79-70 Countdown continues...

79. Das Feur (Pilooski Edit) - Holger Hiller (Dirty Edits Vol 2)
See this post.

78. Colder Than Cold – Kari Jess/Drums Of War - Flowsion (High Stakes)

For the full skinny on High Stakes check this post. Kari Jess simply kills this, what a shame then that he's talking rubbish and doesn't have the reportage skills of Flowsion who flexes necessary lyrics about the outrageous Maori 'terrorist' raids at the end of '07. The damage that hip-hop (and relatives) has done to Jamaican lyricism is truly massive, and hopefully not irrevocable, respect to Flowsion from little old NZ for reminding of reggae's value as a vital news medium for those who don't get a voice elsewhere.

(Karispace)
See this post for mas High Stakes.

COLDER THAN COLD - KARI JESS

DRUMS OF WAR - FLOWSION

77. Click My Finger – Erup (Truckback)

Erup truly planted his flag on the 'Gearbox' rhythm, and the dancehall scene in general, with his digital snapping 'Click My Fingers'. His flow is blinding on this (and he hasn't bettered it yet), while the rhythm is some crazy kind of bashment meets teddy boy tune up. The vid below is one of many featuring folks shaking a hip or two to the track, the sound is rubbish on this clip, but I rate it the mostest in every aspect, especially the location.

(Erupspace)

76. The Living Sea - Monkey (XL)
Until not so long ago I wouldn't have given Damon Albarn a light, let alone the time of day. However from his Malian musings with Pablo's bass player, to his Good, Bad & Queening with Simonon, Allen et al my respect, and enjoyment of his work, just grows. The Monkey Journey To The West soundtrack thingie is wicked but as Jamie Hewlett remarked when I interviewed him about the album (seemed like a most unaffected celebrity cartooner, and went well over time with a lot of good things to say) it's not the kind of thing you want to play everyday. This track is. Albarn seemed a little bit titchy at my suggestion that this sounded like an Orientalised The Good, The Bad & The Queen song....but it does!

(buy)
(Monkeyspace) song is on the player here
(Monkeyweb)
(Operaweb)

75. Bombon Asesino Version - El Hijo De La Cumbia (Bersa Discos)

There is so much potential in the nova-digital-cumbia gear and I'm praying that it doesn't go the way of so many interesting tangents, and just become another dancefloor diversion for hipsterati mp3 djs. Lot of faith in this geezer and the Bersa Discos crew who just keep bringing new names through with every release. This version is from one of me Stinkmix CD's (was all I had on hand, apologies) so has additional spoken verd piffle and sting-age on top, guess you'll just have to pile on the files from Turntable Lab if you want it unobscured..

(buy) digi

(ElHijoDeLaCumbiaspace)

(Bersaspace)

BOMBON ASESINO VERSION - EL HIJO DE LA CUMBIA

74. Beautiful Gloom (Dennis Young Version) – Padded Cell (DC Recordings)

Could just as easily been the original from the pretty bloody marvelous 'Night Must Fall' album, but I've plumped for the version featured on 'Death Before Distemper 2'. Dennis Young is originally from the legendary Liquid Liquid, is a percusso-power-puncher par excellence and has more collabos with DC Recordings artists on the way. Check his website (below) for detailia. The killer trumpet (and guitar) comes from Gerald Hammill, points and prizes!

(buy)

(PaddedCellspace)
(DennisYoungweb)


BEAUTIFUL GLOOM (DENNIS YOUNG VERSION) - PADDED CELL

73. 80's - Joker (Kapsize)

Were I considering taking this list riddiculation even further (don't worry I supsect I have already bitten off more than easily chewable) and going down the path of artist of the year and what have you, Joker would be right up there. More to come from him later listwardly, this is some frighteningly fierce future funk.

(buy)
(Jokerspace)
(Kapsizespace)

80's - JOKER 

72. Pendulum - Sisters Of Transistors (This Is Music)
See this post


71. Do Bodda Mi (In Digital) - Roots Manuva/Wrong Tom (Big Dada)
Wrong Tom, often found lurking around Hard-Fi remixes, did a stonking job of overhauling some of the highlights of Rodders latest epic in a dubwise slant on 'Slime & Version'. This jaunty track was a highlight on both the original and the re-jig.

(buy)


70. Zeitghost - The Time & Space Machine (5D)

Following on from the exceptional Beyond The Wizards Sleeve series of edits and enhancements to 60's and 70's hooha (made with the oft-surprising Erol Alkan), ex-Gridster and thoroughly nice bloke, Richard Norris, struck out on his own as The Time And Space Machine. This release is, if anything, even better. Pretty sure this is hard to track down now, look out for a quick (unpublished) interview with the musically very well travelled Norris, about the whole re-edit fandangle up here in the next month or two.

(Time&Spacespace)

ZEITGHOST - THE TIME & SPACE MACHINE

spanking you for your attention.....

90-80 finally...

