My Top 10 of 2012

It's that time again, where I struggle to pick my favourite 10 songs of the year. Sometimes I think I should just click the 'Plays' column of my iTunes and let that be the guide, but I've decided to be a little more creative than that (for now at lest anyway)

1. Disclosure ‘Latch’

Original mix 

T.WIlliams Club Edit

Jamie Jones Remix

Been playing this for 3 months solid - when i get bored I just switch mixes. All 3 are great. Killer vocal, catchy as hell, sounds brilliant on the radio. LOVE IT.

2. Solange 'Losing You'

Echoes of Madonna in her (ace) Shep Pettibone period (Borderline is in my all time top 10). Beyonce's little sister won't be in her shadow for much longer if she keeps releasing gems like this. Hipster RnB anyone?

3. Hot Chip ‘Let Me Be Him’
Great band, great live band, great album. It was a toss-up between this and 'Flutes'. Not sure how they do it, but they tread that fine line between pop and house better than anyone else.

4. Kendrick Lamar ‘The Recipe’
This year's big hip-hop name. I dare you to listen to this and not start humming 'Women, Weed and Weather', which tends to get you funny looks when you do it outside a child's nursery (trust me on that one). 

=5. Destiny's Child - 'Say My Name' (Cyril Hahn Remix) 

=5. UZ x R Kelly - 'I'm a Flirt Trap' (Cyril Hahn Mash Up) 
 Swiss-born but living in Canada, I don't know too much about (mad) Cyril, but these two are the picks of his remixes that appeared this year. He (somehow) manages to breathe new life into the old DC hit by lower the pitch of the girls voices to Barry White levels, and yet it sounds fantastic. The R Kelly mash-up (hate that word) is druggy and mesmerising.
 

6. I-Cube 'Transpiration'

Probably my favourite house track of the year. Pure jackin bizness. Manages to sound old and new at EXACTLY the same time.

7. Jessie Ware '110%'
The big UK discovery this year. Dubstep Sade (as no one is calling her) released a great album called Devotion, and production on this track by Julio Bashmore raises this to another level.

8. Frank Ocean 'Pyramids'

Probably this year's most interesting character, Frank followed up the amazing 'Nostalgia Ultra' mixtape with a brilliant debut album. This Prince-esque track, came with subtably arty video.

9. Rudimental 'Feel the Love'
When drum and bass remembers to do 'songs' it can be the most exciting musical genre alive. The gospel vocal is an inspired touch.

10. Kindness 'It's Alright'
Album mix
Live with Trouble Funk
Trouble Funk were one of the first bands I discovered when the House thing first hit me in 89/90. Ridiculously funky live, it was nice to see them sampled (and sampled well, with full props) by Kindness.

Top 5 albums

Frank Ocean ‘Channel Orange’

Jessie Ware ‘Devotion’

Hot chip ‘In Our Heads’

Kendrick Lamar ‘Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City' 

2 Bears 'Be Strong'