Best of 2015: Chris Kennedy’s Picks

Way too many to pick from, but I think I’m going to go with Tom Demac’s remix of Maribou State and Pedestrian’s “The Clown”. Tom just has a way of taking a rough, raw sound and using it to create a beautiful song.

Ashworth’s “Money” EP on Pets Recordings just came out a couple weeks ago, but it’s a release that is quality all the way through.

Memory Service’s “Whatchugot”, released on Black Butter, gets stuck in my head every tune I hear it, so this might be the track of the year for me. Still not even sure who Memory Service really is, as this seems to be their only track, but it’s a good one!

Billy Kenny isn’t brand new to the game, but 2015 was definitely his best year so far. With big releases on Dirtybird and Sweat It Out, he has also had released many artists himself through his label This Ain’t Bristol.

Detroit’s duo Golf Clap has got to be the one for me. Along with running their Country Club Disco label, they have been putting out tons of quality music (lots of it being free). They bring a classic brand of deep house to the scene but don’t take their selves too seriously, which is really refreshing these days.

Nicolas Jaar at U Street Music Hall might have to take this one. He packed out the place for a very unique DJ set that was almost as experimental as his legendary BBC Essential Mix.

It’s hard to not pick Main Course for this one. They have gained even more support this year for their unique business model: Every release is free for the first week. Ran by BOT, Astronmar, and Neoteric, they cover all sorts of sub-genres of club music and beyond.

They’ve been around for a while, but Beautiful Swimmers just had the big year they deserved. They got tons of praise from Resident Advisor for their fantastic music selections as DJs and as label heads at Future Times. DC has been sort of sleeping on them over the years, but the rest of the world hasn’t. It’s time to wake up and fully appreciate the talent we have coming from the city.