#Sneakerhead mija

[stopreadingthisanddance]

2018 top eps

Let’s just skip over what happened to the 2017 list okay? First up is EPs, in no particular order, with some honourable mentions because i’m in decisive. I hope you at least listen to the standout track of each project, almost all of these EPs are approachable, so don’t be scared. 

top 5:

eli & fur - night blooming jasmine  

stand out - night blooming jasmine 

UK hailing electronic music duo Eli & Fur specialize in soul felt, dreamy deep house music with low key vocals often layered perfectly on top. While I'm not sure they will ever top their 2013 EP Illusions for me, this comes very close. The title track kicks this 5 track EP off with some brilliant synth leads, mixed with perfection into a sultry, dance-y bass line, and lyrics that paint a scene you can feel. While both Something Was Real and Honest keep a similar low key feel, all with groove-able kicks, that get you moving, but not quite up off your feet, Parfume kicks it up with some nice building bass lines,  and some heavier kicks towards the later half of the track. This whole project is great at 7pm, and even better at 2am.  

dj koze - pick up

stand out - pick up (extended mix)

While he doesn't have much of a prestige world wide, DJ Koze is an steadfast contributor to the German music scene for a few decades now. This 3 track EP is by far his most recognizable work, and it's easy to see why. While it definitely has hints of lo-fi house, a pet obsession of mine, it's so undeniably groovy that it's much more approachable. Brilliantly produced, with delicious little peaks and valleys built into the layered synths and vocals, the extended mix of Pick Up doesn't wear out it's welcome even at 10 minutes. No bangers here, but those willing to settle in for a longer house track will not be disappointed with this EP.

good kid - good kid

stand out - tell me you know

This is probably the most easily digested project I'll be writing about this year, it also contains one of my most listened to, and definitely one of my most sung songs of the year. From the moment this album starts til it ends, it feels like a little time hole into the hyper-energetic-but-still-sad pop-punk that dominated music charts in the early 2000s. The self-titled project from this Toronto based band features all of what you'd expect, catchy rifts, brilliant change ups, structured tracks, and lyrics you can't help but sing along to. While I can accept that some of this might have to do with the hit of nostalgia that a record like this elicits for me, the vocal range, lyrical content and danceability of this entire project is so hard to deny. It's like your favorite bag of chips, exactly what you expect, and still desirable at all hours of the day. 

soleima - bulldog

stand out - low life

Danish pop goddess Soleima delivers yet again, with her distinctive voice, lyrics that resonate, and deliciously adventurous poppy production. I have to stress this pretty heavily, her voice is really odd, it's a mix of her accent and vocal range, but it takes a while to get used to, that along with her taste for more experimental song structure and production choices, despite being 100% pop music, this might be a bit harder to get into than you'd expect. If this was the kind of music that played on the radio, I might be able to stomach them only having a playlist of about 15 songs on all day. 

j'von & lido - spacesuit

stand out - highly overdue

Let's get this out of the way before we get into it, conscious hip-hop always comes across at least a little pretentious. That being said, J'von has some connectable bars, and while he doesn't entirely avoid the slightly-off-flow feeling that I often get from this kind of music, there are some really solid bars on this project, both from a flow and "when he said that i FELT it" perspective. Lido delivers, as he always does, with stunning production. While lots of these beats are what you would expect from tracks like this, there are touches of jersey club, jazz, house, and lots of other genres all over. The intro rift in Sneakerhead sounds straight out of an early 2000s alt-rock song, and of course, his piano work is as gorgeous as ever. On top of that he provides vocals on some of the tracks, from hooks, to the soulful Time & Space. An overabundance of feelings and brilliant execution carry this album, even if each track can sometimes lack identity. 

honourable mentions:

mija - how to measure the distance between lovers

stand out - notice me

I love Mija, from her message, to her style, to the amazingly varied mixes she makes. She manages to walk the fine line between crippling-depression-inducing tracks, and still I-wanna-dance-to-this for this entire EP. Probably her most experimental project yet, it feels emotionally raw, and the perfect soundtrack to sleepless nights. Notice Me features some moving lyrics and brilliant production decisions I just had to include it. 

childish gambino - summer pack

stand out - feels like summer

Childish Gambino has a habit of reinventing himself musically every project. While I loved Because The Internet and Kauai, I respected but never really got Awaken, My Love! the same way a lot of people did. This project however, I love, from the steady beats, to the busy leads, and the gorgeous singing Childish provides, if his next full length looks like this expect it in my top of 2019 list. 

diplo - california

stand out - suicidal

It's really hard to deny how fucking talented Diplo is at spotting trends and developing talent, layer on top of that his really impressive producer chops, it's easy to see how this is one of the most diverse, and yet digestible project this year. Suicidal proves that Desiigner has a place in music in 2018, he just needs some direction.The brilliant layering of sonic elements comes to a head on this track and yet it doesn't require the listener to work for it. Full of big name features, Diplo once again proves that the future of pop music might be a guess for the rest of us, but he knows exactly where it's headed. 

lane 8 - bluebird/duchess

stand out - bluebird

California native Lane 8 proves once again that he is the master of making you feel a sound. The piano lead, the build up, the bass line, he knows exactly how to structure a track to make you shiver. I'm in awe of his ability to make a beautiful, ear worm track. And remember, this never happened.

iglooghost - clear tamei

stand out - clear tamei

UK based producer iglooghost came through with two great projects, clear tamei and black mogu, but the former came out on top for me. Filled with some brilliant experimentation, riddled with orchestral influences, cut with the acid trip of trap and UK hardcore, this is probably the least approachable project on this list, but if you get it, it's hard to deny it's brilliance.

you made it to the end ♥, don’t forget to dance.

#music #aoty #2018