The best of Dummy in 2012, according to you

As 2012 stumbles to a close, a little reflection feels appropriate. When we took a look at the end-of-year figures, it was great to see the things we love – in-depth interviews with the artists moving music forwards, incisive commentary and the most exciting brand new music – are the things you love too. Thanks for reading/listening/watching, and here’s to 2013.

THE INTERVIEWS

Darren J. Cunningam’s art at the Werkhaus Exhibit 1 event

• Actress interview: ‘It’s medicine – that’s what music is.’

• Lone interview: ‘I had no idea about ecstasy. I just thought the music sounded insane.’

• Darkstar interview: ‘What space can do for your subconscious.’

• Ariel Pink interview: ‘Our only hope is another human.’

• Untold interview: ‘I wanted to document my change.’

• Ital interview: ‘The world really presses on you in intense ways.’

• Anthony ‘Shake’ Shakir interview: ‘Every record I owned was an instrument.’

• Pinch interview: ‘A heavy element of escapism.’

• Nina Kraviz interview: ‘It is all about human feelings.’

• Purity Ring interview: ‘This isn’t confession.’

THE FEATURES

• Comment: Vaporwave and the pop-art of the virtual plaza

• Comment: ‘Distroid’ – the muscular music of hi-def doom

• How Kanye West puts the mega into megalomania

• Azealia Banks’ beefs, and what they say about rap’s new generation

• Essay: Whatever happened to genre?

• The rise and rise of NTS radio

• Pussy Riot’s jailing: the full story

• The story behind Grimes’ ‘Oblivion’ video

• How Detroit techno changed the fabric of time forever

• Essay: Bandcamp and the music industry of tomorrow

THE GUIDES

Illustration for the ‘Dummy Guide to Detroit techno’ courtesy of Megan Woof.

• The Dummy Guide to Detroit techno, part I: Origins to explosion

• The Dummy Guide to K-Pop

• The Dummy Guide to Mexico’s 3bal sound

• The Dummy Guide to Detroit Techno, part II

• The Dummy Guide to purple

• The Dummy Guide to video game music, part I

• The Dummy Guide to found sound

THE NEW MUSIC

• Premiere: SpaceGhostPurrp – The Mysterious Phonk: The Instrumentals (album download)

• Introducing the 15 year old producer Mary Anne Hobbs is calling ‘mind-blowing’

• The south London vinyl-only, no-photo dance party that keeps the world locked out

• Premiere: Blood Diamonds – Ritual

• Dean Blunt – Track 2 (feat. Inga Copeland)

• Premiere: 1991 – ‘1991’ (full EP stream)

• Five of the best new Raider Klan tracks

• Premiere: George Maple – Uphill

• Skream feat. Kelis – Copycat

• Earl Sweatshirt – Oldie

THE VIDEOS

• The Joy of Disco – BBC documentary

• Premiere: Slime – Crown

• Watch a fascinating jungle documentary from 1994

• Premiere: Mowgli – Cadence

• Laurie Anderson’s dog plays the piano

• New Evian Christ jams justify/increase the hype

• DJ Screw – The Untold Story [full documentary]

• Premiere: Laura Mvula – She

• Grimes live at SXSW

• Premiere: Ultraista – Gold Dayzz

THE LISTS

• 20 essential bandcamps

• The 10 best Theo Parrish-touched tracks, according to Lawrence

• The 10 best techno tracks of all time, according to Surgeon

• The 11 best jungle tracks of the 90s, according to Lee Gamble

• The 10 best personal tracks, according to Tama Sumo

• The 10 best acid house tracks, according to DJ Pierre

• The 10 best melodic funk songs, according to Dâm-FunK

• The 10 best 90s rave videos, according to Soul Clap

• Five electronic records of 2012 that have changed everything

• The 10 best electronic tracks, according to Bill Kouligas