TranscendNoise

10. Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul – Topical Dancer Rarely do dance music centered albums come along with such political urgency. Topical Dancer follows in the line of Arular and Kala , the first two M.I.A outings that were aural and political lighter fuel. Charlotte Adigery and Bolis Pupul magically switch from tongue in cheek moments in “Esperanto” to sarcasm in “Blenda”. Lyrics like “Siri, can you tell me where I belong” or “You’re the Columbus to my America” on “Thank You” not only make you chuckle, they encapsulate the strange awareness of a POC living in a dominantly white culture. Topical Dancer handles these moments of alienation with comedy, but never uses laughter as a cheap thrill. Tracks like “Reappropiate” and “Ich Mwen” grapple with the intersections of race and sexuality in an honest manner. “Ich Mwen” prominently features Charlotte’s mother, the singer Christiane Adigery in a heart to heart of mother and child, touching upon self-care, motherhood, and the stra...

80. The Weeknd – Wasted Times (My Dear Melancholy,) The old mixtape Weeknd will never return, but his moody craft is still within the work of My Dear Melancholy and tracks like "Wasted Times". Heartbreak and a darker mindset are what made the Weeknd, not simply being drugged out and lustful. Here we get the best of both worlds. A springy and dynamic instrumental removed from all syrupy smugness and a spiteful and boasting Abel switching between hurting and being hurt. Amidst the poppy vibe, the dark tone of the track might be lost, but with The Weeknd´s voice and his powerful outro of “I don´t want to wake up / if you ain´t laying next to me” the strength of his sadness is as striking as in 2011. 79. Steven Julien – Roll Of The Dice (Bloodline) Apart from many themes and inspirations running through Bloodline , “Roll Of The Dice” is a beauty for its glowing love for 808 drums. Transcending a pure homage, Steven Julien unpacks the bumping and trippy...

79. High Spirits – Can You Hear Me (You Are Here) High Spirits play a very nostalgic blend of heavy metal. Although I was never really found of the originals, this one excites me thoroughly. The yearning guitar solo, the quite sentimental and simplistic lyrics – it transports one to simpler days of rock music. You Are Here by High Spirits 78. Sam Smith – Make It To Me (In The Lonely Hour) Sam Smith blew up this year. Rightfully so, as his is heartfelt pop music with a very honest and fragile vibe. Make It To Me reiterates distance and disparity in love, and everyone in an empathic state of mind will understand the longing Smith sets in motion. Sam Smith 'Make It To Me' (Live) from Lemonade Money on Vimeo . 77. Shinichi Atobe – Butterfly Effect (Butterfly Effect) I don´t listen to a lot of Japanese house/electronic musicians, but I find a similarity in Atobe and one of my favorite artists Susumu Yokota. Butterfly Effect is a lucid dance track. The c...