Electronic music organisations Pioneer DJ, Beatport, Sentric Music Group, AFEM, Mixmag, RA, IMS, and Women in CTRL partner with InChorus to launch the Electronic Music Inclusion Initiative (EMII, pron. Emmy) to take a data-led approach to creating more inclusive environments across the industry. The first phase of EMII’s work will be focused on research into harassment and discrimination across the sector. From now, anyone working in the Electronic Music industry will be able to access InChorus’ survey at electronicmusic.inchorus.org in order to anonymously speak up about micro-aggressions and other forms of harassment. 

Paul Hartnoll, one half of electronic dance music duo Orbital, and poet and performance artist Murray Lachlan Young recently announced their lockdown-inspired musical collusion album as ‘Hartnoll & Young’. Hopefully apturing the covid zeitgeist, ‘The Virus Diaries’ is a lighthearted wander through the ever-shifting scene of the first lockdown. The 15-track album aims to bring light to an otherwise dark scene and the result of a workflow between the close pair. 

New York’s Alan Nieves makes a return to South Of Saturn with ‘My Man EP’ this month. Following releases on elrow, Circus and Deeperfect, Alan lines up his second release for Lee Foss’ imprint, bringing a package of house tracks to the table. 

Bedrock’s Nick Muir remixes Russian Linesman’s ‘The Road Back’ this month on Loki Recordings. Featuring the spoken word poetry of poet, playwright, and actor Ben Norris, ‘The Road Back’ originally appeared on the DJ/producer's ‘Monomyth’ series in 2020. A six-part project, it delved into a concept based on Joseph Campbell’s book ‘A Hero with a Thousand Faces’, with each track named after a part of the protagonist’s journey. 

Booka Shade combine with Bontan on Blaufield Music for their first ever collaboration, ‘St. Kilda Nights’. 2021 looks set to become one of the most productive and diverse years of German duo Booka Shade’s career, delivering a wealth of solo and collaborative material with emerging and established producers, plus vocalists via their home imprint. 

Mason takes his ‘tongue in cheek attitude’ to music and runs with it in his new video for ‘Givin’ Up.’ In the video, he plays a parody of himself: a producer under pressure to make another big record while being stuck in lockdown. He’s seen reminiscing about previous live gigs and going about a very mundane life while trying to motivate himself to make a big record - a follow up to 2007’s ‘Exceeder’.

Life in the Park launches in Brighton featuring Orbital, Jamie Jones, Maceo Plex, Denis Sulta, Nightmares On Wax, Crazy P, Cinthie, Sally C, Cassy and more. To celebrate the hopeful return to normality, The Arch launch an open-air series of events which will land at Brighton Rugby Club, Waterhall, Brighton in June and July.

Following the release of their debut documentary ‘Where Love Lives’, Glitterbox Recordings delivers the accompanying compilation to the film’s narrative of dancefloor expression and liberation. 

Riggi & Piros return to Armada Music for ‘Longshot’,  a blend of progressive and tropical house released just in time for the summer. To assist with their latest release, the duo enlist EL3CTRXX for production support and The Chainsmokers’ ‘Good Intentions’ featured artist BullySongs for vocal work. 

International Music Summit (IMS) has postponed IMS Ibiza 2021 and announced the summit will return in 2022 for its 13th edition. The event hopes to reunite thousands of global electronic music industry professionals after a two year hiatus, curating a programme of diverse discussions that aims to help negotiate the post-COVID world. 

Sander van Doorn’s 2011 release, ‘Drink To Get Drunk’, returns to the release radar a decade since its initial release. This time around, the Eindhoven-based artist has enlisted remix duties from DJ/production pair Eli & Fur. The London natives reinterpret the track into a driving techno one, infusing it with brooding sonic sensibilities. 

With 'Zero’, Claptone finally dropped some new music, before inviting UK-based dubstep artist Skream and Chicago’s Gene Farris, to remix the original, with both versions out now on Different Recordings.

