Chapter

01

Best albums

October 2018

- Shinichi Atobe
  Heat
  DDS
  
  The mysterious Japanese producer turns to house, and the results are golden.
  
  Listen: Apple Music / Spotify / Soundcloud
- Fatima
  And Yet It's All Love
  Eglo
  
  Fatima's second album has a mature soul sound that comes in many shades.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify
- Jlin
  Autobiography
  Planet Mu
  
  The American artist's soundtrack to Wayne McGregor's ballet makes for her most diverse and experimental record yet.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / Soundcloud
- Spiritflesh
  Spiritflesh
  No Corner
  
  Bristol club sounds with a grindhouse twist from October and Borai.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / Soundcloud
- Julia Holter
  Aviary
  Domino
  
  Inspired by "the cacophony of the mind in a melting world," Aviary is as ambitious as it is heartfelt.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / Soundcloud
- Steffi & Martyn
  Air Texture Vol VI
  Air Texture
  
  Steffi and Martyn bump up the pressure on the ambient compilation series, highlighting the scene's best techno and electro producers in the process.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / Soundcloud
- Rabit
  Life After Death
  Halcyon Veil
  
  Rabit's collage-like approach becomes even more gripping on this grim yet elegant World War II-inspired LP.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / Soundcloud
- Marie Davidson
  Working Class Woman
  Ninja Tune
  
  On Working Class Woman, the Canadian artist's sardonic assessment of club culture is both timely and fun.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / Soundcloud
- Forest Drive West
  Apparitions
  Livity Sound
  
  Immersive and intricate junglist techno hybrids from the man of the moment.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / Soundcloud
- Ancient Methods
  The Jericho Records
  Ancient Methods
  
  Ancient Methods draws inspiration from the Battle Of Jericho on this vivid and captivating LP.
  
  Listen: Apple Music / Spotify / Soundcloud

02

Best singles

October 2018

- Eris Drew & Octo Octa
  Devotion EP
  Naive
  
  Dreamy breaks with an old-school twist on this split EP from Eris Drew and Octo Octa.
  
  Listen: Apple Music / Spotify / Soundcloud
- Kasper Marott
  Keflavik EP
  Seilscheibenpfeiler
  
  The fourth release on the newly revived Seilscheibenpfeiler is all about the A-side, a cosmic club bomb with Italo disco at its core.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / Soundcloud
- D. Tiffany
  Feel U
  Planet Euphorique
  
  The artist otherwise known as DJ Zozi reveals a moodier side with a collection of excellent, '90s-influenced electro.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Soundcloud
- STL
  Om Transmission
  om:nia
  
  Elegant and detailed dub techno from STL, including a breathtaking "dubscape" that's worth every moment of its 17 minutes.
  
  Listen: Soundcloud
- Ouri
  We Share Our Blood
  Ghostly International
  
  A Montreal newcomer effortlessly mixes trip-hop, techno, house and R&B.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / Soundcloud
- Young Paint
  Young Paint
  Werk__Ltd
  
  Actress turns to AI for his new project, which feels like a ghostly reincarnation of what he usually makes.
  
  Listen: Apple Music / Spotify
- Orson
  Life Gamble
  Version
  
  Sometimes just changing the tempo can make things sound radically fresh, which Orson proves on this EP of dubstep at house tempo.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Spotify / Soundcloud
- Linkwood
  Fresh Gildans
  Firecracker Recordings
  
  Linkwood's latest EP contains one of his best-ever tracks in "Fresh Gildans," a slick, high-tempo slice of electrofunk.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Soundcloud
- OCB
  The Anticlimax
  Casa Voyager
  
  Off-kilter electro and techno transmissions from Casablanca.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Soundcloud
- Lone
  Ambivert Tools Volume Four
  R&S Records
  
  The final instalment of Lone's club-focused EP series is the lushest and most alluring.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Apple Music / Spotify / Soundcloud
- Joy O
  81b
  Hinge Finger
  
  Six hypnotic sketches from one of the decade's defining dance music producers.
  
  Listen: Bandcamp / Soundcloud

03

Best mixes

October 2018

- Lis Dalton
  Lobster Theremin Podcast 61
  
  A rising Montreal talent delivers bubbly breakbeats, cruising techno and a breezy vibe.
- The Black Lodge
  L.I.E.S. Podcast 53
  
  Kosmik and Force Placement showcase the uncompromising sounds that have made their Black Lodge events in LA a staple of the US underground.
- Ariel Zetina
  Swetboxx Mix
  
  The smartbar resident demonstrates the wild style that's made her a DJ to watch, moving through ambient, UK garage, rave and opera.
- Mike Servito
  No Way Back 2018
  
  Servito at full tilt, recorded live in the final hours of this year's No Way Back party in Detroit.
- Peach
  Discwoman 55
  
  The rising Canadian-in-London throws together a mix of "ravey and broken bits" for Discwoman. ("I don't think I've been ever very good at the chill thing," she said.)
- Deena Abdelwahed
  RA Live: Red Light Radio ADE
  
  Wild rhythms from Deena Abdelwahed, who played our Red Light Radio takeover at this year's Amsterdam Dance Event.
- Arcangelo
  Arena SPA Radio
  
  This daring mix from the Macao resident shows why the under-threat Milan venue is considered one of Europe's most vital spaces for electronic music.
- Slikback
  Unsound Podcast
  
  A recording of the Nyege Nyege-affiliated Kenyan producer's thrilling performance at Unsound 2018.
- Fig
  #Pervert Mixtape
  
  Fig, who featured in Real Scenes: Mexico City, released an hour of colorful house and techno recorded live at Pervert—one of the city's best queer parties.
- Ash Lauryn
  Truancy Volume 226
  
  House music old and new from a Detroit-raised, Atlanta-based DJ worth keeping your eye on.