Lists
January: 18 albums you need to hear this month
Sven Väth, Fever Ray, Nabihah Iqbal, Björk and more
Claro Intelecto 'Exhilarator' (Delsin)
Mark Stewart would probably be playing huge gigs if he lived in Berlin or Detroit – but as he’s actually from Manchester, he’ll just have to settle for living legend status instead. The dubby techno he makes as Claro Intelecto is recognisable for its minor-chord string drones, embracing bass and elegant devastation of your emotions. And on his first album in five years, all that is fully intact: there might be the odd diversion into jazzy shuffle or pure ambience, but this is the work of someone who understands their own sound, and as such can deliver it like nobody else. If you’ve ever cared about techno’s ability to wring humanity out of machines, then get to know. Joe Muggs
8/10
