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Berlin-based electronic duo M.A.N.D.Y. is comprised of Patrick Bodmer and Phillipp Jung, two long-time best friends with a penchant for collectively making music. They’ve been working together for over a decade, and their discography includes remixes for The Knife, Mathew Dear, Fischerspooner, Roxy Music and others (near the end of last year, they released 12 Great Remixes for 11 Great Artists). The pair have a lot on the horizon for 2008 as they tell our Alex Steed.

I’ve read that you’re a also painter.

Patrick Bodmer: Not any more, thought that’s how a lot of this started. Both of my grandfathers were painters; they’ve done landscapes and [their work is] in museums. They were teaching me for a bit when I was 18 and then someone, some millionaire, bought the paintings and people started seeing them there and buying them. I found this success when I was in my mid-’20s. Then we did some parties at this guy’s space—had had a big place for that sort of thing and this is when I began meeting other musicians. [At that point] painting and music started to intersect. We started playing some records there and clearing the dance floors [laughs]. Finally, I started traveling to London, but no one wanted to come where these kids were smoking joints and crack and doing naughty things while listening to house music. It started with paintings. I gained connections from there on out.

Good start! I am always excited to talk with folks in January because it makes it easy to discuss what you’re excited about in the New Year.

Oh yeah. Definitely. You’ll have to excuse me, though, because I have been going on these interviews for a while and I have a box and a half of wine finished. So excuse me if I am a little slow.

It’s an interesting time, this New Year. In a natural way, I feel like things are coming to a change. Finally, there is a change. So many sorts of music are coming from all over the place, and its subtle, but its happening in what looks like a faster way because there are kids from all over connecting on the Internet and sampling from whoever. They’re sampling from Grand Master Flash and everyone else. The genres are all over the place now. Look at French new wave sound coming out of Paris. Daft Punk is getting their due ten years later.

Some people are afraid of the status of club music. I just spoke with one magazine from London, who was saying that its down around where they are. But worldwide, this music scene is really opening up. It’s great. Things are changing.

Speaking of Daft Punk getting their much-celebrated, much-discussed due a decade later, do you feel more respected now than you were in the mid to late ’90s?

Some people are afraid of the status of club music. I just spoke with one magazine from London, who was saying that its down around where they are. But worldwide, this music scene is really opening up. It’s great. Things are changing.

Yes, though I was never really looking for that. It is interesting now to see that we’ve gotten to a point where we’re old men and we can look back a little bit. It’s definitely a new generation and its great to watch these young kids with the next generation. Sure, we’re now getting credit for our work, and getting referenced. It’s fun to see.

Wait… [Laughs] Are you asking if we’re grandpas?

[Laughs] No. Well yes. Sort of. I checked out your MySpace page, which lists your genre as a mixture of death metal, turntablism, and comedy. This is really funny, but sort of indicative how how your music is seriously made, though not taken too seriously.

Oh yes. The music we make by ourselves… I can remember making music on my own ten years ago or whatever, and I would be in my room by myself all night long. It was just me and the first version of Logic or whatever [laughs]. It’s different with Phillipp, my best friend of 22 years. Maybe we’ll do a studio session for 10 hours, but 6 hours will be us talking about our girlfriends and an hour will be about actual music and the rest, I don’t know. This music has been fed by fun, human sorts of things. It’s different, more of a band kind of thing. It’s more human driven. We definitely enjoy being a collective. This interaction leads to different levels of music.

We already touched upon what you’re excited for in ‘08. What can we expect from M.A.N.D.Y. in the new year?

We rented a house in Iceland, which is a really tripped out country. There are houses without any others surrounding them for 50 miles. We’re bringing a bunch of instruments, and doing them all there. We’ve got Vietnamese guitars, African drums, bongo, and other stuff and we’re going to make some psych crowd rock. We’ll do some live jam sessions.

Why Iceland?

We really like the atmosphere. Its sort of like, well, nothing. It’s dark, especially in February. We chose this place to concentrate on ourselves, to have nothing else around us. There are no bars, clubs, or anything else.

How will you package the final product?

We might want to release this as the Iceland Recordings, or however. We will also present it live with instruments on stage. Its not a concept thing, though. It’s just where we’re at right now.

