BEST OF NOVEMBER 2020: TOP 5’S OF THE MONTH

Kicking this hell of a music month off with a little house/disco vibes. Max Styler has been making moves this year, dropping his sophomore album Body High back in April on RL Grime’s label Sable Valley, the future of house music looks bright with Max at the helm. Something Beautiful is a club anthem. Starting off with slightly dark vibes, it’s only when that classic house synth kicks in in the second verse that you’ll find your head involuntarily bobbin to the beat. For the 24 year old Cali native, the future looks very beautiful.

An electronic music legend, Bonobo is a true king of ambience. He has this incredible ability to evoke introspectiveness upon the listener with his songs and sounds. But he’s not alone with possessing this talent. So why not team up with another artist who holds this similar talent in Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs? The duo’s collab Heartbreak was my second favorite song released in the month of September, so it’s only appropriate their follow-up, 6000 Ft., made this months list. The melancholic melody that drive the track at the beginning gets you in that previously mentioned introspective mood. But once that counter melody hits with its hopeful progression, I was hooked. But to be fair, I can’t think of a Bonobo song that hasn’t blown me away.

What could quite possibly be the chillest song of 2020, Satin Jackets’ take on Tycho’s song Japan is a magical four minutes. Borrowing Saint Sinner’s vocals from the original mix, I get intense Dido vibes from her voice which explains that mystical vibe felt throughout the song. Satin Jackets’ rendition just perfects the song. He’s able to maintain the original feel of the song while adding even more emotion.

I had a stupid hard time deciding the rankings of these next two as they’ve both beeen on constant replay for me this month. Both fantastic songs, just different vibes. But alas, the number 2 spot this month is still an absolute banger. Rarely does a remix capture the magic of the original while adding its own taste and novel attitude. Robotaki nailed it here. Vibey and funky, the bassline helps drive track with the incredible acapella. It’s like Robotaki was given the puzzle pieces from RAC and fit them all together in a brand new way. Lovin’ this.

The Chicago music scene is absolutely on fire right now. And while you may be saying, “Oh, you mean the city that produced artists like Kanye, Chance, Vic Mensa,…”, I’m talkin’ about a little something called rock. I guess indie-rock would be the best label, but regardless, it’s something to keep your eye on and Liam Kazar is at the helm. With only his SECOND official release under the name, On a Spanish Dune is musical masterpiece. Combining elements from rock, country, indie, and electronic msuic, Kazar’s debut follow-up makes it known he’s a serious artist to keep your eyes on. His first song, Shoes Too Tight, was my second favorite track released in April. And while this track’s slower and more melancholic than the uplifting vibes of Shoes Too Tight, it feels like Kazar is proving a point; he’s here to take over. 

A short but VERY sweet two song EP from some of dance music’s hottest stars on the scene now, Yotto and Cassian perfect their ethereal vibes with Inter and Grains. A little lighter vibes than the expected darker ones you’d expect from this pair, this is a great intro for anyone looking to get into the more “intelligent” side of dance music.

A 29 track album from the Dutch (for the final time) duo is the perfect send-off to half of the group. After 5 years together, the pair are amicably splitting, but not without releasing their most creative, advanced album yet. Always willing to blend the lines of pop and electronic, DROELOE’s album here is essentially a showcase of their talent. While unfortunate the pair are splitting, it’ll be interesting to follow them both on their future endeavors.

If you (or anybody for that matter) reads these posts, you know Rome in Silver is a favorite of mine. Apart from being just an overall good dude, he’s also insanely talented at this music production thing. Forever Flame is a tasty little resume building EP from the Huntington Beach native. 2020 was a huge year for Mr. Silver with HUGE things expected in the future.

The Australian sibling duo has a knack for those vocal-driven, smooth, dark, dance vibes. First Contact is proof of this expertise and should silence any naysayers believing they’d fade out. It’s subjective to call music “intelligent”, but I’m having a hard time picking any other adjective as to describe this collection of tracks.

ANOTHER Chicago based musician absolutely defining the future of music, Knox Fortune was a tiny blimp on my radar before listening to this album. Having been featured on another Chicago-artist-you-may-have-heard-of’s chart topping song “All Night” (yes, that Chance the Rapper), Knox Fortune was briefly thrust into the national spotlight. Four years later, Knox Fortune delivers with his sophomore album that is close to pure perfection. Going in blind, the intro song immediately caught my attention. And then the next, and the next…and the next. To be honest, one of the easiest and enjoyable albums I’ve had the pleasure to listen to this year. 9.5/10 from me.