elektro|groove|techno|pop

Compilations

Here are my personal best-of compilations year by year. I started with this rather nerdy special interest project in 2008, inspired by my friend Markus , who continuously sent me nicely designed CD boxes with his “Jahresgutachten” (“annual report”) compilations. Then, my friend Travis and I started exchanging something similar, but dismissing the physical media.

It seems that there are some recurrent themes in my compilations: There is always plenty of Scandinavian (mostly Danish) electronica, the odd batch of curious mainstream pop tunes, and the one standout classic song.

Now, I will post all the lists I have made so far, so you can see (and hear!) what I loved and listened to through the recent past. I still enjoy getting back to the lists of yesteryear and enjoy what I liked back then.

23 vs. Me

The first compilation in four years - the pandemic happened and now we're back!

  1. Nosaj Thing - Continua (feat. Duval Timothy)
  2. Little Dragon - Amöban
  3. Arlo Parks - Weightless
  4. Jessz Lanza - Limbo
  5. Chromeo - Replacements (feat. La Roux)
  6. Roosevelt - Rising
  7. Hikari Mitsushima & Mondo Grosso - Shadow Dance
  8. Kllo - Affection
  9. Daughter - Be On Your Way
  10. Blur - The Narcissist
  11. Miss Grit - Nothing's Wrong
  12. King Krule - That Is My Life, That Is Yours
  13. Roísín Murphy - What Not To Do (Moodymann Remix)
  14. Kiefer - It's OK, B U
  15. Astrid Engberg & Mo Latte - On Time
  16. Rival Consoles - Coda
  17. Janus Rasmussen & David Bergmüller - Ado
  18. Hinako Omori - Czanotype Memories
  19. Kloxii Li - Silver Lotus
  20. Braids - Apple
  21. Eydís Evensen - Tranquillant
  22. Hania Rani & Patrick Watson - Dancing With Ghosts
  23. Akira Kosemura - Lasting Memories

Nntn

  1. Telefon Tel Aviv - standing at the bottom of the ocean;
  2. HVOB - A List
  3. Christian Löffler - Ry
  4. Janus Rasmussen - Lilla
  5. John Tejada - Performance Review
  6. Kelly Lee Owens - Let It Go
  7. Roosevelt - Falling Back
  8. Lake Malawi - Friend of a Friend
  9. Vök - Autopilot
  10. Chlöe Howl - Millionaire
  11. Com Truise - Existence Schematic
  12. Kllo - Back To You
  13. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Spinning Song
  14. Nils Frahm - Sweet Little Lie
  15. Apparat - Outlier
  16. Amanda Palmer - The Ride

8Teen

  1. St. Vincent - Slow Disco (Piano Version)
  2. Ólafur Arnalds - undir
  3. Sylvan Esso - Funeral Singers (feat. Collections of Colonies of Bees)
  4. DJ Koze - Muddy Funster (feat. Kurt Wagner)
  5. Maya Jane Coles - Waves & Whirlwinds
  6. Kllo - Potential
  7. Kiasmos & Högni - Zebra
  8. AyOwA - Insomnia
  9. Roosevelt - Under the Sun
  10. Christine and the Queens - Girlfriend (feat. Dâm-Funk)
  11. Laing - Nein
  12. KATE NV - кто WHO
  13. Mia Diekow - Die Ozeane sterben
  14. Soap&Skin - Creep
  15. Nils Frahm - My Friend The Forest

Seven Of Ten

The name was inspired by one of my favourite characters from Star Trek (yes, I think you can call me a geek, after all) – and this even in a year that was all about Star Wars… Anyway, here is my “best of 2017” compilation for you.

  1. Kllo – Virtue
  2. The XX – On Hold
  3. Kiasmos – Blurred
  4. Goldfrapp – Anymore
  5. Portico Quartet – A Luminous Beam
  6. Mount Kimbie – Blue Train Lines (feat. King Krule)
  7. Com Truise – Isostasy
  8. Thievery Corporation – Letter to the Editor (feat. Racquel Jones)
  9. Tycho – See (feat. Beacon)
  10. Roosevelt – Colours
  11. Little Dragon – High
  12. Sylvan Esso – Die Young
  13. Kelly Lee Owens – S.O.
  14. Sampha – Plastic 100°C
  15. Bonobo – Break Apart (feat. Rhye)
  16. HVOB & Winston Marshall – The Blame Game
  17. Högni – Komdu Með

Sixteen Songs

Sixteen Songs – plus one bonus track... This year was probably filled with as much exciting and good new music as all the years before. But for some reason that I cannot find out why, there was much less music that stuck with me and impressed me enough to include in the yearly compilation. So, I thought, why not limit myself to a much smaller number of songs than I usually pack into my best of? It wasn’t exactly a “Sweet Sixteen” either (think: Brexit, Trump elected for President, Bowie, Cohen passed away…), which you can hear in the mix too.