We’ve always been open to challenging ourselves, in the studio and otherwise. We love to break things ourselves. We’re not here to do the next big electronic record and that’s why we haven’t released tracks in a while. We’ve recorded, but what we’ve come up with has not been the sort of things we thought had to be released. We definitely haven’t been doing it for the money [laughs].

On the eve of the release of his latest album, The Trentemøller Chronicles, Danish DJ/producer/remixer Anders Trentemøller explains why sad songs mean so much to him.

In 2006 Anders Trentemøller released his debut artist album, The Last Resort, to substantial critical acclaim. The Danish producer’s blend of dubby electronics, deep bass, beats which flit from minimal clicks and pads to fast, funky electro (and everything between), and lush, orchestral atmospherics earned him fans in the minimal house, electro, breakbeat and techno camps. That’s quite a feat, considering the often fascist rules some genre purists adhere to these days. A couple of high profile DJ slots on BBC Radio 1—including an Essential Mix, voted the best of the year by the station’s listeners—had introduced listeners to Trentmøller’s penchant for marrying the rough (a deep breakbeat bootleg of Aphex Twin’s “Windowlicker” credited to Run Jeremy but rumored to be the work of Trentemøller himself) with the smooth (his legendary dubbed-out version of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” and his remix of The Cure’s heavily influential proto-ambient new wave dance floor gem, “A Forest”).

Trentemøller’s baptism into electronica came ten years ago after a visit to an underground club in London. “I heard jungle and drum ‘n’ bass for the first time and was just blown away by the energy,” he explains. “At the same time, I began to listen to Massive Attack and Portishead. I was playing keyboards and drums in indie rock bands at the time. I went back to Denmark and tried to put some samples and breakbeats in the music we were making, and they were like, “What the fuck are you doing?’”

Melding the melancholy and epic atmosphere of the downtempo Bristolians, the dance floor oriented fury of drum ‘n’ bass and taking production cues from techno artists (he cites Rhythm & Sound and Justice as influences and admits that Cassius and Daft Punk helped shape his early forays into beat production), he began to make his own music, first as a member of the live house act Trigbag. Along with partner DJ T.O.M. (aka Tom Von Rosen), Trigbag’s 1997 single “Showtime” had significant chart success and was championed by international DJs such as Alex Gopher, Laurent Garnier and Etienne de Crécy. The success of the single garnered the fledgling group a modicum of acclaim and gigs around the world, but it wasn’t enough and Trigbag dissolved in 2000. (The duo maintain a friendship and gig together.)

He later went on to release his first collection of tracks, aptly dubbed The Trentemøller EP, in 2003. “I was more inspired by bands like The Cure, The Smiths and Mazzy Star,” he says of his songwriting influences. “They had a melancholy element that I really liked. You can find many layers of beauty in those tracks.”

Although other musicians soon made him become an in-demand DJ and remixer, a two-year bout with writer’s block stifled his creativity. “I thought to myself, “Maybe I should just go out and get a job?” he recalls. “Sometimes you can think too much; producing my own music was something I wanted to do but was afraid of.”

His creative drought was likely fueled by a steadfast degree of musical perfectionism and led to an incubation period of almost ten years for his full-length debut, The Last Resort. When it arrived, critics were awed by its sheer variety, something Trentemøller has always striven for thanks to his wildly diverse influences: “I love a lot of different musical styles. On The Last Resort I was trying to mix uptempo and downtempo as much as possible, and warm and cold sounds together.”

As on The Last Resort, the songs on The Trentemøller Chronicles flit between tempos and tones. You’ll find dub bass lines with sped-up techno clicks and tracks like “Moan” which shift from Nordic minimal synth washes to heavy dance floor-targeted rhythms.

“I like to make music both for people to listen to at home and which will work on the dance floor, but maybe it’s more interesting artistically to have people finding layers in the music.” This new album, he says, came about in response to demand from fans on site like MySpace for rarities and back catalogue work. “It’s not for the DJs, but for the fans who got in touch.”

Along with the mixed CD of Trentemøller’s own work, there is a second disc full of remixes from likes of Swedish electro-soul duo The Knife, pop singer-songwriter Robyn, Røyksopp and Moby. There are now a couple of artists being touting the Trentemøller stamp on their own work, including some very high profile names he can’t talk about just yet (though it looks like The Knife’s Karin Dreijer is slated to appear on his next album).

