Asian Dan

The best Christmas song of all time:Vince Guaraldi Trio – Christmas Time is Here
Radiohead in a festive mood during a 2002 webcast.Radiohead – Winter Wonderland
The Ronnettes – Sleigh Ride
Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Kanye rockin his Michael Jackson fit.
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (Kanye West 2008 Remix) *Rip*
This is an interesting remix to say the least. It sounds like Kanye just called Timbaland in for some help with his kick drum samples. This track had so much potential. I guess thats what happens when you try to mess with something that is already amazing. Sorry Kanye, I guess you can only do it once with Daft Punk but that was just luck.

Clark – Kniff GriffThrottle Promoter – 2007This track is some hardcore dupstep/grime meets Warp Records IDM sound. Clark is such an amazing talent on Warp, I am always looking forward for whatever he puts out.

Thom Yorke x David Byrne Wired Interview

Justice @ Fader 50 Party – Bowery BallroomPeep the ill Beethoven’s 5th intro. I think they are DJing with Ableton like their live sets and like DJ Falcon. But I dunno.

Modeselektor – Deboutonner (Feat. Sirusmo) Off, Happy Brithday!
Sirusmo – All The Girls – 2.25.2008Sirusmo Myspace

Asian Dan’s Favorite Artists/Bands Discovered in 2007:
1. Sébastien Tellier
La Ritournelle, is all I have to say. It is a song that takes you on an emotional journey and leaves with a feeling of what could be and what could have been. Plus both videos are gorgeous. He is an amazing songwriter and I cannot wait for, Sexuality in 2008.

2. New Order
I have always loved New Order’s sound especially Peter Hook’s basslines but this summer I really discovered how good they are and decided that Temptation is my favorite song of all time. Oh and the fact that Radiohead covered Ceremony soldified their greatness in my eyes.

3. Hall & Oates
They were the original Daft Punk. Ha. I picked up their greatest hits after discovering how amazing the song Private Eyes was and I was blown away by how many hits they wrote. I would go through each track on the greatest hits and go wow that was them?! I cannot wait for their collaboration with Chromeo.

4. Todd Rundgren
The first song in Electroma is International Feel by Todd Rundgren the opening track of the the magnum opus, A Wizard, A True Star. Todd Rundgren is a songwriter/producer that has stayed under the mainstream musical radar but has produced everyone from Meatloaf, The Cars, to Hall & Oates.

5. France Gall & Françoise Hardy
Both these lovely ladies were proteges of the amazing Serge Gainsbourg and are quinessential 60s French Pop. They are defintely my favorite Yeh-Yeh Girls.

France Gall – Toi Que Je Veux
Françoise Hardy is my dream girl.6. Steely Dan
Aja is such an amazingly well crafted album. Peg blows me away especially Michael McDonald’s backup vocals during the chorus.

7. Alan Braxe
The Paradise – In Love With You, Stardust – Music Sounds Better With You. Genius tracks. I love the feeling of floating that you get when you listen to an Alan Braxe produced track.

Asian Dan’s Favorite Tracks Discovered in 2007:
1. Sparks – Tryouts for the Human Race
Justice spun this track when I saw them back in February in Paris at the Ed Banger Records 4 Year Anniversary party. I didn’t know what the song was but all I remember was dancing so hard to the synth bass line and that falling synth line. This summer I found out it was by Sparks and produced by the great, Giorgio Moroder.

2. Hall & Oates – Private Eyes
The hand claps are in the chorus are crucial and I believe that any song with handclaps are elevated to a new level that Daryl & John would approve of.

3. Stevie Wonder – All I Do
Stevie Wonder & Michael Jackson, thats all I have to say.

4. Van Halen – Dancing In the Street
The synth line in this song is amazing and you cannot resist to dance. Van Halen cannot be denied.

5. Alessi Brothers – Oh, Lori
At the beginning of the year I started listened to a lot of Andy Gibb, the younger brother of the Brothers Gibb (The B.G’s.) and decided to delve deeper into the world of Disco. This track by the Alessi Brothers is pop perfection. Everything about it is so pleasing, production-wise as well as songwriting-wise.

Top 10 Albums of 2007
1. Daft Punk – Alive 2007
2. Midnight Juggernauts – Dystopia
3. Radiohead – In Rainbows
4. Justice – †
5. Menomena – Friend and Foe
6. Klaxons – Myths of The Near Future
7. Battles – Mirrored
8. Minus the Bear – Planet of Ice
9. Explosions in the Sky – All of the Sudden I Miss Everyone
10. Kanye West – Graduation

Honorable Mentions:
– Blonde Redhead – 23
– Ratatat – Remixes Vol. 2
– Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
– Chromeo – Fancy Footwork

Best Tracks of 2007:
1. Justice – D.A.N.C.E
2. Klaxons – Golden Skans
3. Radiohead – Reckoner
4. Midnight Juggernauts – Nine Lives
5. Battles – Atlas
6. Danger – 11h30
7. Menomena – Wet and Rusting
8. David Rubato – Circuit
9. Blonde Redhead – Silently
10. The Tuss – Shiz Ko E

Best Remixes of 2007
1. Klaxons – Golden Skans (SebastiAn Remix)
2. Justice – D.A.N.C.E (MSTRKRFT Remix)
3. The Rakes – We Danced Together (SebastiAn Remix)
4. Timbaland – Miscommunication (The Bloody Beetroots Remix)
5. Fancy – What’s Your Name Again? (Busy P Remix)
6. TEPR – Minuit Jacuzzi (DatA Remix)
7. Midnight Juggernauts – Road To Recovery (D.I.M. Remix)
8. Space Cowboy – Running Away (MSTRKRFT Remix)
9. Feist – 1 2 3 4 (Van She Technologic Remix)
10. LA Priest – Engine (Erol Alkan Remix)

Best Shows of 2007

1. Justice @ Ed Banger Records 4th Year Anniversary @ Pierre Cardin- Paris, France – 2.11.2007

2. MSTRKRFT – Studio B – Brooklyn, NYC – 10.19.2007

3. Daft Punk – Coney Island – Brooklyn, NYC – 8.9.2007

4. Menomena – Paradise – Boston, MA – 11.9.2007

5. Midnight Juggernauts – Terminal 5 – NYC – 10.20.2007

6. Battles – Paradise – Boston, MA – 7.17.2007

7. Klaxons – Paradise – Boston, MA – 9.23.2007