May: 7 bass & club releases you need to hear this month

Octo Octa 'Where Are We Going?' (Honey Soundsystem)

There’s something to be said for constraining forms: working within limits allows artists to focus their creativity even further. House and techno are decidedly structured by patterns, and so it’s both refreshing and impressive to see producers put their own twists on the rules. New York-based producer Octo Octa’s second studio LP, put out by queer San Francisco collective Honey Soundsystem, glides from one theme to the next with a sense of effortlessness.

Silken, dreamy house starts the record off, but it slowly becomes brighter – ‘Fleeting Moments Of Freedom (Wooo)’ incorporates a subtle cowbell with its bubbly chords. ‘Move On (Let Go)’ (De-stress mix) slides wavering piano over groovy breaks, and ‘Adrift’ is an unwavering techno track. At a time when queer futures are in question, ‘Where Are We Going?’ reminds us that we can stay right here, on the dancefloor, and take that feeling of presence with us after the sun comes up.

8/10