Still, his dream remixes are “not electronic acts—it’s much more of a challenge to bring new dimensions to the music.” This is something Trentemøller achieves with his touring band, who’ve just played a string of live dates in America. The band consists of Trentemøller, a drummer, a bass player and guitar player; and to compete with other electronic acts, a full AV experience with high-profile visuals and touring VJs.

“I put a lot of effort and time into transferring the album to a live show,” he notes, adding that performing with a band is far more satisfying for him than a night on the decks. “It’s so useful to have a direct contact with the audience. You can jam much more, and improvise.”

Playing live is less stultifying for Trentemøller than DJing on the Copenhagen scene, which he complains revolves around “what’s trendy in Berlin right now. It would be great to see Danish people providing more of their own stuff, like System—very Nordic, cool glitches.” Of the Danish musicians he most admires, he mentions retro rockers The Raveonettes, who he will also be working with on their new, more electronic direction. However, these days the biggest draws in Denmark tend to be from abroad, such as the UK grime and garage DJs who played at the Ohoi! nights in the city along with the steady influx of German acts. Oddly enough, it took international success for him to feel as if he’d made himself a name for himself in his home country.

“When I started it was a very closed scene,” he admits. “I was trying to find my own way and sound as much as possible.” It looks like it’s a sound that will keep evolving.

Words: Matt O’Leary

Sound Tribe Sector Nine rang in 2008 the same way they celebrated their past four New Year’s Eves. After finishing another sold-out run of shows in their home state of Georgia, the now Santa Cruz, California based livetronica five-piece set up shop at the Tabernacle in Atlanta. While they may have changed their locale in 2000, they haven’t forgotten their roots, or the venue that propelled their careers before heading west.

STS9’s annual year-end blowout at the Tabernacle has become the main event in a series of surrounding local parties featuring DJs and other live electronica acts. This year the group welcomed several opening artists to the Tabernacle stage during their run, such as Glitchmob, Sub-ID, and Bassnectar. (The band also sponsored multiple late-night parties throughout the city during the week.)

San Francisco’s Bassnectar played one of these late shows at the Apache Cafe in Midtown. Even without alcohol sales (twas a Sunday night in Georgia), the small club was crammed full of sweaty fans who were ready to dance until dawn. Long lines outside proved this was one of the most anticipated parties of the week. Sure enough, the packed club, located under Atlanta’s Olympic torch, was indeed hot, and the dance floor ate up all of Bassnectar’s heavy electro-breaks till 5AM.

New Year’s Eve was the grand finale and STS9 was joined onstage by its extended family. The tribe usually includes additional artists in their shows, such as live painters J. Garcia and Kris Davidson, New York City floral designer Anthony Ward, and their lighting guru, Saxton. And they weren’t just showing off for the big night. Anthony Ward has created floral art for STS9 as far away as their shows in Japan, and their light show is great every night. Though the band might be hard to categorize since they meander through rock, hip-hop and electro, all of these musical elements give their sound a feeling of a movement, which truly distinguishes them from the pack.

Their last album, Artifact, was released in 2005. The follow-up, Artifact:Perspectives, is an impressive remix collection including interpretations from Ming & FS, Bill Laswell and Karsh Kale, to name a few. The band also maintains an impressive online store, which includes soundboard quality recording of some their noteworthy performances.

If you missed their latest live run down in Atlanta, you can catch them on their upcoming tour beginning on the West Coast in mid-January and ending at the Langerado Music Festival in Florida in March.

Words and images: Blake Styles

Two discs (one of them excellent) explore the past, present and future of a genre that has already informed rap, freestyle, synth pop, acid house, hip-house and countless other movements in dance music. Playgroup’s Trevor Jackson and Alter Ego are your tour guides.

