The Electronic Beats Highlight Reel of 2020
Our interests separate from clubbing finally received their overdue attention this year. Personal favorites, pop culture highlights, and book recommendations—it's all in this yearly roundup.
the-electronic-beats-staffs-highlights-of-2020
December 11, 2020
ready
55
# The Electronic Beats Highlight Reel of 2020
Our interests separate from clubbing finally received their overdue attention this year. Personal favorites, pop culture highlights, and book recommendations—it's all in this yearly roundup.
What a year it's been. Without a doubt, 2020 has challenged our
perception of time, notions of [solidarity][1]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener"}, [accountability][2]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"},
[interdependence, how we consume music][3]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener"}, the relationships we have with our [respective
governments][4]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"}, and with one another.
Much like the 3D avatars that accompany this piece, the virtual world
has entered our collective psyche in ways we sometimes can't even
comprehend yet, rendering us into digital versions of ourselves. For
this reason, time spent on activities outdoors and offline has become a
vital antidote to the paradox of our hyper-plugged-in yet disconnected
lives. In the list below, you'll find a varied selection of pop culture
gems, top food items, and key personal experiences that have resonated
with the *Electronic Beats* staff this year.
[1]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/artists-financial-support-coronavirus/
[2]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/electronic-music-is-black-protest-music/
[3]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/strength-in-numbers-music-industry-future-gabe-meier/
[4]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/post-lockdown-club-scene-shanghai-shenzhen-hangzhou-china/
{: .avatar .alignnone .wp-image-194118 .size-full}
Whitney Wei, Editor-in-Chief
## *[STRONG by Sharon Eyal][1]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"} at the Staatballett Berlin*
[YouTube Content][2]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
Labeling *STRONG* by Israeli choreographer Sharon Eyal as the "Berghain
of Ballets" might be a loaded claim, but it's accurate nonetheless. The
dancers within the performance, clad in black mesh, look like a murder
of crows, and twitch like arthropods limb in unison---eye bulged and
tongues lolling out---in true Kafkaesque fashion. Eyal, who has worked
alongside Dior and Young Turks, leaves music duties to her frequent
collaborator Ori Lichtik, self-described as one of Tel Aviv's techno
founding fathers. His churning electronic score sounds like what
mechanical stamina feels like after one too many hours on the
dancefloor. As one of the few live performances I caught at the Komische
Oper Berlin before the March lockdown, STRONG left an indelible
impression.
## *[Saint Laurent AW 2020][3]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"} by Anthony Vaccarello*
[YouTube Content][4]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
A perfect dancefloor, for me, comprises of half propulsive rhythms and
half unorthodox fashion. It's possible to achieve an ersatz version of
the former on a pair of studio monitors in a dark bedroom, but in the
case of the latter, where's the fun in sporting a full drip with nowhere
to go? A trip to the grocery store is simply not worthy. This
collection acquaints the power-suited CEO with her appropriate BDSM edge
by dipping her into glossy, skin-tight latex. Anthony Vaccarello's looks
for Saint Laurent may not have received its well-deserved slink around
the after-hours this season as intended, but I've dutifully bookmarked
the runway styling to emulate for next.
## *Personal Essay [How My Mother and I Became Chinese Propaganda][5] by Jianyang Fan*
In her *New Yorker *personal essay, staff writer Jianyang Fan suddenly
finds herself helplessly entangled in a nexus of Chinese viral vitriol
as she takes to Twitter in a last effort to save her incapacitated
mother, who suffers from A.L.S., from an untimely death due to the
lockdown demands of NYC Health and Hospitals. At a time when the deep
fissures of broken societal systems and tenuous intimate relationships
are laid bare all around the world, Fan's searingly honest portrayal of
the complex dynamics between immigrant Asian mothers and their
first-generation American daughters reveals that sometimes it takes a
complete catastrophe to see a familiar figure for who they really are.
## *[Romare Bearden: Abstraction][6]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"} at the DC Moore Gallery *
My domestic, wholesome, and often neglected interests separate from
clubbing finally received their overdue attention this year, as I'm sure
was the case with most. The Harlem Renaissance-era American modernist
painter [Romare Bearden][6]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"}, best
known for his figurative works, inspired my lockdown tangent from
self-soothing tarot card readings on YouTube to therapy painting when
["River Mist" 1962][7]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"} popped up on my
timeline during an evening scroll. Critics say nothing that can
replicate the visceral wonder of viewing art in person, but in the
absence of possibility, Bearden's little-known abstract side,
particularly in this piece with its coral flecks and silvery whisps
within deep blue marbling, made a striking impression, even on a phone
screen. My quarantine scribbles are not nearly as regal as Bearden's,
but they're explorative and curious all the same.
## "Tracksuit Dub" from [The Passenger EP][8]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"} by Om Unit and Martyn
{: .highlighted .separator}
[YouTube Content][9]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
The track name itself might hit square on the nose, but tallying the
amount of athleisure I've purchased in this pandemic mayhem (most
notably some key pieces from the collaboration between [Paulina
Russo][10]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"}, the Central Saint Martins
knitwear designer, and Adidas), there is likely no better choice as a
theme song. A very insular 2020 made for an introspective and often
nostalgic choice in personal music selection, and this particular 140
bpm heater by dubstep heroes Om Unit and Martyn, although released in
early November, has both a shuffling, tech-woven riddim that is by its
nature remarkably contemporary, all the while managing to evoke my
bass-y, halcyon entry into dance music---gun fingers and all.
[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbH3vsQxplk
[2]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/JbH3vsQxplk?feature=oembed
[3]: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2020-ready-to-wear/saint-laurent
[4]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/_XcMTTr80Os?feature=oembed
[5]: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/09/14/how-my-mother-and-i-became-chinese-propaganda
[6]: https://www.dcmooregallery.com/exhibitions/abstract-romare-bearden
[7]: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/romare-bearden-river-mist
[8]: https://martyn.bandcamp.com/album/the-passenger-ep
[9]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/V21-gVu2K70?feature=oembed
[10]: https://www.instagram.com/paolina_russo/?hl=de
{: .avatar .alignnone .wp-image-194118 .size-full}
Caroline Whiteley, Editor
## *Mika Oki b2b Maoupa Mazzocchetti*
[YouTube Content][1]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
Though most of us spent the majority of this year indoors, let's pay a
quick tribute to mind-altering [moments on the dancefloor][2]{:
target="_blank" rel="noopener"} experienced [at the beginning of
2020][3]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"}. Although it feels like a
lifetime ago, I kicked off 2020 by witnessing one of the best
back-to-backs I've ever seen, a session between [Mika Oki][4]{:
target="_blank" rel="noopener"} and [Maoupa Mazzocchetti][5]{:
target="_blank" rel="noopener"} at Berlin's beloved secret "rave den" on
Ziegrastraße. Oki and Mazzocchetti are both legends in their own right,
with Oki having co-founded LYL Brussels and performed at festivals like
Atonal and Nyege Nyege, and with Mazzochetti's contributions to labels
like Editions Gravats, Knekelhuis and his experimental reggaeton project
with Clara!, but behind the decks, they turned into rockstars,
constantly keeping dancers on their toes with unexpected drops in tempo
and frequent usage of bizarro sound effects. The memory of that night
has lived rent-free in my head ever since, but you can peep their
session from HÖR, recorded a few days after the show, to get a sense of
what the musical atmosphere was like.
