I’m on a music kick this Saturday afternoon! Spent a lazy afternoon feeling uplifted since music has a way of creeping into my spirit like that. Started by tuning in to the sounds of one of my favourite radio selectors, Gilles Peterson (amazing show today, featuring Lonnie Liston Smith and plenty of spiritual jazz and cosmic funk), then on to this free stream of Future Foundations (courtesy of FACT Magazine), a fine UK bass compilation put out by London imprint, 2nd Drop. Check out the nice packaging for the vinyl! The comp features tracks by the likes of Djrum, Pedestrian, Alex Coulton, South London Ordnance, and more.

Got a bit sidetracked there (music can do that to ya!).. this is the main reason for my post today:

On more of that industrial techno tip that has me happy these days, here are a few live mixes from November of last year when oldies Surgeon and Regis, and newbies Karenn (aka: a project of Pariah and Blawan) graced the Boiler Room one evening with their magic. That slow, tense build that starts the last mix by Surgeon is devastating (my friend Earl Grey likes to use that very appropriate word to describe amazing musical things, so imma steal it from him!)…

Enjoy!

(View the Regis video here)

(View the Karenn video here)

(View the Surgeon video here)

Untold‘s brilliant Change In A Dynamic Environment trilogy is one of my favourite releases of 2012 (like a marriage of my punk past with my electronic present), and his label Hemlock Recordings has put out releases by some of our favourite bass artists here at Hot Sauce HQ. Now he’s announced the launch of another label, Pennyroyal, which will feature releases on the more abrasive side of techno (loving this kind of stuff right now!).

Check out the head banging and fist pumping intro mix for the new label here.

Is it just because I have been gravitating more towards techno lately, or is it because we have entered an(other) age of techno in electronic music? I mean, look at all those (formerly?) UK bass guys producing more and more techno-inflected or full-on (industrial-ish) techno tracks. No complaints from me, though I do love my bass too.

Thanks to local party promoters, Mansion, Toronto electronic music heads will be graced in March with a month’s worth of “showcases dedicated to forward-thinking global talent in non-traditional spaces,” with each night curated by different local promoters. Lots of techno in there, but not all (like Shlohmo and Andres, for example).  I’ll see you at Martyn, Omar S. with Reference (a project of Luke Hess & Brian Kage), and Andy Stott.. plus maybe some others if I don’t feel too partied out and still have some hearing left! Lots of local DJs and often up-and-coming producers from our fair city are also representing, such as Nautiluss and Alixander III (from Azari & III).

More info about all of the events here.

See you on the dancefloor!

More info on our event page here.

25. Konkoma
Konkoma
[Soundway}
London-based Ghanaian Afro Funk band produced by reggae producer Prince Fatty.
Top Tracks: "Sibashaya Woza", "Handkerchief", "Me-Kyin-Kyin".

24. Wiley
Evolve or Be Extinct
[Big Dada]
Now that Dizzee Rascal is all pop electro-annoying, Wiley remains my veteran polished Grime-ster of choice.
Top tracks: “Immigration”, “Life at Sea”, “Weirdo”.

23. Eight And A Half
Eight And A Half
[Arts and Crafts]
Two members of The Stills and the drummer from Broken Social Scene made a great indie/ part electronic pop album. Go Toronto! Go Montreal!
Top tracks: “The Turn Around”, “Go Ego”.

22. Terror Danjah
Night Crawler
[Hyperdub]
Chaotic and rough yet smooth and flowing. There is danjah in dis terrah.
Top tracks: “Rum Punch”, “Delicately”.

21. Kone
Legend Days ep
[Alpha Pup]
Apparently drawing influence from American Indian, Polish psyche and folk music of Uzbekistan – it is a celebration of all things indigenous – but more crackly, dusted and experimental.
Top tracks: “Power Came to Them”, “In the Wind”

20. Lone
Galaxy Garden
[R&S]
Celestial, whimsical vibes. Kinda like a comet flying overhead with trees, grass and water coming out of its tail. Sounds like how you’d expect an album called “Galaxy Garden” to sound. Reminds me of an LTJ Bukem Earth/Logical Progression vibe with different beats.
Top tracks: “Lying in the Reeds”, “Crystal Caverns 1991″.

