12 DJs tell us their favourite track of 2016

It's impossible to know how many tunes have been released this year, but the quantity doesn't matter once everyone's picked that one quality track that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Midland's dizzying 'Final Credits' won the Mixmag gold medal this year, having been played by Ben UFO at DC-10 and The Black Madonna in the insane place they call NYC Downlow at Glastonbury.

Although we've got a treasure trove of tunes at our fingertips via SoundCloud and YouTube, it's hearing the tracks played out that really creates that special bond. It's down to the DJs to guide the way for this, so we asked 12 of them to let us know the tunes that have been doing it for them in 2016.

Demuir 'Derrick Does Disco (First Stanza)' (Great Lakes Audio)

"I love this track because it's extremely juicy and it never loses its kick. I played it almost everywhere this year, especially at my Circoloco residency at DC-10 in Ibiza. The last time I played it in Cordoba Argentina was the most memorable, the crowd’s reaction was incredible. Then again, almost every time I play this track it’s memorable!"

Dukwa 'Thoughts'

"It's just the perfect house track where, to quote Thom Yorke, "everything's in its right place". Every part melodically compliments each other and it has the sickest delayed reverb snares. I've played this track in loads of situations and it's also the last track on myself and Jasper James' recent mix. Dukwa played it at the last Numbers party, too."

Mat.Joe 'Nonstop Nonsense' (Hottrax)

"Picking a favourite track from a whole year is a tough call, but 'Nonstop Nonsense' from Mat.Joe is definitely up there for me. It encapsulates everything I love about house music. The lyrics are gritty, the drums are solid, the breakdowns and build ups tease you and the drops are heavy. I love every element of the track.

I played the track in numerous sets across my summer, from festival tents and Ibiza to clubs, both little and large, and the impact across all dancefloors was weighty. I guess my standout memory would be dropping it at Amnesia. Out of my six dates in the club this summer I must have dropped it at least four of those times. The Amnesia terrace provides vibes which are up there with the best in the world so that, combined with such a beat, meant we were having a nice time."

Redeyes 'What She Wants' (Vandal LTD)

"A lot of great music was released this year and I should mention LSB's fantasic album 'Content' specifically. But the tune that I played most this year is Redeyes' 'What She Wants'. Since I got it, I've played it everywhere I've been. It's just got everything I like about music: it's soulful, it reminds me of that mid-90s hip hop I love so much and it's got an amazing dusty groove. Even though it's often the most chilled track in my sets, it never fails to get a big reaction. It just proves that when the vibe is right we don't need those big drops."

Midland 'Final Credits' (Regraded)

"This is the most genius use of sampling I've heard in a long time. Midland captured a real positive groove here. No matter where you play this track, people go crazy for it. It reminds me of this past summer and I heard it nearly everywhere, from festivals to intimate clubs. Every DJ was playing it, from The Black Madonna and Alan Fitzpatrick to DJ Nobu and Jackmaster. I recently played it at my gig in Leeds, an all-night set at Wire and it was the highlight for me."

Qnete 'Spittin'' (777 Recordings)

"This is a track I wish I'd produced. There's a kind of emergency with the drums that makes it irresistible to dance to, but it's balanced by the soothing pads. I've played this in almost all my sets this summer, including Dekmantel Selectors in Croatia and a Don't Be Afraid night in Bristol. It just works pretty well because it's a track that can switch you from one mood to another."

Myles Sergé 'Clockwerks' (Thema)

"It's not so often you find a techno track what would touch you so deeply. This recording is a soundtrack of my love story. It has a very long and gentle intro, making me feel like I come off the ground as soon as the kick comes. I lived so many beautiful personal moments listening to this track. It sounds as I feel like right now."

District 'Drowsy' (Chestplate)

"If you want to shutdown a rave, this is the track. A perfectly executed beats-trap-dubstep hybrid which is exactly where I'm at musically. There isn't a show I've played this and the entire crowd hasn't been jumping. Rewind every time.

I first got my hands on it just before I toured Asia and Australasia earlier this year. Since then it's come with me across Europe, America, Canada and all over England. Of all the tracks I've been playing, this one has definitely held its own and stood out. Amazing crowd reactions globally.

My best memory of playing this was caught on camera during my Compa Presents Boiler Room show in London in October. Look what it did at the 46.25 mark. Mental."

Sun Palace 'Raw Movements' (BBE/Halfway Ritmo)

"This track is from a compilation of unheard/unreleased Sun Palace music, put together by Halfway Ritmo's Flavia Lamprecht and Massimo Di Lena in collaboration with BBE records. All really good productions, but my favourite one is the title track ‘Raw Movements’. There's so many interesting sounds in one song. When I listen to music like this it makes me realise I should learn more. This is real music with quality. It's not a track I play out, I only listen to them at home. But thats the best memories of it: alone at home, falling into my zone."

[Photo: Intissare Aamri]

Alix Perez 'Hack & Slash' (1985 Records)

"This track began life as ammo against us in a back-to-back set at the inaugural party for our Phonox residency back in Autumn 2015. Alix had made it as a dubplate special, arrogantly titling it 'Murda Tonight', so confident was he that it would succeed in upstaging us at our own event, which it did a little. Within a week we’d bullied him into giving us the three-minute demo. It’s proportion is simple: huge bass falling on the kick drums, answered in response by a super catchy, instantly identifiable mutant-marimba riff.

That sketchy demo followed us around for the first half of 2016 as our set opener, turning heads everywhere we went, inviting DJ booth rubberneckers trying to cop a track title from the CDJ screen. From the hippie throngs of the Pacific coast ‘nature rave’ circuit and the Sónar Village, to the Soviet-block tech-d’n’b bastions, this track just kept delivering the riot. By mid-summer it had been polished, fleshed out, retitled and given to other DJs to support, but having it almost exclusively to ourselves, alongside maybe Eprom & Noisia, for pretty much 12 months was a huge coup."

Virginia 'Funkert' (Ostgut Ton)

"Because it's phat, phat, phat, phat, phat, phat, phat!"

Master C&J 'Don't Let Love Pass You By' (D'Julz edit) (Bass Culture Records)

"This track made it into many of my sets in 2016. It just has a great groove that gets people moving. Whether it's in big rooms or small house parties it always makes people gravitate to the dancefloor. I've played it all over from Rumors in Ibiza and Elrow in Barcelona to the Paradise parties in Moscow and DC10. It always goes off!"