MK, Lee Foss and Anabel Englund reconvene as Pleasure State for ‘Break Away’, marking Repopulate Mars’ 100th release. Their first collaboration since the 2014 track ‘Ghost In The System’ on Hot Creations, the trio now return on Lee Foss’ label.

Following releases and remixes for Defected, Eton Messy, and his Goodside Records imprint, Sydney’s Carter debuts on Lee Foss’ South Of Saturn this April with the ‘Gotcha With Me’ EP. 

Following a string of remixes for the label, Riva Starr returns to Defected to release ‘Love Divine’, his first original production on the imprint since 2016’s ‘The Superdope EP’. 

Camelphat recently announced their return to the city this summer for their biggest homecoming show to date, taking over Liverpool’s Pier Head on Friday 17 September. The Liverpool duo who have been working together for nearly two decades are possibly one of the few acts to have successfully straddled the mainstream and the underground. 

Italian vocalist and producer Lyke has apparently ‘become one of the most sought-after names in electronic music over the past few years.’ Following his Armada Music debut ‘Arose’, he recently announced his thee-track ‘Stay With Me’ EP, with the lead single and title track out now via Armada Electronic Elements.

Having introduced everyone, by way of ‘Sapho Blend’ & ‘Dismay’, to his more abstract Paraframe alias, whilst alternating monthly with his own-name creations, Pavel Khvaleev’s already shown plenty of future in ‘21. Following his January connection with Miss Monique on ‘Rider’, he returns now with more floor-minded oxygen, going solo and instrumental into the inky-black of ‘Space Odyssey’.

In 2003 Alan Braxe and friend Romauld teamed up as The Paradise to release 'In Love With You', receiving support from artists such as Justice, Armand Van Helden, Duke Dumont, Breakbot and more. Since its release, Alan has been playing an alternative version of the original in clubs, keeping it as a secret and personal tool in the mechanism of his DJ sets. Now, after 12 years he shares the record as he releases it on his own Vulture Music.

Montreal’s Andrew Pololos recently unveiled his debut album, ‘Until We Dance’. Following singles ‘Running,’ ‘Control,’ and ‘All For You’, Pololos leans into modern pop sensibilities while still keeping a deep house sound throughout, crafting a record aimed for summertime parties. 

Kryder rode into 2021, fusing VR, avatars, motion-capture and CGI to take people on a monthly trip into his ‘dance-anywhere’ Metaverse. Alongside digital concept house Conduit XR, he attempted to flip the script on lockdown, bringing the show to the audience by delivering ‘a reality-rivalling experience.’

DJ/producer Mason drops ‘Givin’ Up’, a disco-house hybrid, on his own Animal Language imprint. Equal parts groove, melody and eccentricity, he has avoided jumping on electronic music bandwagons and with a palette borrowed from formative years immersed in hip-hop, house, electro, funk and disco there are apparently no rules to his musical style.

After a 2020 that saw Lost Frequencies release a brand new EP, ‘Cup Of Beats’, as well as his invitation to perform from the rooftop of the Royal Palace in Brussels - after an invitation from the country’s Royal Highness – he’s now released his debut Sony Music release, ‘Rise’.

Premiered during their Miami Open Skies livestream last weekend, GRAMMY-nominated electronic music act Cosmic Gate’s first 2021 single is out on streaming platforms and stores now. Given lyrical and vocal input by singer/songwriter Diana Miro, it finds Nic & Bossi bringing music with a more introspective edge. The track is marked out with drawn strings, percs, synths, and sub-bass-boom, over seven minutes.

A brand new open-air clubbing destination is coming to Manchester – Square One will be arriving onto the scene on 26 June 2021 with a line-up of some big names in dance music. An event space transformed from an old car park, the club is located in the heart of Manchester, a stone's throw away from Piccadilly Station. 

Undisputed Music welcomes producer Todd Edwards to its roster, who steps up to deliver his latest house cut. Todd has had a musical career spanning over 25 years and his technique of using a hypnotic collage of cut-up samples over swung beats and disco-flavoured basslines saw him being credited as one of the ‘Godfathers of UK Garage’. A succession of releases followed over the years, each track highlighting his production style.

