Death In Vegas ‘You Freak I Disco' / Drone / 1st April
It's the first tantalising single to be heard from Death in Vegas' new album Transmission and it is utter filth. United over a love for Throbbing Gristle and Carter Tutti, the London born electronic rock band recruited artist, writer and former adult performer Sasha Grey on vocals and the outcome is sublime. Band founder, Richard Fearless, was looking to explore rawer, refined territory and he hits the spot with the visceral techno track's haunting, discordant purring.
Nilseus ‘Leira' / Blindfold Records / 8th April
Budapest born Tibor Endre Nagy has been a staunch lover of the underground electronic music scene since he started sneaking into clubs and festivals to feed his fix. Based in Oslo and now a little older, he's reigned in the tempo to create emotive material under his new production project Nilseus. The title track from his newly released Leira EP is a dreamy gem that's begging for airplay in the coming months.
&ME ‘Shadows' / Saved Records / 1st April
Berlin-based producer &ME is hitting our eargasm tender spots with this melodious 12-minute offering. Scattered piano chords take position over a building bleed of frantic rhythms and Dwayzo Lawrence's eerie vocals are heard echoing throughout. It effortlessly packs in the tension, making it a suitable selection for the pre-peak time slot.
Stormzy ‘Scary' / TBC / 25TH April
British Grime rapper MC Stormzy returns with a brand new track taken from yet-untitled debut album with Sir Spyro on production duties. Dark and gloomy with eerie choir overlays, murky grime percussion and a hammering production, he aggressively spits over the track with lyrics, “Never been a fluke, man, I came and timed it / Mandem are shook, better watch the throne now / And if you can't see me, look behind it, pussy.” Look if you dare. Stay tuned for the album drop.
Alex Smoke ‘Dire Need' (Tale of Us Remix) / R&S Records / 15th April
Tale Of Us return to the R&S Records imprint with a heated remix of Alex Smoke's track Dire Need. If you heard the duo weave this through their set at Time Warp festival, chances are you're already hooked. It's been stretched to nearly three times the original length and as is typical of Tale Of Us, its been plunged into even darker, murkier depths for a deeply emotive yet club-steady sound. Your repeat buttons will be thoroughly exercised with this giant.
Brian Eno ‘I'm Set Free' / Warp Records / 29th April
The ambient music maestro is set to release his upcoming album at the end of this month and here in our clutches is a delicate cover of The Velvet Underground track ‘I'm Set Free.” The original had a huge influence on Eno and you can hear this as it very much captures much of the original feeling of the Lou Reed arrangement. A believer in the view that singing is the key to a long, happy life, he hasn't passed on an opportunity to use it and it can be heard meandering across the ethereal production.
Isaac Tichauer ‘Higher Level' (Bicep Remix) / LOFT Records / 22nd April
Dropped by Dixon and Âme during their BBC Essential Mix, heard playing through Berghain's Panorama Bar and spun into John Digweed's and Mano Le Tough's sets, Bicep have undoubtedly produced what will be a shining anthem of 2016. It absolutely lives up to its title in being higher level ammo, with cascading chord progressions leading up to a subtle climax after the four-minute mark. It might not initially sound like a peak time monster, but this beauty grows legs when blasted from a deadly sound system.
Sven Väth ‘Accident In Paradise' (KiNK Remix) / Cocoon Recordings / 15th April
Sven Väth has dug deep to dig out two classic slammers, arriving in time for Cocoon's milestone 20th anniversary. Bulgarian bastion KiNK's rework of Accident In Paradise is one of those tracks and transformed into an epic acid monster with it being likened to a thundering fusion of Joey Beltrams Energy Flash and Knights of Jaguar. It takes a solid step into the history of techno and house and will no doubt energise dancefloors this season.
Kweku Collins ‘Stupid Rose' / Closed Sessions / 8th April
The rapper/singer/producer follows on from his free mixtape Say It Here with his full-length album and this track is a standout highlight. He hits out at lyrical stereotypes rappers all too often pen, with the chorus, “If I'm a rapper, then she's a bad bitch.” In light of the accusation, the solo cut teases with themes of love, weed, or a love of weed and finds its sound through the workings of a quirky production laden with subdued organ keys and a scattering of electronic blips. It's catchy as hell.
Rob Acid ‘Summer Madness' / Dirtcuts / April 29th
Robert Babicz's alter ego has channelled another selection of analog filth on his 8-track EP titled Analog Series B. Rob Acid is not a DJ, instead he works on an exclusively live basis and is known to ride through 10-hour sets with his own productions. For clubbers who've been ushering in the acid house revival, Summer Madness is suited to your raving protocol with the feverish shifting of the Roland TB – 303 – the little silver box designed in Japan that accidently spawned a whole genre of music.
WORDS | Aimee Lawrence
