We may not be able to dance our troubles away, but we can send them packing for a while. This winter’s slate of electronic music ranges from the gentle to the aggressive, downtempo to industrial, with something for every taste. We’ve already fallen in love with some of these albums, and know you will too!
The gorgeous cover of Placid Angles’ Canada, shown left, says it all. The watercolor image may be that of a cool glacier, as seen from above; but it also suggests a refreshing lake in the middle of summer. The best music transports us to where we want to be: a state of mind that can help us overcome our daily anxieties and fears. We pray that this new music becomes our respite, our outlet, our peace.
The gentle Aquáticos combines LA electronics and Brazilian guitar. Fabiano Do Nascimento & E Ruscha V are slightly ambient, slightly jazz, and altogether welcoming. The album sounds like beaches and friendship, a taste of summer in the season of cold (Music from Memory, January 21). Juando‘s Wind Flow is similarly summerlike, a jazzy excursion that merges organic and electronic instrumentation in a framework of house. The saxophone is particularly inviting. With the holidays just passed, how long should we wait for a winter vacation? (Egoplanet, January 27). Saxophone and electronics make a joyful combination on Solo Suono, an inspired collaboration between Italian musicians Filippo Ansaldi and Simone Sims Longo. Just wait ’til the beats appear in the opening track! (Umor Rex, January 9).
A blend of the electronic and the organic, Jeune Oji‘s Clausura (Closure) is filled to the brim with warm, engaging sounds. Acoustic guitar and ukulele fill the spaces between the beats as the artist revels in the possibilities of sound (Friends of Friends, January 23). The follow-up to Atlas of Green, Dialect‘s Full Serpent returns to the same, “post-collapse world,” chronicling a world that still has a modicum of life. The nostalgic samples and warm hues suggest that those who remain are starting to rebuild in a kinder, gentler way (RVNG Intl., January 23).
Periode‘s music is purposely melancholic, tailored for restless nights and cloudy days. Flipping the Buns is the first single from Grapes of Nothingness, whose very title suggests ennui (Karlrecords, January 30). Mist is the first single from JL Segel‘s Fog EP, which contains similarly weather-related tracks such as “Grey Into Grey” and “Icy Shards.” The synths stark in stark fashion before gaining steam, like clouds gathering moisture (February 12). |grens|‘s ochtendevel sounds like the early morning fog that inspired it. The tracks are as dark as the night and as deep as an alley (Esc.rec., January 23). Similarly cavernous is the self-titled album from Parajekt, which sounds like it was recorded in an underground tunnel, replete with mysterious metallic sounds (palazzo recordings, January 23).
Like dancing to slower music? ugne&maria seldom top 120 bpm. Their downtempo grooves are reminiscent of the trip-hop era, with an undercurrent of dub. The single “xmas rec” was set free in time for Christmas, while ZOTASPHERE drops January 16 (Hands in the Dark). Industrial dub is the focal point of bassist Fatwires (John Eckhardt)’s Book of Riddims, with appearances from a global array of Hamburg vocalists. On-U Sound is an obvious point of reference (January 1).
It’s always an honor to receive a new Colleen album, and Libres antes del final is also offered on lovely ocean blue vinyl. The album celebrates the artist’s decision to relearn how to swim as an adult; the tracks chronicle her journey, from trepidation to triumph (Thrill Jockey, March 20).
The third in a trilogy of modern reinterpretive albums, Erik Hall‘s Solo Three tackles works by Glenn Branca, Charlemagne Palestine, Laurie Spiegel, and Steve Reich in manners that range from acoustic to electronic. The notes percolate like bubbles and shimmer like stars; the cover art is perfectly chosen (Western Vinyl, January 23). It’s easy to get lost in a Craven Faults track or album; the music vibrates and flows with shifts that produce a hypnotic feeling. This is certainly true of “Far Closes,” streaming below, the quarter-hour-plus closing track and first single from Sidings. Along with the album, one may also order a t-shirt, enamel badge and/or photo booklet, thus personalizing the experience (Leaf, January 23).
