Dancing Astronaut presents the Prime Digital Albums of 2021 – Dancing Astronaut

2021 proved to be a fruitful yr for digital LPs. With artists largely holed up for the whole thing of 2020 and the primary half of this yr, a close to 18-month stretch with out touring led to a wealth of creativity from dance music’s most esteemed veteran forces and emergent newcomers alike.

The albums introduced this yr took listeners on vicarious journeys from bedrooms to discotheques, expansive pure backdrops to fantasy lands, with loads of membership ammunition in between. From a birds eye view, the record of albums introduced beneath affirms that dance music is definitely held in good arms and the outlook for the longer term is vibrant. The LP format is usually a tenuous center floor within the digital house, typically toeing a precarious line between overstuffed and under-developed. Although, this yr’s number of high albums introduced uniquely cohesive conceptualizations, well-rounded narratives, and the artists beneath leveraged the prolonged house of the album format to their numerous benefits in 2021.

Whereas the record beneath is introduced in no explicit order or rating, our employees felt one album did stand head and shoulders above the remainder this yr; with out additional ado, please take pleasure in Dancing Astronaut‘s Prime Albums of 2021, starting with SG Lewis’ inimitable debut, occasions.

Phrases by Rachel Narozniak

“This album is an ode to the current second and the finite probabilities now we have to rejoice it. It’s an exploration of escapism and euphoria, and the reminiscences connected to these experiences.”

SG Lewis‘ debut album, occasions, didn’t include any high quality print, but when it did, in small sort, the Brit may need included a line indicating that the album had been written earlier than the phrase “COVID-19” was part of nationwide and worldwide lexicons. Why? As a result of the time between the primary confirmed case of coronavirus and the February 19 launch of Lewis’ LP was hardly that which might encourage any auteur to take up a pen to reward the circumstances by the use of the written phrase, within the conventional operate of an ode. However when Lewis referred to occasions as an “ode to the current second” in messaging across the undertaking, he wasn’t referring to the dance flooring amassing mud in venues throughout the globe, nor some other facet of the general public well being disaster. Slightly, within the lyrical style of the album’s penultimate tracklisting, “All We Have” with Lastlings, he was celebrating the notion that “all now we have is now”—irrespective of when now’s. Though this was a actuality lengthy earlier than the pandemic, the reality in that lyrical hook/occasions motif struck with additional drive in a yr when this very concept had grow to be a part of the cultural zeitgeist amid current and unprecedented occasions. And through a time when the doorways of dwell music websites remained shut, SG Lewis prolonged to listeners an album that introduced this sentiment into focus not with the melancholy universally felt, however quite with a carpe diem resolve to take advantage of out of that “current second,” irrespective of how bleak the circumstances.

There’s an inherent irony in dishing out an LP conceptually centered on the disco period—a time of unabashed hedonism, carefree abandon, and importantly, gatherings—in the midst of a pandemic. That, in fact, wasn’t a part of Lewis’ plan. “I had a lot of the album [written] earlier than COVID hit; I’d written all of the songs earlier than it took over the world. However even earlier than then, I used to be coming to this central message of the album being that the one second you’ve is that this current second; it’s by no means promised once more. So, it’s important to cherish these moments and take the chance to rejoice them,” Lewis advised Dancing Astronaut in a November 2020 interview forward of the album’s launch.

At a time when “no dancing” guidelines remained in impact and golf equipment the world over laid dormant, occasions offered an oft-breezy, leave-your-cares-behind, if just for tonight, soundtrack to celebrating the current second, even when the places the place such celebration might happen have been restricted. For a lot of, the blithe, upbeat tracklistings have been a type of empowerment, reminding listeners that it’s okay, pure even, to embrace the current second—even throughout a time when doing so felt something however. Right here was an LP that, by paying tribute to a time when togetherness thrived and by embracing the spirited sounds that fostered that conviviality, was able to restoring largely absent good feeling throughout a time when it was desperately wanted. And, it did.

