New Jersey duo Riggi & Piros have been releasing singles on Armada Music since joining the record label last year. Now, ‘Another Love Song’ featuring Sarah Reeves, is the pair’s new single, dropped on the label as the first single of their first-ever – and love-themed – EP.

Following on from the apparent viral success of his 2020 track ‘50/50’ and his very recent release ‘I Think I’m In Love’ feat Todd Edwards, Vantage returns with his second release of 2021  ‘I Found You’, out now on FFRR. 

‘Defected presents Most Rated Summer 2021’ aims to honour the wealth and variety of house music recently created, played and enjoyed across the globe, showcasing the records that might dominate club sound systems as the world opens up, and the possible future classics due to resonate on dancefloors. 

Grammy award-winning vocalist Mitch Grassi recently revealed ‘Angels Pray’, the latest piece of original music from his new solo project, Messer. 

LA based artist David Castellani recently released the ‘Alpha Gamma’ EP, the first release on his new Noetic imprint which features two cuts and a remix from Redshape. Formerly producing under an alias and as part of a duo, Italy born David steps out solo with the launch of the imprint and the first instalment of a series of EPs due for release on the label. 

Anjunabeats started life as a university project in the year 2000 and since then it now has over 700 releases spanning two decades, with 20 acts curating their own mix compilation of catalogue hits. Within that time, Above & Beyond also took to the Thames in London for a four-hour livestream and the label partnered with designer Mark Farrow for a series of merchandise. 

Creamfields recently revealed plans for an all-new 50,000 capacity two-day camping festival in 2022 which will see them bring their festival south, taking over the Grade II listed Hylands Park for Creamfields Chelmsford. 

Maxinne returns to Toolroom Records with her debut studio album, ‘Red Alert’. Following on from her collaboration with Lauren L’aimant – ‘Tell Me Something’ - which dropped in March earlier this year, a production that has apparently hit over 2M streams on Spotify. As with the release of the track, this was the first taste of her musical direction and sound which is evident throughout the album. 

Dance Generation recently announced their next show at Durham's Rainton Arena on Saturday 13 November, where they’ll be bringing House Grooves to the venue featuring a line up of Hannah Wants, Sam Divine and Jess Bays with Joey Turner, Lost Cause and Re-Run supporting.

Adapter returns to Patrick Topping’s Trick with the ‘Night Feelings’ two-tracker this month. Following the ‘I Need U’ EP released on the label earlier this year, which picked up support from Annie Mac, Danny Howard, and Sarah Story on BBC Radio 1, he’s just released his second outing. 

Oscar Jerome teams up with South East London DJ Ben Hauke for ‘No Need’, out now via DMY. The pair come together again following a collaboration in 2019, for Oscar’s release ‘Gravitate’ and took the opportunity during 2020’s lockdowns to reignite their creative output as a duo. The release blends Jerome’s jazz, soul and guitar elements with Hauke’s influences from house, broken beat and ’90s hip-hop, across the two-track EP.   

Australian artist Jozef Conor is back on his Jozzman Trax imprint this month with three original cuts, including a remix from SOMA. Riding on a high off the back of his debut album, Jozef has possibly gone from strength to strength in 2021, dropping a slew of releases on his label and other international purveyors, in addition to some club gigs in Melbourne. 

Hailing from Italy but now based in London, Pagano is back on Toolroom Trax bringing a cut of tech house. His latest release on the label imprint, ‘Hold Tight’, is in a similar vein to his previous Trax releases ‘Latin Tales’ and ‘Naxos’, but with a sharper edge. 

Musician/producer Eric Hilton is back with ’Forming Star’, the second piece of music to be revealed from his forthcoming album, ‘Ceremony’, out on 20 August. The track possibly sounds as if it was minted in the age of the downtempo/chill-out era but with a contemporary approach. It’s emblematic of the album as a whole which aims to take listeners on a blunted journey through space with 13 tracks of emotive interstellar psychedelia.  

Electronic DJ, producer, and artist Famba defines his dance sound with his latest musical collaboration, ‘Games We Play’. Featuring Brando (the other half of the track ‘Body’ by Loud Luxury) and Toronto’s singer-songwriter, MKLA, the track is out now on Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc. (licensed by Armada Music).  

