A lot of courses were set in 2019: Helioscope and Planetarium both introduced their Select program in June, Turbobache took a year off and Distant tried to find a good release cycle. This was a year the Planetarium scene of ambient and modern classical music has showed more than ever that it is the one I like to and will promote the most.

Thank you for the continued support! We’re off to a new decade. We’ll leave Distant behind (a final retrospective mix will probably be done this Summer), but there are still lots of unplayed Planetarium and Helioscope tracks in my library and great releases to arrive in this new year.

=== Top 25 Planetarium tracks ===
#25 Hotel Neon – Drawn Back [Archives]
#24 M. Grig – H [12k]
#23 Lowercase Noises – Inselberg [Facture]
#22 Daigo Hanada – Ouka [Moderna]
#21 Purl – Under Isen

#20 Hammock – Circular as Our Way [Hammock]
#19 Poemme – Falling Snow on a Silent Night [Stereoscenic]
#18 Vinuela / Rosenberg – Solstice [Seil]
#17 Hotel Neon – Vanishing Forms [Archives]
#16 Porya Hatami | Aaron Martin | Roberto Attanasio – Xakelêwe [dronarivm]

#15 Ian Nyquist – Obelisk [eilean]
#14 Billow Observatory – Color in the Six [Azure Vista]
#13 Goldmund – Respite [Unseen]
#12 Michael Price – Focus in 12-18Hz [Erased Tapes]
#11 Malibù – Lost at Sea [UNO NYC]

#10 Billow Observatory – Soft Logic [Azure Vista]
#09 Gallery Six – In This Perfect Dream [Past Inside the Present]
#08 Bibio – Curls [Warp] *
#07 Hotel Neon – Rime [Facture]
#06 Ecovillage feat. Luis Miehlich – Sometimes I Hear Your Voice [eilean]

* This track was not featured in any of the retrospective mixes. You can find it featured here.

#05 Hotel Neon – Burning Mist [Archives]
#04 Old Amica – Strelka över Himlavalvet [whitelab]
#03 Lowercase Noises – A Little Time with the Tree’s Roots
#02 Ian Nyquist – Bring Her Home [eilean]
#01 Purl – Skäralid [Archives]

The second “Best of Planetarium 2019” part will be released on February 18. A special extended “Best of Planetarium 2019” will be released around February 25 under the Sternwarte series exclusive to Mixcloud Select subscribers.

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=== Top 25 Helioscope tracks ===
#25 16BL – Vette [Anjunadeep]
#24 Henry Saiz – Me and My Synths [Natura Sonoris]
#23 Lane 8 & Yotto – I / Y [This Never Happened]
#22 Nox Vahn – Walking with Giants [Anjunadeep]
#21 The Midnight – Crystalline (Dan Sieg Remix) [Silk]

#20 Gregory Esayan – One Look [Silk]
#19 Gareth Emery & Ashley Wallbridge – Amber Sun [Garuda]
#18 A.M.R – Voyager [Silk]
#17 Joseph Ray – Chem-EX [Anjunadeep]
#16 Pryda – Star Bugs [Pryda]

#15 Sébastien Léger – Skadi [Lost Miracle]
#14 Sound Quelle feat. Brandon Mignacca – Iridescent (Forerunners Remix) [Silk]
#13 Rüfüs du Sol – Treat You Better (Purple Disco Machine Remix) [Rose Avenue/Reprise]
#12 David Hohme & Dustin Nantais – Onward Only [Anjunadeep]
#11 Satin Jackets feat. Panama – Electric Blue [Eskimo]

#10 Janus Rasmussen – March [Ki]
#09 Christian Löffler feat. Josephine Philip – Running [Ki]
#08 Dusky – L.I. [17 Steps]
#07 Röyksopp feat. Man Without Country & Susanne Sundfør – In the End [Dog Triumph]
#06 A.M.R – Pale Blue [Silk]

#05 Luttrell – After All [Anjunadeep]
#04 Deeparture feat. Rubenson – Rewrite [Days Like Nights]
#03 Nox Vahn & Marsh – Serena’s Garden [Anjunadeep]
#02 Henry Saiz – DMT [Natura Sonoris]
#01 Essáy – Archangel [All Day I Dream]

The second and final “Helioscope Yearmix” part will be released around February 21.

