Best of 2022
We have created another year of chart articles with some great artists. Hope you get something good out of this.
DOORMOUSE
https://doormouse.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.instagram.com/the_doormouse_/
Q. What is your favorite music in 2022?
Ruby My Dear - A Dada
Hellfish - Holy Hellfish Vol. 1
Nikki Nair - Plug
Hellfish - God is a Fish
Doormouse - Sax Me Hard
Tripped - Unboxed
Kilbourne - Cathedrals
Dolphin - Recalibrated
Baseck & Aura T-09 - West Coast
TuskMite - Phatisims
Q. What is your favorite Movie, Book, Game, etc for 2022?
The Rehearsal
TraumaZone
Botchamania 464
OSW 112
Q. What was your most memorable experience in 2022?
Most of my experiences revolve around my family and children, lots of BIG moments including watching my daughter swim in college, watching my 12 year old become his quirky self and my 7 year old twins grow into the polar-opposite best buddies.
As far as music - 2022 was pretty huge for me. I got to play PRSPCT XL, Breakcore Gives Me Wood, Bangface, a cool art installation in Enschede NL, WORM Rotterdam, ADE, Bulgaria, Oblivion, opening for Igorrr - all of these were awesome and I'm probably missing a few.
Also, setting up The Doormouse Show on PRSCT and doing 15 streams for them was pretty amazeballs.
I thought I was 100% retired from this stuff, but there it was, dormant and ready to rise again. Happy to be here!
Q. What was 2022 like for you?
Lots of really good stuff happened, musically and personally.
Q. What do you want 2023 to be?
I don't set expectations, life is full of surprises. I'll be playing a bunch of shows and releasing a bunch of music.
Drumcorps
https://drumcorps.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.instagram.com/drumcorps/
Q. What is your favorite music in 2022?
A Winged Victory for the Sullen
Been listening to mostly hardcore punky / crusty / ambient electronic / modern classical music this year. One of those. Missed a lot in the middle, endeavor to check out more soon.
Q. What is your favorite Movie, Book, Game, etc for 2022?
Books:
Sarah Kendzior - They Knew
Kim Stanley Robinson - The Ministry for the Future
Eric Schlosser - Command and Control
Lawrence Anthony - The Elephant Whisperer
Q. What was your most memorable experience in 2022
My father was very sick in the hospital, and eventually died. This, and being with my family for months, was obviously the most memorable thing. While not a happy time by any means, spending all the family time, endless dinners of mostly frozen food which is easy to make, because your soul is fried, but then the quiet talking with my mom over hours and hours and months, about everything, it was priceless. In life we don't do that so much it seems. We grow up, and then we head out and spend all sorts of energy on other things, on work... much of which is one day revealed to be quite silly. Spending lots of time in the beautiful nature of my home, it was also very good. And as funny as it sounds, a major highlight was hanging out with a chipmunk who lives nearby, who I have been feeding for years, and who this year was feeling brave enough to climb into my hand for the first time. Little things...
Q. What was 2022 like for you?
It was a sad year, but also a year of the good & the real. I like the real. There is a goodness in it, even when all is sad. Specifically, much of my year was spent in family time, interspersed with futile attempts at work. The rest of it was spent in quiet focus, trying to make some good things happen. Thankfully I succeeded, after hammering away at it, and ended up releasing the newest drumcorps record https://drumcorps.bandcamp.com/album/creatures , which is a personal best and lifelong goal achieved.
On the craft front, this year is when I've started to really *hear* some of the finer details of audio - the difference between different compressors - preamps cables even, hellll... and figuring out how to get your work into the "butter zone" as I like to call it lately - the place that feels right. The production focus of the past few years seems to be catching up to where I'd like it to be, finally. It takes some time. Now is when you become one of those audio weirdos? Well, check back in a few years and we'll see. Did a lot of mixing and mastering for people this year, which is gratifying, to help their music be the best it can be too.
Also good this year was making my first art book : https://drumcorps.bandcamp.com/merch/better-days-for-the-living-creatures-hardcover-book . You put your work online these days, but taking a moment to collect it in physical form let me realize I'm actually a visual artist too, and a writer of words, maybe even a bit of a poet. Feels good and real.
This year I also decided I won't tour until covid is resolved, which could be a long time. I was undecided for a while, and scheduled for a gigantic tour with Igorrr and Otto von Schirach. The tour was cancelled and rescheduled five times, and eventually happened, but I had to cancel my part of it for family reasons. Now... try as I might, I cannot make myself believe that touring is a good idea, and I will not be doing it for a while. Sorry.