Paul Oakenfold recently announced that his fourth studio album ‘Shine On’ will be released in its entirety on 30 July. The 16-track album showcases the producer’s latest projects, including collaborations with Baby E and Eve, Luis Fonsi, Azealia Banks, Rico Love, CeeLo Green, and the newly released single ‘I’m In Love’ featuring Aloe Blacc. 

Lucas Nord has been a busy man as of late, releasing music under the names of three different aliases (Hans Göran, Moodshift, and his own moniker), all while continuing to produce for other artists. Serving as his house-leaning side project, Hans Göran has allowed Nord to delve deeper into the feel-good realm, producing an array of summertime tracks built for warm weather listening. Out now via Nord’s Bisous imprint, ‘LIMONCELLO’ features Nord’s good friend and fellow collaborator, flyckt.

On 20 August, Cosmic Gate will release the first stage of their new artist album. Trailed throughout the early parts of 2021 by single releases and live streams, ‘MOSAIIK’ will platform nine cuts from the GRAMMY-nominated duo. Mirroring the same delivery system adopted by their 2017 ‘Materia’ albums, the album will be shared across two ‘Chapters’, ‘MOSAIIK’s ‘II’ styled title is a direct nod to the group’s 11th artist long-player.

Amsterdam’s Luuk Van Dijk landed on Jamie Jones’ Hottrax this month with ‘The First Time EP’. Luuk has also released on the likes of Hot Creations, Solid Grooves, and his own Dark Side Of The Sun label.

Dutch duo Black Cadmium team up with Vault Wax this month to deliver a five-track EP entitled ‘Our Legacy’. Joginda Macnack and Mike Richards, who make up the duo, are DJs, producers, and radio hosts of Surinamese descent who focus on a wide variety of authentic music, and are heavily influenced by the London to Detroit connection—from Hi-Tek to grime-tinged, UK sounds. 

Booka Shade deliver their latest single, ‘Infused Reality’ on Blaufield Music. Having dropped a wealth of original material via the label in recent weeks, the German pairing continue to showcase their production skills. 

Coyu returns to Patrick Topping’s Trick with two-tracker ‘Ogunhe’ under his Hassler moniker this month. Head of the Suara imprint, he dons the moniker again following 2020’s ‘Icke EP’, the debut release from the alias. 

John Digweed’s Bedrock Records has delivered a stream of music in 2021 that aims to showcase that the creativity of its artists has been flourishing during this difficult time. Following his inclusion in Digweed’s ‘Quattro’ compilation with ‘Free Your Mind’, DJ Samer returns to the label to deliver his new single ‘Diaspora’, which is out now. 

Laidback Luke has returned to his techno roots for another offering under his new alias. The second EP from his Dark Chanell project, ‘New York Five-O’ is out now. Following on from the ‘No.1’ EP – Luke’s latest collection aims to showcase his techno talent. 

Energy 52’s ‘Cafe Del Mar’ gets brand new remixes from Paul van Dyk. Nearly 30 years ago, Paul M aka Kid Paul recording as Energy 52, unleashed a record that would possibly go on to define club culture for an entire generation of dance music enthusiasts. Named as an homage to the legendary Ibiza sunset spot, ‘Cafe Del Mar’ broke down boundaries between the underground and the mainstream, charting in the UK singles charts on three separate occasions and named as the “best tune ever” by Mixmag at the start of the new millennium.

Brian Transeau (BT) is joined by singer/lyricist April Bender, for his latest track ‘Windows’, which has been taken from his 2020 album ‘The Lost Art Of Longing’. April’s previous credits include work with Yotto, Sick Individuals, Arty and others. The track comes with remixes from Omnia, Sean Darin and Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley and is out now on Black Hole Recordings.

Following on from reworking Signum’s 1998 track ‘What Ya Got 4 Me’, Joachim Pastor places his style of production in the limelight again. Illustrating contrast through a mash of delicate plucks and curled bass tones, ‘Kenger’ aims to keep the momentum on an upward trajectory in the lead up to the release of the French artist’s first-ever album.

