Let’s set the record straight. I enjoy listening to music. While it’s actually not a surprise, people tend to enjoy music in different ways. Some listen while driving to work, some while playing video games or cooking… and I do too, but some often forget to truly do some extra effort to actually enjoy what they listen to. I like to lay down in bed with good headphones and see where Spotify takes me. You don’t need amazing headphones and thousands of dollars worth of equipment to fully appreciate music. Just close your eyes. You’ll find out this does WONDERS to finding deeper meaning in music.

Today I would like to present my top 20 discoveries I made in 2024. The ones that shaped me this year, kept me company in tough challenges, and stood out in my morning office journeys. I attached a Spotify embed to every song, but I encourage to listen through the app or on YouTube, as embeds tend to have worse audio quality and start from the middle of the song. If you want to listen to this list as a Spotify playlist, click here!

Let’s roll.

#20: Contra

The track fades in with Sara Skinner‘s voice that doesn’t sound very distinguishable, then it fades in to clear “I don’t want to lose it all“. The same phrase is repeated right before the first drop. And this drop is a great opening to this list: electro sounds with a steady beat that make me want to learn how to skateboard. Why exactly I don’t know, but I’d feel quite cool while skateboarding.

I am a sucker for a second differently sounding drop. It’s stunning how this song can easily transition into an old school glitch hop territory. Now shifting from a skateboard to parkour. In the end, it’s a sport that makes you shift into more complex shapes – I like to imagine glitch hop in this way, as it’s a quite unique genre, somewhat niche even.

Did we deserve a third drop? For sure we needed it. And this going down to solid 60BPM is pure joy. How about breakdance now? I feel like breakdancing.

Contra is a fantastic track that makes me want to get up and do stuff. Like physically: learn how to do activities that make you look cool. I’ve always wanted to create my own music videos. This entry is one of a few on this list I could see dangerous (and cool!) sports being focused on. What an absolute gem. If you aren’t on board with heavy sounding electronic music, this list contains more than just that. Stick around for more!

#19: Dirty

It truly amazes me how long it took me to discover grandson. I did hear some of his songs back in 2023 and I felt like Blood//Water is the peak no other song will manage to hit. And while I still feel this way, Dirty, being my 2024 discovery, is a song that hits different. It has everything that grandson is best at: rap vocals, unique and catchy electronic music and amazing lyrics.

What really makes this song stick with me so hard is the theme. Wouldn’t you want to get your hands dirty while listening to this song? Not saying it’s a great idea to hide a skeleton under the floorboard, but no other grandson song gives me the Payday vibes like this one. But now, hey, a bank robbery is not something I’d recommend doing either! Although wouldn’t a heist with this song make you feel like powerful? It sure would.

While this entry on my list is standing out a bit, it is for a good reason. I really enjoy how this song can impact how I look and act. Still, not too hyped for a heist (!), but certainly in a mood! Which makes it a powerful and unique song.

#18: Zombie x O Fortuna

While nowadays O Fortuna is recognized as a cliche song that should land in the dictionary, right under the word “epic”, would you imagine there’s any way you could make it any more powerful? Try slapping some rap on top of this, along with a pinch of electronic music. Black Tiger Sex Machine achieved quite the impossible of making this THE workout music. And 2024 being the year of workout for me, merging these two with my exercise habits, it’s a recipe for sore muscles the next day.

Having amazing melody already, Panther has provided this song even more things to jam along to. I understand that Zombies might be less of an interesting theme for some, but not all lyrics have to have any particular meaning. Delivery of these words is what truly matters here. Panther‘s vocals match this song perfectly.

Having discovered this song back in July, I wanted to hear more about this amazing mashup. To my big surprise, this song does not hit the top charts and isn’t listened to by millions. What could contribute to it? Maybe because it’s short, or cause it ends so abruptly, but why not escape your comfort zone for once and appreciate this masterpiece? What a gem it is.

#17: B.T.W. (The Whistle)

A few years ago, I was a huge fan of Crankdat. I think I was in the time in my life when artists like Crankdat, Ray Volpe and Camellia had much impact on my messy life. Because, well, these artists produce quite aggressive music, which requires you to be in certain mood. This said mood sometimes hits me this year too, seeing how rocky it tends to be at times. Spicing it up with some uniquely aggressive music can help deal with issues.

Sometimes, complexity of music can easily overwhelm you. When dealing with tougher times it can be just a little bit too much. This is where B.T.W. shines in a unique way. It’s not complicated, it’s quite aggressive, and makes you want to punch stuff. The repeating sound of a whistle in this song is what makes it truly unique. This could easily even be a sound from a free stock library, yet putting it into this context spices up the song in a fun way. The first drop hits hard and surprises the listener, but somehow the second drop manages to hit even harder. Definitely not a song to listen to every day, but certainly a joy whenever the day needs it.