And, as I’ve done in similar ways before, there is one song that hasn’t been released this year, so it technically shouldn’t be on here. But it is from an album that I only discovered this year and that meant a lot to me during the year. It inspired me to a lot of the music I made myself, and it was comforting when I needed it. So, there goes Kiasmos, who should have been in the mix already two years ago!

Also, as in previous years, this is not meant to be a ranking chart, but much rather put into a flow, like an album.

  1. Beacon – IM U
  2. Poliça – Berlin
  3. Operators – Cold Light
  4. Warpaint – New Song
  5. Wild Beasts – Alpha Female
  6. Moderat – Ghostmother
  7. Throwing Snow – Seren
  8. Sylvan Esso – Radio
  9. Plaid – Melifer
  10. Com Truise – Sunspot
  11. De La Soul – Pain (feat. Snoop Dogg)
  12. NAO – Bad Blood
  13. Jessy Lanza – Going Somewhere
  14. Massive Attack – The Spoils (feat. Hope Sandoval)
  15. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Distant Sky
  16. Ólafur Arnalds & Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir – Particles
  17. Kiasmos – Thrown

Foffteihn

Foffteihn (northern Low-German for “15”, also used as synonym for a short break during work) is the name of my best-of music compilation of the year 2015.

  1. Nils Frahm – Ode
  2. Laing – Wechselt die Beleuchtung
  3. Funkstörung – Laid Out (feat. Anothr)
  4. Lapalux – Don’t Mean a Thing
  5. MG – Pinking
  6. Holly Herndon – Interference
  7. Alight – Laudanum
  8. HVOB – Window
  9. Tim Green – Against The Clock
  10. Audion – Dem Howl feat. Troels Abrahamsen
  11. The Chemical Brothers – Go
  12. Rex The Dog – Sicko
  13. Yppah – Separate Ways Forever
  14. Howling – Signs
  15. Romare – Jimmy’s Lament
  16. Everpure – Paris feat. Mole (Everpuremix)
  17. Kelela – Rewind
  18. NAO – Apple Cherry
  19. Charles Murdoch – Frogs (feat. Ta-ku, Wafia & Hak)
  20. Zero 7 – 400 Blows
  21. Portable – Surrender (feat. L_Cio)
  22. Nannou – Rain Complex

Twentyfourteen

Here is my personal best of 2014. As usual, this is not a ranking hit list, but rather a compilation, where the idea is to create a musical flow from start to end – much rather like in songwriting or in a DJ set.

Check out the playlist below. There are some great videos for some of the songs. In general though, I prefer audio-only, since I am not a very visual person and enjoy my own personal movie when I listen to the songs.

  1. HTRK – Give It Up
  2. FKA Twigs – Two Weeks
  3. Holly Herndon – Chorus
  4. Rumpistol – Asleep
  5. Com Truise – Mind
  6. Deft – Emeralds
  7. Submotion Orchestra – City Lights
  8. Bonobo – Duals
  9. Biome – Alternate
  10. Gerwin – Jealousy Cure
  11. Beacon – Fault Lines
  12. Operators – Ancient
  13. GusGus – Another Life
  14. Throwing Snow – Avarice
  15. Hockeysmith – Hesitate
  16. Warpaint – Love Is To Die
  17. Tycho – Awake
  18. alt-J – Hunger Of The Pine
  19. TOKiMONSTA – Realla (feat. Anderson Paak)
  20. Chet Faker – Release Your Problems
  21. Sylvan Esso – Coffee
  22. Niels Frevert – Das mit dem Glücklichsein ist relativ
  23. The Notwist – Casino
  24. Wild Beasts – Nature Boy
  25. Little Dragon – Cat Rider
  26. Band Ane – 9520 DK, At Night

Thirteen

The year 2013 in music – for me – in all its glory. The compilation’s title is an homage to my favourite character in the tv series House. Well, what can I say?

As always, remember to support the artists by buying the music directly from them, their labels or, if that is not possible, check out the good chaps from Bandcamp. There, you can purchase and download music at best quality and at very reasonable prices.

