angel.world - Top 10 Picks Of The Year

Standout: In ha mood

Using her baddie attitude and her cutesy looks, ice spice is one of the few artists who I would say is universally loved - alongside PinkPantheress her breathy flow and smooth production is bringing back the same air of romance and passion that Garage originally brought to the forefront in the 90s. This year I listened to her music whenever I needed to feel good about myself.

Standout: Pound Town

My flatmate showed me Sexxy Red this year. She said “I don’t understand why she isn’t bigger”. 1 month later she completely blew up. Sexxy is loud, hot and down to earth. I love the way she uses that classic drama that drill provokes in music with the dark piano keys and booming sub bass. I’m also very excited about her pregnancy.

When I first heard Pearling I was instantly in love. She makes music for girls who spend all day dreaming. Her songs always echo and twinkle and she dresses in huge flowing garments on stage that move ethereally with her. The melody in this song is beyond transcendent.

Standout: Elfz - Fractus Angelus Alatam

Sleepie Records is a Glasgow-based label started by DJ Fluffie. It’s a reminder that hard dance music and beautiful ambience can go together perfectly, especially when it comes to trance. My favourite song off this album is by Elfz, who is coincidentally one of my favourite producers.

Standout: Panteross666 feat. Neggy Gemmy - X-Periencia

I love TDJ because she perfectly carries the spirit of old school trance, which was all about being on the beach with the people you love and not caring about anything else. That’s exactly what this album is. She works with so many artists throughout, and gives them all the freedom to put their own spin on her old school sound. My favourite track is by x-perienca and Neggy Gemmy, two of the best trance producers working at the moment.

Dos Flakos and Uniiqu3 is such a crazily exciting combination. I play songs by both of them every time I play out. Uniiqu3 knows how to turn anything into a crazy jersey club beat, and this track has her essence that makes her music undeniably club, not just jersey. Dos Flakos adds so much by incorporating a Latin spin.

Standout: Can’t Be Without It

Arman John is one of my fav producers at the moment. They make very melodic techno trance, it just makes me melt. Whenever I play it at the club I just wanna play it on repeat - it’s very meditative.

Standout: Ecstasya - Angel

I love all the Safe Cloud Records releases for combining that Latin eccentricity with the European hardcore sound. Ecstasya defo has my fav song on the album. I love how it goes into a beautiful soundscape like a spring meadow in the middle and comes out into craziness again at the end. She can do no wrong!

Standout: Just The Memories

I just knew the queen herself would be on this list. When Pink Friday originally came out, Moment 4 Life was undeniably my favourite track. It’s motivating, euphoric and cute, it’s one of the most hype songs to listen to before going out in my opinion. With this album, I really wanted her to have a post-moment 4 life song, and Memories is undeniably it. It’s sad, reflective and ballad-y. It feels like she’s grown so much as an artist, and I think from the perpetual racism she was confronted with by my generation in the 2000s to being big and experienced enough to support younger artists like Ice Spice now, I feel like we’ve watched it all happen. This album is super nostalgic for me.

Standout: Scared of My Love

Cleopard2000 is one of my favourite trance artists at the moment. Even the title of this album inspires me so much, definitely so in-line with the y2k gamer aesthetic that’s so popular at the moment. Scared of My Love, to me, sounds like ice cubes melting in the Ibiza heat. It’s also a song to cry in the club to, which I feel is such a crucial part of club music.