Still not my favorite Crankdat song though. Even in 2024 I still keep coming back to gems like Falling or Redo. I’m very interested to find out what Crankdat brings to the table next. It’s such an unique artist that I’m still yet to see live. Anyone willing to go with me? Thanks!

#16: Doctor Doctor

At first, this may sound like a song driven mostly by vocals. These give away the theme of the song right away – we know it’s going to be a bit dark. This feeling is later set in stone using quite powerful, yet simple beat. This all makes it a very fun song to engage with. We know someone’s dealing with an endless fear, but this song makes it easy to identify with them.

We never hear back about their diagnosis and we never get the answer we’re looking for. Not everything is black and white about life, sometimes talking about your problems is the first step of facing them. While we should expect the said doctor to answer our questions, but in this case we have to question the existence of the said doctor. This song has many powerful quotes that even alone make for a great life motto.

I’m scared to know someone will always reap what I have sown.

Aren’t we all? What an absolute joy to listen to this song. It always leaves me begging for more. I’ll be looking into Goz Asai in the near future to discover even more hidden gems that easily stand out of my everyday comfort zone, and you should too!

#15: Ether

If I were to pick one artist that treats drum & bass in the most fun way, Stanley will always be my first pick. I’ve grown with his music since he was known as Stan SB. His powerful music and lyrics have always been pure joy to listen to, but for the last few years I felt like I wasn’t too much into discovering his most recent tracks. And in this case, I’m so happy to be proven wrong. Fox Stevenson simply ROCKS in his genre, releasing hit after hit.

I had a pleasure of seeing Fox Stevenson for the first time live this year in London. This experience was a big eye opener to me. I’ve always felt like he’s a niche artist to listen to. I’ve played some osu! beatmaps that featured his songs back in the day, and always felt like not too many people identify with my love to his music. Seeing all these people live, singing the lyrics that have been in my head for years, made me realize how much I’ve been missing out.

Ether is a very uplifting song. We sometimes really need these faithful inner demons to give us something to believe in. This song’s lyrics and melody make it fun to sing along to, and a truly powerful experience to witness live. And while we are wondering why we’re here, it’s a great idea to stop by and listen to this song’s powerful dnb twist that Fox Stevenson is famous for. It’s such a great example of his unique style.

#14: Pressure on the Masses

Drum & Bass genre has many more heroes. And flavors! Like flavors usually are, some are just more spicy. Adding some spice to drum & bass has always been the signature MUZZ(Y) sound. Many times I have listened to MUZZ’ songs, I felt like this is the language that machines speak. And I don’t mean ones and zeros, I mean the machines full of steel, oil and loud sounds. I love how MUZZ addressed my feeling in his album F Minor Factory.

Pressure on the Masses is a great 2016 time machine. It really helps us go back in time and enjoy a unique twist on what MUZZ does the best. While listing favorite stuff in my life, anything French would be near the end of the list… but this song is a perfect exception. Why on earth does this language sound so cool in this form? I cannot imagine this song in a different form now. Even the ‘Tic Tac’ wouldn’t sound the same in English (um..).

And why on earth does this drop hit so hard? Why are we getting the throwback to the golden d&b days with the after-drop drum solo (at 1:53) that give me Pendulum vibes? Yes, I love asking questions that kind of answer themselves, but they need to be asked – I cannot believe there is still some audience today that is looking forward to the golden Monstercat era. I grew up with this music and MUZZ makes me always feel younger than I am.

#13: Feel The Vibe

When listening to this song, two words remains in my head: dubstep kraken. No other song reminds me more of the famous Hotel Transylvania 3’s kraken scene. If this scene ever had to hit harder than it did, they would have to hire these three people to work with Tiësto instead.

Speaking more about the song itself, it has so many unique features that go well together. Combining reggae vocals with electronic music has always been a good recipe, but I don’t think anything has came close to Make It Bun Dem by Skrillex that was released 12 years ago… until now! Feel The Vibe takes the reggae vibe (heh) to a whole new level, bringing us three unique drops. First one going hard, second one bringing a drill to the scene, and third one going pretty much underground.

Now, having all that, just slap a kraken on top of this song. Believe me this will work. Believe me this will make any sea monster twice as powerful. And believe me, that this is the only combination of reggae and sea you will hear. Now as I made the weirdest connection possible, it’s time to look for sea shanty reggae. This could be interesting. I never said good, but definitely interesting. And back to this song: it’s definitely both of these things.

