Bleep

Moor Mother and DJ Haram present forward-thinking music absolutely not to be missed, and something entirely new from these two distinct artists.

Hamburg-based man on the buttons agajon taps up fellow German-based resident Natureboy Flako for extra ambient fixings on the sublime 'Missing'.

Another house ear worm from the Belfast duo on Ninja Tune, this time linking up with R&B singer Clara La San on what has been a staple of their recent tour dates throughout 2022.

Joyous highlight from the prolific hypnagogic country singer Bill Callahan’s latest album YTI⅃AƎЯ reflecting on the current state of society.

Seasick analog drum freakout from the Texan techno don Bill Converse who has been quietly delivering jackin’ face melters on the great Dark Entries imprint consistently for some years.

Inspired by post-punk and early electronic music from the late 70s and early 80s (think visionary producers like Martin Hannett and Daniel Miller), Memories sees Biosphere abandon his more recent use of samples and plug-ins in favour of the cold sounds of period-specific analog hardware.

A delightful imbroglio of clarinets meets vigorous gabber eruptions, the piledriving rhythm takes over the body completely, and vocals are flung out to the farthest reaches via subterranean veins.

Drexciyan electro legend Gerald Donald’s cover of Saint taken from the 2007 Rephlex release Robotic Operating Buddy in a match made in a sub-aquatic heaven with a gurgling, ominous bassline and sharp drum programming.

Taken from Bogdan Raczynski’s first new album in fifteen years 'ELDDA' is full of chopped-up yet transfixing disorder and a markedly more minimalist return from a producer that doesn’t seem to care much for laurel-resting or rehashing the old days.

Way back in January 2022 Bonobo made a very welcome return to our ears with this lead single from the album Fragments bridging electronic and analog recording techniques with unmatched artistry.

There are many artists operating in hazy realm of braindance, but few land with the technical skill as the mysterious Brainwaltzera. 'ad interim' serves us jittering jungle breaks that explode through warm chords with unsettling ease.

Brijean's low-key house thump is expertly embellished with a bassline to make Bootsy proud, ethereal synth clouds, a superbly placed use of the unmistakable Brazilian cuíca and even a horse a neighing.

'Streetlands' plays with chimes and piano keys echoing the desolate vibes, but as light filters through cracks in the concrete, a cinematic catharsis rises up from the bleakness. With elegance and wells of emotion, an eviscerated yet angelic chorus sings its reversed prayers, signaling constantly shifting moods as sparse sounds traverse vast spaces.

Spirit Exit saw electronic maestro Caterina Barbieri’s mind-altering synthesiser compositions map new realms, this opening track sets the scene finding alien tones pull in and out of focus.

A killer Four Tet remix that exercises masterful control of focus using a redefined sample from the seminal ‘Pulse X’ to ramp up the energy.

Grouped together by a Swedish word for long nights of frost, 'Järnnätter' (or “iron night”) features patient passages of minimal techno and eerie ambient tones.

Frenetic masterpiece from Clark from the 05-10 compilation released through Warp this year, taken from the Throttleclark exclusives released ahead of the Body Riddle album in 2006.

Permeated Secrets finds CURL collective member Coby Sey stacking multi-layered vocals of social commentary through lacerating beats on this lead from 2022’s incredible Conduit LP for AD 93.

Arium’s careful drum programming and high-pitched synths could remind listeners of vintage braindance. However, the pristine fidelity and deep-felt bass tones across the EP place this stuff well within the modern-day dance music zeitgeist.

Full throttle paced cut from Avery’s latest album for Phantasy Sound sounding like drum & bass warped by jet engine exhausts until falling into complete audio decay.

‘Cherry’ builds a layered kaleidoscopic sugar rush of glassy synths over an urgent 134 BPM kick.

Triangulating a digitally corrupted mix of drum and bass, braindance, and ambient, Sentinel once again finds a way to make Datassette’s frantic production feel impossibly effortless.

Joining each other from opposite ends of the Earth, the two combine forces with another batch of high-octane, visceral electro action.

Breakcore root vegetable appreciation masterclass from Rognvald, taken from the remix album on Love Love Records this year that’s absolutely faultless.