The good news is a) all energy is focused on making new music, and b) I have toured like hell for a long time, everywhere, and there are SO many stories. This quiet time is letting all those memories bubble back up again, and I've realized that the whole story is completely hilarious. It would be a good book! So, I'm writing a book. It's half about music, and half about travel and culture - all the little things you see & people you meet along the way.
Q. What do you want 2023 to be?
Peaceful, healthy, and full of great music. Working on several new releases for the year, in various styles. Hopefully some good progress on the book. See you next year, still quiet, with lots more good work done.
EYE-D
https://www.facebook.com/eyedmusic
https://www.instagram.com/eyedmusic/
Q. What is your favorite music in 2022?
10 CLS - RUN
AVLM - Fearless
Adamant Scream - Hexs
Agressor Bunx - Selecta
Angerfist - Beyond Strength
Butterfist - Freakshow
Current Value - It's All Good
Czarface - Czarmageddon
Djipe & Ophidian - Unaltered
Fracture 4 - Nothing Will Stay
G Jones & Eprom - On My Mind
Kill the Noise - Brain Damage (Teddy Killerz Remix)
Little Snake - Driving on Acid
Logic - Vinyl Days
Mad Dog - Time
Meyhem Lauren & Daringer - Black Vladimir
Neonlight - Hero of My Youth
New Frames - MNTZM
Nightshift - I am Doom
Pilldriver - Pitch-Hiker (Ghost in the Machine Remix)
Scalameriya - Kiti Kimera
Somniac One - Junkyard Shift
TAFKAMP - Curious Kees
Tymon - Dead Inside
Your Old Droog - The Yodfather
Q. What is your favorite Movie, Book, Game, etc for 2022?
10 TV shows for 2022:
Andor
Atlanta
Birdgirl
Gangs of London
Letterkenny
Peacemaker
Severance
South Side
The Boys
The Peripheral
Q. What was your most memorable experience in 2022?
Being able to play shows again was pretty amazing!
Q. What was 2022 like for you?
This tail-end of the pandemic still feels a bit like a dream. At the start it felt almost illegal to be playing again and now it just feels like I'm chasing my own tail trying to get as many projects finished as I can before I turn 60.
Q. What do you want 2023 to be?
A slightly slower version of 2022!
Lenny Dee
https://soundcloud.com/lenny-dee-1
https://www.instagram.com/lennydeeisr/
Q. What is your favorite music in 2022?
to play, I've been on the techno tip. It seems I am going back to my roots. Some of my fav tracks in no real order
Celt Islam - Cyberpunk
False Idxls (Malke remix) - Asin
Rectal Birth - The Nasty
rock the place - the Obsessed
Dustrializer - Foundation
rtype - Only Shadows
Q. What is your favourite Movie, Book, Game, etc for 2022?
book : Zen and the Art of Recording
Game - Movie /series 2022 : The Batman, Bullet Train, Swamp Thing, Wednesday
Q. What was your most memorable experience in 2022?
My House Had a Flood so I didnt have my studio in 2002, but through all of that, i managed to work with Malke on our new tracks for next year. I was in my kitchen with headphones. hahah. We sign a banging band from Australia 'Rectal Birth' and I created a huge Sampler which featured over 70 of our micro packs for producers to create music with. Just wrapped the new Malke and Tooms, which is a bad ass fuss of metal and hardcore, something we do a lot of.
Q. What was 2022 like for you?
Loads of work, I spent a lot of time furthering everything we do at Industrial Strength. looking at what we are doing for next year, but I also enjoying making music. I worked on different styles. eg I made a track with The Sickest Squad, worked with Asin and of course Malke. Malke & I had a wicked live show in Toulouse in Oct and planning to do more next year. We also finally got 30 years of ISR into production. We had a lot of delays but will be out vinyl & Digital in 2023, quite a while after the actual '30 years' but better late than never :)
Q. What do you want 2023 to be?
* Better then 2022 - lol :)
Medici Daughter
https://medicidaughter.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/medicidaughter/
Q. What is your favorite music in 2022?
I've been listening to 's + C' by Integral, which is on a label from New Jersey called SUM. I like everything they release. I listened to a lot of Duwap Kaine and Shed Theory. And last week I saw Kali Malone perform part of her new thing with Lucy Railton and Stephen O'Malley, and that was my favourite show of the year. I took my mum.
Q. What is your favorite Movie, Book, Game, etc for 2022?
'The Thief's Journal' by Genet, which I think most people read in high school. I don't watch movies because I don't have the attention span.
