Friday Dance Music Guide: The Week’s Best New Tracks From Disclosure, Jai Wolf & Aluna, Steve Angello & More
This week in dance music: Kylie Minogue and Charli XCX both ruled the dance charts in Australia and the U.K., (respectively!) Producer Sama’ Abdulhadi called out the Harris/Walz campaign for using her image in an ad without her consent (“I don’t endorse any U.S. political party,” Abdulhadi wrote.) EMPIRE president Tina Davis spoke about Shaboozey and major labels during the keynote at ADE 2024. (“Even though you might doubt yourself, just try anyway,” she said while reflecting on the early days of her career.)
Meanwhile, Avant Gardner hired a new CEO, Decentraland announced the lineup for their upcoming virtual fest, we spoke with John Summit and his manager about their touring strategy ahead of the duo’s appearance at Billboard’s Touring Conference next month in Los Angeles and we chatted with Anna Lunoe upon the release of her debut album, Pearl.
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And beyond that, amid another absolutely bananas busy week for dance music releases, these are the best new tracks of the week.
Disclosure, “Arachnids”
Almost five months after releasing the bright (and viral) singalong “She’s Gone, Dance On,” the Lawrence brother follow-up with another single that sounds absolutely nothing like that other one. Out on Warehouse Project Records, “Arachnids” is one for the afterhours, with crisp, syncopated percussion creating a foundation for waves of synth and a warm, inventive breakdown composed primarily of duduk.
Guy Lawrence writes that making the track “felt like an ever evolving, creative puzzle of sound design and groove exploration,” adding that “the project came together over many months of tweaking and adjusting. For me, this is kind of like a diary entry of where my production and mixing skills are currently at in 2024.” He continues by acknowledging that the song is “not gonna be one you can sing along to this time I’m afraid” — although it’s highly likely Disclosure fans will find other head-bobbing ways to enjoy this one. — KATIE BAIN
Jai Wolf & Aluna, “Water Sign”
In the two years that Jai Wolf spent writing his second album, he realized he’d actually written not one but two LPs. “I went through some of the most turbulent moments of my life while writing this record,” Wolf shared on Instagram, “and instead of fighting against the storm, I let it shepherd me to new ground.” That new ground begins with his sophomore LP, The Red Eye Home (due out on November 15 via Mom+Pop), and its lead single, “Water Sign” with Aluna. Dropped fittingly during Scorpio season—but also for the sensitive Cancers and Pisces out there— it’s both dreamy and brooding, as Aluna sings of love written in the stars over a drop that crashes gently like ocean waves. — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ
Steve Angello, “Hooligans”
With his new single “Hooligans,” Steve Angello delivers a new anthem for cannonballing into the weekend. The producer and Swedish House Mafia member here presents a rave/tech house hybrid that’s delightfully untamed and designed to fill big rooms, from the hip-gyrating drums and roller-coaster builds to the unhinged siren synths (the latter inducing an immediate, pupil-dilating flashback to late-aught electro anthem “Warp 1.9”). “Hooligans” is his third solo single this year, following “ME” and “Skip” (and also, tangentially, following a rare solo release from fellow Mafioso Sebastian Ingrosso last week.) Angello, who earlier this year launched a new weekly program on SiriusXM, is set to perform at the Brooklyn Mirage tonight (October 25). — K.R.
Franc Moody, “Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road”
“I’m a fish out of water / I’m a pineapple on a sea of dough,” begin Franc Moody on their latest single, “Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road” (and yes, shots fired at you pineapple pizza-eaters). The U.K. duo give the state of sorely sticking out a funky and light-hearted soundtrack, complete with a prim, strings-filled introduction, reverberating woodblock hits, and neon-streaked synths, as they work to get back to their authentic state. “Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road” arrives alongside news of a new album, Chewing the Fat (out March 7 via Night Time Stories).
“Armed with mellotrons, drum machines and other crazy synths we delved into a psychedelic and acid driven soundscape with a hint of British seaside crag,” say Franc Moody. “The song explores adventure, decadence and a feeling of getting in over your head; of being enchanted by powerful forces. Lost in a moment before coming to one’s senses and realizing the things that really ground us.” — K.R.
Elderbook, Another Touch
There’s a far deeper story than the standard dance refrain to “put your f–king hands up” on Another Touch, the third album from English producer Elderbrook. He himself calls the album “a journey of self-discovery,” saying the project starts “with someone who has lost themselves so completely they barely recognize the person in the mirror. Everything is shallow and inconsistent in their life so as to protect them from anything which might hold some true meaning. As the album unfolds so too does the story of our ‘hero’ who finds new ways to think about, and reflect on their life, and the lessons learned along the way.”
To that end, the Vintage Culture collab “Run,” which arrives at the album’s halfway point, also seems like the metaphorical turning point for this story arc, with the buoyant production giving a sense of spiritual uplift and forward momentum. The rest of the album, out on Mine Recordings, features collabs with Shimza, Nimino, Carlita, Shakehips and George Fitzgerald. — K.B.
e-Dancer, “Melodica”
Kevin Saunderson resurrects his longstanding e-Dancer alias, with his producer son Dantiez joining him on the project. The producer advises that “Melodica” marks “the start of a new era of e-Dancer, and of Detroit techno,” a lofty statement that Saunderson, who literally co-invented techno, and his scion seem more than capable of executing on. The track is out on the e-Dance/One House imprint. — K.B.
DJ Seinfeld, “Hopecore”
“I’ve been assembling sounds and writing out ideas for my next album, and I wanted to give out a teaser of what that process has been sounding like,” writes DJ Seinfeld of his new single “Hopecore.” If it is indeed any real indication, we’re in for a euphoric ride to trance town. “Hopecore” is exactly how its title sounds: light, bright and ethereal; with soft guitar licks, swirling chords and airy vocals calling for a lighter to “burn this whole thing down.” It’s a crystalline club track rendered in pastels, yet one that will absolutely bang on a proper sound system. DJ Seinfeld recently announced a new North American tour which is set to launch in January 2025. — K.R.
Paul van Dyk, “For An Angel (?wnboss Remix)”
It’s a holy day for trance heads, with Paul van Dyk’s genre-defining “For an Angel” celebrating its 30-year anniversary. To mark the occasion, the 1994 classic has gotten a series of remixes, including one by Brazilian producer ?wnboss, who punches up the original, adding some weight and size to the etheric original. The remix collection is available as a special exclusive double-vinyl, which includes van Dyk’s own “E-Werk Club Mix.”
Of the anniversary, the German legend observes that “It is fascinating how ‘For an Angel’ still touches so many hearts after all these years,” he adds. “Across generations, young and old, all around the world. Whether it was in 1999 in front of 1.5 million dancing people at the Love Parade or last week in the Berlin Cathedral as an ambient arrangement, the magic of the track seems to grow even more intense over time.” — K.B.
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