A Review: Tom Allman's 2016

Release:
Laksa - Contrasts (Timedance)

Laksa’s release Contrasts, on the Timedance label has made it to my pick as one of the best tunes to come out this year. The wall banging kicks and scratchy percussion set it off nicely, and the tune really starts getting into itself just after 1 minute 30 when the main bassline kicks in. But what really sets it apart is the euphoric synths that come in halfway through the tune which really creates a great atmosphere on the dancefloor.

Mix:
Stamp the Wax, Nottingham Spotlight: Lucas Wigflex

For me it was always going to be tough picking one of my favourite mixes to dig form the past year. I’ve gone with Lukas Wigflex’s mix for Stamp The Wax’s Nottingham Spotlight. It took the spotlight for me this year due to its great range of tunes that Wigflex has put in it. Starting off quite electro and moving through the genres, most of the tunes in this mix I didn’t know but really wanted an ID for all of them. Wigflex manages to collate all these tunes in a fantastic manner which just goes to show his great talent and for me, one of the best mixes to listen to from the past year.

Event:
Huerco & Anthony Naples - Pickle Factory - Sept 30th

One of my favourite nights this year has to be at the Pickle Factory with Anthony Naples and Huerco S back at the end of September this year. It was the first time I’d seen Anthony Naples or Huerco S play and they just played all night b2b and smashed it. The small space of the Pickle Factory made a perfect intimate setting for the night and you could feel that both DJ’s were having great fun with bouncing off one another. I think for me too, watching to DJ’s b2b all night long for 7 hours or so shows their skill and I never felt like they were trying to fill the time with tunes given their extended set time; so for me one of the best nights I’ve been to this year.

To read more click on the links below to read some of the Mantissa crew’s take on 2016:

• Jambo
• Kish
• Gavin
• Ben
• Frank
• Max