Fantastic Metropolis

A Ruff Guide

Tricky was cooler than hell when he was a part of Massive Attack. Then he released some solo and collaboration albums that put me off. So when I bought A Ruff Guide, I expected disappointment. What I got instead was a stellar disc that absolutely drips urban coolness and slinky vibe. This is a must-own CD for everyone.

Loud

Timo Maas. German trance music mixed with Fatboy Slim-style breaks and beats. Guitars on a techno album. What can I say? This is the most fun disc I bought this year.

UP

Peter Gabriel always gets a special spot in my heart, for some reason. And his latest album is a gem, showcasing all the things that make Gabriel (Oh, that must be it!) so fraggin’ cool. From distorted madness that screeches through the ears and into the brain to orchestral beauty that makes every nerve hum, this is a stellar piece of musical history. If you don’t own UP, you’re nobody.

Play

None of that Play-Part-Two titled 18 for me; Moby’s 1999 release rarely leaves the changer. And while Jeff Ford won’t like me saying it, I think Moby is one of the best electronic artists around. Infectious, fun, melodic and off-beat. Excellent stuff.

Global Underground

Global Underground is a series of 2-disc sets put out by Thrive, and each one features a superstar DJ mix that represents some city that they’ve played in. I don’t know why, but I buy every single GU release… and there’s been over twenty of them. Top talent from Paul Oakenfold to John Digweed, from newer DJs like Sebastian Fontaine to Steve Lawler, these sets run the gamut from trance to prog house, from drum-n-bass to groovy tribal house. Worth getting if you like DJs or dance music of any sort.

Epitaph

Front Line Assembly have been the industrial sound of cyberpunk for decades, and their latest offering is a masterwork of moody melodic electronica backed by thumping bass and twitchy beats. Dave McKean’s gorgeous designwork on every FLA release is a bonus as well. If you like growly industrial, FLA is the old workhorse that never lets you down. NIN and Marilyn Manson can fuck off; I’ll take the non-pop version, thanks.

Used Songs

Everyone was buzzing over Tom Waits’ double releases, Alice and Blood Money. Me? I’ll take classic Waits any day. Gimme some more Wrong Side of the Road, thanks.

postlude

There are literally hundreds of other books, movies and musicians that I could add to this list. Jeffrey Ford did great things this year, too many to list. Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet is a spectacular ‘zine that’s doing us all a service by offering up great stories. nemonymous is a killer experience. Groove Armada kicks ass. Mark Leyner writes some funny shit. Kage Baker sent me the best short story I read all year. Graham Joyce let me take him to lunch, and made me laugh until I wanted to snort my Bloody Mary. Rodger Turner at The SF Site runs the coolest… erm… sf site around. PS Publishing wins as the best publisher of the year. Steven Erikson rules. John Marco put out a staggeringly awesome reinterpretation of the King Arthur mythos, The Eyes of God. It’s been a fucking good year, in fact, and I hope the coming year is even half as good to us.

If it isn’t, you’ll hear from me.