Olmec's Best of Oh Nine

Alright, here we go:

Album // Major Lazer .. Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do
Diplo and Switch at their finest. Deep undulating bass-lines, weirdo vocal cuts and eclectic drum patterns combine in a tsunami of dance, putting the last nail in mashup/blog-lectro's coffin.



Song // jj .. Ecstasy
On Ecstasy, Secretly Yours enigmas jj meld the ethereal euphoria of label-mates Air France and Tough Alliance with the codeine bathed swag of Gucci and Wayne. Also features the most gratuitous use of reverb in the last twelve months.



Remix // TC .. Where's My Money (Caspa remix/Jack Beats edit)
In 2007, Bristol drum n' bass head TC released Where's My Money, a frenetic jungle romp shredding strong at 180 bpm. 2008 rolls around and Caspa, one of the scene's most influential, flips it to dubstep. Sawblade synths, slippery LFOs, the whole she-bang. Now, in 2009, maniacal masterminds Jack Beats come through and find the perfect balance. Waves of cyber-bass billow and burst in the rear while fierce little snare triplets tear up the foreground. Not only is this track incredibly powerful, it's symbolic of the electronic music's maturation in 2009. It steps outside the walls of both drum n' bass and dubstep into new, uncharted territory.



Mixtape // Chromeo .. DJ Kicks
Sure, the mixing ain't much to speak of (though to his credit, Dave1 can beatmatch), but here it's all about song selection, song selection, song selection. Chromeo's mix delves headfirst into glitzy 80s disco house, melding it effortlessly with modern electro hits from the likes of Shazam and Lifelike.



Producer // Memory Tapes
For existing completely outside the scene and, perhaps because of that isolation, consistently pumping out this year's most moving productions. Glo-fi that isn't pretentious, chillwave that isn't vapid, dreambeat that stays grounded. Standout productions include a stellar LP, Seek Magic, and remixes for Fool's Gold, Dem Getaway Boyz and Yeasayer. Check his blog for much more.



Rapper // J. Cole
Nevermind his endlessly versatile flow and deft production, J. Cole is just a great songwriter. You've got deep soul-searching on Lights Please, an enlightened perspective on I Get Up and even the obligatory self-glorification (with sharp wit, sure) on Reflection Eternal's Just Begun...and that's just the warm up.



DJ // A-Trak
The man's unstoppable. This year saw decade-making remixes of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Tellier in addition to two huge mixtapes, a remarkably well-kept blog game, and 3 or 4 world tours. Spend a couple minutes trolling youtube to fully appreciate his genius.



Blog // TTLab
Not only my favorite spot on the LES, but also one of the best places for party updates, new releases, interviews, and misc. culture/soccer highlights.

Gig // A-Trak + Mehdi @ Studio B
Maybe the best night of my life.

NYC Venue // Music Hall of Williamsburg
All hipster cliches aside, at MHoW a massive soundsystem, effortless layout and relaxed staff (just don't try to spark one) combine to make it one of the best NY venues (and 18+ to boot).