December: 18 albums you need to hear this month

DJ Seinfeld 'Time Spent Away From U' (Lobster Fury)

Of all the kookily named lo-fi house producers, DJ Seinfeld seems to be one who’s really managed to catch the public imagination, and the flood of tracks he put out on SoundCloud/YouTube are now collected on this LP.Recorded in a flood of activity by a producer trying to stave off heartbreak, he puts elements of underground (jackin’ acid) and mainstream (Robin S-style organs and diva samples) house through a sonic grinder, until it all sounds as raw and ragged as the emotions which first inspired them. Sometimes the cheese gets a bit overwhelming, or the teeth-grinding distortion is too much. But it hits the sweet spot just as often, with the funk and shamelessly emotive riffs merging to make something utterly unique and undeniably powerful. Joe Muggs

7/10