Japanese label TREKKIE TRAX has been smacking it out the park lately with a dynamic run of releases blending various dance, rap and experimental styles into thrilling hybrids. This debut album from Osaka-born, Tokyo-based Fetus might just be our favourite yet. His artist moniker was chosen as a nod to an embryonic approach to production that’s not settled into any final form, and the LP is full of twists and turns. Drum ‘n’ bass is a central influence, with tracks like ‘Blade’ bringing through a serotonin-soaked liquid sound, ‘Geometry’ rinsing jungle tropes, and ‘Capricious Radar’ verging into jump-up chaos. But there’s so much more to the record than that. Opener ‘b1 (Intro)’ sets a tone of atmospheric ambience, ‘Insecurity’ isn’t far off the type of deep, tech-house groover you might hear at Sunwaves, ‘Aquatic (2024ver)’ plays with entrancing melodies and cawing samples. Across the 15 tracks, it spirals out as an intoxicating ride through breakneck BPMs, slamming percussion, screwface bass, deep dub techno, upfront footwork, and more, with the forward momentum and otherworldliness of Japanese video game music an overarching influence.

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We thought this day would never come. Clara La San’s debut album dropped at long last this month, following a reclusive seven years since her first mixtape ‘Good Mourning’, produced alongside Jam City, dropped in 2017. That’s since been removed from streaming platforms, while her output has been limited to a few writing credits and vocal features. She’s evidently a perfectionist who has a very clear idea of how her music should sound, with this outstanding LP made up entirely of her own songwriting, production and vocals. But as the title suggests, she likes to live, learn and work things out from attempts and failures, which is reflected in both the measured music-making process and considered lyrical themes explored in her R&B, pop, electronica and trap influenced songs. It’s a beautiful record that you can let fully soak into your skin and luxuriate in, which is handy, because who knows how long until we hear from her again.

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The future of footwork is in good hands, with young gun DJ Corey, son of legendary pioneer DJ Clent, taking the baton as an inspirational figurehead of the next generation. On ‘4 The Street Vol 3’ he works alongside King Agee and pulls together a host of footwork powerhouses for a mega mixtape totalling 68 tracks. As the radio hotline styled opener promises, it’s “for the culture” and “all flames”. Additional artists featured are DJ Clent, DJ Solo, DJ MC, DJ Roc, DJ Chad, DJ Earl, DJ MC, DJ Roc, DJ Amaris and DJ T-Rell, with innovative productions featuring repetitive vocal refrains, palpitating bass, samples pushed into propulsive frameworks, and plenty more gun finger-raising sounds (as well as what appears to be a DJ Spinn diss track from Clent). DJ Corey completes the victory lap with the final five tracks, including samples of Kendrick’s ‘Not Like Us’, hypnotising “Beatdown” vocal loops, woozy synths and hard-hitting drumwork.

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Parisian producer Bamao Yendé makes his debut on Club Djembe with a rousuing EP of globe-trotting club sounds. Releases on the Bristol label are always a proper vibe, and ‘Dios Mio’ (translation: ‘My God’) piles the frenetic energy high in its exploratory, bass-rooted and percussively propulsive tracks.

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Gqom pioneer DJ Lag asserts his king of the genre status on second album ‘THE REBELLION’, while also branching out his sound with shifts into new territory. Hit single ‘Hade Boss’, in collab with Mr Nation Thingz and K.C Driller, shows him at his atmospheric best, pairing log drum hits and stirring bass with agile rap flows, while a cut like ‘Oke Oke’ sees him link up with Spanish artist Jazz Alonso, who delivers a sensual vocal turn, for a hemisphere-crossing experimental blend of styles. Across the 13-tracks, DJ Lag blends gqom with styles such as amapiano, hip hop, drill and the nascent 3-step like no one has before.