#12: HELLBOUND

Being hellbound is a feeling of being doomed to eternal punishment. Sounds quite harsh. And while I don’t necessarily sympathize with this feeling, I do believe some people feel this way. HELLBOUND by Autumn Kings is a great gateway to understanding this complicated disposition.

This is a unique entry on my list for sure, and I think the vocals do a huge job here. The beginning of the song gives some unique vibes with heavy guitar cords and rhythmic vocals. Then, before it becomes monotonous, the chorus changes the pace and reveals the true magic behind this song: it’s unbelievably catchy. It makes you want to bob your head while driving a roofless Cadillac. And what’s even funnier, I had this exact feeling before seeing the music video, so I’m alone with this feeling. I didn’t think of the sunglasses though, surprisingly.

That alone wouldn’t make this song hit the top chart this year for me, but what happens next in this song has helped it make the cut: the rap part.

After the second chorus, we are greeted with a section of the song that hits deeper than before. It’s funny how the emphasis on some of the words really remind me of the lyrics to Chop Suey. Give it a listen yourself and you’ll see what I mean. Or maybe not. Maybe I’m just drowning in my own doubt, but definitely not feeling hellbound, while definitely feeling HELLBOUND. Ugh.

#11: Napalm

As a fan of Pendulum for many years now, I could NOT miss this amazing release this year. Napalm is a song that certainly brings me back to the In Silico album, with some The Prodigy vibes, yet still it sounds like a song that fits the heavier theme of Pendulum’s recent tracks.

I do miss the amazing Rob Swire vocals in this one, but we need to give this guy some rest on the live shows. This is a great song for that. Going Napalm is a great adrenaline pump on a Pendulum concert. The mid-chorus of “Mind control, break your jaw” brings amazingly fitting melody that prioritizes the vocals, while keeping the jumpy pace for the next drop.

I cannot wait for this song to become the must-have on Pendulum’s setlist for the next tour. Experiencing it live before release made me worried we won’t see this as a studio version (Guiding Lights anyone??), which makes this release a very pleasant surprise. I really hope Pendulum is going to work on studio releases a bit more now, after the recent amazing comeback.

#10: CHOKE

Going into the top 10 territory, we start off with a very unique song. This entry is certainly on the darker side, especially once you dive into the lyrics. The delivery of these lyrics is what really stands out here. The entry verse kicks us off with the song’s setting, but completely shifts the pace into empowering once the female vocals kick in. Hearing “let me drown” in this setting makes me create a very emotional binding with this song. The way these words are said, the pure desperation, make this song truly unique and – counterintuitively – up-lifting.

The glitch hop drop, being as heavy as the song requires, is a great addition to the song, but not it’s highlight. Just after it’s finished, we’re getting another build-up which is even more amazing than the first one. This time, we begin with a powerful rap verse, which makes the heart beat raise, as excitement goes through the body.

Despite not having the most impressive drop on this list, the build-up is so powerful that it singlehandedly carried this entry to as high as number 10. This is, again, a highlight of how powerful grandson‘s music talent is, and how much additional joy it can bring to a piece of art.

#9: The Beginning

Sullivan King is easily my best artist discovery in 2024. Later on this list, you’ll see why (foreshadowing!). I’m amazed by his skill in merging metal/rock music with electronic music, and also his outstanding vocals.

Starting with the vocals, this song is a great showcase of Sullivan’s vocal talent. He can easily shift from soft and emotional voice, to a powerful shout in just a second. The first build-up of this song sets the mood right for what’s about to come: a VERY unique drum & bass beat with a mix of unexpected sounds I struggle to even explain. You can easily hear Sullivan had pure fun making this song, throwing stuff at it. I’m amazed by how well it all sticks together and creates a unique symphony.

But wait, there’s more. Repeating the second drop with slight variations is what I didn’t know I needed. This makes for a very enjoyable track that gives many different powerful emotions and reasons to go back to it and re-discover any new feelings that might have been missed.

#8: Sorry

So, did Fox Stevenson just hit two entries on this list? Yes he did! As I mentioned earlier, re-discovering Stanley’s talent was one of the highlights this year. Because of that, it was hard to miss any new release from him. Sorry is one of his latest tracks that confirms my belief in his everlasting growth as an artist.

At first, the song felt like a wall of text to process. While English is not my first language, the first verse of Sorry was hard to process. Only when I opened the transcript of the song, I discovered how much there is to unpack there. It’s such a powerful song, that’s it’s funny it can be packed into just its title.. and the chorus, which is also a build-up to the signature Fox Stevenson d&b style.

