2010 Mix

Compared to the year-end mix I made last year, this one is a bit short on the "hits", with no Lady Gagas and David Guettas to be found. I'm fairly sure I listened to *more* pop music this year than last, but those songs didn't find their way onto this mix. I suppose I was going for a particular mood here -- a bit of variety at the start, noisy middle, soul-crushing finish -- rather than trying to present my favourite songs of 2010. I doubt any of these songs will find their way onto my P&J ballot, for instance (well, maybe one of the techno tracks will).

So why would you want to hear the mix and why did I pick these songs to "represent" 2010?

-- tracks from a number of my top ten albums of the year

-- really good tracks from good but inconsistent albums by notable artists (e.g. Autechre, Matthew Dear, Nitzer Ebb)

-- my attempt to mix together techno and Arcade Fire ... doncha know that AF use synths and you can dance to them now?

-- the fey and delicate Jonsi crushing your brain under the force of his titanic live set closer "Grow Till Tall"

-- I looped and FXed the bejeezus out of No Age's "Katerpillar", transforming it from a (far too) short 90 second interlude into a five minute noise mini-epic. I always loop it over and over when it comes up on my iPod, so why shouldn't you hear it the same way?

Tracklist:

1. Nicki Minaj, "Girls Fall Like Dominoes"
2. Caribou, "Odessa"
3. Mark van Hoen, "Soyuz A"
4. Donnacha Costello, "Roll It Out (Original Mix)"
5. Jichael Mackson, "Locus Pocus (Original)"
6. Arcade Fire, "Half Light II (No Celebration)"
7. Autechre, "Ilanders"
8. No Age, "Katerpillar"
9. Infinite Body, "Dive"
10. Yellow Swans, "Going Places"
11. Nitzer Ebb, "Going Away"
12. Matthew Dear, "Innh Dahh"
13. Eluvium, "Cease To Know"
14. Jonsi, "Grow Till Tall (live)"