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5. Maceo Plex 'Life Index' (Crosstown Rebels) Download here 

Maceo Plex was one of Crosstown’s biggest success stories of 2011. With both the anthemic ‘Vibe Your Love’ and the original of ‘Your Style’, this album was smoking hot. 

4. Metronomy 'The English Riviera' (Because Music) Download here 

Trippy electronic sounds and Joseph Mount’s catchy melodies created a lush world with a distinct English reserve. Huge remixes put these tracks into clubs across the UK. 

3. Rustie 'Glass Swords' (Warp) Download here 

1980s pop and soul, Miami Vice-style synths, dirty south hip hop, big trance riffs, grime drums and screaming happy hardcore rushes... it shouldn’t have worked, but it did. 

2. SBRTKT 'SBTRKT' (Young Turks) Download here 

The elusive South London producer melded together soul, house and futuristic two-step garage, and in doing so, joined the big league alongside Joy Orbison and Sinden. 

 Nicolas Jaar 'Space Is Only Noise' (Circus Company) Download here 

It’s rare for an album released right at the start of the year to still be this fresh in our consciousness, but the deep, intelligent house and electronica from this frighteningly young producer struck such a chord that its place as album of the year was sealed. Backed up with a unique live show to match, Jaar showed clubland that you could fill venues like Fabric or Glastonbury arenas with experimental, atmospheric sounds.