19. Sigur Ros
Valtari
[XL Recordings]
Delicate. Beautiful. Repeat. Hey man, it’s Sigur Ros. This one isn’t as noisy though.
Top Tracks: Sounds like one long-ass delicate beautiful song. In fact, their whole discography sounds like one long-ass delicate, beautiful somg.

18. Santigold
Master of My Make-Believe
[Atlantic]
Yup, I like catchy pop songs with chant out loud choruses. Your move, M.I.A.
Top tracks: “This Isn’t our Parade”, “The Keepers”, “Go!”

17. Barker and Baumecker
Transsektoral
[Ostgut Ton]
Techno with a slight melody and off-kilter stutter. Fantastic.

16. D’Marc Cantu
A New World
[M>O>S>]
Slow building, spacey jackin’ techno tracks with some nice squelchy acid lines from this underrated Michigan producer. Fans of Basic Soul Unit would approve.
Top tracks: “The First Planet”, “The Other Side of House”.

15. Sun Araw and M. Geddes Gengras Meets the Congos
Icon Give Thank
[Frkwys]
Trippy, chants and tings with the legendary Congos. Sun Araw and M. Geddes Gengras put their mad psychedelic, dubby imprint on it. I hear different sounds everytime I play this.
Top tracks: “Happy Song”, “Invocation”.

14. Ondatropica
Ondatropica
[Soundway]
Colombian musician Mario Galeano and British producer Quantic put together an exceptional all-star band of musicians to pay tribute to the classic and modern styles of Colombian music. Elements of rap, beatbox, ska, rock and electronic are all over this triple vinyl release. As I write and listen to this, I realize i should have ranked this higher, but reformatting is a bitch.
Top tracks: “Tiene Sabor, Tiene Sazon”, “I Ron Man” (cover of Black Sabbath’s Iron Man!!)

13. Chromatics
Kill For Love
[Italians Do it Better]
Damn! The opening cover of Neil Young’s “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)” is an amazingly bold way to start a great album. I only heard this album in December, so i’m gonna be rocking it well into 2013.
Top tracks: “Into the Black”, “Kill For Love”.

12. My Dry Wet Mess
Stereo Typing
[Brainfeeder]
Interesting, intricate beats and other weirdness for the Brainfeeder headz. My Dry Wet Mess- bad moniker, bad-ass beats.
Top track: “Berlin Stereo Hands”

11. Hannah Georgas
Hannah Georgas
[Dine Alone]
Well-crafted, sincere songs from…Newmarket, Ontario! Thanks for the intro, Michelle MK!
Top Tracks: “Elephant”, “Enemies”.

10. Grimes
Visions
[Arbutus]
Grimes is like the little sister you had who asked you for help setting up her first mini synthesizer then ended up making tracks insanely more memorable and better than you ever could.
Top tracks: “Oblivion”, “Genesis”, “Open Up”.

9. Dirty Projectors
Swing Lo Magellan
[Domino]
Dirty Projectors remind me of the band Of Montreal – but I hate Of Montreal and love Dirty Projectors. What’s up with that?
Top tracks: “Gun Has No Trigger”, “Dance For You”, “Offspring are Blank”.

8. Mala
Mala in Cuba
[Brownswood]
Mala (as Digital Mystikz with Coki) was my gateway into the dubstep world long before it became a dirty embarassing word to utter. New readers: dubstep wasn’t always heavy bro-step aggro lame sauce. Mala continues to advance bass music with a truly beautiful piece of work recorded while visiting Cuba with Gilles Peterson. He recorded Cuban musicians and fused them with his always interesting beats. Mala in Cuba reminds me of a New Forms-era Roni Size- a fresh injection of vitality into a stale genre.
Top tracks: “Cuba Electronic”, “Calle F”.

