9 of the best – sounds of 2020

The strangest of years, but Samuelsounds keep going. Once again, no Christmas hiatus year and today I gift you my favourite tracks of 2020. The sounds are in no particular order and are, as ever, limited by what I’ve heard…

Jay Electronica feat. Jay-Z – Ghost of Soulja Slim

Phoebe Bridgers – Kyoto

Gorillaz feat. Peter Hook & GEoRGiA ‎- Aries

SAULT – Strong

Declan McKenna – Be An Astronaut

Ethan P. Flynn – What You Do To Me

Khruangbin – So We Won’t Forget

The Districts – Hey Jo

Tame Impala – One More Year

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Honourable mentions also go to: The Strokes for ‘Ode To The Mets‘; Ben Seretan for ‘Power Zone‘; Moses Sumney for ‘Cut Me‘; Ludwig Göransson for ‘Foils‘; Caroline Rose for ‘Feel The Way I Want‘; Jacob Banks ‘Devil That I Know‘; Run The Jewels for ‘Ooh La La‘; Labrinth for ‘Imagination‘; Faye Webser for ‘In A Good Way‘; Fiona Apple for ‘I Want You To Love Me‘; Angelo De Augustine for ‘Santa Barbara‘; Retirement Party for ‘Runaway Dog‘; M!R!M for ‘Another Life Another Time‘; and Chubby & The Gang – Chubby and The Gang Rule OK?.

Jay Electronica feat. The Bullitts ‎- Run and Hide (2011)

YouTube – No Spotify – No iTunes – Discogs

In 2009, after the release of ‘Exhibit C‘, Jay Electronica was hailed as rap’s second coming. Earlier this year, he finally released his “debut” album A Written Testimony. Fans and critics have had to wait for oh so long and it could have been different.  Almost 11 years after its intended release date, hackers leaked his “lost’ album online this month. Act II: The Patents of Nobility and all of its influence and foresight is available via Tidal. One of its singles, ‘Run and Hide’ was doing the rounds in 2011 at about the same time that Electronica was also working with The Bullitts (and Lucy Liu) on ‘Close Your Eyes’. I love its use of Bowie’s ‘Quicksand’. Electronica would have done more that save rap and hip-hop if he had released his music more quickly.

Jay Electronica feat. Jay-Z – Ghost of Soulja Slim (2020)

YouTube – Amazon – iTunes – Discogs

16 years after ‘Renaissance Man‘ and 11 after the show-stopping ‘Exhibit C‘, Jay Electronica (“Jay Elec-Hannukah/Jay Elec-Yarmulke/Jay Elect-Ramadaan Muhammad Asalaamica/Rasoul Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala through your monitor”) finally delivers an album. The God MC released A Written Testimony on Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label last month. The album’s first real track ‘Ghost of Soulja Slim’ opens with Minister Louis Farrakhan quickly followed by Jay-Z and Jay Elec. The hip hop world stood still in anticipation. It does not let down.

Jay Electronica – Renaissance Man (2004)

YouTube – No Amazon – No iTunes – Discogs

In early 2008, Gilles Peterson released a podcast devoted to the rapper Jay Electronica. For a time there, he was MC royalty, “like some sort of hip-hop Jack Kerouac”. Born in New Orleans, his break came when he moved to Detroit, where he met J. Dilla. Electronica’s 2004 EP Style Wars was set to J. Dilla beats, including the opening track ‘Renaissance Man’.

9 of the best – sounds of 2009

In no particular order…

Beach House – Used To Be

Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream

Jay Electronica – Exhibit C

The Big Pink – Velvet

Julian Casablancas – 11th Dimension

Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks

Phoenix – Lisztomania

Generationals – When They Fight, They Fight

Real Estate – It’s Real

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Honourable mentions also go to:  Mayer Hawthorne for ‘Your Easy Lovin’ Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin’‘; Blue Roses for ‘Doubtful Comforts‘; The Black Eyed Peas for ‘Meet Me Halfway‘; Bibio for ‘Lovers’ Carvings‘; The xx for ‘Night Time‘; Local Natives for ‘Airplanes‘; Vib Gyor for ‘Red Lights‘, Bill Callahan for ‘Jim Cain‘ and Friendly Fires for ‘Skeleton Boy‘.

Jay Electronica – Exhibit C (2009)

YouTube – Amazon – iTunes – Discogs

“They call me Jay Electronica/Fuck that, call me Jay Elec-Hannukah/Jay Elec-Yarmulke/Jay Elect-Ramadaan Muhammad Asalaamica/Rasoul Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala through your monitor.” Try that my friends. When Jay Electronic first delivered those lines, the hip hop world stood still. The rhymes were essential. The sound was vintage. Three years later Ben Goldsmith would divorce his heiress wife Kate Rothschild because of her affair with Electronica. He had climbed the heights.