Poker Flat Recordings keeps up its release schedule with another EP, this time from Gorge and Markus Homm. Gorge (aka Pit Waldmann) is the co-owner of 8bit Records, originally from Mannheim and has possibly carved a singular niche for himself over the past 20-odd years. Similarly, Markus Homm has possibly been influential in developing the scene in his native Romania, and is now working alongside the Poker Flat regular Mihai Popoviciu. 

The Warehouse Project returns between 10 September 2021 and 1 January 2022 as Depot Mayfield will become the backdrop as the UK embarks on its long-awaited return to the dancefloor. 

Originally released on Josh Butler’s Origins imprint in 2020, Piem & ANNNA’s ‘19’ is now given a full outing on DFTD with new remixes from Josh Butler and Payfone. 

Toolroom founder and Grammy-nominated producer Mark Knight recently released his new album ‘Untold Business’, a 13-track collection of vocal house music. Mark has gone back to his roots on his new album, reprising the sounds and records that made him the artist he is today. Diving through his collection of classic funk, house, soul and disco records from the 1970s and ‘80s has provided the bedrock for the album, which is an homage to the soulful, vocal-led house music that he first fell in love with in the ‘90s. 

Off the back of their collaborative EP on Truesoul in March, Pig&Dan and Gregor Tresher come together for a 10-track album. ‘Soulcatcher’ marks only the seventh album release on the label in its 19-year history, the little brother imprint to Drumcode helmed by Adam Beyer. 

Now taking place on the rescheduled dates 25– 26 September, Defected recently announced the line-up for its upcoming London party at outdoor events space The Drumsheds. Hosting stages curated by Defected, Glitterbox, Classic Music Company, DVINE Sounds, 4 To The Floor & Faith and Sondela, the event is its first party back in the capital.

Grammy award-winning DJ/producer David Guetta teams up with Capital Radio DJ MistaJam and singer John Newman, as they release ‘If You Really Love Me (How Will I Know)’ via Warner/Parlophone. Guetta follows on from his recent release with Joel Corry and Raye ‘BED’, as well as ‘Heartbreak Anthem’ with Galantis and Little Mix as he now looks toward this next track.

Summer 2021 sees Anjunabeats select an eclectic selection of house and techno producers to rework nine Above & Beyond tracks. ‘The Deep Mixes’ compilation features remixes of singles from Above & Beyond’s debut album ‘Tri-State’, as well as remixes of vocal tracks from their 'Group Therapy’ and ‘We Are All We Need’ albums.

The original ‘I Don’t Know Anybody Else’ by Black Box, was released in the UK in 1990, now 31 years later they celebrate by revisiting the Italo disco track with a more grown up Motown disco edit. The track originally broke out of the clubs and into the mainstream, heralding a new era for pop dance. It was also the second single to drop from their original album, ‘Dreamland’ and became an international hit entering the Top 5 in the UK, remaining in the charts for eight weeks.

LP Giobbi delivers a remix of Junior Sanchez’s ‘Music So Special’ track. The Oregon-born, Austin-based artist is a producer, DJ, label owner, curator, music director, feminist and entrepreneur. Since first breaking into the scene in 2018, both Billboard Dance and Your EDM have labelled her as an emerging artist to watch.

Liverpudlian DJ/producer Eldon racks up a release for Richy Ahmed’s Four Thirty Two label. The ‘Booty Shaker’ EP is Eldon’s debut for the label and comes backed with a remix from DJ Deeon. He’s already had releases for Solardo’s Sola label and has records in the pipeline for Patrick Topping’s Trick and Steve Lawler’s Viva imprint. 

‘Make Time’ is the second release from LDLDN (NTS Radio, Spacebass) on his Natural Frequency Records imprint, with remixes from Midnight Snacc (Don’t Be Afraid label head, Semtek & talented DJ/producer, Iona T), and Broke One (Radio Raheem, Italy). 

Following the recent release of Aubrey Fry’s ‘Dystopia’ EP, Bedrock Records keeps the focus on homegrown talent with a brand new offering from UK native Miles Atmospheric. Featuring two remixes from house and techno artist Josh Wink, the EP is available now on 12” vinyl, and digitally across all streaming platforms.

