Year-End Critics' Polls 2012

weak

212 did come out really late, I only remember the Singles Jukebox tackling it right at the end of November so it's perfectly possible that the December Mixmag was way past its print deadline by then. Attempting to shoehorn it into a 2012 list is just lame though.

tbf to mixmag i think that's the only place i've seen 'latch' so far

not like they should be getting mad props for a no-brainer like that but since every other publication is so dumb there it is

i thought "control" was better than "latch", which never quite clicked w/me

while we're on the subject of disclosure i wish EOY lists would stop fronting like their remix of "running" is better than the original (if any ware remix is superior, it's the joe goddard one of "night light")

Hey guys, I found this vintage copy of Q from December 1993 in the shops

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/72367_10152337467005215_187229883_n.jpg

Oh wait

'latch' is a straight up anthem with (for once in our lives) the genuine chart stats to show for it, giving it no mention is criminal

i think that's the only place i've seen 'latch' so far

http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2012/12/xlr8rs-best-2012-overrated-relea

the blurb is... uh, quite something

oooffff that blurb, oh man how are people like that permitted to write in public

sigh can i not have one day without having a thundercloud of intense rage over me

wow what a moron. good to see the comments below are overwhelmingly negative too.

although to be fair, props for calling out some of the other records in that list

he is american anyway who gives a fuck

the real problem is more stuff like the guardian preening themselves over 'ima read' or whatever other irrelevance in something like 'latch's stead

This is music for people who don't like music, the kind of track teenage girls will rush to buy on iTunes after hearing it on the latest episode of The Vampire Diaries.

Seriously? Ugh.

"ima read" was an IRL anthem! on catwalks and stuff. it's also better than "latch"

haha i know damn well you were lolling as you wrote that so ima let it slide

he is american anyway who gives a fuck

the real problem is more stuff like the guardian preening themselves over 'ima read' or whatever other irrelevance in something like 'latch's stead

― r|t|c, Thursday, December 20, 2012 3:18 AM Bookmark

haha you're really trying to make the veins pop out of my forehead

if you maybe attach those veins to your brain you'll see i'm not saying what you think i am

I love you too, babe.

The Disclosure remix of "Running" is better than the original, though that's still great as well.

I thought that, then went back to the original yesterday, after a long gap - Disclosure remix hereby demoted! But not by much!

Ubiquity of Disclosure remix due in part to "squeezing two acts on the list for the price of one" syndrome?

I think I'd like Disclosure more if their sound were more... robust? I've liked so much garage revivalism this year and I've not been able to find much of an in with them at all, they're a bit polite and I mean in a tepid way rather than a sumptuous way.

their artful dodger remix kinda brought that home to me

no hate for the disclosure remix at all, it's fun, but the original is the one that really conveys the epic OTT drama perfectly

Not sure 'Running' really suits a garage beat anyway. For all her dance connections, I'm not sure Jessie Ware is a terribly remix-able artist, or the ones people keep having a go at are the most 'complete' songs in the first place. Even the Joe Goddard remix of Night Light feels kinda forced. There's more potential in things like No To Love or Swan Song or the title track but those aren't the ones with the prominent remixes that I can see.

The words "Disclosure, 'Latch'" unfortunately remind me of the jam band Dispatch.

xp Clearly I haven't been banging on about Ewan Pearson's No to Love remix on here as much as I thought I had. Way better than the original but not "prominent" in the same way as the Running remix.

Yes that one's good and I'd forgotten about it, but it kind of works because No To Love is kind of mediocre and in need of fixing in the first place.

the only issue i have with the ewan pearson remix is that he retains and indeed emphasises the dodgy male rap - otherwise it's lovely (and yes, the original "no to love" is whatever)

Somehow the 80s dance references in the remix make the rap charming to me, because it's dodgy in a very old-fashioned way.

Also I've paid minimal attention this year and freely admit I have zero authority on this subject but I found the monochrome sluggishness of a lot of the beats in the upper reaches of that Cocaine Blunts list a real drag to get through.

some kind soul has compiled The Martorialist's list too. It's a bit more fun i think

http://themartorialist.blogspot.ie/2012/12/rap-game-joey-bartons-pigeon-french_18.html

XLR8R's Best Releases of 2012
Part One 40-21: http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2012/12/xlr8rs-best-2012-releases-part-o
Part Two 20-1: http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2012/12/xlr8rs-best-2012-releases-part-t

