2025: tracks of the year

Well, this year it certainly is bangers — but maybe “smart bangers”, unlike the huge tunes of a few years ago?

georg-i – Torn in Two [subglow]

The best of the quasi-industrial monsters this year. I said “smart” bangers, and this record is not as “smart” as it could be — the tempo doesn’t even change. We are, only, left with the halftime exploding into the Underworld-esq 3+3+2 pulse, and we’ll just have to be happy with that.

Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes – Get Dancin’ [Chelsea]

Tell me it’s a novelty record, tell me that Sir Monti Rock sounds like he should be in The Producers in the Zero Mostel role, tell me that it is at best a Stevie Wonder ripoff, musically … and I’ll tell you to listen to the piano stabs, to the backing vocals, the horns in the buildup, and to go listen to Tom Moulton’s 1974 Sandpiper mixtape, which had this absolute bop center stage.

Felix – Tiger Stripes [Sleeping Bag Records]

Arthur Russell did not like this very Arthur Russell record, and so credited himself as “Killer Whale” … but thank Nicky Siano, because he did, he got it out, and it’s a great document of post-punk heat.

Impérieux – Fena [Hessle Audio]

Brreeeeeeeoowowwwwwwwwwwoowowww.

The second best of the quasi-industrial monsters of the year — and, frankly, this one sounds better on a big system, like some sort of robotic insectoid giant breaking through the nightclub walls.

Syclops – Pink Sarah NYC Is Back [BubbleTease]

I shazamed this multiple times this year, usually at Mr. Sunday, and then said “Oh I bought this record in January, Maurice Fulton, right” — this is a classy electro-house-minimal throwback that does not try too hard, and is all the better and better and better for it.

Grace Jones – Slave To The Rhythm (Medicine Head Remix) [DMC]

A lot of Grace Jones this year — this one comes from DJ Food’s “Alternate 80s” DJ mix, and is basically a Hybrid / nu-skool mix, but it is long enough to give the record the time it deserves.

Four Tet – Into Dust (Still Falling) [XL]

“Just” another Four Tet sad banger — I sure did go to this one a lot though, when I needed a sad banger.

The honorable mentions to many great jams!

• HiTech – SPANK! — like “Sandwiches”, it’s the tone of voice and the piano riff that make this one.
• Charisse C and Kwamzy – Morning Sun — the platonic idea of a wonderful morning after.
• Junior – Mama Used To Say — boogie heat, via Theo Parrish and, originally, a Steinski mix.
• Weval – DOPAMINE (DJ Edit), another post-electro banggggger.
• Yuji Kawasaki – Springwater — a quintessential Mr. Sunday dancefloor-build / 3:30pm record.
• Minor Science – Mortals — the third best quasi-industrial big tune, but man, it is good.
• Mica Levi – Slob Air, 11 minutes, basically Goreckil.
• Gus Gus – Purple (Sasha vs The Light Remix) — Finally got this on vinyl, maybe this was the nostalgia that I needed.
• Grace Jones – Operattack — the source of the “Annihilating” vocal sample that has been used again and again and again … is in fact a pitched-down Ian McShane!