  1. Astrid Engberg – Life Goes On
  2. Blue Hawaii – Follow
  3. Shlohmo – Out Of Hand
  4. Shigeto – Detroit Part 1
  5. Toro Y Moi – So Many Details
  6. Lapalux – Without You
  7. Jessy Lanza – 5785021
  8. Falty DL – For Karme
  9. Locust – Strobes
  10. Margaret Berger – I Feed You My Love
  11. Veto – Battle
  12. I LOVE MCHN DRM – 24 Step
  13. Letherette – After Dawn
  14. Everpure – Forty Stories
  15. Mia Diekow – Black Beauty
  16. Everything Everything – Don’t Try
  17. Moderat – Bad Kingdom
  18. Maya Jane Coles – Fall From Grace (feat. Catherine Pockson)
  19. Jon Hopkins – Open Eye Signal
  20. Boards Of Canada – Reach For The Dead
  21. Mount Kimbie – Made To Stray
  22. DJ Koze – Homesick feat. Ada
  23. Soosh – Uncertain (feat. Carmel Khavari)
  24. Poliça – Tiff (feat Justin Vernon)
  25. Bonobo – First Fires
  26. Submotion Orchestra – Broken World
  27. Tricky – Nothing’s Changed (feat. Francesca Belmonte)
  28. FKA twigs – How’s That
  29. Kelela – A Lie [Prod. Bok Bok]
  30. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Push the Sky Away

The Year Of The Dragon

2012 was the Chinese Year of the Dragon, hence the name. And this is the music that inspired me during the year – and still does!

  1. Nils Frahm – You
  2. Hannah Schneider – For The Trees
  3. Kwes. – Bashful
  4. Grasscut – Cut Grass
  5. Yppah – Film Burn (feat. Anomie Belle)
  6. The Invisible – Wings
  7. alt-J (∆) – Tessellate
  8. Rumpistol & Red Baron – I’m Not Listening
  9. Rangleklods – Clouds (Troels Abrahamsen Remix)
  10. Photek – Azymuth
  11. Scuba – DSY Chn
  12. Veto – Four to the Floor
  13. Bloc Party – Octopus (RAC Remix)
  14. Zilla Og Tomas – Under Samme Himmel (Everpuremix)
  15. Jody Wisternoff – How You Make Me Smile (Original Mix)
  16. Deft – Loqux & Past
  17. Saschienne – Unknown
  18. Penny Police – All That Stuff (Sun Glitters Remix)
  19. Holy Other – (W)here
  20. ASC – Glass Walls
  21. Plan B – Falling Down
  22. Kendrick Lamar – Swimming Pools (Drank) [Extended Version]
  23. Terry Tester – Sparkle (feat. Verb Ink)
  24. Frank Ocean – Thinkin Bout You
  25. Submotion Orchestra – Blind Spot
  26. Bat for Lashes – A Wall
  27. The Album Leaf – Low Down
  28. The Cinematic Orchestra – Necrology
  29. Mike Sheridan – Brokvarteret
  30. Suzanne Vega- World Before Columbus

Taken By 2011

2011 was the year when Lena tried to win the Eurovision Song Contest again. She didn’t win, but she definitely had the coolest song of all, which earns her the reference in this year’s mixtape title.

  1. Low B – Whealer Dealer Healer
  2. James Blake – Limit to Your Love
  3. Emika – Count Backwards
  4. Rumpistol – Through All This Madness
  5. Sinusstøv – When You Say A
  6. Lena – Taken By a Stranger
  7. 13 & God – Old Age
  8. The Belligerents – Such A Crime
  9. Veto – Slowres
  10. Wild Beasts – Plaything
  11. Washed Out – Eyes Be Closed
  12. Lamb – Butterfly Effect
  13. Submotion Orchestra – Backchat
  14. Burial – NYC
  15. Kode 9 & Space Ape – Neon Red Sign
  16. Thievery Corporation – Culture of Fear
  17. Beastie Boys – Make Some Noise
  18. Katy B – Katy On a Mission
  19. Stereo MCs – Far Out Feeling
  20. Photek – Closer
  21. GusGus – Be With Me Now
  22. Camille Jones – Now You Know
  23. Earth – One More Reason
  24. Extrawelt – Yummy_Unbroken
  25. Isolée – Taktell
  26. Ada – Faith
  27. Mogwai – You’re Lionel Ritchie
  28. Robag Wruhme – Fusspause

I Could Have Loved 2010

Here is my best-of compilation for the year 2010. The lyrics of the opener contain the line that still gives me shivers down the spine, so there goes the title. It seems, I found so much music that I couldn’t limit myself. This is my longest mix so far, it just never stops...

