Deena Abdelwahed – Jbal Rrsas

This is bass-heavy electronic music that I can place closest to dubstep. I also feel like I have extremely little cultural context to form well-articulated thoughts about this music, which makes it exciting.

Saying that it’s “something Arabic” feels like derogatory to how rich it is beyond language, and when I say “Arabic” I am concerned that I’m already making false identification. I just don’t know, I am not aware, I lack knowledge. However, it doesn’t feel intimidating but rather I feel the urge to explore, know more, learn, listen, understand, makes me wonder.

Modeselektor – Extended

Electronic music on the bass side and with lots of flow and power to it. Based on the most recent Moderat and Modeselektor records, my take is that the Moderat project was great for two records but it should be left behind to shine from the past and Modeselektor should rather do what’s really their thing. This record is as awesome as any other Modeselektor output, instantly wanting to hear them play live and rock the roof off.

Clubroot – Surface Tension IV

Melodic bass-heavy electronic music, post-dubstep if you will. It’s a beautiful soothing experience. I don’t feel the sci-fi that the liner notes say and the cover’s aesthetic suggests, much more the love and the delicate connection nature of it that the cover’s subject depicts. So it’s not exactly how it looks but rather what it shows.

Eomac – Cracks

Techno at heart, mid tempo, lots of bass, some epic melodies, introvert and meditative headspace. Definitely one of the highlights of the year. One ceveat is that it has the potentiall to put me on this downward spiral in terms of mood so I can only digest it with careful measure.

Hugo Massien – Metamorphosis

Bass-heavy slow to mid tempo electronic music. Genrewise it’s a mishmash: the highest percentage is probably house, but it’s changing every other track to dubstep, breakbeat, house, IDM, ambient. Good backdrop for work.

Ital Tek – Outland

Bass heavy, melodic, dreamy and moody, slow paced but not fully ambient electronics. It explores space, goes under the ocean, travels in the belly of the Earth—all the places where dark is the domain but textures can be observed by some shimmering traces of light.