Swangler's Review on Electro/House and EDM 2012

[CaptainShyguy]

With the end of the year approaching, I will be commenting on some of the highlights of this year's electronic music. This is totally opinion based and so it can be normal if you do not agree with one or various aspects of my review. Obviously, you can still comment on it, as long as you stay respectful, I have no problem with that. I'll talk about various stuff, such as some of the best music, the best mash-ups, best new artists from this year (or 2011 if he/she appeared by october-december), also some of the best mixes and remixes I heard this year. As I'll be commenting on some good stuff, there will also be some bad stuff in here. I won't do it all at once, so here's the schedule for each ''article'' if I can call it like that. I'll go with one aspect at once. Why do I do this? Personal shit, just wanna do something.

December
9th: Some general commentaries on this year
12th: Best New Artist (2012)
15th: Best Videoclip(s)
16th: Commenting the ''DJ Mag Top 100''
18th: Best Mash-Ups of 2012
20th: Best Remixes of 2012
21st: Most Overrated Electro Tunes
23rd: Underrated Tunes of 2012
23rd: Underrated Artists of 2012
26th: Some Disappointing News and Probably some good ones too?
27th: Radio Shows You must Listen
29th: Best Albums and Compilations
30th: My Top 50 Tunes of 2012 (In No Particular Order) + Megamix?

General Commentaries

So the end of the year is near by, with that I may comment this year, 2012, in a general way. I must say that it was a huge and great year. Not only I got to experience new things, but lots of great tunes were release from January 2012 till today. The summer was totally amazing and it's something I would totally restart in 2013. I got the chance to see Avicii on June 21st if I remember correctly and also had the chance to see the whole Tomorrowland event on youtube live! Lots of new artist also made their appearance this year with some great tracks.

I must say that we had plenty of surprises in the world of EDM. Starting with the ''DJ Mag Top 100'', which counts down the best djs arround the world, it was different from previous years for some reason. I'll explain why when the day comes. There was also some shocking news, when I think about shocking news, the Swedish House Mafia comes to my mind. They recently announced their separation, they're now in their last tour. Will they come back years later? No one still knows, but time will tell.

Now, on youtube and many other places, I've seen many commentaries saying that today's music ''sucks''. I honestly think that's just old and no matter what you say, artists will continue to make their music and profits. Has good music died? I say a big NO. Is music different? Chyeah. People have different tastes and different opinions on what they call music, on what they like and etc. When I compare today's electro and house music to the old 00's, 90's and 80's electro music, obviously it is different, but I don't think one generation is superior to another. Each generation have their high and lows and people will only remeber the positive sides of their generation. Also, producing music has got easier than ever, you can easily buy a program and download on your PC and start creating your own pieces of art. It doesn't end there though, to create music you need skills and creativity. Using a program like FL Studio can seem easy and cheap for some people, ''creating music with computers is not real music'', I dunno where that rule came from, but I say it's false. There are some sounds that are almost impossible to re-create with real life instruments and those type of programs offer the possibility to make them. It's also easier to make arrangements in live sets and compilations.

Following all that ''hate'', this year, some dj/producer seem to have done very well and better compared to other years. David Guetta is the first one that comes to my mind when I think of ''amelioration''. This year, he produced some unique sounds such as ''Just One Last Time'' and ''She Wolf''. His sounds are still mainstream in my opinion, but it's a big jump from what he produced last year and the year before (2010). Another dj/producer that produce some good sounds is Bob Sinclar with ''Rock The Boat'' being one of the biggest tracks of the year.

So now, that's pretty much about my general commentaries about the year. The rest of my opinion will follow with the other articles. Before I end this, I wanna say that my compilations ''Summer Weapons 2012'' (released in July) and ''Winter Weapons 2012'' (released in October) are still available on Soundcloud for a good hour and 20 minutes of listen. Featuring some of the biggest tracks of EDM 2012.

Be sure to be back on December 12th for the best new artist in my opinion!

 

[CaptainShyguy]

So the next part is up. Like each year, there's a batch of new artists that make their appearance thanks to one song or two, or even many more. Many time it'll be thanks to an innovation they implanted in one of their songs, new sounds and etc. So, before getting to the artist which imo is a great new one this year, let's do a top 5 of artists that made a great job. I also wanna say that some of these artists were already making music before, but they weren't fully discovered till this year or by the end of last year.