40. DJ Rashad - TEKLIFE Vol. 1: Welcome to the Chi (Lit City)
39. Bandshell - Dust March EP (Hessle)
38. Pinch - Fabriclive 61 (Fabric)
37. Objekt - "Cactus" b/w "Porcupine" (Hessle)
36. Sigha - Living with Ghosts (Hotflush)
35. Tevo Howard - Monument EP (Buzzin' Fly)
34. J. Alvarez - Overseas Highway EP (HypeLTD)
33. Disclosure - The Face EP (Greco-Roman)
32. Oneman - Fabriclive 64 (Fabric)
31. Anenon - Acquiescence EP (Non Projects)
30. Bicep - Vision of Love EP (Feel My Bicep)
29. Todd Edwards - Shall Go EP (Body High)
28. Drexciya - Journey of the Deep Sea Dweller (Clone)
27. oOoOO - Our Loving is Hurting Us EP (Tri Angle)
26. Benjamin Damage and Doc Daneeka - They!Live (50Weapons)
25. Ben Klock - Fabric 66 (Fabric)
24. L-Vis 1990 - Club Constructions Vol. 1 (Night Slugs)
23. Joy O & Boddika - "Froth" b/w "Mercy" (SunkLo)
22. Redshape - "Throw in Dirt" b/w "The Land" (3024)
21. Grimes - Visions (4AD)
20. Gerry Read - Jummy (Fourth Wave)
19. Mike Huckaby - The Tresor EP (Tresor)
18. Shed - The Killer (50Weapons)
17. Emeralds - Just to Feel Anything (Editions Mego)
16. Andy Stott - Luxury Problems (Modern Love)
15. Nautiluss - Habitat EP (Turbo)
14. Daphni - Jiaolong (Merge)
13. Holy Other - Held (Tri Angle)
12. Todd Terje - It's the Arps EP (Smalltown Supersound)
11. Chromatics - Kill for Love (Italians Do It Better)
10. Vessel - Order of Noise (Tri Angle)
9. Levon Vincent - Fabric 63 (Fabric)
8. Jacques Greene - Ready EP (3024)
7. Untold - Change in a Dynamic Environment (Hemlock)
6. Barker & Baumecker - Transsektoral (Ostgut Ton)
5. Mala - Mala in Cuba (Brownswood)
4. Four Tet - Pink (Text)
3. Actress - R.I.P. (Honest Jon's)
2. Simian Mobile Disco - Unpatterns (Wichita)
1. John Talabot - ƒIN (Permanent Vacation)

Also I've paid minimal attention this year and freely admit I have zero authority on this subject but I found the monochrome sluggishness of a lot of the beats in the upper reaches of that Cocaine Blunts list a real drag to get through.

― Matt DC, Thursday, December 20, 2012 11:06 AM (32 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

and i found the "jazzy" Ab-Soul song to be super lame, was cool with the other stuff mostly

12. Todd Terje
It's the Arps EP
(Smalltown Supersound)
"This little project was a result of me wanting to justify my purchase of a ARP2600, which cost a bit on the second-hand market. My rule was to use no samples, only sounds generated from this machine such as kicks, snares, hats, basslines, melodies, etc. It's funny to see the reaction to 'Inspector Norse' when I play it out, and it makes me laugh and think, 'Yeah, you girls don't know just how nerdy this song really is.' Nerds one, jocks nil." - Todd Terje

no hate for the disclosure remix at all, it's fun, but the original is the one that really conveys the epic OTT drama perfectly

AGREED

What got me into the Disclosure remix was seeing Jessie Ware sing it live, on that C4 non-stop all-night DJ marathon thingy, at the end of the Annie Mac set. (Which is as close to "in situ" as I'm likely to get at this time of life, sigh.) So I don't have any issues over whether the vocals sit right with the track.

Baltimore Sun's top 10 albums:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/music/chi-20121207-best-albums-music-pictures,0,6772301.photogallery

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2012/12/ten_best_noise_tracks_2012.php

Disclosure remix of "Running" is not about the OTT drama at all, I agree, it's just consummate bouncing. The ear-tickling beat is so pretty yet compulsive, the way it dovetails with the synth chords and (yes) the slightly shrill sped up vocals. I wouldn't want them to be more robust.

Always makes me flash back to listening to DJ Q sets at the beginning of the year.

Al is that the SUN list or the Sun Times list?

oh yeah, the byline is Greg Kot from the Chicago Tribune, guess it's just syndicated content :(

no hate for the disclosure remix at all, it's fun, but the original is the one that really conveys the epic OTT drama perfectly

AGREED

― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, December 20, 2012 9:46 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah like tim says the goal of the disclosure remix is very different. on my annual summer mix (the night edition) i put the original and the remix back to back and it really set off some house parties people... legit started dancing, it was great

and i found the "jazzy" Ab-Soul song to be super lame, was cool with the other stuff mostly

― 2 Celloz (some dude), Thursday, December 20, 2012 8:40 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

man, that's the most heartbreaking and emotional rap song of the year

Rob Sheffield's singles list.

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/blogs/pop-life/the-top-25-songs-of-2012-20121220

gotta admit he still makes me lol with buildups like "It's strange how much Leonard Cohen and David Lee Roth have in common"

i have no context for whatever that song is about, i'm just saying i didn't dig the sound of it (xp)

his gf's suicide

sheffield's "mercy" blurb that taunts the first half of a couplet without acknowledging the second half is so obnoxious

not that it's a great line or anything but you have to bend over backwards to make fun of it the way he does

can't even listen to the f.ocean alb cuz the cover looks like an orange ad

did they fund its recording?