Cyclic Defrost

An apprehensive retrospective of the moments in songs from 2008 that made the hairs on the back of my neck do strange things and/or made me squeal with glee.

Probably my song of the year regardless of the Eurovision debacle

Sebastien Tellier – Roche (0:19, after the whirring plan motor fades out and the breezy, summer synth hits)

Tellier’s Sexuality makes me think of Serge Gainsbourg on a particularly amorous night with a Moog. Love. It.

Mrs Jynx – My Friend T3 (0:43 when the percussion kicks in and makes the entire midsection soar with grandeur, and again at 2:41 as the throaty, somehow human sounding ‘ah ah’ comes in)
Morgan Geist – The Shore (0:45 as Jeremy Greenspan whisper-sings “It’s okay to let it out”, a thousand teenage hearts melt in unison)
M83 – You, Appearing (3:39 that last gasp of air before the onslaught of Loveless-esque beauty in ‘Kim & Jessie’)
Jim Noir – All Right (2:09)
Inch-Time – Snow Jewel (2:19. I remember listening to this on teaism.net months before the actual release, and struggled to tear myself away from the magnificent beauty of this particular moment. This entire compilation is a winner, but, this moment from Adelaide’s Stefan Panczak wins for its exquisite ability to tear my heartstrings apart.)
Cat Power – Ramblin’ Woman (1:25)
Benoit Pioulard – Golden Grin (0:33)
Daedelus – For Withered Friends (feat. Michael Johnson) (0:46)
Goldfrapp – Road to Somewhere (2:47)
Seekae – Void (2:14)

Yeasayer – Wait For the Summer (2:10)
Wiley – Wearing My Rolex (This was cemented as the most important crossover hit I can remember when I heard it in a suburban coffee shop, blasted over commercial radio. Bless.)
Friendly Fires – White Diamonds (2:57. The start of a serious love-affair with their harmonies and exquisite production.)
Air France – Collapsing At Your Doorstep (0:01)
Lawrence – Forever Anna (this is the song I write in my dreams and forget when I wake up)
Four Tet – Ringer (0:52)
Dosh – Don’t Wait For the Needle to Drop (1:35)
Raz Ohara and the Odd Orchestra – Kisses (Pantha du Prince remix) (0:01)
Apse – From The North
Beck – Chemtrails (the first Beck song I’ve truly ‘got’)
Leila – Mettle
Hot Chip – One Pure Thought (apart from the fact that no one believed me when I thought that the beat was identical to M83’s ‘Couleurs’…)
Ane Brun – Headphone Silence (Henrik Schwarz Remix – Dixon Edit – Ame Approved)

Neon Neon – I Lust U (2:07. Apart from the press shots and media releases, I have no idea what this album has to do with DeLorean cars)
Lindstrom – Grand Ideas (Johan Agebjorn Remix)
Geiom – Boxes that Go Beep (this one seemed to be a MySpace stream/dubstepforum.com thing only, but was simply that gorgeous it can’t go without mention)
iTAL tEK – White Mark
Khoiba – In Every Second Dream
Antony and the Johnsons – Another World
Max Tundra – Will Get Fooled Again

A brilliant song from an otherwise disappointing/terrible album

The Streets – The Escapist

I got a lot of music for free this year. Doesn’t mean I love it any less…

Ghoul – M-O-O-N (0:56)
Faux Pas – Chasing Waterfalls/Renfield’s Dream

Tim also wins the Photoshop award of the year for this effort:

The silliest music-related story of the year

The Guardian blames AC/DC for economic downturn

Now for the albums that I couldn’t bear to play favourites with

Flying Lotus – Los Angeles (Such damn swagger, such exquisite style)
2562 – Aerial
Various Artists – Teaism
Various Artists – Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow
Children of the Wave – Carapace
Portishead – Third
Max Richter – 24 Postcards in Full Colour
Peter Broderick – Home and Float
Fennesz – Black Sea
Johan Agebjorn – Mossebo
Various Artists – Steppas’ Delight
Martyn – Vancouver 12″ with 2562’s Puur Natuur Dub and Flying Lotus’ Cleanse mix of Natural Selection

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