Unable to offer occasions the correct dwell deployment that it will have loved below regular circumstances, SG Lewis carried out the LP entrance to again throughout occasions: The Dwell Expertise, a livestream present hosted on launch day. Taking cues from the disco period in its manufacturing, the trouble introduced viewers as shut as they might get to an in-person run-through of occasions, and within the time since, as venues have reawakened, it’s served as a primer for the album tour that’s saved SG Lewis busy for a number of months now.

It’s price noting that the LP is the results of the 27-year-old producer’s longtime love for disco music and his fascination with the tradition, ignited partly by Time Lawrence’s Love Saves the Day: A Historical past of American Dance Tradition 1970-79. Lewis’ debut studio undertaking is a real idea album from core to perimeter, as “Rosner’s Interlude”—positioned close to the LP’s midway mark—reminds listeners in its inclusion of a clip from an interview with Alex Rosner, the audio engineer credited with growing among the sound techniques utilized in New York’s early disco golf equipment.

The idea album has grow to be one thing of a rarer breed within the context of dance/digital LPs, and the conceptual thread with which occasions is so tightly woven earns Lewis a well-deserved nod for the way attentive the album is to its overarching thematics from begin to end. This side of occasions, together with its impressively genuine manufacturing high quality, helped the undertaking to face out within the discipline this yr, which bore witness to the discharge of just some bonafide idea albums.

occasions enforces the centrality of concept-driven crafting to Lewis’ manufacturing strategy, cementing it as certainly one of his stylistic hallmarks. Extra acquainted listeners will recall Lewis’ conceptual Dusk, Dark, Dawn EP triptych as the primary prolonged instance of his penchant for this kind of manufacturing. Developed to inform the story of a night out in phases, the EP sequence was a wise precursor for occasions. And on condition that Lewis beforehand explored the phases of a singular night time out, it felt solely becoming that he expanded his purview from a night to a broader second in time on his second concept-guided enterprise.

On the planet of occasions, the clock stands nonetheless, the current second immortalized, the disco ball ever turning. However the album’s euphoria, aided by appearances from Channel Tres, Robyn, Frances, Fortunate Daye, and Nile Rodgers, whose involvement confers added disco road credit score to the undertaking, was by no means meant to dwell solely inside the LP’s 10 songs. occasions was an album that arrived throughout a interval of stasis and went on to script digital’s triumphant return to the dance flooring. The true great thing about occasions is that there it now lives, on the dance flooring, with crowds all over the world now capable of expertise Dancing Astronaut’s 2021 Album of the 12 months as SG Lewis meant: arms within the air, sweating within the thick of issues, making extra reminiscences connected to experiences.

Phrases by Zach Salafia

Contemplating the yr that ILLENIUM has had, there have been ample causes to help his current nod as Dancing Astronaut‘s 2021 Artist of the 12 months, however one amongst them was held the triumphant home up: Fallen Embers. The Denver native’s fourth studio album was some of the inescapable our bodies of labor in 2021 and, expectedly, certainly one of our favorites.

Closing the ebook on the Ashes, Awake, and Ascend album trilogy that ILLENIUM assembled all through the late-2010’s was no small order, and but he in some way managed to not solely meet but additionally exceed each expectation related to the serial’s conclusion. Fallen Embers opened the doorways to a new chapter in his perpetual sonic journey, one which noticed him take the complete plunge into the fusion of rock, pop, and melodic-bass that he’d toyed with in years previous, however by no means to the extent that he did on his senior LP. 

Fallen Embers is arguably ILLENIUM’s most boundary-pushing album, from its crossover-primed anthems like “Blame Myself” with Tori Kelly and “First Time” with iann dior, to its rapturous melodic-bass blends comparable to “Nightlight” with Annika Wells and “Sideways” with Nurko and Valerie Broussard, to its shifting data like “Courageous Soul” with Emma Grace, which offers 14-track undertaking’s grand finale. Fallen Embers tells real-life tales of sorrowful lows, hovering highs, and each emotion in between. No Artist of the 12 months marketing campaign could be 100% entire with out the supply of an Album of the 12 months contender, and Fallen Embers is ILLENIUM’s worthy contribution to Dancing Astronaut‘s sizable 2021 soundtrack.

