December: 18 albums you need to hear this month

Levon Vincent 'For Paris' (Novel Sound)

Everyone’s allowed to make mistakes. But not on the internet – anyone who makes an off-colour or ignorant remark is slaughtered. It’s an unhelpful side of online life more focused on vitriol than virtue, but one that Levon Vincent has used for good. After claiming in the wake of last November’s Paris attacks that “victims need to arm themselves”, he understandably got his fair share of abuse. It prompted him to go on “a reading spree ... to develop a bigger world view”. He claims he later “cried”, “had an epiphany” and decided to embrace his new understanding of peace with this free-to-download LP, ‘For Paris’ (vinyl is being released as a five-part set, with the first record dropping in January 2018, then one every month after that until May).

With track titles including‘Slander is Terrible’, ‘Hope For New Global Peace’ and ‘If We Chose War,’ it’s a conceptual work that, to the cynic, might seem hippy-dippy. In reality, if more artists stuck their neck out and spread political messages listeners may not have been exposed to, it would only be positive. Of course, there are ways of doing so, and in this case, it helps that the songs themselves aren’t too preachy or evangelical. Instead, various moods permeate the music, ranging from the impending doom of the marching ‘Baseball’ to an end-of-the-world finality on ‘If We Chose War’, via cautious optimism on ‘Kissing’. It’s a scintillating album of deep, rolling drums and glassy melodies that make use of Steve Reich’s phasing technique to evolve in minimal but moving ways. There’s a new-age wash to some tracks that’s a bit too Enya-like for comfort, but this is an emotionally resonant LP that speaks of artistic, as well as personal, development. Kristan J Caryl

9/10

Joy Orbison 'Selectors 004' (Dekmantel)

In less than a year, Dekmantel’s ‘Selectors’ series has managed to breathe life into the seemingly moribund concept of the compilation. Like recent offerings from Young Marco and Marcel Dettmann, Joy Orbison has collected together an armful of often obscure, unmixed, full-length tracks which are all highly cherished residents of his record shelves. Besides his production and DJ accomplishments, Joy is an electronic music aficionado, with an almost Bill Brewster-like approach to analysing a record’s provenance. With ‘Selectors 004’, he crafts a loving testimony to the eclectic and rapidly changing British dance music scene, and the pervasive influence of the Caribbean soundsystem.

The 11 selections span nearly three decades, ranging from Nemesis’ 1989 electro/street-soul gem ‘Heartbreaker’ right through to the warped, avant-garde r’n’b of ‘Arrange’ by Lewisham’s Klein. Like the rest of ‘Selectors 004’, the red thread here is formidable bass and a peculiarly British zeal to mash things up. There’s a timelessness to many of Joy O’s selections here, too: take the 22-year-old liquid d’n’b of ‘Lush’ from Source Direct’s alter ego Oblivion, or Santos Rodriguez’ ‘Road To Rio A2’, the product of stalwart producer Arthur ‘DJ Artwork’ Smith. It was originally released 18 years ago, but its breathless pace, powered by tribal congas, still feels box-fresh. And that, you feel, is the real point that Joy Orbison is making here – the very best music, whatever its vintage, keeps on delivering. Stephen Worthy

8/10

KiNK 'Playground' Running Back

Strahil Velchev, aka KiNK, is a bona fide maestro when it comes to live performances, combining his enviable hardware with a knack for thrilling audience participation. We’re pleased to report that the Bulgarian producer is equally home on record, too, and has ripped up the plain-sailing rule book with ‘Playground’, his second album on Gerd Janson’s Running Back label. Drawn-out opener ‘Soar’ is obliterated by the mesmerising pounds of ‘Organs’, while ‘Yom Thorke’ is a sensational musical masterpiece: it’s a nine-minute voyage that starts all tightly wound before it begins to rumble with a robust density and grooving synths, and then eventually whirrs back on itself. ‘Suncatcher’, with its searing rave sounds and drum sequences, is an instant classic, and ‘Perth’ is built around a four-note disco melody. Employing so many different sub-genres in such a distinct fashion could have sounded incoherent, but ‘Playground’ triumphs by enforcing how house and techno form its main DNA. Leah Connolly

9/10

Various 'Bill Brewster presents Tribal Rites' (Eskimo Recordings)

He wears more hats than Boy George (one of which is as Mixmag’s long-time curator of dance music history), but DJ and journalist Bill Brewster shows his unparalleled skills as a selector on this sprawling new comp. Over three CDs, Brewster is your pilot on a fly-by of the music that soundtracked his life: album one delves into psych, oddball funk and obscure post-punk, highlighted by a horn-splashed, Balearic take on The Raincoats’ ‘Animal Rhapsody’. Disc two is a dizzying sashay through the disco years, while part three showcases his love of 4/4. Many of the tracks on ‘Tribal Rites’ will be new to most, but – and here’s Brewster’s secret – it maintains an unerring accessibility. Stephen Worthy

