So the votes have been counted, who are the worthy winners of the vastly superior and representative (sorry, couldn't resist) EDJ Alternative Drum & Bass Awards 2012? Read on brethren, read on...
12" Of The Year
People's Choice:
Escher - Rugged / Late Snare [Narratives Music]
When you've got Goldie calling it 'art' then you know you're onto a winner really. Rightly drawing praise from across the board, both from within and outside of D&B this has rightly catapaulted both Narratives and the pairing of Blocks & Escher into the D&B spotlight where they should remain for some time to come.
Editors Pick:
Fonik: NCQL - The Framed Dreams Of Loki / Professional Daydreamer [Subtle Audio]
I really am lost for words when it comes to this release, all I can do is simply urge you to go out and listen to it yourself. Ridiculously good.
Tom Root: Sabre, Stray and Halogenix (Feat Frank Carter III) – Oblique / St Clair [Critical]
I’ve been doing 12” of the Week for the past 6 months so this should be an easy choice for me. Unfortunately it has been more of a challenge than I thought it would. After much deliberation it came down a 12” with broad appeal and high quality of production throughout. Oblique has the vocal, soft pads and keys that prove to be the ultimate winning combination from a tour de force production outfit. St Clair is probably the deal breaker though as it gives the whole 12” the added sustenance and diversity it needs to be regarded as the best release of the year.
LP Of The Year
People's Choice:
Various - Way Of The Samurai 2 - Code Of Honour [Samurai Music]
A big album from one of the year's biggest labels, across the 2 disc release it collected tracks from across the board, both in terms of style and artists. Slick 2-step, sultry rollers and some stripped back minimalism from established and new names a like it was more than just an album but rather a statement of intent from Samurai that capped off a highly prolific and richly diverse year.
Editors Pick:
Fonik: Eveson - The Last Summer Of Love [V Recordings]
Certainly one of my most anticipated albums of the year and it didn't disappoint. It would be remiss and slightly blinkered of me to label this as a Drum & Bass album as Eveson crafted a collection of sounds and grooves that encapsulated what he's all about - lots of downtempo, broken-beaty bits, a smattering of drum & bass of course, but all crafted with soul, depth, beauty and a commitment to doing things right - the packaging of the release is second to none and is a very nice addition to my trusty Expedit units at home.
Tom Root: Spectrasoul - Delay No More [Shogun Audio]
In a year of fierce competition on the album front it was this one that really did it for me. I have been a long-time fan of Spectrasoul and was a little nervous as to which way the LP would go. Thankfully it turned out to be stylistically diverse, rich and exuberant in showing its influences but yet still brimming with that quintessential Spectrasoul musical sound. The remix package also included a sweet little calibre number which has to be the cherry on the cake.
DJ Of The Year
People's Choice:
Loxy
Winner of the same title in the inaugural awards back in 2010, he reclaims the crown this year and it's no surprise. A veteran of the scene and a proper DJ in every respect, Loxy comes with a deadly selection every time. He's called the Grim Reaper for a reason...
Editors Pick:
Fonik: Presha
Much like Loxy above, Presha is a DJ in the true sense. He's made a name for himself through his prowess behind the decks (amongst other things of course) and the enormous varierty in his studio mixes & podcasts this year is testament to this - check the Way of the Samurai Promo Mix, Ashorecast and recent Resident Advisor mix to see what I mean. Salute!
Tom Root: dBridge
If for no other reason than his epic 5 hour set at Fabric earlier this year. The journey that it took you on was pretty much flawless. With a host of Calibre modern classics, a journey through Autonomica and a Blue Note history lesson made for pretty much the perfect Drum and Bass set. I’m still trying to work out when/where he went for a piss!
Producer Of The Year
People's Choice:
Dub Phizix
Last year was Marka and this year 1/3 of the brains behind it has been literally everywhere on the release sheets. Premier beats on premier labels, they're obviously putting something in the water up north....
Editors Pick:
Fonik: Fracture
Seeing as Mr Root has the same thought as me I'll let him do the talking, he's the more eloquent of the two of us after all...
Tom Root: Fracture
It's been another faultless year for the more prolific half of drum and bass' most forward thinking pair. While Neptune has taken more of a back seat while he starts to raise his family, Fracture has proven that the creative force is just as strong for him when flying solo as it is when part of a duo. Some of the highlights throughout the year surprisingly do not come from his own label Astrophonica. His EP on Exit was one of the most boundary pushing releases throughout the loose coined genre of dnb and even his more traditional sounding releases like his Warm Communications 12" were benchmarks to a lot of producers out there as to how things should be done. His general outlook and more importantly, output mean that I cannot think of another producer that deserves this accolade more.