Phrases by Sami Weisband

Fred once more.. is probably not a family title, however he’s a far cry away from new to the scene. Producing alongside among the business’s most distinguished names, comparable to Ed Sheerhan, Charli XCX, FKA twigs, and Jayda G, to call just some, Fred Gibson has been honing his craft for practically 20 years. In 2019, Gibson started his first solo outing as Fred once more.. and this previous yr, the London-native bestowed upon followers his beautiful debut LP, Precise Life (April 14th — December seventeenth, 2020). Demonstrative of Gibson’s peculiar knack for capturing the essence of real-life occasions on his iPhone voice memos, Precise Life options quite a lot of interwoven samples from simply that—his precise life. From dance flooring smash hits like “Marea (We’ve Misplaced Dancing)” that includes The Blessed Madonna, to extremely potent emotional shockwaves like “Sabrina (I Am A Social gathering)” and “Kyle (I Discovered You), Gibson takes the names of his buddies and inspirations and spins them into finely woven tapestries of sonic gold. Distinctive in its conception, the concept of integrating voice memos that undergirds the LP underscores Gibson’s uncanny capability to transmute the world round him into masterful artworks. Gibson turns components of life in any other case ignored into touching and soulful glimpses on the purest types of human emotion. With the second a part of the Precise Life anthology already having made its solution to streaming platforms, Dancing Astronaut is hooked and poised for extra following his induction to our Artists to Watch in 2022.

Phrases by Farrell Sweeney

KSHMR isn’t any stranger to setting the bar excessive with regards to his expectations for his artistic outputs. As the discharge of his debut album, Harmonica Andromeda, approached, the producer took to Twitter to convey his lofty objectives in a sequence of 140-character tweets that assuredly left followers curious to see if the ultimate product can be as impactful because the producer had promised. The consensus from followers—together with Dancing Astronaut—is that KSHMR not solely met, but additionally exceeded all expectations pertaining to Harmonica Andromeda.

On the LP, KSHMR could be discovered staying true to his digital roots, giving listeners a style of musical and cultural influences from all around the world, as he has typically performed all through his profession. The sensory album transcends the ears, the music manifesting in a vivid and energizing listening expertise. “Gradual” with Mahmut Orhan that includes KARRA is a superb show of this, what with its Japanese orchestral framework, fused with a extra conventional dance backdrop and KARRA’s toplines. The tune is a microcosm of what the producer was capable of do with the album: retain the historically entrancing parts of his sound whereas drawing upon new influences that take listeners exterior the perimeter of mainstream dance music.

Phrases by Ariel King

With an untouchable observe file that features the beloved Spitfire EP; Worlds, a debut studio album that—want we are saying it?—touched a complete era of ravers; and 2017’s critically lauded Digital Self EP, the expectations for Porter Robinson‘s sophomore enterprise, Nurture, have been incalculably excessive. Having cemented himself as an artist who wouldn’t confine himself to at least one single sound, in 2021, Nurture represented one more pivot for Robinson. Slightly than act as a protected escape into the alternate realms that permeated his earlier LP, Nurture took kind as an ode to Mom Nature and discovering the sweetness inside the tangible world round us.

As COVID-19 pulled us all into digital areas reliant on Zoom conferences and Google Hangouts for interpersonal connection, Robinson took to the nice open air as a way of hysteria administration. Robinson himself had questioned his capability to make lightning strike once more following the success of his earlier initiatives; and his sophomore LP was, in some ways, born out of that preoccuption. But, the album reminds listeners that whereas nothing is ever sure, pulling away from a pc display screen and taking a stroll by means of nature could be simply what the thoughts must reset and discover inspiration. Mixing his indie sensibilities and distinctive manufacturing robust fits, Nurture achieved what Robinson got down to do after which some, proving that his second studio undertaking might enable him create his personal vibrant world inside the pure one round him. Equally cathartic for the producer to create as it’s for the listener to take pleasure in, Nurture maintains Robinson’s standing as certainly one of digital music’s foremost creators.