9/10

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

Chloé 'Endless Revisions' (Lumière Noire)

From her early days as resident at the Rex club in Paris, Chloé has cut her own line through musical styles. She’s always had extraordinarily high production values informed by the most academic and experimental electronica, but also a natural sense of groove and song structure, and no fear of pop melody. On her third album, it’s all here: microscopic environmental sounds, trippy indie/shoegaze textures, arch electroclash poise, Berlin techno immersion and a restrained industrial dub reminiscent of the Modern Love stable, as well as glimpses of that pop sensibility (see recent single ‘Recall’). Sometimes it seems a bit emotionally distant, but overall, there’s great beauty here. Joe Muggs

8/10

Roman Flügel 'Fabric 95' (Fabric)

Few people have been as influential as Roman Flügel in the realigning of global dance music’s axis to Germany over the past decade. Coincidentally, that’s around the time he played his debut Fabric set, and this crushing mix is pervaded by his blend of dark house and atmospheric techno. Yet despite its twisted nature, Flügel’s mix is a study in smoothness that’s punctuated by show-stopping bombs, most notably with the tribal techno of Randomer’s track ‘Juju’. Breaks influences abound, from Lanark Artefax’s ‘Touch Absence (Intimidating Stillness mix)’ to Koehler’s taut ‘Oblivious Pool (Invisible Dub)’. Flügel calls this mix an “adventure”; it’s one worth joining him on. Stephen Worthy

8/10

The Cyclist 'Sapa Inca Delirium' (Hypercolour)

Referring to his sound as Tape Throb, Andrew Morrison outlines a few key influences on his music that include, in his words, “the more techno-ey tunes of Throbbing Gristle, Boards Of Canada and the danceable edge of New Order”. But as is often the case with artists, this ability to pin-point his inspirations frees him from just simply aping them. The Cyclist’s second LP boasts the same combination of deeply emotive hooks and nostalgic breakbeats as Bicep’s recent album. But it really comes into on its own with ‘When We All Break Down’, an ambient yet driven cut featuring Joni, and the Tanaya Harper-assisted ‘Mirrors’, which swells with a bouncing melody reminiscent of low-key acid house. Sean Griffiths

7/10

Mike Dunn 'My House From All Angles' (Blackball Muzik)

One of the true originals of Chicago house music, producer and DJ Mike Dunn was a resident at Frankie Knuckles’ Warehouse, and he’s just kept on keeping on ever since. True to the club spirit, Dunn’s career has been based on 12” releases: extraordinarily, his second album, ‘My House From All Angles’, comes some 27 years after his first effort. Almost nothing has changed in the interim: it’s all about drum machine, acid riff, repeated vocal, the odd disco loop – job’s a good ‘un. Kids a third of Dunn’s age go mad trying to create retro house, but he does it effortlessly, because it’s all he’s ever needed to do. After all, it’s not broken, so why bother fixing it? Joe Muggs

7/10

Amp Fiddler 'Amp Dog Knights' (Mahogani Music)

After last year’s underwhelming album of club-focused sounds, Amp Fiddler is back to doing what he does best: serving up sweet soul, feel-good “fonk” (as he calls it) and lush deep house, all littered with his own instrumentation and, variously, buttery or more gritty vocal work. Guests Moodymann, J Dilla and Andres add even more weight to an LP that’s as authentic as they come, and puts the criminally underrated Fiddler on a par with Curtis Mayfield and George Clinton. Cuddly slow jams such as ‘Keep Comin’ sit next to the raw beats of ‘Grandma’s Radio’ and the woozy chords of ‘No Politics.’ The LP’s golden hues, low-slung bass riffs and twinkling melodic richness will soften the heart of anyone. Kristan J Caryl

9/10

Kerri Chandler 'DJ-Kicks' (!K7)

He might be one of deep house’s most enduring names, but Kerri Chandler’s DJ-Kicks release crosses boundaries – musical, temporal and physical. There’s a classic around every corner here: its broad opening sweep takes in opulent, soulful jazz, before T La Rock’s raw, old-school hip hop landmark ‘It’s Yours’ jolts you out of your reverie, ahead of a notch of twinkling disco. Cuts such as James Mason’s ‘Sweet Power Of Your Embrace’ are full of the DNA of deep house; they’re soulful and melodic, but with gritty undertones. Chandler employs a multitude of weapons throughout, and the ensuing experience is like a Sunday morning stroll through New York City; you can almost touch the skyscrapers. Stephen Worthy

7/10

AK/DK 'Patterns Harmonics' (Little Miss Echo)