Three weeks back, through the medium of their Mexico Sundowner rooftop show from San Miguel De Allende, Cosmic Gate presented its audience with ‘Mosaiik’’s second single ‘Feel It’. Whetting appetites for their forthcoming 11th artist album, the response to the single and show apparently saw half a million plus YouTube views within weeks. 

Two Lanes - Berlin-based siblings Leo and Rafa Schmid - recently released their ‘Reflections EP’ on San Holo’s bitbird imprint. The EP kicks off with the track ‘Phases,’ a melodic instrumental piece that sets the vibe for the rest of the work. The next single, ‘Reflections’ is a soothing production for those early Sunday morning vibes or late-night summer sessions. 

Given its initial outing on Japanese label Mule Musiq, now Luke Solomon’s Classic imprint picks up Montreal based producer Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts’ ‘The Chase’ for 2021. Featuring an uplifting, jazzy vocal from San Francisco vocalist Dave Aju, this dancefloor track makes an ideal fit for Classic’s repertoire of music. 

Launched in 2018 Jika Jika Festival apparently offers an intimate city festival and works with various names in the scene, attracting a following from both local and international visitors. This year for August Bank Holiday weekend they will be returning to a new location in their spiritual home of Derry with a one day Drumcode event on Saturday 28 of August. 

Paul Hartnoll, one half of electronic dance music duo Orbital, and poet and performance artist Murray Lachlan Young announce their lockdown-inspired musical collusion album as Hartnoll & Young. Capturing the covid zeitgeist, ‘The Virus Diaries’ is exactly that; a surreal and lighthearted musical wander through the ever-shifting scene of the first lockdown. 

In partnership with Revealed Recordings, Dutch electronic artist Maddix recently dropped his official sample pack ‘Sounds Of The Tribe Vol. 1’. Featuring over 1000 samples of his production style, the pack includes everything from drums and percussion to basslines and synth sounds to give producers a possible resource of samples to utilise within their productions. Both suitable for producers starting out and those with more experience in the studio, it features 130 Serum presets.

With the most recent green light on large-scale events by Dutch authorities, this October will officially mark ADE’s return to Amsterdam. The first confirmed speakers for the ADE Pro conference at Felix Meritis include Don Diablo, Joel Zimmerman (Deadmau5) and his business partner Dean Wilson, Mixcloud CEO and co-founder Nico Perez, IMPALA chair Helen Smith, musical duo Zaena x Jason Maek and AR/VR expert Cortney Harding.

The Grammy Award winning Australian duo NERVO make their Toolroom debut with possibly one of the hottest records of the year, ‘Basement’. Bringing back that classic ‘90s piano house sound, they channel their inner raver, confessing their love for those dark, dingy, underground parties with this possible feel-good house number. 

Following on from the announcement of his debut album, ‘Imposter Syndrome’, and releasing a collaboration with Nitti Gritti, Hydraulix switches up the pace with ‘Another Minute’, the second single off the forthcoming LP. Featuring vocals from rapper Muchi, the track sees him try his hand at crafting conscious, elevated bedroom hip-hop.  

Tommy Jayden returns to Nicky Romero's label with new progressive track, ‘Stars’, in collaboration with newcomer IMPVLZ. Out now, the track opens with soulful vocals and incorporates melodies that set an ethereal tone before moving into a deep drop with catchy riffs. 

DJ, producer and label owner Nicole Moudaber is set to make a return to the dancefloor with the recent announcement of her first major headline show of 2021 at LA’s Factory93 on 10 July. With the whole world grinding to a halt over the course of the last year, Nicole has stayed busy with a continuous output and now gets set to return to various live events this summer. 

San Francisco’s Luttrell has just released his latest EP ‘Music For My Memories Pt. II’. The second in a trilogy of works to be shared throughout 2021, this next instalment of the series follows on from the lead single ‘Operation Midnight’, which saw support from Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1.  

