Various Artists
Monstercat: Best of 2016 (Monstercat)

One of Vancouver’s fastest growing labels, Monstercat unashamedly caters to mainstream EDM audiences.

Finding huge success soundtracking the Twitch gaming market and running a YouTube subscription service that permits users to feature Monstercat tunes in their videos, the imprint specializes in releasing high-octane club bangers.

It’s no surprise, then, that the label’s Best of 2016 album showcases some of the most hyperactive songs of the year.

The sprawling 43-track epic is impossible to pin down. Future bass, dubstep, vocal house, electro, drum ’n’ bass, and hardstyle all jostle for position among a host of other genres, with the record’s final tracks blending the diverse releases into three seamless long-form mixes.

Beginning with Marshmello’s “Alone”, the label stacks the initial half of the record with its most popular artists. Fan favourites Pegboard Nerds feature twice, enlisting the help of producers NGHTMRE and Grabbitz, respectively, to produce energy-fuelled dubstep hit “Superstar” and the softer “All Alone”.

Ephixa, one of Monstercat’s first signings, collaborates with Stephen Walking on “Matches”, a slower vocal track with a breezy melody and driving beat.

Closing with Mr FijiWiji, Direct, and ARUNA’s fitting “Time to Say Goodbye”—a piano-scored song dashed with sustained chords and warm synths—Monstercat’s Best of 2016 achieves a variety often missing from dance compilations.