Breakthrough Act Of The Year
People's Choice:
FIS
Is it Drum & Bass though, that's the question...I'd go out on a limb and say not, as others have too, including Presha, one of those that helped bring this mysterious producer from NZ into the public conciousness. However his releases on Samurai Horo and Exit means that he's going to get lumped into the genre for better or for worse but who really cares, a worthy winner however you'd classify the music. Truly left-field, thought provoking stuff.
Editors Pick:
Fonik: Halogenix
His works both solo and in collaboration with sparring partners Stray & Sabre have shown Halgoenix to be one of the brightest talents in D&B at the moment. Big things to come no doubt.
Tom Root: Villem
I know he’s been around for a couple of years but my perception of ‘Breakthrough Act’ is somebody that has really cemented their place and found their ‘sound’. This year Villem has really done that with his EP on Medschool, 12” on Samurai Redseal and various other releases on some of the best labels around.
Label Of The Year
People's Choice:
Samurai Music
For the first time in the long and prestigious history (ha!) of these awards the 'People's Choice' and 'Editor's Picks' are aligned as one. Just goes to show that Samurai is a worthy winner, and in fact, blew all the competition out of the water in the public vote with almost two times as many votes as it's closest rival.
A few words from the Editor Mr Root - There have been so many labels that have been doing great things in the scene this year - the music released by Auxiliary, Ingredients and Critical to name but a few has been as prolific as it is high in quality. But it is Geoff Presha’s Samurai music group that has really hit the nail on the head for me this year. With new subsidiary label Horo coming to the fore, the second label compilation being released and a continuing repertoire of fantastic 12”s on Samurai and Red Seal, it’s been another top year to follow on from 2011.
As a footnote to this, if there was an award for Breakthrough/new label it would be Narratives Music. With its culturally broad outlook on music as an artistic movement and tunes of impeccably high quality it would be unfair not to give it a mention.
So there we have it, done for another year. Time to break out the bubbly and to collectively give D&B a big pat on the back. It's been a good year, let's hope for more of the same in 2013 eh?
Big thanks to all who voted, we'll be at it again next year of course.
12" Of The Year
People's Choice:
Escher - Rugged / Late Snare [Narratives Music]
When you've got Goldie calling it 'art' then you know you're onto a winner really. Rightly drawing praise from across the board, both from within and outside of D&B this has rightly catapaulted both Narratives and the pairing of Blocks & Escher into the D&B spotlight where they should remain for some time to come.
Editors Pick:
Fonik: NCQL - The Framed Dreams Of Loki / Professional Daydreamer [Subtle Audio]
I really am lost for words when it comes to this release, all I can do is simply urge you to go out and listen to it yourself. Ridiculously good.
Tom Root: Sabre, Stray and Halogenix (Feat Frank Carter III) – Oblique / St Clair [Critical]
I’ve been doing 12” of the Week for the past 6 months so this should be an easy choice for me. Unfortunately it has been more of a challenge than I thought it would. After much deliberation it came down a 12” with broad appeal and high quality of production throughout. Oblique has the vocal, soft pads and keys that prove to be the ultimate winning combination from a tour de force production outfit. St Clair is probably the deal breaker though as it gives the whole 12” the added sustenance and diversity it needs to be regarded as the best release of the year.
LP Of The Year
People's Choice:
Various - Way Of The Samurai 2 - Code Of Honour [Samurai Music]
A big album from one of the year's biggest labels, across the 2 disc release it collected tracks from across the board, both in terms of style and artists. Slick 2-step, sultry rollers and some stripped back minimalism from established and new names a like it was more than just an album but rather a statement of intent from Samurai that capped off a highly prolific and richly diverse year.
Editors Pick:
Fonik: Eveson - The Last Summer Of Love [V Recordings]
Certainly one of my most anticipated albums of the year and it didn't disappoint. It would be remiss and slightly blinkered of me to label this as a Drum & Bass album as Eveson crafted a collection of sounds and grooves that encapsulated what he's all about - lots of downtempo, broken-beaty bits, a smattering of drum & bass of course, but all crafted with soul, depth, beauty and a commitment to doing things right - the packaging of the release is second to none and is a very nice addition to my trusty Expedit units at home.
