September: 18 albums you need to hear this month

Dusky 'Outer' (17 Steps via Polydor/Astralwerks)

It’s always tricky when electronic duos try and do a Chemical Brothers, mainly because they were (and still are) such a unique proposition. But Dusky, now signed to Polydor and joined by grime legend Wiley and synth hero Gary Numan on vocal duties, are attempting just that with their music and live show, which means their original sound may be stretched somewhat. So the question is: does ‘Outer’ lead us into the heavens or to Las Vegas? Thankfully, it’s way more of the former, with the scintillating ‘Tears’, the muscular ‘Runny Nose’ and 2015 standout ‘Ingrid’ (“take me away!”) still snapping, and their Wiley collab still sounding like the best rave vocal 808 State never made. Equally impressive is ‘Spruce’ feat Pedestrian, which wouldn’t sound out of place being covered by James Blake: it’s a smart reminder that there’s more to Dusky than four to the floor. Sadly, the collab with Numan (‘Swansea’) is only a partial success but overall, ‘Outer’ is a starry-eyed electronic LP packed with surprises.

8/10