January: 18 albums you need to hear this month

Childish Gambino 'Awaken, My Love!' (Glassnote Records)

Donald Glover’s got serious game, right? Comedian, Hollywood actor (The Martian, soon-to-be Spider Man: Homecoming and Star Wars), producer and lead of TV series Atlanta and, as revealed on album number three, slick, swagger-dripping soul, blues and funk crooner. There were splashes of singing on last album ‘Because The Internet’, but nothing like this. ‘Awaken, My Love!’ sees him shrieking lyrics and oozing class throughout, the record licked with a vintage touch. The hazy G-funk introduction of ‘Me And Your Mama’ could dupe you into thinking he’s going to pay homage to his West Coast home of California, but the shock of screeching guitar chords and his belting vocals soon indicate this is no hip hop album. ‘Zombies’ comes armed with a touch of psychedelia, paired with a tender female vocal hook deserving of the Drive soundtrack, while he channels his inner Curtis Mayfield on the squelchy, lovestruck ‘Redbone’.

The vocal switch-up comes on ‘California’, giving the lungs a rest and instead jittering away atop playful chimes and bottle blowing. That track’s a bit of an anomaly, a giddy surf rock-esque jam amid sensitive songs based around a child and its mother. ‘Baby Boy’ is the deepest of the lot, with creeping electronic guitar riffs acting as the foundation for desperate “don’t take him away” pleas. Of course, there are going to be groans about the disappearance of rapping, but Childish is an all-round entertainer, not just an MC. Charming, incredibly soulful and emotionally charged, this record introduces us to a whole new, golden side of Donald Glover – and should elevate him to a new level of stardom. Dave Turner

9/10

Various '#savefabric' (fabric Records & Houndstooth)

After asking each of its creative allies to contribute a track in order to raise money for the club’s fighting fund, the response was so overwhelming the Fabric team decided to release all 111 of them. The result is a full-scale digital mapping of the electronic landscape, from industrial techno to South African Gqom. The stalwarts (Terry Francis, Coldcut) and big-hitters (John Tejada and Shackleton) are here, but it’s lesser-known gems such as ‘Patterns Of Our Own Times’, from retired Serbian factory worker-turned analogue synth composer Abul Mogard, that really stand out. His music is the essence of what Fabric is all about, and what we would have missed if it had gone. Stephen Worthy

10/10

P Money 'Live & Direct' (Rinse)

2016 has now seen some dynamite albums from grime’s old guard: obviously Skepta’s was the highest profile, but Flowdan and Durrty Goodz have also delivered. Now it’s Southeast London’s turn, as P Money from The OGs turns in his debut full-length after years of graft – not just on the grime scene, but as the go-to MC during dubstep’s peak years, too. He’s not compromised one bit, either. This is total grime: ugly, mean, argumentative and un-PC in the extreme, but possessed of a razor-sharp intellect and a big heart. The beats are big and belligerent and P’s wordplay is on point. This is another brilliant sign that grime’s maturity doesn’t mean mellowing out. Joe Muggs

8/10

Various 'Bedrock 18 – Signals' (Bedrock)

John Digweed celebrates Bedrock’s 18th birthday with a double-disc compilation of 21 exclusive tracks – and there’s also a third CD containing a new artist album from Dutch musician C-Jay to boot. Sebastian Markiewicz’s ‘Sensation’ is a subtle house highlight, while Collective Machine & Philipp Straub’s groover ‘Hold You In The Moment’ picks up the pace. Digitaria’s ‘Revenge Of The Fantasy’ whispers seductively before Tiefstone’s pumping ‘Kratos’ hits harder on CD2. But it’s C-Jay’s tranquil six-tracker ‘Echoes’ that stuns the most. ‘Finko’ is the start of a retreat away from reality: peaceful and calming, its sparse production is effortlessly meditative, as is the eerie minimalism of ‘Carte Blanche’. Ben Jolley

