There's never been a better time than right now for electronic music lovers. Not only is there unlimited access to dozens of respected podcast series, but the advent of technology has paved the way for the streaming and recording of live DJ sets via sites like the all-conquering Boiler Room, providing a plethora of choices for even the most discerning of chinstrokers. Alongside these newer forms, it's also heartening to see technology aiding the shelf life of traditional radio: BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix, now in its 20th year, is more popular in 2013 than it has ever been - the direct result of being available to the online world.
Here at Pulse, DJ mixes are at the core of what we do. We're dedicated to locating mixes from the worldwide electronic scene to bring to our listeners on a daily basis, as well as providing fresh new music via our weekly podcast and Fresh Blood series. For the first in our end of year wrap ups, Pulse Radio staff and contributors from our offices in London, Sydney, New York, Cape Town and Ibiza have pulled together their top 20 mixes in 2013. Thanks for listening (and reading!) and here's to another year of electronic music taking over the world.
#20 Alison Marks - Fresh Blood
A mix showcasing what it is that makes real deep house such a beautiful thing. Transitioning between balearic breakdowns, jacking percussion call to arms vocals and chunky 3am basslines, this is a mix equally moody and optimistic. With a style inspired by the genre's past without ever ceasing to look forward (check Larry Heard's remix of her Wallflower project, if more proof were needed), Alison is definitely a talent to watch in 2014. [James Huxley]
#19 Animal Trainer - AUTOBRENNT 069
When the Swiss duo Animal Trainer produced the 69th installment of AUTOBRENNT’s podcast series it was really something remarkable, inspired and inspiring. It opens with their own stunning ‘To Give’ before moving into the magnificently emotive Samu.l remix of James Blake’s ‘The Wilhelm Scream.' Notably, many of the set’s other standout moments come in the form of their own productions, including ‘Pirate Games,’ ‘Mental,’ and their remix of Renato Ratier’s ‘True Love.’ The mix can be summed up best by one user’s comment on Soundcloud: "We need more music that soothes our heartbreaks and sadness like this set does. Thank you for finding and pulling the heart strings so gently." [Reisa Shanaman]
#18 Recondite - LWE Podcast
Recondite’s LWE podcast is both perfect for a dance and for just chilling out (he suggests you listen to it in the back seat of your car), and that minimal acid techno, gloomy and pensive, is just so damn beautiful. The mix rises and falls like little waves at the beach, flowing seamlessly, cool and gently, through new and old tracks, with the odd hint of a future brilliant release. As a huge fan of his productions, it’s no surprise that I love this mix so much. This one is already timeless. [Ben Muller]
#17 Machinedrum - RA.386
After releasing his superb album 'Vapor City' in September, Travis Stewart put forward one hour of meticulously mixed bass and footwork for his installment of the Resident Advisor podcast series. Hovering around the 170 bpm mark, but with plenty of half-time explorations thrown in for balance, Stewart showcases his own work (including some unreleased diamonds) and contemporaries such as Om Unit, Ital Tek and Tessela. Amid another year of nostalgic yearning for the sounds of 90s and prior house music, it was refreshing to hear such forward-thinking music. [Morgan Richards]
#16 Adam Freeland - Kazantip 118 BPM At 5am
Adam Freeland is a name you probably haven't heard much of of late. Then again, its been quite a spell since breaks have been in vogue, having been massively overshadowed by the dubstep and bass music explosion. In this set of pitched-down, dark and chuggy broken beat for the early morning Kazantip crowd, Freeland shows that the genre actually never really went away - it just needed one of its pioneers to pull it all together so coherently to remind us of just how good, and refreshing, it can sound at this point in time. [Henry Johnstone]
#15 The Revenge - Most Haunted Mix MXIII