Q. What was your most memorable experience in 2022?
Sobbing in the gutter after getting fired. It was drizzling and people were stepping over me.
Q. What was 2022 like for you?
This was my first year releasing music. I hope I learned something.
Q. What do you want 2023 to be?
I don't know. Not boring. I'd like to work on more longform material and do more collaborations. I'm not really interested in performing. What else? I want to develop my work, and express whatever it is I need to express more precisely, but that kind of goes without saying. And on the practical side, one thing that comes to mind is this MIDI protocol I've been playing with, where the MIDI controls the human body rather than the other way around, which I'll keep tweaking. In general, I want to improve. I hope I can be graceful and patient. And I want to make other musicians throw up their hands and quit, which isn't graceful, but there it is.
Miyuki Omura
https://soundcloud.com/mykomr
https://www.instagram.com/miyu_kiomura/
Q. What is your favorite music in 2022?
Adamant Scream & Lucy Furr - Incinerate ［PRSPCT Recordings］
Fellsius - Mesa ［DOMEOFDOOM］
Fetus - Hermit ［KOOL SWITCH WORKS］
Gore Tech - Nemesystem［EXE Project］
Holly - Watch The World Die ［Prototypes Records］
Marc Acardipane – Atmos-Fear Remixes［Planet Phuture］
poniyama - My beloved siblings［Liminal Warp］
Sacerdos Vigilia - Distortion Matters［The Third Movement］
The DJ Producer - Grasp the Heavens［Motormouth Recordz］
Tripped - Unboxed ［PRSPCT Recordings］
Q. What is your favorite Movie, Book, Game, etc for 2022?
I haven't seen new movies much this year. Mainly watched old movies and Netflix series.
Top Gun Maverick and Stranger Things S4 are my highlights.
Q. What was your most memorable experience in 2022?
Definitely my first gig in The Netherlands. I couldn’t believe that DJ Promo invited me to play at Club r_AW. On the project side, I’m pleased to release my first track on Prototypes Records and the first EP on The Third Movement. I really appreciate that they hooked me into the spotlights.
Q. What was 2022 like for you?
I felt supported and encouraged this year, massive thanks to the people who got involved.
Q. What do you want 2023 to be?
Hope for more music, more shows and new experiences.
Miley Serious
https://soundcloud.com/mil3-3ri-vs
https://www.instagram.com/mileyxserious/
Q. What is your favorite music in 2022?
The real and hardest question. Music is constantly evolving so it's so difficult.. lets see what I can do with what come to my head but it will be mainly what i listen to outside of my set :
Lor2mg - patience
1morning - flow
Babyxsosa - Angel
Fadi Mohem - Transition
NYCO - Evade
Thaiboy Digital - Alive
Jetpacc, Nunu ntp - Magnetic Field
Q. What is your favorite Movie, Book, Game, etc for 2022?
Movie : "Pearl" by Ti West came out late this year but was for me, one of the best movies I watched lately. I'm extremely bad at movies, but this one, for the aesthetic, the subject, the era.. everything was perfect to me and I became obsessed with it.
Book : "2120" by George Wylesol , I'm more into graphic design novel and this one is a "create your own adventure" book but for adult, my heart was racing while going through these long corridors..
I also just put out a side project on my label called 99CTS INPRNT with the first ISSUE 01 : RUKUS. This project is to push all the painters, graphic designers, artists I admire in the underground scene and this studio called XUM STUDIOS was the perfect start.
Game : I'm not a gamer BUT we discovered a card game called Ligretto and it's one of the most addicting games I ever played.
Q. What was your most memorable experience in 2022?
So hard to choose. I feel this year has been so full of memorable experiences that I'm thankful for..from touring again, starting the year with playing Printworks in London, following Jesus Piece on their European Tour, a lot of amazing shows across Europe and the US, starting a new project for the label..
Q. What was 2022 like for you?
It was the year where I could meet myself again, back to myself and the peace I always had in me.
It was a year full of love and fun, learning, always.
Evolving and becoming a better self, I'm looking forward to more of that now :)
Q. What do you want 2023 to be?
It will be what it will be but I want 2023 to be even happier, more real, more aware of the reality of what is this world and I want to dive into it too.
I just want to discover the world with my eyes and my ears, specially my loved one next to me.