7. Andy Stott
Luxury Problems
[Modern Love]

Andy Stott hypnotizes again with his crushing sloth-like beats and haunting processed vocals of his old piano teacher, Alison Skidmore. He even sneaks in a slow drum and bass beat (“Up the Box”) to great effect.
Top tracks: “Numb”, “Luxury Problems”

6. Batida
Batida
[Soundway]
Man, Soundway Records was on fire this year! Batida, or Angolan / Portuguese DJ Mpula aka Pedro Coquenão put out a distinctly modern and vibrant project with its feet firmly rooted in the past. Batida combined samples from old 1970s Angolan tracks with modern electronic dance music. Like Buraka Som Sistema minus the annoying kids stepping on your feet when dancing to it.
Top tracks: “Algeria”, “Tieri O Chapeau”

5. Pallbearer
Sorrow and Extinction
[Profound Lore]
Where the hell did these guys come from? Reminds me of a doom-metal version of Explosions in the Sky with lyrics. I described it to my friend Laurie as being oddly uplifting music- to which she said, “Sorrow and Extinction by PALLBEARER…ya what an uplifting title”. hahaha. They are playing a show in Toronto February 19, 2013.
Top Tracks: All five of them!

4. Daphni
Jiaolong
[Merge]
Dan Snaith is a better Daphni than a Caribou. Well for the dance floor, at least.
Top tracks: “Yes I Know”, “Ahora”

3. Delta Funktionen
Traces
[Delsin]
Proper Detroit Electro (from Holland). Icy cold techno soundscapes that warm my heart and stimulate my cerebrum..or is it my cerebellum?
Top tracks: “On a Distant Journey” (such Kraftwerkian synth lines), “Frozen Land”.

2. Tame Impala
Lonerism
[Modular]
Psychy, warm, fuzzy songs that capture my life in Super 8 film and vintage photographs. Kinda like Instagram/Hipstamatic but waaaaay better.
Top tracks: “Elephant”, “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”, “Music To Walk Home By”.

1. Robert Hood
Motor: Nighttime World 3
[Music Man]
I did a review of this album on this site here. This release harkened back the days of Hood’s Minimal Nation album (1994) which set the techno blueprint for me. Each track on Motor: Nighttime World 3 perfectly crafts and captures a mood that soars to new heights. I recently saw Robert Hood DJ in Toronto for the first time in years. He played a bangin’, mostly old school set that sounded as relevant and powerfully urgent as ever. Glad to hear and see techno innovators like Robert Hood (along with Richie Hawtin and Jeff Mills) continuously elevating their game for 20 + years.
Top tracks: “Black Technician”, “Hate Transmissions”, “Motor City”, “The Exodos”

Honourable Mentions
These albums had some wicked standout tracks, but as whole “proper”-flowing albums, they fell just below the top 25 cut-off mark on the urbansteve-o-meter of sonic enjoyment.

Claro Intelecto – Reform Club [Delsin]

Four Tet – Pink [Text Records]

The Orb and Lee Scratch Perry – The ORBSERVER in the Star House [Cooking Vinyl]

Elos – Scenes of Life/Electricity [Alpha Pup]

Addison Groove – Transistor Rhythm [50 Weapons]

LV – Sebenza [Hyperdub]

Saint Vitus – Lillie: F-65 [Season of Mist]

Detroit Techno was my gateway into the techno world during the mid-nineties. Underground Resistance, Jeff Mills and Robert Hood shaped my 4/4 world and educated me all about what proper underground minimal music should sound and feel like. Forward thinking labels like UR, Red Planet, Axis, Purposemaker, 430 West, Direct Beat and M-Plant had me excitedly anticipating each new release where i would get lost in the pure tonal joy of that real Detroit Tech and electro sound. Wait a minute…this post is giving me shivers just reminiscing about those formative tracks and releases from my past. It deserves and will get its own dedicated entry on this site at a later date. Sorry for the tease all you “D”-headz. The purpose of this post was merely to tell you about the minimal master, Robert Hood’s latest album, Motor: Nighttime World 3 (Music Man Records).

With “Motor: Nighttime World 3″ Robert Hood returns to the project he first started on Austria’s Cheap label back in 1995 and subsequently continued in 2000 on his own M-Plant imprint. Fusing his trademark minimal techno into jazz inspired moods and inflections, Hood emerges from the smoke-lit shadows of a downbeat, but not beaten, Motor City metropolis. Inspired by Julien Temple’s documentary ‘Requiem For Detroit?’ Robert Hood examines the life, history and future of Detroit’s motor industry and its workforce, set against a backdrop of decay, despair, hope and re-birth.

