November: 18 albums you need to hear this month

Nicolas Jaar 'Sirens' (Other People)

Mystifyingly, Nicolas Jaar is looked on with suspicion in some quarters: some people are confused that a man who can create cavernous dancefloor epics is also on a quest to experiment, manifesting itself in work that’s brittle, emotionally charged and rich with nuance. Since his 2011 debut album ‘Space Is Only Noise’, the Chilean has collaborated in spacey synth-rock duo DARKSIDE and released a movie soundtrack LP (the film it was created for, Dheepan by director Jacques Audiard, went on to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2015). He also recently put out a series of lavish techno EPs on R&S, too, suggesting that Jaar’s only problem might be that he’s too damn clever. In which case, armed with his new album ‘Sirens’ as further evidence, it’s about time any naysayers got over it.

The album’s opening track, ‘Mirror’, begins with a distant rumble, one that comes ever closer and is accompanied by the smashing of glass, seamlessly leading into ‘Killing Time’. A beautiful, neo-classical ambient piece marked by glistening arpeggios, ponderous backbeat and Jaar’s faltering falsetto, it’s a mood-setter for the rest of this sprawling, passionate album. As is often the case with Jaar, curveballs are pitched: on this occasion, they’re in the form of the rock’n’roll jam-meets-avant-garde jazz of ‘The Governor’ and ‘Three Sides of Nazareth’, a throbbing, snarling Death In Vegas-style electro workout. Sandwiched in between is the gorgeous ‘No’, where Jaar croons in his native Spanish over a scratchy, twitchy Latin American-cum-dancehall rhythm. Make no mistake, it’s Jaar in microcosm: a groundbreaking artist using all the weapons at his disposal in an attempt to move you. And trust us, you will be.

9/10

Romare 'Love Songs: Part Two' (Ninja Tune)

We thought we had Romare’s number. After a bonkers 2012 EP on Black Acre that joined the dots between African sounds, blues and footworking/bass music, Archie Fairhurst settled down into a groove. ‘Projections’, his debut album on Ninja Tune last year, was much smoother: it still dug deep into the past for samples, but evened out the results into a laid-back listening experience which reached a broad audience, suggesting the possibility that he might do very well for himself as a kind of St Germain, or even Moby, of the 2010s. But judging by this album, it seems like Fairhurst hadn’t subdued his experimental urges that much at all, nor his love of a bit of grit in his sound. Even the most obvious tracks here are rougher and tougher: where ‘Projections’ owed a big debt to the smoother side of Moodymann’s productions, both of the four-to-the-foor tracks here, ‘All Night’ and ‘Who Loves You’, are rugged disco cut-ups with a glorious rawness reminiscent of Theo Parrish at his most direct.

It gets weirder elsewhere. Other tracks have a steady kick and soulful samples, but these are made glitchy and trippy in the style of classic Akufen (see ‘Come Close to Me’ and ‘New Love’), or have wonky synth tones that blurt out of the mix (‘Je T’Aime’, ‘L.U.V.’). And the downtempo tunes that surround them also swerve off their expected tracks and into psychedelic and deliciously weird territory. This is precisely the sort of confounding of expectations we love to hear, and bodes well for a long, interesting career.

9/10

M.A.N.D.Y. 'Double Fantasy' (Get Physical)

With their debut album, German duo MANDY distil each moment of their storied 16-year career into 13 tracks that nod at every facet of their ever-evolving sound: from micro-house to darkened tech via a woozily slow rework of their anthemic dance pop Ibiza hit ‘Body Language,’ it’s all here. Help comes from accomplices such as Francesco Tristano and Jungle Brother Bam, but nothing dilutes the underlying vision of electronic moodiness and devilish production detail. The whole thing unfolds like an afterparty DJ set that veers from being stoned to tripped-out to cosmic. Sometimes the results feel a little cold and inhuman, but that’s always been their way and was unlikely to change here.

7/10

Pangaea 'In Drum Play' (Hessle Audio)

Since its inception, Hessle Audio has been at the forefront of UK club music, leading by example with innovative releases. Label co-founder Pangaea keeps this fine form going with a masterful debut album packed with fizzing, floor-primed constructions. Throughout, ‘In Drum Play’ combines rave euphoria with intricately formed foundations: ‘Rotor Soap’ is a come-up distilled into musical form and ‘Bulb In Zinc’ packs serious bassweight. But while it’s markedly club-driven, the production also rewards headphone listening, with twisted vocal samples, evolving percussive lines and the gentle ambience of ‘Scaled Wing’. The result is a record that’s bursting at the seams with raw energy but also provides arresting subtlety.

9/10

Cabanne 'Discopathy' (Minibar)

Cabanne, a Parisian producer with 15 years in the game, has a synthetic sound that works up precise minimal grooves flecked with instrumental samples and jazzy stylings. It’s an aesthetic that rather peaked years ago, and there’s certainly a sense of politeness and intricacy to much of this album that feels a little staid. If he’d only cut loose a little bit more, his solid but safe tracks would feel less prescriptive and predictable. As a sound designer he’s an expert, and the grasp of jazzy motifs here are second to none – but his loops arrive and leave as if plotted on a grid rather than jammed out with any real feeling. Imperfections and happy accidents are what make good music great, and there are too few here.

