Songs of 2013 - Wretch 32 ft Shakka - Blackout

My all-time favourite musical act are Outkast. Though I only became aware of them after 1998's "Aquemini". However when I delve back into their career I realise that the move from the southern gangsta-funk of 1994's "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik"to the more laid-back and experimental nature of 1996's "Atliens" must have been a weird jump at the time. In a funny way when I heard "Blackout" for the first time I was reminded of the jump that Outkast made between the two albums.

It's so easy for an artist to make the jump-off single a "look at me" club/festival banger. But I love the laid-back contemplation of the fame and success that has happened to Wretch 32 after he moved from underground to a mainstream UK artist with his major label debut, 2011's "Black and White". And how many rappers have come out with a track dissing the haters and the ho's that are now here as they have a bit of fame? Or get a big rapper/singer for a big name collaboration as they seek to confirm their greater status. There is something different about this track, from the way it starts with Shakka's emotional singing, to the build-up to Wretch 32's verses morphing into a marching tribal type beat, rather than a simple banging beat. And Wretch 32's verses have that tone in them where you can feel him searching for a moment of peace. Indeed there is a repeated refrain at the breakdown where he says "Take away my light, take away my shine, take away my eyesight, gimme a beat and let me rhyme", which feels like he just wants simpler times. This sentiment has been echoed in music many times before, but as someone who grew up in Britain it is great that we are now at the stage where a British rappers life can get crazy with all the success that he is having!

The lighting in the video is really interesting. Most of the video is in the shadows, which is generally the main element of the song. But those shadows are broken up by glimpses of light which is really cool. Wretch 32's new album "Growing Over Life" is due out sometime during 2014. Hopefully it will be dropping soon.

Songs of 2013 - M.I.A - Bring The Noize

This year M.I.A released her fourth album "Matangi". It was nearly 2 years ago that the first track from that album, "Bad Girls" was released. Apparently in the intervening period there were disagreement between her and her label. M.I.A said in an interview“[Interscope was] like ’We just built you up as the public enemy No. 1 and now you’re coming out with all this positive stuff.” This was at the beginning of 2013. She went back to "figure out what this meant" and then her album came out in November. So when "Bring The Noize" came out in the summer that felt like the real jump-off for the album.

It is a track which has many of the things M.I.A has done over the years; a bumping beat that sounds energetic & exotic, rapping with a confidence and swagger and a provoking and colourful video. The beat is brilliant because all the energy is concentrated in the drums with vocal samples jumping in every now and then. It was produced by Switch & Surkin.

M.I.A is such an important artist. She stands for something and is a powerful female voice in today's music industry. She may never be an artist who sells lots of records, but I imagine she has and will continue to inspire many up and coming artists around the world.

Songs of 2013 - Fuse ODG - Antenna

As someone who works in London and has heard kids on London buses play stuff from their mobile phones I know Afrobeats songs are really popular at the moment. And there are a number of children of African parents who are re-connecting through music to their African roots. Fuse ODG is a British/Ghanaian who reached number 7 in the UK charts with "Antenna". And for a British artist of African origin to have chart success with a tune that mixes African elements with Euro-dance elements is a big statement of where Britain is as a nation.

I believe one of the key components of the success of Afrobeats is the tempo of the tunes is often found around the house tempo of 128bpm. For the listener it gives them a familiar template and for the DJ it means it can be mixed in easier. And with "Antenna" you have a typical African drum rhythm mixed with an Auto-tune vocal effect and Euro-style synths. There is a joyous energy to the song, minus the predictable 4x4 house beats that have been so much over the past few years.

Fuse ODG also had a hit in the UK with "Azonto", though that had been an underground hit the year before. I hope in 2014 we will see an album from him, which I'd really look forward to.

Songs of 2013 - MKS - Flatline

One of my favourite tracks of 2012 was "Losing You" by Solange Knowles, produced by Dev Hynes (aka Lightspeed Champion or Blood Orange). This track by the act originally known as The Sugababes   is also produced by him. It is a track that despite the lyrics seemingly to be about a relationship breakdown (the chorus begins "Stay gone, darling I won't hang on\ I can feel the flatline that ought to be away") has a really uplifting vibe to it! I think that is partly because it is great to hear the original Sugababes back making music together. Plus the choir sounding"ohh's" that come in at 2:28 always sound cool. The video is great too. It's like there are 3 women re-connecting with each other after being kept apart for reasons none of them know why. Which I guess is what has happened.