## *I May Destroy You by Michaela Cole*
[YouTube Content][6]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
*I May Destroy You *is a British TV show created, written,
co-directed, and executive produced by Michaela Cole. Almost ten years
after Lena Dunham uttered the now-iconic line "I think I might be the
voice of my generation. Or, at least, *a *voice of *a* generation," as her character Hannah
Horvath on Girls, Cole's main character Arabella (as played brilliantly
by the creator herself) is hailed by her publishers and loyal followers
on Twitter as the voice of frustrated Millennials in London, where the
show is set. One night, struggling to finish a writing deadline, she
takes a break to join some friends at a bar and wakes up the next day
having to piece together the details of what happened to her that night.
The show is a powerful examination of consent, rape culture, Millennial
dating culture (and the blurred lines that occur between the two when
things are left unsaid.) Despite its difficult subject matter, the show
is light-hearted, featuring a charming cast and an excellent soundtrack
showcasing UK garage, UK rap, afrobeat, and future R'n'B.
## *Pelada at Club Quarantine*
[YouTube Content][7]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
We first reported on viral sensation *[Club Quarantine][8]{:
target="_blank" rel="noopener"}* earlier this year, and much has been
said of the Zoom rave-slash-world wide web's hottest club since it first
launched in March. As much as I miss the communal experience of shouting
along to my favorite performers IRL and dancing the night away in the
swamp-like atmosphere of tightly-packed clubs, I have loved seeing the
concept of "live shows" being transformed under the circumstances, with
new dimensions added by way of visual effects and virtual backgrounds.
## *"Universal Healthcare" by Ziwe Fumudoh*
[YouTube Content][9]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
I first came across Brooklyn-based comedian Ziwe Fumudoh's work by way
of her biting post-election Twitter commentary in 2016, but by all
accounts, 2020 has been Fumudoh's year. When her web series *Baited* was
put on hold due to COVID-19, she promptly pivoted to a weekly version of
the show on Instagram Live, in which she put celebrities like Rose
McGowan, Alyssa Milano, fellow comedians, and lower-tier celebrities
(such as cookbook author Alison Roman, who came under fire on social
media for her incendiary comments about Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo)
in the hot seat. Intended as a loose comedy format, her show exposes the
need for continuous [discourse on race relations][10]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener"} in the United States. As Vulture's E. Alex Jung said,
"For guests who dare to appear on the comedian's Instagram Live show,
the question is not if you are racist, but how." She also produces
satirical songs such as "Universal Healthcare," in which she declares
that it is, in fact, a "human right!"---reminding us just how messed up
the health care system is in the States still is, with a
*Daria*-inspired music video to match.
## *My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh*
I'm cheating a bit here, seeing as *[My Year of Rest and
Relaxation][11]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"} *was released in 2018,
but bear with me---you'll soon notice why this novel strikes a chord in
2020. In My Year of Rest and Relaxation, the unnamed
protagonist sets out to opt out of society by spending an entire year in
a sleeping drug-induced haze and isolating herself---sound familiar?
Released in 2018, the book's off-the-rails main character and gallows
humor resonated strongly in a year where reality felt suspended, absurd
occurrences became the norm, and the prospect of hitting the fast
forward button by "sleeping it all away" seemed oddly attractive.
Reading this book, I was also reminded of just how privileged of a
position it is to be able to simply ride out (or metaphorically
speaking, sleep through) a difficult situation---whether that be
internal turmoil, unresolved trauma, or a global pandemic.
[1]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/578KpBcBlRQ?feature=oembed
[2]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/sound-and-style-ctm-festival-berlin/
[3]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/meet-augsburgs-sedef-adasi/
[4]: https://soundcloud.com/mikaoki1
[5]: https://soundcloud.com/maoupa-mazzocchetti
[6]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/DTjlurdbNnw?feature=oembed
[7]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZLxQhIAK0X4?feature=oembed
[8]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/club-quarantines-viral-absurdity/
[9]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/hOTzoO3k3gQ?feature=oembed
[10]: https://www.vulture.com/article/ziwe-fumudoh-instagram-live.html
[11]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44279110-my-year-of-rest-and-relaxation
{: .avatar .alignnone .wp-image-194118 .size-full}
Zach Tippitt, Editor
## *Ya No Estoy Aqui*
[YouTube Content][1]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
*Ya No Estoy Aqui* follows Monterrey, Mexico native Ulises, the leader
of an impossibly stylish gang called Los Terkos who have an obsessive
taste for slowed-down Colombian cumbia. After witnessing a crime at the
hands of a rival gang, Ulises flees overnight to the U.S., ending up in
New York City without any plan or connection to the community around
him. It's a beautifully shot film that juggles an intensifying sense of
displacement, alienation, and cultural pride against the backdrop of US
immigration politics and includes an exceptional soundtrack.
## *The Last Of Us Part 2*
[YouTube Content][2]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
Maybe an obvious choice, but if you have a Playstation and haven't
played 2020's blockbuster dystopian, plague-goes-horribly-wrong
survival/horror game, I highly recommend it (and its predecessor). Its
narrative---which juxtaposes the brutality of a post-apocalyptic America
with a sense of hope in the midst of crisis---hits close to home while
still being a worthwhile alternate timeline to sink into during our
"unprecedented times." Good times all around.
## *Arca's Twitch stream*
[YouTube Content][3]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
2020 goes to the artists who leveraged isolation to communicate more
intimately with their fans than ever before. With the release of this
year's [*KiCk i*][4]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"}, Venezuelan
artist Alejandra Ghersi blossomed from underground sensation to full-on
experimental pop icon, and on her Twitch channel, [Diva Experimental
FM][5]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"}, she opened viewers up to the
wild creativity, rough edges, and extra-sensory overload of her
previously-obscured creative process. She's not actively streaming at
the moment, so you'll have to cough up the five bucks for access to full
recordings, but there's also a treasure trove of highlights on YouTube.
## *Pickles*
Some learned to bake sourdough. Others picked up new hobbies. I made a
concerning amount of pickles, ferments, and kombucha. Here are a couple
of links to video recipes for [pickled cucumbers][6]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener"} and [kimchi][7]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"} by
David Zilber, the former head of fermentation at Copenhagen's Noma (and
the author of [this cookbook][8]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"}).
Follow his [Instagram][9]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"}.
## *100 gecs' online presence*
[YouTube Content][10]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
Since releasing their full-length remix album* [1000 gecs][11]{:
target="_blank" rel="noopener"} and [The Tree of Clues][12]{:
target="_blank" rel="noopener"}* earlier this year, the pop duo has
flooded the internet with hours of music videos, live shows, and virtual
festival appearances. Here are three of the best:
their [Ratatouille-themed live][13]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener"} set at A.G. Cook's Appleville festival, this [hour-long
mix][14]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"} of nightcore edits, metal and
cracked-out dubstep drops, and Darío Alva and Weston Allen's video
for ["hand crushed by a mallet (Remix) \[feat. Fall Out Boy, Craig
Owens, Nicole Dollangager\]"][15]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"},
which might be my pick for video of the year.
