Class of 2008

Having been inspired by Cosmic Disco's excellent round of 2008, we thought it'd be a good idea to offer our own take on the year that was. It's not going to be as thorough or as well as written as our Mancunian counterparts, but here's what got us going this year... Read On:

Track of the year: Richard Gateaux 'Shadows' (Fat Fuk Recordings)
This track is a thick slice of dark disco noir, dripping with the kind of gothic soundscapes that you'd normally escape from an Italian horror movie, circa 1976.

This track has freaked out dance floors all year long, making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and your skin crawl like a deranged vampire is looming out of the dark corners of the club, ready to bite as soon as the 909 kicks in.

Proper head-down stuff. Absolutely amazing work from the man Gateaux... Pick up your own copy here.

Compilation of the year: 'Originals Volume 1' Compiled by Moonboots and Balearic Mike (Claremont 56)

Never one to do things by the book, Paul 'Mudd' Murphy decided to go it alone and set up the fantastic Claremont 56 label, in order to avoid the strains of record label release schedules and to allow him to release timeless music that really means something.

Originals Volume 1, the label's first compilation, sees Mancunian legends (and proper Beardos) Moonboots and Balearic Mike set to work on their own collections to dig out some seriously rare and exclusive tracks.

This came out just as winter was setting in here in the UK, but with one listen, you're immediately transported to sun-drenched Formenteran beach bar, SEAT parked in the lane behind you, boat shoes kicked off into the sand, Wayfarers on hand, and not a care in the world. Just don't say the B******* word, ok?

Find of the year: Patrick Simmons 'So Wrong' 12" Dance Mix (Polydor)
I stumbled across this little number in a well known South London digger's paradise just in time for summer, and my oh my, what an impact it has had.

Patrick Simmons was the guitarist from the Doobie Brothers, and in this solo sojourn from 1983, he let rip with possibly one of the greatest yacht-rock records ever made.

Simultaneously utterly timeless and completely dated (well look at that picture: the mullet, the tache, the shell suit top!!!), this track pelts along at about 124 bpm, with rattling tops and jangling guitars before breaking into a chorus so defiantly up-lifting that it just demands to be joined in with.

Looks like just gave away my secret weapon...

Re-edit of the year: Mott the Hoople 'Bastard' AMO1 Rework
Ok, we know re-edit has become a dirty word over the past year, and some have been either wholly forgettable or completely pointless (and often both), but there have been a couple that have really stood out.

Rub n Tug turned a forgotten Village People song and turned it into a druggy, building, late-night stormer of a track that detonated dancer's bodies and minds with it's thudding bass and rousing vocals.

Loud E took the weirdest and must inaccessible North African / Eastern percussion loops and turned them into peak time anthems.

And A Mountain of One took this track by Mott The Hoople and turned it into one of the heaviest disco tracks of the year! Packed full of riffs from the rumbling bass to the belting guitars. Completely superb.

New band of the year: The Invisible
What an incredible year this has been for The Invisible... They've headlined shows all over the UK, supported the likes of Hot Chip and Foals, had their debut album produced by none other than Matthew Herbert, and have been voted Clash magazine's ones to watch for 2009.

Their music is proggy, rhythmic, hypnotic, and groove-laden in equal measures. Every note that's played seems to be oscillated through an infinite bank of echo, delay and fx. Leo's drum beats lay the foundations of a super-tight driving force, Tom's keys stab and layer atmospherically while his bass riffs roll around the whole sound, and Dave's guitar's warp your head so much you think you're listening to an electronic orchestra, not a three piece.

This is Krautrock for the club generation, and here's a little taster. Brilliant and compelling - go see them, now!

Gig of the year: Neil Young @ The Hop Farm Festival, Kent, July
There's no doubt about it, Neil Young is a proper legend in his own time. His career spans over 40 years, and in that time he's released some of the most seminal records of any genre.

This gig, one of only two UK dates this year, saw him play a two and half hour set of some of the most mind-bending psychedelic excursions, coupled with beautiful stripped-down folk, slide-guitar-fueled country, and total all-out electric wig outs that had jaws on the floor from start to finish. I'll keep looking for some footage of the solo, but in the mean time, here he is playing Everybody Knows This is Nowhere.

Live music-wise, it did not get any better than this in 2008. Sensational.

Festival of the year: The Electric Elephant, Croatia, August
In it's Inaugural year, The Electric Elephant was undoubtedly the highlight of ours, and about 900 other people's summer.

Taking place in a beautiful fishing village in Croatia's North Dalmatian coast, the festival brought together the best of the UK's folk, down-tempo, disco, and house for three days and nights of partying on the beach, in the club, on the boats, and under the stars.

With sessions hosted by the likes of Low Life, Aficionado, Horse Meat Disco, and the Electric Chair, this was like our musical paradise, and top top things off we were lucky enough to play, once in the club on the Friday night, out on the beach bar on Saturday night, and for the warm down on Monday.

Artist of the year: Phoreski
Phoreski, Nezza, or Neil, to his mum, is certainly no stranger to the Cosmic Truth. We've DJ'd with him a few times this year, and booked him to play at not one but two of our own parties.

When he's not unearthing some of the must obscure records we've ever heard, or putting together mixes for the likes of Beats in Space and Cool in the Pool, he's making tracks for his own Barefist imprint, as well as releasing work on Top Shelf, Is It Balearic, and Eskimo.

As well as all that lot, and a couple of side projects under different names he may or may not be involved in, he's also probably one of the most exciting DJs around at the moment. Not onlyhas he just got back from a gig in Sao Paulo alongside Chatteau Flight, on NewYear, he's off to Rotterdam, sharing the bill with none other than Loud E and I-F!

So there you go. A potted history of the Cosmic Truth's class of 2008. Here's to more of the same next in '09...