2018 is nearly over, and it’s been a great one for music. 2018 has seen everyone from Rezz, to Steve Angello, and even Rüfüs Du Sol drop albums, and we’ve been loving every second of it. Every year, the editors & writers here at EDMTunes round up the year’s releases and hold a poll to see who comes out on top.
In 2017, we saw “Awake” by Illenium top the years list. Today, we present to you 2018’s Top Albums & we think you’re gonna love it. If you don’t be sure to leave a comment & let us know who you think should have made the list.
Alison Wonderland – Awake
Alison dropped her much anticipated sophomore album, and it was greatly received. Checking in at 14 tracks, she took us on quite the music rollercoaster. From the opening track ‘Good Enough’ to the closing track in ‘Awake’ the album is full of emotional, dance music. One track that stands out is ‘Sometimes Love’ featuring SLUMBERJACK, as its a bass heavy, banger.
Enrico Sangiuliano – biomorph
Up next is Enrico Sangiuliano’s ‘Biomorph‘. Bringing the high-quality techno that we’ve come to expect, Enrico’s album easily makes this list. In his own words, Biomorph is “A very special concept album designed to take the listener on a journey of evolution.” If you saw any techno or tech trance set during Summer 2018 you probably heard Multicellular, Hidden T, Symbiosis or some combination of the 3.
Dillon Francis – WUT WUT
In what was easily one of the years most anticipated albums, Dillon Francis released his latin infused album titled ‘WUT WUT’. The album heavily features everything a “sultry Latin moombahton vibe” and Spanish vocals. Everyone was a bit confused when he announced he would be releasing this album, but upon listening, it easy to see that he struck gold. From start to finish, this album shows off how Dillon has truly matured as an artist. It will be interesting to see where he takes his musical direction in 2019. Until then, we have WUT WUT to hold us over.
Lane 8 – Little By Little
Lane 8 is one of the best producers out there at the moment, and his album ‘Little By Little’ is a perfect example of this. With a total of 10 tracks, the album literally had us taken aback. Alongside the release of this album came an extensive global 35-date headline tour, which Lane 8 fans around the world were more than happy to hear about
Steve Angello – Human
In what is possibly one of, if not my favorite albums of the year, Swedish House Mafia member, Steve Angello blew us away with his 3-part album titled ‘Human‘. Full of blazing bass-lines, punchy drums, & electro style influences Angello took his sound in the complete opposite direction of his SHM partners. With 21 tracks in total, the album is perfect for a long car ride, or perhaps a night where you just want to vibe away to some good music.
Spencer Brown – Illusion Of Perfection
Clocking in at 12 tracks, Spencer Brown’s ‘Illusion Of Perfection’ seems pretty perfect to us. Being handpicked by Avicii to go on tour with him, Illusion is the perfect masterpiece to showcase his talents. Through Illusion of Perfection, Spencer highlights his craft and sound engineering in the 12 meticulously crafted tracks, giving us some insight into his genius.
Deadmau5 – Where’s The Drop
While technically not new music, this is still considered a new album. Deadmau5′ album ‘Where’s The Drop‘ saw the Mau5trap honcho reimagine many of his best tracks, in orchestral form. He put on two live shows to go with the release, with the help of conductor Gregory Reveret. This album is a bit different than most on the list, but that’s fine, because it’s awesome, and we love it.
San Holo – album1
San Holo shocked the Dance Music community earlier this year as he dropped his debut album ‘album1‘. The Dutch DJ/Producer ditched his signature sound, and instead opted to take his music in a new sonic direction. It makes me happy to see that this album made the list, as it is truly innovating, and chock-full of original music.
From the playful arpeggios, the ethereal vocal chops, and even the guitar that San Holo plays in some of the tracks, the album is a breath of fresh air. This is something that the world of EDM really needed. If you haven’t had a chance to check this one out, ‘Forever Free‘ is a good example of what the album has to offer. Holo intended for this album to be played from start to finish. This might be worth giving a try as well.
