Get em.’

20. Ifan Dafydd - No Good

What began as a myth, turned into a hard-hitting bass musician now known as Ifan Dafydd. His remix of Amy Winehouse had people instantly comparing his talents with those of James Blake, which should be taken as an immense compliment. In fact, there were rumors that the two different performers were one-in-the-same. There’s something vast that separates Dafydd from the rest of this scene, and that’s soul. Every track this bloke has produced tells a story of its own, and that’s something truly respectable when it comes to the art of the remix. Much is to be expected in 2012 from Ifan Dafydd.

19. Floating Points - Shadows

It’s a Floating Points release; do we really need to explain why this brilliant full length made it on to our year end? No? Okay! Let’s just go revisit this one for days.

18. Koreless - 4D / MTI

Pictures Music has struck gold with their release of Koreless here. 4D/MTI gorgeously redefines the sound of minimalist. Both tracks enlist the use of haunting, almost depressing vocals that are balanced with carefully planned bass and circulating tones. The white noise he harnesses, serves as a well-executed method of building some serious tension in the audience’s self-conscience and when clarity takes over, pure bliss is the result friends. We’re excited to see where Koreless takes us next.

17. Kevin McPhee - Blue Organ EP

The term funky doesn’t always connote negative reactions, especially in the case of Kevin McPhee’s ‘Blue Organ’ EP. While in the sense of the seventies the term floated between the realms of soul and rnb,’ in the instance of the contemporary, “funky” stands for all that is hot in experimental bass. By pitching and splicing soulful samples, Kevin McPhee has established that he’s a force to be reckoned with in the realms of bass. His blazing synth work is also of note. The way McPhee works the ivory is something gorgeous to say the least. The man has got vision and that has earned him seventeenth position on our year end list.

16. James Blake - Love What Happened Here

His most experimental EP thus far, “Love What Happened Here” will be a treat to all the fans who’ve listened to Blake from the get-go. Not quite a return to his roots, the album has flavors of his previous works such as “Klavierwerke” and some of “CMYK,” yet the feel one gets is a totally new one compared to Blake’s previous work. With steps toward funky and soulful on the title track, followed by leaps and bounds towards dark and mysterious on “At Birth”; and then ending with the abstract and quite possibly genius track “Curbside,” this bass music master unleashes yet another brand new arsenal of sounds. Every time R&S and James Blake work together, true progress is made.

15. Synkro - Tribe / Here’s Your

If there’s one artist that all bass musicians could take note from it would be Synkro. His release ‘Tribe/Here’s Your,’ frankly, blew us away this year. Beside from the tracks having a seriously mellowed out vibe, we found that the musicianship behind the arrangements expressed brilliance as well. The ambience that resonates from these two songs alone could clear an entire room out. Hell, it almost broke our monitors at LC headquarters. For, his brilliant and disciplined albeit mellow production and propensity to ruin speakers, Synkro’s ‘Tribe/Here’s Your’ earns out fifteenth seat.

14. Sepalcure - Sepalcure





Sepalcure’s already heavily acclaimed Self-Titled got you dancing. It is as simple as that. The guys are f-ing amazing, why dwell on the obvious?

13. Jamie XX - Far Nearer / Beat For

2011 has been a massive year for this artist out of London. With his huge Gil Scott Heron album dropped, Jamie XX was held in high expectations after that. Those expectations were certainly met with the likes of his “Far Nearer/Beat For EP.” Taking an almost anthem-esque approach, the first track is full of pitch shifted steel drum samples and Afrocentric percussion accompaniments paired with one of the best ‘builds’ in a track this day and age. The latter of the two tracks is a true test of patience, in that its intro is hauntingly elongated and dark. As soon as the subs start hitting though, one can’t help but smirk and think, “There it is…”. If you haven’t gotten around to listening to this, you’re missing out.

12. Mount Kimbie - Carbonated EP

Mount Kimbie will always be seen as innovators of the bass music phenomenon. Their Carbonated EP is no exception. With some of the most amazing transitions in tracks, and the uncanny ability to create raw soundscapes in your mind, Mount Kimbie sits more than deservingly on our list for best releases. This album can be played on repeat til the end of time.

