So, we are a third of the way through 2011, and this blog has remained largely, well, in hibernation shall we say. However, I am now back in the surprisingly sunny climes of the United Kingdom, and we have been seemingly rather spoilt for music so far this year, with only more to come. So with that in mind, here are my Top 20 Tracks of 2011: The First Third.

[To listen to clips on YouTube, click the track names]

Kahn - Like We Used To

Relative unknown Kahn released his first 12” on Peverelist’s Punch Drunk imprint in February, and this track builds on warm waves of sound and an infectious, slightly pitched-up chopped-up vocal. The real magic happens when the vocals start to fly in from every angle and a scattered Quarta 330-style synth line begins to emerge, and the track just takes off. It also has a drop. Remember those?

The Weeknd - House Of Balloons/Glass Table Girls

The big mixtape hype this year started with the sudden appearance of an intense, claustrophobic r’n’b record from then anonymous The Weeknd. This track in particular draws heavily on Souxsie and the Banshees’ ‘Happy House’, slowing it down and layering on the atmosphere, and twisting what was already a slightly creepy chorus into a truly grim tale of debauchery. This record plays out like the musical equivalent of The Rules Of Attraction, and is as such essential. 

xxxy - You Always Start It

xxxy has been around for a while now, and this recent 12” on Doc Daneeka’s imprint shows a real progression in his dense 2-step stylings. A cyclical vocal loops over what can safely be called a thumping bassline, all the while as sounds rattle and skitter and wash in and out around it. This release marks xxxy as a real king of the arpeggiator, too. Overall, a staggering cut.

Jamie Woon - The Middle

There was quite a hefty amount of anticipation surrounding Jamie Woon’s debut, and thankfully it delivered - frankly it’s hard to do wrong with a voice as strong and smooth as Woon’s, but the real star of his record is the production, which it’s plain to see has been laboured over for quite some time. The faint layered backing vocals and serene strings sit behind a shuffling, clicking, bleeping beat, and of course, a virtuoso vocal performance from Woon. In anyone else’s hands a chorus as simple as “I can’t get enough of your love” could sound trite and, well, dull, but here it sounds achingly sincere. 

Starkey feat. Merky ACE & Kozzie - PC

With the rise of dubstep in the mainstream there is a creeping trend for grime MCs to jump on some of the harder beats, and to be fair the two styles share a lot in common. Starkey, Philly’s biggest beatsmith, has been handpicking the best grime MCs from the UK for a while now, from Durrty Goodz to P-Money, and he stands next to Joker as one of the few producers who can comfortably sit on the edge of the parapet looking down over a sea of pitch-shifted, distorted wobble and still create some absolutely crashing, yet restrained tracks. Big, brash brass chords punctuate the track here, with current King of Grime Merky ACE confidently straddling the beat, backed by the full-frontal aggression of Kozzie. This track goes seriously hard. (As with a lot of these tracks, the b-side is incredibly good as well).

Three Trapped Tigers - Cramm

Three Trapped Tigers have been an incredibly exciting band for me ever since I first heard ‘6’. This opening track off their debut record ‘Route One Or Die’, which follows a string of numbered EPs, definitely realises all of their potential - guitar lines twist and turn around each other as all manner of percussion clatters underneath, until it drops into a fucking serious groove. And I mean serious. As I write this you can stream the whole record over at NME.com, and I suggest you do so immediately. As much as I am trying my best to restrain my hyperbole these days, this is probably the best thing I’ve heard all year…

Koreless - MTI

This is simply a gorgeous little track I discovered in a Fantastic Mr Fox mix, and it’s been on heavy rotation ever since. Soft, percussive synth pads bop along under a relatively standard but incredibly effective vocal loop. Nothing revolutionary, but remarkably enjoyable.

Vessels - Recur

And so we have it - the second album from Leeds-based quintet Vessels. I have quite regularly referred to them as the best live band I’ve ever seen, and on record their understanding of dynamics and rhythm don’t lose any of their impact. This track is one of the few vocal tracks on the record but shows them at their absolute best. 

Big K.R.I.T. - R4 Theme Song

I first became aware of Big K.R.I.T. with last year’s ‘K.R.I.T. Wuz Here’, but on his latest mixtape ‘The Return of 4eva’ he’s really stepped it up a gear - this track is an unashamed OutKast homage, from the obvious lyrical references to the soulful vocal-laden ‘Int’l Players Anthem’ style beat. And what a beat it is - K.R.I.T’s production definitely being the highlight of the mixtape. Don’t be surprised if ‘REFRAIN FROM BEING LAME’ becomes the slogan of the summer.