[1]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/ngl5wCDw840?feature=oembed
[2]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/X0VubwgS2Y4?feature=oembed
[3]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/PzmwmSODmYw?feature=oembed
[4]: https://arca.ffm.to/kicki
[5]: https://www.twitch.tv/arca1000000
[6]: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CE1Ws-VJUvk/?hl=en
[7]: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CGthyJ_J6lT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
[8]: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Ren%C3%A9-Redzepi/dp/1579657184
[9]: https://www.instagram.com/david_zilber
[10]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/8JT8pVv1cT0?feature=oembed
[11]: https://100gecs.bandcamp.com/album/1000-gecs
[12]: https://bigbeat.lnk.to/100gecsAW
[13]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYPK3ZDZbEI
[14]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP69XWz3ca8
[15]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JT8pVv1cT0
{: .avatar .alignnone .wp-image-194118 .size-full}
Pilar Rashad, Social Media Manager
## *Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers*
[YouTube Content][1]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
Though most of the tracks on Punisher are excellent, we need to
talk about "I Know The End." The album closer begins in typical
Bridgers-fashion: melancholic and slow, but then escalates into a
theatrical apocalyptic crescendo---there's horror, there's screaming,
there's a bunch of people yelling, "The end is here!" If this isn't a
strong contender for Official Soundtrack of 2020, I don't know what is.
## *Plenty by Ottolenghi*
Like most people, 2020 saw my unexpected retreat into the kitchen. Among
the many new recipes and culinary discoveries that lockdown brought, a
standout has to be Yotam Ottolenghi's *Plenty*, released in 2010. Chef
and serial restauranteur Ottolenghi writes in such a casual, 'fun uncle'
tone that you're almost not mad about having to source three types of
soy sauce for a recipe. Highly recommended for delicious,
restaurant-grade vegetarian dishes.
## *Gregory*
[YouTube Content][2]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
A mind-boggling true-crime documentary that centers around the abduction
and murder of a little boy in a small town in France. The prime
suspects: Pretty much everyone in his extended family. Other honorable
mentions for like-minded true crime buffs: *The Pharmacist*, *Don't
F\*\*k With Cats*, *The Mind of Aaron Hernandez*, and *Jeffrey Epstein:
Filthy Rich*.
## *[OHOY swimwear][3]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"}*
OHOY is a swimwear brand based in Dubai founded by two Scandinavian
designers in 2016. Their garments are made sustainably from plastic
collected from the ocean. Yay for cute, sustainable fashion!
## The [*Insight Timer*][4]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"} app
If you're curious about meditation or just want to spend a little bit
more time on self-care, I can not recommend this app enough. It has tens
of thousands of meditation courses, yoga sessions, and sleep
soundtracks---and the best part is that most of it is free.
[1]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/WJ9-xN6dCW4?feature=oembed
[2]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/H--DnsJ62Mw?feature=oembed
[3]: https://ohoyswim.com/
[4]: https://insighttimer.com/
{: .avatar .alignnone .wp-image-194118 .size-full}
Nicolo Fischer, Social Media Editor
## *The arm over his shoulder (2020) by* Spyros Rennt for 2020Solidarity
2020Solidarity is an amazing project by Wolfgang Tillmans'
[*Between Bridges*][1]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"} foundation
launched to support the cultural scene during the pandemic. I chose
Spyros Rennt's *[The arm over his shoulder][2]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener"}* and every time I look at it from my home office desk
since it arrived, it reminds me that there will be a time when we'll
meet on the dancefloor again.
###
## Tiny Desk (Home) Concert by *Jhené Aiko*
[YouTube Content][3]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
Everything about Jhené Aiko's 18-minute performance on NPR's Tiny
Desk Concert series is perfect---the songs, the musicians, the
mastering, the atmosphere, the feeling this performance leaves you with.
Give it a listen, I promise you'll hit the replay button several times
afterwards.
## *H&S MIX 018 by Angel D'lite*
[SoundCloud Content][4]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
This mix was on our monthly [top mixes list][5]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener"} in August, and the energy, the mixing, and the track
selection is just outstanding. It was the perfect soundtrack to an
unusual summer. If I'd have to describe this mix with just two words?
Pure fun---something we really needed after the first half of the year.
Every time you think it can't get any better, London's Angel d'Lite adds
another banger.
## *De Brevitate Vitae by Lucius Annaeus Seneca* {#firstHeading}
{: .firstHeading}
Roman philosopher Seneca's *On the Shortness of Life *may have been
published in 49 AD, but it came to me unexpectedly this year. On the
Shortness of Life offers some very valuable thoughts, for example,
"You act like mortals in all that you fear, and like immortals in all
that you desire."
## *The Confused Doggo WhatsApp Sticker*
If there is one thing to describe me during 2020, it's this WhatsApp
sticker---my most-used sticker this year for sure.
[1]: http://www.betweenbridges.net/bb-foundation-page.php
[2]: http://www.betweenbridges.net/cms/resources/2020solidarityinstagram7-1.jpg
[3]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/XVMJXZYgNfc?feature=oembed
[4]: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F877974493&show_artwork=true&maxwidth=500&maxheight=750&dnt=1
[5]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/the-top-7-mixes-of-august-2020/
{: .avatar .alignnone .wp-image-194118 .size-full}
Sofia Apunnikova, Designer
### *Volkmitte in Berlin*
One highlight of mine this year was eating oysters for the first time in
15 years at an amazing oyster bar in Berlin called [Volkmitte. ][1]{:
target="_blank" rel="noopener"}Volkmitte is a small and very cozy place
in Mitte opened by the chef Margaux Arabian, who comes from one of the
most important culinary families in France, and her partner Oliver
Chesler, who makes electronic music under the name The Horrorist. There
are only few tables inside and some outside, but it's almost full all
the time, so make sure to book a table in advance. We were lucky to be
the only visitors inside and spent our time talking to owners about
music, traveling, and food. After many years of being vegetarian, I
started eating seafood recently, and this place was perfect to try
oysters.
## *Exploring Berlin on foot*
While we're on the Berlin tip, I explored my new city with the help of
maps. Walking along the deserted streets of the German capital gave a
feeling of the approaching apocalypse and calmness at the same time. One
of the strangest locations I have been to is Bucher Forst, in the north.
I went there to check out an abandoned hospital. It was a secret place
to treat higher-ranking GDR officials. Now it is full of stalkers
wandering around this creepy, mysterious place.
## *Gaining a deeper understanding of the human body*
I began taking contemporary dance lessons (while it was still possible)
and began reading about performance art and human bodies. Check out
Helen Thomas' *Dance, Gender and
Culture *and Judith
Butler's *Bodies That Matter.*
## *"A Cyborg Manifesto" by Donna J. Haraway*
I also got more into Donna J.
Haraway, the author of numerous foundational books and essays (such as
[*A Cyborg Manifesto*][2]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"}) that bring
together questions of science and feminism.
## *Kikujiro by Takeshi Kitano*
[YouTube Content][3]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
I watched almost all of [Takeshi Kitano's movies,][4]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener"} my favorite among them being Kikujiro for its dream-like
aesthetics and violence-free plot following a young boy's search for his
mother.
[1]: https://volkmitte.de
[2]: http://people.oregonstate.edu/~vanlondp/wgss320/articles/haraway-cyborg-manifesto.pdf
[3]: https://www.youtube.com/embed/vCg6zJC-Ubo?feature=oembed
[4]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHpV5-pRwHU
{: .avatar .alignnone .wp-image-194118 .size-full}
Laurenz Niemeyer, Working Student
### *Maemo Glüh Gin*
Maemo Glüh Gin is like mulled wine, just with Gin. Top it up with hot
water according to your preference. I love it. For any German speakers
out there, you can find a [recipe here][1]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener"}.