Wallwork and TSVI’s Nervous Horizon has continued to release percussive belters this year, DJ Plead’s 'RB C' from the Vol 4 compilation folds in Arabic influence to the mix.

Maestro of all the keyboards ever created, Dorian Concept holds back on the finger blasting on 'You're Untouchable', focusing instead on the simple joy of a sublime refrain over a killer neck snapping break.

Washington DC-based producer/singer/DJ dreamcastmoe reinventing and paying tribute to the co-mingling of his city's influences across the genre spectrum on the woozy shuffling sung rap of 'RU Ready'.

Entrancing oneiric ambient production from the mysterious Dylan Henner on his second release for AD 93.

Sublimely compressed yet still searing, 'DREAMDEALER' encapsulates moody choruses and nostalgic electro from Filipino star Eyedress with production from Chad Hugo of The Neptunes.

Mind-altering textural work from Felicia Atkinson, anchored by ASMR triggering vocal samples.

A sure-shot big-room cut from the mighty Floating Points that maybe unexpectedly followed one of 2021’s greatest jazz albums collaborating with the legendary Pharoah Sanders.

‘Mango Feedback’ kicks off vibrantly with a jumping, crunchy beat, coloured with rebounding, razor sharp zither plucks, and pads that add a dreamlike quality. What sounds like kalimba trickles underneath jet engine propulsions of noise, before being snapped back to the track’s bouncing dance energy.

Glistening head nodding rhythm from Equinox duo GAV & Jord released on Jon K and Elle’s MAL Recordings.

George Riley has been on the rise since 2019 and the London-based artist cements the hype with stunning diaristic R&B produced by Vegyn detailing interpersonal woes and internal strife.

Gold Panda returns right where he left off after work with Jas Shaw of Simian Mobile Disco and his own DJ Jenifa alias, The Dream see’s his unique electronica blissfully sampling a warm array of instruments.

Label mate Salami Rose Joe Louis transforms the rattling live sound and punchy heart of Hiatus Kaiyoe’s ‘Chivalry is Dead’ into a scurrying analog bubble bath.

Has René Pawlowitz ever set a foot wrong? The legendary producer sets his unmistakable bass savvy to work with deadly results on the 5th entry in his 'Hardcore Shedism' series as Hoover1.

In the Jamaican tradition of dubs and versions, the On-U Sound crew present Away With The Gun And Knife, an edited version of Watch Over Them from one of our Albums of 2022 Midnight Rocker.

Euphoric anthem from the Cry Sugar release on Warp from Glasgow’s Hudson Mohawke.

Plonk contorts in a uniquely liminal space between club-worthy passages and stuttering experimental detours.

One of the most promising new acts of the moment, Jaydonclover’s ‘but my sister’ tells the story of two siblings and their opposing perspectives on love, atop the cinematic bells of a boudoir and dark sub-bass.

Jeshi's effortless flow documenting the exploits of deep London night out navigated with Nokia's finest is expertly recalibrated by Ross From Friends for a big room debut.

An early disciple of Moodymann’s house productions, this material holds a sultry and infectious quality throughout.

John Carroll Kirby charts the unfolding of a day in the life of all of us on Dance Ancestral and opening proceedings is 'Dawn Of New Day', the sunrise dawn chorus of 80s synth bird calls led by ambient legend Laraaji.

Working off Smith’s beautiful synths, Mosseri sings of letting go with a partner, fully committing and submitting oneself to a feeling, whether romantic or otherwise.

Keiji Haino sounding closest to his legendary band Fushitsusha than he has in sometime on this slab of behemoth rock conjured from the void in close conspiracy with longtime trio formed with Jim O'Rourke and Oren Ambarchi.

The beacon of Kelela’s inimitable voice dissipates the fog, her smoky tone and aqueous melismas here to submerge us into a new world with ‘Washed Away’.

The beacon of Kelela’s inimitable voice dissipates the fog, her smoky tone, and aqueous melismas here to submerge us into a new world with ‘Washed Away’.

The junglism of 'Lagrange Point' off Escapology, Hyperdub boss Kode9's return to his home label for his first full length since 2015, forms part of the wider sprawling sonic fiction Astro-Darien.