Though this mix was put together especially for Halloween, it goes far beyond a themed ‘spooky’ mix, hitting just about every known subgenre of house in two hours. Kicking off with the haunting, twisted Adam Beyer mix of The Mole’s 'Still In My Corner,' soon The Revenge leads us to the lush boogies of Cut Copy’s 'Free Your Mind' (Fort Romeau Mix), and that’s when the mix really begins to take off. By hour two, Robert Hood’s 'Detroit: Once Circle' leads over to the ‘90s tribal progressive beats of Tropical Moon’s 'Jungle House' and never looks back. [Chandler Shortlidge]
#14 Audion - Live at Movement
When Matthew Dear took the stage at Movement this past May, his futuristic sounds temporarily transported those in attendance far from earth, and thrust them unapologetically into the farthest reaches of space. His first performance under the Audion moniker in almost three years, he used the platform to test out a slew of never-before-heard material, as well as a few tried-and-true tracks. His deep, dark grooves and robotic rhythms had a hold on the crowd for the entirety of his 60-minute slot. [Reisa Shanaman]
#13 Flight Facilities - Triple J Mixup Exclusives 2002-2012
It is always refreshing when an artist ditches conformity in lieu of creativity and innovation. With their sets for Triple J's Mixup Exclusives series, Aussie duo Flight Facilities have done just that, and delightfully so! They crafted four clever mixes that span a decade each, from 1972-2012. Each one is completely chronological and even incorporates TV and radio samples of significant events from the decade covered. For some added fun, when you download the mixes the album cover of each tune shuffles across the screen of your iPod as it plays. Mixing an impressive number of songs into just sixty minutes (the final installment includes 82), don’t blink, or you may miss one! [Reisa Shanaman]
#12 Genius Of Time - Boiler Room Live Set
A successful live set is a tricky beast to master. Too far in one direction and you have an hour of carbon copy hits, too far the other way and the audience are left listening to vaguely recognisable hooks, lost in a sea of effects, distortion and improvisation. But on such a challenging playing field is where GOT's live set proves itself. The pair's back catalogue has been re-imagined specially for their live performance, and in the process the hour long performance creates something way greater than the sum of the parts. Like listening to the Aniara discography in 4D even. [James Huxley]
#11 Eric Volta - Fresh Blood
The sunlight warms your face as you walk down the street, your headphones securely plugged in with Eric Volta's Fresh Blood mix syncing with your mind. Take a moment to appreciate each note floating through. This mix is purely for our listening pleasure, with its depths and nuances complimented with ambient sounds accompanied by relaxed beats. Throughout the mix, Eric shows us his fluidity between all sorts of genres and sounds, with perhaps the standout cut the "Eric Volta Does His Own Thing" remix of his own track 'Akrobat' that he worked on with Ejeca; a beautiful mixture of low end sounds dotted by chords that harmoniously beep throughout. [Natalie Freilich]
#10 Ivan Smagghe - Pulse.113
Kill The DJ boss, one time Andrew Weatherall collaborator and world conquering DJ, Ivan Smagghe is hailed for his sharp take on creative mediums. From poetry and film to music and imagery, Ivan’s reputation for surprise is deservedly earned – we were given the shock of our lives when he delivered a charging live set for his Pulse Podcast earlier this year. A two hour mix that crams in masses of disco, techno, house and electro, the mix relentlessly pummels the listener, taking them on a journey through the good times and the bad, the dark and moody to the pumping and joyful. Always on an underground level, Ivan’s inch perfect ear for an engaging track and a nifty mix meant he delivered one of my favourite podcasts of the year. [Joe Gamp]
#9 Francesca Lombardo - Into The Wormhole: Robot Heart NYC 2013
If you've ever read an interview with Francesca or gotten a chance to see or meet her at one of her gigs you'll know that she's got an infectiously mischievous disposition that translates into an experience that often goes well beyond the music she produces or plays as a DJ. This 1.5 hour set from her first appearance for Robot Heart at their New York City satellite event encapsulates this reality perfectly. Welcoming you to the mix is her own voice before delving into a deep and spaced-out house offering with equal parts haunting vocals, melodies and subtly woven effects. [Alex Fish]
#8 Jamie Jones & Dyed Soundorom - Ibiza Villa Takeovers mix