Above & Beyond celebrate 450 episodes of their lradio show, Group Therapy, with a two-day outdoor festival in their hometown of London. This will be their first show with a live audience since lockdown began. The trio will be joined by rising acts and veterans from the band’s two record labels, Anjunabeats and Anjunadeep. Saturday will feature a roster of upfront trance and progressive artists, while Sunday will celebrate the deeper, atmospheric sounds of Anjunadeep.

On Tuesday 30 March at 8 pm CET those who like A State Of Trance can test their knowledge of ‘Trance’ music via ‘the biggest Trance pub quiz ever’, hosted by DJ Armin van Buuren and his A State of Trance side-kick Ruben de Ronde. 

Following the announcement of the release date for new nightlife documentary Where Love Lives, full details for Glitterbox’s three-part premiere event for the film were recently revealed. The virtual event will start on YouTube at 4pm GMT on Thursday 18th March with DJ sets from Melvo Baptiste, Jellybean Benitez and Dimitri From Paris, followed by the world premiere of Where Love Lives at 8pm GMT and closing with a two-hour after-party with DJ sets from Natasha Diggs and Fat Tony. London-based DJs Melvo Baptiste and Fat Tony will be streamed from the capital’s music venue, Royal Albert Hall.  

The first disco-trip for possibly one of the finest voices in contemporary house music, SeeMeNot’s dancefloor biggest moment to date arrives with a remix of ‘Rapture’ from Gerd Janson. Available now on her label, Brainstream, the track is their fourth single, and follows January’s ‘Joan Of Arc’, supported by Simon Dunmore, Paco Osuna, Dubfire, Carl Craig, Martin Garrix, Kryder, Mousse T, John Digweed, and more. This record also represents the first meeting between SeeMeNot aka Renee Thompson and Janson, who will return together later this year.

A single which kickstarted the duo’s opening to 2021, Booka Shade reveal a trio of remixes for ‘Pray’ courtesy of Chris Malinchak, Monkey Safari and Joplyn. Brooklyn born, New Jersey-based DJ/producer Chris Malinchak apparently shot to international acclaim in 2013 with his track ‘So Good To Me’, with the years following welcoming material via the likes of French Express and Ultra, plus the launch of his weekly radio show on Sirius XM Chill. 

Ben Murphy makes his first outing on Solid Grooves Raw with his latest single, ‘Make You Feel’. Following on from a wealth of material dropping throughout 2020, Ben looks set for another busy year when it comes to his release and remix output. 

Terror Peaks is a musical project from IDM and sample-based producer, sound artist, and DJ Jude BH (fka. Hambling). Whilst most of his contemporaries take a dubbed out or warm approach to beats and techno, Jude’s tunes turn against this, favouring maximalist explorations of icy, bright textures, swimming in stretched vocal manipulations that sometimes space over 20 minute ‘trip’ soundscapes. 

Nicole Moudaber has been hard at work behind closed doors in her pursuit to keep the industry’s spirits alive and thriving. Enlisting the help of dear friend Alan T, she delivers her brand new EP ‘The Volume’. Representing ‘some of her most liberally untethered work to date’, the 2-track EP echoes a dedication to both her craft and the circuit in which its home to.

Canadian producer and DJ Gl0bal has previously released on Circus Records with his ‘Insomnia’ EP series. He now returns to the imprint with another single to add to his catalogue. ‘Snake’ with So Sus serves as another example of his bass-infused style. 

Byron Stingily and Marshall Jefferson recently announced Ten City’s fifth studio album, ‘Judgement’ with a re-work of their 1987 classic, ‘Devotion’. With four albums under their belt the band return with their fifth complete body of work, which is set for release 18 June via Ultra Music.

As one of the first releases on House of House, the newest sub-label of the Smash The House family, label founder and owner Dimitri Vegas, makes his first solo appearance with 'Pull Me Closer'.