While nothing touches the sacred Minimal Nation, Hood’s genre defining masterpiece from 1994, the tonal madness of tracks like Black Technician and the vintage acid squelches of Hate Transmissions and Motor City literally give me goose bumps when i play it loud!
Damn, i’m having major amazing Detroit flashbacks now. Ok, so check back soon for my article on Detroit Techno sounds.

As i have written before on here, Delsin Records continues to put out quality deep techno and deep house music that stimulates the deep techno and deep house part of my brain. Featured here are three of my favourites from this year – two albums and one ep.

Delta Funktionen – Traces
After four years of techno EPs for Delsin and Ann Aimee, Niels Luinenburg aka Delta Funktionen released his debut full length, Traces in July of 2012.

Though still very much couched in techno, the album sees Dutchman Delta – who recently mixed it up for Ann Aimee on their Inertia compilation – explore plenty of new sonic territory, as he often does in his long ranging DJ sets. It’s adventurous, basically, and is an album that doesn’t lose itself in intricate sound design, but instead pairs a raw, machine made aesthetic with plenty of real human soul and palpable earthly emotion.

Says the man himself… “Traces is about my long time research into electronic music. It covers tracks that make reference to my favourite subgenres within electronic music: techno, house, electro and (Italo)-disco. There was no specific idea behind it because the album contains tracks made over a long time. Some are 3 years old, others were made this year, but in the end I think it sounds like a coherent piece of work.”
From the atmospheric openings of blissful electro joint “Frozen Land” through the sultry and searching acid of “Enter” and on to more forceful cuts like “Redemption”, this is an album for listening to as much as it is for dancing. Mood driven landscapes like “Onkalo” prove that, but you’ll have to check it out for yourself to get a real appreciation of the story Delta Funktionen is telling.

Claro Intelecto – Reform Club
After something of a hiatus, Manchester’s Claro Intelecto is back to release his third full-length album, ‘Reform Club’. Throughout his career, the man known as Mark Stewart has always created lush deep house and techno soundscapes awash with dubby undercurrents. ‘Reform Club’ is an album that deals with all the usual moods and textures you’d expect from Claro Intelecto: it’s warm and cuddly, comforting and inviting right from the first track, despite the rough edges and well defined analogue details which pervade throughout.
Though the whole album is dreamy and sounds deeply submersed in some foggy subterranean world, it stays dynamic and lucid with plenty of serene melodies and celestial emotions offsetting the gentle churning beat tumbles below. Like all the full length works of Stewart, ‘Reform Club’ makes most sense when listened to from start to finish – a lost art unfamiliar with today’s ADD generation.

Low Jack – Free Pyjamas EP

Delsin’s house series is back once again, this time with mysterious producer Low Jack about who very little is known. He has released but one EP so far, an EP that was both ballsy and techno and deeper and mid tempo. His Free Pyjamas EP is house, but thick, dense, gauzy textures fill every inch of the airwaves throughout.

The title track is a big barreling loop of warehouse music that has rattling drum fills, muffled r&b vocals and plenty of noise in its heart. The bside, ‘LJs Jam’ is even more fucked up, with harsh, raw drums hidden under layers of dust, static and hiss. Various synths add some ethereal light to the backdrop and a vocal struggles to be heard in the midst of all the chaos. Release date: December 2012.

Photos courtesy of our trusty sidekick for the day, Genevieve Tran, because MissRuckus was a lousy blogger and forgot her camera in her excitement to get to the music! However, MissRuckus did at least contribute a little by doing some quick Photoshopping. Click on each photo to see the full-sized version in all its techno glory!

Through the eyes of MissRuckus.. click on each photo to view full-sized version.

Oh ya! StudioFeed, breakandenter and The Deep North present a throwdown of a showdown Saturday July 14- the Grand Finale of the Sound In Motion Festival. The Hot Sauce crew is excited to see ALL the acts…it’s THAT good!