8/10

Tornado Wallace 'Lonely Planet' (Running Back)

After several years spent bringing some of his native Australian sunshine to house and disco cuts on labels such as ESP Institute and Beats In Space, Tornado Wallace steps up to Running Back with a sumptuous album. ‘Lonely Planet’ is an exquisitely lush and naturalistic affair with humid jungle atmospheres, bird calls, yawning chords and fluttering melodies all encouraging you to lay back in the sun and let go. Shades of 80s synth hero Jan Hammer and pastoral tropical disco all loom large throughout. Sometimes drums carry you along and on other occasions you’re suspended by long-tailed pads and breezy Balearic riffs, but never does this record feel trite in place of totally right. Kristan J Caryl

9/10

Makam 'Than Sadet' (Dekmantel)

With ‘Than Sadet’, Dutch producer Guy Blanken has written a love letter to the Thai island that captured his heart. Luckily for us, it’s one we’re all invited to share in, where exotic house grooves snake around complex, skittering melodies. Blanken headed off to the Far East for a week to immerse himself in his music; perhaps understandably, given the recording’s beachside location, there’s a quasi-Balearic vibe running through the LP. The enormous ‘When Light Gives You Hope’ is a shuddering epic built on a tripped-out groove, Eastern percussion and exotic bird tweets. ‘Resort Abandoned’ lays itself bare with growling keys, while the title track gently works in gamelan influences. Stephen Worthy

8/10

Cerrone 'Red Lips' (Because)

Getting disco gods out of retirement can be iffy. Nile Rodgers has put on some amazing live shows but, ‘Get Lucky’ with Daft Punk notwithstanding, also produced some patchy recordings. Giorgio Moroder is a great raconteur, but sadly seems to have drunk all the EDM Kool Aid. French disco veteran Cerrone, though, seems to be determined to stay true to his roots. This album is full of guest vocalists (Hot Chip, Aloe Blacc, Kiesza), but it’s incredibly consistent, and is proper disco from start to end. Sometimes that means feeling pastiche-y or bland, but for large parts, it’s funky, luxurious and giddy, with the Tony Allen Afrobeat collab ‘2nd Chance’ just the icing on the cake. A pleasant surprise. Joe Muggs

7/10

Vitalic 'Voyager' (Clivage/Caroline International)

Nobody sane would question that Pascal Arbez-Nicolas knows how to make a banger. Way back around the turn of the millennium when the club scene was splintering, he came out with the likes of ‘Poney’ and ‘La Rock 01’, trampling the boundaries between electroclash, techno and disco, and causing major scenes wherever they were played. Now, a decade-and-a-half on, that ability hasn’t left him. Three tracks here – ‘Levitation’, ‘Use it Or Lose It’ and ‘Lightspeed’ – are solid gold, tear-your-head-off, send-the-club-into-space dancefloor destroyers. Blending masterful Moroder-style vintage synth manipulation with absolutely lethal 21st century production values, they’re up there with the very best of what any of Vitalic’s fellow French disco-doyens can do. Most of the rest of the album is great, too: the slower vocal tunes with David Shaw and Miss Kittin are blissful without losing club impact.

It all has an 80s sci-fi vibe, but is musically powerful enough to actually transport you into its vision rather than just being kitsch. Sadly, the last third of the album flops in a big way: the ‘Warm Leatherette’ pastiche of ‘Sweet Cigarette’ just feels like a comedy skit, ‘Eternity’ wastes a long build-up on a tame climax and ‘Don’t Leave Me Now’ is a nice enough electro-ballad, but the sort of thing that Robyn or Goldfrapp would do so much better. As it is, the high points still make this essential, but shorn of a few tracks, this album would be so much better. Joe Muggs

6/10

Duke Hugh 'Canvas' (Rhythm Section International)