On 12 and 13 March Cosmic Gate will broadcast their next digital event through Woov. For two hours, the duo will take you to the rooftop of the Mondrian Hotel, to perform their Miami Open Skies set, backdropped by the sun-setting spectacle of Biscayne Bay. If you enjoyed their “Best Of 2020 Set” from Miami then this could be for you.

Austrian artist Elian Dust makes his debut on Moonboutique Records this month featuring two house originals entitled ‘Into The Room’. Elian is leaving his imprint on the dance music world following releases on Toolroom Trax, Under Pressure and Huambo Records, which have received support from Pete Tong on his BBC Radio 1 show. 

Defected are set to make their US radio show debut tomorrow on the satellite dance music station, SiriusXM. “House Music All Life Long” aims to be an immersive escape designed with only one purpose in mind - to deliver listeners directly into the sweet bosom of house music for two full hours each month.

Blockchain influencer and musician 3LAU (in partnership with Origin Protocol) has sold a $11.6 million in NFTs (non-fungible tokens, a digital asset linked to blockchain that allows for ownership of the asset) via an online auction from 25-28 February. This is a record for overall sales for a single NFT drop/collection, as well as the highest price paid for a single NFT ($3.6M).

What exactly John 00 Fleming has in ‘21-store is currently only known to him, but now you get a glimpse at least of what’s on his mind. Primarily that comes by way of ‘Chapter 1: The Explorer’, a leadingly titled release, which also marks his first single in two years. It plays a touch housier and a fraction less trance and flips the perspective on ‘Space Odyssey’, his last outing.

More music from the Balearic mind of Roger Shah this month, as his alias returns aiming to put a ray of the warm stuff into Spring. The strains of ‘Hello Sunrise’ will possibly have swift resonance for anyone who joined last year’s ‘In Search Of Sunrise’ mixes. He used the then tones of its Chillout Mix to overture his debut disc on the 16th edition of the series. 

The 20 Years of Poker Flat celebration continues to release new productions. Here are another two examples as Guti and Greg Gow revisit some musical moments from the combo of Steve Bug and Cle.

After debuting this year with the first official single ‘Want It To End’ and their remix of Apache's ‘Distance’, the duo Pushing Daizies is back with their fourth release in less than two months since their inception. ‘Dreams’ displays the producers' bass style with an emotive twist. Featuring vocals by Kelsey Ray, the new single aims to pull on listeners' heartstrings with its basslines and melodies. 

Mexico City-based producer, Louie Fresco, delivers his sophomore EP on Music is 4 Lovers. The title track, ‘Still Drippin’’, comes in fast from the get-go, with a driving bassline and vocals from Hector Moralez. 

San Francisco’s Luttrell aka Eric Luttrell lands back on Anjunadeep with the new single ‘Just A Dream’. Featuring North American group Delta Underground, the track is lifted from his forthcoming EP ‘Music For My Memories Pt. I’.

Last September, Tricky released his album ‘Fall To Pieces’ and recently he announced a remix EP with contributions from Trentemøller, Kahn, LA Timpa and Lafawndah. Four artists that are possibly known for their own production styles, recalibrate and incorporate Tricky’s music into their own sonic terrains.  

2020 was apparently a career-defining year for artist, producer and musician, Mako. His sophomore album, ‘Fable’, was released in mid-December on Ultra Records after a slew of lead singles throughout the year and now he prepares to continue the momentum with an album of remixes that allow the listener to enjoy the track in a reimagined way. 

Creamfields today announced its festival has sold out in advance of making its return this summer, becoming its fastest selling show to date. Possible Covid restrictions allowing, the four-day festival which will be bringing together over 300 acts from the dance music spectrum, makes its return this August Bank Holiday weekend.  

French DJ, musician and producer Myd will release his debut album, ‘Born A Loser’, on Friday, 30 April via Ed Banger / Because Music. The album comprises 14 tracks, including previous single ‘Moving Men’ featuring MacDeMarco and new single - also called ‘Born A Loser’. The single’s video, also out now, features Myd being chased by his own double around his apartment: he is calling himself a loser.  