John Roberts will most definitely be dialed in giving fans a sneak preview to his new material to follow up his last stellar release, Glass Eights on Dial Records. If you haven’t heard Francis Harris‘ new album Leland already, we suggest you get in NOW.. well, after reading this article of course. Harris (also sometimes known as Adultknapper) will be playing a live set to show us what his new label Scissor & Thread is all about. Frivolous will for sure rock the (ware)house with his quirky style of improvisation, vocals and all out killa kookiness. Listen to his album on Luciano’s Cadenza if you need further proof. Black Light Smoke, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer also will bring his unpredictable live set to Sound in Motion. I’m constantly playing out his new track “Lovework” on Get Physical.

All the action goes down at Centre of Gravity at 213 Sterling Road. Warehouse styles!

Sound In Motion is an independent electronic music festival presented by our friends at StudioFeed, a non-profit Toronto arts collective made up of members of the local music ecosystem. The festival is happening July 13th-15th at various venues in  downtown Toronto (including a beach!) and will be featuring the likes of John Roberts, Sammy Dee, Francis Harris, Black Light Smoke, Dualism, Demas, and more… alongside some fine local artists such as Pursuit Grooves, Knowing Looks, Murr (feat. Rosina), Arthur Oskan, and others. We’ll be there to capture the event so check back here (+ follow our Twitter and Facebook pages) each day to see how the event is unfolding!

MissRuckus recently caught up with StudioFeed’s dedicated founder, John Alexiou, to learn more about the festival…

What are your thoughts on the electronic music scene in Toronto?

The talent in the city is immense, and the promoters and labels who are pushing boundaries to bring in fresh sounds are really the unsung heroes.  People need to recognize that there is a big difference between corporate electronic music that is coming out of the big festivals which are trying to maximize profit, and authentic independent music that comes from the gut.   It may take a little longer to find, but the search is well worth it.

Can you tell us more about StudioFeed’s concept of  ‘local music ecosystem’?

The local music ecosystem is a term we are rolling with that describes all of the individual entities (labels, artists, studios, shops, designers, academics, technologists, etc.) that have a stake in the health of Independent Music. It’s time for this group to unite and develop infrastructure for those who care about music first.

Tell us what this festival is all about and why you decided to put it on.

This festival is about forward thinking electronic music supported by members of the community. Running alongside our music events is a short film showcase (SIMReels on Friday night), and a technology showcase (running during our Sugar Beach party) that really display the strength of our innovators – musically, visually, and technologically.

We are also holding a panel event on Sunday which discusses the role Music plays in crystalizing positive social change. At that event, we will introduce our campaign for a Centre for Independent Music in Toronto (a community space). We have been working with an architect and two universities to finalize this campaign, and we are extremely excited to be introducing it. Ultimately, that is the backbone of StudioFeed – building infrastructure that supports independent music. Oh, and it’s going to be a killer weekend party !

Why is it important for the festival to be non-profit and independent?

The non-profit status of our event is something that fits within our mandate. It is an indication to the festival goer that we are not in the “business” of putting on events, but rather are working with the community to showcase Music, first. Being independent is something we are fiercely adamant about. Our definition is very simple: independent implies not being owned by a public company. All of our partners, artists, labels and promoters are operating independent of major corporate sponsorship. Why does this matter? It’s no secret that corporations are co-opting authentic underground music for “branding” purposes. This is especially evident in the world of electronic music – one man shows are selling out stadiums and corporations are smelling the marketing pull. If we allow this to happen, perhaps our most authentic form of communication (music) will be nothing more than a tool for selling products – this is a topic that has been percolating among my friends and I for many years.

Who are some of the local promoters you are collaborating with for the festival?

We are working with two stellar promoters directly (breakandenter and The Deep North) and many indirectly. You’d be surprised how many Music focused people in the city are gravitating towards our message. Sarah Lamb (one half of HushLamb) has been a massive contributor to the artistic direction of our festival, and if you’ve been to any of their events, you will understand that Sarah and her crew make no compromises when it comes to Music focused events. We are really looking forward to collaborating with more promoters in the months and years to come… as long as you are in it for the Music (first), our arms are wide open.

How did you go about deciding on which artists to feature at the festival?

Sarah (Lamb) and her crew have great connections with massively talented artists around the world, breakandenter (Erin Berg, Andrew Lochhead and Brad Spacinsky) have been one of the most respected crews in Toronto for many years, and The Deep North are absolutely on top of things – they are bringing a fresh important energy to the city nd they are a relentless collective of promoters that StudioFeed is proud to be working with. To sum up, put all of us in a room, get a “wish list” of artist names, fire up SoundCloud, pour some drinks and let the fun begin.