At my 5th position, this group isn't really an EDM artist, but in some of they're tunes, EDM elements were included. Also, a lot of great remixes for many of their tunes were done. They started in 2009, but it's not until late 2011/early 2012 that they were discovered in the US and Canada. I am talking about ''The Wanted''. This group totally got me with their tracks ''Glad You Came'' and ''Chasing The Sun''. I rarely like mainstream artists, but these guys are really good at what they make. For this whole year, their music was played on the radio and I never got tired of listening to it. Both track I mentioned bring lot of joy, it makes me want to dance. I'm totally looking forward to their future tracks in 2013 and forward, cannot wait to see what they'll come up with.

For the 4th spot, a great australian girl has it. She is both a singer and a dj. Late 2011/early this year she was discovered with her big hit ''We Run The Night'', I'm talking about Havana Brown here. I must admit she is super sexy and hot. Great talent she has. Later this year, she came up with a different beat with the song called Big Banana, in collaboration with R3hab. Her sounds made me dance during the whole summer and still make me wanna dance. This is Havana Brown at the 4th spot!

Now at the 3rd spot, we've got another DJ who in my opinion made an amazing work. Signed in Tiesto's Musical Freedom Records, it is Mikael Weermets. Apparently he was already making music back in 2008 till today, but it's not until 2012 that he made a huge appearance. During the summer, Musical Freedom uploaded a preview of one of his tunes; ''Out Of Control'', it was about 1 min long, but long enough to get me hooked. I fell in love with the track. Probably one of the biggest sounds this year in the world of EDM imo, any dj who wants to play good music totally should give ''Out Of Control'' a try. It has great vocals and drops are really well executed. Later he released other tracks which were really great such as ''I Found You'', which is also well done. After an amazing work, Mikael will probably surprise us just like he did this year, looking forward to 2013!

On the 2nd spot, I may be cheating on this one, but afterall it is MY review. The reason he is not number one is because I discovered his tracks, or at least his first huge release last year. But it's not until this year that he got better known. I'm talking about Nicky Romero here. Probably my favorite DJ this year and atm, my all time favorite producer. With many new releases, Nicky really deserves to be on here. It all started with ''Toulouse'' and it was big track after big track, great remixes after great remixes. His ''robot'' sounds as I call them just totally make him unique. His remix for David Guetta's Titanium is completely amazing, a bit before the summer he also made a remix for Eva Simmons' ''I Don't Like You'' which was super cool. Later this year, he couldn't make any bad sounds, WTF, Like Home, Nicktim or any other title he gave to that tune, Iron and finally Symphonica were all great tracks, most of them hitting the number one position in various charts including Beatport's. Not only he made music, but he also started his own radio show; Protocol Radio. Each week-end he release a new episode, totally worth the listen if you love EDM music. He was also the highest new entry in DJ Mag's Top 100 in 2012, entering at the 17th spot which is also one of the highest new entries in DJ Mag's history. Nicky really well deserved it and it doesn't end here, 2013 is gonna be another huge year for mister Romero!!

Finally at the first spot, someone everyone knows... PSY.... nah just kidding, there's no PSY in this top 5, probably one of the worst this year instead imo. Seriously at the first spot is... JULIAN JORDAN. For his young age, Julian has one awesome future that awaits him. He made several awesome tracks and one that comes to my mind is ''Kangaroo'' in collaboration with Sander Van Doorn. He may not have as much experience as veterans from the EDM community, but he really showed he has his place in there. DJing at the young age of 17 and already popular, Julian will sure be a marking dj for today's generation. Still growing in this scene, he will most likely get even more huge. He has made successful sounds and he's ready to re-do that type of stuff. Already supported by many huge djs, this new talent from the Netherlands could break records if he continues doing what he is good in. He still hasn't made it into the DJ Mag Top 100, but do not be surprise if he does this next year or later.

This pretty much about the great new artists. Other honorable mentions to Madeon, another great young producer, Chrizzo & Maxim which made a great track; ''Runaway'' and finally, even if he was there before, R3hab still shows to be one great dutch producer.

