Wears leather Italian boots. Owns a cat named Mr. Tiggs. Hates all things mainstream. Likes sandwiches with bacon, bratwurst, hamburger patty AND cheese (that’s 1 sandwhich, mind you). 80’s synth pop enthusiast. And with that introduction, Angry Mob’s A&R rep, Max Cameron, brings us his own personal picks for his favorite records of 2012. Some common themes pop out, including dream pop, energetic synth compositions, and chillwave. No, these are not the same thing. While the albums were chosen on a holistic benchmark, standout tracks were reluctantly chosen. They are most likely the vinyl he spun the most during his hipster commutes from Silver Lake.
So what’s the lesson here? Apparently it’s never underestimate the power of a synthesizer. And heeeeeeerrrrrrrreeeee’s Max:
1. Chromatics – Kill For Love
After their contributions to the Drive soundtrack I was really excited to see Chromatics getting attention from a bigger audience. Then when I got a copy of this album I was absolutely floored. This record spans so many different moods and interesting sonic moments — its truly definitive of what an ‘album’ should be in my opinion. Standout track: “Back From The Grave”
2. School of Seven Bells – Ghostory
One of my favorite sounds today is the dream pop movement — especially the stuff coming out of New York. There is so much good stuff in this scene, and at the forefront of it all I would consider to be School of Seven Bells. This is without a doubt my favorite record of theirs to date. Just a really tasteful group of compositions — from the upbeat soaring chorus in ‘The Night’ to the dreamy moments in ‘Reappear’ they display a wide range of sonic capabilities. Standout track: “The Night”
3. Sigur Ros – Valtari
A long awaited release from a band the world thought was defunct….or at least I did. Well I am really glad they aren’t! Sigur Ros is one of those perfect bands…That’s really all there is to say… I want their records playing on my deathbed. Standout track: “Varúð”
4. Fred Falke – Part IV
A long awaited album aggregating some of Falke’s best work. Some of his best work is well known to be his legendary remixes (The Whitest Boy Alive’s “Golden Cage” being a notable example), however his originals carry some serious weight. This album captures his capabilities as a producer ranging from sample-based classic french touch house tracks such as ‘Look Into Your Eyes’ to his lush energetic synth compositions such as ‘Aurora’. Standout track: “Look Into Your Eyes”
5. Steve Moore – Light Echoes
A lesser known artist who is from the band Zombi (if anyone remembers them as the prog-synth rock duo you might have seen playing The Smell circa 06). This guy’s work continues to blow my mind. He possesses an arsenal of vintage analog synths which he provides incredibly crafted electronic compositions reminiscent of Vangelis, and Tangerine Dream, but with a modern twist. His 2011 release, Primitive Neural Pathways, is a must listen, too. Standout track: “Light Echoes II”
6. Holy Other – Held
Maybe just because I was so in love with his 2011 ‘With U’ release that this had to go on here. Definitely my favorite Tri Angle artist, and his full length record was a testament to his unique sound of slowed down cosmic codeine induced electronica. Standout track: “Held”
7. Eric Prydz Presents Pryda
Not going to get a lot of agreers on this one because its a little niche and many people will discard it as a typical progressive house record. In a genre that is completely inundated with garbage — his productions always stand out to me. He’s the king of emotionally charged dance music with his emphasis of melodic themes and subtle 80’s throwback techniques — this is some great driving music by the way! Standout track: “Leja”
8. Tycho – Dive
One of those records that really grew on me. At first glance I thought I was just in for a standard ‘downtempo’ album but after many more listens, it proved to be something much more. It’s a really cool combination of some of the tripped out lush synth work we might hear from Boards Of Canada paired with the dancer beats and basslines of the Chillwave movement. Standout track: “Ascension”
9. Andy Stott – Numb
This album is crazy deep and hypnotic. Sort of ambient, abstract, and techno influenced bass music album from this amazing UK producer who has been waiting 6 years to release this thing! Check it out… Standout track: “Numb”
10. Scuba – Personality
Really amazing album done by a highly informed and skilled producer Paul Rose. He often gets compared to dubstep but I think that is an offensive comparison…with constant throwbacks to 90’s house music and a full spectrum of electronic genres, this album is a testament to the EDM genre as a whole that you have to check out. Standout track: “NE1BUTU”
Editor’s honorable mention:
Crystal Castles – (III)
Their third album still strikes a dramatic balance between “pretty” and “aggressive”, with Ethan Kath’s staggered synths and Glass’ severe wail chilling me to the bone. They continue their creative trajectory by introducing a more introspective album that leaves me asking how a world (in Alice’s terms) becoming a “dystopian dispair,” can sound so beautiful. Standout track: “Affection”
— Allie Krummel