## *Expanding my musical horizon*
[SoundCloud Content][2]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
Having grown tired of the driving 4/4 techno sounds dominating Berlin's
dancefloors, I rediscovered the pleasure of digging and exploring genres
like UK garage, breakbeat, Afrosynth and more. My catalog highlights in
2020 included Welsh label Haŵs, British labels [Dansu Discs][3]{:
target="_blank" rel="noopener"}, [Lobster Theremin][4]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener"}, San Francisco's [Dark Entries][5]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener"}, and Amsterdam's [Rush Hour][6]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener"}.
## *Walking*
2020 was the year I discovered walks for myself. It's the most flexible
activity ever. I [grew up in Potsdam][7]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener"}, just outside of Berlin, and exploring new neighborhoods
in the capital has been a nice way to stabilize my mental health. My
advice for walks is, take one while listening to this album you've been
wanting to properly listen to for ages, in the company with a friend you
haven't had the chance to catch up with lately, in the park mesmerized
by mother nature, or in the streets of your favorite neighborhood. It's
a vibe.
## *Basketball*
I used to play ball in a club but stopped a few years ago. With the
shutdown of bars and clubs, I have now pivoted to a healthier form of
physical activity and it's so much fun.
## *Magazines*
Whether it's fashion, sports, music, philosophy, or history---I've
always loved the format of a print magazine, because it's the perfect
casual read at any time of the day. Whether it's fashion, sports, music,
philosophy, or history---I've always loved the format of a print
magazine, because it's the perfect casual read at any time of the day.
Some of my favorite magazines are Playful Magazine, and (for any German
speakers out there) [Philosophie Magazin][8]{: .c-link target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.philomag.de/"
data-sk="tooltip_parent"}, [Geo Epoche][9]{: .c-link target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"
data-stringify-link="https://www.geo.de/magazine/geo-epoche"
data-sk="tooltip_parent"}, Panorama, Wissen, and [art][10]{:
target="_blank" rel="noopener"}.
[1]: https://www.ginnatic.com/gin/testbericht-maemo-glueh-gin/
[2]: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F939222055&show_artwork=true&maxwidth=500&maxheight=750&dnt=1&in=hawsmusic%2Fsets%2Fhaws010-playlist
[3]: https://soundcloud.com/dansudiscs
[4]: https://soundcloud.com/lobster-theremin
[5]: https://soundcloud.com/darkentriesrecords
[6]: https://soundcloud.com/rushhourrecords
[7]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/ode-to-the-night-the-captial-of-not-giving-a-fxxx/
[8]: https://www.philomag.de/
[9]: https://www.geo.de/magazine/geo-epoche
[10]: https://www.art-magazin.de/
*Compiled by the Electronic Beats staff.*
*Additional graphic design by [Ekaterina Kachavina][1]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener"}.*
[1]: https://www.instagram.com/royalcheeeseburger/
The track name itself might hit square on the nose, but tallying the
amount of athleisure I've purchased in this pandemic mayhem (most
notably some key pieces from the collaboration between [Paulina
Russo][1]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"}, the Central Saint Martins
knitwear designer, and Adidas), there is likely no better choice as a
theme song. A very insular 2020 made for an introspective and often
nostalgic choice in personal music selection, and this particular 140
bpm heater by dubstep heroes Om Unit and Martyn, although released in
early November, has both a shuffling, tech-woven riddim that is by its
nature remarkably contemporary, all the while managing to evoke my
bass-y, halcyon entry into dance music---gun fingers and all.
[1]: https://www.instagram.com/paolina_russo/?hl=de
[YouTube Video (gVu2K70)][1]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener
noreferrer"}
[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVu2K70
My domestic, wholesome, and often neglected interests separate from
clubbing finally received their overdue attention this year, as I'm sure
was the case with most. The Harlem Renaissance-era American modernist
painter [Romare Bearden][1]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"}, best
known for his figurative works, inspired my lockdown tangent from
self-soothing tarot card readings on YouTube to therapy painting when
["River Mist" 1962][2]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"} popped up on my
timeline during an evening scroll. Critics say nothing that can
replicate the visceral wonder of viewing art in person, but in the
absence of possibility, Bearden's little-known abstract side,
particularly in this piece with its coral flecks and silvery whisps
within deep blue marbling, made a striking impression, even on a phone
screen. My quarantine scribbles are not nearly as regal as Bearden's,
but they're explorative and curious all the same.
[1]: https://www.dcmooregallery.com/exhibitions/abstract-romare-bearden
[2]: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/romare-bearden-river-mist
---
id: 984fe7f3-2b25-4926-8662-25ba75a3ca1a
blueprint: article
title: 'The Electronic Beats Highlight Reel of 2020'
date: 2020-12-11T16:14:28+01:00
wp_id: '193387'
subtitle: "Our interests separate from clubbing finally received their overdue attention this year. Personal favorites, pop culture highlights, and book recommendations—it's all in this yearly roundup."
slug: the-electronic-beats-staffs-highlights-of-2020
teaser_image: legacy/the-electronic-beats-staffs-highlights-of-2020/CW50_Staff_Highlights_2020_Site_2-scaled.jpg
contents:
-
type: text
text: '<p>What a year it’s been. Without a doubt, 2020 has challenged our perception of time, notions of <a href="https://www.electronicbeats.net/artists-financial-support-coronavirus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">solidarity</a>, <a href="https://www.electronicbeats.net/electronic-music-is-black-protest-music/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accountability</a>, <a href="https://www.electronicbeats.net/strength-in-numbers-music-industry-future-gabe-meier/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interdependence, how we consume music</a>, the relationships we have with our <a href="https://www.electronicbeats.net/post-lockdown-club-scene-shanghai-shenzhen-hangzhou-china/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">respective governments</a>, and with one another.</p><p>Much like the 3D avatars that accompany this piece, the virtual world has entered our collective psyche in ways we sometimes can’t even comprehend yet, rendering us into digital versions of ourselves. For this reason, time spent on activities outdoors and offline has become a vital antidote to the paradox of our hyper-plugged-in yet disconnected lives. In the list below, you’ll find a varied selection of pop culture gems, top food items, and key personal experiences that have resonated with the <em>Electronic Beats</em> staff this year.</p>'
-
type: custom
html: "<img class=\"avatar alignnone wp-image-194118 size-full\" src=\"https://www.electronicbeats.net/app/uploads/2020/12/Whitney-e1607685568454.png\" alt=\"Avatar\" />\r\n<div class=\"mx-xxxxl-h-fluid text-copy\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"separator\">Whitney Wei, Editor-in-Chief</div>\r\n</div>\r\n"
css: ''
-
type: text
