TuneLab
Anjunadeep The Yearbook 2019
The 2019 edition of the Anjunadeep Yearbook feels like a time capsule from a more innocent era, a mix that captures the label’s pivot into widescreen, deeply melodic house before the world got even weirder. It’s a comfort listen with a surprisingly robust backbone. The vibe is sunset-to-stars, a gradual dimming of lights matched by an increase in emotional intensity. On the technical front, this is a expertly paced deep house narrative.
The BPM averages a sturdy 124.9, but the real story is in the harmonic journey, moving from the moody 8B and 11B territories into the more resolved 12A. The energy is profoundly low-end focused (0.70), with melodic elements (0.28) weaving through the sub-bass, creating a deep, hypnotic pull that’s physical and cerebral. The standout tracks form a mosaic of the label’s sound. CRi & Jesse Mac Cormack’s ‘Never Really Get There’ is a perfectly hazy, downtempo opener.
Cubicolor’s ‘Points Beyond’ offers melancholic, indie-electronic depth, while the Marsh & Wassu collaboration ‘Like You’ is pure, uplifting melodic house warmth. The Blanche ‘City Lights’ remix by Gorje Hewek & Izhevski is a stunning, left-field turn into textured, atmospheric territory. The set begins in contemplative haze with ‘Never Really Get There’, ascends to its melodic zenith with the epic, vocal-driven sweep of Nox Vahn & Marsh’s ‘Follow Me’, and softly lands in the ambient folk of boerd’s ‘Before We Drown’.