Best Albums

May 2021

- AD 93
  Maxwell Sterling - Turn Of Phrase
  
  IDM and modern classical collide on one of the year's prettiest records.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / SoundCloud
- Lighthead Records
  Car Culture - Dead Rock
  
  Physical Therapy goes ambient on an electroacoustic album full of enchanting melodies, murmuring voices and gentle piano.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / SoundCloud
- Ilian Tape
  Skee Mask - Pool
  
  Skee Mask continues to astound us, this time with a nearly two-hour magnum opus that combines techno, footwork and drum & bass.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / SoundCloud
- Wet Trax
  Chippy Nonstop & dj genderfluid - Chippy Nonstop & dj genderfluid
  
  A confident, sexy and hilarious album that mixes Chippy Nonstop's brash personality with fiery rave throwbacks.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / SoundCloud
- !K7
  Jayda G - DJ-Kicks
  
  If you've never seen Jayda G DJ, this is as close as it gets, with '80s funk rubbing elbows with disco, techno and melodic electro.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify
- Comatonse
  DJ Sprinkles - Gayest Tits & Greyest Shits: 1998-2017 12-Inches & One-Offs
  
  An essential compilation for any Terre Thaemlitz fan, gathering up almost every DJ Sprinkles EP or single from the past 20-plus years.
  
  Listen:
  Comatonse Recordings
- Motion Ward
  Ulla - Limitless Frame
  
  Ulla's entrancing ambient comes more into focus with the addition of saxophone and guitar, though her world remains as intriguing and mysterious as ever.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / SoundCloud
- Young Art Records
  Rochelle Jordan - Play With The Changes
  
  Cutting-edge R&B and club tracks that show the singer truly coming into her own.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / SoundCloud
- Urbnet
  Korea Town Acid - Metamorphosis
  
  Joined by a number of Korean vocalists, Korea Town Acid's debut is a vibrant selection of drum & bass, hip-hop and techno.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / SoundCloud
- Ninja Tune
  Leon Vynehall - Rare, Forever
  
  After a heavily conceptual album, Leon Vynehall goes back to the dance floor with an LP full of left turns.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / SoundCloud
- Ulyssa
  V/A - ULYSSA Presents: 40% Foda/Maneiríssimo
  
  An eye-opening compilation showcasing one of Rio de Janeiro's most important musical crews.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify

Best Singles

May 2021

- Technicolour
  Elkka - Euphoric Melodies
  
  The title says it all: this is feel-good house music from a breakout producer.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / SoundCloud
- Keysound Recordings
  Burial & Blackdown - Shock Power Of Love
  
  Two old friends reunite—Blackdown sounds rejuvenated and funkier than ever, while Burial makes the most blissful music of his career.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify
- Alphabet Street
  Yen Sung & Photonz - Still
  
  Two generations of Lisbon dance music combine on an irresistibly glossy house track.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / SoundCloud
- Ninja Tune
  India Jordan - Watch Out!
  
  If you thought India Jordan's music couldn't get any more ecstatic, you're in for a treat—five tracks of kinetic energy and insistent vocal samples.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / SoundCloud
- Digital Soundboy
  Shy FX & Breakage - Darker Than Blue
  
  Digital Soundboy relaunches in fine style with a record that outlines what the crew are best at: clever crossover drum & bass.
  
  Listen:
  Apple Music / Spotify / SoundCloud
- Self-released
  Tomu DJ - Second Dose
  
  Tomu DJ makes house music sound expressive in so many different ways, as we hear on this heavily collaborative new EP.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / Apple Music
- Soul Print Recordings
  Jenifa Mayanja - Scheme
  
  Deep house takes a darker turn on Jenifa Mayanja's latest EP, and the eerie undertones suit her.
  
  Listen:
  SoundCloud
- XL Recordings
  LSDXOXO - Dedicated 2 Disrespect
  
  LSDXOXO remains an unstoppable force in techno, with four bumping cuts just waiting to soundtrack your first post-pandemic dance floor experience.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / SoundCloud
- Livity Sound
  Tribal Brothers & DJ Polo - The Link Up
  
  Three crucial figures in underground UK club music come together for a typically adventurous Livity Sound EP, mixing old-school UK funky with new-school gqom influences.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / SoundCloud
- Self-released
  ANTS - Land Of A Loss
  
  An incredible techno EP inspired by the history (and current plight) of Palestine.
  
  Listen:
  Bandcamp
- HIJINXX
  Nia Archives - Headz Gone West
  
  A star-making debut that combines jungle, hip-hop and R&B in a very 2021 way.
  
  Listen:
  Apple Music / Spotify / SoundCloud

Best Mixes

May 2021

- Theo Parrish
  Theo Parrish Presents: eargoggles
  
  Theo Parrish recently helped NTS Radio celebrate its tenth anniversary with a joyous mix mostly made up of cosmic Black music, from The Congos and Los Hermanos to Erykah Badu.
- Juba
  Oscillate Mix #38
  
  This new mix for Oscillate highlights the sound of Juba's BOKO! BOKO! parties, spanning gqom, baile funk, Afrobeats, house and techno.
- iona
  Untitled 909 Podcast 073
  
  A barrelling journey through uptempo dance music.
- Max Watts
  ESP.MX003
  
  Max Watts helps run Limited Network, a techno label about as low-key as he is. But there's nothing subtle about his new set for ESP Collective, which charges forward in true Midwest techno style.
- Nastia Reigel
  Reclaim Your City 434
  
  Gear up for two hours of pounding yet varied techno with excellent pacing.
- Timehri
  Garage Hour
  
  This mix of ragga- and dancehall-influenced UK garage is essential for anyone into British dance music.
- Lakuti
  Bring Down The Walls
  
  This session on Universal Rhythms Radio is tagged "#New York House" on SoundCloud, which gives you an idea of what to expect.
- Will DiMaggio
  The Lot Radio
  
  This recent session for The Lot Radio is an expert mix of virtually unknown downtempo and house tracks.
- Camille Maria
  Is Burning #77
  
  Low-key, groovy house for the always excellent Is Burning series.
- KMRU
  Groove Podcast 297
  
  KMRU said his goal with his new Groove mix was "to offer a transcendental experience," and he gets pretty darn close with this hour-long session.

Best Albums

May 2021

Best Singles

May 2021

Self-released

Self-released

Best Mixes

May 2021

Max Watts

Timehri

Will DiMaggio