If you're reading this, you can breathe a sigh of relief and give yourself a pat on the back. Christmas is over - for another year, at least.
By now the decorations will have been stuffed into an unkempt box in the loft, the relatives waved goodbye and, we're guessing, new year's resolutions already broken. Oh, well.
Whether you've committed to "new year; new me" and rejoined the gym or are adamant you're giving Dry January an almighty swerve, we've compiled ten new tunes to help get you through the first month of 2022. It's a long slog ahead, but summer will be here before we know it.
This month we include music from Silvie Loto, William Djoko, Marco Bailey and Carlita with remixes courtesy of Jamie Jones and Marcel Dettmann.
Soft Cell | Tainted Love (Jamie Jones 4Z Remix) | Positiva | 3 December
Remixing a classic track can be a risky business. Will the public embrace it or lampoon it? Let's be honest, you will never satisfy everybody. We reckon Amnesia Closing Party headliner Jamie Jones does a fine job reinterpreting Tainted Love for the modern dancefloor.
Haters will say it's not a touch on the original, but let's remember that Soft Cell's famous version is itself a cover. BUY HERE
Delight soon turned to dismay for sci-fi fans, as The Matrix franchise returned to the big screen for its fourth outing, reuniting Neo with Trinity. Should've left it alone. The plot and execution may have been found wanting, but thankfully the soundtrack, at least, was pretty spot on.
Techno warlord Marcel Dettmann contributed to the score with this remix - a more brooding departure from the hard-hitting style he is usually known for. BUY HERE
Silvie Loto & William Djoko | Cervoloco | Nervous Records | 24 December
Two of the industry's most exciting young talents link-up on legendary NYC imprint Nervous Records, for our next entry. Silvie Loto and William Djoko's Cervoloco delves deep with snarling sub-bass and slinking hats for a track that commands to be played at DC10.
Arriving on Christmas Eve, no less - what a nice stocking-filler. If anyone can pull off Santa's famous red suit, it's sartorial dandy William Djoko! BUY HERE
Pitch Deck | Lay It Down | Undaground Therapy Muzik | 10 December
A slice of Chicago Town next...
Scene veterans Jerome Baker and Ellery Cowles join forces as Pitch Deck. Having previously graced the likes of Farris Wheel and Relief, the duo wind up on Roy Davis Jr's Undaground Therapy Muzik with Lay It Down - and it has indeed been laid down! BUY HERE
Manda Moor | Triptease | Tamango Records | 10 December
An outing for Yaya's exciting Tech House stable Tamango Records fills our next slot. Rising Parisian talent Manda Moor launches a dancefloor missile in Triptease, which comes equipped with chunky groove and a hypnotic bassline. Let's go for a trip! BUY HERE
Carlita | Everybody | Life & Death | 17 December
Few labels bring us more joy than the DJ Tennis led Life & Death. Turkish and Italian dual-national Carlita makes a big impression on her debut with Everybody. Whether it's the infectious groove or that distorted vocal, this piece of mutant Disco will get inside your head. BUY HERE
Mark Knight & Mason | Givin' Up | Toolroom Records | 10 December
Rounding-off the year in celebratory fashion, Mark Knight delivers Vol.5 of his popular Bullets series.
Givin' Up, a hit for Mason from earlier in 2021, is given the Mark Knight edit treatment, to create an altogether more club-focused mix. Boasting funky guitars and a catchy vocal hook - it's the epitome of Toolroom's signature sound. BUY NOW
BAQABO | CHERRY LETTER | Wired | 17 December
All eyes fell on Zanzibar in 2021, as the Tanzanian island emerged as the latest party destination with European-based DJs and promoters descended upon it.
Proving that it has plenty of homegrown talent of its own, BAQABO are the independent quartet of musicians formed of Alvin, Blacky, Enzo Siffredi and Kiki. They recently returned with follow-up album, Ghetto Blues, which fuses Swahili poetry with English language and live instrumentation.
Marco Bailey | Days Of Yore | MATERIA | 10 December
Some full-bodied Techno now with a track taken from Marco Bailey's uncompromising sixth studio album, Surreal Stage. Throbbing bass combined with a whirlpool of acid and a tempo pushing 140 bpm - this one isn't for the faint of heart.
Days Of Yore first surfaced as a single a year ago. Since it got lost in a locked down world at the time, we're hoping the album release gives it a second lease of life. BUY NOW
FKA twigs & The Weeknd | Tears In The Club | Young | 17 December
Two of Pop music's most colourful characters have jumped in the studio together. Tears In The Club is the result of FKA twigs and Grammy-boycotter The Weeknd's collaboration. Such an event is deserving of an iconic accompanying video, and the duo deliver on that front. BUY NOW
In other news, FKA twigs releases her new mixtape, Caprisongs, later this week.
We'll return with our next round of fresh tunes in little under a month's time. If you haven't already, read up on our favourite long players from 2021, from Black Coffee to Solomun, Bicep to Eris Drew.
In the meantime, head to our Spotify channel to keep up to date with our listening habits.