To be released on 5 March on Big Love, Parisian producer Yass and Barcelona’s DJ Fudge come together for their joint label debut, ‘(I Know) I’m Losing You’, a slice of soul-infused house music that is aimed at the dancefloor. 

When Alaia & Gallo debuted on Soul Heaven back in 2016 with ‘Who Is He?’, the record apparently proved popular on dancefloors during that summer. With Kevin Haden’s vocal covering Bill Withers’ classic ‘Who Is He (And What Is He To You)’, Alaia & Gallo’s take on the soulful house sound resonated with both selectors and the dancefloors they played it on. 

Following on from the ‘Cramp’ EP courtesy of EdOne, John Digweed’s Bedrock imprint welcomes Titan International’s Philipp Straub and musical unit Outcome for the latest addition to their back-catalogue. Featuring a bonus remix from Kadosh, the ‘Lyra’ EP is out now across all streaming platforms.

Classmatic & Gabe link up for their ‘Encoding EP’ on Jamie Jones’ Hottrax this month, turning in three house tracks. Previously releasing on the likes of Solid Grooves Raw, Repopulate Mars, and Spinnin’ Deep between them, this EP sees the two Brazilian producers collaborate for the first time, refining their respective sounds to build a set of heads-down house tracks. 

Booka Shade return to Bluefield Music with their new single, ‘Caverna Magica’. Having already dropped their first EP of 2021 with ‘Pray’, and fresh from their collaboration ‘Perpetual Light’ alongside Polly Scattergood, they now complete their New Year hat-trick. 

Yesterday saw the release of Ian Weatherall & Duncan Gray's tribute to Ian's brother, the late Andrew Weatherall. Landing on Andrew's Rotter's Golf Club imprint and featuring remixes from David Holmes, Keith Tenniswood and Sean Johnston (as Hardway Bros), all proceeds from the release will be shared with Andrew's partner, Lizzie, and the Thrombosis UK Charity. 

Franky Wah kicks off 2021 with his new EP, ‘Should Have Seen It Coming’, his maiden release on Anjunadeep, which is out now. The four-track EP opens with the lead title track, a vocal cut pairing breakdowns with the vocals of Aetho. Next up, ‘The Last Stand’ sees the Yorkshireman shift to a progressive house vibe while maintaining the intensity of the opener before ’91’ again centres around a trance breakdown. Closing things out is ‘Boundaries’, which is a house track. 

New York house label Nu Groove will release new music for the first time in almost 30 years this March. Debuting with a special 12”, NYC DJ/producer Jovonn and Swiss Character Records boss Deetron will be the first to release on the refreshed label, with Defected Records overseeing the new era of the label, since acquiring the catalogue in 2017.

British duo House Dogz return to their Sub House Records imprint with a house track entitled 'Don't You Love Me'. Made up of Doncaster based artists and brothers Chris and Phil Hamilton, they define their house sound by playing live bass, guitar, keys and singing vocals inspired by their love of soul and funk. 

Music label connected welcomes German Brigante to the label this month, delivering his three-track EP, 'Genisys'. Residing in the South of Spain, Malaga Brigante is an artist with an ‘authentic and distinctive style’. 

Following releases on E-Beamz, Natural Sciences, and Who’s Susan, the German-based DJ Swagger returns to Nerang after appearing on the label’s ‘Freaky Friends Volume 1’ compilation earlier this year. Merging influences from dance mania through to UK garage, ‘Bass Hysteria’ sees him demonstrating his production skills. 

In collaboration with the Music Venue Trust (MVT) and approved for trial by the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), You Check is set to trial its digital health passport platform in London and Bristol to aid venues and events to reopen safely following the coronavirus pandemic. The platform was originally developed in mid-2019 as a secure ticketing/ID verification system to reduce problematic secondary ticketing issues and public security concerns surrounding fraudulent ticket touts. 

2021 welcomes the arrival of New York-based imprint Revival, with the debut EP coming courtesy of Jansons as he delivers ‘Heartbreaker’. The label aims to become one to watch across the year ahead and beyond as they ‘inject the soul and foundations of dance music back into today’s modern landscape.’

