Darkstar (6) – North

Monumental dubstep-adjacent record or whatever genre but a beautiful combination of the sonic influences of dubstep and future garage with more conventional song structure. Every song has depth and color. In many ways, when music was in a brighter place in the late 2000s/early 2010s, Darkstar (and to be fair, they weren't alone in this -- see Burial, most Hyperdub releases, DMZ, etc.) were writing cold, dystopic records that really seem better suited for something in the current zeitgeist.

There's a lot of talk about this being a more synth-pop oriented record but I think that's a bit of a misnomer. This record is absolutely a departure from dubstep and DJ music but it's still operating with that foundation. And while pop can encom a number of emotions, this is a record that speaks to sadness, defeat, and confusion more than anything else. One of the great records of its time and Darkstar had a well-deserved buzz around them, especially for Aidy's Girl is a Computer, but it's a shame it's not talked about more today.