Top 2013 Releases

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Jeffrey Wentworth Stevens – Los Angeles Mescal Buttons

Denver based teacher & songwriter that put together a great EP available for free!  Gotta love that.  Nice western feel and great bassline for the title track.  Remixes are good too!  The Marcellus Lewis Remix has some nice squidgy sounds under a deep reverb tank that are great!http://jeffreywentworthstevens.blogspot.com/2013/09/los-angeles-mescal-buttons-singleremixes.html

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Jeffrey Wentworth Stevens – The Holy Dogs of Other Days

Awesome album; and gets the creativity art project of the year award!!!  Released on a 2” button that you can clip onto your jean jacket…just plug in headphones and away you go…  track selection and volume control included.  Plug into USB for a fresh recharge!  One of the best packaging ideas to date; and the tunes are awesome too.  Get the digital edition for free…

http://jeffreywentworthstevens.bandcamp.com/album/the-holy-dogs-of-other-days

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Cyberia – DYAD

What the hell is up with Denver bands this year!  O F F  T H E  C H A R T S !!! This is off of some obscure cassette tape label (really?) from some hick town in Texass.  One of the most listened to albums of the year; this is a great commuter release.   Tight melodies and awesome production!  If you haven’t heard it yet; well; you’re lame!

http://cyberia.bandcamp.com/releases

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Locust – You’ll Be Safe Forever

I love Mark Van Hoen; and he again comes out with a strong release!  I can remember falling in love with his sound from Weathered Well in 94; this is no-where near as strong of a release; but that one will never be bested by Mark.  Not ambient, not dance; but somewhere in the void between…awesome rainy day music!

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Adult – The Way Things Fall

Starting in 2012 I rediscovered one of my favorite genres, coldwave, on Soundcloud.  Since I have been loving all the resurgence of this sound.  I remember seeing Adult in NYC 2000 at the SiNFest and this duo has come a long way since then!  Female vocals are a bit off; which just drives me nuts!  For those liking an alternative sound, grab it!

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Makina GiRGiR – Torment

Another incredible coldwave record.  Beautiful female vocals over classic old school “new wave”.  Awesome French start up label doing beautiful releases.  This one is hand silk screened!  Thanks to Soundcloud for tuning me into this one!

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Various – Circuit D’Actes 3

A great new startup label from France, Le Forme Lente is hitting it with spot on coldwave VINYL ONLY releases.  Along with the Makina GirGir LP; this one is excellent.  Featuring Kline Coma Xero from San Francisco, a great startup artist very reminiscent of Lassigue Bendthaus, and when I saw he had this release on vinyl I had to pick it up!  The KCX track is incredible, and I was gifted with 9 other awesome tracks!  A very disturbing version of “Ring Around The Rosie” ends the LP…

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Miss Kittin – Falling from the Stars

This album has grown on me considerably.  Not as much so as her last album Batbox (which is growing to one of my all time favorite techno-pop albums), but this 4LP heavy weight set has two modes—the first two LPs are more techno pop while the second two are more experimental and instrumental.  Bought this pre-order from France, $21 shipped as it was not available in America; keep an eye on Amazon for great deals!

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Dopplereffekt – Tetrahymena

A latecomer to 2013; this is a classic Detroit style 3 track EP.  Starting off with analog arpeggio and travelling through classic electro and dark techno; a classic release!  Can’t get this off of the turntable!  On my newest mix…

https://f0e.9a1.myftpupload.com/happy-xgiving-mixtape/

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SP#1 – Retrofit

2 tracks of acid techno bliss.  I bought this on a whim from Amoeba (first visit since 2008!) –this is likely the most listened to record of the year for me.  Ultra limited, you probably missed it…  Mesmerizing deep acid techno; both sides are incredible—hypnotising!  Also on the above mixtape…

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Recondite – On Acid

A recommendation from some label owner in Texass, this is one of the best acid albums in a long time.  Not the typical dance stuff; but full of slide and octave up on the old 303!  The vinyl sounds amazing!  Wonderful record!

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Trentemoller – Reworked & Remixed

My first (and only) official buy on iTunes.  This is a remix compilation from his amazing “Into the Great Wide Yonder” album from several years back.  Awesome self-remixes along with touch ups from other great producers; the fav is the surf track produced by Andrew Weatherall!  Essential Trentemoller release!

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Skinny Puppy – Weapon LP

I saw them in 2012 and they still have what has made the one of the best electronic bands ever; what an amazing show!  This LP was limited and worth the long wait; classic Puppy sound but with a modern feel and great synth programming as always.  Solvent is a remake from their first cassette demo and takes you all that way back; the other tracks are fresh but also have the feel of early Puppy!  Great record!

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Atom TM – Pop HD

I love most the album; except the horrible Who remake and the Jamie Lidell tracks.  Uwe mastering makes the most of minimal samples and spaced sounds.  BIG sound from little sounds!  Production quality is something to make engineers heads spin—he is the master!  Great fun!  Stop Imperialist Pop makes me laugh out loud each listen!  Can’t wait for the Blu-ray version!

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I Dream of Wires Blu-ray

Produced by Canada’s own Jason Amm (Solvent), this is the documentary of the year, maybe the decade.  History of Modular Synthesizers is part I, part II explores the current Modular craze that is happening now.  A synth lover’s wet dream…Hardcore Edition is > 4 hours long!

Send me the ones I missed in the comments!