Quite the nice change (and yes, very sexy UI) for the voting widget this time around. Noticed the profile badges to the left (whatever you choose to call them) have been changed a smidge as well. Honestly thought I was hallucinating when I first saw them lol.
While last year I'd been a bit out of the loop, so I only put together a top 10, this year was different.
Back when I wrote for Vand Sunete, I used to do a similar sort of thing (never claimed that was an original idea
), but with a top 20 instead of a top 10 (and the occasional 'bonus' track). Although I voted for the first 10, might as well post the entire top 20 and continue the tradition (along with a bit of context for some of the tracks):
01.
Activa - Velika (Club Mix) [VII] [
Track of the Year]
For the second year in a row (technically for the third overall if we count some older entries) another Activa track takes the #1 spot for me. As I said before, massively reminiscent of his 2014 track Antimatter (personal TOTY back then), down to the similar shade of green for the artwork. Been playing it like there's no tomorrow ever since it came out in mid-September.
02. Omformer -
10.000 Ohm [Ute.Rec]
There was no way this wouldn't be near the very top. As I said in the thread itself, two words: Holy shit.
03.
@Andre Maier (aka NuroGL) & Gosto -
Mi Amour [Borderline]
One of the stronger Borderline releases this year. Also Japanese for buttplug. Memes aside, great melody.
04.
Transa - Carla's Theme (
@EnigmaState Remix) [Covert]
05. Otto K -
A Strange Dream (Tim Bourne’s Pod Remix) [Lost Language]
06.
@Narel -
What Your Cause Will Be [Pure Progressive]
07. Will Rees -
Sanctuary [Kearnage]
08.
@EnigmaState -
Lunar's Theme (Original Extended Mix) [Enigma State Music /Self Released]
09. Sean Tyas & Julie Thompson -
Cycles [Black Hole Recordings]
Didn't honestly think I'd have a vocal track to add to the 2023 EOY top after last year's When Darkness Comes,
but here we are. Not necessarily the usual sound, but I quite like this.
10. The Noble Six -
Moon That Never Sets [FSOE ]
---
11. Ija (aka Pulser) -
Drift [Toneplay]
12.
@Sleeping -
Desolated [Forescape Digital]
13.
@Coredata -
GeoMetric (Warehouse '91 Mix) [Borderline]
14.
@Andre Maier (aka NuroGL) -
Es Vedra [TF.R]
15. Luke Terry & Sonic Element -
Andromeda (Sonic Element Mix) [Borderline]
16. Chris Oblivion -
Lilium [Forescape Digital]
17. Activa -
I Wanted You (Extended Mix) [Borderline]
18. Tim French -
Kamino Static (Qoob Remix) [Lost Language]
19. Astral Projection –
Let There Be Light (2023 Remix) [Iboga]
20. Alex M.O.R.P.H. -
Cosmopolitan [Vandit]
BEST ARTIST:
@EnigmaState - two tracks in the top 10 should've been the clue tbh
BEST LABEL: Ute.Rec - despite the Borderline spam in the rest of the top 20 (0 regrets), I voted for the Ute folks this go-around
BEST COMPILATION:
Movement: One
BEST ALBUM: ASC - The Depths of Space
Left this spot blank, and added it here a bit out of order because it's not Trance, nor Prog, but DnB. Love the entire album, though I have a soft spot for the last track,
Seadrift.
I've been a big fan of the Over/Shadow covers, and this one ain't an exception either:
Had to grab the physical version, and managed to do so for the first round of vinyl with the black / amber combo. They look great IRL (despite the shit photo quality), especially when light hits them (further accentuating that solar eclipse idea):
There was a second run of these, with a marbled red and amber combo, but I personally like the original run combo more. To each their own I suppose.
I think that about covers everything.
