Best of 2019

If subtlety is your thing, this is not the top 100 for you. For 2019 was the year in which the tables turned firmly towards the harder, faster and the unabashedly crowd-pleasing, with maximalism the main operating principle. The house dominance of the past few years has given way to an unholy amalgam of euphoric trance, stomping hardcore, punishing death metal, plaintive electronica and dystopian artpop.

Hard trance (somewhat of a misnomer, since it's not always particularly hard, but just has more of everything; maximalist trance might be a better name), freeform (essentially turn-of-the-century Dutch trance at 170 bpm) and modern happy hardcore have proven particularly satisfying sources of high-octane pleasure over the last year. The unsung hero of these styles appears to be a man with the improbable name of Alfie Geno Raymond Bamford, making hard trance under the name of Technikal, and hardcore/hardstyle as Technikore. Represented by a total of 8 tracks in this countdown (including the top spot), his productions truly stand out above the formulaic mainstream of each genre through their sheer, exuberant musicality. His knack for catchy, infectious riffs is unparalleled, forming a new pinnacle of the euphoric lineage.

A special mention is in order for number 2 in this year's chart: Code Black's Give You Up, an insane concoction of huge distorted hardstyle kicks, a heart-wrenching 16-bar chord progression straight out of the Bach canon, and searing diva vocals to top it all off. I can't say I've ever heard anything quite like it; maximalist dance music to the max!

Another special mention in this context goes to French collective Casual Gabberz, represented by artists Indecorum, Kurama, Krampf, Butter Bullets and Boe Strummer x Maudit, whose irreverent nu gabber served up some refreshing combinations of well-worn 90s tropes with unexpected influences from a range of different styles.

There are however plenty of other things going on in this year's chart beyond brightly coloured serotonin rushes and brash high-energy eruptions. On the sad dad house front, DJ Healer cut straight through to the heart like few others, with Planet Lonely in particular forming a dangerously potent distillation of loss and longing. Kettenkarussell, Shanti Celeste and DJ Boring navigate similar waters, plumbing serious emotional depths through small means.

There is also a fair bit of rock music this year, Rolo Tomassi has been a wonderful new discovery, mixing post-rock with all-out screamo attacks, by a female vocalist at that. The style known as melodic death metal has also finally revealed itself as something that can actually be enjoyed, with At The Gates and Bolt Thrower proving themselves the most accessible exponents to these riff-thirsty ears.

And of course, it wouldn't be a top 100 of mine without an ample selection of dead-pan leftfield electronic pop. It's been a delight to discover that there are currently several Turkish artists active within these genres, writing and performing in their native language, such as Brek, Lin Pesto and She Past Away. Brek is literally Turkey's answer to John Maus. Polish crooner Better Person was an equally delightful discovery, providing a contribution in Polish through the I-could-have-sworn-this-was-an-80s-cover-but-it's-actually-not Zakochany Człowiek.

The best video award goes to Omar Souleyman - Ya Bnayya.

The Chart

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Release Years