Following on from the success of his track, ‘Cinema’, Benny Benassi has enlisted Swedish duo Galantis for a rework, after a decade since its release. With the original already having over 500m combined streams, as well as support from BBC Radio 1 and more, the track has still remained popular since it dropped in 2011. 

With a string of chart releases and underground tracks to his name, Vito Lucente is possibly one of Europe’s essential house names. From the cross-over hit ‘Make Luv’ produced under his Room 5 moniker, his Junior Jack alias allowed him to explore a much clubbier sound. 

Taken from Husky’s recent album ‘Go Don’t Stop’, ‘We Rave Tonight’ is the second collaboration between Husky and house producer and vocalist Mr. V, and now lands with brand new mixes from Alaia & Gallo and LJ Hawk. 

Fresh from reaching the milestone number of a thousand episodes with A State Of Trance a few weeks back, Armin van Buuren has teamed up with American broadcasting company SiriusXM to start a new full-time streaming channel: ‘A State Of Armin’. Broadcast exclusively across the United States, the brand-new dance music show will feature selections in new and upcoming trance and progressive dance music, as well as classics from both Armin and his collaborators from over the past 20 years.

Fresh off the back of his 2020 ‘Heu Como Bailar’ EP for Hot Creations, France’s Malikk steps up to sister label Hottrax with three house cuts. Across the EP, he showcases his ability to create energetic house music, his style of effected vocal chops and percussion on display throughout. 

Kicking off 2021 with back-to-back releases on home turf, Booka Shade make a return their own to Blaufield Music imprint this month as they are joined by vocalist, songwriter, and recent Chris Liebing collaborator, Polly Scattergood, to offer up ‘Perpetual Light’. 

Created as an outlet to explore his soulful, spiritual influences, Robert Hood’s Floorplan project has apparently become a name synonymous with gospel-inspired house music. Welcoming daughter Lyric to the Floorplan fold in 2014, the pair have been behind cuts in the last decade such as ‘Tell You No Lie’ and ‘Never Grow Old’.

Following the release of his second studio album ‘Lailonie’ at the close of 2020, UK-born / Cincinnati-based producer Marsh shares the first of two remix packages, featuring mixes from Canadian producer Simon Doty, Russia’s Amonita and UK-based Frost.

New labels are conceived for any numbers of reasons, some distinct and others less so. From showcasing a new sound or A&R approach to the artist taking control of their own music, every one has its own end. Coming into being in order to expose just some of the new artist material arriving into their inbox, Super8 & Tab’s Scorchin’ Records was no different. Apparently the quality and quantity received proved so high that the label last year opened its sister imprint, Scorchin’ Progressive. 

Will Taylor returns to Lee Foss’ South Of Saturn with the ‘Walk With Me EP’ this month. Following 2020’s ‘The Way EP’, which picked up support from the likes of Groove Armada, Michael Bibi, and Lee Foss, Will’s latest track sees the Londoner refine his sound which has been on labels such as Spinnin’ Deep, Sola, and Deeperfect Shift. 

Jasper Street Co.’s ‘You’re My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration’ single from their ‘Rejoicing’ album on Nervous Records receives remixes from Tensnake, Dr Packer, and Micfreak, in addition to individual interpretations from the group's producers Teddy Douglas and DJ Spen. 

Techno’s Mark Broom steps up to Rekids Special Projects in February with ‘Mutated Battle Breaks’. Continuing to run his techno-focussed sub-label, Radio Slave recruits UK DJ/producer Mark for an eight track release on Rekids Special Projects. 

Above & Beyond recently released a remix of ‘Sun In Your Eyes’, from California’s Spencer Brown. Spencer first appeared on Anjunabeats with ‘Wannamaker’ in 2016 and his productions blur the lines between deep house, progressive, and trance, earning a place in the record bags of artists such as deadmau5, Calvin Harris and Sasha.

