January: 8 electro releases you need to hear this month

Mr Magnetik 'Body To Body' (GND Records)

Mr Magnetik’s debut album ‘Body To Body’ is the culmination of a successful crowdfunding campaign and the realisation of a dream for Christophe Vermiglio. The man behind the facepaint is also an accomplished graphic designer and that’s where the seed for his debut grew from: he wanted to create both an album and live show with a very distinct visual identity. ‘Body To Body’ is the musical side of the equation, with 12 tracks of caustic-sounding electro drawing from a range of influences including body-shaking EBM to industrial-tinged new beat. The album’s openers, ‘Autocracy’ and ‘Werra’, are statements of intent with stuttering percussion and stabbing synth work that creates a real sense of forward momentum early on. ‘Ghost’, on the other hand, is the polar opposite: it’s slower and lumbering, but features guest spots from EBM royalty, namely Patrick Codenys and Jean-Luc De Meyer from Front 242. Overall, Mr Magnetik’s debut manages to drag the very best of EBM and new beat kicking and screaming into the 21st century for a high-energy debut.

8/10

Vitalic 'Use It Or Lose It' (Clivage Music/Caroline International)

Electro innovator Vitalic is back to his best on new single ‘Use It Or Lose It’. A taster of his new album ‘Voyager’, which is set to drop in early 2017, it combines stampeding synths, fuzzy melodies and gentle vocals. Having laid the foundations for the likes of Daft Punk, Justice and Étienne de Crécy to dominate the airwaves with his early work on Gigolo Records, his new output will no doubt see 2016’s French electronic renaissance continue well into next year and beyond.

9/10

Fairmont 'Carthage' EP (Mr Favourite Robot Records)

Jake Fairley, aka Fairmont, delivers three contrasting cuts for My Favourite Robot Records’ 150th release. Having built a name for himself in the early 00s on imprints such as Kompakt, more recently he’s been associated with James Holdens’ Border Community. The multi-layered title track blends progressive house and electro with its bulbous basslines, cackling hats and lush chord progressions. ‘Loose Teeth’ is more steely in its delivery, as barbed percussion and throbbing kicks take centre stage for a more rhythmic workout. ‘With Closed Eyes’ is the cherry on the top, as dystopian-sounding hooks combine with propulsive basslines to make for a potent finish.

8/10

Marcel Lune 'Jet Lii' EP (Studio Rockers)

Hotly tipped UK producer Marcel Lune first made a name for himself back in 2013, when he appeared on our radar with his excitable ‘Intergalactic Dance Floor Massacre’ EP on Studio Rockers. He’s back, now, on the same imprint, but boasting a new sound that’s part-jazz, part-house and part-grandiose electro. The title track is all clever karate chops, jazzy motifs and some jacking percussion, while on the flip, ‘Equations’ is more of an aquatic-sounding cut due to an arp’d bassline that dances across the mix before it’s paired up with a shuffling top-line. The real electro meat, though, comes in the form of the fidgety melodies that imbue the track with an Oizo-style feel.

7/10

Ujin Ray 'Die Katzen' EP (Night Noise Records)

Amsterdam-based label Night Noise welcomes Georgia-born, Berlin-based Ujin Ray to its family with a new EP that’s delightfully dark and twisted. Blending electro, EBM and disco, the title track throbs like an early-morning headache, while ‘Nosam’ sees the producer craft an otherworldly cut that’ll give you shivers. Remixes come from Mexican don Bufi, who takes the A-side into even darker territory, speeding up the tempo and fattening up the kicks and melodies for a rework that’s primed for smoky basements. Finally, Middle Sky Boom is invited to adds his own spin to proceedings with a rhythmic rework that’s built around trippy bass tones and eerie melodies.

8/10

Posthuman 'ILA013' EP (I Love Acid)

Posthuman return to their club night/vinyl-only imprint I Love Acid with four new slabs of sculptured acid rave. ‘Bringin’ The News’ finds the cousins on fine form as they craft an impressive cut that features warped rave hooks, pulsating top-lines and cyborg-like vocals. Elsewhere on the release, ‘Ending It’ is a more subtle interpretation of acid and sees the production duo craft a club-ready groove out of vocal chops, melodies and thwacking snares. ‘New Jack’, on the other hand, is a proper throwback brimming with the usual 303 tropes. To finish, the pair deliver ‘You Belong (In Chicago)’, a track that acts as the EP’s palette cleanser. As with all releases on I Love Acid, this beauty is limited to just 303 vinyl copies, so you best move fast if you want to snap it up.

7/10

Avalon Emerson 'Dystopian Daddy/Why Does It Hurt' (Spectral Sound)

Having made the switch from San Francisco to Berlin, Avalon Emerson’s star continues to rise after playing head-turning sets at both Panorama Bar and Boiler Room in recent months. Here, the US selector and producer explores four different styles ranging from symphonic showstoppers to broken acid – but it’s the double whammy of ‘Dystopian Daddy’ and ‘Why Does It Hurt’ that caught our electro ear. The former’s glassy melody noodles along on a bed of skittish percussion, while ‘Why Does It Hurt’ blends industrial-sounding techno with face-melting electro to finish off another impressive outing from Emerson.

7/10

NinetyNine 'Only Vitriol' EP (La Bombe)

Julian Gamble has been making music under his NinetyNine alias for a number of years, now –and having recently completed the move from Toronto to Stockholm, the accomplished producer returns to his French touch-leaning moniker with this new three-track EP. Falling somewhere between Roulé-inspired French touch and rasping electro, his latest is a trifecta of different styles. ‘Fallen 4 U’ uses bombastic basslines and clever synths, ‘Ruination’ combines acid and French touch to devastating effect and closer ‘Vitriol’ is pure electro fire.

8/10