11. Balam Acab - Wander/Wonder

While Balam Acab’s ‘Wander/Wonder’ may not play itself out as a banger, it does establish itself as an incredible orchestral album, in the vein of late great composers, rather than contemporary producers. From the first note of track one we were able to tell that ‘Wander/Wonder,’ was and still is one of the best releases of 2011. His methods of layering and pitching are both inspired and unrivaled. Because of these simple facts, he places at our eleventh spot for most influential releases of the year.

10. Bwana - Bwana EP

Within a blink of an eye, the world now has Bwana. Not even a full year into the scene, the Toronto native Nathan Micay explodes with his release on Infinite Machine. The EP’s intensity never falter’s, not once. A listener unfamiliar with the likes of Bwana would expect to hear this from a veteraned musician, but the fact is Bwana just has raw, real talent. There’s so many atmospheres of sound competing with one another, its as if there’s more than one artist performing in the track but that’s not the case at all. We here at Life Crushed have seen this young artist progress, and seeing the amazing response he received with the release of this EP leaves us quite proud of this gentleman. Bwana’s on the rise, and if you get in his way, you’ll be devoured and spit out. This guy is a beast.

09. Lapalux - Many Faces Out Of Focus

To not only dwell on but also use space as an instrument is something that we rarely find in the hectic world of bass. So, naturally, whenever an artist attempts the daunting task, we are immediately drawn to the din. Lapalux’s ‘Many Faces Out Of Focus’ not only relishes in spatiality, it voyages through it. Space, while most of the time can seem as an obstacle to many producers, allows Lapalux to formulate a gorgeous and at times awe inspiring soundscape. As listeners, ‘Many Faces Out Of Focus’ forces us to take a giant step back from what we’re used to, and really listen to the depth and breadth of the samples used. The bass community is, at times, quick to judge when obligated to allow for openness, especially on the dance floor. But, through ‘Many Faces Out Of Focus,’ Lapalux argues that bass music doesn’t necessarily need to be danceable. He argues that, during some points, it necessitates oxygen. It’s easy to stifle the genre but to expand it, and inevitably create a sound as distinctive that Lapalux has done on ‘Many Faces Out Of Focus;’ that is were true composition lies. For this subversive methodology we laud ‘Many Faces Out Of Focus’ as our ninth most influential release of the year. Be open, both in the musical sense and in terms of your mind.

08. George Fitzgerald - Shackled

Superlative style is something not many people can successfully attain, especially in the case of bass music. When I reference style, I am of course referring to the style and general vibe of one’s sound. Having heard mountains upon mountains of music, both bass oriented and not, it’s safe to assume that artists struggle with defining just how to present themselves. This is not the case with George FitzGerald. The ‘Shackled’ EP never attempts to become something it is not. It’s a simple, static, humming beauty of a release. ‘Shackled’ flows organically. Some artists nowadays seemed to be focused on how much material and samples they can place into a song. This causes a clutter effect that is prevalent, among quite a few, if not most of this year’s releases. The sign of a good artist doesn’t stem from how much junk you can throw into one song. No. The sign of a good artist is much like that of a good chef. First, identify with your ingredients; do they inspire you? Second, establish your base; is it simple enough to build upon but complex enough to peak interests? Third and lastly, combine and cook; do the ingredients correspond with your base in non-intrusive alluring ways? Much like a great chef, George FitzGerald’s ‘Shackled’ keeps it simple, organic, and alluring throughout. It’s because of these key components of tasty bass music that we choose ‘Shackled’ as our eighth favorite release of the year. Keep it flavorsome George, we look forward to your next recipe.

07. Jacques Greene - Another Girl EP

When House music is approached by Jacques Greene, something truly magical happens. A humble producer from Montreal, Greene is relentless when it comes to massive tracks. “Another Girl” could be one of the most beautiful EP’s to grace your ears this year. With it’s wholesome melodies and perfectly sampled vocals, ‘another girl’ is the true definition of ear-candy. Put simply, this work will have your emotions pouring to the floor. At its prime, the album has the listener dancing in their own mental dance-floor, swaying and bobbing uncontrollably. The fact that Koreless has a remix in there is a bold hint at what kind of musicality to expect from this young individual. His well-honed skills and delicate approach to music has jettisoned him to the ranks of Radiohead, implying that his presence in bass music is one of authority, and it’s here to stay.

