With December here, Ban Ban Ton Ton is looking back on the musical year. Since Japanese superstition holds 7 as her luckiest number, we’re gonna try to keep each selection tight to this total, in the hope that our conjuring of 7 X 7 X 7 X … will collectively manifest some magic for 2025. You may witness some attempts to creatively bend the rules, blur / invent genres and rinse formats, in order to squeeze in as many great releases as possible… 

I think we, Adam, Cal and me, have covered a fair few compilations this year, but here are 7 of my favourites…

Down To The Sea & Back II / Music For Dreams

It was great to have Balearic Mike and Kelvin Andrews return with their second volume of Down To The Sea & Back. The album was packed with the pair’s personal favourites, whose stories, and memories, they shared in the sleeve notes. It was wonderful to witness the record’s success, and even better to see it revitalise Mike’s DJ career. Getting him out and about, globetrotting again.

Sounds From The Flightpath Estate Vol. 1 / Golden Lion Sounds

My friends, and fellow Andrew Weatherall obsessives – to be honest these pros make me look like part-time  – over at The Flightpath Estate took a break from their exhaustive online archiving and information gathering to produce something physical. Securing contributions from a host of Weatherall’s close pals and collaborators, the resulting 10 track LP – all exclusives, no digital – sold out its first pressing within a week, probably sooner. All profits were divided between The Guvnor’s favourite charities and helping to keep Todmorden’s rightly cherished Golden Lion going. Just like Balearic Mike, the FPE chaps have been subsequently doing a fair amount of DJing, and I’m sure are available for bookings. Again, seeing them get the recognition they deserved rocked.

Instrumental Dubs #2 / Isle Of Jura

Isle Of Jura’s Instrumental Dubs #2 was a comp of 2 distinct sides, and one of its standouts, Mad Professor’s H2SO4 was also a track of 2 halves – the first dubbed up digital lovers, the second, strange synth pop funk. Another big plus / bonus was a very nice vinyl appearance of the rather rare Underwater World Of Jah Cousteau remix of Original Rocker’s roots meets prog-house classic Push Push.

Orboretum / Cooking Vinyl

This comp / retrospective wasn’t created for me, since I already own a shelf full of Orb singles and LPs. However, it does represent a high quality, comprehensive cherry-picking of the “ambient house” pioneers’ career – traveling sonically, pretty much chronologically from 1990 to the present day. Absolutely perfect for curious beginners and balanced non-OCD good-music loving folks. The completist in me, nonetheless, still craves a copy, if only for the awesome Apple Tree In My Backyard. Perhaps I`ll treat myself for Christmas.

WPKY Jams / Parkway Records

Parkway Records have been purveying the finest house sounds since 2011. WPKY Jams, however, was their first LP. Showcasing 7 artists across 8 tracks, the set was effectively a party that danced from soulful garage to proto-house, freestyle and dubbed out disco. Plus there was a terrific Prince tribute.

Triángulos De Luz Y Espacios De Sombra / Seance Centre X Smiling C

This expansive selection of Mexican, mainly guitar-driven, music moves between ambient, cosmic, new age, new wave, and spiritual. When I interviewed Phil Mison he’d just bought a copy, and was comparing some of the tracks to those he and Jose Padilla would spin at Ibiza’s Cafe del Mar.

Virtual Dreams II / Music From Memory

Jamie Tiller and Eiji Taniguchi’s selection of Japanese ambient techno was stunning, simply amazing. Stuffed from start to finish with marvellous music that most had never heard of, and no one owned on vinyl.