Top 10 Best Electronic Music Albums of 2019
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Warp Tapes 89-93 - Autechre
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Polymer - Plaid
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Transcendency - PhaseOne
We are looking at one of the albums of the decade. This is an energetic, hardcore, invigorating adventure. As one track flows into another, or one section bursts from the previous, you are swept off your feet, with the sharp, heavy synths shifting into ecstatic breakbeats. The numerous influences from orchestra, metal, and whatnot really make this a strongly diverse set of music.
My favorite tracks from this album are Lost, Break 'em, Insanity, Demon Hunter, and Crash & Burn.
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Kingdom United - Gareth Emery & Ashley Wallbridge
The dynamic duo of trance music. These two have collaborated several times before, and with this joint album, they have really made something beautiful. There are tracks on here where you can just relax and the harmonious melody simply lifts you. There are also tracks on this which get you up with uplifting energy, and in a trance club would be a solid floor-filler.
Best tracks for me are Kal-el, Lionheart, Kingdom United, Mansion 140, and above all, Amber Sun.
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Confused Miracles - Gaudium
For lovers of bassy psytrance, this is one fine collection of music. But if you think it's simply a bundle of generic, bottom-of-the-barrel demos, you'd be very much mistaken.
There is a deep vibrancy to every track, spawning an atmosphere that is as boisterous and rip-roaring as it is sinister and intoxicating, and, of course, psychedelic. Honestly, what an album. Every mood it makes is done so exquisitely.
Best tracks? Fragments of Insanity, Distorted Reality, Don't Lose Your Mind, and Controlled Voltage.
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Only in Dreams - Delta Heavy
Delta Heavy have long been one of my favorite bass music acts, and with this album, they did not compromise their remarkable talent. But at the same time, they threw out some outstanding collaborations and opened up a new side to them.
This album experiments with contemporary drum sounds, synth buildups, and basslines to make something unique and powerful. They even did a future bass track that was as hardcore as their early drumstep! There's no denial that this is one of the most creative and novel albums of the year.
My favorites here are A.I., Here With Me, Replicant, and Exodus.
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We Are Dust - Xilent
Xilent has made something truly fantastic here. It's filled with his trademark robotic and futuristic dubstep, but there is something different about this. It's darker and eerier, and whilst you are getting down to this album, you are also wallowing in its spooky, seductive aura.
Best tracks are You Rise, Particles, Code Blood, and Human Error.
One of the best albums on Monstercat, and one of the best dubstep albums of the 2020s decade so far. The album has it all. It goes from the hard-as-hell You Rise, to the wacky trap song Blue Shadows, then to the melodic masterpiece that is The Darkness.
Then it switches over to the Tokyo Machine-esque Code Blood, then to the PURE INSANITY disguised as an interlude, known as Interluden, then to the nail-biting Human Error, then to the multigenre badassery of Discarded, to the cool Only Now, and then finally to the euphoric banger of Particles.
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Caixa Mágica - Vegas
You call this reality?! This is one captivating exploration of Brazilian trance. The melodies you experience in this album feel so serene, but despite the ominous buildups, the aggressive breakdowns come out of nowhere.
Piece them together, and you get a psychedelic rollercoaster. Each track is invigorating in its own way, but there's something about this magic box that feels strung together to perfection.
Best tracks for me are Caixa Magica, Elipsy, Imaginarium, and above all, Dreamers.
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Rogue Intruder, Soul Enhancer - Oli XL
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Divinorum - Au5
The thing I really like about this album is simple. Au5 has mixed his old style of music, with trippy, swampy dubs and deep, heavy atmospheres, with his more recent medley of sharp synth riffs, bright, warm chords, and sparse beat patterns. Not to mention that almost every song is filled with poignant emotion.
To put it shortly, this is one such album that reflects Au5's incredible versatility. My favorite tracks from this are Stargate, Infinite Wings, Divinorum, Divine, and The Void.
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Queen of Misfits - Vylet Pony
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Enchanted - DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ
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Fire in the Still Air - British Murder Boys
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Building Bridges - Move D
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Vanity - Rainer Veil
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Confirm Humanity - Mark Sherry
Mark Sherry, the man behind Public Domain and Outburst, has a lot of influential trance music in his discography. This album may not be his career's best, but it's a fine addition to any trance fan's collection.
This involves some serious old-school vibes, building serious tension between different elements of the track, and several of these tracks have a progressive, uplifting melody and some very heartfelt vocals. It embodies everything great about trance.
Best tracks for me are Lighting Fires, Confirm Humanity, Luminosity Curve, Poison Apple, and Can't Live Without Your Love.
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Vortex - Special Request
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Afterglow - Smallpeople
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Demigod - Kai Wachi
This is one properly heavy album. In every track, there is a sudden and absolutely insane bass kick, and its progression furthers and furthers your adrenaline rush. What's more is the numerous influences from artists such as Grabbitz, Virus Syndicate, and Sullivan King, which really make this a mixed bag of headbangers.
My favorites here are Between the Lines, Break, Strangers, and Kamikaze.
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Chemical Flowers - Helm
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First Blue Sky - Placid Angles
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Blue Spring - Nathan Micay
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Opaque Couche - Meat Beat Manifesto
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New Atlantis - Efdemin
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Balance - Armin van Buuren
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Voice of Nature - Ital
This psytrance album is certainly an interesting concept. The tracks in this collection have a feel to them that makes them as good for a trancey dancefloor as for chilling out and simply embracing the darkness of it.
Best tracks are Hikari, Transformational Structures, Aurora, and Virtual Meditation.
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Night on Earth - Coco Bryce