text: '<h2><em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbH3vsQxplk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">STRONG by Sharon Eyal</a> at the Staatballett Berlin</em></h2><div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JbH3vsQxplk?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div><p>Labeling <em>STRONG</em> by Israeli choreographer Sharon Eyal as the “Berghain of Ballets” might be a loaded claim, but it’s accurate nonetheless. The dancers within the performance, clad in black mesh, look like a murder of crows, and twitch like arthropods limb in unison—eye bulged and tongues lolling out—in true Kafkaesque fashion. Eyal, who has worked alongside Dior and Young Turks, leaves music duties to her frequent collaborator Ori Lichtik, self-described as one of Tel Aviv’s techno founding fathers. His churning electronic score sounds like what mechanical stamina feels like after one too many hours on the dancefloor. As one of the few live performances I caught at the Komische Oper Berlin before the March lockdown, STRONG left an indelible impression.</p><h2><em><a href="https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2020-ready-to-wear/saint-laurent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saint Laurent AW 2020</a> by Anthony Vaccarello</em></h2><div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_XcMTTr80Os?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div><p>A perfect dancefloor, for me, comprises of half propulsive rhythms and half unorthodox fashion. It’s possible to achieve an ersatz version of the former on a pair of studio monitors in a dark bedroom, but in the case of the latter, where’s the fun in sporting a full drip with nowhere to go? A trip to the grocery store is simply not worthy. This collection acquaints the power-suited CEO with her appropriate BDSM edge by dipping her into glossy, skin-tight latex. Anthony Vaccarello’s looks for Saint Laurent may not have received its well-deserved slink around the after-hours this season as intended, but I’ve dutifully bookmarked the runway styling to emulate for next.</p><h2><em>Personal Essay <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/09/14/how-my-mother-and-i-became-chinese-propaganda">How My Mother and I Became Chinese Propaganda</a> by Jianyang Fan</em></h2><p>In her <em>New Yorker </em>personal essay, staff writer Jianyang Fan suddenly finds herself helplessly entangled in a nexus of Chinese viral vitriol as she takes to Twitter in a last effort to save her incapacitated mother, who suffers from A.L.S., from an untimely death due to the lockdown demands of NYC Health and Hospitals. At a time when the deep fissures of broken societal systems and tenuous intimate relationships are laid bare all around the world, Fan’s searingly honest portrayal of the complex dynamics between immigrant Asian mothers and their first-generation American daughters reveals that sometimes it takes a complete catastrophe to see a familiar figure for who they really are.</p><h2><em><a href="https://www.dcmooregallery.com/exhibitions/abstract-romare-bearden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romare Bearden: Abstraction</a> at the DC Moore Gallery </em></h2><p>My domestic, wholesome, and often neglected interests separate from clubbing finally received their overdue attention this year, as I’m sure was the case with most. The Harlem Renaissance-era American modernist painter <a href="https://www.dcmooregallery.com/exhibitions/abstract-romare-bearden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romare Bearden</a>, best known for his figurative works, inspired my lockdown tangent from self-soothing tarot card readings on YouTube to therapy painting when <a href="https://www.artsy.net/artwork/romare-bearden-river-mist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“River Mist” 1962</a> popped up on my timeline during an evening scroll. Critics say nothing that can replicate the visceral wonder of viewing art in person, but in the absence of possibility, Bearden’s little-known abstract side, particularly in this piece with its coral flecks and silvery whisps within deep blue marbling, made a striking impression, even on a phone screen. My quarantine scribbles are not nearly as regal as Bearden’s, but they’re explorative and curious all the same.</p><h2 class="highlighted separator"><em>“Tracksuit Dub” from </em><a href="https://martyn.bandcamp.com/album/the-passenger-ep" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Passenger EP</a><em> by Om Unit and Martyn</em></h2><div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V21-gVu2K70?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div><p>The track name itself might hit square on the nose, but tallying the amount of athleisure I’ve purchased in this pandemic mayhem (most notably some key pieces from the collaboration between <a href="https://www.instagram.com/paolina_russo/?hl=de" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paulina Russo</a>, the Central Saint Martins knitwear designer, and Adidas), there is likely no better choice as a theme song. A very insular 2020 made for an introspective and often nostalgic choice in personal music selection, and this particular 140 bpm heater by dubstep heroes Om Unit and Martyn, although released in early November, has both a shuffling, tech-woven riddim that is by its nature remarkably contemporary, all the while managing to evoke my bass-y, halcyon entry into dance music—gun fingers and all.</p>'
-
type: custom
html: "<img class=\"avatar alignnone wp-image-194118 size-full\" src=\"https://www.electronicbeats.net/app/uploads/2020/12/untitled-1-610x343.png\" alt=\"Avatar\" />\r\n<div class=\"mx-xxxxl-h-fluid text-copy\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"separator\">Caroline Whiteley, Editor</div>\r\n</div>\r\n"
css: ''
-
type: text
text: |-
<h2><em>Mika Oki b2b Maoupa Mazzocchetti</em></h2><div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/578KpBcBlRQ?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div><p>Though most of us spent the majority of this year indoors, let’s pay a quick tribute to mind-altering <a href="https://www.electronicbeats.net/sound-and-style-ctm-festival-berlin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moments on the dancefloor</a> experienced <a href="https://www.electronicbeats.net/meet-augsburgs-sedef-adasi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at the beginning of 2020</a>. Although it feels like a lifetime ago, I kicked off 2020 by witnessing one of the best back-to-backs I’ve ever seen, a session between <a href="https://soundcloud.com/mikaoki1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mika Oki</a> and <a href="https://soundcloud.com/maoupa-mazzocchetti" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maoupa Mazzocchetti</a> at Berlin’s beloved secret “rave den” on Ziegrastraße. Oki and Mazzocchetti are both legends in their own right, with Oki having co-founded LYL Brussels and performed at festivals like Atonal and Nyege Nyege, and with Mazzochetti’s contributions to labels like Editions Gravats, Knekelhuis and his experimental reggaeton project with Clara!, but behind the decks, they turned into rockstars, constantly keeping dancers on their toes with unexpected drops in tempo and frequent usage of bizarro sound effects. The memory of that night has lived rent-free in my head ever since, but you can peep their session from HÖR, recorded a few days after the show, to get a sense of what the musical atmosphere was like.</p><h2><em>I May Destroy You by <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Michaela Cole</span></em></h2><div>
<div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DTjlurdbNnw?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div>
</div><div>
<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">I May Destroy You </span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">is a British TV show created, written, co-directed, and executive produced by Michaela Cole. Almost ten years after Lena Dunham uttered the now-iconic line “I think I might be the voice of my generation. Or, at least, </span><em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">a </span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">voice of </span><em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">a</span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> generation,” as her character Hannah Horvath on Girls, Cole’s main character Arabella (as played brilliantly by the creator herself) is hailed by her publishers and loyal followers on Twitter as the voice of frustrated Millennials in London, where the show is set. One night, struggling to finish a writing deadline, she takes a break to join some friends at a bar and wakes up the next day having to piece together the details of what happened to her that night. The show is a powerful examination of consent, rape culture, Millennial dating culture (and the blurred lines that occur between the two when things are left unsaid.) Despite its difficult subject matter, the show is light-hearted, featuring a charming cast and an excellent soundtrack showcasing UK garage, UK rap, afrobeat, and future R’n’B.</span></p>
