HousePlanet.DJ - Electronic Dance Music News 24/7 - HousePlanet Distribution

http://www.residentadvisor.net

RA turns to its readers to see who they decided were the best DJs in the world in 2008.
DJing: It's an artform like few others, and one that too often goes underrecognized. DJs can transform a good party into a great one, and turn a previously solid night into a disaster. Sometimes they've even been rumoured to save lives.
The results were overwhelming, with thousands of votes pouring in for DJs of nearly every conceivable genre. House, techno, trance, dubstep, electro, disco, indie and more: It's a list that has Tiesto rubbing shoulders with Mathias Kaden, Boys Noize with Theo Parrish and Damian Lazarus sandwiched right between Aeroplane and Armin Van Buuren. Ladies and gentlemen, your Top 100 DJs of 2008.

1. Ricardo Villalobos

In an age where we can find out the name of our favorite DJ's pet parakeet, Ricardo Villalobos is a rare breed: A superstar DJ that we still know precious little about. Sure, tiny bits of information leak out every time that he grants a rare interview, but it's been a long time since we've had someone so famous remain such a mystery. Perhaps that's one reason that we love him: Forced to focus on the wondrous music he selects (and makes), we inevitably cast him in the role we want him to play. Floor filler? Undoubtedly. At his late 2008 gig at Fabric, you could barely step into the main room at 7 AM. Futurist? There's no other DJ making massive crowds dance to such defiantly strange house music. Romantic? Of course! Who else would play heartbreaking folk songs from Chile in the middle of his sets? The best DJ in the world in 2008? Yep, that too.

02. Richie Hawtin

Say what you will about Richie Hawtin, but remember this much: There are few other DJs in the world with the cojones to even attempt to push things forward in the manner that the Minus head has done, let alone ones that have been in the game for as long as he has. The fact that debate rages about whether what Hawtin does is DJing at all anymore is a testament to his immense (musical and marketing) skill, and it also ensures that he will continue to be relevant for years to come.

03. Luciano

Many have complained that Luciano plays the same records over and over in his DJ sets. The thing that those people seem to forget? They're damn good records. Sure, Luciano may not have reached too far into his box in 2008, but it's a set that has resonated with many. And why not? Luciano effortlessly takes in the floppy funk of his Cadenza label, the softcore romanticism of M83 and the chattering naturalism of sampled folk singers from around the world. In a genre where cold, mechanical mixing is often valued above all else, Luciano's DJing feels defiantly alive and wondrously human.

04. John Digweed

A good DJ plays records, a great DJ makes those records sound an extension of the DJ playing them. John Digweed is a great DJ—a performer that has managed to stay relevant despite the progressive house backlash by smoothly moving into the world of minimal and picking out the records that he could match with his own sound—and the progressive house that he still champions. It's no mean feat: Plenty of lesser jocks have fallen by the wayside when their genre of choice falls out of favour. It's to Digweed's credit that he hasn't—and he sounds all the better for it.

05. Sasha

2008's Invol2ver saw Sasha remixing some of his favorite recent tunes into a continuous mix. It's an idealized version of his vaunted DJ sets, which see him doing the same on the fly in the darkness of the club. In that context, Sasha hits upon another ideal: Even when he plays the same tunes, no set is alike. And just about anything can happen. For a DJ of such repute to be willing to play without a net at this stage in his career is admirable. For him to do it so well? That makes him one of the top DJs of 2008.

06. Sven Väth

What was Sven Väth doing championing Johnny D, Pigon and SIS in 2008? Staying improbably and impressively relevant, that's what. Aside from hosting one of the most successful parties on Ibiza and continuing to curate a forward-thinking lineup at his Frankfurt club, Väth continued in 2008 to do what he does best: Namely, bringing underground sounds to the masses in an entertaining and convincing way. That Väth is well over 40 and still remains dedicated to blowing up the newest trends is good news for any up-and-coming producer who still wants to make it in the music biz. Respect, as they say, is due.

07. Laurent Garnier

There's a joke that goes around certain circles that no matter what release is sent out to DJs and journalists, Laurent Garnier's name is there in lights, claiming "full support!" If you listen to a Garnier set, though, you'll soon begin to believe it. The French jock spans genres just about as well as anyone DJ alive, making treks from the outer reaches of deep house to dubstep to drum & bass and back again in fewer steps than you can imagine. Garnier's range is broad, and it's this open-eared approach that has kept him relevant over the course of his 20+ year career behind the decks.

08. Dixon

Whether she's doing one of her loopy minimal techno sets or playing with Serato Scratch, Magda has an undeniable connection with the crowd. We're not sure exactly what she did during her ten weeks of silence, but judging by the DJ sets she dropped over the past 12 months, we tend to think it was time well-spent. With gigs as far afield as Peru, Japan and the Dominican Republic, along with Minus label head Richie Hawtin, she continued to spread the gospel of minimal techno to the world—even despite a stolen laptop—as well as offering up a surprising variety of sounds that hinted at interesting avenues that she may well explore in 2009.

10. Lee Burridge

Lee Burridge actually looks like he's having fun when he's DJing. And while that shouldn't be a rare thing, as anyone who has been raving can tell you, it most definitely is. That enthusiasm rubs off on nearly everyone who ventures through the door at a Burridge gig, but most especially at his celebrated Get Weird parties where anything goes—six-foot lobsters included. As his beloved recent RA podcast proves, whether it be in mixing upbeat tech house or moody, slow groovers, Burridge has graduated from being one of the NuBreed to become one of the top DJs in the world.

11. Marcel Dettmann

12. Dubfire

13. Danny Howells

14. Matthew Dear

15. James Holden

16. Efdemin

17. Loco Dice

18. Adam Beyer

19. Radio Slave

20. Carl Craig