‘Sliding Through Our Fingers’ recalls the kitchen-sink approach of early LuckyMe records, nodding to both shoe-gaze and hardcore rave with wispy trails of reverb clinging to the massive synth stabs.

Please be upstanding for (what should be) the new national anthem, God save her majesty Lady Lykez bringing the finest in slackness and Sir Scratchclart in full effect for his services in the advancement of soundboy destruction.

From this year's Eyeline mixtape, we find Brooklyn duo LEYA’s dreamy work joined by vocals and production from the inimitable Eartheater.

Outlier experimentalist Liv.e continues to emotively subvert the senses with propulsive broken beats, melancholic organ, and a vocal that rages into the void.

On her ‘Sargasso ReWerk’ of ‘(There Is) No Logic’, LoneLady amplifies the original track’s “alt-disco flare” with an even longer exploration of ever-evolving, crunchy and sizzling drum machine rhythms, playing in a sandbox of funk bass, tropical drums, and flamboyant rock guitar solos.

Boisterous live drums and buoyant synths meet on ‘Enfield, Always’, driving each other into a whirlpool of spiralling directions.

The harshly distorted ‘Dicen’ adds an intriguing sour note to the middle of the tracklist.

'Partron' features a fresh slew of characteristically playful, squelching acid jams nestled amongst rolling drum machine tracks from Vibert’s 18th(!) album to date.

Sprawling polyrhythmic electronica from Chicago’s Lynyn on his debut album for Sooper records. Incredibly impressive work from this producer; we will be watching.

'No Way' sees producer and classically trained guitarist, Mansur Brown on a path to a more club-focused sound made for sunnier months, taking in hard and direct percussion with a healthy dose of low-end sub.

Interspersed with dungeon synth-like interludes of quaint electronic explorations, 'Show Me' captures the wonder of the digital age, glossed in silky harmonies, floating microbeats, and lyrics focussed on connection and creativity.

The power trio of Joe Andrews and Tom Halstead of Raime and prolific percussionist Valentina Magaletti are bolstered by Madeline Ridley of LA group SS-20’s vocals on this scuzzy monster.

Mount Kimbie resurfaced in 2022 after numerous projects with other artists. Here we find 'Quartz' taken from Kai Campos’ City Planning side of the release with a detailed techno production driving to an intense destination.

As half of avant-garde duo MODEL HOME with longtime collaborator Pat Cain NAPPYNAPPA has been highly prolific in the outer fringes for the last few years, but 'Playing Card Castle' sees the singular MC come full circle back to the boom bap life blood of hip hop.

Invigorating tesla coil rhythms from Nik Cold Void here, taken from one of our albums of 2022 Bucked Up Space on Editions Mego.

Pink Siifu’s signature flow snakes through Nosaj Thing’s hazy production from Continua.

2022 saw the second volume of Bristol bass legend Om Unit’s Acid Dub Studies featuring Roland 303 lines alongside dubbed out beats, exemplified by this heavy stepper, Acid Tempo

Hessle Audio founding member goes full Shed-ism powerhouse mode on this hi-octane beast from October.

patten’s latest EP saw him plot weighty 8-bar grime instrumentals with filtered vocal samples.

Pearson Sound leaning into a more cinematic sound than previous releases, maintaining the sharp drum programming alongside more introspective waves of synth.

‘WPN-1’ rides an extended beatless sour-noted intro for nearly a minute before slamming on the gas with a supercharged 170 BPM jungle break.

Hailing from Mlaszi township, the Durban trio of Phelimuncasi are named after a large notoriously ferocious South African bee, and judging by their gqom banger 'I Don't Feel My Legs', the sting is all too infectious.

Formed around a fictional live performance, Plaid distill their live energy into an expansive set of tracks, in which their past discography is prismatically split and scrambled into shining traces of elasticated percussion and frazzled synths. The taut, kinetic pulses of ‘C.A.’ make the heart thump and lurch.

Bucolic soundscapes from Midlake’s Paul Alexander on the debut release for Ghost Box from early 2022.

Fine hi-hat grains trickle through the neck of an hourglass in the dreamworld of legendary sound artist Pole’s latest album Tempus.

Menacing, piledriving rhythms revolving incessantly around sputtering drum pulsations.