AIAIAI recently announced a DJ mix competition: the ‘AIAIAI 2021 Mix Contest’. Launched on 26 January, and running for four weeks, the competition gives undiscovered talent the opportunity to join a DJ mix series and win prizes including a $1000 fee, Traktor Kontrol S2, Novation Launchpad Pro, Ableton Live 10 Suite, Point Blank Online Ableton course, full AIAIAI TMA-2 set-up (HD, DJ, wireless) and much more.

Bicep have just released ‘Isles’, an album which expands on their 2017 debut ‘Bicep’, while digging deeper into the sounds, experiences and emotions that have influenced their lives and work, from early days clubbing in Belfast to their move to London a decade ago. 

Following requests asking Cloonee when this song would be officially released, the UK tech house DJ/producer drops ‘Sun Goes Down’ out now on Big Beat Records. The single is a rework of a classic Cassius track and highlights his tech house production style. He has apparently reached #1 on Beatport’s tech house chart numerous times since his 2014 debut and wrapped last year as Beatport’s #8 best-selling Tech House producer of 2020.

SURA Music boss Roberto Surace kicks off 2021 on the label with his latest single, ‘Don’t Know’. Possibly one of house music’s rising stars of recent years following his break-through in 2019, Italian producer, DJ and label boss Roberto continues to build on that success as he showcases his blend of vocal infused and groove-driven house music. 

Soul II Soul recently announced rescheduled dates due to the global Covid-19 restrictions for their forthcoming ‘Club Classics’ tour. They will complete a 15-date UK tour in 2022 starting on 21 January at the Tramshed, Cardiff and will finish with a show at London’s Royal Albert Hall on 18 April.

South London duo, Oxide & Neutrino, return with new music and a freshly inked 3-single recordings deal with New State Music. Their first release for the label is ‘Where Do We Go?’ a collaboration with Leo The Lion (former collaborator with The Streets). Released 29 January, features vocals from Leo, an old friend of Neuch’s who sang on the No.1 ‘Dry Your Eyes’, and hits including ‘Blinded By The Lights’ and ‘Fit But You Know It’. 

The Shapeshifters’ studio skills and dedication to his craft has resulted in singles that possibly stand up alongside golden era disco records as much as they sound fresh on dancefloors today. His relationship with Glitterbox has yielded tracks that epitomise the label’s ethos for preserving disco’s mission to uplift and empower, in particular with his latest release and debut collaboration with the Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award-winning Billy Porter, ‘Finally Ready’. 

With over 25 years of studio experience, Dutchman Ferry Corsten has been among the trance scene’s most authoritative figures since he released seminal trance classics such as ‘Out Of The Blue’ (as System F) and ‘Gouryella’ (as Gouryella), and he now steps up to the plate to teach his craft to the next generation of dance music producers through his first-ever masterclass on Armada University and FaderPro: ‘In The Studio’.

A fair amount is made in music’s realm of ‘the personal album’. In truth though all artist albums are inherently personal - the only distinction being to what degree. By his own acknowledgement, Dennis wrote his third longform predominantly for fans, but also - in part – for himself. Starting the year 2019 in what he described as “a very dark place”, he utilised ‘Find The Sunrise'’s process as a cathartic tool of articulation, and one with which to face a personal demon or two. 

D.J. International was apparently the label that introduced the world to Chicago house, birthing it and nurturing it in its infancy, releasing the first ever house music long player in 1986 ‘The House Sound Of Chicago’. It is a label with a discography populated artists and DJs like Frankie Knuckles, Fingers Inc (Larry Heard & Robert Owens), Ron Hardy, Steve ‘Silk” Hurley, Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk, Joe Smooth, Darryl Pandy and Marshall Jefferson.

Anjunabeats presents a new remix of gardenstate’s (aka Sweden's Marcus Schossow & American born Matthew Felner) ’Surreal’ from Amsterdam native Bart Skils. Bart is part of Adam Beyer’s Drumcode label where, for over a decade, he has exclusively released his original music. 