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Birmingham techno gamechangers Surgeon and Regis show they can still blow us away with their searing productions, surprise releasing their debut album as British Murder Boys this month, around 20 years after forming the duo. Carrying through a sense of raw industrialism and no-holds-barred energy that made them such a thrilling prospect in the early-mid ’00s, they also tap into the headier sounds of the rave scene from both the UK and US, fuelling an invigorating sense of dancefloor delirium across the duration.

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Alinka steps up for her first full release on Gudu Records, following an appearance on the ‘Gudu & Friends Vol. 2’ compilation. She first met label founder Peggy Gou at Panorama Bar, and this link-up feels fizzing with the exultant dancefloor energy the Berlin club exudes, with plenty of influence from Alinka’s Chicago roots weaved in. Opener ‘Pure Ecstasy’ will have you eyes shut and swaying, before follow-up ‘Freedom Dance’ fires into more pumping territory with jagged bass that grounds your feet to the floor while the glossy synths and “dance to be free” vocal repetition elevates your spirit. ‘Ultraviolet’ throbs with Chicago energy, while closer ‘Blue Dream’ takes you on a blissful ride into the morning.

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A moving release of contemporary classic sounds blended with stirring electronica and soul-soothing ambient from Kyiv-hailing, London-based producer Bodya Konakov. Weaving through light and gentle textures, it will transport you to tranquility.

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Before it debuted this month, it felt less like there was a “buzz” in anticipation of Charli xcx’s sixth studio album and more a complete, legless intoxication — yet, it was still bewildering to see how ‘Brat’ enraptured music lovers within just hours of release. Yes, we had been rinsing singles such as ‘Von dutch’, ‘B2b’ and ‘360’ in earnest, but did we see ourselves booking appointments to get a ‘365’-inspired tramp stamp a month ago? That we’d be looking at our near-finished packs of microgynon with contemplation due to the broody-but-not-broody confessions within ‘I think about it all the time’ this time last month? Who can honestly say thought they would live to hear a bassline that fucking naughty before they got to ‘Club classics’ during their first ‘Brat’ playthrough on June 7? Or be over the age of 25 and sending pop lyrics in texts to their Hinge match before hearing ‘Everything is romantic’? ‘Brat’ fever got us, and while we had been ready for Charli’s “club album”, the finished product is so much more. Wldly vacillating between hedonistic party chimaera, comedown-induced spiralling and bone-deep confessions, ‘Brat’ is consistently contradictory yet logical, with production from the likes of Charli, A. G. Cook, EASYFUN, HudMo, Gesaffelstein and Cirkut that reflects these contrasts — pulling references from electroclash, French touch, dubstep and 00’s floorfillers. All in all ‘Brat’ is uncomfortably satisfying, addictively staggering and cunty as fuck.

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AK SPORTS initial ‘CLUB MADHOUSE 001’ EP was a solid introduction to the LA-based, Aussie-born DJ and producer’s breakneck reality. Now following up with a full 14-track compilation as the imprint’s second release, ‘CLUB MADHOUSE 002’, which has been steadily dished out on Bandcamp weekly since April, marks a full crash course in her particular brand of hard-as-nails rave, comprising music from speed addicts across the globe. While AK Sport’s contribution ‘Jump Into My Mind’ gets the ball rocketing with its frenetic hats and pounding kicks, there are a myriad of ways the listener can be served our daily 160 BPM — the donk inflections of Kenneth Brighton’s ‘Rave’ perhaps? Or are the Norty-with-a-capital N breaks on Reimond’s ‘Breakin Ma Heart’ more to your taste? Maybe some billowing electro courtesy of Motez’s ‘Good to Go’? No matter what ‘CLUB MADHOUSE 002’ has got you covered.