Trevor Jackson gets the daunting task of compiling the history disc. Working with the years 1980-1991, he rounds up a highly enticing collection of mostly old-school obscurities, like a bonus beats mix of Original Concept’s 1986 “Knowledge Me.” The times when he does go for well-revered acts (Whodini, Vanity 6), he chooses lesser-known tracks, save for Deee-Lite’s “What Is Love?” It’s a legit entry, of course, but it’s such a pillar that he might as well have included “Blue Monday” or “Planet Rock.” The mix’s sound is dirty, like old, played-to-death vinyl, and that actually contributes to the experience. I hate to say it, but I’m not feeling Alter Ego’s “present and future” disc. It collects a lot tracks that are influenced by—but not necessarily examples of—electro (microhouse, whatever you call Azzido Da Bass’ “Dooms Night”) and plays frustratingly fragmented. Christian W. Smith
File under: C-Bank, Dynamix II, Chicken Lips

2007 was a year in which record sales bottomed out and DJs were granted backstage passes to the mainstream. So you’ll have to forgive us if our ten best albums of the year seem a bit, um, mainstream? We swear, we were on to this first.

1. M.I.A. / Kala (XL Recordings/Interscope)
With the world falling to shit around us, it’s no wonder the year’s best record comes from a woman able to maintain her “big on the underground” status even as she ascends her global domination. Kala pushes harder, faster, and stronger than her debut and any other DJ, dance, rock or hip-hop disc in a while.

2. LCD Soundsystem / Sound of Silver (Capitol)
An astonishing confluence of Brooklyn sci-fi funk (”Get Innocuous”), futuristic death odes (”Someone Great”), and new romantic art rock (”All My Friends”), with witty, so-jaded-they’re-sincere lyrics throughout. Also, it’s got a great beat and you can dance to it.

3. Dave Gahan / Hourglass (Mute)
The Depeche Mode front man offers up an authentic electro-pop monster that should be a lesson to the retro hipsters currently championing electro-shlock. Tracks such as “Saw Something” and “My Kingdom” are slickly produced and pack the kind of emotional punch that we have not seen from Gahan in a long time.

4. Klaxons / Myths Of The Near Future (Polydor)
Myths Of The Near Future struck a chord with a worldwide audience as it opened the door to a rehashed genre we never thought would live again. As warehouse parties rocked London to the foundations, Klaxons emerged as the band that could translate the all night rave atmosphere onto record.

5. Datarock / Datarock Datarock (Nettwerk)
Who would’ve guessed that two guys from Bergen, Norway dressed in tracksuits would offer one of the year’s best party albums?

6. The Chemical Brothers / We Are The Night (Astralwerks)
Former Big Shot cover stars bring the big room beats back and we couldn’t be happier.

7. Justice / † (Vice)
We’re not sure how long this ride is gonna last, but for their proper debut, Justice lived up to the hype (and all that pretense) of their early singles.

8. Feist / The Reminder (Cherrytree/Interscope)
Who would have guessed the Broken Social Scene-r would get an iPod spot and SNL gig and an eclectic folky disc that should last beyond the buzz.

9. Mark Ronson / Version
We, not Lily Allen, made him smile. And he made us blush with is horn soaked album of covers and collabos.

10. Radiohead / In Rainbows
This album will top every critics poll this year and rightly so.

We’ve listened to so much music this year that our ears are bleeding. Literally. But we sacrificed one of our five senses all for you, dear Big Shot reader. Here are our scribes’ favorite tracks and assorted ramblings on 2007.

Darren Ressler’s Top 10 Albums of 2007

1. Dave Gahan / Hourglass (Mute)
2. Down / Down III (Down)
3. Mark Ronson / Version
4. Klaxons / Myths of the Near Future
5. The Chemical Brothers / We Are The Night
6. Datarock / Datarock Datarock (Nettwerk)
7. Heaven and Hell / The Dio Years (Rhino)
8. LCD Soundsystem / Sound of Silver (DFA)
9. Wiley / Playtime Is Over (Big Dada)
10. Beastie Boys / The Mix Up (Capitol)

Daria Arao’s Top 5 Albums of 2007

1. LCD Soundsystem / Sound of Silver
2. Datarock / Datarock Datarock
3. Dave Gahan / Hourglass
4. Dave Clarke / I Love Techno
5. M.I.A. / Kala

Zel McCarthy’s Top 10 Albums

1. Kylie / X (Parlophone/EMI)
2. Groove Armada / Soundboy Rock (Columbia UK)
3. Editors / An End Has A Start (Epic)
4. Calvin Harris / I Created Disco (Almost Gold)
5. Colette / Push (Om)
6. Sophie Ellis-Bextor / Trip The Light Fantastic (Polydor)
7. Kenna / Make Sure They See My Face (Interscope)
8. Britney / Blackout (Jive)
9. Matthew Dear / Asa Breed (Ghostly International)
10. Datarock / Datarock Datarock (Nettwork)