Jamie Jones B2B with Dyed Soundorom was an epic two hour set at the Boiler Room Villa Takeover Sessions. Dancefloor massacre best describes this set, with big basslines, cutting hats that take the lead and melodies that set the groove into one of an easy, but pounding, demolition of the floor. The sound quality of this particular mix has it's flaws, but this is due to technical issues, and absolutely nothing to do with the two DJs behind the decks. Their track selection and fusion of each others' styles is indeed flawless, and well worth the listen. [Cliff Viljoen]
#7 Claude VonStroke - Essential Mix
If it's one thing the Dirtybird head honcho can be counted on, it's that he'll make you get up and he will make you dance, whether you are prepared to or not. His second Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 does just that - an irresistible showcase of what had inspired him on the road as he toured his third studio album, 'Urban Animal'. This mix may not be the most technically perfect, by Vonstroke's own admission, but picks from KiNK, EPROM, Catz n Dogz plus plenty of his own cuts including Doorly's remix of 'The Clapping Track' make for a bass heavy, groove laden mix that just doesn't let up from start to finish. [Marissa Demetriou]
#6 Maya Jane Coles - XLR8R Podcast
It's always refreshing when an artist lives up to the hype. Maya Jane Coles is a shining example of this, her meteoric rise more than justified through the quality of her melodic dancefloor cuts and more recently her debut album of downtempo pop gems. Her prowess behind the decks is just as strong and there's been a couple of mixes to enjoy this year, however it's the 300th XLR8R podcast with its final 15 minutes that displays a harder side of Coles that's rarely seen - namely via the epic transition from Eskuche & Nu Sky's 'Detroit' into the brutal 'Gravity?' by Remute - which exhibits versatility and justifies her place at the top. [Henry Johnstone]
#5 Guy Gerber - Essential Mix
Guy Gerber is an absolute master of his craft. As if taking pen to paper, he tells moving stories with his music. Guy’s Essential Mix, made at the close of summer in Ibiza in the presence of a few friends, showcases his incredible talent for selecting emotional, melodic tracks, and weaving them together cohesively, coherently and ever organically. It listens like a lush lucid dream, and was canonized into a class of timeless, instant classics. The opening notes implore the listener to ‘drink up the potion.’ Drink up we certainly did, Guy. [Reisa Shanaman]
#4 Tiga - Boiler Room Mix
If you've been following Turbo Recordings' recent left turn towards techno, you'll know that Tiga behind the decks today is a far cry from the same Tiga of his sexy, 2009 electro-pop long player 'Ciao!'. At clubs and festivals in 2013, Tiga plays hard, and this Boiler Room set is a favourite for its variety of genres but consistency in the emphasis of staying under 120Hz. [Peter Banco]
#3 Nicolas Jaar - Boiler Room NYC DJ Set at Clown Sunset x RBMA Takeover
Nicolas Jaar, the other half of the sophisticated live musical entourage known as Darkside, demonstrated at the Clown & Sunset’s RBMA Takeover night for Boiler Room, the mature and complex inner-workings of his musical mind when behind the hardware going it solo. Morphing sounds, and their signatures crafted within, in a way that only Nico Jaar can do. A phenomenal listen. [Samantha Emmenes]
#2 Dixon - Essential Mix
2013 became the year of Innervisions, with the label sweeping over everyone’s collective imaginations like a torrential river. The breaking point, of course, came with Ten Walls’ summer anthem, “Gotham,” and the flood waters have only been gathering steam since, seeing Dixon crown RA’s Top 100 poll and score this masterful Essential Mix, showcasing the Innervisions’ melodic, lush sound impeccably. From beginning to end, this mix us nothing but buttery smooth, Dixon perfection. [Chandler Shortlidge]
#1 Gesaffelstein - House of Vans x Boiler Roommix
Creator of taut, textured techno, Mike Levy, AKA Gesaffelstein, oozes obscurity and mystique from every pore. Back in January he showcased a 90-minute set of dark, depraved and brooding electronica for Boiler Room from Berlin's infamous House of Vans. Then in November his debut album 'Aleph' confirmed what anyone who has heard his productions for Bromance or seen him DJing already knows: The Frenchman is set to become one of dance music's biggest stars. [Samantha Emmenes]