Each month, tons of new music from many taste-spanning genres is released into a fast-consuming, unforgiving market; it can be tough to get a handle on what’s new before it’s on to the next. In an attempt to highlight the standout releases, at the end of each month, AUX staff re-cap the month in Punk, Metal, Indie/Pop/Rock, Hip Hop, Electronic, and Pop with the top five releases in each. Consider it your cheat sheet for year-end lists.

Top 5 Electronic: June Edition

 

DJ Rashad – TEKLIFE Vol. 1: Welcome to the Chi

DJ Rashad summons the world into Chicago’s still very-insular footwork and juke movement with his first LP—20 songs of trippy experiments almost too idiosyncratic to digest in one session. The repetative (often male-centric) vocals and lack of melody in many tracks leaves the focus on the harsh hi-hat and rolling sub-bass, until Rashad comes out of left field with some warm soul/funk samples. “Kush Ain’t Loud” is a great example of this. If Canadians would figure a way out to move to this (without having to be a teenage break dancer) this could be all over our clubs. (Lit City Trax) [LISTEN]

Various Artists – New Jack Techno

Tiga’s Montreal label Turbo defies all trends and puts out a compilation of pure techno a la ’90s. Also featuring Gingy & Bordello and Milano, the comp’s standout track is the slightly creepy “Troubleman” from fellow Torontonian Nautiluss (former half of Thunderheist). In typical Canadian style, our European brethren are kept close, with Belgium’s Locked Groove and UK rising star J Tijn perking up international ears. (Turbo Recordings) [LISTEN]

Groundislava – TV Dream EP

Jasper Patterson—a.k.a. Groundislava from the L.A. collective that includes such hyped producers as Shlohmo—has moved beyond his knack for experimental video-gamey hip hop. The five tracks on this EP are unconventionally short (2.5 min) simple, melodic synth pop beauties. Very 80s (Jasper’s father reportedly directed the classic “Take On Me” video by A-Ha) and perfect for summer (who doesn’t daydream of a “Weekend in the Tropics”?) (Friends of Friends) [LISTEN]

Diplo – Express Yourself EP
	In his first real solo release since 2004, Diplo takes time away from label-running and pop-star hook-ups to pull off an of-the-moment dance club release, featuring hip-grinding genre mashups from Moombahton to standard EDM. Notable are colabs with Canadian dubstep wizard Datsik and dancehall veteran Elephant Man. (Mad Decent) [LISTEN]

Liars – WIXIW

The critically acclaimed New York trio’s sixth album pushes their experimental rock into electronic territory for the first time, though “Brats” is the closest they get to anything electronic and dancey. The middle eastern scale (“Octagon”), off-key synth (“WIXIW”) and generally disaffected vocals are something you’ll rarely hear in standard electronic music. Genre-fusing producers could learn a lot from Liars. (Mute) [LISTEN]

Mix of the Month, Surprises, and albums to watch out for next month

Mix of the month: The best way to soak in the summer heat is with loungy, sensual long-players. Washington DC duo Benoit & Sergio, known for their smooth house hit “Walk and Talks,” made this mix for Resident Advisor featuring Frankie Knuckles, New Order and even Toronto’s soul-house crooner Jeremy Glenn. Made for chillin. [DOWNLOAD]

Surprise of the month: Eccentric experimenter Keith Fullerton Whitman’s latest release Occlusions is two 20-minute tracks of “real-time music for hybrid digital-analogue modular synthesizer”. He says he considers it a “kind of dance music”. Um, we’ll let you decide on that. (Editions Mego) [LISTEN]

Out in July: Montreal rising star Lunice and Scottish prodigy Hudson Mohawke team up as TNGHT to release a (most likely one-off) self-titled EP. Mixing trap rap with bass and techno, these two are ones to watch if you want to know what mainstream hip hop producers are going to sound like in the near future.