And while the drop style was expected by me, I was taken by surprise after the second drop. The change of pace synced with the vocals is easily a highlight of this powerful song.

It’s like you make yourself mad
To see how I might react

This makes for an unforgettably funky experience. And also makes me beg for more! Please keep it up Stanley, you are one of my favorite artists ever.

#7: As They Bloom

Unlike Pluto has settled in my mind as “the Old school Monstercat artist”. I kept coming back to his older tracks such as Everything Black, but it’s only this year I discovered his latest creations. I totally forgot about his unique style and his singing talent, so the entire album Cherry Blossom Nightmare was a true eye-opener for me.

The second track on this album, called “As They Bloom” is a perfect highlight of his unique style. There’s so much to unpack here. For example, It’s so interesting to call blooming flowers “sharp”, and how they can “pierce” you. This makes a blossom tree appear lot more dangerous than it is. And the melody of this song really fills the setting of danger. The song’s slow pace, guitar and drums in the background make it sound very powerful. All these sounds merged together so sound chaotic, and I believe it was the artist’s intention.

The song’s ending verse is a pleasant surprise too. Just when you think the song is about to slow down and finish, you’re brought back into the singer’s drama. And it just works. It’s such an impressive song that I’m never afraid to introduce to someone. It feels like a very smooth transition between pop music and electronic music, that many can enjoy and identify with.

#6: Hollow

There aren’t many songs I believe are perfect in every aspect. Hollow reserves this high spot on my list due to being uniquely awesome, up to a point of perfection. It has lyrics you can sympathize with, and its vocals precisely portray the singers emotions. There are many surprises this song holds.

Already mentioned two surprises, but the next one is just around the corner. Hollow manages to perfectly merge electronic music and rock in its intro, but just a moment later we transition into.. melodic part of the song! And that part is also its first drop. This drop transitions quickly into a surprisingly heavy build-up, to a VIOLENTLY heavy dubstep drop. From this point in the song, we slowly transition back to the melodic theme, which is a perfect way to summarize the journey this song has been. It’s impressive how many genres fit smoothly into one song, up to a point of me having trouble isolating my favorite part.

You might have noticed I used the word “journey” while describring this song. As there are many types of songs, one of them I like experiencing is a “journey”. One song is roughly five minutes long, yet some tracks sound like they were just repeated to be stretched out with less effort. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, as not always we require complex music. Hollow, however, is a perfect example of a song that feels like a journey: you’re excited to see what’s behind the corner, and whatever you get to experience is not what you expected. This makes listeners form special relationships with the music and their authors. One day, I’d love to write a separate blog post devoted to this type of music. That said, Hollow hits a proud number 6 on my list this year.

#5: Waves

Flux Pavilion is a certified legend in the world of EDM – he has defined the era of oldschool electronic music with his tracks like I Can’t Stop or Bass Cannon. Not many oldschool artists however maintain their popularity and talent after so many years. Where else to look for a textbook exception than at his most recent collab with Zeds Dead.

Waves is one of them. If someone sent me this track today and didn’t tell me the release date was this year, my guess would be for 2010. This doesn’t mean the song is outdated. Hell, I even think that the beginning and vocals are THE modern twist to this masterpiece. DeathbyRomy’s vocals open the song in such a beautiful way. No better way to match this than to do this style of build-up.

Where the song shines is the build-up and the drop, which are a true showcase of talent and emotion that these 3 treat this song with. This elaborate drop puts me back 14 years and makes me remember the old times, because of its emotional and familiar style. The choice to repeat the same drop twice is justified in this song, as hearing it for the first time leaves me just wanting more.

This list contains one more entry featuring Flux Pavilion, which is an amazing testimony to how great of an aritst he is nowadays. But until then, let’s enjoy this short break!

#4: Dead Man Walking

This entry on the list, while fairly short, secures its spot due to many unique factors. There aren’t that many songs that really live in my head rent free, but the combination that Dead Man Walking serves is apparently what I dig this year. This flawless song secures an amazing number 4 on my list.

Pulling me back into my body
I’m just a dead man walking
I’m just a pawn
But nothing hurts better than you

Grant and Ellis have been my dream collab for a while now and my hype was simply justified – this song is nearly flawless. Relatable lyrics, enjoyable vocals, blood-pumping build-up and a respectively heavy drop. The backvocals of “pulling me” phrases showed into the drop really pump up the intensivity of this track.

Given this track was longer and had one more drop that’s different from the first one, it’d even make its way higher in my list. And to no one’s surprise, this song has secured the #1 spot in Monstercat’s Best of 2022.

