Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Household Goods 7.8/10

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs is the stage name of Orlando Higginbottom, an indie electronic artist from Oxford, England. This track is taken from his album Trouble which was released by Casablanca Records in 2012. This is introvert dance music in the mold of Hot Chip, a soundtrack to a quiet night in rather than intense clubbing frenzy. Higginbottom's shy vocals describe a girl he'd like to approach but can't muster the nerve, claiming that he could be "the dog to (her) bone, or something". Switching from soft twinkling keyboards to full on breakbeats and then back again, Higginbottom keeps us guessing as to where the song will go next. This is probably the strongest track from the album Trouble, which has some uneven patches during the second half.

Bibio - À tout à l'heure 9.0/10

Bibio is the stage name of Stephen Wilkinson from Wolverhampton, UK. This track is taken from the album Silver Wilkinson released in May 2013 on Warp Records. The theme of dreamy nostalgia runs through this warm and relaxing track, it's the sonic equivalent of a cup of hot chocolate on a winter's day or sunlight melting frost. Apparently most of this song was recorded outdoors in his garden, and the earthy, vibrant tones it emits are a reflection of this. The cryptic lyrics conjure up a nursery rhyme of childhood nostalgia, but Wilkinson's soothing voice becomes merely another instrument used to craft the buoyantly atmospheric mood he's aiming for. This is another track that will likely make my list of the Best of 2013.