January has really stuck to script. It's been cold and dark, and nobody has any money. Predictably uneventful. Our monthly selection of new music arrives to add some much needed cheer into your lives. Music is always the failsafe. Reliable and consistent.
Fortunately, things are already looking that little bit better for February. The temperature is creeping up, the parties are picking up and Ibiza announcements are soon to be flooding in (they've already started, in fact). That's the pick-me-up we're all chasing. Summer is coming.
Skrillex & Fred Again.. feat Flowdan | Rumble | OWSLA | 4 January
Don't call it a comeback, but US Dubstep pioneer Skrillex came back into the limelight at the turn of the year. Sporting a sleek new look, he teamed up with man of the moment Fred Again.. for the rowdy Rumble. The gnarly vocal comes courtesy of East End MC Flowdan.
Rumour has it that Four Tet was originally meant to be on the track, until he got booted off!
It's fair to say there's been no bad blood, since the three combined to sell out a trio of last-minute shows at three separate London venues. It's probably worth mentioning they pulled this off in the first week of January! Complete respect.
Claptone & Alison Goldfrapp | Digging Deeper | Skint Records | 19 January
Earlier this month, Goldfrapp frontwoman, Alison, launched her highly anticipated solo career. In addition to teasing further new material, her first act was to unveil the new club single Digging Deeper - a collaboration with Claptone.
Speaking of the track, Alison said, "I'm effortlessly gliding through air on a gloriously hot breezy night, arriving at a blissed-out dancefloor on the island of my dreams." Whichever island could she mean? We've got our own idea... It's great to hear that voice on a track again.
Jordan Peak | Alive At Night | Too Many Rules | 12 January
After a self-imposed hiatus, during which he pursued passions away from music, Jordan Peak is back and is enjoying beat-making once again. How often does time away reignite the fire in the belly? That certainly seems to be the case here.
He's sitting on a goldmine of music waiting to be signed and released, including tracks allocated to his own new Peak Trax venture and Moxy Muzik. Alive At Night finds its home on Javi Bora's Too Many Rules, showing us what we've been missing these past few years.
DASCO | Powerful Woman | Shall Not Fade | 13 January
Berlin-based producer DASCO celebrates femininity on new EP, Powerful Woman. The title track radiates confidence and acts like a rallying cry to the under-represented and overlooked individuals in electronic music. Saturated with acid noises, it's made for dark rooms at peak-time.
This is out on Shall Not Fade, but keep an ear out for further provocative releases on her Bisexuality Exists Record label.
HUGEL & Crusy feat Jenn Morel & Joelii | KLK | Toolroom Records | 20 January
Our next pick has South American rhythm knotted through it. French producer HUGEL and Spanish star Crusy combine and enlist the talents of Dominican rappers Jenn Morel and Joelii. The result is the inferno-like KLK.
Laying bars and vocal hooks over an erratic baseline, KLK pours gasoline on an open fire. Expect to hear more of these Latin House fusions as we head into summer. It could well be the defining sound of 2023. Pure fuego!
Hannah Wants | Cure My Desire (THEMBA Remix) | Defected Records | 6 January
One of last summer's biggest club tracks gets a new lease of life, thanks to this remix from THEMBA. Layering ascending synths with Clementine's vocal, Cure My Desire is repackaged with a warm glow in the Afro House mode.
Defected Records starts 2023 on the right foot.
Red Axes | Sound Text XoX | Phantasy Sound | 27 January
Red Axes and Phantasy are just a dream combination. We rejoice every time the two overlap. The latest double A-side includes Sound Text XoX, which displays the Israeli duo at their weird and off-kilter best. Dori Sadovnik and Niv Arzi put the rock n' roll into electronic music.
Young Marco | What You Say? | Ministry Of Sound | 13 January
We've been waiting for this one to drop since it became the talk of Young Marco's Dekmantel Boiler Room in September. Sampling Imogen Heap's classic Hide and Seek, he puts his own high-tempo spin on an already timeless record.
Young Marco might be regarded as one of the most underground DJs in the world, but that low profile might be about to change. The track has all the hallmarks of becoming a widespread hit, having already bagged a Beatport number one and R1 Dance Hottest Record.
Admittedly, it's far too early to say, but could this be an early contender for club track of the year?
Ida Engberg | Tribute To Orange Clouds | MOOD | 27 January
Darling of Techno, Ida Engberg debuts on Nicole Moudaber's MOOD with a propulsive new track, Tribute To Orange Clouds. Bringing authoritative drums and pensive lead synths, the dancefloor-primed number locks you in and zones you out with gale-force majesty.
Meshcut | Dream In A Dream | Apranik Records | 20 January
The plight of Iranian civilians in the face of tyranny has been a hot topic recently. Women are disproportionately persecuted by a regime that restricts education, social mobility and forms of protest. A new V/A from AIDA, Nesa Azadikhah and Apranik Records seeks to raise awareness.
The Woman, Life, Freedom collection stands in solidarity with the fight for a free Iran. The compilation consists of 12 tracks across the spectrum of electronic music, advocating a revolution through music. We highlight Meshcut's Dream In A Dream above.
Proceeds from the release will be donated to charities that help Iranian women struggling to overcome domestic violence, addiction, homelessness and social injustice in their homeland.
That wraps up our selections this month. Keep an eye out for our January album of the month by Prunk, published soon.
Dreaming about summer 2023? Head to our Spotify profile for lots of party playlists filled with music directly from Ibiza's dancefloors last summer.
We'll be back next month for another round of hot releases.
