We Need A Resolution

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fabulous New Years eve party that lived up to their expectations, it's always a difficult thing to do. There were a lot of good ones around, including NYD which seems to be getting better than NYE it's self. As for me I was playing in Dubai. It was a interesting place to be, warm weather, luxury everywhere, a shiny new corporate tourist paradise really, whether thats a good thing or a bad thing it depends on how you look at it. But it unfortunately it definitely meant a bad thing on the party front. Most people didn't even end up going out on NYE. The Ruler of Dubai ordered all NYE parties cancelled (the day of the parties!) as an act of solidarity to the Palestinians being bombed in Gaza. After all, Dubai is a Muslim country and what's going on right now in the Gaza strip is pretty major not to mention horrific. With some maneuvering we were still able to go through with the party. But it meant we had no NYE countdown and most Palestinian sympathizers didn't go out, and if they did they weren't really feeling like parting. The owner of the club I played donated all of our party's proceeds to the Palestine aid fund, incredibly generous. But at the end of the night, it was all a bit of a let down.

Anyways, it's a New Year and I'm feeling good! Despite it being a tradition normally never buy into, this year I've made loads of resolutions. Because this year is special. I have lot's new exciting plans for music making this year. It's gonna be an extremely important and exciting year, I'm letting go all the stuff in my life that's holding me down or that I've outgrown and I'm gonna do exactly what I need to do. It's gonna be a year of big changes. Yes, I am being ernest, and slightly vague (i must keep some of my mystery!), but I really don't care. I'm excited. I'm positive. And I'm determined to make some music to cheer me up in the new year. I'll let you know how I get on.....

I've put together a couple of best of 2008 charts. This is not me trying to be obscure or clever. It's just an acknowledgment of who or what I think were the hardest working, talented and inspiring. My fave records, labels, and people etc...and the most amazingly brilliant nights I played over the past year, in no particular order:

Best Club Trax

Roar - Patrice Baumel (Get Physical)
We Bring The Music -Freak Seven
Sunglasses At Night - Tiga & Zyntherius - Alter Ego Remix (Turbo)
Two Doors Down - The Mystery Jets - Duke Dumont Remix (6-7-9)
Dull Flame of Desire - Bjork Ft. Anthony Hegerty - Modeselector's Remix For Girls (One Little Indian)
Church Of Nonsense - Danielle Papini (Alchemy)
Good Life Ft. Inner City - Kevin Saunderson - Mathew Jonson Acid Remix (KMS)
Falafellows - Kebacid
Dance Like a Hoe - Otto Von Schirach (Cock Rock Disco)
Township Funk - Mujava - Sinden Remix (Warp)
Crimewave - Crystal Castles - Sinden Remix (Last Gang)
Pocket Piano - DJ Medhi - Brodinski Remix (Ed Banger)
Wassup Wassup Ft rye Rye - Diplo Vs Sega - Crookers Remix (Mad Descent)
Shake It to The Ground Ft. Rye Rye - DJ Blaqstarr -Claude Von Stroke Remix (Mad Decent)
Duke Dumont - Hoy (Dubsided)
Smith N' Hack - Space Warrior (Smith N' Hack)
Italo Boyz - Zinga (Get Physical)
Kids - MGMT - Soulwax Remix
Hot Chip - Hold On - Switch L.A. Remix (EMI)
Diablo -Oliver Huntemann & Dubfire (Cocoon)

Best Of My Own Trax

Welcome to Dalston (MYTHIC) - Erm, rating your own music is a bit embarrassing, but you know i worked bloody hard in the studio this year, and produced the most music to date. It may not be good enough for my best of the year list, but it's dammed worth a mention!

Best Dance Labels

Turbo
Man Recordings
Boys Noize
Mad Decent
Mental Groove
Kitsune
Modular
Get Physical

Best Pop-Indie Acts

MGMT
Hot Chip
Crystal Castles
Santogold
Alphabeat
La Roux
Bloc Party
Ladyhawk
Late Of the Pier
Mystery Jets
M.I.A.
Robyn
Sam Sparrow
Kid Kudi

Best Comeback

Grace Jones - She is absolutely mad and I love her. Read this interview from the Guardian, she gets drunk with interviewer Miranda Sawyer and tries to go take her home, brilliant.

Best DJ Gigs

Paris Social Club, Paris April 26th 2008
My sister came along with me on the Eurostar, a nice weekend, great boutique club, met and played with Housmeister.

The Last Ever Nag Nag Nag, London, May 28th 2008 - An emotional nostalgia trip. As Jonny said 'The end of an ear-ache.'

Gloria, Sao Paulo, Sat 10th May 2008
It was my first time in Brazil. I need to go back.

Jezabel @ Amnesia, Ibiza July 18 2008
With Hannah Lottle and Paulette, stayed with Jade Jagger in her beautiful villa, fab venue, a rare girls night.

Low Club, Madrid Oct 4th 2008
Just a really amazing night with mad love from the crowd. The Spaniards party better.

Bugged Out @ Sankey's Manchester, Dec 14th 2008
I'm loving Manchester right now and this night with Miss Kittin returned it.

Bugged Out, Tokyo Dec 12th 2008
Not without it's stresses, but what an fascinating strange world!?