2011 Mixtapes

Just in time for the christmas party, drunkeness and inappropriate touching under the misteltoe, we've picked our favorite mixes from the last 12 months. Your christmas parties are now complete.

2011 has been such a good year for Pulse. In regards to people we' ve worked with (not wanting to namedrop too much) Solomun, Richie Hawtin, DJ Marky, Blackstrobe, Joris Voorn and way too many to mention have done things specially for us. One of my favorite mixes came from Bubba & TBone. As half of Jet Project and Scoper & Bubba, Timmy Stewart and Johnny Smyth respectively, turned in a mix that emcompasses jackin chicago, electro, acid and hip-house featuring Moodymann, Hercules & Love Affair, Levon Vincent and Prince. This is a perfect example of why crate digging will (hopefully)  never die, with a large percentage of the music here never having seen an MP3. With eyes on the dancefloor at all times, the different genres all rub shoulders cohesively making it one of the freshest sounding mixes of the year. - James Huxley

A journey into the deep and twisted to put it mildly ... its dark and fun at the same time .. pew pew - Wade Cawood

I've chosen a mix created by Sydney based duo Africa Hitech that is bursting with what Kode 9 would refer to as 'affective tone'; the intoxicating dread that something is about to happen. Since the mix is mostly selections of footwork, that sense isn't just a feeling, but a movement that has spread like wild fire across the 'Black Atlantic'. Seamlessly blended, the mix also manages to breathe amidst the frenetic tempos of footwork smashed into drum n bass; a combination that makes so much sense, but one that perhaps only the experienced ears of Pritchard and Spacek could have the vantage point of seeing. Whilst 2011 has undoubtedly been a year of resurgence and experimentation for house, it never had much left to mutate and so instead of choosing a mix from the likes of 50 Weapons, Numbers, or even Swamp81, I'm looking forward with Hitech.

Having just wrapped up a tour of North America and Europe to promote their new album 93 Million Miles (Warp), Mark Pritchard and Steve Spacek have tied up a bumper year with this mix and are set to continue as beacons of soul and fire music across the world; whilst also acting as the quiet, imported nexus of Australia's underground electronic music scenes. - Sean Taylor

Magda as always and why i love her; Dark as fuck. More of a main room club feel than I would usually expect from her and it works. Turn it up and take the journey. She's brilliant. - Kristen Marconi

A mix that builds from one of the darker and intros I've heard in a while, the Department of Art prove once again why they're the men of the hour. Kicking into gear with their eerie "Touch You Gently" the boys waste no time in cycling through some of my favorite tracks of the year. Peppered with samples referencing their Canadian roots and even including some throwback hip-hop I find that this mix always provides me with a satisfying two hour musical accompaniment to just about anything. Are you living the life you always wanted to live? - Alex Fish

As awesome as the Manchester hailing DJ's recent italo disco-fuelled mix for the Australian blog, beats & pieces, was, my pick has to be his addition to the Made Like A Tree's podcast series back in January. Spacey, sleazy, groovy, often 80s inflected, and chock-full of tropical oddities that are indefinable yet of course get lumped into the umbrella term of 'disco', Phoreski's mix is a treasure trove of goodness for those with a predilection for beats that hover below the 105 BPM rim. Just brilliant. - Henry Johnstone

It's an obvious one but I just can't go past it. The two hour journey cements Jamie xx's successful crossover from indie kid to legit producer. He opens with rave classic 'Belgrade', takes us through classic house, Amy Winehouse, Gil Scott Heron riffing on the black origins of jazz, Fantastic Mr Fox, James Blake and an instrumental Wiley cut before ending on his Radiohead remix 'Bloom'. Shows why he's one to watch. - Emily Tullock

Listen to more mixtapes on Pulse Radio