Tracks Of The Year 2015

People went nuts for this hook up from drum’n’bass don Fracture and Manchester’s finest Chimpo. It tested Fracture’s signature experimentalism to its limits, fusing modern jungle with dancehall and footwork-inspired sounds. A soon-to-be-legendary collaboration.

Anna Tehabsim

Compton native YG returned in full force with this laid-back g-funk strut: the first single from his hotly anticipated forthcoming release Still Krazy. YG’s past gang affiliation is well documented here, cleverly flipping references about the realities of growing up in Compton into comments on his current lifestyle. Although the track referenced past conflicts, it felt like a triumphant statement about where he’s come from and where he’s at now.

Steve Mallon

Andrea made a play for Shed’s unofficial title of King of the Kick Drum with this emotive yet pounding track on Illian Tape, a no-hype label that plays the ‘no-hype’ thing without it actually being a pose. Referencing ‘classic’ techno – Jeff Mills at his most melodic, KMS & maybe Surgeon too – Outlines raises functional, beat-led techno to cerebral, mystical highs.

Robert Bates

Psalm Zero play an intricately deconstructed version of metal. They mine anthemic tension, industrial noise and a sprinkling of Gregorian pomp for good measure. Real Rain is a slice of medieval, disjointed cyber metal that sounds like it’s been produced in a factory by robotic monks. If that doesn’t pique your interest we honestly don’t know what will.

Billy Black

Never underestimate the power of the Migos. One Time was the first single from their somewhat lukewarm debut studio record Y.R.N. The Album, and it proved that their knack for creating total club anthems was still in shipshape condition. On top of some minimal production from underrated ATL producer Deko, the trio brag – justifiably – about how their minimal output has had such a monumental shift on the culture. They aren’t lying. While the rapid triplet-flow might be more prevalent than it’s ever been, One Time was a polite reminder of who we owe it all to.

Duncan Harrison

It’s hard to recollect what things were like pre-Shutdown. An age where smoking areas wouldn’t instantly vacate on hearing the words “Mans never been…”, a time where Kanye West had never rubbed shoulders with Jammer, a simpler time some might say. There’s no denying that the stupendous success of Shutdown has signified a shift in grime’s target audience (shout out to the freshers screaming Selassie’s name at the top of their lungs) but the no-frills impact of this anthem can still be felt. If there really is a British invasion afoot and a new generation are revving up to make an indelible stamp on the world, then there’s no question as to who is leading the charge.

Duncan Harrison

Blasé was probably the weirdest mainstream rap single of 2015. With a shifty beat that circled the rappers like a shark, Ty and Future drunkenly dribbled the hook with lisped pronunciation, while Rae Sremmurd croaked through their verses like wasted adolescents. The video? A compilation of tour bus debauchery, Tinashe and Dej Loaf cameos and hardcore punk moshpits that was heavily distorted by a lo-fi, warped VHS aesthetic. Genius.

Davy Reed

A hardcore club bullet with a wicked sense of humour. Big up Borai – an anthem dedicated to baiting the capital? Very funny, although not half as funny as the idea it might have actually upset a few people. Its hilarious sample of an MC lifted from 90s New Years Eve rave footage (Anybody From London? “fuck off out”), was driven by its propulsive, hardcore-influenced core and bittersweet jungle, making it a truly euphoric addition to the excellent Hotline Recordings roster.

Xavier Boucherat

Four art-punkers riff on the transience of our mortal coils via shout-harmonies, hyperactive drums and one of the best guitar/vocals breakdowns you’ll hear this year. This busy band’s members have about twenty side projects each, but honestly if they’d just woken up and bashed this beauty out in a day, they would have earned their keep for the year.

Sammy Jones

Unbreakable was let down in many ways by its clunky attempts at placing Janet Jackson in pop’s contemporary climate. No Sleeep proved that she could still flourish under one of the many styles she’d always done best. This weightless, unfurling single reaffirmed her status as one of pop and RnB’s true outsiders. Too fast to be a real slow jam but too slow to make any real dent in the pop world – Jackson stayed in her own lane and hypnotised us all over again with this neon-lit pillow-talk anthem.

Duncan Harrison