It’s inevitable that countdowns will always spark controversy, that’s just the nature of the beast. Some tracks will be snubbed, some overlooked, and some ranked higher than you may have expected. We’ve already gone over our ranking criteria at length but despite our own self-imposed guidelines, 2012 proved to be more difficult to rank than years past. With the EDM explosion officially in full swing throughout the year, the sheer number of releases was mind numbing, and — consequently — nearly impossible to rank. There has been no greater challenge for the editors at Dancing Astronaut than creating the list of the Biggest Tracks of 2012.
Love them or hate them, overplayed or under-appreciated, here are the songs that defined the 2012 EDM explosion, numbers 50-41.
Every Saturday night at 1am in the UK, Pete Tong allows an artist of his choosing to take over the Radio 1 airwaves for two full hours. The Essential Mixis legendary and for many of these DJs and producers, the pressure feels immense. A stellar mix can shoot you to recognition, solidify a career, or facilitate a comeback. Although with the generous input of fans, Pete Tong does eventually crown an Essential Mix of the year himself (last year: Above & Beyond), we also put our heads together to decide on the ten mixes from 2012 that made us listen again, and again, and again.
Just this week Alesso released his original production “Clash,” but he’s already gifting fans with a preview of another tune. This time it’s his remix of Arty’s euphoric “When I See You.” Alesso’s version of the track sports minimal changes, mostly maintaining the melodies of the original. The bass seems to have been removed, however, we imagine the official release will reintegrate this essential element. Although there aren’t any major additions, his remix of “When I See You” marks the finale of a very good year for Ingrosso’s protégé. The track is set for release on December 21st via Refune.
It’s Sunday, and that means another episode of Arty‘s radio show, Together We Are, has hit the internet. This week, Arty steps aside for the young Australian producer, Walden, to grace the decks and deliver a mix that differs from the average set. Walden includes many of his big tracks like “Warmonger” and “Brightness,” along with some songs that you may not recognize, like “Our Metal Heartbeats.” As always, you can download the episode below, and view the tracklist after the break. If you are looking for more Walden, he delivered a killer set for this weeks episode of Dancing Astronuat’s Axis.
Quick to follow his remix with Hardwell, “Elements,” Dannic is back with his take of Arty, Nadia Ali, and BT’s “Must Be The Love.” The bubbling melodies and soulful vocals have come to make one of the bigger tracks of the year, and Dannic brings his progressive power to up the ante. Filled with newfound energy, his remix swaps the trance elements for rolling drums and deep kicking undertones. Purchase Dannic’s rendition of “Must Be The Love” on Beatport packaged with remixes from Shogun and Au5.
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Once again, Arty is back with another weekly episode of Together We Are, and this time he’s going old school. After finding a case of old CDs, Arty decided to make an episode full of classics from when he first started DJing and he plans on continuing this trend every couple of months if his fans like it. Included in the mix are classics like Prydz’s “In & Out,” a remix of Benassi’s “Come Fly Away,” and more, creating a very peaceful mix. We love when artists use their radio shows to experiment and with a mix like this, Arty has us at the edge of our seats.
Best of Instagram is a feature from Dancing Astronaut that showcases our favorite pictures from our favorite DJs on Instragram each week. This week, we’ve got gems from Afrojack, Tiesto, Steve Aoki, and more.
Do you want to have your photos included in our Best of Instagram feature? All you have to do to be eligible is use the hashtag “#astrogram” in your photo entry on Instagram. Keep your photos DA or dance music-related, and we’ll choose one user-submitted photo to include each week. Click past the break to see this week’s #astrogram contest winner.
After this week’s release of “One Love One Universe,” one may wonder when Arty will be ready to release his next big thing. That answer has come quickly, as Refune Records has previewed “When I See You,” Arty’s next single which will be ready for its November 23rd release. The track builds upon the successes of Arty’s past releases, and hits with even more euphoria, big room flavor, and bold leads and crashes. Hold tight, the wait is only two weeks before “When I See You” hits Beatport courtesy of Mr. Sebastian Ingrosso.
Arty has returned from his fan-favorite “Must Be The Love,” but he has turned away from it’s trademark appeal on this week’s offering. Coming as a refreshing first listen without a Together We Arepremiere, “One Love One Universe” is not the typical sound that one has come to expect from Arty. Lacking any true climax or notable drop, the mellow production is built upon melodic keys and the vocal contribution from Jenson Vaughan. We have seen Arty drift from his comfort zone before — experimenting with “The Slide” — but this time he finds himself on the opposite end of the genre spectrum. Take a listen to his unique offering and purchase “One Love One Universe” from Beatport via Ultra Records.
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Everyone’s favorite Russian, Arty, returns to LAVO NYC this Thursday, November 8th. Known for his carefully constructed sets – his Essential Mix is one of the best we’ve ever heard – and his deftly produced originals, this Anjunabeats star is bound to tear the house down at Manhattan’s premiere Thursday night hotspot. Check out his latest podcast to set the tone for Thursday night and don’t forget to purchase tickets here.
