January: 18 albums you need to hear this month

Kaukolampi 1 'Svart'

For Blade Runner 2049, composer Hans Zimmer created a dense electronic soundtrack that was ominously futuristic and hung over the film as a driving presence. Timo Kaukolampi, the frontman of Finnish space-trance heavies K-X-P, mines a similar vibe on his solo debut, but occasionally amps it up with a relentless Krautrock pulse. It’s compulsive and hypnotic: with three of its five tracks coming in around the 10-minute mark, the opening, closing and middle tracks are mood pieces, swamping the ears with synthesised portent, while the other two cuts are techno-flavoured journeys into space. If ‘1’ is Kaukolampi’s solo mission, let’s hope ‘2’, ‘3’ and ‘4’ soon follow. Thomas H Green

8/10

Keinemusik 'You Are Safe' (Keinemusik)

Keinemusik, the powerhouse formation of Rampa, Adam Port and &ME, present their full-length array of scorching house and progressive for clubbers from all walks. Pinging synths on the title track? Check. Pulsating techno with stand-out drums on ‘Civilised’? You got it. London vocalist Chiara Noriko’s tones sensually curl around a modern r’n’b take on ‘Up And Down’, while ‘Muyé’ is reminiscent of Rampa’s previous banger, ‘Bimma’. ‘MBH’ has snarling guitar lines that merge with percussion and hypnotic chants, and ‘You Are Safe’ finds the trio painting with a palette of their collective tastes and individual ventures. Throughout ‘You Are Safe’, they straddle a diverse electronic spectrum with ease. Leah Connolly

8/10

Zombie Zombie 'Livity' (Versatile)

French outfit Zombie Zombie first appeared to much critical acclaim with their ‘A Land For Renegades’ album almost a decade ago, resulting in many remix offers and festival appearances. Disappearing from the scene in 2012, they’ve spent their time composing for films and events, but now return with a new album co-produced by Parisian dance music doyen I:Cube. ‘Livity’ is a rich stew with flavours ranging from busy avant-jazz techno in the Laurent Garnier vein (‘Looose’) to droney psychedelic tribalism (‘Livity’), and ending with a 14 minute space-jam (‘Heavy Meditation’). Zombie Zombie are clearly aiming for the lysergic head as well as the ecstatic feet and the end result is an organic concoction that doesn’t disappoint. Thomas H Green

7/10

DVS1 'Fabric 96' (Fabric recordings)

If you had to find three words to sum up Zak ‘DVS1’ Khutoretsky, they’d probably be honest, hustler and human. From organising raves in his hometown of Minneapolis to a brief period of incarceration and now as one of Berghain’s favourite adopted sons, he’s maintained his passionate belief in the restorative powers of techno. His Fabric mix is detailed and technical yet fluid, balancing big names with newer acts. As Planetary Assault Systems, Luke Slater contributes ‘Fathom Deep’, which thunders past like a squadron of attack helicopters, while Vergilov’s ‘Boring Shit’ is a menacing swarm of Sputnik bleeps and subterranean beats. ‘Fabric 96’ is a United Nations of Techno, and DVS1 is its Secretary-General. Stephen Worthy

8/10

Various 'The Orb Chronicles' (20 Years Of Shitkatapult) (Shitkatapult)

Berlin might be the place where you can turn on a tap and get formulaic techno, but there’s a lot more to its electronic scene. And as you might guess from its confrontational name, the Shitkatapult label doesn’t specialise in the obvious. For two decades it has dipped in and out of techno, but – as this compilation shows – has also touched on ambient, post-rock, glitchy electronica and a whole lot more. The Orb were the perfect choice to mix up the chaos: rather than making a standard mix, they’ve chucked in sharp left turns, and delivered an album as obstinate, ornery and odd as the label itself. Long may this nonsense continue. Joe Muggs

7/10

Various 'Tides' (Subterranean Wavelength)

From the deepest soulful house to the electronic madness of gqom and Shangaan electro, the richness of South Africa’s dance and electronic music cultures can’t be overstated. And that’s just as true away from the dancefloor, too: this new compilation
of female artists and producers is mainly a laid-back affair, ranging from Jill Scott-style neo-soul to wobbly electronica via Flying Lotus-like psychedelic beats – but the quality
is simply astonishing. There’s only one misstep into bland r’n’b-influenced pop included here, and a couple of slightly untrained bits of rough production – otherwise, ‘Tides’ isn’t just a showcase compilation, but an absolute gem of a record in its own right. Joe Muggs

8/10

Pete Tong with The Heritage Orchestra 'Ibiza Classics' (Universal)

There is potential here. The Heritage Orchestra and Jules Buckley have a rich history, Pete Tong obviously knows his onions, and the tracklist is great. But sadly, it’s something of a missed opportunity: orchestral arrangements could add so much to dance tracks, but these songs are often note-for-note recreations, which take away all the original sonic invention and add little else in return. Okay, there’s a little bit of extra disco lavishness to ‘Sing it Back’, a little sensitivity added to ‘Finally’ – but honestly, do you really need to hear an overly reverent version of ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ or The Prodigy’s ‘Outer Space’ without the sampling? This is expertly done, but ultimately too slick for comfort. Joe Muggs