Be back on December 15th for some of the best videoclips of this year in the electro house domain!

 

[CaptainShyguy]

Time for some of the best videoclips of this year that I've seen. This year was really strong in animation I must, we basically saw many different types of effects used in videos, and once again I'll be counting down some of the best videos I saw this year. In the world of EDM, many video clips include sexy girls dancing almost naked, doing 'sexy' stuff, as a boy, I love that, but I don't think that is what makes a video awesome. Girls half naked doing many type of stuff can be cool, but sorry, there won't be any of that in this 'review'. So no Molly from Cedric Gervais, désolé, great song, but as videoclip, that is not what I am researching.



So to start this little countdown of what could be some of the best videoclips, let's start it up with something beautiful. The landscape from the planet was really well used in this one and fits extremely well with the music. The effects are outstanding. I know it's pretty ironic how I said that there won't be half naked girls in this chart, when this first video shows and ass, it doesn't last too long anyways. I love how they use effects to show the power of these wolves, it's really well edited. So this 'She Wolf' from David Guetta. I ain't a big fan of DG, but the video is good.

David Guetta - She Wolf (Falling To Pieces) ft. Sia​

This second video could be consider similar to the last one in some of kind of aspect. What made this video higher in my countdown is how they used the 'lights' to go with the sound of the music when that cute girl is swimming. Once again, effects are well executed and I love how different type of characters are seen in the video. Well, basically the giant character is great addition to the video. Something else that makes it great is the transition from place to place. It is simply a beautiful tune with a great song!

Porter Robinson - Language (Official Video) (Ministry of Sound TV)​

Have you ever seen a video about racing robot dogs? Well, if yes, this one is an amazing one. It's Greyhound from the Swedish House Mafia. It's a really simple video in some way since it all happens in one single place, but the idea behind is just so great. Once again, effects make this video a hella good one. Three dogs controlled by three guys (Swedish House Mafia), racing. The costumes are awkward, many comments were given on youtube, comparing those with Lady Gaga costumes. Even if they're awkward, they give a great aspect to the video, some kind of futuristic aspect. And just gotta love some nice vodka at the end, who doesn't?

Swedish House Mafia - Greyhound​

Before going with my favorite video, there is this top 2. More robots, but this time they have a different purpose, this one being fighting and winning. Anyone who has seen the movie ''Real Steel'' and then watches this video will probably think this video was based on it, which is understandable. If it was or not, the video still stays one of the greatest this year in my opinion (and the movie is great btw). Deadmau5 really made a great job on this song, the vocals fit perfectly, giving it a more ''rock'' sound, it still is electronica though. These two mouses fighting is simply awesome. I am probably repeating myself, but effects on this one are just so great and it feels like if you were in the video. So this is Professional Griefers from Deadmau5.

deadmau5 ft. Gerard Way - Professional Griefers (Official Video)​

Finally this last video isn't filmed somewhere, it is all made up. Animations are rarely seen as some of the best videoclips, but this one is special. Once again it is Deadmau5, but this time with one of his greatest hits; The Veldt. The colors remind me of Donkey Kong Coutry for some reason and the Lion King. Two curious kids walking in the African savanah, exploring and having fun together. This video makes me just so happy and with such a relaxing tune you've got the perfect combo of the year. Graphics are amazing. I totally fell in love with the video the first time I saw it.

deadmau5 feat. Chris James - The Veldt (Music Video)​

This pretty much the videos I loved this year. For people who think EDM videos only contain half naked women almost having sex, you've been proved wrong. These are only 5 videos, there are many others out there that could've made the cut such as Swedish House Mafia's 'Don't You Worry Child' video, which is the last one they'll probably ever make. There are also other happy videos, Sebastion Ingross and Alesso's 'Calling' come to my mind, about a trip. In general this was an awesome year, there were many great videos worth watching.

Now, stay tune for my comments on the DJ Mag Top 100 tomorrow.