  1. Marie-Louise Munck – The Birds Fly Up
  2. Troels Abrahamsen – Edge
  3. Bonobo – Eyesdown
  4. Lamb – She Walks (Snowed In Mix)
  5. RebekkaMaria – Corollaceous
  6. Gorillaz Feat. Snoop Dogg – Welcome To The World Of The Plastic Beach
  7. Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band – Polish Border (feat. Karin Park)
  8. Pantha du Prince – Stick To My Side
  9. Röyksopp – The Drug
  10. Scuba – Before
  11. Mescalin, Baby – The Ostrich (Everpuremix)
  12. Darkstar – Two Chords
  13. Massive Attack – Flat Of The Blade
  14. Spejderrobot – Der Er Krabbens Bevægelser Og Der Er Togets
  15. Portishead – Chase the Tear
  16. Plan B – The Recluse (Nero Remix)
  17. The Album Leaf – Stand Still
  18. Superpitcher – Friday Night
  19. GusGus – Thin Ice (Video Edit)
  20. Kele – Tenderoni
  21. Morgan Page – Fight For You
  22. Robert Babicz – Darkflower (Fever Mix)
  23. Underworld – Always Loved a Film
  24. Robyn – Dancing On My Own
  25. Shakira – Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) {feat. Freshlyground}
  26. Ellie Goulding – Salt Skin
  27. Sade – Soldier Of Love
  28. Johnny Cash – Ain’t No Grave
  29. Lou Rhodes – One Good Thing
  30. Lena Jensen – Astrofobi
  31. Antony & The Johnsons – Salt Silver Oxygen
  32. Agnes Obel – Close Watch

The Sound Of 2009

Also in my second year of compiling, I didn’t seem to be very creative with my titles. Well, it’s all about the music, isn’t it? There is actually one peculiar thing about this mix: I couldn’t find the right order of songs. I tried and tried and tried and it’d never work. So I decided in the end that I’d just sort them by song titles – and it worked!

  1. Band Ane – Alma Krathus
  2. Xenia Beliayeva – Analog Effekt
  3. Antony & The Johnsons – Another World
  4. Telefon Tel Aviv – The Birds
  5. Imogen Heap – Canvas
  6. Det Sejler I Effekter – Cease & Sekkle
  7. Depeche Mode – Come Back (pitchfork.tv Exclusive)
  8. Fischerspooner – Danse En France
  9. Troels Abrahamsen – End Scene (Everpuremix)
  10. Pearl Jam – The Fixer
  11. Wild Beasts – The Fun Powder Plot
  12. Zero 7 – Ghost sYMbOL
  13. Julian Plenti – Girl on the sporting news
  14. Fever Ray – If I Had A Heart
  15. Iggy Pop – Je Sais Que Tu Sais
  16. Little Boots – Meddle (Tenori – On Piano Version)
  17. Birk Storm – Pause for Music
  18. Massive Attack – Pray for Rain
  19. William Orbit – Radioharp
  20. Zoot Woman – Saturation
  21. Röyksopp – Silver Cruiser
  22. Soap&Skin – Sleep
  23. Lawrence – Sunrise
  24. The Beatles – Tomorrow Never Knows
  25. Jon Hopkins – Vessel
  26. Moby – Walk With Me
  27. Extrawelt – Was Übrig Bleibt
  28. Phoenix – 1901

The Sound Of 2008

Here is the first of my “official” best-of compilations. In 2008, it seems I wasn’t as obsessed with finding new music as I seem to be these days sometimes. Clearly the shortest mix so far… But brevity is the soul of wit, some say.

  1. Booka Shade – Outskirts
  2. Sascha Funke – Mango
  3. Spleen United – My Jungle Heart
  4. Stereo MC’s – The Here & Now
  5. Miss Kittin – Solidasarockstar
  6. Santogold – Starstruck
  7. The Faint – Get Seduced
  8. Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor
  9. Oh Land – Audition Day
  10. Emiliana Torrini – Gun
  11. Veto – Duck, Hush And Be Still
  12. Everpure – Caught In A Spiderweb
  13. The Notwist – Gravity
  14. Oh My Rebecca! – Unique
  15. Rumpistol – Transit
  16. Fujiya & Miyagi – Knickerbockers
  17. Lichter – Leerer Raum
  18. Bomb The Bass – Butter Fingers
  19. Camille Jones – Out Of Fire
  20. Moto Boy – Young Love
  21. Tricky – Joseph
  22. Scarlett Johansson – Song For Jo
  23. Sigur Rós – Fljótavík
  24. Portishead – Threads