Phrases by Zach Salafia

In a yr stuffed with exemplary data, EPs, and LPs from Ophelia Data, MitiS‘ Misplaced would possibly simply take the cake. The Pennsylvania native’s sophomore effort, a follow-up to 2018’s ‘Until The Finish, is as full and refined as any you’ll discover in 2021. Launched in April, it was clear that Misplaced would dwell on nicely into the longer term, each as a worthy candidate for Album of the 12 months in 2021 and as an album with large replay worth. Standouts of the LP embody “Attempt,” “Homesick,” “Damage,” and “With out Me,” that includes RØRY, SOUNDR, Zack Grey, and Danni Carra, respectively.

Again in June, Dancing Astronaut was fortunate sufficient to take a seat down for an interview with the person behind Misplaced. MitiS known as the two-year making of Misplaced a “actually pure course of” that doubled as “such an fulfilling expertise.” He added that he “felt every tune on a deeper stage and made positive to present every tune the time it wanted” in comparison with a few of his earlier work. That sonic maturation is heard loud and clear on Misplaced, in what it absolutely the artist’s greatest output up to now.

Such creative genius isn’t born out of skinny air, and within the decade that’s adopted the primary time he fell in love with digital music whereas at 2011’s StarScape Competition, MitiS articulated his greatest takeaway to us as follows: “The extra I turned myself as an artist, the extra traction I discovered. Be your self.” A message as pure and noble as that’s motive sufficient to present Misplaced a hear—the music discovered inside is the rationale to maintain coming again.

Phrases by Zach Salafia

Few artists have risen up the digital ranks like William Black has over the previous couple of years. After Black’s debut album, Pages, hit airwaves in the summertime of 2019, it felt like Black had exploded onto the scene. Now, simply over two years later, Black has made waves but once more along with his triumphant sophomore LP, Items. The consistency of the 13-song Items tracklist is really what stands out on the Lowly-backed album; there may be not a single tune that breaks from Black’s lovely relation of a narrative of melancholy, habit, love, and loss. Every tune tells its personal story, and as a collective entire, Items exhibits that Black has taken one more step ahead along with his sound.

Items is plagued by replay worth and was maybe a shock late addition to the Album of the 12 months dialog after its launch in early November. After singles like “Nearer Than You” with Amidy, “Deep Finish,” “Treatment” with Annie Schindel, “Solely One I Want” with HALIENE and Thomas Laurent, and “Price It” with Nurko and Essenger, we knew that Black’s sophomore LP had promise. However as soon as we lastly heard Items in its entirety, it was clear that we had no alternative however to think about it for Album of the 12 months—and we did so fortunately. “Music has at all times helped me by means of moments of disappointment and to rejoice moments of pleasure,” Black mentioned of the album, “Items is supposed to do the identical.” With that duality in thoughts, 2021 is as becoming a yr as ever to fireplace up Items, to rejoice its nod as certainly one of Dancing Astronaut‘s high albums of the yr.

Phrases by Cameron DeFaria

Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt’s collaborative endeavor as RÜFÜS DU SOL spans simply over a decade, throughout which the trio’s once-niche moniker slowly burned away to ultimately explode into a worldwide phenomenon. Launched on October 22, 2021, RÜFÜS DU SOL’s fourth studio album, Give up, arrived nearly precisely three years to the day of Solace, which debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA Chart in 2018. Quick ahead to 2021, and RÜFÜS lastly realized what it feels wish to have rendered a top-selling album. Some would argue that Give up shares too comparable a sonic id with the group’s historic repertoire. Critically although, many would assert that RÜFÜS DU SOL’s newest assortment of house-infused sermons drastically raised the bar, showcasing a matured outfit of producers on the peak of their recreation.