Danish headphone brand, AIAIAI, have produced a new short film series giving an exclusive insight into some of contemporary music’s leading artistic talents. Made available via the brand’s YouTube channel, ‘My Process’ launches with Nubya Garcia, the multi-award-winning saxophonist and composer whose debut album SOURCE apparently brought her wide critical acclaim in 2020.

Spencer Parker returns to Radio Slave’s Rekids with ‘The Theme’ EP, possibly the DJ/producer’s most distinctive single to date. Comprising three originals and a remix from Pink Concrete, the EP sees the Berlin-based Brit delve further into his ‘80s new wave influences hinted at in his recent ‘The Love And Sex’ EP for HE.SHE.THEY. 

John Summit drops his first release of 2021 with ‘Beauty Sleep’, landing this month on Repopulate Mars. Summit’s return to Lee Foss’ imprint sees the Chicago native bringing more of his heavy-hitting house to the table with a track that sees twinkling synths swirl around vocal hooks, as chunky drums tumble through a series of crescendos and breakdowns throughout. 

Continuing the celebrations surrounding Poker Flat’s 20th year in operation, the label releases a rework of a back catalogue production.

When Radio 1’s Danny Howard brought his Lockdown Linkup series to the world in 2020, he set about teaming up various dance producers for a collection of collaborations. Among those set up by the series was long-time friend of Defected Dennis Ferrer and South London trio Disciples, making for an unexpected transatlantic partnership. 

Less than two weeks before the broadcast of the 1000th episode of A State Of Trance on 21 January, Armin van Buuren has unveiled 950 tracks of the all-time A State Of Trance Top 1000. The Top 1000 list will also take centre stage during a seven-day-long A State Of Trance Top 1000 stream that will start counting down to the milestone episode of his weekly radio show when the broadcast of episode 999 ends on 14 January at 10pm (CET).

After contributing to connectedbeats edition1 in 2019 with his track, ’Zinder’ which gained the support of Black Coffee, Themba and Rise amongst others, Naples born, Barcelona based Cipy returns to connected for his own EP. The Italian producer has apparently been building a following since arriving on the scene a decade ago, via releases for the likes of Rawthentic, Kindish and Monique Musique. Recent output for Upon.You, Katermukke and connected have further bolstered his position and that continues here with the ‘Bird in Hand’ EP. 

Following a productive 12 months which saw collaborations with the likes of Eli & Fur, Jan Blomqvist and Lazarusman, plus the release of their latest studio album, ‘Dear Future Self’, this month sees electronic music duo Booka Shade kick off 2021 on Blaufield Music as they reveal their first EP of the year, ‘Pray’. 

Dennis Cruz and Eddy M welcome Fernando Campo to MÜSE to kick off 2021 with ‘Betty’, backed by a remix from LEON. A member of Spain’s house scene, DJ/producer Fernando continues to feature on various labels after decades in the game, releasing material on Stereo Productions, Defected / DFTD and Cruz’s Lemon-Aid imprint, whilst also remixing the likes of Todd Terry and Chus & Ceballos.

While James Haskell may be known as an England rugby player, he has also begun to prove his credibility as a DJ as he ventures into the world of house music. Returning for its fifth edition in the series, James Haskell’s Back Row Beats Volume 5 is a soundtrack for your workout, with the rugby professional curating a selection of high energy tracks. 

Bonobo and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs’ ‘Heartbreak’ is an ode to one of electronic music’s formative scenes: NYC’s disco revolution of the 1970s and ’80s. It’s a scene that was hugely influential on a young Kerri Chandler, and was an important precursor in the house music of which he would go on to be a formative figure. 

Anjunadeep, the label that ignited the careers of label artists Lane 8, Yotto, and Dusky, now present the second instalment of their new ‘Reflections’ compilation series. Following the inaugural volume in October, ‘Reflections Vol.2’ is a collection of downtempo and electronica from label favourites Jody Wisternoff, Kidnap, Croquet Club, Martin Roth, and Luttrell, along with new artists Luigi Sambuy, Lycoriscoris, Tryst, and Dotmaka.