February: 18 albums you need to hear this month

Babe, Terror 'Ancient M'ocean' (Phantasy Sound)

“Lo-fi” is a hideously over-used descriptor, especially in these times of fairly conventional wafty house tracks full of pretend tape hiss. But Brazilian producer Claudio Szynkier really goes the whole hog. His first LP for Erol Alkan’s label might be his biggest release yet, but he’s not compromised one iota: this is all about unplaceable sounds, waves of fuzz, the dreamlike impossibility of distinguishing one thing from another. It’s certainly not for everyone, but there’s a natural flow to his programming that draws you along and into the tonal depths – and even when the sounds are at their most jagged and raw, they’re still laced with ecstatic feeling. Joe Muggs

7/10

Tycho 'Epoch' (Ghostly International)

Once a one-man outfit, Scott Hansen’s Tycho project is a fully-fledged band these days. Their fifth album, ‘Epoch’, is informed by the ‘jam’ philosophy that’s an inherent part of any group’s DNA, as Rory O’Connor’s quickfire breakbeats and Zac Brown’s choppy, hazy guitars mesh with Hansen’s swirling electronics. The ambient sensibilities of Hansen’s earliest work remain, especially on the title track. Tycho are most effective when taking the tempo down and stripping things back: hints of ‘Premier Syptômes’-era Air infect ‘Receiver’ with its blanket of cosy chords. In the opposite camp, meanwhile, ‘Division’ adds a squall of blurry guitar for a shoegazey vibe. ‘Epoch’ is perhaps a little overly fluffy at times, but plenty of sunshine pokes through the clouds. Stephen Worthy

7/10

Various 'New Order Presents Be Music' (Factory Benelux)

“Producing was a really important sideline,” says Bernard Sumner of the Factory era. “It’s OK doing it because although all the groups are skint, you learn a lot and you’re helping somebody.” If your knowledge of New Order only extends to ‘Blue Monday’, then, this comp of early-80s collabs could be for you. From Quando Quango’s ‘Love Tempo’ and Stephen and Gillian’s side project The Other Two (who offer up ‘Inside’) to ‘Real Love’ from Factory Floor (who Morris has previously produced), this well-crafted comp is a reminder that aside from Prince, much of the best music is made via collaboration. Ralph Moore

7/10

Bonobo 'Migration' (Ninja Tune)

The title of Simon Green’s sixth Bonobo album, ‘Migration’, hasn’t been plucked out of the air. Green, who has moved from the UK to New York and, recently, LA, is a musical migrant: he absorbs the sounds of wherever he lays his studio. You also can’t escape the fact that, in these ever-disturbing times, he’s making a political comment about the benefits of free movement. The LP itself is a music-making masterclass: the title track plays with the recurring loops of modern classical greats such as Steve Reich and Terry Riley, setting them amid militaristic percussion and fuzzy electronica. Nick (née Chet Faker) Murphy lends vocals to the dancefloor shuffle of ‘No Reason’, while ‘Grains’ samples folk legend Pete Seeger (a nod to Green’s father, who was something of a folk kingpin). ‘Outlier’, meanwhile, meanders from gentle, glitchy beginnings into wonky house and harp-filled ambience. It’s a record of subtle strength, with all-encompassing warmth and chilled introspection. Stephen Worthy

9/10

Aquilo 'Silhouettes' (Island Records)

Lancaster duo Ben Fletcher and Tom Higham create spellbinding and atmospheric pop that’s perfect for wintry church concerts. Like a warm embrace on an icy morning, the pair’s captivating harmonies come together effortlessly on debut album ‘Silhouette’. With a cinematic sound not unlike Hurts, ‘Almost Over’, ‘I Gave It All’ and ‘All I Ever Wanted’ are intimate tear-jerkers. ‘Human’ is a SOHN-produced highlight, boasting almost-apocalyptic production, while ‘Sorry’ is re-imagined by Iceland’s Ólafur Arnalds. ‘You Won’t Know Where You Stand’ and ‘Never Seen You Get So Low’ are just as powerful, each employing meaningful lyrics and faultless falsettos to tell stories. Ben Jolley

8/10

Calibre 'Grow' (The Nothing Special)

Northern Ireland’s Calibre is a technically astonishing producer, but he’s felt a bit constrained by d’n’b sometimes – especially when we knew what he was capable of at other tempos thanks to his Deep Medi 12”s in 2009 and 2010. So when these four slabs of vinyl from Craig Richards’ label with plain black labels, classy artwork and no information arrived with no warning, we were thrilled. The sounds here float between 2-step, jazz, techno, electro, Burial-ish ambience and – in ‘Over the Top’ – utterly perfect deep dubstep rollage, and at these slower tempos, Calibre’s sounds are able to breathe and evolve in throughly new ways. This album is a proper realisation of potential, and may end up achieving classic status. Joe Muggs

9/10

Matthew Dear 'DJ-Kicks' (Studio K7)

With electronic producers putting more emphasis on classical ambience than ever before, it’s no surprise that Mathew Dear (aka Audion) opts for a similar leafy path on his DJ-Kicks mix by opening with Nils Frahm’s ‘Ode’. But from there on in, the music returns to Dear’s signature synthetic robo-vocoder throb, with the sublime ‘Wrong With Us’ providing a killer early exclusive, before changing gears into hypno-bleep fairly fluidly. Similarly meditative house music moments from Italojohnson and Vin Sol also bring the heat in the first hour, while for the final furlong, he opts for two peak-time Audion exclusives and brings the mix to a close with DJ Khalab & Baba Sissoko’s ‘Kumu’. Ralph Moore

8/10