Two Shell - "i m e s s a g e"

The anonymous production duo Two Shell recently released their new EP entitled lil spirits, which is packed tight with dance floor bangers. "i m e s s a g e" glides along a 2-step beat, incorporating squelchy synths and chopped-up text-to-speech vocals.   

Jam City - "Redd St. Turbulence"

 

Jam City's "Redd St. Turbulence" is a hyperactive club track with intense drum programming and slippery synths and features vocals by Julian Cashwan Pratt of Show Me The Body,

Model/Actriz - "Pure Mode"

"Pure Mode" is all menace and paranoia; metallic-scraping guitars, tribal drums, and sinister vocals. Model/Actriz' debut album Dogsbody more than lives up to its hype. This will definitely be in my top records of the year. 

crushed - "waterlily"

LA duo crushed wear their shoegaze/dream-pop influences on their sleeve, however, they forge their own path forward on their excellent Ep entitled extra life. The first single, and EP opener, "waterlily" is a potent mix of ethereal washes of synth, Slowdive-esque guitars, and breathy vocals.

Orbital - "The New Abnormal"

Optical Delusion is the tenth studio album from rave-pioneers Orbital, and it can easily stand with their classic records. "The New Abnormal" is an energetic dance track full of squiggly synths and rave-rea flourishes.

 

Avey Tare - "Sweeper's Grin"

Animal Collective's Avey Tare's new solo record 7s is a lush, hypnotic collection of psych-pop songs. "Sweeper's Grin" is a swirl of tribal drums, acoustic guitar drones, and whispered electronics.  

Skrillex ft. Missy Elliott & Mr. Oizo - "RATATA"

From Skrillex's excellent new record Quest for Fire, "RATATA" is a hyperkinetic collaboration with rap legend Missy Elliott and French producer Mr. Oizo. The bass hits hard.

Flume ft. Panda Bear - "One Step Closer"

 

Australian producer Flume has released a new record called Things Don't Always Go The Way You Plan, a collection of unreleased songs recorded during 2012-2021. The most recently recorded track is "One Step Closer," a meditative, piano-led track featuring the melancholy vocals of Panda Bear from Animal Collective.

Yo La Tengo - "Fallout"

Yo La Tengo released their 16th record This Stupid World last week and it is another classic in their catalog. The first single "Fallout" is a buzzy, krautrock-esque track that plays to their innumerable strengths.

Caroline Polachek - "Crude Drawing Of An Angel"

Moody and enigmatic track from Caroline Polachek's excellent fourth album Desire, I Want To Turn Into You. 

Kelela - "Raven"

Kelela's second album Raven is a certifiable masterpiece of future R&B.  The title track begins with Kelela's voice engulfed in a sea of atmospheric synths, her husky tones inverting the traditional notion of ravens as a harboring of death, making it a cry for rebirth. The song builds slowly, with the synths becoming more insistent, buttressed by icy piano chords, before erupting into jungle breakbeats.

Depeche Mode - "Ghosts Again"

Depeche Mode releases its first new music since the untimely death of founding member Andy Fletcher. From their upcoming record Memento Mori, "Ghosts Again" is by far their best song in ages. There is a real sense of urgency in the song, and Gahan's vocal is impassioned and raw.  

Jessie Ware - "Pearls"

The goddess Jessie Ware returns with a bit of 70s disco queen perfection with this swirling anthem. Her voice has never been better. 

The WAEVE - "Over and Over"

Graham Coxon of Blur and former member of the Pipettes, Rose Eilnor Dougall, have teamed up for a new band called The WAEVE. Their self-titled debut is an intriguing mix of pastoral psychedelia and post-punk. "Over and Over" is a lovely semi-ballad with chiming guitars and lilting piano. Of course, being Coxon, it all builds up to a gloriously bonkers guitar solo.

Kimbra - "i don't want to fight"

While Kimbra's new record A Reckoning is stylistically all over the map, she knows how to sell a song. Closing track "i don't want to fight" is a stunning ballad about the ending of a relationship. 

Jadu Heart - "Sway"

UK psych-rock duo Jadu Heart returns with their latest record, Derealised. "Sway" starts with a metronomic beat, driving bass, and chiming guitars but takes some surprising detours on the chorus, with swirling strings and an almost waltz-like beat.

Adult Art Club - "Zofia"

Melbourne, Australia electronic duo's latest single "Zofia" is a slamming hardcore techno track whose intense drum programming will trap you on the dancefloor.  

Parannoul - "Insomnia"

Anonymous South Korean musician Parannoul has just released his new record After the Magic, which blends the technicolor shoegaze of M83 with the orchestral rock of The Smashing Pumpkins. "Insomnia" starts out with twinkling synths and muted guitars, but builds into a swelling wash of guitars and dense drum n' bass beats.

Hælos - "Last Days"

British band Hælos recently released its latest single, "Last Days." It's a spectral, trip-hop-esque song, imploring us to "Don’t fear, just let go/Don’t fear whats’ gone."