Rudi Ratte
https://soundcloud.com/gabbaassault
https://www.facebook.com/rudiratte666/
Q. What is your favorite music in 2022?
Sets / Parties In no particular order:
Shackelton (Melkweg)
Mouse And No Name (Astropolis Festival)
Cuften (Astropolis Festival)
Sherelle (Bangface)
Squarepusher (Bangface)
Ritchie Gambino (PRSPCT XL)
Lousiahhh (Melkweg ADE)
Stranger (Warehouse Paris)
Mad Miran (Conflux Festival)
OBX - (ZMK Free Party)
Charlton (Tresor)
Releases: TOP 10 In no particular order:
Rotor Militia - Polar Vortex LP (PRSPCT Recordings)
Starving Insect - Gospels Of The Worm (Rave Or Revenge),
Technical Itch - Another Life / Melt (Over/Shadow)
Thanos Hana - Rude / Elefant (Tar Hallow)
MSDMNR - Systematic (MSDMNR)
TAFKAMP presents Irv da Perv (Paling Trax LTD)
Peckerhead - Acid Aries (PRSPCT Recordings)
Yazzus - Black Metropolis (Tresor)
HEISA - Abscene (PRSPCT Recordings)
WaveBndr - Spirit Of Rave (Interwave)
Q. What is your favorite Movie, Book, Game, etc for 2022?
Game: The Witcher
Movie: Hellraiser
Series: Severance
Crisps: Quavers
Venue: MS Stubnitz
Entertainment Event: BodyslamDK, Copenhagen
Q. What was your most memorable experience in 2022?
Holiday Berlin, South Tyrol Family Wedding, Moulin Rouge, In de Keuken bij Floris, Moving Out Of the Spanjaard Ghetto.
Scheme Boy
https://soundcloud.com/scheme-boy
https://www.varispeed.eu/
Q. What is your favourite music in 2022?
Here’s a selection of what I’ve been listening to and playing out during 2022. I’ve listed them in alphabetical order as there is no way I could choose which of these is better than the others!
Aura T & Baseck – West Coast (EP)
Blockdata – Entropy
Butterfist – Freakshow
dgoHn – Undesignated Remixes (LP)
Dolphin – Recalibrated (EP)
Drumcorps – Creatures
G Jones & Eprom – Acid Disk 2 (EP)
Gore Tech – Nemesystem (LP)
Jacob – Time Trials (EP)
Johnny Broke – Computer Science (LP)
Kavari – Attachment Style
MacheeeN Boi – Wired Weird (EP)
Msymiakos & Algorithmic – Survival
μ-ziq – Magic Pony Ride (LP)
S.Murk – Circuitbreaks
Salander – Haxium (EP)
Scalameriya – Aeon Core (LP)
Seppa – Elision (EP)
Smyla & Gein – Invaders
Somatic Responses – Fragments (EP)
Tipper – Marble Hunting (LP)
Tusk Mite – P H ▽ T I S M S (LP)
Two Fingers & Muadeep – Blood Moon
Q. What is your favourite media for 2022?
Movies:
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022 version)
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Crimes of the Future
Prey
TV:
Better Call Saul and Succession have been my favourite TV dramas of recent years. As for comedies, I usually watch endless repeats of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Trailer Park Boys and Peep Show. They just never get old!
Games:
I rarely get invested in new games, but the one game that did suck up a lot of my time this year was Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. I have always been a fan of the franchise and loved AC Odyssey. Valhalla wasn’t quite as well-made as Odyssey, a bit buggy, and not as smooth, but I still enjoyed it. I’m just a sucker for big open-world game environments with epic landscapes.
Books:
None of these are 2022 books. They are just the ones I read in 2022...
Red Notice by Bill Browder
Why We Get the Wrong Politicians by Isabel Hardman
Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave! The Secret History of 2000AD and Judge Dredd by Pat Mills
Podcasts:
Lex Fridman
Hardcore History
Q. What was your most memorable experience in 2022?
My most memorable experience of 2022 probably wasn’t the best experience of the year. In August, after nearly two years on a waiting list, I finally received an operation on my left ear that was badly needed to prevent me from having total hearing loss on that side. I won’t bore you with the specifics, but it was due to unlucky genetics that caused my ear canal to be a weird shape. It wasn’t caused by being sat behind a drum kit or playing breakcore on massive sound systems for 20+ years. Although, those things probably haven’t helped! I just have tiny ear canals. The operation went well, but it wasn’t a pleasant recovery period. So, for that reason, it is probably the most memorable single thing that happened to me in 2022. I think I have put off deafness for a few more years, so for that reason alone, it was all worth it.