Unfortunately the song was not a big hit and only got to number 50 in the UK charts, despite critical acclaim. That's not a good sign. I imagine there is a bit of label money behind them, so MKS would expect to have significant chart success. I hope this happens, but not at the expense of quality music. Hopefully there will be more tunes like "Flatline" that meet with great success and a great album to follow.

Songs of 2013 - Dizzee Rascal - I Don't Need A Reason

Dizzee Rascal has certainly had an interesting year. He was a prominent part of Glastonbury, covered by the BBC, tearing it down on the main stage, yet he has had a Twitter war after having a big disagreement with Radio 1 over the fact he was not getting on their playlist.

And "I Don't Need A Reason" was a tune that didn't receive much radio play. It was meant to be an official single release, but shortly after this great video was released it was seen that it wasn't making much traction on the charts, so it was never officially released as a single. I love it though! It's got Dizzee's playful rapping and his amazing flow, in combination with a heavy beat. The video is delightfully weird. There are so many moments where the people in the video are doing something crazily funny and then the scene gets repeated, multiplying the craziness!

There are always going to be people longing for the grittiness that Dizzee exhibited on "Boy In Da Corner", his debut album. Not me. The never-ending party is more a reflection of Dizzee's life now. But Dizzee has always done things in a unique way, which is what makes him one of the UK's best acts of the 21st century. Shame "I Don't Need A Reason" wasn't bigger, but I still loved it!

Songs of 2013 - Disclosure - White Noise

This has been a great year for Disclosure, with a number 1 album, festival crowds going mental, awards galore and this brilliant single "White Noise". Disclosure's success has served as somewhat of an antidote to some of the predictable chart fare that has been thought of as Electronic Dance Music, with loud synths and predictable build-ups/breakdowns.

The slinky synth line, rising up and down the scale, is a great backbone to this tune. It feels like it constantly moving, propelling the tune along. Add to that the unique innocent vocals of Aluna Francis and the deep-house drums and bassline and you have a tune that's both sexy and anthemic. My personal favourite bit is the breakdown where Aluna's voice echoes saying "Back" and the bassline comes right to the forefront at 3:12 in.

I can't say that the video was what I was expecting, but there is something easily relatable about the security guard dancing in his own world with his headphones on. I know I have done this many times, especially to this track!

I saw Disclosure live in Brixton Academy in November and there was definitely a celebratory air to their performance. Both of them seemed ecstatic to be headlining a venue as historic as Brixton. They are coming back to London in February to play the even bigger venue of Alexandra Palace. It should be interesting to follow their progress over their years.

BBC Sound of 2014 Poll - Jungle - The Heat

The annual BBC Sound of 2014 poll is always a fascinating read. The winners will often have great success. Last year's winners were HAIM and they have certainly have had a good year, with an UK number 1 album. The longlist was revealed earlier this month and for me the most intriguing of all the acts was Jungle. On their Soundcloud page they list their tracks as "Electronic Soul". They are still a bit of a mystery, but the 2 main people behind whatever they consist of seem to be two people named T & J. If that is them really skating in the video they are great roller-skaters as well as talented musicians!

The police-siren and the laid-back nature of the groove remind me of London on a quiet summer afternoon. In "The Heat". I also think the background noises such as what sounds like a kid playing and radio commentary stages add to the atmosphere they have sought to create in the track. But the main thing that makes it stand-out from the crowd is the Curtis Mayfield like vocals, which kick in at 0:25. There is something great about a vocal that sounds multi-tracked. You can almost imagine a live performance where the whole band is grooving along and singing at the same time.

The video is great because it looks like London. It's simple, but mesmerising because you are kept glued to the screen by the choreographed roller-skating routine. It's a grimy scene lit up by the creativity  and talent. That's something you see around London so frequently.

Knowing how these polls work it's unlikely Jungle are going to win the whole thing, but they may get a top 5. I hope they do and that 2014 is a really successful year for them. Whoever they are!