2022-01-01
Hey City Zen 2021
2021 was a year full of personal change. Despite the pandemic, it was really a very good year personally. I switched jobs, with awesome conditions and some of our work was published in great venues. It does feel good to have your work appreciated! It was also a great year for music and I even got to DJ again a little. I am sure I missed really excellent stuff, but here is the best City Zen of the year that made my radar. Top 40 Albums, Top 110 Tracks, Top 30 Remixes/Edits (from E-Trash's DJ sets), Live albums and EPs. The top tracks and remixes are assembled in a Spotify List as well.
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Top 40 Albums of 2021
Grouped alphabetically in 5 groups below.Diamond Cut
There were 4 albums that stood above the rest. I guess they are all a bit melancholic, reflecting the stressful times. This year, unlike last year and with the exception of the phenomenal Hanna Reid from London Grammar, I was most moved to the core by male acts.
James Blake – Friends that break your heart
Sam Fender – Seventeen Going Under
London Grammar – Californian Soil
Moullinex – Requiem for Empathy
Platinum Set
These 6 albums, coming from very distinct genres, perhaps reflecting a year that was all over the place, are excellent from beginning to end and I could not get enough of them:
Benny Sings
– Music
Gorgon City – Olympia
Halsey – If I can’t have love, I want power
Jungle – Loving in Stereo
Little Simz – Sometimes I Might be Introvert
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson.Paak) – An evening with Silk Sonic
Gorgon City – Olympia
Halsey – If I can’t have love, I want power
Jungle – Loving in Stereo
Little Simz – Sometimes I Might be Introvert
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson.Paak) – An evening with Silk Sonic
Gold Circle
Adele – 30
Claptone – Closer
Claptone – Closer
Lana Del Rey – Blue Banister
Flight Facilities – FOREVER
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & the London Symphony Orchestra – Promises
Parcels – Day/Night
Prince – Welcome 2 America
Rhye – Home
Scrimshire – Nothing feels like everything
Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs
Flight Facilities – FOREVER
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & the London Symphony Orchestra – Promises
Parcels – Day/Night
Prince – Welcome 2 America
Rhye – Home
Scrimshire – Nothing feels like everything
Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs
Caetano Veloso – Meu Coco
St. Vincent – Daddy’s Home
St. Vincent – Daddy’s Home
Paul Weller – Fat Pop
Silver Line
ABBA – Voyage
Booka Shade – Both
Bo Burnham – Inside (the Songs)
Booka Shade – Both
Bo Burnham – Inside (the Songs)
Duran Duran – Future Past
Turnstile – Glow On
Turnstile – Glow On
Bronze Medal
Tori Amos - Ocean to Ocean
Common – A beautiful Revolution Pt. 1& 2
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Carnage
Olivia Rodrigo – Sour
Towa Tei – LP
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Carnage
Olivia Rodrigo – Sour
Towa Tei – LP
Best Collections and Box Sets of 2021
David Bowie – Brilliant Adventure (1992-2001)
Aretha Franklin - Aretha 4CD box set
Rita Lee & Roberto – Classic Remix Vols. I, II, III
Various Artists – Rusty Egan Presents Blitzed
Various Artists – Italians Do It Better
Aretha Franklin - Aretha 4CD box set
Rita Lee & Roberto – Classic Remix Vols. I, II, III
Various Artists – Rusty Egan Presents Blitzed
Various Artists – Italians Do It Better
Best Live Albums of 2021
Still not enough live shows, so these albums kept that feeling alive:David Bowie – Live at the Phoenix Festival 1997
Madonna – Madame X (Music From the Theater Xperience)
Rosa Passos – Live in Copenhagen
Madonna – Madame X (Music From the Theater Xperience)
Rosa Passos – Live in Copenhagen
Nina Simone – Live at the Montreaux Jazz Festival 1976
Paul Weller – An Orchestrated Songbook with Jules Buckley & the BBC Symphony Orchestra
Amy Winehouse – At the BBC
Amy Winehouse – At the BBC
Best EPs of 2021
Five EPs were on rotation a lot, with more good tracks than many albums:
Daði Freyr – Welcome
Julien Doré – aimée encore (Album from last year, so taking new tracks as an EP)
Bellaire – Date at the Disco
Felipe Gordon – Keepin’ it Jazz
Jkriv and Peter Matson - Bigtime
Julien Doré – aimée encore (Album from last year, so taking new tracks as an EP)
Bellaire – Date at the Disco
Felipe Gordon – Keepin’ it Jazz
Jkriv and Peter Matson - Bigtime
Top 110 Tracks of 2021
I think this year deserves another 10 tracks :) The best way to display this is via a Spotify list which also includes the remixes below at the end (more or less organized, but can also be listened to at random):
Top 30 Remixes and Edits of 2021
So many great remixes and edits this year. Special mentions, first to one of my fave 2021 collections (see above): Rita Lee & Roberto – Classic Remix Vols. I, II, III, which received amazing remixes from the likes of The Reflex, Gui Boratto, Phonique, Fatnotronic, Dubdogs & Watzgood, and many others. Also amazing work by Scrimshire who remixed The Milk's entire 2020 album Cages with great results.