Who are some of the artists to watch for at the festival?

In terms of artists at the festival, literally every one of them (local and international) is a standout. We feature live acts and DJs from across Europe, USA, and of course, Canada. Every artist on the bill is talented, dedicated and has a global following. Each have released on (or in some cases are the chiefs of) deeply respected labels. Spend some time and navigate through our web platform – it’s a great launching pad!

One of my favourite labels for years has been Delsin Records out of Holland. Quality releases from personal favourites of mine: Shed, A Made up Sound, Conforce, Cosmin TRG, Rolando, Redshape and Steve Rachmad always have me eagerly anticipating each new title. Delsin’s sublabel label, Ann Aime first compilation after 15 ep releases came out this past January. Inertia//Resisting Routine is DJ mix by label regular Delta Funktionen consisting of 15 new exclusive tracks from mostly new modern techno rising producers. My Top choice cuts were Redshape,Mike Dehnert and Sigha’s tracks.
From Delsinrecords.com:
“Operating in the murky under-waters of the contemporary techno scene, each producer enlisted serves up their own idiosyncratic vision: some are acid tinged, some swing like a monkey and some lean on dub or house aesthetics for inspiration, but every single one will likely hypnotise dancefloors just as any good techno track should. So then, bold drums, analogue aesthetics and meaty grooves are all present and correct throughout.”

25. Mogwai
Hardcore Will Never Die
[Sub Pop]

Good to hear Mogwai bounce back from a disappointing The Hawk is Howling. Mogwai barely etches out their post-rock protégés of sorts Explosions in The Sky’s Take Care Take Care Take Care- a band whose previous three albums are some of my all time favourites. Top tracks: “Rano Pano”, “George Thatcher Square Death Party”
Listen

24. Sully
Carrier
[Keysound Recordings]

A dark stuttered beat affair that held my ADD ears most of the way. Top tracks: “Let You” and “Bonnafide”.
Listen

23. Mr Raoul K
Introducing My World
[Mule Musiq]

Authentic percussive house from Cote D’Ivorie ex-pat, Mr Raoul K. Mule Musiq and its sublabel Mule Electronic- run out of Tokyo- never fail to release top quality music. Top Tracks: “The African Government”, “Japan Japon” Listen

22. Determine
“Born Pressurizer”
[Jammys]

Underated dancehall reggae artist determined to make an impact with this album of tuff riddims and fast-flowing lyrics. Top Tracks: “In The Shop”, “Born Pressurizer”.
listen

21. Young Montana?
“Limerence”
[Alpha Pup Records]

So much is going on in EVERY track on this album by beat/electronic/anything-goes wonderkid from Coventry,Uk. An ever-present groove- albeit a hyperactive, chopped up groove- make this a fantastic listen every time. Top tracks: “Sacre Cool”, “Mynnd”.
Listen

20. Pinch & Shackelton
Pinch & Shackelton
[Honest Jon's]

A serious slice of haunted darkness and Middle Eastern sounding percussion from these two original dubstep innovators- you know, when dubstep was interesting before it mutated into heavy metal-step. Top Tracks: “Cracks in The Pleaseuredome”, “Torn & Submerged”.
Listen

19. Young Galaxy
Shapeshifting
[Paper Bag]

Montreal Indie Synthwavers, Young Galaxy are what I imagine more well known bands like Cut Copy and Friendly Fires to sound like- only more Canadian (which means cooler these days). I have not heard CC and FF’s 2011 albums yet, but Young Galaxy’s infectious cold pop sensibilities made this a morning drive favourite on my way to work.
Listen

18. The Kills
Blood Pressures
[Domino]

Blood Pressures is a dirty, gritty, garage-y, big drums, rock-out album. “Satellite” even uses the riff from the reggae classic “Fisherman” by The Congos. Top Tracks: “Future Starts Slow”, “DNA”.
Listen