90. Special Request - Chronic Sonata (Tip Of The Iceberg)
See this post, go on have a gander.

89. Rockers Delight - O.S.C. (Steps In Time)

Babylon System's Roommate and Antiserum from San Francisco make up O.S.C. and this simple but scorching 12" lit me decks up something chronic this year. With the likes of Rusko eschewing his reggae roots for some kind of bassline arms race with Casper, and technoid noodling taking centre stage elsewhere, it has surprisingly mainly been left up to the yanks to keep the fire burning on reggae soaked dubstep biz. Sure this pushes the obvious buttons, with Scratch samples and whatnot, but them buttons do need some activation from time to time, so respect to the septics. 

(buy)
(OSCspace)
(StepsInTimespace)

88. Hustle - Collie Buddz (Columbia)/Que Lloren - Calle 13 (Sony BMG)

Exposing just how foolish the idea of a list of loved tracks like this being in any way robust, here's a meaningless tie. Truth be told the 100+ tracks were divided into three rough chunks, and the ranking from then was arbitary at best. So honkamuffin Collie Buddz' easy singjay style works a treat on Barrington/Junjo's 'Prison Oval Rock', while Puerto Rican brothers Residente and Visitante take a pop at reggaeton royalty Queen Ivy (and others) on 'Que Lloren', swimming against the regressive tide in that particualr style of music over the past 12 months. Reggaeton's year can best be summed up by Daddy Yankee's lame endorsement of John McCain, not the sort of thing you'd expect from the likes of these politically switched on geezers (who actually had Reuben Blades guesting on their latest) or their compardres Voltio and Tego Calderon.

(buy) Calle 13's 2008 album 'Los de Atrás Vienen Conmigo'
(Colliespace)
(Calle13space)
(Calle13web)




QUE LLOREN - CALLE 13

87. Luddite Dub – South3rn (Clandestine Cultivations)
See this post...

86. Timekeeper - Clouds (Ramp)

A scorching 12" with a remix from Ras G that is so genuinely unhinged, it took a few plays just to get my head around the beat. Well miffed that I cannot find an mp3 to this anywhere though I know had it at some point, if I start getting into even partially digitizing stuff for this list I'm going to be in big trouble. 
(buy)
(Cloudspace)

85. In Your Eyes - Sanchez (John John)

A classic rhythm (Love I Can Feel/ Tempted To Touch), from one of the great studios and lineages (right royal Jammy's & Sons Esq) with one of the most distinctive voices of modern reggae, it's a slam dunk. Sanchez undoubtedly can cheese the fuck out, but get him on the right track and he's unstoppable, and as for what he does to the ladies when he appears on stage in JA, well that is an experience in itself. As a bonus you're getting the full Sanchez version and then a quick disc flip, before the Mighty Asterix takes over and lets off the Dionne Warwick. This was taped (thanks Anand and Vanita) at the tail end of a cracking session with the Newtown Sound/Nice Up kids down in Welli in '07. Levels are a bit straight off the desk, Asterix is sans FX and like I said this is late into the session.... so it's rough and ready. As I have commented before, Asterix is the only MC who has ever fully harnessed the pungent power and that's how it's been since we first linked the best part of 20 years ago. I'm really looking forward to our next assignment supporting the Bug in 3 weeks, and then getting a run on Vital Soundsystems' scoops at the Cuba Street Carnival in February.
(buy)
(Sanchezspace)

Sanchez in red.

His Mightyness in green.

SANCHEZ/THE MIGHTY ASTERIX - IN YOUR EYES (+)

84. Heaven At Night - Kid Cudi (10 Deep)
The hip-hop credits this year were shared by newcomers The Knux and Cleveland's Kid Cudi. We'll be hearing more about both of them further down the list, so I'l leave the talking to Cudi and this Andy Kaufman inspired stroke of genius on top of an irresistable beat from Nosaj Thing.
(Download) the whole mixtape from here for nix..
(Cudispace)
(Web)


HEAVEN AT NIGHT - KID CUDI

83. Buff Nuff - Roots Manuva (Big Dada)
My God this sounds good on a large system, Toddla T outdid himself with this one. More to come from the District of Rodney down the list.
(Rootspace)
(web)

82. Electric Love – Coco Solid (Coco Solid)

I have already rahed and rae rae'd about the wonderfulness that is Coco Solid here. 
ELECTRIC LOVE - COCO SOLID

81. Rude Effort - Bullion (One-Handed Music)

There was a whole heaping helping of wonky hip-hop beaty biz this year and this feller from Acton, who previously stuck his head above the parapet with a Beach Boys/J Dilla mixtape, nailed it with both sides of a vital (and now sold out) 7". Tis Bionicaly Bullionic.
(buy) think the 7"s are done but this is the stinklink to digital relief.

(Bullionspace)

RUDE EFFORT - BULLION

80. Trading Places - Busy Signal (Jukeboxx)/ Drop Bombs (Loudmouth Rmx) - Mz Brat ft Griminal
See this post for 'Trading Places' and this'un for some chat and links about Loudmouth's superb remix of Mz Brat & Griminal.