Sometimes it’s the subtlest things that bring the newness. These nine tracks by Dutchman Duke Hugh are quite gentle and unassuming on the surface, but the way they seamlessly blend so many things together is impressively unique. There’s plenty of the bassy, slo-mo stoner house South London’s Rhythm Section imprint is known for, but also gorgeous folk guitars, elegant live bass, soundsystem-testing sub bass, jazz structures, late 90s-style breakbeat-edit science, rays of Balearic sunshine and – most importantly – hooks galore, to the point you’ll be humming these tunes after one listen. On paper, this is just a pleasantly diverting bit of background music, but crank it up and you’ll realise it’s a serious artistic achievement. Joe Muggs

8/10

AYBEE 'The Odyssey' (Deepblak)

Lots of dance producers like to claim their music is ‘jazzy’, but few can make the claim as authentically as Aybee. The Berlin-based American is a student of Miles Davis and Sun Ra, and that always shows in his expressive and freeform electronic music. His new LP, however, finds him limiting his sonic palette. The result is something that, while as cosmic as ever, is also a little more conventionally structured. Broken beat, house and techno are the underlying forms here, but the colour outside those grooves is what sets them apart: xylophones, deep space ambiance, warm solar pads and percussion that flies by like interplanetary debris all help keep you in orbit, a world away from here, lost in your own mental imagery. Kristan J Caryl

8/10

Various 'Psychemagik presents Ritual Chants' (Eskimo Recordings)

Psychemagik’s Danny McLewin is the hardcore cratedigger responsible for this new, trippy 40-track comp that references the past but maintains a firm grip on what’s now. Its three discs are filled with obscurities, almost without exceptions – and even those anomalies, such as electro/house pioneer Man Parrish’s flute ‘n’ synth gem ‘Water Sports’, are some of those artists most arcane moments. Elsewhere, it’s endlessly enlightening, from Hot Chocolate’s Tony Wilson swapping kitsch pop disco for slo-mo electro soul with ‘Hangin’ Out In Space’ to the Belgian astro-psych of Dan Lacksman’s ‘Love You Every Day’. It’s the funnest history lesson ever. Stephen Worthy

8/10

Various 'Hypercolour 10 Years' (Hypercolour)

If you had to sum up the essence of Hypercolour, it’d be something like ‘house and techno, with added wonkiness’. Founded by Jamie Russell and Alex Jones a decade ago, this new comp features some illustrious alumni. Falty DL checks in with the thudding rave of ‘Fantaxia’ and Roman Flügel gets all handclappy on ‘Family Vacation’, but it’s contributions from two of the label’s inner circle that best showcase its brand values. First, label manager Nick ‘A Sagittariun’ Harris heads into deep breakbeat-infused territory with ‘Djax’, before Jones and his musical partner Chris Spero’s Dense & Pika project provide some twisted techno with the grainy ‘2 Steps’. Stephen Worthy

8/10

Various 'Future Disco 10 – Complete. Repeat. A Disco Drama' (NeedWant)

The influential Future Disco turns its attention to contemporary funk jams with its 10th compilation, picking cosmic productions from Tensnake and Paul Woolford. Franc Moody injects ‘Yuri’ with intergalactic shots of synth, while Skatebård’s ‘The Bells Of Mist’ is all bells and otherworldly beats. DJ Koze’s Disco edit of Låpsley shines out of the speakers, before NYC’s Walker & Royce add some wriggling bass to Rhyze’s ‘Just How Sweet Is Your Love’. This is a collection that doesn’t settle for either just educating on the genre’s classics nor simply snapshotting its modern workings, but that isn’t to say it represents a grey area; if anything, it’s glittering. Leah Jade Connolly

8/10

Sven Väth 'The Sound Of The 17th Season' (Cocoon Recordings)