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=== Top 30 Artists ===

Steven Kemner (Hotel Neon)
Andrew Tasselmyer (Hotel Neon / Gray Acres)
Michael Tasselmyer (Hotel Neon / Gray Acres)
Ludvig Cimbrelius (Purl / Eternell)
Andrew Thompson & Marc Bird (Hammock)
Amr Hachicho (A.M.R)
Matt Kidd (Slow Meadow)
Dominique Vijverberg (Deeparture)
Bradley Sean Alexander Deschamps (Anthéne / North Atlantic Drift)
Daniel Mansoor (Nox Vahn)
Boris Potschubay (Jogging House)
Adam Bryanbaum Witzie & Dustin O’Halloran (A Winged Victory for the Sullen)
Daniel Goldstein (Lane 8)
Janus Rasmussen
Luis Miehlich
Casey Keyworth (Breakfast)
Alfie Granger-Howell & Nick Harriman (Dusky)
Grigoriy Esayan (Gregory Esayan)
Andrew Stephen Othling (Lowercase Noises)
Tom Marshall (Marsh)
Jón Þór Birgisson & Georg Hólm (Sigur Rós)
Guillermo Cornejo (Antrim)
Eric Luttrell
Pepo Galán
Agustín Mena (Warmth / SVLBRD)
Jonas Munk & Jason Kolb (Billow Observatory)
Kevin Huizing (Budakid)
Angela Klimek (Poemme)
Enrique Saiz Gonzalez (Henry Saiz)
Brenden LaBonte (Forerunners)

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=== Top 10 Newcomers ===

Trần Hữu Tuấn Bách (B.A.X.)
Linus Johansson & Johan Kisro (Old Amica)
Joseph Ray
Isaac Helsen
Malibù
Gabríel Ólafs
PRAANA
Hevel
Russ Daniels
Chad Munson

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=== Top 10 Labels ===

Archives (Agustín Mena)
Past Inside the Present (Zach Frizell & Isaac Helsen)
whitelabrecs (Harry Towell)
Anjunadeep (James Grant)
Silk Music (Jacob Henry)
Stereoscenic Records (Andrew J Klimek)
Home Normal (Ian Hawgood & Ben Jones)
dronarivm (Bartosz Dziadosz & Dmitry Taldykin)
eilean Rec. (Mathias van Eecloo)
This Never Happened (Daniel Goldstein)

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Images by : http://joniniemela.deviantart.com/

2018 has been a decent year for drum & bass, a very good one for all things prog & deep, but an unmistakably legendary one for ambient music. Here are my toplists:

=== Top 25 Planetarium tracks of 2018 ===
Nils Frahm – The Whole Universe Wants to Be Touched / Sunson [Erased Tapes]
Gavin Miller feat. Aaron Martin – Upper Course I [Lost Tribe]
Bell Mountain – Vermilion (Red/Orange)
Nils Frahm – Kaleidoscope [Erased Tapes]
Shuta Yasukochi – Yoru (Alex Bober Remix) [Archives]
Nils Frahm – All Melody [Erased Tapes]
Cass. – 1000 Superdolphins [Into The Light]
Jacob Pavek – NOME [Unperceived]
Hotel Neon – Inward, Side A
Nils Frahm – A Place [Erased Tapes]
Jóhann Jóhannsson – Mandy Love Theme [Lakeshore]
zarr. – Hiraeth [Stereoscenic]
Yui Onodera – Cromo 3 [Kompakt]
Hammock – The Night You Caught on Fire [Hammock]
Hotel Neon – Shadow Sites [Archives]
Solidarity Hymn – For a Wandering Beam of Sun
Endless Melancholy – Postcards [dronarivm]
Hotel Neon feat. Slow Meadow – Cold Suns
Pausal – Lateral Contact [hibernate]
Angus MacRae & InsaDonjaKai – Afar [Thesis]
Anthéne – Whatever Fire Is Burning [Polar Seas]
Akito Misaki – May
Endless Melancholy – Amaranthine [dronarivm]
Mordançage – Monuments Fall [Facture]
Jacob David – Loft [Moderna]

* Spotify does not include: zarr. – Hiraeth [Stereoscenic] | Pausal – Lateral Contact [hibernate] | Angus MacRae & InsaDonjaKai – Afar [Thesis] | Anthéne – Whatever Fire Is Burning [Polar Seas] | Akito Misaki – May. First two Nils Frahm tracks and Hotel Neon’s 3-part “Inward, Side A” are treated as one.

The second and final “Best of Planetarium 2018” part will be released on January 18.

