Ah, Christmas… a time for mistletoe, mulled wine, and geeky best-something-of-the-year lists created by losers on the internet. Without further ado, here’s Tommy Digital’s Top Five Records of the Oh-Nine. Where’s yours?
1. Joker / 2000f & J Kamata – Digidesign / You Don’t Know What Love Is
This is sort of cheating because by rights these should be numbers one and two respectively. But since Hyperdub were kind enough to put dubstep’s most melodic moment and the the world’s first/only electro-vocoder-crunkstep tune on the same 12″, I reckon it’s okay. Two copies essential.
Joker – Digidesign
2000f & J Kamata – You Don’t Know What Love Is
2. Man Like Me – London Town
What with Joy Orbison and everybody else putting out great garage-influenced tunes and getting “mad love” on “the blogs,” it feels like everybody who’s anybody right now was raving to the Dreem Teem down at Twice as Nice back in ’99. But back in April, putting out what is essentially a UK Garage revival record was a pretty bold step into seriously uncool territory. Big up Camden’s finest, then, for granting us DJ Luck & MC Neat fans a tiny moral victory, and creating easily the best pop single of the year along the way.
Man Like Me – London Town (JME Remix)
3. Bullion – Pet Sounds in the Key of Dee
It’s Pet Sounds. Remixed as a tribute to the late, great, J Dilla. What more could you possibly want? You want blood? I’m not gonna give you blood.
But if you still haven’t copped this, turns out there’s a live (and legal) link to a rapidshre download of it Right Hurrrr. I predict Bullion to win 2010.
Bullion – God Only Knows
4. Major Lazer – Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do
Zombies, lazers, cartoons, dancehall, autotune baby sounds, mental genius Vybz Kartel, Diplo, Switch and that video. I know some of y’allz aren’t feeling it but for me this is the funnest album of the year, hands down.
Major Lazer – Hold The Line (Ghislain Poirier Remix)
5. Mos Def – The Ecstatic
I know it’s eight years overdue. I know no-one gives a shit about ‘conscious’ hip hop any more. I know there’s nothing on there quite as good as ‘Umi Says’. But whatever, yeah? Kweli’s on there. Dilla’s on there. Fela’s on there. SLICK RICK’s on there. If Mos is only capable of making one record this good per decade then I say roll on 2019.
Mos Def feat. Slick Rick – Auditorium
[*not really. But if you’re reading this, Mr. White (can I call you “R”?) and you want to spread some Lemonade Love then drop us a line…]
Lemonade... 
yeeeaaaaah, that “You Don’t Know What Love Is” is a raight trak. i forgot what it was called, nice one for reminding me.
I’d like to add K-Def’s “Willie Boo Boo the Fool” to this list. it wasn’t released this year, and i know i’m adding to TOM’s list of favourite tunes (i don’t even know if he’s heard it), but that doesn’t stop it being the phattest thing tom has listened to in at least a year.