The Black Madonna 'He Is The Voice I hear' / We Still Believe / 9 January
On her first original production since 2013, The Black Madonna had this to say: "I wanted to make a record that returned to the core values of dance music." She added that it'd been a long journey and that she was delighted to finally achieve her goal of bringing together an ensemble of live musicians. It's dedicated to a succession of disco legends, including Larry Levan, Walter Gibbons and Loleatta Holloway, and the result is a blood-and-thunder track that begins with the piano.
Dettman l Klock 'Phantom Studies' / Ostgut Ton / 27 January
For Berlin techno purists, when the names Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock arrive together in the same sentence, heads take notice. A dream team to thousands, the two German giants slam into 2017 with their first joint release in 10 years, which just so happens to be the 100th 12" on Berghain's label, Ostgut Ton. The title track is ill-boding and menacing by nature - ideal for lurking behind the shadows.
James Slaven 'Black & Incredible' / Under No Illusion / 9 January
Scotsman, James Slaven, has been DJing across the UK for over a decade, with residencies held in different corners of Scotland. But as a producer, he's relatively fresh to the game, with first releases only dropped in 2015. So far he's faring well in clubland's ecosystem, with tracks being picked up by some of the scenes heavyweights, including Nicole Moudaber, Yousef and Moodymanc. And in 2017, the support keeps coming in from all the right places, as Steve Lawler is the latest high profile artist to give him a platform by giving 'Back & Incredible' the one more tune slot on Steve Lawler presents NightLIFE Radio. Lawler knows how to rock a basement - he's the undisputed basement king of Sankeys Ibiza after all, so expect to hear this deep house demon in a darkened chamber near you.
The xx 'On Hold' / Young Turks Recordings / 13 January
The xx's three members were barely out of their teens when they somersaulted into public consciousness in 2009 with their first full length, xx. Their intimate introspections moved us, grabbed us and caressed us in such a way we were left wondering if we'd ever experienced love at all. Eight years on, and the indie pop trio are back with third album, I See You, and we're delighted to accept a respite from our ever-chaotic planet and tuck in. It's brighter, poppier and more varied, with 'Hold On' being one of 10 records that remodels the band as a more extroverted entity.
Culoe De Song 'Deadman's Walk' / Watergate Records / 23 January
South African, Culoe De Song, lands on renowned Berlin label this month with a beauty that you'll be gagging to make contact with in any given nightclub. Culoe's still riding high on the recent release of his Watergate mix, and we suspect he'll be riding even higher when 'Deadman's Walk' gets the airplay it deserves. Savour the track's full eight minutes, as the bells and organ chords signal its beginning, before it dives into dramatic territory with an explosion of percussive grooves.
Djebali Feat. John Dimas 'Suzaku' / (Djebali) / 16 January
Interest in the Parisian producer's debut album is sparked by its title, as it goes solely by the name of 5, and because numerology dictates that it's the most energetic and dynamic of all the single numbers, we must be in for a good ride. 5 reflects on how his career´s milestones as his label was launched five years ago, and it also represents the number of months it took to complete the 12-tracker LP. His twelfth and final track, 'Suzaku', is one of the tracks that stands out against the collection with its instant hip-hop influenced experimentation.
Matthew Dear 'Brine' / !K7 / 27 January
Ok yes, artists are guilty of being biased when it comes to judging their own material, but they know themselves, and they know how far they've come, right? Matthew Dear, who is the latest artist ushered in to mix for the DJ Kicks series, claims that 'Brines' is one of his best techno achievements to date. He even goes on to say that in an ideal world, this would be remembered as his 'Spastik' or 'Windowlicker'. Bold as brass, Mr Dear. He did it all live on his modular equipment and it's bursting with sporadic thunders, zips and shudders.
Phil Tangent & Pennygiles 'Crossing The Rubicon' / Metalheadz / 20 January
The first 2017 release on Metalheadz - the label Goldie co-founded in 1994 - lands from Phil Tangent and Pennygiles. They've been welcomed in by the revered drum'n' bass label with a savage sonic attack in the form of a track that takes its title from an idiom that means to pass a point of no return. Will you be encouraged to do the same when you plug this into your ears? Give it a shot, do your worst.
Anetha 'Acid Train' / Anagram Label / 31 January
Strictly speaking, we normally give you the full shebang in our top releases entries, but this one deserves a special shoutout - in our books, anyway. Parisian artist Anetha was selected to feature on this two-part release that was curated by Amsterdam producer, Sinfol. 'Acid Train' lives up to its name with an infectious 303 and the kind of blows that have the ability to transport your mind to the centre of a ruthless rave.
Mr G 'Can't Stop' / No Idea's Original / 27 January
To finish us off, here's a much-welcomed weapon from UK house veteran, Mr G. Vocals spit "I just can't stop, no" and why should you want to when music sounds this good? Loaded with muscle and offering you the kind of nutritious, protein-packed feeding that even a ground beef steak couldn't provide, get on your raving station and hit play.
WORDS l Aimee Lawrence