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=== Top 25 Helioscope tracks of 2018 ===

Monolink – Father Ocean (Ben Böhmer Remix) [Embassy One]
Pjusk & Porya Hatami feat. Anne Garner – Kviskra [Fnukk Fonogram]
George Fitzgerald feat. Tracey Thorn – Half-Light (Night Version) [Double Six]
Hydra – Amber (Vintage & Morelli Remix) [FSOE Parallels]
Martin Roth – Hypno Seq [Anjunadeep]
Mr Raoul K – African Paradigm (Kaito Remix) [Compost]
Roy Rosenfeld – Love from Afar [Lost & Found]
Joe Miller & Daniel Verhagen – A Sudden Taste of Redemption [Dream Culture]
A.M.R – Flight [Silk]
Michael A – Look Closer [Replug]
Movement Machina – Nakatomi [Zerothree]
eleven.five – To Mean It (Intro Mix) [Silk]
Antic – Touch of My Soul [Anjunadeep]
Guy J – Airborne [Lost & Found]
lycoriscoris – Kite [Anjunadeep]
Dusky – The Captain [17 Steps]
Naden – Waves [Silk]
Cubicolor – Counterpart [Anjunadeep]
Dee Montero feat. Meliha – Headspace [Anjunadeep]
DJ Koze – Pick Up [Pampa]
Kevin di Serna – Horizons [Endless]
Kev Sheridan – Alone in Berlin [Maeve]
Eli & Fur – Parfume (Dosem Remix) [Anjunadeep]
Mat Zo – Meaning Lost All Words [Anjunabeats]
Detroit Swindle – Cut U Loose [Heist]

This year’s “Helioscope Yearmix” will be released sometime between January 16 and January 20.

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=== Top 15 Distant tracks of 2018 ===
High Contrast – God Only Knows [3beat]
Bop x Subwave – Clair de Lune [Microfunk]
Keeno – The Comet [Hospital]
Ólafur Arnalds – inconsist [Decca]
Break feat. Celestine – Last Goodbye [Symmetry]
SpectraSoul feat. Dan Moss – Burst (Calibre Remix) [Ish Chat]
Camo & Krooked feat. James Hersey – Like I Do (Nu:Logic Remix) [Mosaik]
Break feat. Kyo – The Edge of Time [Symmetry]
DJ Patife & Vangeliez feat. MC Fats & Stamina MC – Living Together [V]
Camo & Krooked – Come Together (Bop Remix) [Mosaik]
Camo & Krooked – Tagtraum (GLXY, Satl & Malaky Remix) [Mosaik]
Blu Mar Ten feat. Robert Manos – Keep It Together (Calibre Remix) [Blu Mar Ten]
LSB feat. Kinross – Roots [Footnotes]
Camo & Krooked – Passion (Dan Dakota Remix) [Mosaik]
Mitekiss & Mr. Porter feat. Emilienne Chouadossi – Viewpoint [Hospital]

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Image art by : http://galaxiesanddust.deviantart.com/

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In anticipation of the Helioscope Yearmix 2017, here are my 15 favourite tracks of 2017 from all formats on the Helioscope (main) channel combined. This ranges from deep house (Golden Age) over progressive house (Idolatry / HR) to balearic trance (WBU). Planetarium is excluded, but you will find another list of this style solely for Planetarium with the release of the third Best of 2017 mix in about two weeks from now.

#15 : Petar Dundov & Henry Saiz – Infinite Promises [Balance]

#14 : Way Out West feat. Liu Bei – Oceans [Anjunadeep]

#13 : Movement Machina – The Flame [Silk]

#12 : Tontario feat. Sarah de Warren – Northern Confessions

#11 : Hosini – Laomedeia [Anjunadeep]

#10 : Movement Machina – Soul Muse (Gai Barone Remix) [Mango Alley]

#09 : Suren Unka – 030

#08 : Damian Lazarus & The Ancient Moons – I Found You [Crosstown Rebels]

#07 : Kiasmos – Shed [Erased Tapes]

#06 : eleven.five & Dan Sieg – Found [Silk]

#05 : Way Out West – Tuesday Maybe (Guy J Remix) [Anjunadeep]

#04 : Ken Hayakawa – War Drums (Hiroshi Watanabe Remix) [Upon You]

#03 : Grum – Price of Love [Anjunabeats]

#02 : Guy J – West on Mars [Bedrock]

#01 : Fairchild – The Light in You [Anjunadeep]

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Image by : http://unsplash.com/@chichay0309

Presenting you the final award category of 2016: Progressive and Trance.
This is quite possibly the clearest victory for a label and its artists:
Across all nominees and winners, Silk Music dominated it with quality output all year long.

