Skrillex, Fred again.. & Flowdan ‘Rumble’ (OWSLA)
“Hear the rumble” is the perfect calling card for Flowdan’s gutteral tones, which sound like the voices of 1,000 MCs have been vacuum packed inside his throat and distilled into the deep, resonant utterance of: “Yo”. Man of the moment Fred again.. and Skrillex provide a beat that flips between skittering and weighty with high-pitched vocals piercing through the background, but it’s Flowdan that dominates the track, grounding it in his shockwave-inducing bars.
Buy it here
Yves Tumor ‘Echolalia’ (Warp Records)
Rejoice, a new Yves Tumor album rollout is upon this. They’ve been deliriously good at writing catchy post-punk bangers ever since the move from making leftfield loops on PAN to guitar-and-vocal-led bangers on Warp, and ‘Echolalia’ keeps that 10/10 form rolling. A strummed bassline leads the charge, bolstered by vocals delivered in that engagingly breathy style, plus some high-pitched backing vox from Ecco2k, and a Gulliver’s Travels-inspired accompanying video from creative collaborator Jordan Hemmingway. The mouthful-titled LP ‘Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)’ isn’t landing until March but our appetetites are well and truly whet by this new single.
Buy it here
Clavish feat Youngs Teflon, Rimzee & Tiny Boost ‘4 Of Us’ (Polydor Records)
The standout track on Clavish’s debut mixtape recruits three of the best underground rappers in the UK for an impactful blend of an emotive beat and hard-hitting bars (“Mum asked why I'm selling crack 'cah it fucking sells”). It follows the Clavish formula of all verses, no hooks, as each rapper takes it in turn to ride HD Beats’ wistful instrumental with the energy gradually ramping up across Young Teflon, Rimzee and Tiny Boost before Clavish closes out in his trademark sedate, illustrative style.
Buy it here
Tuccillo ‘Sunshine City’ (Nu Groove)
A key label in the early days of New York City’s house music scene, Nu Groove has long been responsible for a bag load of important, high-quality releases. After a decades-long hiatus from releasing music, the label made a comeback in 2022 – and are we glad it did! Italian producer Tuccillo is next in line, with ‘Sunshine City’ opening with a classic ‘90s shuffle, before a sleazy, grooving bassline gets thighs shaking – a gorgeous blend of old skool and modern sounds.
Buy it here
James Bangura ‘Harrar’ (!K7)
A co-founding member of Washington D.C. DJ and production group Black Rave Culture, James Bangura goes solo on his latest EP for the mighty !K7. ‘Harrar’ is a wildly creative, unpredictable, heads-down 150 BPM workout, building into a flurry of stabs, slaps and snares, before relaxing into a more bouncy affair in the second half.
Buy it here
BEQA ‘HOLD’ (Mr.Banger)
For the fittingly titled label Mr.Banger’s second release, Tbilisi-based wiz BEQA has produced a fruity, off-kilter, wrist slapper in ‘HOLD’. Glitchy-yet-grooving, the track is littered with playful samples: “Wait, when is the drop?” “Make some noise”. That 303 squelch has never sounded so funky.
Buy it here
Overmono ‘Is U’ (XL Recordings)
A delectable first taste of the debut album from dance music’s favourite Two Guys, ‘Is U’ is a declaration of intent if there ever was one. Featuring that signature scorching bassline, drizzling percussion, cloying synths and a soft reverberating vocal — it’s everything we’ve come to know and love from Tessela and Truss, albeit even more refined and accessible for those who - somehow - might not have come across the sibling dynamos sound until now. Expect ‘Is U’ to be getting rinsed everywhere from stadiums to house parties this summer.
Buy it here
Yaeji ‘For Granted’ (XL Recordings)
Thank the dancefloor gods… another beloved artist is finally set to drop their album debut this year, and for Yaeji, the first full-length release since her 2020 mixtape ‘WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던’. If first single ‘For Granted’ is anything to go by, we’re expecting ‘With a Hammer’ to be packed with sultry vocals, high-energy percussion and more pop flavour than you can shake a, er, hammer at. We’re still lost in the luxurious rolling jungle that kicks in at the end. Ya(eji)!
Buy it here
Fort Romeau ‘Be With U’ (Romantic Gestures)
As the debut record on Ghostly alum Fort Romeau’s new imprint Romantic Gestures, this sultry, winding tech house track is primed and ready for kissing on the dancefloor. Feverish pads dance around an encompassing, emotion-tinged bassline - while soft piano keys hit at just the right off-beat that you can feel them sliding down your bones. Perfect for getting in the mood for love.
Buy it here
Mall Grab, Flansie ‘You’ (Steel City Dance Discs)
Hooking you in with its floaty build-up, this new track has producers Mall Grab and Flansie unite to create an electric track built for the dancefloor. Layering beeping sounds and a gentle synth melody, it’s as if you’re being teleported into space until suddenly the bass kicks in. This bassline drives through the track, cutting through the high-pitched vocals and forcing you to get bouncing.
Buy it here
Clipz ‘Shorty’ (Black Butter Limited)
As soon as you press play you’re slapped in the face with a junglist-style breakbeat. Instantly you know this is going to be a tune. You can almost feel the summer heat beaming down on you when listening to this festival-built banger, and its feisty attitude will surely make a crowd get rowdy.
Buy it here
Björk feat. Shygirl ‘Ovule’ (Sega Bodega remix) (One Little Independant Records)
Famously known for bringing in the best to remix her work, Björk has recently enlisted NUXXE creator Sega Bodega to revamp her ‘Ovule’, as well as added vocals from the sensation Shygirl. What was once a gentle ballad has now been twisted by Bodega. Filling the open space with a drum beat, he also uses Björk and Shygirl’s vocals to build texture, adding echo and a whispering tone. This new version is a distant cousin to the original allowing both to stand alone.
Buy it here
Young Marco ‘What You Say?’ (Ministry of Sound)
The highly anticipated release of Young Marco’s ‘What You Say?’ landed earlier in January - a much sought-after ID on the dancefloor in the buildup to its release. Flipping the vocal lead of a timeless classic from Imogen Heap, ‘Hide and Seek’, Young Marco adds new life to the 18-year-old original cut on the flip, creating a club-ready number with oodles of nostalgia. “There’s something about the vocal sample by the amazing Imogen Heap which feels very current, reflective and healing at this exact moment in time,” the producer said on the track.
Buy it here
Slumberjunkie ‘Waiting For Us’ (Silver Bear)
Fresh into the world of production, Ross From Friends’ long-running live band member Slumberjunkie gears up to release his second EP in just six months on London’s Silver Bear Recordings. On the record’s second track, ‘Waiting For Us’, the producer explores the ‘bizarreness of the drums’ through staggered kicks and layered drum patterns. “I think the way they turned out meant the song naturally developed into something maybe slightly tender,” Slumberjunkie says on his latest jungle-leaning release.
Buy it here
Dean Blunt ‘NOLA Freestyle’ (World Music)
Elusive producer Dean Blunt returns in mysterious fashion this month with the release of a brand new track - which makes up a larger five-part EP distributed via WeTransfer - titled ‘NOLA Freestyle’. Released as a single mid-month and sitting just under two minutes long, the new track taps into Blunt’s love for Steely Dan with a cover of ‘Razor Boy’, which sits on top of the broken-down orchestral elements from Ian Brown’s classic hit ‘F.E.A.R.’.
Buy it here
