1.
2. Best Remix
Honorable Mentions:
Four Tet - "Parallel Jalebi (Hudson Mohawke Remix)"
Young Thug - "Stoner (Lapalux Remix)"
A.G. Cook - "Beautiful (Rustie Remix)"
Winner:
Alt-J - "Left Hand Free" (Lido Remix)
The danger with remixes is that they are simple flips to make a song appropriate for a DJ set. Lido's remix of Alt-J's bluesy "Left Hand Free" is neither of those things, instead remaking the song in Lido's own bright image, all shimmering synths, pounding drums, manipulated vocals, and even some gunshots.
3. Best Soundcloud Label
Honorable Mentions:
Soulection
Flow-Fi
Winner:
PC Music
Love them or hate them, PC Music forced their way into the conversation in 2014 with a steady stream of strange takes on pop and dance music. The whole roster's output could only be found on the PC Music Soundcloud, making it an essential place to keep up with their hyper-real, hyper glossy sound. From low-level blog interest to (apparently) SOPHIE making a song with Madonna, the PC Music sound was one of the most interesting aspects of 2014's musical landscape.
4. Best Mash-Up
Honorable Mentions:
Amerigo Gazaway - Yasiin Gaye: The Return
Future Islands x Future x Pusha T x Pharell - "Seasoned Dope"
Rihanna/Miike Snow - "Stay/Animal" Mash-Up
Big Boi, UGK, Big K.R.I.T., and Blue Oyster Cult - "Gossipzilla"
Winner:
Sam Smith vs. Kanye West - "Tell Me I'm The Only One"
Mash-ups may not get much respect, but when done well, the successful combination of two songs you already know and love to create something new can be pretty awesome. "Tell Me I'm The Only One" was really well done, and its popularity on Soundcloud reflects that.
5. Most Consistent
Honorable Mentions:
Kaytranada
1-800-Dinosaur
Winner:
October's Very Own
Drake understands the internet, and leveraged its power in 2014 to stay highly relevant even though he didn't drop an album. Whether dropping surprise songs on Soundcloud in the middle of the night, premiering his remix of iLoveMakonnen's "Tuesday" or reposting artists from his OVO Sound label, the levels were kept 100% high on the Octobers VeryOwn Soundcloud in 2014.
7. Best Page For Free Downloads
Honorable Mentions:
LuckyMe Records
PC Music
Winner:
Ryan Hemsworth's Secret Songs
"I really enjoy discovering new music and that’s always been my favorite feeling," Ryan Hemsworth told us when we asked him about his excellent Secret Songs series. Featuring all free downloads, curated by the music nerd and enthusiast himself, the Secret Songs Soundcloud was a treasure trove in 2014.
8. Essential Hip-Hop Producer
Honorable Mentions:
Sonny Digital
London On Da Track
TM88
Mike WiLL Made-It
Winner:
Lots of hip-hop producers make great beats, and plenty of them share their music on SoundCloud. But few do it as consistently as rising ATL producer Metro Boomin. Plus, he offers all his shit for free.
9. Most Promising Producer
Honorable Mentions:
Misogi
Hunt For The Breeze
Bine
Psymun
Winner:
Poter Elvinger
2014 was the year that the producer took charge, so it makes sense for this to be a pretty contested category. But of all the newcomers this year, the prospect of Poter Elvinger's future material excites us the most. With his debut EP on the horizon alongside some inevitable collaborations, 2015 could very well be the year Poter breaks out in a big way.
10. Best Mix
Honorable Mentions:
Ekali for Do Androids Dance
Visionist for The Fader
Jacques Greene for LWE
Yamaneko - "Pixel Healing Spa"
Winner:
DJ Oneman - "Solitaire Vol. 3"
The best mixes are expertly curated, introducing you to new music and maybe reminding you of some songs you already loved, while also taking the listener on a journey of some sort. There were so many fantastic mixes made across the genres in 2014, but DJ Oneman's third entry in his Solitaire series was the best—hard rap, futuristic electronic music, grime, and more, all brilliantly mixed together.
11. Best Cover
Honorable Mentions:
Shamir - "Lived and Died Alone" (Lindi Ortega Cover)
Phosphorescent - "Tomorrow Is A Long Time" (Bob Dylan Cover)
Zhu - "Gun" (CHVRCHES Cover)
Tei Shi - "No Angel" (Beyonce Cover)
Marika Hackman - "I Follow Rivers"
Winner:
Tinashe - "Days In The West" (Drake Cover)
Some of the best covers we heard in 2014 were only performed live, but of those that were recorded, Tinashe's total rework of Drake's "Days In The East" stood out. While the crooning on the original is fine, Tinashe lets loose with her vocals, putting Drake to shame and making the song her own.
