Welcome to the September section of our best tracks of the year 2021 rundown — read the full list here

Bristolian producer Om Unit has a knack for genre-blending, often traversing the line between dubstep, acid and jungle. ‘Ramp’, his latest self-released track, offers that same eclectic sound — just a notch away from dubstep, this 150bpm tune tailors the low-ends to the ears of his veteran dub fans. Buy it here

Overmono’s kicks always hit hard. After teasing the track at live shows throughout the summer, their most recent track ‘Bby’ arrived this month, playing on that recognisable dark and dancey feeling from the London duo. An escalating drone builds up to a swift drop with pitched-up vocals, backed by chords that the pair describe as “woozy and morphing, feeling like they might swallow you up”. Buy it here

Originally released during the salad days of dub, Mala’s 2005 ‘Misty Winter’ featuring Crazy D is a bedroom-made track rooting itself to the gritty, soundsystem culture of South London’s noughties. Now back with a re-release after 16 years, the sound of Mala only comes more amplified with a new ferociousness. Buy it here

With influence from hyperpop and drum ‘n’ bass, Rozie Ramati’s ‘Coca Cola’ Slurpees accurately encapsulates the spirit of a new generation of music. With ‘90s style jungle drums and soft, fun, pop lyrics, this track is a feel-good anthem.

Parris’ ‘Skater’s World’ is a fun, joyous love letter to skateboarding. The catchy rhythm partnered with the gleeful lyrics and serene vocals from Eden Samara makes it one of the most memorable releases of 2021. Buy it here

This track is constructed of strings, deep bass and high tempo drums. The bridge of the song has stimulatingly sharp but sweet clapping sounds, while the lyrics narrate a story of jealousy, providing an intense emotional journey to an intense instrumental. Buy it here

Released at the start of October by premiered days before on our SoundCloud, this is six minutes of unfiltered club rowdiness. Built around Ciara’s ‘Got Me Good’, LUXE brings all manner of screwface UK dimensions to the pop track. Buy it here

The debut release from Manchester artists Cartridge & Strategy’s new Regents projects is the kind of track to make you immediately sit up and take notice. Cartridge supplies a weighty beat with tension spiking from the murky depths, laying the foundations for Strategy’s tongue-twisting bars that flow with rhythmic mastery. Buy it here

Sicaria Sound continue the project’s victory lap with another fine release on their Cutcross Recordings imprint, coming from New Zealand artists Ebb and Texture. This collaborative cut closes out the four-track EP with pacey percussion and seismic bass throbs working in tandem to create a rousing, moody banger. Buy it here

The Far East Recordings honcho will release his first full-length record in six years, ‘Asakusa Light’, this December and it’s impossible not to get pumped after hearing the first track from the release ‘Bamboo Fighter’. This high-energy, deep house tune seems to marry together everything that makes Terada’s productions so addictive: there’s a repetitive, Mr Fingers-esque hook, swelling synths and a little injection of Japanese pipes just over the rhythm all marrying together to create an otherworldly, complex track that you never want to end. It’s cruising down the midnight highway in a delorean mixed with the penultimate boss in Street Fighter, in the best way. Welcome back Soichi!, Buy it here

Taken from forthcoming album ‘Love Letters, Nine Through Six,’ lead single ‘9 to find 6’ clearly has its roots in experimental, neon-tinted pop and PC music. It’s not a “club” track necessarily but it has inflections of those deep, retrospective moments we have when completely alone and swallowed by a crowd. It’s both optimistic and fraught with emotion, with Back’s vocals submitting romantic declarations while bending and curving around the percussive, eerie melody. One to stir the pit of your stomach while leaving plenty of room for contemplative dancefloor swaying. Buy it here

For her debut release on Scuffed Recs, Ayesha’s ‘We Be Bubblin’ is one of those tracks where the introduction of every element leaves you gagging for more. Energetic bubbling beats underlay compressed vocals will melt your brain, while infectious interludes of hard breaks and beeps will bring your body alive. Buy it here