06. SELA. - (see) 1993 EP

It’s become increasingly hard to define hip hop these days. With artists like Clams Casino successfully crossing genre platforms from the weird into accessible hip hop (via Lil B); the definition has broadened into something that seems ever increasingly labeled as, “if it bumps and holds a solid beat, it’s probably hip hop.” Keeping this spectacle in mind, we now turn to our sixth most influential release of the year, the gorgeous ‘(See) 1993’ EP by the incomparable Sela. This guy produces some of the chilliest beat’s either Olin or I have come across. He prides himself on keeping the instrumentals beat oriented but never boring. Constant shifts and a steady stream of soulful samples comprise SELA.’s repertoire. Sela’s aptitude to focus primarily on bass may be seen as a turn off to some but this relaxed ethic is quite refreshing when comparing his methods, stylistically, to more contemporary beat maestros who have become increasingly overwrought with less than “perfect” sampling. This ethic beautifully represented on ‘(See) 1993’, among other things, is why we chose Sela as our number six. SELA. sets the bar for beat makers, his presence and notation skills are, in our eyes, unmatched. We believe that SELA. is the arguable future of beat music. Scratch that, as of now, Sela is beat music.

05. Clams Casino - Instrumentals

Some artists grow on you. Although an immediate first listen may not attract your attention at first, if you sit, take a deep breath and give the music a chance to justify itself, you may experience a change of heart. This of course, was my experience with Clams Casino. On first listen, the only thing I was able to dwell on was the production value, which as of late has impressed me even more than some of the biggest beat makers in the game. In early listens, Clams Casino seemed as though he were trying too hard. His attempts to win over my ear were admirable if not in vain. But, on further examination I found that not only does beauty reside here, there is something angelic within the syncopation and eerie vocal samples Clammy Clams utilizes. It’s almost as if Clams Casino attempts to recreate titanic battles through the rough, heavy songs he produces. Bear with me here for a short minute. The first instance this occurs is through his choice of samples; most if not all resonate with a distinct type of heavenly melody. From sampling Frou Frou (assumed, not confirmed) to Imogen Heap, Clams Casino creates his sonic battlefield and aligns each side with good, what I argue to be said samples, and evil. In this case, the antagonists are played by the rough and tumble percussion. Percussion which at times may seem shrill, but are quickly necessitated by the extremely beautiful sample work that Clams Casino put’s into every measure. It’s because of this auditory epic that plays itself out through almost all of Clams Casino’s pieces that we’ve labeled his ‘Instrumentals,’ as the fifth most influential release of the year.

04. Holy Other - With U EP

Repetition like all good things goes a long way in terms of music and no one utilizes this quality better and more effectively than the hypnotic Holy Other. I’ll start by saying that without ‘With U’ there probably would be no Life Crushed. Well, maybe not, but it would sure as hell look a lot different than it does now. We’ve spent countless hours adapting and shifting the sites graphics and general presence to the sounds of ‘With U.’ The dark, arguably gloomy, and repetition heavy grooves produced by Holy Other are the very definition of night music. A chill runs up my spine every time I walk about twilight whilst heeding the murky sounds generated from ‘With U.’ Though Holy Other’s sound does indeed tend to cling to a morose obscurity, the hymns never feel overly unnerving or threatening. It’s hard to describe just the right level of unease, but if one were to define its sound, ‘With U” would be, hands down, the go to release to do so. Cloaked in that which is dark and shrouded in mystery, Holy Other’s ‘With U’ generates an ambience that so many wish to replicate but despite their best attempts, fail. His willingness to remain unapologetically humble while producing fantastic late night bumps allows Holy Other, and his ‘With U,’ to clinch our number four spot. This is what night is defined as and as long as Holy Other is still producing, we will always be looking forward to his striking “Touch.”

