Tracks of the Year

Some of the best tracks we posted this year, headed up by our number one of 2013 from Woman's Hour.

Ewok Fur

Ewok Fur hails from Germany and creates woozy productions of high quality.  His recently released Dustlights EP is up for free download here

Ykiki Beat

Ykiki Beat are a Japanese electronic indie-pop band, who put their own unique twist on a fairly well worn blueprint.

Look Vibrant

Shrouded beneath a cloak of dischord Look Vibrant dispense nuggets of pop gold. It is this contrast which makes this Montreal noise-pop band such a compelling proposition.

Moscow Olympics

Another tip-top release on the prolific and consistent Beko Disques. Moscow Olympics get the remixing treatment from Magnus Wahlstrom.

Cymbals

With a new LP on the Horizon (January 27th to be precise), Cymbals have released another track in to the ether.  

Hibou

The return of Peter Michel aka Hibou.

Guest Mix No 8 - Voltage Black

ESOJ Guest Mix No 8 - Voltage Black by Electricsoundofjoy on Mixcloud

Having recently featured on ESOJ, Voltage Black kindly agreed to furnish us with a Guest Mix. It is an absolute peach, sprawling in style and always interesting. Tracklisting below;

Susanna and the Magical Orchestra - Jolene

Matthewdavid - Epic Swan

Voltage Black - We, the Obsolete (singularity edit)

Micachu & The Shapes - Turn me well

Grauzone - Film 2

Laraaji - Dance #2 (excerpt)

Unknown - Unknown

Enablers - A not so pretty sight in Steinbeck country

Twinkling Stars - Nine Circles

Arthur Russell - You and me both

Shed - Estrange

Cluster - Rosa

Brian Eno - By this river (Voltage Black's re-edit)

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Phondupe

Sydney, Brooklyn and London have all been bases for production duo Phondupe in the making of their new EP. The music itself comes from somewhere entirely different and far removed.

Stats

Inventive and oddball art-pop from London's Stats. Sounds unlike anything else we have heard this year.

Text Adventure

Wonderfully propulsive instrumental work from Glaswegian act 'Text Adventure'.

Happy Particles

A beautiful demo from Glasgow's Happy Particles. Fingers crossed for a new LP soon.

Samuel J

Not content with drumming for fine Sussex up and comers Harting who we featured late last year, Samuel J is also capable of luxuriant productions like this.

Satchmode

Los Angeles' Satchmode continue on their particularly sweet sounding path to renown.

Dream Curtain

After the frankly astonishing quality of 'Glowing' and 'This Landscape...' we have been waiting patiently for new material from Sweden's Dream Curtain. Thankfully the wait is over with this new release.

Lilies on Mars

Sardinian born but London based duo Lilies on Mars have a new LP due early next year and this cut of otherworldly pop is the perfect appetiser for it.

Esher

Warped and wistful retro-futurism from Kiwi producer Esher.

Linea Aspera

Exceptionally dulcet sounds akin to those produced on Ullrich Schnauss' seminal 'A Strangely Isolated Place' LP. Transportative music from Chicago's Linea Aspera.

Adult Jazz

The old cliche goes 'this track has more ideas packed in to it than the average bands LP'. In this case it is completely true. Overtly intellectual music, delivered with panache.

Hella Better Dancer

A smart dose of fuzz on the new one from Hella Better Dancer via the excellent Beautiful Strange label.

Dios Mio

A welcome return from Londoners Dios Mio. Nurturing a vast sound.

Be Forest

Tremendous new material from the tribally inclined Italian wooze troupe Be Forest.

Keep On Dancin's

Expertly delivered slow-core haze from Brisbane's Keep on Dancin's.

Champions League

They keep coming from Champions League, another cockles warming piece of balearic flavoured escapism.

Del Sur

A nice slice of tropipop from beach fixated youth Michael Collier otherwise known as Del Sur.

Vancouver Sleep Clinic

Seriously affecting stuff from 17 year old Brisbane wizard Tim Bettinson.

X priest X

A step on from their excellent debut release 'Samurai', Florida's X Priest X have recently aired this demo.

Sapphire Slows

Hypnotic electronica from solo Tokyo based act Sapphire Slows. She's on the Not Not Fun label which is always a good sign.

Employee of the Year

Parisien duo Employee of the Year exhibit the kind of laidback poise that is the cornerstone of the best in gallic electronica.

The Landing

A follow up to 'Strange Charm', full of wonderment from The Landing.

Wild Ones

Ultra dulcet electronic pop from this Portland band. Inhabiting a sweet spot somewhere between Pure Bathing Culture and Twin Sister. Not a bad place to be.

Garden City Movement / Tropics

Tropics has brought his expert touch to bear on this remix of Garden City Movement's 'Entertainment'.

Gardens and Villa

New in from Gardens and Villa who hooked us with their track 'Chemtrails' a good while ago.

Little Spoon

Radical goings on in Rochester, New York with the peerless work of Cameron Potter otherwise known as Little Spoon.A multitude of sounds come together here to make something that is both leftfield and extremely hooky.

The Diamond Age

Propulsive and jangly indie pop of a very chipper vein from new Southampton concern The Diamond Age.

Calum Howard

An amazingly accomplished debut release from Calum Howard, it didn't take long to realise this lush constantly evolving track was something special.

Contron

The lowest of lo-fi. Idiosynchratically titled, ramshackle but stratospherically charming compositions from Floridian Connor Parker aka Contron. 

Lion Bark

Following up on the excellent 'Two Prongs', Brighton's Lion Bark have written another killer ditty which it has to be hoped is named after a particularly iconic breed of cattle.

Voltage Black

An endlessly intriguing confection of retro-futurist electronica and experimental pop music is the thrust of the new double A side from London outfit Voltage Black.

Paradise/Woman's Hour

Marvellous remixing work provided by Woman's Hour on this reworking of Paradise's upcoming 'Stars Shine Bright' single.

Michael A Grammar

Another day and another superior Melodic records release this time from Brighton's Michael A Grammar. A psych pop masterclass.

Quiet Sun

Jack Hyde excels in ambient beatsmithery under the Quiet Sun moniker. His remix of Kirrin Island is very decent too.

Patterns

Soaring melodies characterise the wonderful new track from Manchester's Patterns.

Lockhart

Parisian producer Lockhart has struck again, surely an act seriously deserving of wider attention.



His Guest Mix for us is available here .

Skinny Dream

Southend's Skinny Dream return with another piece of narcotic classicism.

Delorean/Slow Magic

A sterling reworking of Delorean's 'Destitute Time' by the ever reliable Slow Magic.

Au.Ra

Excellent tidings this monday in the form of a new single from Au.Ra, bringing psych fuzz by the bucketload and maintaining the form of previous releases.

Garden City Movement

From the BLDG5 label which recently brought us the fantastic Ground Floor
compilation comes this languorous delight, the work of Garden City Movement.

Bimini

Brooklyn's Bimini mine a vast heritage of credible US alt-rock on these tightly crafted gems from their new EP.

Major Leagues

Faultless lo-fi jangle from Brisbane band Major Leagues.

CYMBALS

Rumbustious, dreamy pop music from the new LP due on the venerable Tough Love label in early 2014.