Kelly
The Chemical BrothersDas Spiegel
HexstaticNewaves
Tracey ThornGet Around To It
UnderworldCrocodile
AmmoncontactBBQ Plate ("Last Supper" Mix by Telefon Tel Aviv)
Luke VibertSwet
CaribouDesiree
Fennesz Ryuichi Sakamotoabyss
Kammerflimmer KollektiefLive At The Cactus Tree Motel
The Cinematic OrchestraMa Fleur
Ulrich SchnaussShine
DJ VadimMilwakee
Prefuse 73Girlfriend Boyfriend
Ben MonoListen (Featuring Capitol A)
SixtooPart 4
GorillazWe Are Happy Landfill
Groove ArmadaParis
Amy WinehouseYou Know I'm No Good
DZihan & KamienRockit
k-osValhalla
Róisín MurphyCheckin' On Me
Antibalas Afrobeat OrchestraI.C.E.
Rufus WainwrightDo I Disappoint You
Slope Feat. Jane HamiltonFind Our Love (Volker Meitz Acoustic Replay)
M.I.A.Boyz
FidgitalThe lobby (Fidgital's Le Vestibule remix)
U.N.K.L.E.Broken
The Arcade FireNo Cars Go
Modest MouseDashboard
LCD SoundsystemNorth American Scum
Balkan Beat BoxJoro Boro
4heroWhy Don't You Talk?]]>