Nicholas Bennison’s Top 10 Tunes of 2007

1. Wardt / “Show My Shuffle” (Doorn)
Stunning original track from Sander Van Doorn’s new label. You know the sound.
2. Jay Selway / “Left Deaf” (Propulsion)
A monster tune I had to sign it to my label before it was even finished.
3. Steve Birch / “Amnesia” (Joof)
Biggest Steve Birch production to date; a true spine-tingler.
4. Nick Sentience & BK / “XL”
XL says it all.
5. David Barnes / “Tauchstation” (DJ Observer & Daniel Heatcliff Remix)
Techy beat, beautiful melody and production to die for.
6. Ben Gold / “10-4” (Flux Delux)
Home speakers do not do this track justice.
7. Marcus Schossow / “Hypnotizer” (DJ Preach Remix) (Oxygen)
Techno lord Preach makes headway into the trance world with this slick remix.
8. Christopher Lawrence & Nicholas Bennison / “Continuation” (Pharmacy Music)
Yes, another dirty plug. Our follow up single to “Scorcher” will see release early 2008.
9. Jamba Juice / “Morning Glory”
A smoothie, cereal & peanut butter smushed together. Madness!

Adam Virga

MIA / Kala
Kompakt / Total 8 Comp
Cadenza Classics / Contemporary Compilation
Alter Ego / Why Not!
Supermayer / Save the World
Pheek / En Legere Suspension
Dave Clarke / I Love Techno
Swayzak / Some Other Country
Tigarah - Tigarah EP
Sven Väth - The Sound of The Eighth Season

Blake Styles

I know a good hotel room when I see it, and cherish a great one. Here’s 10 of my favorite places where I woke up in 2007.

1. Sagamore Hotel, South Beach Miami
2. The Standard, Downtown LA
The top 2 were very close. The Standard in Downtown LA was hard to beat in terms of service. Checking in on a weekend with a rooftop house party is ideal, but a not a necessity for a good stay. This is a hotel who can handle a party…..and say no more #1 Sagamore Hotel Miami Beach. Enough said it’s my number one. Check it out.
3. The Westin Downtown, Atlanta
It does look like a giant hypodermic needle, but the Westin in downtown ATL is close to all the action, and has the most comfortable beds in the A. That’s what’s up.
4. Cadillac Hotel, Venice Beach
The Cadillac at Venice Beach is more for the backpacker budget, but get the Charlie Chaplin Suite and you’ll have the same view of the sunset as the ballers up at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica.
5. Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
Mandalay Bay you say?? Yes. The new suites are great, and “THE Hotel” suites are even better. I hit the pool, and threw a loud party till 10am and no one seemed to care. Order the late check out.
6. Luxor, Las Vegas
Numbers 7 and 6 go together. They’re both in Vegas. The Luxor isn’t the newest or nicest, but I love the pyramid and if you get the Nefertiti Suite you’ll feel on top of the world. (and you’ll be next door to Chris Angel, the Mindfreak, so heads up.(PS - I skipped LAX)
7. The Peabody, Memphis, TN
Kickin it in Memphis on your way to Graceland? Feel like the king and stay at the Peabody in Memphis, all the other rock stars do. Have a drink at the famous bar before Beale Street. When you stumble home at 5am it’ll be a quick walk.
8.The Deauville Resort, Miami Beach
The Deauxville Resort in Miami Beach has seen it all. Sinatra and the Rat Pack broke this place in back in the day. Now, it’s got a nice jazz lounge, beach, pool and cheap rates if you decide to go to WMC at the last minute.
9.Holiday Inn Express-Stadiums. Baltimore, MD
10. Hotel Metropolis, San Francisco
The Metropolis is off Market St. in downtown San Francisco. It’s a good place to begin a Bay Area bender. Watch out for the Tenderloin. Speaking of, if you’ve never been to Baltimore and find yourself there with an all-access pass to giant summer music festival, stay here. All you’ll have to say to the cabbie on the way home is, Holiday Inn by the Stadium. It helped me out big time, big shot. Ever seen The Wire?

Miss Flea’s Top 10 Wonderments for 2007.