</div><h2><em>Pelada at Club Quarantine</em></h2><div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZLxQhIAK0X4?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div><p>We first reported on viral sensation <em><a href="https://www.electronicbeats.net/club-quarantines-viral-absurdity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Club Quarantine</a></em> earlier this year, and much has been said of the Zoom rave-slash-world wide web’s hottest club since it first launched in March. As much as I miss the communal experience of shouting along to my favorite performers IRL and dancing the night away in the swamp-like atmosphere of tightly-packed clubs, I have loved seeing the concept of “live shows” being transformed under the circumstances, with new dimensions added by way of visual effects and virtual backgrounds.</p><h2><em>“Universal Healthcare” by Ziwe Fumudoh</em></h2><div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hOTzoO3k3gQ?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div><p>I first came across Brooklyn-based comedian Ziwe Fumudoh’s work by way of her biting post-election Twitter commentary in 2016, but by all accounts, 2020 has been Fumudoh’s year. When her web series <em>Baited</em> was put on hold due to COVID-19, she promptly pivoted to a weekly version of the show on Instagram Live, in which she put celebrities like Rose McGowan, Alyssa Milano, fellow comedians, and lower-tier celebrities (such as cookbook author Alison Roman, who came under fire on social media for her incendiary comments about Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo) in the hot seat. Intended as a loose comedy format, her show exposes the need for continuous <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/ziwe-fumudoh-instagram-live.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discourse on race relations</a> in the United States. As Vulture’s E. Alex Jung said, “For guests who dare to appear on the comedian’s Instagram Live show, the question is not if you are racist, but how.” She also produces satirical songs such as “Universal Healthcare,” in which she declares that it is, in fact, a “human right!”—reminding us just how messed up the health care system is in the States still is, with a <em>Daria</em>-inspired music video to match.</p><h2><em>My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh</em></h2><p>I’m cheating a bit here, seeing as <em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44279110-my-year-of-rest-and-relaxation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">My Year of Rest and Relaxation</a> </em>was released in 2018, but bear with me—you’ll soon notice why this novel strikes a chord in 2020. In<em> My Year of Rest and Relaxation</em>, the unnamed protagonist sets out to opt out of society by spending an entire year in a sleeping drug-induced haze and isolating herself—sound familiar? Released in 2018, the book’s off-the-rails main character and gallows humor resonated strongly in a year where reality felt suspended, absurd occurrences became the norm, and the prospect of hitting the fast forward button by “sleeping it all away” seemed oddly attractive. Reading this book, I was also reminded of just how privileged of a position it is to be able to simply ride out (or metaphorically speaking, sleep through) a difficult situation—whether that be internal turmoil, unresolved trauma, or a global pandemic.</p>
-
type: custom
html: "<img class=\"avatar alignnone wp-image-194118 size-full\" src=\"https://www.electronicbeats.net/app/uploads/2020/12/Zach-610x343.png\" alt=\"Avatar\" />\r\n<div class=\"mx-xxxxl-h-fluid text-copy\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"separator\">Zach Tippitt, Editor</div>\r\n</div>"
css: ''
-
type: text
text: '<h2><em>Ya No Estoy Aqui</em></h2><div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ngl5wCDw840?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div><p><em>Ya No Estoy Aqui</em> follows Monterrey, Mexico native Ulises, the leader of an impossibly stylish gang called Los Terkos who have an obsessive taste for slowed-down Colombian cumbia. After witnessing a crime at the hands of a rival gang, Ulises flees overnight to the U.S., ending up in New York City without any plan or connection to the community around him. It’s a beautifully shot film that juggles an intensifying sense of displacement, alienation, and cultural pride against the backdrop of US immigration politics and includes an exceptional soundtrack.</p><h2><em>The Last Of Us Part 2</em></h2><div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X0VubwgS2Y4?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div><p>Maybe an obvious choice, but if you have a Playstation and haven’t played 2020’s blockbuster dystopian, plague-goes-horribly-wrong survival/horror game, I highly recommend it (and its predecessor). Its narrative—which juxtaposes the brutality of a post-apocalyptic America with a sense of hope in the midst of crisis—hits close to home while still being a worthwhile alternate timeline to sink into during our “unprecedented times.” Good times all around.</p><h2><em>Arca’s Twitch stream</em></h2><div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PzmwmSODmYw?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div><p>2020 goes to the artists who leveraged isolation to communicate more intimately with their fans than ever before. With the release of this year’s <a href="https://arca.ffm.to/kicki" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>KiCk i</em></a>, Venezuelan artist Alejandra Ghersi blossomed from underground sensation to full-on experimental pop icon, and on her Twitch channel, <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/arca1000000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diva Experimental FM</a>, she opened viewers up to the wild creativity, rough edges, and extra-sensory overload of her previously-obscured creative process. She’s not actively streaming at the moment, so you’ll have to cough up the five bucks for access to full recordings, but there’s also a treasure trove of highlights on YouTube.</p><h2><em>Pickles</em></h2><p>Some learned to bake sourdough. Others picked up new hobbies. I made a concerning amount of pickles, ferments, and kombucha. Here are a couple of links to video recipes for <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CE1Ws-VJUvk/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pickled cucumbers</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CGthyJ_J6lT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kimchi</a> by David Zilber, the former head of fermentation at Copenhagen’s Noma (and the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Ren%C3%A9-Redzepi/dp/1579657184" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this cookbook</a>). Follow his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/david_zilber" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>.</p><h2><em>100 gecs’ online presence</em></h2><div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8JT8pVv1cT0?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div><p>Since releasing their full-length remix album<em> <a href="https://100gecs.bandcamp.com/album/1000-gecs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1000 gecs</a> and <a href="https://bigbeat.lnk.to/100gecsAW" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Tree of Clues</a></em> earlier this year, the pop duo has flooded the internet with hours of music videos, live shows, and virtual festival appearances. Here are three of the best: their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYPK3ZDZbEI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ratatouille-themed live</a> set at A.G. Cook’s Appleville festival, this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP69XWz3ca8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hour-long mix</a> of nightcore edits, metal and cracked-out dubstep drops, and Darío Alva and Weston Allen’s video for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JT8pVv1cT0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“hand crushed by a mallet (Remix) [feat. Fall Out Boy, Craig Owens, Nicole Dollangager]”</a>, which might be my pick for video of the year.</p>'
-
type: custom
html: "<img class=\"avatar alignnone wp-image-194118 size-full\" src=\"https://www.electronicbeats.net/app/uploads/2020/12/untitled-610x343.png\" alt=\"Avatar\" />\r\n<div class=\"mx-xxxxl-h-fluid text-copy\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"separator\">Pilar Rashad, Social Media Manager</div>\r\n</div>"
css: ''
-
type: text
text: |-
<h2><em>Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers</em></h2><div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WJ9-xN6dCW4?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div><p>Though most of the tracks on<em> Punisher</em> are excellent, we need to talk about “I Know The End.” The album closer begins in typical Bridgers-fashion: melancholic and slow, but then escalates into a theatrical apocalyptic crescendo—there’s horror, there’s screaming, there’s a bunch of people yelling, “The end is here!” If this isn’t a strong contender for Official Soundtrack of 2020, I don’t know what is.</p><h2><em>Plenty by Ottolenghi</em></h2><div>