6/10

Soul Clap 'Soul Clap' (!K7/ Crew Love)

Soul Clap have always worn their influences on their sleeve, and for their second album, they went one step further than just aping their P-Funk heroes: they recorded it in their studio. The duo first headed to Florida to record their 2015 single ‘In Da Ker’ with George Clinton and Sly Stone, resulting in them partly recording this LP at Clinton’s What? Studios. You can hear that influence throughout, with ‘Synthesizer Girlfriend’ coming straight out of the P-Funk songbook. They also pay homage to diva house on ‘Shine (This Is It)’, while ‘Numb’ is house-inflected pop. But despite the quality of the songwriting and production, that inimitable Soul Clap character doesn’t always shine through.

7/10

The Orb 'COW/Chill Out, World!' (Kompakt)

This year marks the silver jubilee of The Orb’s dub ambient testament ‘Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld’, an album that was as much a feature of post-rave comedowns as a packet of large Rizla. But the duo also proved their mojo was still as strong as ever with last year’s ‘Moonbuilding 2703 AD’, which meandered between scuttling breaks, stoned house and chill-out jams. As the title of this new LP suggests, it’s the latter that’s the foundation here. In particular, the beautiful and ambient narco-breakbeat of ‘4am Exhale’ and swooning downtempo of ‘9 Elms Over River Eno (Channel 9)’ are two gentle, aural hugs from these two esteemed purveyors of sonic sunshine.

7/10

Brandt Brauer Frick 'JOY' (Because Music)

Berlin trio BBF have steadily been building a decent reputation due to their ability as a live band to deliver the structures and synthetic textures of techno with cool classical, experimental and jazz elements woven in. Sometimes, this has all been a bit slick; their last album ‘Miami’, though, saw them cutting loose more with guest vocalists such as Jamie Lidell and Nina Kraviz adding vibes, and now they seem determined to really kick out the jams. With Canadian vocalist/poet Beaver Sheppard in action throughout, ‘JOY’ has plenty of pleasingly rough edge and hollering, distorted energy. There are times when it does feel a little dry, but it’s still an album that’s definitely deserving of your time.

7/10

Phaeleh 'Illusion Of The Tale' (Undertow)

As a maker of floaty dubstep and post-dubstep, Phaeleh has often been hit and miss – technically super adept as a producer and occasionally hitting the spot emotionally, but too often bland and lacking in identity. But when he’s making ambient, as he did on his 2014 record ‘Somnus’ and does on new album ‘Illusion Of The Tale’, too, he seems entirely at home. Here, freed from pressures of club and radio, he can give full rein to his studio skill and love of texture, and does so over 17 long soundscapes. They’re not experimental or noisy, more like soundtracks to imaginary sci-fi films. Chimes ripple, fizzing chords rise up to the starlit sky and the whole thing wills you to close your eyes and levitate along with it. Absolutely gorgeous stuff.

8/10

D.D Dumbo 'Utopia Defeated' (4AD)

It’s easy to think that samples and loops are the realm of the electronic music artist, but D.D Dumbo – with the aid of a guitar, basic percussion and FX pedals – has created something extraordinary with ‘Utopia Defeated’. Dumbo, aka Oliver Perry, is from a small town in Australia’s remote Victoria bush, but the music he makes sounds like it hugs the world. The influence of earthy sub-Saharan blues is readily apparent on the choppy fretwork of ‘Walrus’, and the raw loops he creates by on-the-fly sampling have universal appeal. Similarly his voice, with its soaring inflections and echoes of Sting and Jeff Buckley, is a hugely effective tool. Look no further than the rattling, twitchy ‘Satan’ for evidence of his unique sound.

7/10

Danny Brown 'Atrocity Exhibition' (Warp)

Inspired by Björk, Joy Division and System Of A Down, ‘Atrocity Exhibition’ is Danny Brown’s Warp debut, having left Fool’s Gold due to “creative freedom” restraints. The Detroit-born punk-rapper enlists some colossal guest features: ‘Really Doe’ with Kendrick Lamar is raucous and rowdy, Evian Christ’s production pushes ‘Pneumonia’ to its invasive limits and future-r’n’b star Kelela gifts her soul over ‘From The Ground’. Elsewhere, ‘Downward Spiral’ is a bad trip bursting with clanging drums, ‘Ain’t It Funny’ boasts Brown’s unmatchable flow and closer ‘Hell For It’ is a powerful mission statement. A thematic sequel to 2011 breakout mixtape ‘XXX’, Danny Brown remains rap’s most unique force.