RÜFÜS’ up to date dwell set is a real testomony to the file’s innate versatility; in any case, the LP opens with a spectral observe performed on the piano that successfully morphs into an indeniable competition favourite. Give up’s capability to captivate an viewers throughout each second of its 53-minute length earns it a well-deserved spot on Dancing Astronaut’s record of 2021’s most memorable albums.

Phrases by Austria Masim

Gorgon Metropolis‘s third artist album Olympia, delivered in June, instilled a mesmeric steadiness between underground membership grooves and experimental home sounds. The British duo drew inspiration from a mess of avenues comparable to Greek mythology, their earlier album Realm, and the pandemic, which, on the time, allowed the pair to sonically self-reflect and construct on the LP’s themes of escapism and euphoria. 

Most nice feats show to be collaborative endeavors, and Olympia isn’t any totally different. Throughout 18 tracks, Gorgon Metropolis reeled in frequent and new collaborators alike, comparable to DRAMA, Sofi Tukker, Jem Cooke, Hayden James, Hayley Might, EVAN GIIA, and extra, all championing the manufacturing pair’s newest dance flooring initiative. Olympia‘s big selection of sounds finds Kye Gibbon and Matt Robson-Scott procuring one of many high digital albums of the yr, showcasing a veteran mastery of club-ready genres on their newest studio outing.

Phrases by Ariel King

Boys Noize has been cemented into digital music’ highest echelons because the flip of the millennium. As such, the Berliner’s legacy created excessive expectations for his newest studio album, +/- (pronounced “polarity”). However quite than chase business rapport on his fifth full-length undertaking, Ridha opted to tip the scales in additional experimental territories on the LP. A undertaking that proves to be removed from an introduction to Boys Noize’s distinctive type, +/- is clearly as a lot an endeavor for the followers as it’s one for his personal artistic satisfaction. That mix in the end yielded some of the engaging digital albums of the yr, albeit one that’s one thing of an acquired style.

As an entire, +/- finds Boys Noize standing behind a file that might pique the curiosity of Trent Reznor simply as simply because it might grasp the informal raver already out on the dance flooring. The LP performs like a veteran’s due victory lap ought to—as a car for Boys Noize to put himself out actually and perhaps actually have a little enjoyable alongside the way in which. General, Boys Noize’s industrial-techno sound stays as jagged, razor sharp, and distinguished as ever, the full-length function discovering him returning to his roots whereas modernizing his earlier sound.

Sultan + Shepard have ventured to the sting of the home music galaxy and again since their late-2000’s entry, concerning all style edges from progressive-house to bigroom to melodic-house. However Lane 8 enabled the Canadian one-two digital punch to dive additional into the latter style by means of This By no means Occurred’s first full-length displaying of the present yr, One thing, The whole lot. The very second that it arrived again in March, we despatched out a daring declare: it will wind up on Dancing Astronaut’s favourite albums of the yr roll name. 9 months later, we’re formally placing it in writing on our file of the highest digital albums of 2021. 

One thing, The whole lot was the product of Sultan + Shepard’s burnout from an unceasing touring schedule in years previous. It was additionally the results of their realization that, in their very own eyes, their music hadn’t taken a correct step ahead on account of their unrelenting dwell exercise. In between reflecting on old-school music and coming throughout new-age melodic-house abilities like Lane 8 and Yotto, Sultan + Shepard got down to weave their long-standing manufacturing prowess right into a dance music discipline that they’d solely begun to dip their toes into. One thing, The whole lot admirably encapsulates the duo’s intention, journeying into the melodic-house limelight after being welcomed into the This By no means Occurred household precisely one yr prior. On their sophomore LP, Sultan + Shepard deftly provoke the musical development they’d as soon as envisioned, spanning 14 explorative cuts of melodic-house the Aristocracy—together with vocal-assisted gems comparable to “All That Stays” with Fractures and fan-favorite instrumental cuts like “nCTRL”—that ultimately come collectively as one congruous, unskippable physique of labor that’s rightfully gained entry to our log of 2021’s most memorable LPs.

Classes: Options, Music