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

Various 'Mono No Aware' (PAN)

It’s surprising that a label known for making club rhythms out of jagged, dissonant sounds would release an incredibly strong ambient compilation. Pan, the Berlin imprint headed by Bill Kouligas, delve into various landscapes here, drifting between the earthly and the celestial, the harsh and the smooth. What usual Pan releases and ‘Mono No Aware’ have in common is the way the artists explore and use space, whether by stretching long phrases or creating claustrophobia. There are soft, sombre reflections (French producer Malibu’s track makes excellent use of gasps and string instruments) and loud, expanding statements (‘Justforu’, by Mexican artist Mya Gomez, rotates like glass in sunlight, glittering all the while). Also featuring notable Pan alumni such as Mesh and Yves Tumor, this comp pushes us to rethink what certain sounds mean in the context of the club.

9/10

Sega Bodega feat Shygirl 'CC' (Crazylegs)

London-based producer Sega Bodega makes a statement with a new EP on Bristol label Crazylegs. It’s a departure from the more lighthearted sonic palette he explored on his 2015 Activia Benz release ‘Sportswear’: this goes deeper, darker and feels more urgent. ‘CC’ starts out with cheeky commands from Shygirl, which orbit around distorted synths before descending into a craggy vortex of coughs and percussive shards.

8/10

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

Akito 'Turbo Blues' (Sans Absence)

Fans of London’s Acid Fantasy club night will easily recognise Akito’s sound. His sets, both live and on London radio stations, are usually propelled by an ever-flowing barrage of percussion. That propulsive energy also marked Akito’s achievements in 2016 – his label Sans Absence really kicked off last year, putting out releases by newer producers such as Sylvere and Luke West.

His new release whirls gracefully around the listener: the drums bring to mind fellow Acid Fantasy host TSVI or Her Records’ NKC, but the elastic synth pads get distorted with the percussion seamlessly, signifying Akito’s distinct sound. Opener ‘Cherry Bisous’ is all echoing percussion and lilting melodies, the kind of track that revitalises you in the dance at 4am when all the other clubbers are taking a break. ‘Spiral Sequence’ is a relentless attack of rolling snares, and ‘Carry On Comedown’ stays true to its title – loose, wispy textures and a drumline that tries hard to keep you on your feet.

9/10

Deena Abdelwahed 'Klabb' (InFiné)

Even though Deena Abdelwahed’s debut EP is only just being released now, she’s been making waves for a while. Before turning to electronic production, the Tunisian producer sang for a jazz band and was a member of the DJ collective World Full Of Bass. Last year, she won CTM’s Radio Lab prize for her radio art performance ‘All Hail Mother Internet’, which grappled with questions of identity formation. ‘Klabb’ also draws on several sonic themes, including bass and ambient music as well as traditional North African and West Asian instrumentation. ‘Jalel Eddin Rrumi’ chops vocal samples of Tunisian activist Jalel Brick with echoing chords played on the ganûn (an Arabic string instrument), while. ‘Walk On, Nothing To See Here’ is a drum-heavy statement rife with claps and echoes. On ‘Ena Essbab’, Abdelwahed’s vocals rebound off each other, backed by hand drums and whirring textures in a disorienting chorus. Her multidisciplinary background pays off here, as she candidly maps how the local and the global interact with assorted sonic technologies.

8/10

Zutzut 'Placas' (NAAFI)

Mexico City collective NAAFI has become one of the most instrumental players in the global club scene right now. Alejandro Núñez Ferrara, the Monterrey-based producer known as Zutzut, has a knack for slicing tracks and sounds apart, and putting them back together in a manner that’s both sleek and piercing. New EP ‘Placas’ (a slang term for ‘cops’) creeps around you deliberately, like a cloud of grey mist.

The steadiness of the drums among the melodic textures adds to the sense of unease that permeates throughout the record. ‘Tiro Limpio’ is the most ominous, melding groans and the sound of running water with rumbling basslines; ‘Mareo’ and ‘Plexo’ move ahead of you rather than around you, guiding you on a path into the vague darkness. ‘Ojos Negros’ icily plays with suspense, with the drums again keeping the melodies moving, augmenting the eerie vibe. Designed to encapsulate the experience of living in Monterrey, Zutzut is able to lead the listener to their own conclusions, without ever having to explicitly explain how it feels.

8/10

DJ Jayhood 'King' (Local Action)

In the age of the internet, genres get spread around the world with a speed not previously thought possible. Though it’s exciting that niche genres are gaining wider recognition, it’s critical that we pay our respects to the original scene’s creators too. ‘King’, by Newark’s DJ Jayhood, is noteworthy not just because of its quality but because it’s also one of the first few full-length Jersey club records released by one of the genre’s innovators.

Some of these tracks have already been put out and racked up thousands of listens over the years, and more are from the producer’s archives – but that they can all be found on one album is significant in itself. ‘Apologize’ reworks the Timbaland track from 2007 into an existential dancefloor anthem, and ‘Wet The Bed’ feat Lil Joker pairs the classic squeaking-bed sound with upbeat arpeggios. Classics such ‘Hands On Ya Hips’ and ‘Jersey Anthem’ hold up well; with this record out on London’s Local Action, Jayhood should reach an even wider audience.

7/10

Nina Posner is Mixmag's bass & club editor, follow her on Twitter