Tom Root: Spectrasoul - Delay No More [Shogun Audio]
In a year of fierce competition on the album front it was this one that really did it for me. I have been a long-time fan of Spectrasoul and was a little nervous as to which way the LP would go. Thankfully it turned out to be stylistically diverse, rich and exuberant in showing its influences but yet still brimming with that quintessential Spectrasoul musical sound. The remix package also included a sweet little calibre number which has to be the cherry on the cake.
DJ Of The Year
People's Choice:
Loxy
Winner of the same title in the inaugural awards back in 2010, he reclaims the crown this year and it's no surprise. A veteran of the scene and a proper DJ in every respect, Loxy comes with a deadly selection every time. He's called the Grim Reaper for a reason...
Editors Pick:
Fonik: Presha
Much like Loxy above, Presha is a DJ in the true sense. He's made a name for himself through his prowess behind the decks (amongst other things of course) and the enormous varierty in his studio mixes & podcasts this year is testament to this - check the Way of the Samurai Promo Mix, Ashorecast and recent Resident Advisor mix to see what I mean. Salute!
Tom Root: dBridge
If for no other reason than his epic 5 hour set at Fabric earlier this year. The journey that it took you on was pretty much flawless. With a host of Calibre modern classics, a journey through Autonomica and a Blue Note history lesson made for pretty much the perfect Drum and Bass set. I’m still trying to work out when/where he went for a piss!
Producer Of The Year
People's Choice:
Dub Phizix
Last year was Marka and this year 1/3 of the brains behind it has been literally everywhere on the release sheets. Premier beats on premier labels, they're obviously putting something in the water up north....
Editors Pick:
Fonik: Fracture
Seeing as Mr Root has the same thought as me I'll let him do the talking, he's the more eloquent of the two of us after all...
Tom Root: Fracture
It's been another faultless year for the more prolific half of drum and bass' most forward thinking pair. While Neptune has taken more of a back seat while he starts to raise his family, Fracture has proven that the creative force is just as strong for him when flying solo as it is when part of a duo. Some of the highlights throughout the year surprisingly do not come from his own label Astrophonica. His EP on Exit was one of the most boundary pushing releases throughout the loose coined genre of dnb and even his more traditional sounding releases like his Warm Communications 12" were benchmarks to a lot of producers out there as to how things should be done. His general outlook and more importantly, output mean that I cannot think of another producer that deserves this accolade more.
Breakthrough Act Of The Year
People's Choice:
FIS
Is it Drum & Bass though, that's the question...I'd go out on a limb and say not, as others have too, including Presha, one of those that helped bring this mysterious producer from NZ into the public conciousness. However his releases on Samurai Horo and Exit means that he's going to get lumped into the genre for better or for worse but who really cares, a worthy winner however you'd classify the music. Truly left-field, thought provoking stuff.
Editors Pick:
Fonik: Halogenix
His works both solo and in collaboration with sparring partners Stray & Sabre have shown Halgoenix to be one of the brightest talents in D&B at the moment. Big things to come no doubt.
Tom Root: Villem
I know he’s been around for a couple of years but my perception of ‘Breakthrough Act’ is somebody that has really cemented their place and found their ‘sound’. This year Villem has really done that with his EP on Medschool, 12” on Samurai Redseal and various other releases on some of the best labels around.
Label Of The Year
People's Choice:
Samurai Music
For the first time in the long and prestigious history (ha!) of these awards the 'People's Choice' and 'Editor's Picks' are aligned as one. Just goes to show that Samurai is a worthy winner, and in fact, blew all the competition out of the water in the public vote with almost two times as many votes as it's closest rival.
A few words from the Editor Mr Root - There have been so many labels that have been doing great things in the scene this year - the music released by Auxiliary, Ingredients and Critical to name but a few has been as prolific as it is high in quality. But it is Geoff Presha’s Samurai music group that has really hit the nail on the head for me this year. With new subsidiary label Horo coming to the fore, the second label compilation being released and a continuing repertoire of fantastic 12”s on Samurai and Red Seal, it’s been another top year to follow on from 2011.
As a footnote to this, if there was an award for Breakthrough/new label it would be Narratives Music. With its culturally broad outlook on music as an artistic movement and tunes of impeccably high quality it would be unfair not to give it a mention.
So there we have it, done for another year. Time to break out the bubbly and to collectively give D&B a big pat on the back. It's been a good year, let's hope for more of the same in 2013 eh?
Big thanks to all who voted, we'll be at it again next year of course.
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