The wild drum-and-synth live attack of British duo AK/DK has earnt them a rabid following. Their second album, ‘Patterns Harmonics’, captures that buzz in the recording studio: sitting between Public Service Broadcasting and lost Mute outfit Add N To (X), their sound is punky, retro-electronic and seriously pop. Tracks such as the self-explanatory ‘Disco(n)tent’ and stomping ‘Words For Sale’ are catchy as hell, while the boundless energy of ‘Atomic DNA’ and single ‘Morphology’ are equally effective. There are quieter moments – most notably the two ‘Modulaargh’ instrumentals – but, for the most part, ‘Patterns Harmonics’ blows the listener away through the sheer pizzazz of its imagination. Thomas H Green

8/10

Playgroup 'Previously Unreleased Vol 2' (Yes Wave)

Trevor Jackson’s work-rate around the turn of the millennium was, quite frankly, terrifying: as well as being an influential designer, he made loads of the era’s defining tunes, linking the saucy synth action of electroclash with hip hop, dub, post-punk, mutant disco and more uncategorisable sounds. This new compilation now brings us up to a total of 50 previously unreleased tracks from that period, and by all accounts there’s more still hidden in the archive. Even more boggling, these 20 are relentlessly brilliant: a collection of the absolute best sort of backstreet, small-club, lights-down-low sleazy experimentalism you could ever hope to hear. Make sure you cop it right this instant, without further delay. Joe Muggs

9/10

Damiano von Erckert 'In Case You Don’t Know What To Play' (AVA.)

Damiano von Erckert’s fourth LP in as many years encompasses everything he’s done before and then some, with its 10 impeccable genre studies all tied together with his trademark loose style. Kicking off with clacking hip hop and swirling vocal samples, it pays tribute to his unnamed hero (Moodymann, obviously), then dips into pulsing, spacey techno. Betraying his passion for record collecting, there are a couple of earthy and drum-led African beats, some Rhodes-laced funk jams and many different types of house, from party-starting and piano-laced to deep and romantic. Ultimately, this album is a joy-filled treasure trove for both DJs and dancers. Kristan J Caryl

8/10

Jori Hulkkonen 'Don’t Believe In Happiness' (My Favorite Robot)

Jori Hulkkonen is one of dance music’s hardy perennials. The Finnish producer has explored many styles over many albums, from house to electroclash. His new outing combines an occasional dancefloor pulse with floaty, ambient ballads such as ‘New Ideologies’ and the poppy title track, which bears a passing resemblance to Bryan Ferry’s more electronic solo fare. Elsewhere, Hulkkonen embraces a sci-fi electro feel for ‘I Am the Night’, and gently trips onto the dancefloor with ‘Tintan Terdel’ and the lush, bubbling ‘Sometimes You Win, But Not very Often’. The album is a warm and welcoming sound bath; it may not be a groundbreaker, but it’s pleasing to the ear. Thomas H Green

7/10

Andrew Hung 'Realisationship' (Lex Records)

Andrew Hung has moved as far away from his Fuck Buttons roots as is possibly imaginable. Once immersed in the nebulous electronic noise of the duo’s respective outside projects – Hung’s Dawn Hunger and bandmate Ben Power’s Blanck Mass – those two offshoots peaked with being featured in the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. Hung’s new undertaking, however, is something else entirely: recorded and produced by himself, it’s a bizarre turn into wobbly indie rock. Reminiscent of a clumsier kind of guitar-drums-bass (plus synths) arrangement, the only remnant of Hung’s Fuck Buttons days is the privileging of drums in the mix. The rest of this unexpected foray is a trip into a post-punk and synth-pop past that needs no repeating. Steph Kretowicz

5/10

Anja Schneider 'SoMe' (Sous)

Anja Schneider’s first album in nine years (and also her first since leaving Mobilee) is a seamless, soulful blend of underground house and techno. The album’s biggest track – the rave piano-pounding ‘All I See’ – looks destined to be a huge club anthem this winter, while the richly melodic ‘Sanctuary’ featuring bearded Stereo MC Rob Birch is another standout cut, with barbed lyrics and a deft, bubbling techno underbelly. A clutch of on-point club missiles then take the album home, before it finishes on a Massive Attack-like moment of haze and clarity. Only the trumpet-fuelled d’n’b interlude ‘WMF’ sounds a little bit out of place, but that’s just a minor quibble: ‘SoMe’ is a pertinent reminder that there’s still beauty in idiosyncrasy. Ralph Moore

8/10

Galcher Lustwerk 'Dark Bliss' (White Material)

Galcher alerted press to his debut album just days before he uploaded it to Bandcamp – a characteristically low-key move from an artist who seems uncomfortable with the cult stardom he’s fostered ever since he released that production mix in 2013. Whether he likes it or not, an LP (eight tracks, in this case) from one of this decade’s best deep house producers is a big deal, and fans will be gagging for what he’s served up on ‘Dark Bliss’: steady cruisin’ kicks, delicious pads and smoky lyrics that tell of the different shades of romance found in long nights and bright mornings. It’s duskier and less optimistic (“I’ve got a red rose and I’m a throw it in the trash”) than previous productions, but classic Lustwerk all the same. Seb Wheeler

7/10