May: six artists you need to check out this month

After being picked up by electro royalty Boys Noize and Tiga, 23-year-old Pilo has emerged as a beacon for the new North American techno scene. With an unabashed rejection of current mainstream US dance trends, he’s turned his attention towards the grittier days of Detroit’s past, crafting an impressive discography of texture-driven, dancefloor-primed productions and playful sonic journeys.

Pilo’s ‘Flourishes’ EP is out now via Boys Noize

Orlagh Dooley’s nomadic Meine Nacht party has hit odd locations like an old police station and a disused supermarket. There, the 24-year-old is known for broad selections that leap from percussive house to squelching techno. This dynamism bleeds into her productions: witness the garage vocals, funky rhythms and interstellar synths on debut Hotflush EP ‘UK Lonely’. Her next release will launch the vinyl-only Deep Sea Frequency imprint she’ll head up with Meine Nacht’s Jessica Beaumont.

Or:la plays AVA on June 2

You might not think of the Danish city of Aarhus as one of dance music’s main outposts, but its dance scene is bubbling. Help Recordings is the label making a name for the city, home to Natal Zaks, aka Central. Since his debut EP in 2014 he’s put out a string of records under a handful of different aliases, touching on everything from weightless house to downbeat techno. Dekmantel signed two of his EPs and invited him to perform at the opening of its Amsterdam festival last year.

‘Partners 003’ is out on Partners now

With a rich musical history as a composer of operas, LA-based K Á R Y Y N is forging a new identity centred around her haunting vocals and avant-garde production. The artist, who’s of Syrian-Armenian heritage, recently dropped her debut EP, the celestial and emotionally charged two-tracker ‘Quanta 1’, which recalls the likes of FKA Twigs, Arca and Holly Herndon, its lead track ‘Aleppo’ describing the experience of seeing a city she once knew reduced to rubble. No surprise Björk’s a fan.

‘Quanta 1’ is out now

Last year Anz’ ‘Mission’ instrumental landed on MC Jammz’s ‘Underdog Season Vol 1’ mixtape, but the 25-year-old Londoner was already impressing the likes of Amy Becker, Murlo and Butterz boss Elijah thanks to the compelling narratives of her mixes – resulting in her becoming the most sought-after resident of Manchester club night Chow Down and picked for the debut outing on its new label. Expect bassline and funky-referencing percussion plus dense polyrhythms on the upcoming EP.

Anz’s self-titled debut EP lands via Chow Down in May

London duo Franc Moody cemented their relationship playing old-skool funk and soul at Tottenham warehouse parties. Then last year, with the release of ‘EP 1’, they turned their attention to making their own funk-fuelled bangers. With influences ranging from Fela Kuti to early Daft Punk, they say this recent delivery of modern disco “came out of a bit of a Prince binge”. Their next single will be out later this month, followed by the release of their second EP in summer.

‘Dopamine’ is out now on Juicebox Recordings