6/10

Claro Intelecto 'Exhilarator' (Delsin)

Mark Stewart would probably be playing huge gigs if he lived in Berlin or Detroit – but as he’s actually from Manchester, he’ll just have to settle for living legend status instead. The dubby techno he makes as Claro Intelecto is recognisable for its minor-chord string drones, embracing bass and elegant devastation of your emotions. And on his first album in five years, all that is fully intact: there might be the odd diversion into jazzy shuffle or pure ambience, but this is the work of someone who understands their own sound, and as such can deliver it like nobody else. If you’ve ever cared about techno’s ability to wring humanity out of machines, then get to know. Joe Muggs

8/10

Aria Rostami 'Numb Years' (Inanimate)

Aria Rostami is a super-talented producer from San Francisco who now lives in New York and calls himself “the Sarah McLachlan of boxing”. His sound is light and delicate (think Kieran Hebden-ish techno with glacial ambient soundscapes), and he has a great way with words, too. ‘Where She Untied Warm Glowing Arms’ is ice-cool Aphex-style bliss, while ‘And I Forgot Naked Subtle Pathways’ seems as inspired by Japanese gardens as it is by his previous work on labels such as Spring Theory, Glacial Movements and Dark Entries. He’s a heavy thinker (this LP was made under extreme, and extremely low-paid, circumstances), and ‘Numb Years’ reflects that with its sublime, soul-flecked depth. Ralph Moore

7/10

The Go! Team 'Semicircle' (Memphis Industries)

Brighton six-piece The Go Team! imbue ‘Semicircle’ with the high-octane vibes of a marching band taking on block party jams, Northern Soul and cutesy indie pop. It might sound crazy, but it works beautifully: it took them to the US and the Detroit Youth Choir, who steal the show with their energetic, soulful contributions on an album full of day-glo intensity. It squeezes together Motown, chattering funk, classic hip hop and uplifting pop. In the shape of ‘Semicircle Song’, a wide-eyed, vitamin E shot, or the magical rush of ‘If There’s One Thing You Should Know’, The Go! Team fashion the kind of sugar-coated gems that should be made freely available on prescription. Stephen Worthy

7/10

Null + Void 'Cryosleep' (Hfn music)

Depending on when you popped up, the debut LP from electronic outlier Null + Void (aka Kurt Uenala) may either sound like the spirit of 80s electronic goth/pop with a dash of Detroit atmospherics, or a gently revived hour of electroclash dystopia featuring Shannon Funchess of Light Asylum and Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan. On ‘Into The Void’, Kurt’s music could actually be ‘Black Celebration’-era Depeche if they’d been produced by Four Tet, while Kurt’s actual Gahan collab, ‘Where I Wait’, soars as high as anything he made with Soulsavers. The lithe ‘Asphalt Kiss’ will get the nod of approval from fans of labels such as Turbo, and the epic ‘Come To Me’ could be an outtake from Blade Runner 2049. Ralph Moore

8/10

Prins Thomas 'Prins Thomas 5' (Prins Thomas Musikk)

Along with fellow Norwegian sonic traveller Todd Terje and his old mucker Hans-Peter Lindstrøm, Thomas Moen Hermansen has been on a remarkable journey, with all three now elevated to cosmic disco royalty. ‘Prins Thomas 5’, however, feels like a soft launch for Prins Thomas 2.0. You can hear it from the off on the glam-tastic ‘Here Comes The Band’, said to be influenced by the veteran Glasgow melodic indie band, Teenage Fanclub. Elsewhere, it alights on sun-kissed analogue ambience (‘Aske Hermansen’) and brooding, low-slung acid (‘Æ’). He hasn’t entirely flung his future boogie credentials aside – ‘Å’ shimmers in a psychedelic 4x4 haze – but this is still a delicious vision of Thomas’ future. Stephen Worthy

8/10

Björk 'Utopia' (One Little Indian)

Let’s not beat around the proverbial bush: Björk’s last LP, ‘Vulnicura’, was no carefree walk in the park. It was bloody, brutal and covered in bruises, the result of an ill-timed breakup. But ‘Utopia’ is an absolute turn towards the light, and it’s covered in flutes (especially on ‘Courtship’); as a result, it’s an album you’ll want to return to again and again. You’ll already know ‘The Gate’, which is Björk and co-producer Arca at their romantic, wide-eyed best, but it’s also joined by ‘Loss’ and the near career-highlight ‘Body Memory’. The Rabit co-produced ‘Loss’, meanwhile, is an expert exploration of the human condition with some of the finest beats we’ve heard this year, while ‘Future Forever’ finds an optimistic Björk in world-beating form. Ralph Moore

9/10