Recording under their Random Soul alias, Yogi & Husky drop another slice of soulful house music with their latest track, ‘Vast Universe’. Producers of uplifting, soulful dance music for close to 15 years, the duo have hit a vein of form of late, with recent releases ‘Turn On The Radio” and ‘The Word House’ both doing well.

Belgium’s Loulou Players team up with Sao Paolo’s Julio Garcia for ‘Synchronize’ on Lee Foss’ South Of Saturn this month. Loulou Players AKA Jérôme Denis has previously appeared on the likes of Kittball, Nurvous, and Too Many Rules, chalking up a discography alongside the running of his own LouLou Records imprint. 

UK techno artist Mark Broom releases his ‘Fast Fünfzig EP’ for Radio Slave’s Rekids this month, ahead of a full LP for the label in July. Mark’s discography shows an artist who has put in the hours, with appearances on imprints such as Robert Hood’s M-Plant, Warp Records, Pure Plastic, Bpitch Control, and of course Rekids. 

HomoElectric resident Gina Breeze drops a two-track release entitled the 'Check Yourself' EP on HE.SHE.THEY this month featuring Robert Owens. Manchester-based DJ producer Gina apparently lives and breathes everything Manchester has to offer, taking inspiration from the history and rave culture of the city. 

Life stories and experiences have been at the centre of new music more often than not, and Arty probably isn’t one to hold back in that regard. Written together with Chloe Gaparini and Charlie Snyder (who also had a hand in ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Perfect Strangers’) when he came back to L.A. after visiting his family, ‘One Night Away’ is full of love, hope, happiness and heartfelt emotion, making it possibly one of his most personal singles to date.

Horse Meat Disco deliver the latest single from their debut album ‘Love & Dancing’, this time made in collaboration with NYC group The Phenomenal Handclap Band. ‘Sanctuary’ sees the quartet do their disco thing, as The Phenomenal Handclap Band provide a dose of nonchalance. 

Ibiza’s Miane readies her ‘My Girls’ two-tracker for Lee Foss’ Repopulate Mars this month. Previously appearing on Matthias Tanzman’s Moon Harbour, Chris Lake’s Black Book, and Nic Fanciulli’s Saved, the has her first outing on the imprint, bringing an energetic pair of catchy house tracks. 

Paul Oakenfold is joining forces with New Order and Pet Shop Boys on The Unity Tour, now rescheduled to autumn 2022. With the addition of two new shows at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, the North American trek will kick off on 17 September, 2022 at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto, making stops in Philadelphia, Manhattan, Chicago, and Los Angeles before closing out on 16 October at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC. 

GusGus have returned with their 11th studio album, ‘Mobile Home’, marking their first album release since 2018. For their latest record, they call on VÖK’s lead singer Margrét Rán to help expand their style, keeping the collective’s sound still fresh. The nine-track album is out now via their own Oroom imprint and features a concoction of electronic rock, ambient, darkwave, downtempo, and synthpop.

Glasgow based DJ/producers Illyus & Barrientos are back on Toolroom with their latest release on the label, ‘Your Body’ featuring Daniel De Bourg. The pair set the mood and kick back on the track, bringing out the mellow vibes and the energy that the lads are possibly known for. The also enlist Daniel De Bourg, whose soulful vocals capture the tone and emotion of the record. 

Clapton’s latest track ‘My Night' is a collaboration with APRE, co-produced with Stuart Price and probably has many of the ingredients a hit requires. The track shouts out to all those who’ve had a night out ruined by a close friend or loved one, who they ultimately feel responsible for - invoking memories of messy nights and bleary mornings.

March saw John 00 Fleming’s end his two-year release sabbatical with ‘The Explorer’. Given its ‘Chapter 1’ prefix, at least something of what was to follow could be divined. With Fleming playing most of its cards chest-close though, the track’s meaning still had a whole lotta unknown to it. Whatever the first Chapter’s Explorer was on the hunt for though, it seems he’s pinpointed it, as its next instalment, ‘The Finding’ is ready to relate. 

Berlin's Dompe distils a passion for a bassline into ten new house tracks on his latest album, ‘French Collection’, the second album from the artist, following 2019's ‘Hippie Crack’. His previous album was the latest success for an artist who moved from Cologne to Berlin in 2011 and started this label in 2017. He has since put out more than 25 releases.