Q. What was 2022 like for you?
I am almost hesitant to answer this question honestly as so many people, in my life and around the world, have really struggled this year, but I have to say, 2022 has been a pretty good year for me. There have been tough times for sure. My aforementioned ear operation and being ill in other ways a few times for example, but overall, I have a lot to be grateful for. A lot of that gratitude comes down to the success of my monthly Varispeed Socialz events. I started them as the UK came out of its final covid lockdown in August 2021. I was only expecting to do a few events whilst we waited for events to return to normal again. However, it became clear, from the reaction the events got, that there was a real desire in Bristol for a regular multi-genre event that focussed on heavy and experimental underground music. So, it was decided to carry on throughout 2022, and I’m so glad we did,
as we have been lucky to have some of the best artists in the world agree to play our small little sweat box. I know I am biased, but there has not been a bad set at any of the Socialz events. Everyone brings their A-game. For me, I think the most notable sets were Enduser, Dolphin and my debut back-to-back sets with Scamp, Tugie and Algorithmic.
This link will take you to the flyers of all our events in 2022, just so you can get a taste of what has been going down in our tiny little corner of BS5 Bristol...
https://www.varispeed.eu/gallery/
Whilst I am in “shameless plug mode” I should probably also mention that 2022 was the year Varispeed finally got on the merchandise bandwagon. We put out a Varispeed smiley shirt, an exclusive Enduser “Making Jungle Sad” shirt, and also a USB stick full of recordings from our Socialz events. The USBs have now all sold out, but you can still order the shirts here...
https://varispeed303.bandcamp.com/
Q. What do you want 2023 to be?
My hopes for 2023 are very similar to my hopes for 2022...I just want gigs and tours to return to normal. I know lockdowns are over in most places, but in the UK, both Covid and Brexit hit at the same time. Both had a huge impact on our live music industry. Once we got over Covid then we had the harsh realities of Brexit to face. Yes, people are putting on shows again, clubs are back and festivals are back, but the cross-channel bookings are way down from just a few years ago. EU artists aren’t playing in the UK as much, and UK artists aren’t playing in the EU as much. Which I think is culturally sad for everyone. It is getting better, and slowly we are finding what our new normal is, but sadly, there is still a way to go yet for touring underground artists.
However, I don’t want to end on a downbeat. I am also looking forward to another year of Varispeed events, and collaborations outside of Bristol with other promoters. We already have legends like The DJ Producer, The Teknoist, Ladyscraper and Skull Vomit booked for the first few months of 2023, which is a pretty good start to the year if you ask me!
Yuta Umegatani (Murder Channel)
https://murderchannel.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/murder_channel/
Q. What is your favourite music in 2022?
VaVa – VVARP
Katran - Above The Concrete
JK Flesh - Sewer Bait
The Bug - Absent Riddim
JUBEE – Explode
Commodo - Deft 1s
FFF - Part Of The Order
Kahn - Streets of Rage (2015 dubplate mix)
Sir Spyro - WISH (feat. Teddy Bruckshot, Black Steve, Killa P & Flowdan)
Liza Aikin & Monolog - Until There Was Nothing
SHADES - From a Vein
PUNPEE - Return of The Sofakingdom
Chrizpy Chriz – Suffuse
Thys & Two Fingers – Puma Rhythm
ZOMBY – ACID
TORIENA – RAW
Kilbourne - Cathedrals EP
Boofy - Avec Gang
Al Cisneros vs The Bug – Rosin
Billain - Lands Unbreached
Safety Trance - Lágrimas
JK Flesh – Veneer Of Tolerance
sanmal - Unstable Dream
Fret – Because Of The Weak
Burial – Streetlands
Noisia – Closer
Ben Lukas Boysen – Clarion
Miyuki Omura - Perfect Education
Godflesh – Pure : Live
Champion Sound - Dubcore Volume 22
Ossia - Red X / Information / Drum Tangle Versions
Somniac One - Deer in the Headlights
Q. What is your favorite Movie, Book, Game, etc for 2022?
Wu-Tang: An American Saga (Season 1 & 2)
jeen-yuhs
TITANE
Spider-Man: No Way Home
This Is Pop("Auto-Tune")
Q. What was your most memorable experience in 2022?
Very well changed. I feel that a second chapter of my life has begun. Musically, it was great to meet VaVa. He is making the music I was looking for.
Q. What was 2022 like for you?
It has been a very important year. I found a good balance between my passion for music and my values in life.
Q. What do you want 2023 to be?
I want to spend better time as it is. More support for the people I want to support.