Choosing the favorite tracks of the year is tough. There are so many to choose from, one might get overwhelmed with the thought of it all. If that sounds like you, thankfully, we got you covered. We asked the whole team at Monument to share their top tracks of the year. We’ve boiled them down to the following fifteen tunes.

Desroi – Dwell In Motion

With his debut EP Dwell in Motion on Avian, Desroi displays his dark and effective style of his productions already hailed by no other than Mike Parker. The title track, in particular, is a dancefloor banger; combining minimalistic sounds, rattling effects and droning elements over an intelligent rhythm structure.

Artist:
Desroi
Track:
Dwell In Motion
Label:
Avian

Primal Code – Varanasi

Primal Code’s first full-length album on Hypnus La Via Della Seta features Varanasi, a deep, emotional excursion. A hypnotic, dreamy drive, accompanied by beautiful melodies segues into a breathtaking ambient outro. Primal Code’s mesmerizing delivery leaves the listener looking for more.

Artist:
Primal Code
Track:
Varanasi
Label:
Hypnus

Rene Wise – Spirit Molecule

Listening to Rene Wise‘s EP Loud Colours, it is not a surprise, that this record found its place among Luke Slater’s Mote-Evolver label. Our favorite track is Spirit Molecule, a techno tool with a great mixture of powerful dub, eerie sounds and hypnotic vocal echoes that will turn the dancefloor into a dystopian postmodern wasteland.

Artist:
Rene Wise
Track:
Spirit Molecule
Label:
Mote-Evolver

Wata Igarashi – Lost

Midgar and Wata Igarashi, a match made in heaven, they share a common bond: deep techno that tells stories through ambient touches. Igarishi exhibits the concept with Lost combining reduced acid lines, complex sound textures and experimental tones; forming a unique character as expected from Igarashi & Midgar.

Artist:
Wata Igarashi
Track:
Lost
Label:
Midgar

Svarog – Decepticons

What it comes to Svarog, it is clear which direction his productions are going: dark and atmospheric techno. For us, Decepticons stands out among all his productions of the year. Starting with minimal elements, the track evolves to beautiful soundscapes with Svarog‘s typical dark touch.

Artist:
Svarog
Track:
Decepticons
Label:
Northallsen Records

Anthony Linell – Breeders Trophy

Striking a balance between heavier techno and profound ambient experimental sounds, Anthony Linell always loves to explore deep techno in all his facets. Our favorite track is Breeders Trophy, a subtle ambient trip with very few elements and an eerie and weird melody.

Artist:
Anthony Linell
Track:
Breeders Trophy
Label:
Northern Electronics

Banke – Totem

Banke is the newest member of Token and delivers a fantastic debut with his Totem EP, a powerful four-tracker. The title track, in particular, creates heat on the dance floor with a heavy bassline and a slow building tension throughout the techno tool.

Artist:
Banke
Track:
Totem
Label:
Token

DJ Nobu – Fish

A reduced bassline, drip-like elements and a sparsely used kick drum characterise DJ Nobu‘s Fish. Listening to it feels like watching drops of falling rain on the surface of water from the perspective of a fish. This point of view sounds so bizarre and unique like the track and perfectly fits to the sound of BleeD.

Artist:
DJ Nobu
Track:
Fish
Label:
BleeD

Kwartz – Altered States Of Consciousness

After releases for Mord, Warm Up, Pole Recordings and other notable imprints, Body Sedation is Kwartz‘s debut release for Horo. His track Altered States of Consciousness is a dark and mental piece with a growling bass that leads to a hypnotising and haunting drive enabling the listener to get lost in the shadows.

Artist:
Kwartz
Track:
Altered States Of Consciousness
Label:
HORO

Donato Dozzy – Cleo

Italian mastermind Donato Dozzy is a veteran in creating art in form of mesmerizing music and Cleo is a perfect example of Donato‘s wide knowledge of techno. The track shaped by crystal clear textures and a emotional soundsphere, touches our musical hearts with positive vibes and happy feelings.

Artist:
Donato Dozzy
Track:
Cleo
Label:
Eerie

Isorinne – Tårlös sorg

Quite recently, Isorinne released his album Stumhetens Toner. Just in time for the winter season, this beautiful compilation explores the wonderful world of ambient through all possible viewpoints. Each track is unique but Tarlös Sorg is our true favorite. The beginning is reminiscent of one of the many piano pieces of Ludovico Einaudi. Tarlös Sorg continues with elegance and sensibility, unfolding Isorinne’s magic as the song draws to a close.

Artist:
Isorinne
Track:
Tårlös sorg
Label:
Northern Electronics

ASC – Curvature

A year without a track from Semantica feels wrong. Hence, Curvature from ASC is our pick of the year from the label run by Svreca. With atmospheric break-beats and minimal elements such as eerie melodies, experimental and beeping sounds, the track develops its own hypnotic and dark drive to get lost in.

Artist:
ASC
Track:
Curvature
Label:
Semantica

Barks – Numen

End of Perception is a new label founded this year, and it’s releasing compilations that combine raw techno with noise, atmospheric and ambient genres by established and lesser-known artists. Numen, a track by newcomer Barks, is a techno stomper with a powerful bass line and broken beats. The industrial and metallic sounds give the track a dark and heavy energy.

Artist:
Barks
Track:
Numen
Label:
End Of Perception

Josef Gaard – 2929 (Avancera Remix)

In June, we premiered a remix of Josef Gaard2929 by Avancera. Still, it is one of our favorite picks of this year. By slowing down the original driving beat and adding a touch of acid, Avancera has reduced the tribal vibe set out on the original and created a more rhythmic focused track.

Artist:
Josef Gaard / Avancera
Track:
2929 (Avancera Remix)
Label:
Mountain Explosion Device

Artefakt – Falling Into Light

As producers, Artefakt always touch our hearts and ears as ravers. They recently invited us into their studio for a talk about how they work in the studio and Falling Into Light is an excellent instance of their style of production. It starts with volatile kicks and combines them with melodic emotional melodies. The whole track is then rounded off by a beautiful and rolling acid line.

Artist:
Artefakt
Track:
Falling Into Light
Label:
Delsin

Was there a track that you loved from 2018 that we didn’t mention? Leave a comment below and let us know!