Instra:mental - When I Dip

Originally credited to Boddika, one half of Instra:mental alongside recently re-monikered Jon Convex, When I Dip was finally released on the duo’s record sampler (despite never appearing on the record). Nevertheless, it shows the duo’s take on grinding electro, with menacing synths and skittering high hats, and of course the monster of a vocal sample. And even something that resembles a guitar solo. Think of this as this year’s hard-edged ‘Footcrab’. ‘Resolution 653’, the duo’s first full-length despite being on the scene for over 15 years, is finally out now on their own NonPlus imprint and it is without doubt one of the best of the year so far. More Boddika and the first of Jon Convex’s solo 12”s to follow this year.

Jamie Grind - Without You

Taken from Jamie Grind’s ‘Footwork’ EP, a record that essentially had very little to do with footwork in the end, this track is nevertheless really quite gorgeous, as staggered synths rise above a healthy dose of 808 beats. It’s simply quite infectious, and one that will no doubt get brought out again and again this summer.

Lyyke Li - I Know Places

I’d never taken the time to listen to Lykke Li before her latest record, ‘Wounded Rhymes’ came out earlier in the year, which is a real shame, because she’s by far one of the most interesting solo artists around. The album is largely built around a 60’s Wall Of Sound influence, but this particular song is a beautiful, stripped back acoustic track, that occasionally erupts with warm, campfire group vocals. This is a really special record.

Royal T - Orangeade 

Royal T is without doubt the most exciting grime producer on the scene right now. He’s got a firm eye on putting the rave back into grime music which can’t really be argued with, especially when you hear his remixes of the likes of OG’z ‘Hot Ones’ and his own SNES-inspired banger ‘1UP’. The ‘Orangeade’ EP came out on Elijah & Skilliam’s Butterz label earlier this year, and on a recent Butterz show on Rinse the pair made Royal talk them through the track, in which he explained how no two bars are the same. Now that’s commitment, considering it’s mainly built around just two notes. Plus it is an absolute stormer - the VIP is also now available on a limited run on Butterz!

Funkystepz - Hurricane Riddim

One of my last posts before I, er, took a break, was about the impending Funkystepz release on Hyperdub. And my god was it a good one. This year has been fantastic for UK Funky releases, which is mad considering it’s a genre where tracks largely never see the light of day, especially on wax. Dramatic strings clash over an oscillating synth line and, of course, the Funkystepz signature.

Ossie - Creepy Crawlies

One of the new breed of hard UK Funky acts who is also set to release on Hyperdub in the near future, Ossie is beginning to crop up all over the place. ‘Creepy Crawlies’ is all about the hard percussion, as woodblocks, bells, and cowbells play out under an alarmingly simple barrage of synth notes. It is a fucking mean beat, and definitely sets up Ossie as someone whose work will be greatly anticipated from now on. Catch him upstairs at the Hessle ‘116 & Rising’ launch this Friday!

Ill Blu - Meltdown

And as if the last two tracks weren’t enough, Ill Blu finally released ‘Meltdown’ on the Glasgow based Numbers imprint, just to prove the UK Funky scene really is on fire this year. It’s the tribal drums that really make this one.

FaltyDL - Hip Love

FaltyDL returned with yet another masterful release after last year’s 2-step heavy ‘Phreqaflex’ EP, in the run up to his second full length ‘You Stand Uncertain’. ‘Hip Love’ is all delay-laden horns, breakbeat percussion and soulful vocals. And it’s smooth as anything.

Main Attrakionz - Who Am I

2011 will be the year Cloud Rap came to be established, with the likes of Lil B, G-Side and Main Attrakionz really taking off into the, er… stratosphere. This particular cut, produced by Babe Rainbow, exemplifies the ‘genre’, in it’s spaced out ambience, zoned out flow and smoked out lyrics. Along with OF, this movement, spearheaded by Southern Hospitality, is making sure hip-hop is far from boring.

Julio Bashmore - Ribble To Amazon

This year really belongs to Bashmore - he’s been super-productive, and with every release he’s taking on different styles whilst having one of the most distinctive sound sets around. He even uses a sample of someone impersonating a horse on the thankfully insanely catchy, funk-driven ‘Grand National’. That sense of humour and willingness to display it in his work just makes me love the guy even more, especially when he can turn out tracks as blissful as this.

LV feat. Josh Idehen - Northern Line

Last but certainly not least - this week sees the release of the hugely anticipated debut album from LV, entitled ‘Routes’, and once again featuring the spoken-word talents of Josh Idehen. Aptly released on Dusk + Blackdown’s Keysound recordings, this London-centric record is bristling with ideas, styles, sounds, all of which blend masterfully into one. Even a track such a this - a bit of light relief that brings a broad smile to my face every time - never seems cluttered, despite the amount of sounds bouncing around the track. This is, even so soon after release, clearly going to be one for the end of year lists.

Enjoi!