 

[CaptainShyguy]

100 DJs in one single poll. I won't name them all, because for that you could simply go to the official site. I will instead, only give my opinion, some DJs that could have been higher and others that could probably be lower according to their talent and my opinionm. I wouldn't say I am totally in agreement with some of the positions in here, it is really hard to approve of a whole list of 100 DJs, but I must admit the selections are slightly better than last year. Many people complain because most of these are 'producers', first thing I think a producer can be just as good as a dj, both play music and make arrangements. Second thing, this list is voted by people all arround the world, so yeah. Third thing, well there's none.

Now at the 100th position, there is Project 46. I must say that they are a fresh great discovery for me. I never heard of them before until this year and what I listened from them is awesome. They have some awesome remixes and remakes. With all the work they made this year, they really deserve to be in the chart. At the 100th position? Well, maybe, there are various new talents to be discovered yet, but for now, probably a couple of spots higher would've been great. If you go higher, you'll find Mark Knight at 97. He is one guy that totally charmed me in 2011 with 'Beautiful World', a collab with Tiesto. Unfortunately this year, I did not listen much from him. He does have a great talent, so I suppose that's what made him 97. Going up, Bob Sinclar at 94. A couple of years ago, Bob was an inspiration for me with tracks such as Love Generation and World, Hold On, but these last years, it just doesn't seem to be working. Bob is now more on the mainstream side which is a total shame if you ask me. If he continues doing that, he'll probably just drop out the chart. I must say 94 is still a great accomplishment, but he's near the exit point. With someone who made several hits, it shouldn't really happen just so soon. He also went down 61...

Moving forward to 82. Thomas Gold, now here there's a big problem. Thomas is probably one of the most underrated djs at the moment and would easily deserve a position in the top 20, maybe even in the 10. He has awesome producing skills. He's remixes are awesome and he has made great mash-ups. I honestly hope he'll get higher in the chart next year. Higher, you'll get Dirty South at 76. I've been listening to Dirty South's music since I was 10-11 years old. He's style has change a bit, but he still has that essential ingrendient in his music. Being at 76 isn't totally bad, but he could've definetely been higher in there. After that, one of the most huge remixers this year, R3hab at 73. R3hab is probably one of my favorites this year. With so many remixes, most of them awesome, I think he should have been higher in here. He has made an amazing job. I can definetely see him higher next year, he is an awesome producer and remixer. He has also made several collabs, and that helps a lot. After that at 70 is Benny Benassi. He's going down like many others unfortunately, but that's the price to pay when you mostly make mainstream productions. I still remember his past works such as ''Who's Your Daddy'' and ''Satisfaction'', huge hits back in the days. If he gets that type of sound back and innovates something new, he could be seen higher again.

Going with the 60's, Bingo Players in 66. I haven't heard much from Bingo Players unfortunately. I have heard some of their work which are amazing, such as Rattle and Cry (Just A Little). They can probably go higher this next year, we'll see. Then you've got Tommy Trash at 62, making ''Trash'' music. Tommy was one of the biggest this year, so he totally deserves being in this poll. His remixing skills are totally insane and let's not even talk about his producing skills. After the poll ended, he released other tracks such as Truffle Pig, the use of ''oink oink'' is amazing and gives a nice touch to the music. Following at 60 comes Wolfgang Gartner. Wolfy has a unique style in what he makes. I haven't heard another DJ make what he does. I think he should've been higher in this list. With such good releases, each song just as special as the others.

You'll find the first Swedish House Mafia member at the 57th spot. Steve Angello has been a bit silent this last year, his song ''Yeah'' is probably one of the few releases he made this year. So I can't really say much about this. One of the youngest producers on the scene is found at the 54th place. His remixes are a good listen. If you haven't heard to his 5 minutes minimix, you totally should. It is worth listening, this guy has a lot of potential, totally looking forward to his work in 2013. A bit higher at the 52 spot, one of the most talented producers; Eric Prydz. With his huge album release and other singles later on, Eric was another big element this year. He could have hit a higher spot, but since he doesn't make ''mainstream'' music, it is hard for him. I love his work and I'm glad he is still in there. Unfortunately he is going down and it shouldn't happen.