Best Track

Movement Machina – Face Yourself [Anjunabeats]
Dan Sieg – Horizons (Stendahl Remix) [Silk]
Boom Jinx & Soundprank feat. Katrine Stenbekk – We Know (Vintage & Morelli Remix) [Anjunabeats]
Our Stolen Theory – Warmest Day (Talamanca Remix) [Silk]
Eskai – Tides [Silk]
Jallen – Venture (LTN Remix) [Elliptical Sun Melodies]
Andre Sobota – Jump [Kyubu]
Clameres – Nova [Colorize]
Yglo – Fridays [*back home]
Movement Machina – No for an Answer (Andre Sobota Remix) [Mango Alley]
Vintage & Morelli – Afterglow (Mizar B Remix) [Silk]
Sam Davies – Sunbound [Silk]

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Best Artist

Vintage & Morelli
Andre Sobota
Matt Fax
We Are All Astronauts
Talamanca
Eskai
Mizar B

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Most Promising Newcomer

Movement Machina
Sam Davies
Jesse Bullitt
Hexlogic

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Best Release

Vintage & Morelli – My Rose Enchanted Destiny [Silk]
Various Artists – The Routes Are Infinite / The Light Trails Lead Us [Mango Alley]
Various Artists – Silk Remixed 06 [Silk]
Gregory Esayan – Pilgrim’s Diary [Silk]
Various Artists – Coastal Selections 001 [Emergent Shores]

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Best Label

Silk Music
Mango Alley
Emergent Shores
sunsetmelodies
PHW
Perplexity Music
Zerothree
Anjunabeats

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Art by : http://unsplash.com/@timmarshall

Best Track

Dusky – Ingrid Is A Hybrid [Polydor]
Way Out West – Tuesday Maybe [Anjunadeep]
Dusky feat. Pedestrian – Spruce [Polydor]
Lindstrøm – Closing Shot [Feedelity]
Pacifica – Memory Man [Drumpoet Community]
Way Out West – Set My Mind [Anjunadeep]
Quivver – Call [Sudbeat]
Bonobo – Kerala [Ninja Tune]
Croquet Club – Andante [Anjunadeep]
Robert Babicz – Where Are You? (Aparde Remix) [Traum]
E&P feat. Jinadu – Sundroina (Olderic Remix) [Moodmusic]
Sahar Z & Navar – A Prelude To [Lost & Found]
Hosini – Lucid Dreams (GHIZ Retouch) [Shanti Radio Moscow]
Subconscious Tales – Helligkeit [Balkan Connection]
port-royal – Whispering in the Dark (John Tejada Remix) [n5MD]
CamelPhat – Raabta [Suara]
Agoria – Up All Night [Sapiens]
Jeremy Olander – Roots (Henry Saiz Remix) [Vivrant]
Cornucopia – The Day You Got Older and Stronger [Shanti Radio Moscow]
Timelapse – System (Kiani & His Legion Remix) [Akbal]

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Best Artist

Dusky
Jody Wisternoff (Way Out West)
Guy J (Cornucopia)
Gai Barone
Bwana
Clarian
Jamie Stevens

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Most Promising Newcomer

Subconscious Tales
Luttrell
Stereo Underground
Kiani & His Legion
Tontario

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Best Release

Dusky – Outer [17 Steps / Polydor]
Patrice Bäumel – Balance [Balance]
DJ Koze – Pampa Vol. 1 [Pampa]
Various Artists – Anjunadeep:08 [Anjunadeep]
Gorje Hewek & Izhevski – Whelm [Shanti Radio Moscow]
Cornucopia – Cornucopia [Shanti Radio Moscow]
Sahar Z & Navar – Breathe Deep / A Prelude To [Lost & Found]
Matthias Vogt – Through This Madness / Heavens Gate [Anjunadeep]
Dave DK – Val Maira Remixe [Kompakt]

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Best Label

Anjunadeep
Aus Music
Lost & Found
microCastle
Sudbeat Music
Suara
Proton Music
Bedrock Records
Shanti Radio Moscow
Crossings
All Day I Dream

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Art by : http://instagram.com/jude_allen

I was recently invited by Lauren Krieger from FRISKY Radio to do an interview with her about my show Neptunian, my selection process and musical background.

Read here.