The 50 Best Albums of 2016
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The compilation is not as big as it once was. Podcasts and mixes have become the new ways for DJs to show off their sets and only the established series such as Fabric and DJ Kicks seem to be releasing mix CDs these days. Curated collections seem to be thriving with some choice platters from 'Hostel La Torre' or Jeremy Underground in the form of his 'Beauty' collection.
Most of the choice entries on this list have been collections of a particular sub-genre or micro-genre of music, or shining a spotlight on the output of a particular label or country. Labels such as Soundway, Analog Africa or Heavenly Sweetness continue to mine the depths of music that is out there in Africa, South America or The Caribbean. The top of our compilation pile this year however are two house masters selecting choice tracks, introducing those records we may have missed and many secret weapons - which surely is what we are looking for.
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This is a superbly curated compilation of lesser known limited run records and private press recordings mainly in a lo-fi pop folk vein made between 1961 and 1991. No big names, just great music.
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Nina Kraviz needs no introduction. Whilst being one of the world's most in demand DJs, she manages to showcase her hunger to dig deep into the archives of electronic music on this mix.
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Dam Funk’s contribution to the DJ-Kicks series gave us an opportunity understand his deep love of music. His lifetime of digging and absorbing music that feels as laid-back as the Santa Ana breeze shines through effortlessly.
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Berghain resident and techno royalty contributes to a spectacular 2016 for DJ Kicks. Dettman crafted a mix for home listening and displayed a little known reflective side to his DJ and production style.
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The first of a brand new compilation seriesRecord Box #1 gave us a prime selection of forgotten gems and timeless classics from the crates of TLP aka Troubleman, soundtracking a 30-year career in nightlife and music.
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A big year for !K7 and their long running DJ Kicks series, closed out with Daniel Avery providing the techno heavy goods. We won't be forgetting the in-store we hosted for the compilation's launch any time soon.
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Greg Belson’s Divine Disco – American Gospel Disco 1974 to 1984 is a snapshot in time encapsulating the raw power of a spiritual performance, set to the pulsating 4/4 rhythms that were in vogue on the dance floors of the day. It also paints a picture of the lesser known acts that privately released their message to the hopeful masses, such as the Gospel Ambassadors and the Inspirational Souls, whose recording budgets would have been significantly less than any ‘major’ label.
29
The second volume of Adrian Sherwood productions and remixes, charting a path through electro, industrial, noise, hip-hop, afrobeat and dub. with this volume featuring rare and unreleased tracks by Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, The Beatnigs, African Head Charge and Ministry!!
30
Bring out the Buckfast... The Numbers co-founder and charismatic Glaswegian unearths a serious passion for the obscure boundaries of house and techno. We had the launch party for the album in the shop in September and lets just say its been one of our wildest parties yet... Even Brian Not Brian was getting down!
31
Amazing follow-up to the "I Am The Center" from Light in the Attic. New Age & Kraut heroes, from Vangelis to Ash Ra and Popol Vuh all feature alongside Balearic mainstay Gigi Masin and others. Seriously ambient!
32
Following contributions by DJ Deep and DJ Hell, Tresor Records the third instalment in their Kern mix-series, this time headed by Berlin based producer Objekt. Kern Vol. 3 delivers on Objekt's promise, stitching together everything from the playful breakbeats, classic techno, lightspeed IDM to ambient bliss.
33
Compiled by COS head honcho Deano Sounds in collaboration with Johannesburg-based DJ Okapi from the Afro-Synth blog and record store, Boogie Breakdown serves up two tracks apiece from six seminal acts from the era – Harari, The Cannibals, Neville Nash, Benjamin Ball, Don Laka and Al Etto – to offer a glimpse into this long-forgotten era in African music history.
34
Pursuing his fine work at digging rare music from around the world, DJ and collector Charles Maurice presents another brilliant selection of great music linked to France and French West-Indies: 12 hidden and forgotten titles, all produced between 1978 and 1985.
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'From The Archive' comprises a lovingly chosen collection of obscure Funk, Disco & Boogie tracks, alongside three very special edits produced by the man himself. From Chez Damier's sun-drenched remix of The Urban Crew's 'Go' to Bembe Segue's emotional 'Sun On My Back' via Shuya Okino's disco epic 'Still In Love', this record takes the listener on a journey deep into Volcov's musical mind.
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A handpicked collection of rare and often unique pearls, Guts and Mambo present the 4th diverse collection ranging from jazz-funk to samba-rock, disco, soul, and reggae!
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The excellent label Soundway give us the second volume of forgotten Kenyan tracks, this time the team of compilers have gone to even greater lengths to share a small part of what is slowly being accepted as an essential element of East Africa’s cultural heritage: the history of recorded popular music.
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Little Beat Different Issues is a new label run by Phonica alumni Olin Soldan focused on reissuing music from Eastern European regions previously unavailable on Western markets. The first release is a compilation by project ORM, the moniker of Czech producer team Petr and Pavel ORM.
39
Kev has released an album that digs deep into a hyper-innovative era of Independent Jazz rife with the hot-blooded cool of revolutionaries and bottomless stacks of rare grooves.
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Compiled by Italian DJ and purveyor of rare vinyl Gino Grasso with the assistance of his brother Federico, 'We Know How To Boogie' is a joyful romp through the finest forgotten dance-floor disco and soul from the 70's and 80's.