The Best Track and Instrumental Releases Of The Year....

Initially I was going to wait until the very, very end of the year to write this one. In fact this isn't even the one. Nominations for Grimeforum's 2009 awards have started (check them out here), and whilst all the users are busy posting who they think deserves to win what, I've pondered carefully on my own choices..

Best track of 2009...Breakage Featuring Newham Generals & David Roddigan - Hard.

I didn't even have to think extremely hard about this one. Breakage isn't even a grime producer primarily, listeners claim Dubstep to be his forte, but if his new found desire for beats at 140 continues on the yellow-brick-road it's travelling down at the moment then Grime's top producers have a new rival. The 'Gens are and will always remain grime scene royalty, everything they touch seemingly glistens, without much effort either. There's not much you can say about this tune without being over-emphatic; pressing drum patterns mixed with DEE and Foots' incredible verses combined with little mini-speeches from Dancehall boss David Roddigan make for epic listening. Catch a proper review here. Tunes that missed out slightly: Wiley - Where's My Brother, P Money - 1UP. 



Best instrumental release of 2009...Maniac - New Age Grime

This however did prove to be a tricky decision. In 2009 producers have come into the limelight more than ever before with most releases containing relevant credits and instrumental CD's and EP's appearing regularly. The first initial release that came to mind was Nocturnal's CD offering Nocstrumentals. Followed swiftly by Silencer's Run The CD. But I dug deeper and went back to the CD I reviewed back in July, Maniac's New Age Grime. Whilst there is a wide range and much more popular selection of Maniac instrumentals about, N.A.G seemed to be a selection of the finest instrumentations 2009 had to offer, with orchestral activity on Ugly and heavy, pretty Dubstep like origins on Wobble & Ouch. Grime was showcased at it's purest on Headshot and the brilliance of this CD was summed up with my closing description:

"Like a PIMP, cock-slapping a virgin in her pretty little face".

Strangely, Newham Generals are not proprietor to what I herald as this years best CD, nor is Maniac actually who I think is the year's ultimate producer. You'll find out what I think about that tomorrow.... ;)