The Top 55 Electronic Music Videos of 2013

Electronic music is one of the most creatively-minded genres, and most of the time, that creativity pours over into the visual medium as well. 2013 was an excellent for year for music as well as music videos, and today I'll be counting down my favorites. So without further ado, click the link below to start the countdown of my TOP 55 ELECTRONIC MUSIC VIDEOS OF 2013!

>>(#55 - #51)

...or you could just skip to the top ten:

>>(#10 - #1)

...or you could watch the YouTube playlist I made of all the videos:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP_0n9efUAhvt4xR1YpJNfI0YWf-6Mxjp

Crystal Castles - LIVE (My Experience)

Please ignore the words "Insane Clown Posse".

Canadian electronic duo Crystal Castles continuously push the envelope with their music: Crystal Castles was an energized marriage of videogame electro-punk, Crystal Castles (II) took a step in the experimental pop direction with successful results, and (III) found the band finally settling in their place. They're also known for their energetic live shows. Alice Glass and Ethan Kath really know how to put on a show, from the volume right down to the lighting. I'll try to recount my experience below:

Justice - Access All Arenas ALBUM REVIEW

Half of what makes electronic music so great is the live performance. It's the genre that's most open to experimentation, especially live. Whether it's being spun by a DJ or meticulously put together on the fly, electronic music opens up new doors for live experiences. A perfect example is Justice, whose A Cross The Universe live album (along with Daft Punk's Alive 2007 and The Chemical Brothers' Don't Think) is perfectly engineered to create the best experience possible for the audience.

Major Lazer - Free The Universe ALBUM REVIEW

We interrupt this review for a special news bulletin: Noise Filter Tapes #2 has been released! My mixtape for April 2013 features the best new music that came out this month, including new tracks from Daft Punk, Breakbot, Basement Jaxx, Grum, Soulwax, and more - go take a listen! Now back to your regularly scheduled album review.

A Few Mini-Reviews (Albums I Missed the Past Month)

A lot of new albums were released since my last post that I haven't gotten around to reviewing (I was working on the Ed Banger 10th Anniversary Megamix. Also, I'm lazy). To make up for it, here's a bunch of bite-size reviews I wrote to offer my short opinions on the albums I missed. Hopefully after this, I'll write reviews more often.

Surkin - Advanced Entertainment System EP REVIEW

French house maestro Benoit Heinz, AKA Surkin, made a name for himself with his first few EPs. Songs like "Radio Fireworks" and "White Knight Two" became small hits, and brought Surkin underground recognition. His debut album, USA, proved how far his productions could reach genre-wise, ranging from pop to hip-hop to 80s ghetto house. His new six-track EP, "Advanced Entertainment System", aims to increase this range, welcoming dubstep and trap-influenced sounds into the mix.

Noise Filter Tapes #1 - March 2013 Mix

With all this new music coming out, it's hard to keep up with all of it. So I've started a monthly mix series in which I play new and noteworthy music that came in the past month. Hope you enjoy these!

The Top 10 Best Justice Remixes

About the time Justice were finishing up their second album,  Audio Video Disco, they mentioned that they wouldn't be doing any more remixes. This had me worried, because a big part of why I liked Justice so much was their remixes. Luckily, now that the French duo stopped touring, they've had time to get into the remix business again. For Boysnoize Records' 100th release, Justice have remixed "Ich R U" by Boys Noize himself, their first remix in 4 years. To commemorate, I've compiled a list of my favorite remixes from the past ten years, not including the remixes of their own material. So without further ado, here are my Top 10 Favorite Justice Remixes.

Shlohmo - Laid Out EP REVIEW

Los Angeles producer Henry Laufer, AKA Shlohmo, likes to bring in a little bit of everything when it comes to his music. He's younger than most producers (he started releasing music around age 18), yet he brings a lot to the table in terms of production. He dives into genres such as trip-hop, funk, and R&B with ease. The R&B influence is apparent in Shlohmo's latest EP, Laid Out.

Simian Mobile Disco - Live ALBUM REVIEW

Simian Mobile Disco are an English duo that make really clean music. I don't mean that in a bad way at all. Their music is just so smooth, listenable, yet danceable, compelling. They combine elements of house, techno, and pop, and it just comes out so slick and masterful, as if they've been doing this for years. They've been doing it for eight years, to be exact, out of the ashes of the four-piece indie pop group Simian (who you may know through their irresistibly catchy collaboration with Justice, We Are Your Friends). The decision to break up was completely worth it - the new band emerged with their debut 2007 album, Attack Decay Sustain Release, which despite being released (ironically) the same day as Justice's smash hit Cross, scored SMD some fans.

