Music of 2008.

End of the year, let's summarize how the electronic music scene looked like in 2008? Generally there was a lot of talk about how the "synth" genre is dead, no-one innovates and so on. Well, I for one tend to disagree, there was a lot of really interesting releases this year, as you can see below.

5. Negative Format - Gradients

Negative Format returns with yet another release that is both trance, EBM and dreamy sound scapes. The track Hues of Grey is probably one of the best tracks NF ever did. Looking forward to even more tracks from NF in the future.

4. Ayria - Hearts for Bullets

Ayria or Jennifer Parker released a very very good record 2008. She describes her music as "Tit-zerEbb" style, greasy bass-lines, great hooks and hard beats. Together with Jennifer's voice this makes for a very very pleasant musical journey. Best tracks include "Girl on the Floor" and "Invincible".

3. Informatik - Beyond

This release really came as a surprise for me, I have heard Informatik before but I have never really gotten into their music. Beyond on the other hand really blew me away! Catchy synth-pop tunes with a powerful voice and awesome hooks. Listen to the tracks "Nothing Greater" and "Don't be Afraid" and be amazed!

2. Standeg - Ultra High Tech Violet

Another surprise! By mid 2008 Standeg released a free digital EP called "Rushing Pictures", after listening to this EP day out and day in they finally released "Ultra High Tech Violet". This is innovative release mixing trance sounds, intriguing melodies and very fine details. This is one of those releases where the more you listen to it, the more details you notice. The music is like a futuristic sound track for a sci/fi future. Best tracks are "25 hours", "Homes & Gardens 3.0" and "Image in motion". Haven't you bought it yet?

1. KieTheVez - Non-Binary

I have been talking about innovations and complex music for a futuristic world. But sometimes plain old beautiful will just work! KieTheVez is a Swedish synth-pop band from Gothenburg, they released a couple of records during the 90ies but have been silent for 11 years before they released "Non-Binary". This is pure synth-pop bliss! Haunting, beautiful and with great sing-along values. This might not be innovating or complex, but it's still great and it tops my last.fm list for the year! Smash hit is "One world for the next" but the disc is filled with awesome tracks.

Worth to mention as well is that the best gig of the year was Interlace at electriXmas, they have just released two new songs "istatue" and "nemesis" that can be found at their myspace page. If the new material will be anything like these two songs then it's going to be one of the strongest releases they ever made.

This years disappointment is Imperative Reaction's "Minus All" which is pretty dull record compared to the rest of their material. To bad, they used to be one of my top groups.

Now I am looking forward to 2009 with up-coming releases by Interlace, Combichrist, Depeche Mode, In Strict Confidence and hopefully a new Headscan release.