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…

While putting the finishing touches to his debut novel, Patrick Syms this year also contributed a couple of cracking articles to Ban Ban Ton Ton, both singing the praises of the spoken word. Now it’s his turn to try to select just a lucky seven songs from the last 12 months. 

Super selections and wonderful words by Patrick Syms. 

Seven releases, Rob said. New or reissued, he said. How do you boil a whole year’s worth of music down to just seven titles? Admittedly, it helps that I don’t buy a ton of new music. Fewer to choose from. But potentially more controversial. 

Roslyn & Charles / Spirit of The Living God

“No items available in the Marketplace”

There’s a handful of records that I check on regularly to see if someone has listed a copy for sale, aware that it won’t hang around for long. This gospel LP produced by Julius Brockington has been on the list for a long while.

In the case of this 1982 release, my almost daily Discogs search has been a little act of self-torment because I do it knowing full well that if one were to materialise, I could never afford the exorbitant going rate. So, thank the Lord that there was a Record Store Day reissue, even if it is on yellow vinyl. As one commenter points out on YouTube, “No one is as funky as the father.” Amen to that. 

The Perpetual Singers / Elena

Yeah, yeah, I know, both Rob and Tom Noble have already listed this release, but Elena is a probably my most persistent earworm of the year. I couldn’t not include it. A disco tempo, lush ARP strings, a searing Southern Freeez-style rock guitar and the Singers’ simple repeated melody make for a timeless cosmic jam. 

The George School / The Journey of Persephone

A high school production from 1973 reissued by Trunk records, this is a musical fable loosely based on the Greek myth of Persephone. Sounds heavy but it’s a sweetly joyous affair, more Godspell than the Oresteia with songs. The kids have several great moments but for me the standout track is “Gimme Magic”.

Nicholas Langley / Cinema du Look

Spun Out of Control is a label that releases “the best in synth-based electronica, actual and imagined soundtracks.” Nicholas Langley’s LP is nearly the latter, a tribute to the music of French films of the 80s and 90s that were dubbed Cinema du Look. Think Diva, Subway, Les Amants du Pont Neuf. The whole LP is a synth-lover’s dream: moodful, atmospheric, evocative. “Rollerskate Girl” is my dancefloor-friendly favourite.

Viscardi & Il Duo Magnetico / Elka Mare 

Ed Longo’s Cosmic Romance label’s follow up to the storming Stella EP. Even if it wasn’t recorded in Naples, this is in the same mould as a lot of Early Sounds / Periodica output. That’s a very good thing in my book. 

Jennifer Vanilla / Jennifer Pastoral (Love Injection Remixes) 

In the spring, Love Injection’s Barbie Bertisch and Paul Raffaele delivered a pair of gorgeous remixes of Vanilla’s Jennifer Pastoral. At the end of the year, I’m still playing them: the Earthly Mix when I feel like dancing round the kitchen (dancing anywhere, in fact), the Celestial Mix when I’m tired from all the dancing.

Flavien Berger / Ciao Satan

This dark, melancholic head-nodder, apparently inspired by a lost cat notice (the “Satan” of the title), comes complete with an instrumental – for those who don’t dig the oddball lyrics – and a sample pack – presumably for those who fancy a stab at remixing it.

OK, I have a confession. While this is great, it isn’t my Flavien Berger 2024 earworm. That track is older but has been burrowing around my noggin all year, so it counts, right? Here, then, is a rule-bending 8^th track: Dans Cent Ans from Berger’s 2023 album of the same name. Think of it as a bonus ball, an extra chance for some good luck in year to come. You’re welcome!