03. Disclosure - Carnival EP

Music knows no age. It transcends temporal, generational borders and keeps us focused on what’s important rather than insignificant age expectations. Though Disclosure is young, their tour de force work ethic and admirable production on the effervescent ‘Carnival’ EP has placed them among the ranks of some of the world’s leading bass producers. Their bond is strong, as brothers they are able to critique each other honestly and without hesitation. This peculiarity shines through into the arrangement of their songs displayed for us on ‘Carnival.’ The boys have a certain propensity to capture lost youth while still retaining danceable goodness, a characteristic that is systemically lost in many increasingly seasoned bass producers. Never have Olin nor I encountered a perfect song, but we’d be lying if we said “I love… that you know” doesn’t come pretty damn close. We both loved the song from get go and have cherished it ever since it’s unexpected release. Let us also not forget that this EP was also given away for free. How and why the boys decided to do this is beyond us, frankly, we’re just happy they were generous enough to do so. It’s because of this generosity and Disclosures ability to capture the essence of youth while still retaining contemporary relevance that we’ve ranked them as our third best release of this year. It would be an understatement if I were to say that we supremely look forward to this coming year and to any future releases the duo decided to drop.

02. Dauwd - What’s There

Out of obscurity comes clarity. Out of abstraction comes beauty and out of the bass music frontier comes Dauwd. At its best, intelligent dance music gives us a universal purpose. Movement connects us; it brings us closer to one another. This truth, so deeply rooted in human beings core principles, can be argued as a trait which is expressed cross culturally. Dauwd’s retrospective and methodical approach to his craft play to said nature. Dauwd moves us, he gives us solace in the fact that it’s perfectly acceptable to cut loose every once in a while. When listening to ‘What’s There’ one can’t help but express this primal urge of movement. No matter where you are, as soon as the first chords of ‘What’s There’ hit you, you’re moving. Driving in a car? You’re nodding. Getting some exercise? You’re running in time to each low tone. On the dance floor? You’re cutting loose like only an experienced producer could make you do. While Dauwd, on a surface level, could be considered accessible dance music, at his core the man has a knack for highlighting the subtleties of the genre. The process of making music is not an easy one. Hashing out a single song can take from anywhere between a few weeks to a few months. Keeping that in mind, this must have taken Dauwd years. The levels are near perfect, his sampling is exuberant, and his disciplined attention to detail is groundbreaking. Dauwd connects, humbles, and keeps us satisfied. For all these reasons and more, ‘What’s There’ has earned second place in our little yearly. With the introduction of ‘What’s There’ Dauwd has established himself as more than just a producer. He’s an innovator.

01. Klaus - Tusk EP

This year has been a massive step forward in terms of experimental bass. Blogs, magazines, and radio stations have all expressed their love of the ever increasing genre by establishing features and segments that promote the movement, and although this progressive shift has seen an upsurge in 2011, one solemn artist has stood in humble solitude. Klaus. I’ll begin by emphasizing that Klaus’s masterful ‘Tusk’ EP is unlike anything we have ever laid ears upon. His production, flawless in its execution. His samples, impeccably utilized and his presence, ghostly, to say the least. From the first track off of ‘Tusk,’ Klaus establishes that he’s a powerful force but of what exactly, we’re not quite sure. When one ponders how bass music should sound, it’s hard to do so without referencing the dance floor. Our preconceived intuition tells us that experimental bass, no matter how abstract, should be movable and, in most circumstances, fluid. Klaus is the exception to that rule. Instead of allowing his arrangements expansive breadth, he strangles them. The best way to describe Klaus’s production style is, dance music forcefully shoved into a vacuum. Klaus’s approach to moving through his compositions is hesitant albeit highly mechanical in nature. ‘Tusk’ has the ability to suffocate the listener, it manages to be eerily intimate yet at the same time, strikingly menacing. This phenomenon is partly why Klaus is accessible to those who follow experimental bass but also why introductory audiophiles tend to approach ‘Tusk’ with a sense of tentative apprehension. With each listen one is able to delineate a new pitch or tone that went undiscovered on previous visits. Klaus’s relevance lies in this fact. Every revisit is a quest to find what you missed the first time. Klaus’s smart, intuitive, albeit brooding compositions create an atmosphere of icy cold. One which accumulates a thin layer of frost across the base of the listeners earlobe and if you’re asking why the ear, it is simply because you cannot listen to ‘Tusk’ without headphones. We all bring our own experiences to the music we listen to, and although the field is subjective, I believe both Olin and I are safe in saying that this thing is not something you jive to. All of the aforementioned attributes serve as Klaus’s justification to pose as top dog on our year end list. This is minimal music, elevated to something beyond incredible. This is what we strive to discover at LC. This is Klaus.