What were the 80 most important musical recordings, artists, trends, events, and performances of 2008? What were the eight things this year that broke our hearts—or, at least, our ears? We’re happy to announce 80 ’08 (and Heartbreak), Idolator’s year-end overview. The list is below the jump.
If pressed, I’d probably claim Optimo—the Scottish DJ duo of JD Twitch and JG Wilkes—as my favorite 21st-century musical act/group/collective/whatever. Optimo’s mix CDs—the fleet-but-schizoid groove-hopping of 2004’s How to Kill the DJ; the deranged mix of acid rock and acid house on 2005’s Psyche Out; the brooding rhythms of 2007’s Walkabout—virtuosically entwine supposedly dance floor-unfriendly tracks with records with from across the pan-global history of disco, house, and techno. If that sounds simple or commonplace, ask yourself why so many DJs desperately cling to the easy-to-mix 4/4 stomp of the latest identikit dance smash, whether they spin for screaming bridge-and-tunnel house crowds or furrow-browed minimal techno aesthetes*.
You should already be snagging them weekly, but make sure you don’t nap on the latest installment of the Resident Advisor podcast from DJ JD Twitch of Scotland’s legendary Optimo club. More »
