Art imitates life. A simple adage too oft obfuscated by the likes of short-sighted student films, hastily scribbled garage-band album liner notes and the humble car advertisement alike. But to sincerely witness the mirror that the expression of the human condition holds up to its environment is to simply observe its role as a mere catalyst in the resulting reflections we see possible today.
2020 provided the world with never before seen adversities, and so too became its inevitable knee-jerk cataloguing through electronic expressions of unprecedented experimentation. It saw the commercial, wide-spread adoption of many more European, British and even World concepts and influences (‘Dark Matter’, ‘Energy’) in its compositions and arrangements. It saw the application of resilience in the absence of club culture so powerful it erupted in the confidence of artists typical of certain genre’s (‘BRONSON’, Post Human: Survival Horror’) to ambiguously branch out. And it saw those who’s philosophy lay with the comfort food of their familiar sounds and scapes (‘Year Zero, ‘Brightest Lights’) once again serve to keep us grounded yet optimistic that it’ll all come full circle. That we’ll get to share such spaces once again.
It was a year of divergence. A metaphysical forking of the road. And whilst we may never know if the taking of this path less travelled served to help or hinder us in each of our journeys, to know they coincided with a universe where such beauty still dares to stare back is perhaps, at last, more consolation than reprieve.
The emoji that best sums up my year: ?
1. Camelphat – ‘Dark Matter’
2. Tchami – ‘Year Zero’
3. BRONSON – ‘BRONSON’
4. Lane 8 – ‘Brightest Lights’
5. Tame Impala – ‘The Slow Rush’
6. Bring Me The Horizon – ‘Post Human: Survival Horror’
7. Disclosure – ‘Energy’
8. Lastlings – ‘First Contact’
9. Bob Moses – ‘Desire’
10. Yotto & Cassian – ‘Rogue’
