Writing this for the second consecutive year leaves me with the same thought: How did the year fly by this quickly? Following a weird 2021, this past year was the first full 12 months back from Covid. We were able to pack ourselves back into clubs, venues, and open fields to catch our favorite live music. While the influx of new music seemed to diminish a bit with the return of shows, that didn’t stop some our of favorite artists from releasing new and innovative work. This is my attempt at recapping the year that was, and reviewing my favorite dance music releases from each month of 2022.
January
January 2022 feels like years ago. It’s hard to recall much from the month, but one thing I remember vividly is Bonobo‘s release of his album Fragments. The Los Angeles-based music maker showed off his range with this masterpiece. Featuring a wide array of sounds, from slow, heartwrenching tunes, to more upbeat dance tracks, Fragments truly highlights his abilities. Don’t want to take my word for it? The album was nominated for a Grammy in 2022, it would be a shame if it did not win.
Honorable Mention: PinkPantheress – to hell with it (Remixes)
February
The second month of the year featured a release from one of our favorite labels, The North Quarter. American drum n’ bass artist Echo Brown released his ep Midnight Static. Featuring a collaboration with Lenzman, and one of the Dnb tunes of the year with “Motions,” this ep is up there with our favorites in the 170 realm.
Honorable Mention: Burial & Four Tet – Nova / Moth
March
This was a tough one for me, thanks to the release of Nia Archive’s Forbidden Feelingz EP, one of the year’s best releases. But I decided to highlight Nia later in the year, and give the spotlight to another fantastic EP in March. miss u from The Librarian takes the cake. This multi-genre EP crafted by the co-founder of Bass Coast dips its toes into multiple areas of bass music. Featuring dubstep, UKG, and dnb/jungle, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Honorable Mention: Nia Archives – Forbidden Feelingz
April
This month belongs to NYC-based artist, AceMo. His two-track EP, ∞, is a beautiful display of techno, with “Infinite Upwards” being a melodic 7-minute journey. The adjacent track, “Infinite Downwards,” dabbles a bit more on the darker, psychedelic side. AceMo has been crushing the club scene for years now and continues to push quality music out.
Honorable Mention: Overmono – Cash Romantic
May
I mentioned her earlier, but it’s time to give the spotlight to Nia Archives. “Mash up the Dance,” her collaboration with Watch the Ride, might be the track of the year for me. The deep, rolling drum n’ bass tune made for the perfect summer of jungle anthem. With Nia crushing the vocals over a thumping bassline, this was a fun one to blast with the windows down.
Honorable Mention: Noisia – Closer
June
One of the weirder developments in dance music in 2022 was the rise of the mysterious duo Two Shell. Known for their quirky antics, such as the now-famous Barcelona Boiler Room Set, the two of them definitely stirred up some controversy throughout the year. Their identities are still unknown. However, the one thing we do know is, whoever was behind the masks put out some damn good music. The Icons EP is their unique take on garage and breaks, making for one of the most intriguing releases of the year.
Honorable Mention: Fred Again.. – “Jungle”
July
Listed as one of our artists to watch in 2023, the amazing gyrofield made a statement this July with her Evangelion For Beginners LP. Featuring an emotional liquid track, “The Lie,” along with the roller that is “Tech Flex VIP,” among other lovely tacks, gyrofield truly blew us away with this one. Her unique style of deep and glitchy DnB is making its mark.
Honorable Mention: Nikki Nair – “eyes on u”
August
The month of August featured what ended up being without a doubt, my pick for Album of the Year. What I Breathe, produced by the amazing Mall Grab is a magnificent display of dance music. His twist on techno, breaks, house, and jungle made for a lovely listen. Also accompanied by a tranquil Nia Archives collab, the 13-song album hits all the right spots. Some favorites from the album are, “Without The Sun,” “Distant Conversation,” and “Intercity Relations.” With that being said, every song is an enjoyable listen for me, making this one of my favorite dance music releases of 2022.
Honorable Mention: Interplanetary Criminal – “B.O.T.A.”
September
With temperatures starting to lower, Chloe Robinson & DJ ADHD combined forces in this hot EP, Steamin. Released on Chloe’s label, Pretty Weird, this is her first release under the Chloe Robinson alias. The thumping house tunes paired perfectly with fall activities. The track, “Pax,” even received a remix from the legendary Four Tet.
Honorable Mention: Floating Points – Problems
October
October was a tough month to choose, with amazing releases dropping one after another. In the end, my favorite belonged to the wonderful, TSHA, and her album, Capricorn Sun. Released on the prolific Ninja Tune, this album balances fun dance music with introspective emotional beats. TSHA is a superstar and that is further solidified on this album.
Honorable Mention: Tipper – Marble Hunting
November
The end of the year did not slow down the quality of releases. November gave us one of my favorite albums. London-based producer, Fracture, released 0860. The album was a fantastic display of top-notch Jungle. With different flavors, some ambient and some a bit more energetic and heavy, there is a taste for everyone. This one is an enjoyable listen all the way through.
Honorable Mention: Daniel Avery – Ultra Truth
December
The last month of 2022 featured plenty of quality releases to choose from. But one in particular really stood out to me. That was So Soft / Crush On U from the Finland-based junglist, DJ Sofa. Released on the fantastic label, Myor, this two-track ep is the perfect soundtrack for winter. “Crush On U” is the standout. A dreamy bassline rolls underneath chopped breaks and vocals, delivering an ethereal tune. You can find this EP on the Myor bandcamp!
Honorable Mention: Visages – From Lead To Gold
It was tough selecting just 12 releases in what was a wonderful year of music. We’re excited to see what’s in store for next year. After you’re done checking out our favorite dance music releases of 2022, check out who we’re looking forward to seeing shine in 2023.
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