Can you hear the sleigh bells ringing? Plans for New Years shaping up yet? It’s almost halfway through December and before we know it 2016 will be long gone, and for Happy this month is all about the killer tunes this year brought us.
Today’s top 10 selector comes all the way from Brisbane, a maximum chilled electronic producer by the name of Golden Vessel. Given that his recent EP Before Sleep was one of our favourites of the year, we’ve been more than eager to hear his personal take on 2016. Settle into the picks below.
A master of downtempo electronica with a shining list of collaborators to his name, let Golden Vessel take you on the smoothest tour of 2016 yet.
Frank Ocean – Nikes
This song took me by surprise, and while quite a lot of my friends didn’t love it, the production flowing into that end section is just out of this world. It’s also accompanied by one of my favourite music videos of all time.
D.D Dumbo – Satan
I remember hearing about D.D Dumbo from a friend a few years ago and have been waiting for this album ever since. Such a satisfying release, and the horn section and textures throughout this song just make it sound so amazing.
Abraham Tilbury – Morphine
Abraham is a close friend of mine, and this was his first release under his own name. I followed the process of him rebranding himself and slowly chiping away at this amazing song.
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Bon Iver – 33 God
So many Bon Iver songs that could’ve made this list but as I had to make a decision, this would probably be my favourite from the album.
River Tiber – I’m a Stone
River Tiber dropped a really nice album this year, and I love how analogue this song is – and how it makes you wait for that dirty beat at the end.
De La Soul – Drawn (feat. Little Dragon)
Sally from OKBADLANDS introduced me this track initially, and it’s kind of become the song that I put on just before I go to sleep. Also makes you wait for the epic ending. I love the technique of fading out the instrumental and letting the vocalist naturally transition to whispering. Don’t know if I explained that very well, so just go listen to it.
Kaytranada – Glowed Up (feat. Anderson .Paak)
Had to cull a few Kaytra and Paak tracks from my top 25 to get down to 10, but this has been my party/turn-up track of the year, so definitely deserved a spot.
James Blake – Radio Silence
Such a strong opening to a great album, and is also the perfect driving song for me.
OKBADLANDS – Dust & Gold
Kind of broke my rule of putting my own songs in top 10 lists with this one, but only slightly. I produced this track for my good friends OKBADLANDS, and I just love it dearly. It went through about nine different versions till we got here, but it was definitely worth the time and efforts.
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Solange – Don’t Touch My Hair
I have had this album on repeat since its release, and there’s nothing better than that post-chorus when Sampha drops in out of nowhere and perfectly compliments Solange.
