For over twenty years, the DJ Kicks compilations have always been a great way to have a personal version of the set you heard from your favorite DJ that great night. Tiga, Booka Shade, and Four Tet have already logged CDs for !K7 records, and the newest one by Kode9 couldn’t be more up our alley.

Having been involved so long, it makes sense how 9 has such a firm grasp on what’s happening now, as well as the ability to change the direction in where it’s going. Multiple releases from Hyperdub, a book analyzing sound as a weapon, and DJ sets showcasing his style all are a testament to how he is unquestionably the spearhead of the left-field dance music we can’t seem to properly describe.

Unlike his recent mix for FACT, which showboated a knowledge for the best jungle tunes of the mid-90′s, Kode9‘s DJKicks compilation is rather a collection of the current happenings pulsating dancefloors. Always pushing things forward (new Ikonika, Zomby) and paying homage to sounds we know today unanimously, Goodman includes things like old DMZ anthems amongst the newest hypes.

9 already has the eyes and ears to dictate what’s to come for the sound as a whole and his label; and what better way to showcase that ability than with a widely-recognized DJ Kicks enterprise. Pick this up from your local shop, or if you’re from the countryside, here.

Kode9 – You Don’t Wash (Dub)

(artwork by Mr. Scribbles)

Myself and the other writers of this blog had the idea to start up a new project in early April.  What has come of our effort has been unbelievably rewarding. I’d like to thank all of the artists who keep sending us music, all of our readers, and the writers personally. Keep doing you.

Below are the lists of our favorite aspects of music for the year of 2009. This year was an incredibly good year for all genres, especially the ones we regularly feature on this page. Electronic music is exploding in all directions right in front of us, and we are lucky to be in such an exciting time for it. Next year we will try to feature a wider array of artists, everything from folk to rock to hip-hop along with the usual styles we post. Be sure to bookmark this page, you will not be disappointed :).

Again, I cannot thank our readers enough for coming back to this page. Please add your own two cents to this whole “favorites” thing in the comments section, we would love to hear everyone’s opinion. Without further ado…

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Fantastic group from the UK.  Hailing from southwest London, The XX released their debut album, xx, on Young Turks Records on August 17th this summer.  Their sound has some psychedelic and indie rock influences, but you have to experience the full album for yourself to understand the hype.  They graduated from the same school as Four Tet and Burial.  They are currently making their tour through the US, so hit their myspace for shows near you before they venture back over the Atlantic.  They play at Bottom Lounge in Chicago on December 1st, so our home-town fans should be sure to check them out.  Here are two tracks off the album in 128.  They are the most vocally minimal, but the production is spotless.

The XX – Intro

The XX – Fantasy

**Important** Prepare your subwoofers accordingly for the bass that drops just past the halfway mark on Fantasy.  So minimal.  So destructive.

Even after releasing two full-length albums in 2007, the dubstep wizard Burial remained anonymous for a long time. People tried to find out more about the guy, but there just wasn’t any info. After an amazing amount of hype, he finally did a few interviews and revealed a bit more about himself. Turns out he wasn’t a hermit making music in a shack, but just a normal guy who loves producing. His first, self-titled, album was released in 2006 by the unbeatable label Hyperdub, and gave listeners a different view into the UK electronic scene through the lens of dubstep. That year, dance music was flooded with overplayed tunes and trends, and Burial crept in at the perfect time for a transformation. “Spaceape” is a terrifying and brilliant record, that not only shows off talent from the man himself, but UK M.C. Spaceape. 

Burial – Spaceape (feat. Spaceape)

Even though I still don’t get it to this day, Untrue is one of my favorite albums and a reason for why I got so involved in electronic music. Archangel was the best song I heard in the second half of ’07, and I was pleased to see that a little after its release, Boy 8-Bit transformed it into a more club-friendly version without taking away any of the emotion. 

Burial – Archangel (Boy 8-Bit Remix)

He took a bit of a break producing, and unfortunately rarely DJed after Untrue’s release. But just a few weeks ago, a collaboration with artist Four-Tet surfaced and has left me speechless. I have not heard anything so big since The Field‘s album From Here We Go Sublime, with a production that is nothing less than some life changing ass-stuff.

Burial & Four Tet – Moth