2006: An off-kilter round-up

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about my taste in music. As a child, I think I listened to everything that I could lay my filthy hands on. That is, I know, not very selective. I would enjoy heavy metal and eurotrash with no real distinction. The only thing that mattered was who influenced me, who inspired me to go and reach that music. Above all, I feel music was my way to communicate with people. When I danced; when I experienced, I felt like I was connecting with other people.

Looking at what 2006 was for me, as posted on RA:

01. Depeche Mode - The Sinner In Me (Ricardo Villalobos Conclave Remix) [Mute]
02. Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler [Kitsune]
03. Jesse Rose - Evening Standard [Dubsided]
04. Hot Chip - No Fit State [EMI]
05. Booka Shade - In White Rooms [Get Physical]
06. Padded Cell - Are You Anywhere? [DC]
07. The Emperor Machine - Yes No Egg [DC]
08. Stefan Goldamnn - Sleepy Hollow [Innervisions]
09. Gabriel Ananda - Ihre Personliche Gluksmelodie (Dominik Eulberg Remix) [Karmarouge]
10. In Flagranti - Uncanny Hinting [Codek]
11. L.S.B - Original Highway Delight (Mungolian Jetset Remix) [Eskimo]
12. Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks (Beyond The Wizards Sleeve Re-edit) [Wichita]
13. Quiet Village Project - Circus Of Horrors [Whatever We Want]
14. Nick Chacona - Through The Door [20:20 Vision]
15. Betty Botox - Music Is Music [Botox]
16. Sly Mongoose - Snakes And Ladder (Rub N Tug Remix) [Mule Musiq]
17. Guillemots - Trains To Brazil [Fantastic Plastic]
18. Guy Gerber & Shlomi Aber - Sea Of Sand [Cocoon]
19. Antena - Camino Del Sol (Joakim Remix) [Permanent Vacation]
20. Skream - Midnight Request Line [Tempa]

Erm, for some reason the list lacks JT's 'My Love', but that's really not the point. The point is, looking at that list, and other peoples year-end lists - it feels like with the plethora of music, blogs, online magazines and whatnot - everyone has more or less the same tastes. And what does that say about the legitmacy of idiosyncratic taste in 2006? A pretty scary thought. As we try to reach maximum individualism, we more and more converge to being a huge, faceless, boring society. Just like everyone has a goddamn iPod, everyone uses MySpace, google and flickr-- the internet is supposedly the broadest and most weirdness-embracing place in the world, but it just ironically the opposite.

I really feel like if everyone enjoys 'Full Clip', 'Over & Over', 'Golden Skans' and 'Phantom' the same, then we're all the same person. If you like everything - you don't actually like anything. I will proclaim about myself that I did have my 'Seeing Through Shadows' bits, I did have those celestial 'Shinijuku' snaps, but I don't think it really is me. When you enjoy every dish people serve you, you kind of forget who you really are. I won't lie, I did sometimes force myself to understand music I don't usually understand, I don't think it's pretentious to want to expand your horizons-- but seriously, there's more to music and taste than globally enjoying it: so what if you're a kid in Sao Paulo enjoying that Audion track your Chilean friend YSI'd just for you? you have to, er, find your real roots.

So when I think of myself in 2007, I wish I could focus more on the less critically acclaimed and more personally cherished. This year I think I discovered disco to its almost fullest effect (and with this wonderful book I'm reading, 'Turn The Beat Around: The Secret History of Disco' by Peter Shapiro, it's just getting more and more fascinating) - and I plan on continue doing so. I also went back from electro to house, from house to disco and possibly I'll venture from disco to funk and jazz. The rawer I go, the better the sounds are. I also went back from minimal techno, which was greatly inspired by Richie Hawtin and his label m_nus this year, to Detroit techno. The future for me? dubbier, spacier, rawer, bassier and of course - discofied.

Anyway, this came out a little longer than I expected, and I restrained myself a bit too - I am not too sure if this is the right platform for this type of babble (it's probably, though, the perfect one). Maybe one day I'll write as emotionally as I really am about this subject.

While I was struggling between global and local tastes (glocalization, I believe), a good friend of mine who wants to remain nameless (but agreed to be called Superbadger for this post), gave me this mixtape he made of his own unadulterated retrospective of 2006. I am posting it for two reasons: it really is HIS *taste*, which is, you gotta agree - quite rare these days - and, it's quite brilliant. The sharp-eyed would relate this to the beardo disco/nu-disco fashion of recent times, but it's more of his own private retrospective than a fad thingy.

With all the proper modesty involved (it's indeed spectacular): be you a Pitchfork snob, a Sherburne wannabe, an electro-dance hysteria decadence advocate, a stuck-up psuedo-indie hipster, or just a confused guy - take a break of all that, open your mind and ears, and let this fine selection hijack your prejudices.

2006: A Retrospective Made By a Fool (Zshare)

Tracklisting:

Intro (Sam Cooke)
Metalchicks - Tears for fears/Conspiracy
Elvis Presley - Crying in The Chapel (Edit)
Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons - Beggin' (Pilooski Edit)
Andrew Weatherall - La Sirena
Justin Timberlake - My Love (DFA Remix)
Todd Terje/Paul Simon - Diamonds Dub
Bee Gees - Jive Talking (Todd Terje Re-Edit)
Djuma Soundsystem - Les Djinns (Trentemoller Remix)
Atlantic Conveyor - Open Your Soul (Music Box Mix)
LSB - Original Highway Delight (Mungolian Jetset Miami Camp Mix)
Skatebaard - June Nights South of Siena
Fram - Unatural High
Fuckaponydelic - Switch The Lights
DJ Tameil/Kraftwerk - Trans-Newark Express
Tittsworth - 4 Tops
Breakout - Planet Rock (Part 2)
Outro (Pilooski - Can't There Be Love)