GAIKA ‘LADY’ (FT bbymutha) (Big Dada)
The first taste of GAIKA’s upcoming album ‘Drift’ sees the London-based artist take his sound into psychedelic rock territory, with atmospheric, drawn out guitar licks quivering through the track. Naturally, being a GAIKA track, it doesn’t stay wedded to one sound, with bbymutha delivering her distinctive rap flow to complement GAIKA’s own yearning vocals, which are the clearest he’s sounded. It’s reminiscent of Yves Tumor’s progression from ambient and noise to more guitar and vocal-led songwriting.
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God Colony ‘Tony’s Garage’ (Crack Copies)
God Colony’s homage to Tony’s Garage - a space in Liverpool’s docks that was regularly taken over for illegal raves back in the day - is a fittingly rowdy slice of rave muzik. There’s a dark and moody energy to the track, but with a sizzling tension running through it that conjures up feelings of a sweatbox atmosphere on the cusp of overload.
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The Chemical Brothers ‘Live Again’ ft. Halo Maud (EMI/Virgin Records)
The Chemical Brothers are building towards the release of their tenth album, and this single has us confident they’ll pull a 10 out the bag. Gradually building up reverb-soaked rave textures with alluring vocals from Halo Maud, there’s a loose energy to the track that lends itself to dancefloor delirium.
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Manni Dee x River Moon ‘HOT’ (Silk + Steel)
This collaboration from Manni Dee and River Moon lives up to its billing with a sweltering blend of industrial techno and sultry rap vocals. They jointly build to climaxes with the vocals becoming twisted and deranged and the beat surging, before dropping back to an unrelenting flow. A surefire club wrecker.
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Schake & Anetha ‘Microcosmic healing’ (Mama tolda ya)
Two forces of nature combine on this driving techno cut, which stays pacey and pulsating at its core, with shimmer trance-like textures and off-kilter production flourishes floating overhead. Deployed at sunrise in the open-air would no doubt be magical.
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Aphex Twin ‘Blackbox Life Recorder 21f’ (Warp Records)
He’s still the best around for conveying introspective depths of emotion through experimental electronic music. This latest offering from Aphex Twin has that ‘staring out a rainy car window’ melancholia that’s kind of fun and wistful to get lost in, with signature plaintive pads alongside breaksy percussion that slots in subtly, giving it an ambient junglist feel.
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Anz ‘Clearly Rushing’ (Hessle Audio)
Despite the title, we recommend you take your time with Anz’s new bubbling breakbeat banger ‘Clearly Rushing’ — a raucous club-ready track that marks the Manchester producer’s return to Hessle Audio following her 2020 three-tracker ‘Loos In Twos (NRG)’. How else would you be able to discern those serrated chiptune-esque synths, layered between buoyant kicks and stripped-back, cavernous bass.
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Tomu DJ ft. Petty Getty ‘Bedroom DJ’ (No Bias)
If there’s a way to describe Tomu DJ’s first single since last year’s critically acclaimed EP ‘Half Moon Bay’, it’s catchy. What makes it such an earworm? Is it the fact it is so deliciously meta? Is it those grinding pads and bouncy hats juxtaposed with lo-fi, atmospheric chords? Is it the breathy vocals from Brooklyn-based rapper Petty Getty? Or is that “I’m the real life bedroom DJ, you press rewind I replay” is maybe the greatest line to ever be put into spoken word? Who knows, but what we can tell you is our friends and family will be haunted by us mumbling this track from now until 2024.
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Sally C ‘All Love’ (Big Saldo’s Chunkers)
Sun’s out Saldo’s out! Combining quite literally everything that makes us love huge summer pumpers, ‘All Love’, the lead track from Sally C’s upcoming EP ‘Big Saldo’s Chunkers 003’, is brimming with glistening piano keys, rattling hats, speedy bass and some downright naughty kicks. Clearly inspired by ‘90s greats, the track combines that no-frills US house sound with some modern tech-house groove.