#3: Fall To Me

For years I’ve been searching for songs that remind me of the 2015 Pegboard Nerds’ Pink Cloud album that represent one of the most unique and enjoyable future bass songs I’ve ever heard. And with my love to the signature Flux Pavilion sound, finding this song made my wishes simply come true.

SpaceKDET’s vocals add an emotional vibe to this flawless song. Chime and Flux Pavilion have introduced some unique sounds to it. This all makes it the second most beautiful melodic drop I’ve heard this year. It’s such an uplifting song I just cannot stop listening to. It just keeps on giving.

I’ll float to you
You’ll fall to me

What also deserves some spotlight are the differences made in the second build-up and the second drop, as well as the closing melody. With Crankdat – Falling being one of my all-time favorite songs, the mentioned style here feels like a true throwback to this once in a lifetime song.

Given how unique, emotional and powerful this song is, it’s been my pleasure to discover it this year. I’m only wondering why it took so long.

#2: Leave The Light On

In the previous entry, I mentioned it’s the second most beautiful melodic song I’ve discovered this year. I just could not dethrone Leave The Light On from this spot. Trivecta is such an unique artist that brings one of the most breathtaking melodies in the EDM scene for me.

The song opens with a calming melody and amazing vocals by sod ven. The first drop lacks a build-up, but it just doesn’t need one. It’s such a brave decision to drop this hard right after such a calm opening. As it turns out, this magical drop is THE build-up for an even heavier drop #2. During the drop, you can hear the vocals in the background, which really spice up the song. This song sounds unbelievable in this form, as it’s both messy and clean at the same time.

As you might have guessed at this point, the third drop will bring something even more different to the table. And you wouldn’t be wrong. As an another, longer, and more emotional build-up finishes, you’re hit by the drop after a stunning vocalized delay. This drop closes the song abruptly, without giving you any time to pick up the jaw from the floor.

Trivecta is an artist I was very happy to rediscover this year. I knew his amazing works from back in the day, like Riptide or Alive, but I never would have guessed his most recent songs come back to this style and give it even more meaning. A few years ago I had Alive on repeat, as I think it’s one of the most outstanding songs I’ve ever heard. Now, listening to all of Trivecta’s songs, I’m a #1 fan of any new release that drops.

#1: The Death of Peace of Mind

And there we go, we made it.

I’m not going to lie, the original song by BAD OMENS is also another discovery of mine this year. And frankly, I would think this song deserves its spot on the list, if not the existence of this remix by Sullivan King, an artist I’ve admired for quite some time now. The vocals and music are already amazing, kudos to that, but how on earth can you elevate this to something this breathtaking?

This first and second drop are like spreading some whipped cream on my ears. It’s unbelievable how hard they drop and how much of Sullivan’s signature style you can hear in them. The break between the drops is short and really justifies a lack of build-up before the second drop. The song’s slow pace and heavy sounds make it a once in a lifetime experience.

But wait, there’s more?

Just when you think the song is over, it comes back. It comes back wanting more from you, your speakers and your soul. The mixture of an amazing build-up and vocals transitioning to screaming bring one of the heaviest, most violent and most beautiful drops I’ve ever heard.

You come and go in waves
Leaving me in your wake
You come and go in waves
S̵͖̍w̸̲͐a̴͎̿l̶̥͒l̷o̴̜̍w̸̮̚i̴͉͑n̸͎͐g̴̱̍ ̵̢͑e̵̎͜v̸̨̓ê̶͕ṙ̷͓y̵̙͋t̴̽ͅh̷̭̾ị̷̈́ṇ̵̓g̶͚͂~~

And I kid you not, when I say I stop what I’m doing to listen to it every damn time. I cannot listen to it without closing my eyes and bobing my head like it’s the end of the world.

That said, The Death of Peace of Mind secures a well-deserved #1 spot on my list. Thank you for this amazing piece of art, Sullivan King, and I’m eager to find out more of your talents in the future. It’s been a pleasure to be able to put your song as the best discovery I’ve made in 2024.

Closing thoughts

2024 has been a true challenge for me. The amount of stress and difficulties I had to overcome this year would be nearly impossible to make it through without support from my family, my partner and (you guessed it) powerful music that has helped me handle it all.

I cannot wait to see what’s behind the corner in 2025. I’ll be actively following this years highlighted arists to see what masterpieces they bring. With this amazing showcase of talent and unique music, I’m quite sure at least a few of them are going to make the cut in the next year plebiscite.

And, as promissed, here’s the playlist in a descending order. Last is best!