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Oh Skee Mask… another surprise album drop in six months? What’s he like! Once again proving himself the master of giving dance music aficionados what they want, the Munich-based producer made his return to Ilian Tape this month with an out-of-the-blue 14-tracker that - as its name suggests - focuses on having a nice little break. While there are moments where Skee’s favoured punchy bass and rolling breaks bob upward of the surface, they are enveloped in a sea of soothing atmospheres, shimmering percussion, and gooey lo-fi samples that demand you sit yourself down, put your feet up and just… aaaaah — with even the jacking kicks on ‘Hölzl Was A Dancer’ and the frenetic amen on ‘BB Care’ still somehow feeling like a lovely big dip in the pool at sunset.

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Another deep and transcendental project from the genius Osunlade, ‘Inner Garden’ is a nine-track spiritual journey. The project showcases a range of motifs throughout, from the spaced-out and slightly haunting opener of ‘Wiggle Room’ to the Middle Eastern sounding strings of ‘Hang Nail’, and the addictive deep house of ‘Luv’. An ordained priest of the African Ifa religion, Osunlade puts a special emphasis on the spiritual power of rhythm and groove, and ‘Inner Garden’, which lands on his Yoruba Records imprint, marks the newest chapter in Osunlade’s extensive collection of releases.

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‘The Remedy’ is the newest full length album from LCSM, short for Likwid Continual Space Motion. One of broken beat legend IG Culture’s many aliases, LCSM provides him with a space to explore jazzier sides of bruk, experimenting with a sound that’s been coined London Bruk Boogie. The album also touches on grime and funk elements, alongside live instrumentation, rap vocals, spoken word and singing which keep the project alive. While IG’s versatility is known about by some, the project sees him shine light on the wide range of sounds which influenced early broken beat, receiving acclaim from Giles Peterson, who invited IG on his show to discuss the album.

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A groundbreaking project from Nigerian pop, R&B and Afro fusion star, ‘Born in the Wild’ is full of emotion, introspection and nostalgia. Going for a more stripped-back and soulful ‘90s vibe than some of her other releases, the singer produced much of the album alongside GuiltyBeatz, adding another string to her bow as a producer, alongside writing all her own songs. Where she does use features, they more than add to the project, with sampling of Ivorian group Magic System’s '1er Gaou' in ‘Wickedest’ and appearances from J. Cole and Asake adding the cherry on top to a beautiful piece of work.

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We’ve waited long enough for Channel Tres to release an album and his debut does not disappoint. The multi-talented Californian is waving the flag for funk and drawing influences from his history as a dance music, house-loving figure. From bass-pumping tracks such as ‘Cactus Water’ we cruise into the depths of Detroit techno with tracks including ‘Berghain’ which - predictably - is inspired by his time playing at the nightlife landmark. Calling in some big names to feature on the album - such as Thundercat, Toro Y Moi, Ty Dolla $ign, Ravyn Lenae, Estelle, and Teezo Touchdown - Tres morphs his deep tone to each artist’s vocal symphonies. ‘Head Rush’ is truly a body of work that is here to stand out.

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INVT and Introspekt have gifted us with a new holy trinity. This collab is a three-pack of secret weapons which are guaranteed to make the dancefloor erupt. Kicking things off with a cheeky Salt-N-Pepa ‘Push It!’ sample, the wobblers come in thick and fast, teeing up ‘AYO DJ’ (Feat. DJ Teck Turna) to let the bass do all the talking as it sways in and out of your speakers. Tying things up nicely, the pair end on a spacey dub which is probably best heard in the early hours of the morning.

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Bounding in with a grand opening to the album, KAYTRANADA shows off from the get-go by spotlighting his signatures of a funky drum beat and some smart sampling. Here on out, the 21-track album has KAYTRANADA pull in a long list of big names and fan favourites to join on features, from the likes of regular contributors such as Rochelle Jordan, Thundercat and Channel Tres to some debuts with Childish Gambino, Don Toliver and more. This new project from the Canadian producer is a dream come true for his fans, including the high energy and experimental twangs that feel reminiscent of his treasured 2016 album ‘99.9%’.

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