CoolJunkie's 2008 Top Ten EDM Tracks According to L. Casanova

December 24, 2008 2:23 PM
by Lazaro Casanova

The year’s finally wrapping up in a few days, so CoolJunkie’s decided to put together a list of the top ten electronic tracks. But instead of leaving it up to the staff here, we’ve decided to get a real pro on the job. CJ’s good friend Lazaro Casanova has put together a stellar list this year featuring artists from Minilogue to Underworld. Enjoying them on his own time, or even putting them to work on many of his sets, Casanova’s 2008 Top Ten is pretty damn tough to beat. Without further ado....

Minilogue - Animals

Minilogue are one of my favorite electronic acts of the year and this list could easily include a few more of their tracks. Why did I specifically choose Animals? For starters, it has a frickin’ great video, a bunch of cute animated creatures doing repetitive tasks on tempo with the music. Animals can maybe pass off as a club song but I mostly listen to it at home, it’s very easy on the ears. Listen for the gasps of air thrown in randomly in the song.

SIS - Trompeta

I first heard Trompeta in a Luciano DJ set and I instinctively thought, “I need this song.” Like most releases on Cadenza Records, you hear Luciano or Ricardo Villalobos play a track exclusively and make the rest of the world wait at least three months before it releases. Just like the name suggests, Trompeta is filled with loopy trumpets and a killer kick. It is a very feel good track that has worked for me on many dance floors.

Radio Slave feat. Danton Eeprom - Grindhouse
Remix by: Dubfire

Dubfire’s remix of Grindhouse might have easily been the song of 08’s WMC. From there, Grindhouse has only grown in popularity and was pretty much played by everyone. This song has actually probably had the longest shelf life out of any other electronic release this year. Although, I’m sick of it now, atlas it is a dark slow building beat churner with vocals from hell that explode into that trademark Dubfire cryogenic white noise. Bravo for Radio Slave, Dubfire, and Danton.

Style of Eye - The Big Kazoo

The Big Kazoo brought a very unique sound to electronic music when things were all just sounding too much of the same. Of course, leave it to DirtyBird Records to shake things up a bit. As the name suggests (again) we have some kazoos looping over a funky beat filled with toms. One of the most memorable aspects of the song are the pauses randomly thrown in where the Kazoo does its magic and brings things back. The sirens and the truly unique buildup just add to why The Big Kazoo is one of 2008’s Top 10.

Patrice Baumel - Roar

Ever wonder what driving a Harley Davidson on crack would be like? Me too...and although I never have (or will) Roar sounds like that would be it. Roar is more of a DJ tool than an actual track but any tool that can get as much recognition as Roar did deserves a spot in the Top 10. Its main purpose is to stir shit up randomly in a middle of any DJ set. It lacks a kick giving you complete control of when you want a beat to drop.

Christian Smith and John Selway - Total Departure
Remix by: Cirez D

Another trend in dance music this year (aside from white noise) was the Sheppard Tone (or Risset). It all bases around a music theory where the same notes on a scale repeat over and over giving the illusion of constant rising. Total Departure is basically a build up the whole song, this degree of chaotic building up causes for extreme dance floor tension keeping its victims in a constant confused state of suspense wondering, “When the hell is this actually going to drop?” The end result? People just keep their hands in the air the whole time. Cirez D beefed up the drums on his remix and added some of that oh-so-loving white noise.

Audion - Billy Says Go

In April, Audion, a.k.a. Matthew Dear, unleashed the Billy Says Go EP. This came out on the highly respected Spectral Sound label. The title track, Billy Says Go stuck out to me immediately because of how dark it was. The point here isn’t the track being dark but rather HOW it was dark. Billy Says Go took a different approach to the art of darkness. It was just a very eerie song. Til’ this day those synth lines still haunt me.

Underworld - Holding the Truth
Remix by: Audiojack

Earlier this year Underworld released The Bells The Bells, which featured some of their songs remixed by slew of talented producers including, Mark Knight, Switch and Kris Menace among others. The reason I chose Audiojack as my favorite out of the bunch because they truly build on the original. The original vocals are extended into breakdowns that bring the song into a standstill momentarily, when the beat drops there is a driving techno bassline with the words “keep it simple” skillfully placed on top. Audiojack’s take on Holding The Moth does keep it simple and it is very effective on dance floors.

Hercules and the Love Affair - Blind
Remix by: Frankie Knuckles

DFA have been one of my favorite labels for a few years now cause they constantly put out good material without the need to reinvent themselves. There will always be a strong disco sound coming out of DFA. The first time I heard Blind I was in my friends car and thought “These vocals are so good.” The singer sounds like a muppet but I mean that in the best way possible, it’s such a unique voice. Combine that with an addicting disco bassline, some open hats and horns, a true recipe for a feel good song. House legend Frankie Knuckles, knowing the original was pretty much perfect, took a constructive approach to his remix of Blind. Rather than changing it he just built on pre-existing elements that will make it work even better for a dance floor.

Lazaro Casanova - Los Tambores

It’s the first release for petFood Records, the label I’m part owner of. So of course, I did this shameless plug-in. What?!?! Don’t judge me.

Click here to hear more from Lazaro Casanova.