17. The Streets
“Computers and Blues”
[679 Recordings]

Mike Skinner’s fifth and final album of The Streets. While not as strong as the brilliant first two albums, Computers and Blues still has the witty, charming lyrics and fun story telling that most of us have come to love. I don’t care what other critics say- not for everyone, but definitely for me! Top Tracks: “Trust Me”, “Soldiers”.
Listen

16. Bibio
Mind Bokeh
[Domino]

Despite the horrible, Phoenix satire, “Take off Your Shirt”, Bibio put together another eclectic beat/folk inspired full length popular on road trips and at cottages all summer. Top tracks: “Artists’ Valley”, “K is For Kelson”.
Listen

15. Cosmin TRG
Simulat
[50 Weapons]

Releasing on a wide range of respected labels like Rush Hour, Hessle Audio, Tempa and now on Modeselektor’s 50 Weapons- Simulat is a staight-laced four-to-the-floor album that has the depth and weight reminiscent of an updated classic Surgeon album from the 90s. Top Tracks: “Ritmat”, “Form Over Function”.
Listen

14. Panda Bear
Tomboy
[Domino]

Heavy reverberated angelic hymns with drones that I am compelled to hum along with (even though I have no idea what Noah Lennox is saying). Top Tracks : “Last Night at The Jetty”, “Surfer’s Hymn”.
Listen

13. Handsome Furs
“Sound Kapital”
[Sub Pop]

Punchy,electronic indie, 80′s sounding songs with a fresh sense of urgency and history. Fellow Québécois, Men Without Hats only wish their shit was this cool back in the day. Top Tracks: “When I Get Back Home”, “Repatriated”.
Listen

12. Cornershop featuring Bubbley Kaur
Cornershop & The Double ‘O’ Groove Of
[Ample Play]

Before you roll your eyes and say, “Where have Cornershop been since Brimful of Asha?”, I urge you to listen to this whole album. Tjinder Singh and Ben Ayres collobrated with Punjabi female folk singer, Bubbley Kaur to make a remarkable record with funky drum breaks, soulful basslines and resounding horns. But its Kaur’s vocals that make this album shine on all ten tracks. Top Tracks: “Topknot”,”Natch”,”Supercomputed”.
Listen

11. The Weeknd
House of Ballons
[XO]

Wow, an R&B-based album with edge that was able to captivate and unite fans of all genres- from hip hop, R&B, pop, indie rock- even the techno/electronic headz went apeshit for the Scarborough-raised, The Weeknd. When I first heard the Siouxsie and the Banshees “Happy House” sample on the title track I was instantly intrigued with The Weeknd’s appoach to messing with formulas. The sex/drugs/party lyrics and that smooth Weeknd voice were definitely dope! Top Tracks: “House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls”, “The Morning”, “The Party and the After Party”.
Listen

10. tUnE-yArDs
w h o k i l l
[4AD]

Merrill Garbus created an album that sounds all her own. This album got constant play in my car and made me drive faster and faster. w h o k i l l is dangerous. Top tracks: “My Country”, “Gangsta”, “Bizness”.
Listen

9. Sepalcure
Sepalcure
[Hotflush Recordings]

The Sepalcure duo are on a roll now with two excellent eps and this even better full length. Genuine bass emotion and buried melodies are somehow wrung out of all these flowing sounds. Top Tracks: “Eternally Yrs”, Breezin’”, “Pencil Pimp”.
Listen

8. Zomby
Dedication
[4AD]

This shit is scary! Like eerie don’t mess with Zomby’s dark, evil-ass scary. Zomby would for sure kick Satan’s ass if Satan/Lucifer ever released an album. Top tracks: “Things Fall Apart”, “Natalia’s Song”.
Listen if you dare

7. Moomin
The Story About You
[Smallville]

Deep, deep house with a German kick. This album seduced me from start to finish. We are now going steady. Shhh…don’t tell the other albums. Top tracks: “I Wanna”, “Watermelon”.
Listen

6. Damu
Unity
[Keysound Recordings]

Whoa! where the ef did this guy come from? Melodic madness, chunky beats, wonky pitched vocals and epic synths. Let’s have seizures! Top tracks: “Plasm”, “L.O.V.E.”. Damu’s so far unreleased tracks on his XLR8R podcast are even better, but we’ll talk about that next year.
Listen

