BEST OF SEPTEMBER 2020: TOP 5 TRACK/EPs OF THE MONTH

This dude is something special and I’m not sure why exactly. maxime. is a poster child for the indie-alternative genre. With not a large following at all, his songwriting and producing abilities create the illusion he’s a superstar. bonnie & clyde oozes maxime.’s talent in every second of the song. Complex, yet organized, this track seems to be the musician’s way of showing off what he’s got.

One of the leaders in bridging the small gap between disco, funk, and electronic music, Hermitude adds another fantastic track to his arsenal. This deep track complete with vocals from Daniel Bedingfield is sure to get you moving your feet and forcing a smile on your face. The track is driven by both its deep bassline and the vocals, but has those uplifting vibes for you to use as we quickly approach fall and winter.

The Aussie future bass producer delivers yet again with an emotional banger. The beginning sounds like any Alison Wonderland track, which almost turned me off initially. But when that that massive lead synth comes in to smack you in the face, I knew this track would be one of her more special ones. The airy drop synths give me Flume and Quiet bison vibes, which seems to be the trend future bass is headed in. AW also delivers on an artistic music video. While I’m not fully sold that Alison Wonderland is expanding from her safe sound, if this is a direction she’s considering following, I’m completely on board and have high hopes her sound will mature and grow into something very special.

Two legends bring straight 90s elecro-garage vibes on this track and I’m in love. The British producers Bonobo and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (TEED) teamed up for a collab I never knew I needed. The crisp clean drums are the obvious driver of the song, but that 90s house vocal combined with that TEED synth magic forms a track that’s full of good vibes and happy times.

Tourist with the buzzer beater to take this months top track. Released on 9/30, I was debating including it in my “Best of October” list, but this track is too goof not to share. Ethereal and ambient are Tourist’s bread and butter. The British (what are they putting in the water in Britain?) Grammy award winning producer brings some garage vibes with this song, which seems to be a trend started with his previous release Last. This rather new direction Tourist is headed is exciting as he does best when pushing boundaries outside of his comfort zone. A+ to one of my favorite producers with this track as I’m sure it will be a song to throw on during quite reflective and thought-provoking sessions.

The Brooklyn boy is back with his highly anticipated sophomore album. Gus’ songwriting abilities have propelled him to the top of the indie-pop scene recently, making me incredibly excited for this album. There are some absolute gems on this album; mainly the singles however. First Aid, Post Humorous, and Bluebird are all my standout tracks. But I hate to feel Gus fell a little short on this record by not expanding too much on his sound and songwriting. Msot songs follow the same Gus formula from his previous album and other than the standouts, the album as a whole doesn’t sound particularly unique. Still a very fun album to listen through and determine your own opinions.

If you’re looking for Diplo drops for your squad to bust down and twerk to, then this is NOT the album for you. The legend has no qualms with experimenting in his production, as is prevalent if you just look through his discography. He’ll drop a house track the same day as a trap banger only to come back with a pop hit the next week. But this album is truly something unique and special even for Diplo. Say what you want about the man, but he’s objectively an incredible producer. MMXX proves this by showing Diplo’s softer, emotional side. Entirely melodically based, you’ll never hear the slightest hint of drums or percussion on this whole album. While drums are Diplo’s usual repertoire, MMXX proves to any naysayer that Wes is elite both technically and musically. An unexpected yet impressive album to a man who has not needed to make a point in quite some time. Just all for the love of music.

Prepare yourself to get introspective. The incredibly talented Shlohmo blesses us with a masterpiece of an EP. Shlohmo’s style is evident just with one listen through. He bends the idea’s of structure and arrangement in electronic music, paving his own road for unique and wonky pieces. While the song’s sounds may be alien, the emotions Shlohmo is able to conjure to listeners are very familiar. Nostalgic, dark vibes somehow clearly squeeze there way through the seemingly random assortment of electronic sounds he produces with. But placement is crucial and what may sound random to you is strategically layered to give you some of the best production in the scene.

Another highly anticipated sophomore album on the list, this time from rising pop superstar and former YouTube prankster Joji. His debut album, Ballads1, was an instant classic and one of my favorites in the past decade. I had high hopes for Joji this time on Nectar. Joji has such a special and emotional voice that really sets himself apart from anyone else in the industry. Nectar is able to capitalize on that as there’s a “sad boi” theme throughout the album. I’m a sucker for sad boi tunes. But again, the best songs on this album seem to come from the previously released singles. Maybe I just need some more time for the rest of the album to sink in? Regardless, I’ve been replaying this album and it’s been such an easy record to listen through. Great work from Joji, but I still think Ballads1 sits atop of his discography ranks.