I'll skip a bunch and go directly to 35. At 35 is Chuckie. One of the best dutch producers this year and a great remixer. Hitting 35 is an amazing accomplishment for him, he could've deserve something higher, but unfortunately it wasn't the case. With amazing releases since the start of the year, Chuckie was building an amazing experience for the year which totally paid. I'm really hoping he'll hit an even higher spot next year. 2nd member of the Sweidh House Mafia is in 34, he had one huge success called 'Calling'. Touring with his friends also made him one of the biggest djs this year. Awesome experiences, having fun and making their fans just so happy. Knife Party follows at 33. I rarely listen to Dubstep, but these guys almost dominated my summer with tracks such as ''Rage Valley'' and ''Bonfire''. A biy higher comes Calvin Harris, since I first heard one of his song back in 2009, he was a special guy. Then came some great tracks. This last year was totally different. His music just didn't have the same feeling. He went totally mainstream, he has an amazing talent, but it isn't used properly if you ask me. Just after, you have Kaskade. His music known for being relaxing and it is that type of music that gives chills. He totally deserve that spot, an amazing album was released, he knows how to use vocals, so yep.

The one I would've probably named top 2 or 3 if I made my own list comes at 29. Laidack Luke, he had a huge year. It probably is an exageration if I say all of his releases were amazing this year, but honestly they were. It was huge track after huge track and I'm glad he made into the 30 first. Following at the 26 spot comes Fedde Le Grand. A couple of releases, but enough to be one of the biggest in 2012. His sets are impressive, he knows how to make a crowd go crazy. After comes the last member of the SHM, Axwell. Two years ago he was my favorite dj, but this year it isn't the case. The lack of releases and mixes could be the reason he is going down, but I have hope. I know this next year or the one after, he'll go back into being one of the best. For now, as rude as it could sound, going down is kinda ''well deserved''. A trance master comes at 22, Ferry Corsten. Another DJ whose sets are incredible. Music wise, I'm not a big trance listener, I do like some. What makes Ferry special though is how he can produce more than Trance, making him someone 'powerful'.

Going on the top 20 starting with Alesso. Some people would say he was the biggest this year, I don't totally agree though. He was indeed amazing, in tomorrowland and various other events, but other talents did better at some extent. His spot is well deserved though. Nicky Romero then comes at the 17th spot. Nicky was my favorite producer this year, if it was for his producing only, he would be the number one for sure. I haven't seen complete live sets from him, but I have heard how he remixes in his radio show, amazing. It is orgasmic for my ears. His music selection is incredible. I wouldn't be surprise if he hits higher next year. Steve Aoki made a big jump of 27, hitting the 15th spot. Really well deserved. Experiencing all type of music sure is paying, that make Aoki an incredible and crazy guy. He will always surprise up with something new and most importantly, good. SHM is 12, I would've expected a higher spot and mostly since they separated.

Finally the top 10. Skrillex is 10th, I dunno how a dubstep set works, but many people criticize his work. I suppose he could be lower in the charts and for many reasons. Some of his tracks just seem bland, if I talk about his remixes, it'll just go on. They seem to be the same songs, but with variations... Afrojack is 9th, another dj who's tracks seem a bit bland. He has made amazing work, but his most popular are unfortunately getting mainstream and mainstream in my books is simply bad. Deadmau5 is 5th, the only one who doesn't want to be there and yet he deserves to be there. Amazing productions, what else can I say? 4th follows David Guetta, the dj that followed the path of money and selling out... Guetta shouldn't be in this chart, being voted by the world though, it is almost impossible. I am more than happy he isn't at the top anymore though. 3rd comes Avicii. His show was outstanding, amazing, incredible, fantastic. He does deserve to be there, his productions are extraordinary! 2nd, the best imo. One dj who will never disappoint; Tiesto. If I had to choose the best one it would be him. Since he started, his music has given people energy, hope and happiness. Something not so many artist can accomplish. He should have been the number one this year. It is THE talent, the biggest inspiration. Glad to know he went up one spot, he'll probably reclaim the number one spot one day again. Only future will tell.
Now, at the 1st spot is Armin Van Buuren. THE trance dj of the moment. He is indeed an amazing dj and producer. Someone else who has bring so much joy in the community. Glad to know he is the number one now. Can he keep it? As I said earlier, only the future will tell...