Italian DJ/producer Gabriele Toma readies his ‘Lit Bit EP’ for Jamie Jones’ Hottrax this June. With his releases on Sticker Music, Be On Records, and SK Recordings picking up support from Dennis Cruz, Michael Bibi, and Jamie Jones, the Puglian born Toma prepares his debut this three-tracker. 

Following his debut release on Hottwerk, Greg May returns with a four-track EP. Greg is an Essex based DJ/producer who last landed on the label with ‘Take Me’ and has also released on Stripped and Arcade Pony. He has a long DJ career behind him that has seen him play all manner of events and often appear on radio stations like Project London and Kiss FM. 

Completing the series that celebrates the legacy of two decades of Poker Flat Recordings, label-head Steve Bug drops another batch of reworks of the label's tracks. The EP kicks off with his 'A Night Like This' which originally dropped back in 2001. Here it gets the treatment from label ally Mihai Popoviciu - the Romanian producer brings a new twist, shaping the material into a streamlined tech-house track that is both faithful to the original and completely his own vibe.

Steve Aoki, Yves V, and Ryan Caraveo join together to pay tribute to Avril Lavigne’s classic pop-punk single ‘Complicated’. Their modern makeover interpolates the chorus, while adding a fresh set of introspective lyrics, with an electro pop soundscape and newly written verses, as the trio aim to revitalise the track. 

Californian Miguel Migs’ delivers new album ‘Shaping Visions’ on Soulfuric Deep, his first LP since ‘Dim Division’ on Soul Heaven Records/Defected in 2014. Defected has cared for Soulfuric as part of its label group since 2017, with the Soulfuric Deep branch of the imprint making a fitting home for Migs’ latest LP. The San Franciscan artist has a long, fruitful relationship with Defected, with Migs the very first artist to release an ‘In The House’ compilation alongside Jay-J, as well as sitting among the list of Defected’s House Masters. 

Toolroom are set to drop the brand-new and updated compilation ‘House Party Vol. 6’, a possible tool for DJs looking to get the sound of the label into their mixes. The compilation features new music from artists such as KC Lights, Dombresky, Flashmob, Danny Howard, Leftwing:Kody, Technasia, Maxinne, Martin Ikin, A-Trak, Eli & Fur, Mele, David Jackson and many more.

Music has apparently always been a big part of Rockstar Games — from underground artists and scenes across its titles, to the radio stations of the Grand Theft Auto series and the introduction of fully-realised digital nightclubs in Grand Theft Auto Online with the After Hours update, as well as expanding the possibilities for in-game social spaces and music discovery with the release of The Cayo Perico Heist.

UK electronic act Itona releases the ‘You’ EP. Comprising three original tracks and a remix from Italian duo Palladian, the EP explores various shades of house and electronic and is possibly his most fully realised body of work to date. Itona is the newly launched alias from James Vine, aka ENiGMA Dubz - a departure from his bass-heavy sound. 

Dejector is a brand new project from Newcastle born, London-based producer Scott Nelson. A project born when the pandemic hit in 2020, this music found him stepping away from his roots as a session musician, finding comfort away from the uncertainty of where the life he'd built for himself previously would end up. As an artist, he’s inspired by the vocal cuts of Burial and the beats of Four Tet.

Louie Vega and Harry Romero collaborate for the first time with ‘El Ritmo’ landing on Bambossa Records this month. Fuelled by organic percussion and atmospherics, the track is a Latin-influenced affair - a vocal snippet raises the temperature, while a blast of heavy drums, dubby chords and rising pads add texture.

London-based independent record label, Perfect Havoc has a year of celebratory activities planned throughout 2021 as it marks its fifth anniversary. The celebrations kick off with an exclusive label showcase today at the first digital edition of the Winter Music Conference (WMCV). Provided by VRJAM and its content platform 5th Dimension, the livestream uses VRJAM’s proprietary VR technology to combine stunning 3D graphics, special effects and lighting in one of the coolest virtual clubbing experiences on the internet. 

