Time for the last post of 2013, then. The traditional ‘Top 3 Tracks’ post will of course arrive soon, but for now let’s look back at some of the mixes that contributed most to the scene this year.

There are plenty of talented DJs around these days who can pick the right tunes to keep a floor moving (and make no mistake, that’s our first job), but it’s far harder to find sets that go a step further. As DJs, a mix is surely our chance to carefully build upon the amazing atmospheres that the artists create, but on a scale that can’t be achieved in a single track’s 5 or 6 minutes. I wish more would take up the challenge, but here are three sets that definitely show what’s possible when a creative, skilful DJ puts his/her mind to it.

1. Cuedy – Liberate Te Ex Inferis

Freeformaniacs Round 9 – Cuedy pres. Liberate Te Ex Inferis (Save Yourself From Hell) (09/05/2013) by Freeformaniacs on Mixcloud

Cuedy’s superb effort for the Freeformaniacs show is a worthy winner, combining uplifting elements with occasional darkness and the year’s best connections. This remains my favourite Cuedy set and I’m really looking forward to hear more from him next year.

2. Nomic – Freeformaniacs Round 10

Freeformaniacs Round 10 – Nomic (Guest Mix) (20/06/2013) by Freeformaniacs on Mixcloud

Another from Freeformaniacs’ back catalogue of brilliant sets, Nomic’s showcase of his own material is a masterclass in creating a consistent atmosphere while maintaining interest for the whole hour. While the addition of Nomic’s older, angrier tracks might have made it even better, this is a beautiful hour of freeform with some perfectly-judged darker moments.

3. Dyzphazia – Freeformaniacs Round 11

Third place goes to the tireless Dyzphazia, who was very prolific this year in all sorts of genres. This was the standout set for me though, with its emphasis on darker tunes and a nice shift in atmosphere from the halfway point. Again, crucially, the vast majority of the transitions are well-considered, flow nicely, and are essential to the progression of the set’s atmosphere.

It’s only while writing this post that I realised all three sets originally appeared on the Freeformaniacs show – maximum respect and a big thank you to the FFM crew for such strong support of our corner of the scene. There were plenty of other brilliant mixes throughout the year of course, and especially honourable mentions should go to Pearsall, Tyranoid, Alchemiist and SonofSam, all of whom were close to that top 3. 

Looking back on my own sets, although I was a bit more active than usual I wasn’t really able to match last year’s Betwixt & Between tribute or 2011’s Munted! Monthly Episode 1 – as a result then, I’ve decided to practice what I preach and wait for inspiration to well and truly strike before trying the next one. It already looks like there’ll be plenty happening in 2014 though, and having met up with Guld last night it seems that we both have some ambitious plans for the next year or so.

I’ll be back posting again in the next day or two, but as always an enormous thanks to the TYFTH crew for following the site and supporting my various endeavours in 2013. What with plenty of recorded sets, a fantastic gig in the UK and appearing at CODEX, this year was a very successful one – here’s hoping that 2014’s even better. Thanks again my friends, and best wishes for a quality New Year.