<p>Like most people, 2020 saw my unexpected retreat into the kitchen. Among the many new recipes and culinary discoveries that lockdown brought, a standout has to be Yotam Ottolenghi’s <em>Plenty</em>, released in 2010. Chef and serial restauranteur Ottolenghi writes in such a casual, ‘fun uncle’ tone that you’re almost not mad about having to source three types of soy sauce for a recipe. Highly recommended for delicious, restaurant-grade vegetarian dishes.</p>
</div><h2><em>Gregory</em></h2><div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H--DnsJ62Mw?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div><p>A mind-boggling true-crime documentary that centers around the abduction and murder of a little boy in a small town in France. The prime suspects: Pretty much everyone in his extended family. Other honorable mentions for like-minded true crime buffs: <em>The Pharmacist</em>, <em>Don’t F**k With Cats</em>, <em>The Mind of Aaron Hernandez</em>, and <em>Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich</em>.</p><h2><em><a href="https://ohoyswim.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OHOY swimwear</a></em></h2><p>OHOY is a swimwear brand based in Dubai founded by two Scandinavian designers in 2016. Their garments are made sustainably from plastic collected from the ocean. Yay for cute, sustainable fashion!</p><h2><em>The </em><a href="https://insighttimer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Insight Timer</em></a><em> app</em></h2><p>If you’re curious about meditation or just want to spend a little bit more time on self-care, I can not recommend this app enough. It has tens of thousands of meditation courses, yoga sessions, and sleep soundtracks—and the best part is that most of it is free.</p>
-
type: custom
html: "<img class=\"avatar alignnone wp-image-194118 size-full\" src=\"https://www.electronicbeats.net/app/uploads/2020/12/Nicolo-610x343.png\" alt=\"Avatar\" />\r\n<div class=\"mx-xxxxl-h-fluid text-copy\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"separator\">Nicolo Fischer, Social Media Editor</div>\r\n</div>"
css: ''
-
type: text
text: '<h2><em>The arm over his shoulder (2020) by</em><em> Spyros Rennt for 2020Solidarity</em></h2><p><em>2020Solidarity </em>is an amazing project by Wolfgang Tillmans’ <a href="http://www.betweenbridges.net/bb-foundation-page.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Between Bridges</em></a> foundation launched to support the cultural scene during the pandemic. I chose Spyros Rennt’s <em><a href="http://www.betweenbridges.net/cms/resources/2020solidarityinstagram7-1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The arm over his shoulder</a></em> and every time I look at it from my home office desk since it arrived, it reminds me that there will be a time when we’ll meet on the dancefloor again.</p><h3></h3><h2><em>Tiny Desk (Home) Concert by </em><em>Jhené Aiko</em></h2><div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XVMJXZYgNfc?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div><p>Everything about Jhené Aiko’s 18-minute performance on NPR’s <em>Tiny Desk Concert </em>series is perfect—the songs, the musicians, the mastering, the atmosphere, the feeling this performance leaves you with. Give it a listen, I promise you’ll hit the replay button several times afterwards.</p><h2><em>H&S MIX 018 by Angel D’lite</em></h2><p><a href="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F877974493&show_artwork=true&maxwidth=500&maxheight=750&dnt=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SoundCloud Content</a></p><p>This mix was on our monthly <a href="https://www.electronicbeats.net/the-top-7-mixes-of-august-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top mixes list</a> in August, and the energy, the mixing, and the track selection is just outstanding. It was the perfect soundtrack to an unusual summer. If I’d have to describe this mix with just two words? Pure fun—something we really needed after the first half of the year. Every time you think it can’t get any better, London’s Angel d’Lite adds another banger.</p><h2 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading"><em>De Brevitate Vitae by Lucius Annaeus Seneca</em></h2><p>Roman philosopher Seneca’s <em>On the Shortness of Life </em>may have been published in 49 AD, but it came to me unexpectedly this year. <em>On the Shortness of Life </em>offers some very valuable thoughts, for example, “You act like mortals in all that you fear, and like immortals in all that you desire.”</p><h2><em>The Confused Doggo WhatsApp Sticker</em></h2><p>If there is one thing to describe me during 2020, it’s this WhatsApp sticker—my most-used sticker this year for sure.</p>'
-
type: custom
html: "<img class=\"avatar alignnone wp-image-194118 size-full\" src=\"https://www.electronicbeats.net/app/uploads/2020/12/Sofia-610x343.png\" alt=\"Avatar\" />\r\n<div class=\"mx-xxxxl-h-fluid text-copy\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"separator\">Sofia Apunnikova, Designer</div>\r\n</div>"
css: ''
-
type: text
text: |-
<h3><em>Volkmitte in Berlin</em></h3><div>
<p>One highlight of mine this year was eating oysters for the first time in 15 years at an amazing oyster bar in Berlin called <a href="https://volkmitte.de" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Volkmitte. </a>Volkmitte is a small and very cozy place in Mitte opened by the chef Margaux Arabian, who comes from one of the most important culinary families in France, and her partner Oliver Chesler, who makes electronic music under the name The Horrorist. There are only few tables inside and some outside, but it’s almost full all the time, so make sure to book a table in advance. We were lucky to be the only visitors inside and spent our time talking to owners about music, traveling, and food. After many years of being vegetarian, I started eating seafood recently, and this place was perfect to try oysters.</p>
</div><h2><em>Exploring Berlin on foot</em></h2><p>While we’re on the Berlin tip, I explored my new city with the help of maps. Walking along the deserted streets of the German capital gave a feeling of the approaching apocalypse and calmness at the same time. One of the strangest locations I have been to is Bucher Forst, in the north. I went there to check out an abandoned hospital. It was a secret place to treat higher-ranking GDR officials. Now it is full of stalkers wandering around this creepy, mysterious place.</p><h2><em>Gaining a deeper understanding of the human body</em></h2><p>I began taking contemporary dance lessons (while it was still possible) and began reading about performance art and human bodies. Check out Helen Thomas’ <em><span id="productTitle">Dance, Gender and Culture </span></em><span id="productTitle">and Judith Butler’s </span><em><span id="productTitle">Bodies That Matter.</span></em></p><h2><em>“A Cyborg Manifesto” by Donna J. Haraway</em></h2><p><span id="productTitle">I also got more into</span> Donna J. Haraway, the author of numerous foundational books and essays (such as <a href="http://people.oregonstate.edu/~vanlondp/wgss320/articles/haraway-cyborg-manifesto.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Cyborg Manifesto</em></a>) that bring together questions of science and feminism.</p><h2><em>Kikujiro by Takeshi Kitano</em></h2><div class="ar-16-9"><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vCg6zJC-Ubo?feature=oembed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Content</a></p></div><p>I watched almost all of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHpV5-pRwHU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Takeshi Kitano’s movies,</a> my favorite among them being Kikujiro for its dream-like aesthetics and violence-free plot following a young boy’s search for his mother.</p>
-
type: custom
html: "<img class=\"avatar alignnone wp-image-194118 size-full\" src=\"https://www.electronicbeats.net/app/uploads/2020/12/Laurenz-610x343.png\" alt=\"Avatar\" />\r\n<div class=\"mx-xxxxl-h-fluid text-copy\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"separator\">Laurenz Niemeyer, Working Student</div>\r\n</div>"
css: ''
-
type: text
