Subwayz Selectionz 2014 25 Lenzman

My Top 30 Albums Of The Year:

25. Lenzman: Looking At The Stars (Metalheadz)

Tracklisting:

1. Lazy Dub
2. Just Can't Take
3. My Tearz
4. Through My Eyes
5. 1978 (Interlude)
6. Paper Faces
7. Move & Focus
8. Collapse
9. Private Eye
10. It's Yours (Interlude)
11. Always
12. Burner
13. Anticipate
14. Starz
15. Empty Promise (Jubei Remix)
16. Move & Focus (Instrumental)
17. My Tearz (Instrumental)

Lenzman's debut album, on Metalheadz was released back in June to much fanfare. I think its fair to say that there was a lot of anticipation about Lenzman's first long player, and it didn't disappoint. There'a rich mixture of crafted drum n bass to suit all tastes here, from the liquid sensibilities of Lazy Dub to the dark tinged vocal excellence of My Tearz, Looking At The Stars is an impressive album, which showcases Lenzman's ability to craft drum n bass of the highest quality.

My Standout Track: Collapse

My Top 30 Albums of 2014
30. Legowelt: Crystal Cult 2080 (Creme Organization)
29. The Cyclist: Flourish (All City Dublin)
28. Recondite: Iffy (Innervisions)
27. Sully: Blue (Keysound Recordings)
26. Actress: Ghettoville (Werkdiscs/Ninja Tune)
25. Lenzman: Looking At The Stars (Metalheadz)

Subwayz Selectionz 2014 26 Actress

My Top 30 Albums Of The Year

26. Actress: Ghettoville (Werkdiscs/Ninja Tune)

Tracklisting:

1. Forgiven
2. Street Corp.
3. Corner
4. Rims 
5. Contagious
6. Birdcage
7. Our
8. Time
9. Towers
10. Gaze
11. Skyline
12. Image
13. Don't
14. Rap
15. Frontline
16. Rule

Ghettoville is supposedly Darren Cunningham's final offer in his Actress incarnation. I got the previous Actress album RIP, and found that it was difficult to get into. It took more than a few plays to finally appreciate the Actress sound, but I'm glad that I did. I've found Ghettoville to be of the same ilk, with brief mutant vignettes punctuated between dark longer beat driven slabs of loops and samples. I've noticed that Ghettoville has been on a few reviewers 2014 top ten lists. However, I don't think that this album isn't as accessible as previous material, and I feel that this has been the difference between Ghettoville being good, and not being great. 

My Standout Track: Skyline 

My Top 30 Albums of 2014
30. Legowelt: Crystal Cult 2080 (Creme Organization)
29. The Cyclist: Flourish (All City Dublin)
28. Recondite: Iffy (Innervisions)
27. Sully: Blue (Keysound Recordings)
26. Actress: Ghettoville (Werkdiscs/Ninja Tune)

Subwayz Selectionz 2014 27 Sully

My Top 30 Albums Of The Year

27. Sully: Blue (Keysound Recordings)

There's been a renaissance of jungle over the last year or so, Soul Music by Special Request being the zenith in this particular movement. Blue by Sully was released in June, and contains some interesting excursions, There's a mixture of wobbly basslines, swirling synths, amen breaks and rollin snares to keep any old school drum n bass fan happy.

My Stand Out Track: M141

My Top 30 Albums of 2014
30. Legowelt: Crystal Cult 2080 (Creme Organization)
29. The Cyclist: Flourish (All City Dublin)
28. Recondite: Iffy (Innervisions)
27. Sully: Blue (Keysound Recordings)

Subwayz Selectionz 2014 28 Recondite

My Top 30 Albums of the Year

28. Recondite: Iffy (Innervisions)

Tracklisting:

1. Baro
2. Levo
3. Tame
4. Garbo
5. Buteo
6. Duolo
7. Konter
8. Steady
9. Glint
10. Jim Jams

I first listened to Hinterland by Recondite towards the end of last year, it was one of my favourite albums of 2013. I've been of the opinion that Hinterland was going to be a hard act to follow. Iffy has a slightly harder edge, but still contains the same beat driven elements of melody and emotion that featured in Hinterland. I don't think it had the same level of emotion, but none the less Iffy is still a very competent follow up album.

My stand out track: Garbo

My Top 30 Albums of 2014
30. Legowelt: Crystal Cult 2080 (Creme Organization)
29. The Cyclist: Flourish (All City Dublin)
28. Recondite: Iffy (Innervisions)

Subwayz Selectionz 2014 Singles 40 Hidden Turn

My Top 40 Singles & EP's of 2014

40. Hidden Turn: Big Dirty EP (31 Recordings)

1. Big Dirty
2. Get Up
3. Dislocate
4. Time feat Azaco
   
   
   
   
   

A multi-layered EP from Hidden Turn, From the spacious Time to the dark rhythmic inflection of Get Up, Big Dirty was another quality EP from Doc Scott's Future Beats label.

Subwayz Selectionz 2014 29 The Cyclist

My Top 30 Albums of the Year

29. The Cyclist: Flourish (All City Dublin)

Tracklisting:

1. Ripples Through Ice
2. Breathless
3. Sand Dunes
4. Tape Grunge Rave 
5. Breakthrough
6. Daisy Spirals
7. Flourish

The whole 'wonky production' thing has been and done quite a few times, but what makes Flourish excel is that underneath all the lo-fi and off kilter production are 7 solid tracks by Andrew Morrison. There's the percussion of Ripples Through Ice, the electro throng of Tape Grunge Rave and the bass driven swirls of Daisy Spirals.

My standout track: Tape Grunge Rave

My Top 30 Albums of 2014
30. Legowelt: Crystal Cult 2080 (Creme Organization)
29. The Cyclist: Flourish (All City Dublin)

Subwayz Selectionz 2014 30 Legowelt

My Top 30 Albums of 2014

30. Legowelt: Crystal Cult 2080 (Creme Organisation)

Legowelt: fan of the occult and horticulture

1. Experimental Awakening
2. Ancient Rites Demoni Mundi
3. Excalibur R8MK2
4. Psychotic Endurance
5. How I Live
6. The Future Of Myself
7. Fundamental Superstition
8. Crystal Cult 2080
9. When The Spring Comes Again
10. Cyberspace Is Still Happenin' For Real
11. Lighthouses & Fried Fish Disks
12. A Distant Meadow In Your Soul 

There's a subtle, yet distinctive difference between Crystal Cult 2080, released back in April of this year, and The Paranormal Soul, the previous album which Danny Wolfers released under his Legowelt pseudonym back in 2012. 

Crystal Cult 2080 represents a darker, mystical tinged departure compared to the more accessible, revisionist house and techno of The Paranormal Soul. You only have to look at the album sleeve to notice Legowelt's some what overt occultist overtones. 

The album starts as it means to go along, with enigmatic, swirling synths, blended with menacing beats, whilst imbued with dark, eerie basslines. At best the album is a trip into a techno-infused cabalistic world. At it's worst, it sounds like incidental music from the Super Nintendo video game Castlevania.

My standout track: The Future Of Myself