Looking at individual tracks, there were definitely 6 above the rest, which took the original into another place of excellence. All remixes, edits and mashups below elevate the originals either into a whole different place, a distilled essence, or simply make it work so well on the dance floor. It is great when a track has two great lives, which is a remix at its best:
Bellaire – French Coast (Folamour Remix)
James Curd feat. Natasha Lillith – 1000 years (Phunkadelica Remix)
Deichkind – Autonom (Dixon Edit)
Paul McCartney – Find my Way (Beck Reimagined Version)
Milk, The – The Great Sorrow (Scrimshire Remix)
Deichkind – Autonom (Dixon Edit)
Paul McCartney – Find my Way (Beck Reimagined Version)
Milk, The – The Great Sorrow (Scrimshire Remix)
The remaining awesome remixes alphabetically:
BaianaSystem feat. António Carlos & Jocafi – Água (Diogo Strauz & Jkriv Remix)
Blu DeTiger – Vintage (Flight Facilities Remix)
Bob Dylan – Jokerman (Reggae Remix and Instrumental Dub by Doctor Dread)
Chromatics, The – Shadow (Maceo Plex Remix)
Blu DeTiger – Vintage (Flight Facilities Remix)
Bob Dylan – Jokerman (Reggae Remix and Instrumental Dub by Doctor Dread)
Chromatics, The – Shadow (Maceo Plex Remix)
Marco Faraone & Greeko – Armaghetton (Jansons Extended Remix)
Gorgon City – Dreams (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix)
Gorgon City – Dreams (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix)
Alexia Gredy – Vertigo (Yuksek Remix)
Daryl Hall & John Oates – I can’t go for that (Nicolaas Remix)
Hot Streak – Body Work (Dr. Packer Remix)
Jungle Fire – Atómico (Felipe Gordon Remix)
Hot Streak – Body Work (Dr. Packer Remix)
Jungle Fire – Atómico (Felipe Gordon Remix)
Rita Lee & Roberto – Mania de Você (Dubdogs & Watzgood Remix)
London Grammar - Lord it’s a Feeling (High Contrast Remix)
Metronomy – Everything goes my way (Anna Prior Remix)
Morcheeba – You killed our love (BOYOCA Remix)
London Grammar - Lord it’s a Feeling (High Contrast Remix)
Metronomy – Everything goes my way (Anna Prior Remix)
Morcheeba – You killed our love (BOYOCA Remix)
Roisin Murphy – Shellfish Mademoiselle (Paul Woolford Remix)
Giorgio Moroder – I wanna rock you (Tom Novy Extended Remix)
Polo & Pan Feat. Channel Tres – Tunnel (Tim Paris Remix)
Purple Disco Machine – Playbox (Alex Virgo Remix)
Rhye – Black Rain (Jayda G Remix)
Rolling Stones – Sympathy for the Devil (LUXXURY Pleased 2 Meet U Edit)
Sam Ruffillo – Danza Organica (Musumeci remix)
Stone Foundation feat. Paul Weller – Deeper Love (Opolopo Remix)
Polo & Pan Feat. Channel Tres – Tunnel (Tim Paris Remix)
Purple Disco Machine – Playbox (Alex Virgo Remix)
Rhye – Black Rain (Jayda G Remix)
Rolling Stones – Sympathy for the Devil (LUXXURY Pleased 2 Meet U Edit)
Sam Ruffillo – Danza Organica (Musumeci remix)
Stone Foundation feat. Paul Weller – Deeper Love (Opolopo Remix)
Labels: #2021, #BestOf, #Music
# posted by Luis Rocha @ 14:13 
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