Finally the time has come to post some best-of lists. Bear in mind that they are very subjective and most probably do not include many items worth mentioning. Just a quick year’s overview. Enjoy!
Tracks and remixes: dubstep / grime / bassline /
Winners: Silkie - Skys the limit
& Chase and Run – Eastern Jam
Two, very different tracks – yet the same paralyzing and transcendental effect. For real – there is no exaggeration in my words, that’s how I feel whenever I listen to any of these tracks.
Runners-up:
- Nero – Bad Trip / This Way
- Various Production – Pintman
- Zomby - Strange Fruit
- Benny Page & Zero G – Panpipes
- DZ - Down
- Bar 9 – Bakin Bread
- Pacheko – Green Bull
- Skream – Filth
- Sines – Test Four
- lukeing forward – Soulless
- Substep Infrabass - Monotonium
- Altern-8 - Frequency (DFRNT Remix)
- Kid Sister – Pro Nails (Rusko Remix)
- Dusk & Blackdown – Concrete Streets (feat. Durrty Goodz)
- Virus Syndicate vs. Various Production – Neva Argue (Various Production Remix)
- Wiley - Wearing My Rolex (Pirate Soundsystem Remix)
- Starkey ft. Durrty Goodz – Gutter Music
- Sukh Knight - Diesel not Petrol
- Math Class – Branches (Mumdance bassline remix)
Tracks and remixes: glitch hop / lazer bass / turbo crunk / wonky
Winner: Chimpo - Lockoff (Squincy Jones ‘Freaky Girl Edit’)
Huge dubstep smasher by Chimpo reworked in a street hop style! I’ve played this tune to death in my car and my car loves this.
Runners-up:
- Ludacris - Get Back (Glitchy & Scratchy Remix) (Integrated Grime Unit dub)
- Restiform Bodies – Interactive Halloween Bear (Lazer Sword Manhole Remix)
- Missy Elliott – Get your freak on (Megasoid Remix)
- Beats Antique - Roustabout (Bassnectar remix)
- Santagold – Say Aha (Tepr remix)
Tracks and remixes: fidget house / nu rave / bastard pop / electro / mash-up /
Winner: Kid Cudi - Day 'N' Nite (Crookers remix)
I love this track and I cannot say why.
Runners-up:
- MGMT - Kids (Soulwax remix)
- Little boots - Stuck on repeat – (Fake Blood remix)
- Diplo + Buraka Som Sistema - Inna De Ghetto (Remix)
- Paleface & Kyla – Do you mind (Crazy Cousins remix)
- DJ Mujava - Township Funk (Boy 8 Bit Remix)
- The Count & Sinden ft. Rye Rye – Hardcore Girls (Don Rimini Nasty Boy Remix)
- Stereoheroes – Washout
- Hostage - Snakecharmer
- AC Slater - Jack Got Jacked (Jack Beats Remix)
- Busy P – To protect and entertain (Crookers remix)
- Wiley - Summertime (Crookers Remix)
Best mixes of 2008:
Winner: Squincy Jones - Nintendub
Extremely original and eclectic mix. I can never be bored by it.
Runners-up:
- Glitchy & Scratchy vs Crendore - Laser Bass
The definition of lazer bass in a nutshell.
- Lazer Sword – Blap to the future megamix
I love this duo, I wish they finally released their debut album, cause their productions and most of all remixes are outstanding.
- Evol g – bassline crisis vol. 1
Bassline meets dubstep in a banger style! Wicked!
- Megasoid – Megasoid "Tank Thong" Remix Tape
Glitch hop / lazer bass par exellance.
- Grievous Angel – 4x4 Hell
There was a time before dubstep and grime.
- The Squire of Gothos - Forest gateaux mix
Gods of Rave in a fantastic mix.
- Malente – Dec 08 60 min. Mix
Bounce to this, bounce bounce …. Bring that lead back …
- Jackbeats – exclusive Fabriclive NYE mix Bang Bang your head …
- Forensics – Adventures in Death Star Valley vol. 4
Extremely prolific producer of absolutely best ‘moody’ dubstep-flavored mixes. Check his other works.
- Cookie Monsta – Maryland Chocolate Chip Mix Dirty, filthy bastard of mix.
- Toronto Bass with Bombaman – November 15, 2008 radio mix
Canada starts looking huge on a map of global dubstep.
- DFRNT – a DFRNT dubstep mix June 2008
Well, it’s a different mix, listen to it.
And tones of other tracks, remixes and mixes which I cannot mention due to the restrictions of time and space on this blog. This was quite a good year, music-wise.
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BEST MOVIES OF 2008:
2008 was not the best year for the film industry, still there were a few worth-watching releases. Unfortunately, I did not have much time to watch movies and failed to see a few titles which most probably would be on this list. Besides technically speaking, some movies are from 2007 but they were released in 2008 in Poland.
Winners:
- Slumdog Millionaire (UK/USA) – directed by Danny Boyle.
The last movie I’ve seen this year turns out to be the best one. Oops, Danny did it again! MUST-SEE!
- Cargo 200 / Gruz 200 (Russia) - directed by Aleksiej Balabanov
Absolutely devastating picture of USSR in the second half of 80’s. ANOTHER MUST SEE!
Others:
- Pineapple Express (USA) – directed by David Gordon Green
The best “buddy” action and drug comedy of the year.
- The Band’s Visit/ Bikur Ha-Tizmoret (Israel/France/USA) -
directed by Eran Korilin. Nice, uplifting and very funny comedy about a police band from Alexandria in Egypt lost in the small desert town in Israel. Give it a try!
- Import / Export (Austria) directed by Ulrich Seidl. My favorite Austrian director in top form again.
- Part of the Weekend never dies (UK/Belgium) – directed by Sam Farahmand. An honest and successful attempt at describing the phenomenon of the Dewaele Brothers and their Soulwax/2 Many Dj’s/ Nite Version stage performances.
- Edge of Heaven/Auf Der Anderen Seite des Lebens (Germany/Turkey/Italy)
- directed by Fatih Akin. Another gripping drama from the author of “Head-On”
- Gone Baby Gone (USA) - directed by Ben Affleck. The Affleck Brothers surprisingly captivating noir thriller.
- The Dark Knight (USA) - directed by Christopher Nolan.
Extremely overrated and overhyped and a bit disappointing blockbuster, although in its own genre definitely above the average. Heath Ledger – Yes Yes Yes, Christian Bale – Noooooooooo.
Finally, movies which deserve mentioning; I wish I had seen them in 2008, but did not have time or opportunity, yet: Troupe de Elite, Burn after reading, In the valley of Ellah, Encounters at the end of the world, Gomorra, Once, Battle for Haditha, Heavy Metal in Baghdad, Saturno Contro, Up the Yangtze, [REC], Jardins en automne.