Landing on Bedrock Records once again, Lopezhouse are back with two deep, techno productions on the ‘Vostok EP’. Utilising minimal tech influences while drawing on progressive and rock sounds, the Spanish duo’s newest EP calls on the 1960’s Space Race to showcase the duo’s devotion to creativity and originality. 

After a year of aiming to bring people together through their Virtual Festival series, Defected and Glitterbox recently announced two club and festival tours across 29 dates, featuring their first events back in over 14 months. Defected’s Virtual to Reality tour will see the brand take its house parties across the UK and Europe for a run of events from July through to New Year’s Eve. Sister brand Glitterbox will also hit the road, celebrating the release of its documentary Where Love Lives with the tour that will come to a close on New Year’s Day 2022.

With their Miami Best Of 2020 set taking just three months to become the group’s most popular YouTube upload to date, livestream culture’s seems close to second nature to Cosmic Gate. With March’s album-heralding Miami Open Skies livestream seeing the same trajectory, Nic & Bossi decided to take a trip down Mexico way.

Two years after releasing his album, ‘The Last Summer’, as R Plus (with the “Plus” being his Faithless conspirator Sister Bliss and multi-award-winning songstress Dido), Rollo Armstrong is back under that very same moniker in the company of singer Amelia Fox, releasing his cover of Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ on Armada Music to kickstart his second album project.

After 2020 saw Plastik Funk debut in the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs Poll, his releases, as well as live shows when touring was able to happen, have possibly helped to grow his fanbase. Where last year, he upped the ante on singles such as ‘High Enough’ with Firebeatz, ‘Rock This Town’ with Deekey and, most recently, his Eastern-influenced ‘Tribute To Asia’ EP, he now returns to Mixmash Bold.

Armada Music’s Audien is back with his new track, ‘Learn To Love Again’, a song of personal relevance to the American DJ/producer - decked out with lyrics, vocals and the melodies that typify his productions.

The gateway to May sees VII turn loose ‘Dusk Till Dawn’ – the label’s fourth double disc music comp. Mixed & compiled by trance artist John Askew, the album provides an expo of his bilingual approach to the genre. The Dusk disc underscores tougher, techier sounds, whilst Dawn sheds more light on melodies, primetime tempos and higher-power euphoria. 

Glasgow duo Illyus & Barrientos continue to aim for the upper levels of dance music production royalty with their new summer track ‘Supersonic’. The new single, recently released on Ultra Music, arrives loaded with bass, minimal distractions and a feeling of summer. Bringing their lockdown studio output to the centre stage, the track follows on from the Scottish pair’s previous single, ‘Dancing Hearts’.

This week Cold Blue expands on another story from last year’s ‘Summer Chills’ LP, singling out the track ‘Painting Skies’. Devolving it from the album version’s chillout origins, he’s brought in Sunny Lax to deliver something more foot-moving in nature.  

Originally released in 2007 on West London’s Slip ‘N’ Slide, Frank Degree’s Latin-house track ‘O Samba E’ was possibly the cross between Bob Sinclar’s ‘Love Generation’ and Junior Jack’s ‘E Samba’ the world needed that summer. Now Soulfuric Trax revisit the track with a new remix package. 

When Oumi Janta used ‘Ba:sen’ to soundtrack one of her roller-skating videos, little did she or producer In Deep We Trust know what was to come. With the video getting hundreds of thousands of views overnight and shares from the likes of Alicia Keys, Celeste Barber & Viola Davis the track went on an upward spiral. It was soon signed to FFRR and has apparently since, been labelled a ‘hit’ with support from Pete Tong, Sam Divine & Martin Garrix.

It’s getting close to the release of Paul Oakenfold’s new studio album, ‘Shine On’. During the summer of 2020, the album’s first single was revealed as ‘The World Can Wait’ featuring the voice of Luis Fonsi, an artist most recognised for his work in ‘Despacito’ with Justin Bieber, which has collectively gained over 20 billion streams. For the album’s second single, ‘What’s Your Love Like’, Paul embraced his longtime love affair with hip-hop in featuring Grammy Award-winning rapper/actress Eve and emerging rapper/producer Baby E in the song.