5. Peaking Lights
936
[Weird World]

Dub-heavy, narco-psych hazy music from…Wisconsin! Top tracks: “All The Sun That Shines”, “Tiger Eyes (Laid Back)”, “Marshmellow Yellow”. Just writing this made me kinda high. Wicked remix of “Marshmellow Yellow” by Ital just came out and is a must hear!
Listen

4. Conforce
Escapism
[Delsin]

Deep, emotive tech house by Holland’s finest underground producer. No gimmicks here. See my review on this album here.
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3. Robag Wruhme
Thora Vukk
[Pampa]

Not only is Robag Wruhme (formerly of the Wighnomy Brothers) one of my favourite DJs, but also he is one of my favourite producers. This time Robag slows down the pace and centres the album around beautiful piano pieces combined with field recordings and serene almost hypnotic sounds. A proper album that should be listened in sequence for full effect. This was a stunning complement to my favorite mix cd of the year, Robag Wruhme’s Wuppdeckmischmampflow Top tracks: “Thora Vukk”, “Pnom Gobal”, “Ende”.
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2. Omar S
It Can Be Done But Only I Can Do It
[FXHE]

Detroit techno/house with some dark acid lines, dubbed out washes, and everything done the non-compromising Omar S way. Top tracks: “Ganymede”, “Here’s Your Trance Now Dance”, “Solely Supported”.
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1. Martyn
Ghost People
[Brainfeeder]

A solid album from Bass/Techno/Dubstep chameleon, Martyn. Having heard his eclectic Fabric mix cd and reading that Ghost People would be coming out on the acclaimed label Brainfeeder (Samiyam, Flying Lotus, Daedelus, Tokimonsta)- I knew something weird and innovative was in store. The spoken word intro by Spaceape is only a small premonition for the blistering masterpiece that follows. Having previously forged the blueprint with his hybrid garage/techno/house/dubstep sound that so many producers successfully followed afterwards- Martyn surpasses that and sets a new template while paying homage to breakbeat/rave origins with “We are you in the Future”. This album closer captures everything exciting about electronic music from the last 20 years over the course of 9 minutes. For real!
Top tracks: “We are you in the Future”, “Masks”, “Popgun”
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Honourable Mentions

Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care [Temporary Residence]
Beans – End It All [Anticon]
Braids - Native Speaker [Kanine]
Shabazz Palaces – Black Up [Sub Pop]
Helixir – Undivided [7even]
Co.Fee - Easy Listening [My Hollow Drum]

Artists such as Redshape, Pawel, Glimpse, Chymera, Vince Watson, New World Aquarium, Basic Soul Unit,and Levon Vincent really tug the emotive techno strings of the Hot Sauce crew. It should be no surprise then that Holland’s Conforce (Boris Bunnik)is a name also synonymous with that super deep style of tech we here at Hot Sauce really go for. Releasing on refined labels such as Rush Hour and Clone, Conforce’s full length album, Escapism is set to drop on November 28, 2011 on the excellent Dutch imprint Delsin Records. One only needs to listen once to know this is drenched in sheer deepness from start to finish. To Quote from the press release: (it) “perfectly surmises one man’s musical mission – to combine elements of futurism with real hardware, decent software and to simply go wherever it takes him, be that a landscape doused in dub, formed from a firmer techno template or built on a house groove.”

Album opener, Revolt DX reverbs its way to hook and submerses us into the elegantly deep world of the so aptly titled Escapism. Take a listen to one of my favourite tracks on this strong late contender for my Best of 2011 list.

Also check this DJ set from Conforce’s Soundcloud page showcasing that deep tech vibe i can’t seem to shut up about.

choice!

Mutek Montreal is such an inspiring festival that never ceases to amaze me each year. This dreamy yet jackin’ mix was recorded hot on the heels of Mutek 2011. Thanks to Roland Gonzales for “discovering” the slow motion immortal track by Boo Williams. Th Omar S/ Alex O. Smith track is one of my favourites. Carl Craig’s remix of Theo Parrish’s Falling Up is an all-time favourite track of mine that I finally found on 10″ vinyl at Rush Hour Records in Amsterdam when I was there in 2008. The closing “post-dubstep” track by Helixir is a good one!