1. England coming second in everything to do with sport.
2. Playing strip trivial pursuit at 3am in the morning.
3. Rediscovering the Viper Room for “What’s your name baby?” (we heart the ‘90s!)
4. Binge drinking - alcoholism without the commitment.
5. Mark Ronson for being foxy and talented and making Coldplay perky.
6. Amy Winehouse for keeping it real where it counts and by knowing that the road to legendary status is paved with tragedy and addiction. Who says drama school can’t teach you anything?
7. Britney Spears-Federline-Spears for everything.
8. Almost bowling a turkey. Beats bowling balls (ta daaahhhh!!).
9. The Kid Rock/Tommy Lee catfight for reminding us what it means to truly love a woman.
10. Restless Leg Syndrome - the only disease for which the cure involves sudden intense sexual or gambling urges - where do I sign up?

Mikey Deane’s Top Ten Breaks Tunes of 2007

1. Collie Budz / “Come Around (Roadie Youth Bootleg)”
2. Afghan Headspin / “Scanners”
3. BARRcode meets Youthful Implants / “Vinyl Pusher”
4. Thrillabeats / “Gigantor (White Papoo Remix)”
5. Stylus Rex / “Squelch Freak (Neztic Remix)”
6. Pete Samplers and Mando / “Wear and Tear”
7. D-Ranged / “Control Freek”
8. Twin Motion / “Scream (Steve Lavers and Move Ya Remix)”
9. Ribs and IG88 / “Riot Gear”
10. The Dangerous Alliance / “Main Event Player”

Film of the Year: Transformers
Album of the Year: Nine Inch Nails / Year Zero
TV Series of the Year: Dexter

Oliver Guy-Watkins

Top Ten Live Shows of 2007

1. Daft Punk @ The Velodrome, Berlin
2. Reverend And The Makers @ The Astoria, London
3. The Good The Bad And The Queen @ York Hall, London
4. Big Dada’s 10th Birthday Celebrations @ Electrowerks, London
5. CSS@ The Astoria, London
6. A Guy Called Gerald @ A Random Park, Berlin
7. Finley Quaye @ Jazz Café, London
8. Bat For Lashes @ ULU, London
9. Art Brut @ The Lido, Berlin
10. The Boy, Revere and Gabby Young @ Cargo, London

Top Ten Albums of 2007

1. M.I.A / Kala
2. Bat For Lashes / Fur And Gold
3. Daft Punk / Alive
4. The Good The Bad And The Queen / The Good The Bad And The Queen
5. Ian Brown / The World Is Yours
6. Jamie T / Panic Prevention
7. Various Artists / Well Deep: Ten Years of Big Dada Recordings
8. Lethal Bizzle / Back To Business
9. Various Artists / Control Soundtrack
10. Amy Winehouse / Back To Black

Top 4 Worst Things
1. Anything To Do With Kathy Diamond
2. Lily Allen
3. Glastonbury going so corporate and rubbish
4. The Editors, live in Berlin

Christopher Saltzman’s Top 10 Albums of 2007

The National / Boxer
Two Gallants / Two Gallants
Iron & Wine / The Shepherd’s Dog
Radiohead / In Rainbows
Arcade Fire / Neon Bible
The Shins / Wincing the Night Away
Band of Horses / Cease to Begin
Andrew Bird / Armchair Apocrypha
M.I.A. / Kala

Mary Ishimoto Morris’ Top 10 Tracks of 2007

1. Demo + Cease / “Ladies Night” (Human)
2. The Cure featuring Chantal Claret / “A Forest” (Koch)
3. Pedigree / “Tower and Well (Submerged remix)” (PSU)
4. Zardonic / “Moonlight Ceremony” (Moist)
5. Stereolith / “The World Is Yours” (Moist)
6. Ror-Shak featuring Julee Cruise / “Fate or Faith” (Koch)
7. Submerged / “Gutter” (Sublight)
8. Fanu / “I Dream Too Much” (Lightless)
9. Outrage / “Rage” (Rufige)
10. Evol Intent / “Glock Party” (Lifted)