W&W have been working in the dance music circuit for well over a decade, delivering releases that have possibly help shape the big room sound. Making a return to the release radar alongside German-natives AXMO, Willem van Hanegem and Ward van der Harst deliver ‘Skydance’. 

Chicago artist Mike Dunn has been behind a number of house’s popular tracks, but as he donned his MD X-Spress alias to speak the lyrics, “God made me funky, and I’m glad he blessed me that way…” he never could have anticipated the reaction the track would still get on dancefloors nearly three decades later. 

Berlin remixer, live act and producer Hannes Bieger returns to Poker Flat Recordings for the first time since his 2019 track 'Chemistry'. Bieger matches his studio skills with a sense of what the dancefloor possibly needs, and has probably made an impact in the scene with releases on the likes of Bedrock and Awesome Soundwave. 

WaterBear – The College of Music recently announced a new scholarship award with Carl Cox, who has been at the pinnacle of his profession for nearly three decades. Nurturing innovation in the music industry is apparently at the forefront of what WaterBear do, aiming to pave the way for musicians to forge careers on their own terms, armed with the tools they need to succeed in an ever-changing landscape. 

Diplo, Elderbrook and Andhim come together on the FFRR imprint and Diplo’s Higher Ground to deliver a summer-ready house track ‘One By One’, which is out now. Arriving just in time for the national return to the dancefloor, the track illustrates each artist’s individual styles. With Diplo’s electronic textures, hints of Andhim’s laid-back grooves, and Elderbrook’s vocals, all culminate in a lower slung vibe, showcasing the trio’s production.

1989 was a fortuitous time for Ten City as they unleashed their own brand of house music, packed with love and positivity. In the process, they possibly captured the imagination of the nation’s youth and transformed themselves into a household name. Now almost 25 years later and taken from their forthcoming album, ‘Judgement’ set for release this summer, they re-release the 1989 classic ‘That’s The Way Love Is’ now including a remix by NYC’s Louie Vega, out now on Ultra Music.

Illustrating former Flashover Recordings lynchpin Celwin Frenzen’s label vision further this month, Gundamea (aka German duo Stoneface & Terminal) have just released ‘Back For More’ for the EDCT label. In keeping with the label’s open-world approach, the track rests within the node of progressive, house and trance. 

Following the cancellation of the 2020 edition, Defected is set to return to Croatia this August, returning to The Garden, Tisno from Thursday 5 – Tuesday 10 August 2021 for six days of house on the Adriatic coast. Carl Craig, Floorplan, Louie Vega, Jamie 3:26 and Jaden Thompson, join 90 plus DJs and live acts performing with headliners including Armand Van Helden, Honey Dijon, Jayda G, Moodymann and Purple Disco Machine. 

UK DJ/producer GotSome returns to Toolroom with his latest record ‘In The Dark’. Teaming up with Brighton based producer George Kwali, who had the 2016 collaboration with Kideko - ‘Crank It’. Together, the duo have created a bass heavy house track, a record with a raw edge and dark undertones throughout. The track is guided by the soft, ethereal yet sleazy vocals which breathe a sultry air into it. 

Cafe Mambo recently announced that they are bringing a host of dance music acts to Rainton Arena, Durham on Saturday 18 September. The lineup is made up of Roger Sanchez, saxophonists Lovely Laura & Ben Santiago, The Shapeshifters, Ferreck Dawn and Cafe Mambo resident Danny O.

Danish audio design company, AIAIAI has unveiled a collaboration with Ninja Tune: the new TMA-2 Ninja Tune Edition headphones - made from the independent label’s recycled vinyl. The headphones will build upon AIAIAI’s modular design ethos and a shared desire for the collaboration to focus on experimentation. 

Following releases on Black Coffee’s Soulistic Music and MoBlack Records, South African duo Kususa make their debut on Sef Kombo and Louie Dunmore’s Sondela imprint to release two-track package ‘Overtone’. A pair of cuts that demonstrate their Afro tech sound, the release opens with ‘Inkinga’, where mood-defining synth chords and a beat add drama to the track.