9/10

Michael Mayer '&' (Kompakt)

There’s so much top-rank talent on this album, it could easily have been a complete disaster; too many cooks spoiling the broth, a ghastly showbiz-spectacular bit of back-slapping and farting about or just a hodge-podge with no clear identity. But then, this is Michael Mayer we’re talking about here: the Kompakt co-founder so rarely puts a foot wrong that our hopes were high, and they were met. Mayer has always had an ability to weave the richest dancefloor cheese into forms both experimental and emotional, and here he’s chosen exactly the right people to amplify different sides of his music. Barnt, Kölsch, Gui Boratto and Roman Flügel are recruited for all of the sweeping electro-techno epics; Joe Goddard, Miss Kittin, Prins Thomas and Ed from Friendly Fires for any heartstring-plucking dancefloor weepies; and pianist/composer Hauschka for an extraordinary piece of 1989 style rave. Occasionally it’s a little over-sugared, but overall this is simply dynamite.

8/10

Dinky 'Valor' (Crosstown Rebels)

Chilean-born, Berlin-based Dinky’s sixth record is a deeply personal affair. Formed during a period in which classical guitarist, keyboardist and singer Alejandra Iglesias was bedbound for months because of a medical pregnancy risk, the Panorama Bar resident overcame the pain of potentially losing her son by getting her husband, producer Matthew Styles,to build a studio around her. ‘Valor’ (the Spanish word for courage) is a chilled collection of emotional sunset house. There are crisp vocals on the acid-tinged ‘Casa’ and ‘Shooting Bodies’ as well as subtle house groovers ‘Cut’, ‘Lackers’ and ‘Milk’, but it’s Dinky’s skill of layering that really impresses, as she fuses together sonic textures and explores themes of family love.

7/10

Booka Shade 'Movements 10' (Blaufield M10)

Booka Shade celebrate 10 years since the release of their career-defining LP ‘Movements’ with this re-mastered version, which also comes with a stack of stellar remixes. Hunter/Game’s take on ‘In White Rooms’ is darker and deeper than the melodic mix turned in by Jonas Rathsman, while Nils Frahm’s grooving, nine-minute version of ‘Night Falls’ contrasts with Patrick Topping’s tech-house rework. Elsewhere, Eats Everything adds quirky mechanical textures to ‘Mandarine Girl’ before Deetron’s squelching edit takes it in a more menacing direction, while Dennis Ferrer’s big-room mix of ‘Lost High’ builds into steady techno.

8/10

Eton Messy 'In:Season' (Eton Messy Records)

Pairing the effervescent underground with future dancefloor killlers comes easy for Bristol-based talent-spotting collective Eton Messy. Offering weaponry from UK house heads including Dusky and Jax Jones while also thrusting GotSome and Après into the limelight, their new compilation seems like a winner on paper, yet lacks cohesion across a mammoth 32 tracks. The Eastern-influenced rhythms of Jynx’s ‘Charm’ are invigorating and they showcase their knack for scouting talent on Dubshy’s ‘Cut & Run’, with its gripping keys and soaring vocals. But when merged with summer hits such as ‘Ingrid Is A Hybrid’ and ‘Housework’, it’s obvious they’d sparkle more with an even greater collection of ripe originals.

7/10

Jamie Lidell 'Building A Beginning' (Jajulin Records)

When it comes to inspiring creativity, changing record labels can often be the best thing ever, especially when the result is pure fire in the belly. In the case of Jamie Lidell, that album title (and spectacular title track) is also a sign of where his Nashville-based head is at post-Warp: the vibe is pure Stevie Wonder strolling with Lewis Taylor on a warm summer evening. And over the course of 14 tracks, he keeps the songwriting tight and the mood jubilant: from ‘Julian’ and ‘I Live To Make You Smile’ to the woozy ‘Find It Hard To Say’ and ‘How Did I Live Before Your Love’, he keeps things sunny side up throughout. We’re a long way from Super Collider, but there’s really not a duff card in the pack.

8/10

Youandewan 'There Is No Right Time' (!K7/Aus Music)

With his debut album, Youandewan really comes of age. Before now his deeper house sound has been coy, cuddly and charming. Here, though, he matures and conjures some poignant emotions informed by a lonely few months in Berlin. Smeared neon chords, soft-edged drums and fuzzy tape delay mean the whole thing still feels warm and inviting, but there’s a musicality to the melodies and key changes that really elevate the whole affair. Alongside teary-eyed slow-burners, there are loose-limbed hip hop skits and steppy 80s bangers that make you jerk your body. They say house albums don’t work, but the absorbing nuances of this LP debunk that theory.

9/10

Mandar 'Mandar' (Oscillat Music)

The debut album from Mandar’s pan-continental trio of France’s Lazare Hoche, Denmark’s SAM and Amsterdam-based Malin Genie is a 95-minute long opus that gives full range to their sprawling house epics. It’s sensual, lithe and pulls off the neat trick of working the dancefloor yet still hitting the spot on the bus to work. ‘Another Joint’ is a prime example, its brutal kicks and fizzing hi-hats offset by deep synth swells and P-Funk bass keys. Mandar pay homage to breakbeat throughout, as the gargantuan, hypnotic ‘Ascend’ readily attests, while ‘Sequence 25’ shows an adroit handling of ’70s-style analogue synth jams. But as the crunching, jazz-flecked ‘Else’ shows, Mandar’s prime territory is pure, unadulterated deep house.

8/10