text: '<h3><em>Maemo Glüh Gin</em></h3><p>Maemo Glüh Gin is like mulled wine, just with Gin. Top it up with hot water according to your preference. I love it. For any German speakers out there, you can find a <a href="https://www.ginnatic.com/gin/testbericht-maemo-glueh-gin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recipe here</a>.</p><h2><em>Expanding my musical horizon</em></h2><p><a href="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F939222055&show_artwork=true&maxwidth=500&maxheight=750&dnt=1&in=hawsmusic%2Fsets%2Fhaws010-playlist" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SoundCloud Content</a></p><p>Having grown tired of the driving 4/4 techno sounds dominating Berlin’s dancefloors, I rediscovered the pleasure of digging and exploring genres like UK garage, breakbeat, Afrosynth and more. My catalog highlights in 2020 included Welsh label Haŵs, British labels <a href="https://soundcloud.com/dansudiscs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dansu Discs</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/lobster-theremin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lobster Theremin</a>, San Francisco’s <a href="https://soundcloud.com/darkentriesrecords" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dark Entries</a>, and Amsterdam’s <a href="https://soundcloud.com/rushhourrecords" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rush Hour</a>.</p><h2><em>Walking</em></h2><p>2020 was the year I discovered walks for myself. It’s the most flexible activity ever. I <a href="https://www.electronicbeats.net/ode-to-the-night-the-captial-of-not-giving-a-fxxx/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grew up in Potsdam</a>, just outside of Berlin, and exploring new neighborhoods in the capital has been a nice way to stabilize my mental health. My advice for walks is, take one while listening to this album you’ve been wanting to properly listen to for ages, in the company with a friend you haven’t had the chance to catch up with lately, in the park mesmerized by mother nature, or in the streets of your favorite neighborhood. It’s a vibe.</p><h2><em>Basketball</em></h2><p>I used to play ball in a club but stopped a few years ago. With the shutdown of bars and clubs, I have now pivoted to a healthier form of physical activity and it’s so much fun.</p><h2><em>Magazines</em></h2><p>Whether it’s fashion, sports, music, philosophy, or history—I’ve always loved the format of a print magazine, because it’s the perfect casual read at any time of the day. Whether it’s fashion, sports, music, philosophy, or history—I’ve always loved the format of a print magazine, because it’s the perfect casual read at any time of the day. Some of my favorite magazines are Playful Magazine, and (for any German speakers out there) <a class="c-link" href="https://www.philomag.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.philomag.de/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Philosophie Magazin</a>, <a class="c-link" href="https://www.geo.de/magazine/geo-epoche" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.geo.de/magazine/geo-epoche" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Geo Epoche</a>, Panorama, Wissen, and <a href="https://www.art-magazin.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">art</a>.</p>'
-
type: text
text: '<p><em>Compiled by the Electronic Beats staff.</em></p><p><em>Additional graphic design by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/royalcheeeseburger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ekaterina Kachavina</a>.</em></p>'
-
type: headline
headline: "“Tracksuit Dub” from 'The Passenger EP' by Om Unit and Martyn"
-
type: text
text: '<p>The track name itself might hit square on the nose, but tallying the amount of athleisure I’ve purchased in this pandemic mayhem (most notably some key pieces from the collaboration between <a href="https://www.instagram.com/paolina_russo/?hl=de" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paulina Russo</a>, the Central Saint Martins knitwear designer, and Adidas), there is likely no better choice as a theme song. A very insular 2020 made for an introspective and often nostalgic choice in personal music selection, and this particular 140 bpm heater by dubstep heroes Om Unit and Martyn, although released in early November, has both a shuffling, tech-woven riddim that is by its nature remarkably contemporary, all the while managing to evoke my bass-y, halcyon entry into dance music—gun fingers and all.</p>'
-
type: text
text: '<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVu2K70" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube Video (gVu2K70)</a></p>'
-
type: headline
headline: "Romare Bearden: Abstraction\_at the DC Moore Gallery\_"
-
type: text
text: '<p>My domestic, wholesome, and often neglected interests separate from clubbing finally received their overdue attention this year, as I’m sure was the case with most. The Harlem Renaissance-era American modernist painter <a href="https://www.dcmooregallery.com/exhibitions/abstract-romare-bearden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romare Bearden</a>, best known for his figurative works, inspired my lockdown tangent from self-soothing tarot card readings on YouTube to therapy painting when <a href="https://www.artsy.net/artwork/romare-bearden-river-mist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“River Mist” 1962</a> popped up on my timeline during an evening scroll. Critics say nothing that can replicate the visceral wonder of viewing art in person, but in the absence of possibility, Bearden’s little-known abstract side, particularly in this piece with its coral flecks and silvery whisps within deep blue marbling, made a striking impression, even on a phone screen. My quarantine scribbles are not nearly as regal as Bearden’s, but they’re explorative and curious all the same.</p>'
-
type: custom
html: ''
css: "img.avatar {\r\n\t\t\t\twidth: 35%;\r\n\t\t\t\theight: auto;\r\n\t\t\t\tmargin: 0 auto;\r\n}"
---
Chunk #1 (Position: 0)
# The Electronic Beats Highlight Reel of 2020 Our interests separate from clubbing finally received their overdue attention this year. Personal favorites, pop culture highlights, and book recommendations—it's all in this yearly roundup. What a year it's been. Without a doubt, 2020 has challenge...
Chunk #2 (Position: 1)
For this reason, time spent on activities outdoors and offline has become a vital antidote to the paradox of our hyper-plugged-in yet disconnected lives. In the list below, you'll find a varied selection of pop culture gems, top food items, and key personal experiences that have resonated with th...
Chunk #3 (Position: 2)
In the list below, you'll find a varied selection of pop culture gems, top food items, and key personal experiences that have resonated with the *Electronic Beats* staff this year. [1]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/artists-financial-support-coronavirus/ [2]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/ele...
Chunk #4 (Position: 3)
[1]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/artists-financial-support-coronavirus/ [2]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/electronic-music-is-black-protest-music/ [3]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/strength-in-numbers-music-industry-future-gabe-meier/ [4]: https://www.electronicbeats.net/post-lockdown-c...
Chunk #5 (Position: 4)
His churning electronic score sounds like what mechanical stamina feels like after one too many hours on the dancefloor. As one of the few live performances I caught at the Komische Oper Berlin before the March lockdown, STRONG left an indelible impression. ## *[Saint Laurent AW 2020][3]{: target...
Chunk #6 (Position: 5)
This collection acquaints the power-suited CEO with her appropriate BDSM edge by dipping her into glossy, skin-tight latex. Anthony Vaccarello's looks for Saint Laurent may not have received its well-deserved slink around the after-hours this season as intended, but I've dutifully bookmarked the ...
Chunk #7 (Position: 6)
## *Personal Essay [How My Mother and I Became Chinese Propaganda][5] by Jianyang Fan* In her *New Yorker *personal essay, staff writer Jianyang Fan suddenly finds herself helplessly entangled in a nexus of Chinese viral vitriol as she takes to Twitter in a last effort to sav...
Chunk #8 (Position: 7)
At a time when the deep fissures of broken societal systems and tenuous intimate relationships are laid bare all around the world, Fan's searingly honest portrayal of the complex dynamics between immigrant Asian mothers and their first-generation American daughters reveals that sometimes it takes...
Chunk #9 (Position: 8)
Critics say nothing that can replicate the visceral wonder of viewing art in person, but in the absence of possibility, Bearden's little-known abstract side, particularly in this piece with its coral flecks and silvery whisps within deep blue marbling, made a striking impression, even on a phone ...
Chunk #10 (Position: 9)
## "Tracksuit Dub" from [The Passenger EP][8]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener"} by Om Unit and Martyn {: .highlighted .separator} [YouTube Content][9]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"} The track name itself might hit square on the nose, but tallying the amount of athleisure I've purc...
Showing 10 of 55 chunks