Euphoric techno centrepiece from the album Now Is, Rival Consoles captures it with the full spectrum of human emotion at his fingertips.

'Hall Of Mirrors' opens Sarah Davachi's album of extended compositions Two Sisters and prominently features the carillon, a keyboard instrument comprised of very large cast-iron bells.

DÆMON lends a sneering voice to the infernal visions on ‘Tether’ from the Bristol band's Bleep album of the year, Void.

The skeletal ‘The Overwhelming Yes’ features drums folding and unfolding like origami in shifting rhythms.

‘Shimmer’ elevates with a deep two step mood, its crunchy and rattling rhythms building up into a dazzling floral haze of reverberant piano and synths.

'Coldstream' bubbles with jittery breaks and snarling bass without disrupting the lush, green ambience Parker builds atop it all.

Working again with Sheffield label Central Processing Unit, Silicon Scally’s latest offers a clinic in timeless electro that balances playfulness and technical wizardry.

‘A14 vs CB’ starts with a skewed electro beat, soon accreting a furious mass of overdriven club rhythms as filtered whips slice through the air, and metallic wails push the tension.

'Bamboo Fighter' conjures a sense of nostalgia with a gauzy, yet deft hand while locating the timelessness in his entrancing productions.

Jarren brings superlative bounce and timeless depth with their LA house remix of Space Ghost's 'Be Yourself'.

Model Home’s NAPPYNAPPA provides a verse alongside this Junglepussy featuring opener from Infinite Zonez, mixed together by LuckyMe’s Cid Rim - reflecting Suzi Analogue’s multiplicity as a producer taking in footwork, hip-hop, and breaks with ease.

Traces of ambient dub linger in the skittering tabla drums and haunting vocals of ‘Way You Are’, with birdsong beneath the scattered breaks and an electrified remix from Tim Reaper to keep the energy pumping.

Based on an unreleased audiovisual performance from 2018 that focussed on surveillance footage, Miracles explores themes of memory and transformation of raw material with a vast, honeycomb-like structure.

Clay Pipe Music had another great year in 2022, with the label founder Frances Castle’s Hardy Tree project being one of many incredible releases. Here we find meandering and enchanting electronica inspired by walks through her local neighbourhood.

The Maghrebhan has established a sound completely of his own, while none of his productions retain the same formula, here working with Kenyan rapper Nah Eeto.

Formed by Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, The Smile deliver pared-down masterfully-crafted songwriting with hints of funk and prog on 'The Smoke'.

For their cover of this Zola Jesus classic, Mizmor and Thou fuse a blackened dream doom foundation on which ERR builds the weight adding a layering of pitched-down sad cyborg and ethereal valkyrie vocals.

On her ‘Vortex Remix’ of ‘Colourgrade’, Arca turns Tirzah’s voice into an ethereal and disembodied instrument, a playful exploration all at once freeform and formless, radiant and irradiated.

An inspired combination of black-lit production, moody indie, tremolo drenched guitars, and feather weight vocals.

Everything you've come to expect based from previous O/S outings is here in full force: rolling science, deep thunder, and dangerous atmospheres.

Synths frost the edges of this muffled soundworld, melting with the stuttering monsoon of ‘17°C’. It isn’t all so pastoral, as this track reminds of the ways development alters the natural world, with car horns, screeching brakes, and crosswalk chatter paired against some familiar (one might say reflective) jolt-y percussion.

Lo-fi beats underpin grand orchestral blooms on 'One Under', the LA meets London collab between Wilma Archer and Vritra.

Sonic elements are constantly rearranged and juxtaposed throughout the album, like on ‘South’ where the fluctuating pitch of squealing guitars and annihilating punk screams are contrasted with the steady flow of Lex Amor.

Laurel Halo’s remix of 'Keriann' by Yann Tiersen adds a weightless softly focused take on the original's dynamic sound.

The buzzing ‘Pour Up’ repurposes an indulgent night spent at the club as a sign of true strength.

Born from “a weekend getaway of riding Icelandic horses”, Magic Pony Ride is really just as its title describes, with 'Goodbye' a gallop through the jungle rhythms he has mastered, bathed in an uplifting atmosphere.