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Pablo Dread & Broken Lip feat. Anna Milman ‘Azzido Domingo’ (Pole Pole)
Hyphens at the ready: this track is a slice of genre-bending, rave-ready, bass-heavy fusion magic. Pablo Dread, founder of Iberian Juke, a 160 BPM loving label pushing footwork, juke and jungle sounds, cleverly combines his favourite genres. With the help of Spanish producer Broken Lip (of BSN Posse) and violinist Anna Milman, whose wistful notes open the track and reappear at perfectly timed intervals, the tune is stocked with carefully manipulated influences ranging from techno to Latin classical. It’s full to the brim with more than enough stabs, splats and electro-synth progressions to excite any ears.
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SENTIMENTO 'FREAK' (DJ ADHD remix) (CONTROCORRENTE)
DJ ADHD takes us through a techno tunnel with his remix of Sentimento’s ‘Freak’. The thumping, warped bassline propels the ping-ponging, panned synth notes, before a woman's sensual, spaced-out vocals introduce some trancey tech-house magic. With a year full of releases, including a joint EP with longtime collaborator Nikki Nair and work with Chloé Robinson, in the pipeline, keep your eyes on DJ ADHD for premium hybrid cuts of bass and techno.
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Pinty ‘SoulseekQT’ (Winged Feet)
A voicemail message foreruns angelic, games console-esque chords, which set the stage for the smooth buttered voice of grime-fusionist MC Pinty on latest single ‘SoulseekQT’. His witty lyricism works harmoniously with the production to create a euphoric track that just oozes VHS camcorder edits. As always, Pinty bridges the gap between soulful club sounds and jazz melodies with his introspective, poetic raps. With two deluxe single releases in two months, and an extended album set to come out this July, Pinty is making his voice heard this summer.
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Manu Dibango, Nhii, Harji ‘Bessoka’ (Sol Selectas)
With this refix of Cameroonian vocalist and saxophonist Manu Dibango’s ‘Besoka on Salsa’, Nhii and Harji take the skilled vibraphone playing and his warming, deep vocalisations and layer it over groovy Afro house drums for the first release from Sol Selectas’ ‘Summer of Sol VIII’ series . The melodic notes fuse with the percussion and Dibango’s spoken word, taking a classic ‘70s Afro-jazz track to a new realm. Who wouldn’t want to have this eight minute banger on their summer dancefloors?
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Dave, Central Cee ‘Sprinter’ (Neighbourhood / Live Yours)
If you haven’t heard this already, where have you been? A delicate Spanish guitar riff eases you into the oblivion of Central Cee and Dave’s lyrics, which flex their love lives and riches. Give it a listen or just step outside, it’s playing out everywhere.
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Olof Dreijer ‘Rosa Rugosa’ (Hessle Audio)
The Knife's Olof Dreijer has returned to the dancefloor. There’s no messing about with this one. A distorted synth-made beat drives through the track as deep bass and higher-pitched textures prance alongside.
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BAMBII, Lady Lykes ‘WICKED GYAL’ (Innovative Leisure)
BAMBII has teamed up with North London MC Lady Lykes to create a flawless collab. This is the perfect track to get the fire going within every girly in the club. The bouncing bass and odd fog horn is just a small essence of what makes ‘WICKED GYAL’ so perfect. You’ll be sweating by the end of this one you’ve danced so much.
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Talik ‘Gripping Dust’ (Control Freak)
Laurence Guy ‘Iron Mask (ft. WAYNE SNOW)’ (Accidental Pieces)
As part of his forthcoming record landing later in July, Laurence Guy teams up with WAYNE SNOW on ‘Iron Mask’, who provides deep and soulful vocals over Guy’s downtempo production. This percussive cut is said to be the producer’s “shortest and simplest idea” heading onto the album, but packs a punch in its three-minutes.
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TIBASKO ‘U Want It’ (Another Rhythm)
High-energy hyperpop meets house on TIBASKO’s latest tune, ‘U Want It’, a club-ready new track that throws it back to ‘00s-style big room house. Pitched-up vocals, droning synths and a stick-in-your-head vocal hook make this one to remember, and have won the duo a number of spins on the festival circuit this summer.
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