Oh, and Honorable Mention because the song released after I locked this list in, but before I finished posting it all.

Honorable Mention
kamome sano - emotional
youtu.be/ildWKNEPogY

The original 10 years ago cemented my love for Japanese electronic music, back then I would make playlists of different subgenres to play video games to. To hear it reworked is both nostalgic and euphoric.

12/12
Aiobahn feat. ヰ世界情緒 - new world

I regret not digging through Aiobahn's discography sooner tbh. Discovered them via INTERNET YAMERO like many, but in terms of J-POP they have ridiculous range. Don't know any of the words, but I've found it *easier* for me to enjoy a song that way, dunno.

11/12
AZALI - five seventh
youtu.be/neK4CzRbyhE

I don't know what it is about AZALI's piano pieces but I found myself in tears through this entire album.

10/12
death's dynamic shroud & galen tipton - Generate Utopia
youtu.be/Op7EDcH9LXE

The absolute hardest $#!% I've heard this year. Juke, but with Experimental/Hyperpop production values. One of those vibes that likely can't be followed up on, already peak.

busy week so uhh let's speed this back up

09/12
saiiko2 - Unyielding
corruworks.bandcamp.com/track/unyiel...

Partially an excuse to gush about corru.observer, but I am so into this Weird Techno/Ambient thing the game has going on. One of those sounds that takes you somewhere truly unique.

08/12
Lip Critic - In The Wawa (Convinced I Am God)
youtu.be/-qj1LDSAKoU

Was in a Digital Hardcore mood early in the year when I found this. But I haven't been listening to as much of the truly crazy shit this year, next year I'm going out of my way to find it.

07/12
gasoiid + єxcєєᑯ - let the rain fall down
weirdnxc.bandcamp.com/track/let-th...

Nightcore never died *****es, it just moved in with Hardcore, still hangs out with Eurotrance on the weekends. If you can't rave to this we can't be friends, sorry.

Seriously though, at a certain point all the genres blend into each other and you're better off navigating based off of vibes, at least in the electronic space. I've yet to see a categorization system of music that aligns well with that.

06/12
KETTAMA - Fly Away XTC
youtu.be/nEppZ3ghoQ4

Possibly the fastest I've ever fallen in love with a producer's style, the song just hits you with an immediate wall of euphoria. I know this is a trance banger, but something screams house when I listen to this - maybe it's the vocals.

05/12
A M 4 N 音楽 - 心と体と流れ [mind, body and flow]
am4nfm.bandcamp.com/track/mind-b...

Jungle yet not jungle, Y2K yet not Y2K, jazzy yet not jazz - this song defies my ability to put it in a box. I could listen to that chorus on loop for *hours*, it grooves so hard.

04/12
TAKIO feat. つぐ - Extradimensional Cosmic Phenomenon
youtu.be/VuEOUXpZBRs

Obligatory rhythm game post, but also J-Math Rock as a boss song just feels so *fresh*. Helps that the chart matches the song's energy so well...

... I really need to sit down and binge Unbeatable soon...

03/12
FYÜTCH & Boba Sweat - Can You Keep UP [Zackery Wilson (Breath of Fire II) Remix]
zackerywilson.bandcamp.com/track/can-yo...

Chiptune Funk is easily the grooviest sound I've discovered in years, need to keep exploring this space. Been drawn towards more upbeat songs in general this year.

02/12
Moe Shop feat. Jamie Paige - NEWLY HUMAN FEELING
youtu.be/wb0YUbQOl1M

A legendary pairing of the titans in Future Funk and Vocaloid Pop. Could easily loop this song for hours. Works well in a house-adjacent set too.

01/12
xaev (feat. trustt) - FUTURE-SIGHT
soundcloud.com/xaev/future-...

I was not expecting to see a Dariacore-famous producer on a MEGAREX compilation but I need more of it. This song is both addictingly sweet and bass-focused, Techcore is such a high-dopamine genre like that.

Here's the first go at this from last year, kinda fun to see my own taste change over time.

I also got into DJing this year which contributes a bit to the shift in tastes, and forces me to listen to *lots* more music than before. I miss being able to obsess over a single song for a week though...