Venise Evangelista’s Top 10 Singles of 2007

1. Radiohead / “Reckoner” / In Rainbows (TBD Records/ XL Recordings)
2. Jack Johnson / “Imagine” / Instant Karma: Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur (Warner Bros.)
3. Ms. Lauryn Hill / “Lose Myself” / Surf’s Up (Sony Music)
4. Yael Naim / “New Soul” / Yaël Naim (Tot Ou Tard)
5. Alicia Keys / “No One” / As I Am (BMG)
6. Common / “The People” / Finding Forever (G.O.O.D Music/Geffen Records)
7. Zion I & The Grouch / “Lift Me Up” / Heroes in the City of Dope (Om Records)
8. Elliott Smith / “Miss Misery” (early version) / New Moon (Kill Rock Stars)
9. Amy Winehouse / “(There is) No Greater Love” / Frank (US re-issue) (Universal/Republic)
10. Kanye West / “Champion” / Graduation (Mercury)

Thomas Rees’ Top Ten Records of 2007 (Techno/Minimal/Dub)

1. Jichael Mackson / Wasn’t Me EP (Musique Risquee)
2. Brendon Moeller / Jazz Space EP (Third Ear Recordings)
3. Echospace / “The Coldest Season Part 2” 12″ (Modern Love)
4. Kiki & Sasse / “Belvedere” 12″ (Moodmusic)
5. dOP / Between the Blues EP (Circus Company)
6. Substance & Vainqueur / “Libration/Resonance” 12″ (Scion Versions)
7. Nomadico / The Nomadico EP (Underground Resistance)
8. Pom Pom / Pom Pom 29 EP (Pom Pom)
9. Breakage / “Clarendon/The Shroud” 12″ (Digital Soundboy Recording Co.)
10. Len Faki / “Work/Odyssee I” 12″ (Podium)

Christian William Smith

Top 10 albums
1. GusGus / Forever (Pineapple)
2. Betty Davis / Betty Davis and They Say I’m Different (Light in the Attic reissues)
3. M.I.A. / Kala (XL)
4. Professor Genius / Professor Genius (Tropical Computer System)
5. !!! / Myth Takes (Warp)
6. PJ Harvey / White Chalk (Island)
7. Various Artists / Kings of Electro: Compiled by Playgroup and Alter Ego (Rapster)
8. LCD Soundsystem / Sound of Silver (DFA)
9. Kathy Diamond / Miss Diamond to You (Groove Attack)
10. Seal / System (Warner Bros.)

Top 10 Singles

1. Hot Chip / “Shake a Fist” (DFA)
2. Matthew Dear / “Deserter” (Ghostly International)
3. M.I.A. / “Bird Flu” (XL)
4. Flight of the Conchords / “Business Time” (Sub Pop)
5. Kathy Diamond / “All Woman” (Groove Attack)
6. Feist / “My Moon My Man” (Polydor)
7. Chromeo / “Tenderoni” (Vice)
8. Justice / “B.E.A.T.” (Extended) (Vice / Ed Banger)
9. GusGus / “Hold You” (Pineapple Records)
10. Snoop Dogg / “Sensual Seduction” (Geffen)

Phil Turnipseed’s House Top Ten

1. Chris Lake feat. Emma Hewitt / “Carry Me Away” (Nervous)
2. Enur featuring Natasja / “Calabria” (Club Mix) (Ultra)
3. Chris Micali / “Feel For You” (Timewriter Relight Mix) (Commomwealth)
4. Mooncat / “Hear What Was Said” (Forensic)
5. Sultan, Ned Shepard / “Together We Rise” (Remy & Roland Klinkenberg mix) (Shinichi)
6. Vinnie Troia presents Jaidene Veda / “Flow” (Pete Heller Remix) (Curvve)
7. Phil T Project / “Love Commandments” (Open Bar)
8. Deadmau5 / “Not Exactly” (Vendetta Records)
9. Dennis Ferrer feat Malena Perez / “I Can’t Go Under” (Objektivity)
10. Brazen / “Toto” (Mena Music)

Justin Kleinfeld’s Top 10 Albums of 2007 in alphabetical order:

Boyz Noize / Oi Oi Oi (Last Gang)
Can / Anthology (Mute)
The Chemical Brothers / We Are The Night (Astralwerks)
Dave Gahan / Hourglass (Virgin)
Digitalism / Idealism (Astralwerks)
Fairmont / Colored In Memory (Border Community)
Gui Boratto / Chromophibia (Kompakt)
LCD Soundsystem / Sound Of Silver (Capitol)
Radiohead / In Rainbows (self-released)
Sun Electric / Lost + Found (1998-2000) (Shitkatapult)

