June: 6 bass & club tunes you need to hear this month

Bonaventure 'Free Lutangu' (PTP)

Sometimes the club’s cacophony of sounds can be confusing; after a while, abrasive pressures and movements in basements can start to blend together. But 30 seconds into Berlin-based DJ Soraya Lutangu’s debut EP, you’re hooked. Delving into themes of institutionalised racism and oppression, ‘Free Lutangu’ is best listened to as a whole, as moods deftly switch from one track to another. ‘Supremacy’ heaves with rumbling bass, sirens and samples from Sister Souljah’s speech from PBS’s Listening To America series. ‘Hopelessness’ focuses on humming and hand drums for a quieter moment, and ‘Fearlings’ feat Hannah Black weaves spoken narration through wispy, haunted textures. Lutangu entwines powerful samples with huge instrumentals to make for one of the most formidable debuts club music has seen for a long time.

10/10

Yaeji 'Feel It Out' (Godmode)

New York locals have had a leg up on the rest of us for a minute – they’ve been getting to see Yaeji, aka Kathy Lee, DJ around town for a while. Her first EP, out on eclectic electronic label Godmode, showcases gently wobbling synths, crisp hi-hats and Lee’s own vocals, which slide smoothly between Korean and English. The music provides an aura of comfort in the dance – and when ‘Feel It Out’ softly urges us to open up in a new way, you genuinely want to.

9/10

Joey LaBeija 'Violator' (Self-released)

A member of the illustrious House of LaBeija, producer, DJ and all-round New York nightlife stalwart Joey LaBeija says he started making music to bring the energy of the house outside of the vogue and ballroom scene. While his 2016 PTP record ‘Shattered Dreams’ was an often sombre and reflective affair, his new release ‘Violator’ is ruthless all the way through, like a soundtrack to a night that’s careening out of control in the best way possible. The album’s lead single ‘Xxxcuse Me’ is punctuated by yelping samples and hardstyle motifs; elsewhere, ‘Sucia’ works with plinking chords and a dembow rhythm to push the dance along. There’s darkness to be found in ‘Violator’, in the sense that the most effective club tracks always have a bit of an edge to them, but there’s also a pleasantly orchestrated mania to the songs, too. LaBeija knows exactly what he’s doing: he put out the EP himself and demonstrates his years of experience in the New York club scene through a perfectly executed signature sound. There are rapid rise and falls – high-tempo anthems interspersed with low, slow drops – but you’ll want to keep up.

9/10

Nkisi 'Kill' (MW)

Although ‘Kill’ is Nkisi’s official debut release, the Belgian-Congolese producer is already incredibly well-known and well-accomplished in club scenes across the world. She’s been running London’s cult club night Endless for a few years now, has put out tracks with the NON collective and relentlessly tears up every deck she touches. The title track here sets the mood from the outset as drums clatter, kicks pound and synths glisten around you – there’s a lot going on, but somehow it’s all absolutely made to fit together. ‘Can You See Me’, on the other hand, is more downtempo compared to a typical Nkisi track, hypnotically rolling and breaking like crests of waves, allowing the listener time to get their bearings before the high-voltage knockout that is ‘MWANA’. Many producers make music in the same way that they DJ: by putting two (or more) unlikely elements together for a pleasingly dissonant blend. Nkisi, both in her sets and on ‘Kill’, manages to place things together in a way that’s incredibly fluid; it feels natural, but who would have ever thought to fade a bright riff in and out over 148bpm techno? These are the ones you’ll be grateful to hear when you’re still dancing the next morning.

9/10

False Witness 'The Art Of Fighting' (GHE20G0TH1K)

Before even listening to False Witness’ new ‘The Art Of Fighting’ EP, we were struck by its cover art. A swirl of pinks and blues melts against a black background, flowing every which way. The viscous substance asserts itself, making you sit up and look a little bit closer. Like its corresponding visual aspect, the Brooklyn-based producer and DJ’s music draws you in slowly, and then wholly envelops you: on ‘Panic Room (To Lose One’s Nerve)’ featuting Kala, for example, Twilight Zone-esque synth tones echo, and suddenly the bassline is racing along steadily while someone gasps on the track. ‘Perfect Attack’ is just that, featuring jagged melodic lines and fast-paced drops, while ‘Revolt’ rolls and propels the EP forward with its determined energy. Released on Venus X’s legendary GHE20G0TH1K label, the #KUNQ collective member affirms that despite venue closures and laws that target marginalised communities, New York’s club spaces aren’t going anywhere. The hardness found in ‘The Art Of Fighting’ differs from a lot of abrasive-sounding music out there today; this is frenzied but focused, and there’s a desperate passion to the pounding kicks that lets you know exactly how high the stakes are. It’s very personal, and a clear sonic refusal to back down.

8/10

v1984 'Pansori' (Knives)

Knives, the label run by Kuedo and Joe Shakespeare, apparently had v1984 in mind when they first started putting out records back in 2014. The Planet Mu-affiliated imprint specialises in releasing work from futuristic electronic artists that all use disparate elements in their productions (see past JG Biberkopf and Jlin releases), and v1984’s latest really does fit into the catalogue well. The Cleveland-based producer (real name Christopher Ramos) takes motifs of hip-hop, classical music and the oft-cited ‘deconstructed club’ to create his own captivating auditory realm. Album opener ‘SPfiNAL TAP re-JUVENescence’ swells, blisters and finally de-crescendos to make way for ‘Too Much’, in which a moody squarewave melody haunts its way between trap-style kicks. Closing track ‘beauty_UT5INYR-H3D’, meanwhile, features some heartbreaking piano above mechanical whirring and droning samples that repeat things like “it’s… in your head”. This is a record you have to listen through a few times to really get – not because it doesn’t sound good the first time, but rather so you can truly appreciate the scope of the project Ramos is taking on here. It’s subtle, introspective and navigates the liminal space between club music and experimental ambience skillfully.

8/10