Kavinsky - Outrun ALBUM REVIEW

Sorry for being a bit late on this one (if you consider a whole week 'a bit late'). I've already covered Kavinsky's first single from his new album, "Protovision", and I really liked it. It was significantly Kavinsky, yet you can tell that SebastiAn co-produced it. The song displays the darker side of Kavinsky, and while it's certainly his style, it was a different mood altogether than 2006's "Teddy Boy EP". The French house producer, real name Vincent Belorgey, knows this, which is why he's included a few songs from 2006-2008 on his debut album. Does he succeed at blurring the line between old and new, just like his music blurs the line between the 80s and the future?

Atoms For Peace - Amok ALBUM REVIEW

Apologies for taking a while to get to this album, I was just waiting for my CD to come (This is also why I'm holding out on Kavinsky). Atoms For Peace is what some would call a "supergroup". The project brings together a number of diverse musicians: vocalist Thom Yorke, bassist Flea, producer Nigel Godrich, drummer/producer Joey Waronker, and percussionist Mauro Refosco. It's an odd combination of individuals, but do they work well together?

The M Machine - Metropolis Pt. II EP REVIEW

OWSLA, Skrillex's record label, doesn't get enough attention that it deserves. Okay, I realize that statement may sound odd considering how popular Skrillex is, but for every fan he has, there's at least ten people who refuse to touch anything Skrillex-related. This is a shame, because his label houses a lot of talent. While I haven't liked everything that's come out of OWSLA ("Teddy Killerz" comes to mind), there are many gems to be found (KOAN Sound, Monsta, Birdy Nam Nam). (Click "read more" for the rest + thoughts on each track.)

Apparat - Krieg und Frieden (Music For Theatre) Review

Apparat, aka Sascha Ring, is no stranger to score music. Yes, he's never actually composed a film score, but everything he's made just seems like the backdrop of an ambitious art film. The German producer's latest release, Krieg Und Frieden (Music For Theatre), is a collection of songs based on Sebastian Hartmann's theater adaptation of the classic novel War And Peace. The album and the play are part of a project commissioned by German arts festival Recklinghausen. I've never read the novel (over 1000 pages!), so I can only assume that this album works as a companion to the stage adaptation and the book. (Hit the jump for more)

5 Albums To Look Forward To On the 19th

Why are so many albums released on Tuesday? Is that only a US thing, or are other countries the same? I don't know, I just find it odd that a seemingly insignificant day such as Tuesday would be favored over, say, Saturday? Whatever, I guess it doesn't matter, because this Tuesday, a number of anticipated records will be released, so I figured that I should write a little article on them so you can look forward to Tuesday as well. (Hit the jump for more)

Proxy - "Music From the Eastblock Jungles - Part II" Review

An appropriate word to describe the music of Yevgeny Alexandrovitch Pozharnov would be "menacing". Pozharnov, AKA Russian electro mastermind Proxy, has formed his own unique sound over the span of ten singles. His music is shock-full of thundering bass, orchestral samples, and miscellaneous distorted noise. And it's all wonderfully loud. (click "read more" for more.)

Kavinsky - Protovision EP Review

Kavinsky, the undisputed master of 80s, yet future-style electro-house, knows how to get us excited for an album. The latest single from his upcoming album, Outrun, is a great showcase of what to expect from it. The track is essentially three minutes of adrenaline, looming synthesizers, and wailing guitars that will burn your ears off (in the best way possible). Considering how awesome the original song is, you'd think it would be pretty difficult to top. Yet, the producers Kavinsky has deployed to remix "Protovision" have no trouble making the track their own. Do any of the remixes beat the original? Not really, but then again, is it possible to beat Kavinsky? Hit the jump for my opinion on each track.

Welcome to the Noise Filter

What's up, people! I've wanted to start a music review blog for some time, so I finally gave in and made one. So I give you The Noise Filter, a blog where I review electronic music releases. On this blog, I will review new albums, EPs, and singles, showcase albums that I consider classics, and shamelessly promote my own work (I do DJ stuff!). I rate EPs with a letter grade and albums on a scale from one to ten (Don't ask why, I just feel like doing it that way). Remember about the reviews - it's my opinion. I'm not saying yours isn't right!