Inspired by the beloved Bladerunner Replicant, Neue Grafik‘s Rachael moves between tones mechanical and warm, reflecting the protagonist’s search for meaning. At times, an 80s sensibility wanders in, suited for the tone of the original OST (Week-End, January 30). We’ve already featured a track from Feldman + Tiley as one of our best music videos of 2025; the album Protomensch is set to drop February 13. The album is approximately half vocal and half instrumental, buoyed by an array of guest vocalists; the dramatic album explores the shrinking boundaries between sentient being and machine, as society continues to ask the same questions (Mute). Bono / Burattini offer synthetic textures with spare, spectral vocals; Ora Suno Un Lago is out on Maple Death March 6.
rat may not be the most appealing name, but Home is. The set delves into deep grooves, like a subway system overrun with … well, you know. The cavernous tracks fold in traces of glitch and broken beat debris (Futura Resistenza, January 20). Solitary Dancer (actually a duo) is anything but solitary in the communal video for “Mi Sueño.” The extended video promises an even more immersive experience, while the release of SDIII, a six-vinyl set collecting a wealth of white label singles, is a collector’s dream (Private Possessions, February 24). GorpoPap chooses to Reach 4 The Stars on her new album, whose title channels Prince and whose grooves are lively and deep (February 6).
Given the tariff situation, it’s amusing to encounter an album titled Cash Back from a label called Tax Free Records. Running Out of Time produces bass and bell-driven tracks that are tailor made for global floors (January 16). Spoken word and flute decorate Spökenkieker, a confrontational set from Sicker Man. The title, translated as Soothsayer, says it all: past and future are howling at the present, begging it to open its ears (blankrecords, February 13). Dub, ambient and industrial music meet on Joachim Spieth‘s Vestige, whose abstract cover art is an apt reflection of the music within (Affin, March 6).
Is that blood? We suspect it is. The cover and premiere video from Noémi Büchi‘s Exuvie warn viewers that the album will be no subtle affair. The title means “what has been shed,” and as with much of the artist’s oeuvre, the music is both transformative and about transformation. The dark timbres are perfectly suited to the material (~OUS, February 27). As the majority of the music is beatless, Concrete Husband‘s Where the Ashes Glow lies on the border between electronic and drone. The contrast between the quiet and the confrontational is the album’s strength (NNA Tapes, January 30). UCHYLAK‘s ZMNA GMINA is already out as of yesterday, a dark-hued beast with a techno-industrial flair. The Polish act pulls no punches: this is thick, distorted, grimy club music (UBOCZE).
Phexioenesystems “lets the machines drive” on Patterns in Condensate, making bed partners of ambient and glitch (Lunar Module, January 16). Kent Watari‘s glitch-filled “post-IDM” may take some by surprise; the tracks revel in texture and intricacy, and may stymie dancers. To listen is to stumble into an alternate universe in which beats are angular and melodies hide within the cracks. subtraction in spiral is out February 27 on Phantom Limb.
Nathan Fake makes a triumphant return this winter with Evaporator; we’re glad that “The Ice House” is already out, as things may be melting by February 20. The album includes both ambient and beat-driven tracks, we love the rapidity of “Hypercube.” Dextro and Clark make welcome guest appearances (InFiné). John Beltran returns as Placid Angles, offering a set as diverse as it is welcoming. Canada is a tribute to the country’s natural beauty, reflected in deep pools of synth, ambient interludes and rapid river beats. The watercolor blue cover is especially lovely (Oath, January 30).
Make way for some dub techno as Reinartz unveils the club-ready Irradiated. Ambient, dub and even field recordings help to make the set as diverse as it is deep (Appendix.files, January 26). Get ready to dance as Troy unveils the double EP Echoes of Ancient Life, whose single “The Hague wormhole” is a pure techno banger (Infrastructure New York, January 19). Hard, hypnotic techno beats populate a pair of recordings from Subsist & Faith, each a futuristic, high energy set with a sci-fi cover: Peralta & Obmana‘s Vanishing Point (January 9) and Arrestar‘s Era (January 30). After this comes the similarly adrenalized Las máquinas escuchan, luego responden. by Geømmetrisch, dropping February 19.
Ten years of acid techno are celebrated on Aquregia‘s five-track compilation 10, whose tracks we expect to hear played on ceiling-high speakers (January 23). Rotten City Files celebrates their first decade with 10 Years of Rotten City, with participants from across their roster. The chimes of the final Cabaret Nocturne mix seem poised to break into Depeche Mode territory (January 2). Logistic Records marks 30 years with Post Office 6, a pair of 12″ house records due January 12 and 26. Happy anniversary! DJ Sundae’s compilation Mirrors celebrates “music in the gaps,” placing Yo La Tengo astride Brian Reitzell while rescuing other nuggets from the annals of (recent) history. The set is confident and soothing, like a mix tape packed with tracks one has never heard (EPSM Agglomération lilloise, January 15).
Richard Allen
a closer listen 