Jeryl Wilton’s Top 10 Singles For 2007

1. Ghostface Killah feat. Ne-Yo / “Back Like Dat” (Marky & Bungle Remix)
Grab a copy of this before Def Jam start cutting people’s fingers off!
2. Infiltrata & Limewax / “Ethio” (Infiltrata Recordings)
Drums so merciless they’ll knock your Nan’s teeth out for her pension money then spend it on hookers.
3. Q Project / “Tears” (Marky & Bungle Remix)
More sun drenched soul than a beach bum’s sandals.
4. Wezzler / “Frost” (Xposure)
Conjures up images of a crisp winter’s morning in a snow covered village in a war torn country; bleak, gloomy, emotionally powerful and lots of percussion.
5. G Dub / “Forever” (Ganja)
“Forever” gets everyone’s panties knotted like a boy scout’s favorite piece of string.
6. Atlantic Connection / “Can’t Destroy Love” (ft. DJ Nuemenon & Minds One) – (Westbay Recordings)
More crossover than a transgender drag act.
7. Prolix / “Took My Love” (Ganja-Tek)
Darker than a cellar with a broken light bulb.
8. Orca / “4am” (white label/Repress)
Ultimately more cheesy than a cheddar appreciation society.
9. Subwave / “So Twisted” (Chronic)
A foul blend of dance floor disease that’ll spread through crowds like VD in a whorehouse.
10. Inside Info / “Caffeine” (Robotix)
More futuristic than self-lacing trainers!

“2007 has been awesome for the love tour,” says Chuck Love.

Best sunrise: Fesdu Island, Maldives.
Best day at work: Harbourlife, Sydney
Best night at work: All of them!
Weirdest traffic: Jakarta, Indonesia
Best album: Bring Enough to Spill Some (cheap plug)
Worst cup of coffee: Gate 36 at Chicago Midway airport

If you’ve ever been to a DJ gear trade show, chances are you’ve witnessed Pioneer Pro DJ presenter/audio-visual artist Roonie G. The dude has some pretty amazing skills. Mr. G reflects on his favorite moment 2007, a year filled with playing mega club residencies in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and L.A.

“Definitely the highlight of 2007 was when I DJ’ed at JET [in the Mirage] in Las Vegas, and there were a few special guest DJs who came out to catch my show, namely Bad Boy Bill, Ali Dubfire and Sharam from Deep Dish and Tiesto! They had a VIP booth right next to me by the DJ booth. At one point in the night, I squeezed in a Bad Boy Bill track, then a Tiesto track and then a Deep Dish track back-to-back. It was awesome! They all loved it and that made my whole year. Since I also play a lot of hip-hop, I’ll never forget that I actually got Tiesto dancing to Lil Jon!”

Cheb i Sabbah’s Top 10 Releases for 2007
1. Karsh & Anoushka / Breathing Under Water
2. Idir / La France des Couleurs
3. Dub Qawwali / Gaudi + Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
4. Joi / Without Zero
5. Bole 2 Harlem / Bole 2 Harlem
6. Dr. Das / Emergency Bass
7. Nomad Soundsystem / Nomad Soundsystem
8. Mokobe / Mokobe du 113
9. Femi Kuti / “Turbulent Times” (Paul Oakenfold Remix)
10. Maharaja / “Maro Jailo” Remix

Movement/trend in 2007?: “I noticed that many of the global electronica DJs have been transitioning more into breakbeat music. This is a trend I’ve seen in many places. I don’t think it’s a good or bad thing, but just a trend I observed. However, some of us still persist in spinning electronic music from Asia, Arabia, and Africa. My next album, Devotion on Six Degrees Records, returns to Asia and is out in January 2008.”

Funny DJ story: “I was booked to headline a club in the U.S., but when I showed up at the club there was a huge intimidating security bouncer at the door. I had my DJ bag with me and he said, “What’s up?” in a stern tone. I told him that I was Cheb i Sabbah and I was DJing tonight. The bouncer said, “No you’re not, he’s already inside—move along.” Laughing I called the promoter who was inside the club to get me in. The moral of the story is that if you want to go to any show, just say your name is Cheb i Sabbah and they’ll let you in.”