Lucy’s Top 10 Vocal-Led Tracks

From Plastikman to Ricardo Villalobos
Lucy
Photo by Nico Stinghe
As Lucy expands the horizons of his Stroboscopic Artefacts label with yet another line of special releases—Totem, a series of clear 10'' records that continue to redefine 'underground dance music'—we asked the Italian producer to share a playlist loosely related to his own Tarkomania EP.  Available below, right alongside Lucy's liner notes, the 10-song set is centered on vocal-led tracks like the Stalker-laced songs on his new record....
PLASTIKMAN - ASK YOURSELF [MINUS]
Richie [Hawtin] at his best, with a sound treatment on the vocals that is cinematic to say the least. This one still resonates in a unique way in a club sound system after all these years.

THE BUG - SKENG (AUTECHRE REMIX) [NINJA TUNE] 
A very rare, unique Autechre take on clear vocals. Impressive on all levels.

DJ SOTOFETT FEAT. MADTEO - THERE'S GOTTA BE A WAY [WANIA]
This has been in my sets for a while now. It's so impressive how a simple loop and a very sensual vocal line can hook you into fa 15-minute odyssey.

EFDEMIN - MOVE YOUR HEAD [CURLE] 
I am quite sure Philipp [Sollmann] used his own voice on this one. And there is something very beautiful about the swinging timing of the vocals here. On one side, it sounds loopy, but on the other side, it always manages to 'escape the loop', making it very dynamic. 

BLAWAN - STELL [TERNESC]
One of my fave producers around, so I might be biased, but the way Blawan uses vocals and a vocoder is extremely special. And still a killer on the dancefloor....

LUCY - FOLLOW THE LEADER [STROBOSCOPIC ARTEFACTS] 
Yes—overtone singing, sound-based mediation, and humming are a very important part of my life.

SECTOR Y - GERMS [BOOMA COLLECTIVE] 
Interesting as this one use vocals in a quite overused way (meaning big reverbs and chromatic notes), but there is something that makes it very special and catchy, probably the way it melts perfectly into the track groove.

DSORDNE - TRISTI DI RABBIA [BLAKSILK] 
This is an overlooked classic to me. One of a kind in its tremendous amount of emotion, and the realness in those vocals. Anti-pop by definition.

YOTAM - TEHILLIM [STROBOSCOPIC ARTEFACTS] 
I always find it very interesting how Yotam uses vocals borrowed from his own cultural heritage and blends them deeply into very deep and rolling grooves. You can definitely feel that it's about his own roots.

RICARDO VILLALOBOS - DAS LEBEN IST SO ANDERS OHNE DICH [PERLON] 
Ricardo has worked a lot on vocals in all possible ways throughout his career; this one is just one example of his greatness in putting something out of context inside a track, and the result is still amazing.

FURTHER LISTENING

Lucy
Photo by Nico Stinghe