At the very end of the Ibiza season, Sven Väth put on his second Cocoon closing after-party at Benimussa Park in San Antonio. The guest of honour was Sven’s son Tiga, who was seen on his dad’s shoulders while wearing a pair of protective headphones. As for the music, it was Sven at his best: that signature blend of emotional house and techno typified by the Kölsch remix of ‘Trouble At The Séance’, which also appears on ‘The 17th Season’. Watching him that afternoon, Adam Beyer observed how Sven is firing on all cylinders right now, hence his continued commitment to Cocoon. And this mix is up there with ‘Season 10’ and ‘...15’, with Roman’s remix of ‘Electrica Salsa’ a highlight of the first hour and the triple danger of Danny Daze’s ‘Swim’, Sven’s ‘Robot’ (Kölsch remix) and Slam’s ‘Take You There’ feat Mr V all totally devastating. Add in anthems from Omar S and Floorplan, and you have the best underground Ibiza round-up of 2016 by far. Ralph Moore

9/10

Midnight Magic 'Free From Your Spell' (Soul Clap Records)

Brooklyn’s Midnight Magic aren’t the only artists mixing 21st century disco, cosmic grooves and glitterball house, but not many achieve it with a nine-strong live band. Despite the numbers involved, ‘Free From Your Spell’ feels uncluttered, liquid and driven; it calls to mind Manchester’s own Crazy P – especially on ‘I Gotta Feeling’, with its spiky percussion and bassline assault – but when Midnight Magic take their foot off the gas, hints of Róisín Murphy poke through. ‘Black Cherry’ is a case in point, as vocalist Tiffany Roth sings in sensual, Murphy-like fashion. They also throw in some smart 90s pop (‘Down Delay’) and downtempo Nordic disco (‘Malibu Fun’) for good measure. Stephen Worthy

7/10

Billy Daniel Bunter & Sanxion '88 to 94' (Music Mondays)

Daniel Light, aka Billy Bunter, was a teenage DJ resident at The Labyrinth,
a legendary den of iniquity in early-90s London. After a successful career in various sub-genres he recently wrote an autobiography, The Love Dove Generation, that’s been optioned for a film. His new LP, created with studio wizard Sanxion, explores that same era of rave culture, with each track titled after a year and style (‘91 Euro Rave’, for example, or ’94 Prototype D&B’). It’s an enjoyable experiment that, from the old tabloid vocal samples that kick off ’88 Acid’ to the ebullient bounce of ’94 Uplifting Hardcore’ (featuring Davina), offers stylistically spot-on kicks from a bygone time. Thomas H Green

8/10

Sleigh Bells 'Jessica Rabbit' (TORN CLEAN/LUCKY NUMBER)

Sleigh Bells’ fourth album comes on like an uncontrollably wild house party where you just know the speakers are going to blow out. Lyricist and singer Alexis Krauss’s powerhouse vocal is even more prominent now, while Derek Miller’s relentless guitar onslaughts on tracks such as ‘Hyper Dark’ and ‘Loyal For’ are particularly sinister. ‘Rule Number One’ is a manic anthem full of headbanging and ‘Treats’-era no-bullshit lyricism, while ‘It’s Just Us Now’, which is built on hip hop beats and ruthless riffs, challenges the notion of what ‘pop’ music can be. Energetic, endearing and still unlike anybody else, Sleigh Bells continue to unapolegtically pummel your senses. Ben Jolley

8/10

Ronika 'Lose My Cool' (RecordShop)

Combining the best bits of the 80s, 90s and our current musical era, Ronika’s second album is a seductive genre-bending collection. ‘Dissolve’ and ‘Never My Love’ are sensual and R&B-flavoured, ‘Make Your Move’ is full of Chic disco vibes and ‘Trying to See in the Dark’ boasts a stadium-sized, guitar-led chorus. Elsewhere, on the addictive ‘All Comes Back 2 U’ and ‘Better Than Ever’ (which steps into Mariah Carey territory), the 90s pop influence shines through. The electronic production of ‘Trouble’ is bang up to date, though, while lead single ‘Principle’ and the soulful title track are potential chart hits. Infectious and groove-laden, ‘Lose My Cool’ manages to be both forward-thinking and vintage at the same time. Ben Jolley

8/10