Rezz – Certain Kind Of Magic
This list wouldn’t be complete without Rezz’s album ‘Certain Kind Of Magic’. Known affectionally as “Spacemom” by her biggest fans, the leader of the Cult Of Rezz made us all happy when she dropped Certain Kind Of Magic. With a total of 8 tracks, including collaborations with everyone from 1788-L, Deathpact, 13, Kotek, & Fytch, the Candian DJ/Record Producer more than delivered with this release.
Yotto – Hyperfall
Clocking in at #3, we have Yotto’s debut album ‘Hypefall’. The album features 13 tracks in total, and even at that, it still doesn’t feel like its long enough. If you’re a fan of Anjunadeepy, you’re gonna love this. The whole album is a true work of art. It is still worth pointing out our top 4, in no particular order of course. Take our word for it, the tracks ‘Hyperfall’, ‘Kantsu’, ‘Hyperlude’, and ‘Walls’ take home the top prizes.
Another one of the most well received tracks on the album was ‘The One You Left Behind‘, and is definitely worth giving a listen to. If you’ve ever seen Yotto live, you would know that he brings the heat, and Hypefall is just that.
Above & Beyond – Common Ground
In the second spot of our Best Albums of 2018 poll, we have Above & Beyond‘s ‘Common Ground‘, and it’s more than well deserved. In all honesty, we couldn’t keep this album off this list even if we tried. The trio consisting of Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness, and Paavo Siljamäk are legends in their own right. This album further cements their legacy. It can be said that Above & Beyond’s ‘Common Ground’ is “Their Best Work Since Group Therapy”, and to this, we would completely agree.
The album sees them join forces with collaborators both new and old, and even features a track with Richard Bedford of ‘Sun & Moon‘ and a ‘Thing Called Love‘ fame. This album features 13 tracks, and keeps us coming back for more. If you haven’t had a chance to give it a listen, check it out below.
Rufus Du Sol – Solace
After holding our Top Albums of 2018 poll, there was one thing that was evident. The Australian trio that is Rüfüs Du Sol, released what can easily be regarded as the album of the year.
The album received the most votes out of any entree on our list. In doing so, it beat the runner-up by nearly 1/3 more votes. Upon its release, it was evident that this album was the real deal, and if you give it a listen, you’ll see that the music speaks for itself.
This is the group’s third studio album, and it was one that was much anticipated. After blessing the dance community with what seemed like the perfect album in ‘Bloom‘, they further blessed us with ‘Solace’.
Packed from start to finish with hit after hit, it is evident that Rüfüs brought their A-game. Solace features numerous tracks that we expect to be hearing for years to come, to include ‘Underwater’, ‘Lost In My Mind’, and ‘No Place’. Rüfüs is currently on tour, so if you get the chance to check them out, we highly recommend it.
Missing your favorite album? Take a look at our Honorable Mentions.
First up is David Guetta’s double album ‘7‘.With a whopping 27 tracks, ‘7’ features a little something for everyone, and is worth checking out. Our next honorable mention is Ilan Bluestone’s ‘Scars‘. Scars is comprised of fifteen Bluestone originals, all unique and meticulously crafted. How could we forget Getter‘s genre-bending Mau5trap debut Visceral. Our final honorable mention is Zhu’s ‘Ringo’s Desert‘. Through Ringo, ZHU continues his trend of releasing quality music that dance music fans just can’t get enough of. Now to get onto our best of the year.
2018
Just like that, we’ve recapped nearly a year’s worth of music. While 2018 is not quite over yet, the majority of it is. With that being said, these are what we consider to be some of the best albums of 2018. While not everyone may agree with our selections, we like to think that most of you would. If you think we missed something, or don’t agree with our picks, be sure to let us know. Feedback is always welcome. 2018 has been an amazing year for music, and we can’t wait to see what 2019 brings.
