This week in dance music: It was announced that Justice will release a new album and tour in 2024, CRSSD dropped a lineup featuring Underworld, Flume and many more for its fall 2023 edition, Los Angeles dance event promoter Stranger Than announced an event series at the city’s Petersen Auto Museum, the Grammys’ addition of the best pop dance award was heralded was the ‘biggest victory for dance music at the Grammys in 20 years,” John Summit and Hayla made moves on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and Avicii’s 2013 classic “Wake Me Up” became the RIAA’s highest certified dance song of all time.
Is there’s more? There’s always more. Let’s get into it.
Peggy Gou, “[It Goes Like] Nanana”
The Artist: South Korea-born, Berlin-based and globally beloved Peggy Gou
The Label: XL Recordings
The Spiel: The lead single from Gou’s forthcoming LP (the release date and title of which are yet to be announced) “[It Goes Like] Nanana” gives equal parts big ’90s piano house vibes and sultry Balearic goodness, with a synthline floating through around the midway point and Gou’s husky vocals altogether forging a feeling of giddiness.
The Artist Says: “There’s a feeling we all know but is hard to describe, that feeling of love, warmth and excitement when you’re surrounded by friends and loved ones and the energy speaks for itself,” says Gou. “It’s difficult to put into words but to me it goes ‘nanana!’ I want this song to evoke that nanana feeling!”
The Vibe: That nanana feeling.
BLOND:ISH, “Call My Name”
The Artist: The everywhere all-at-once BLOND:ISH, with her first track following the Madonna collab “Sorry.”
The Label: FFRR
The Spiel: A hot out the gates disco banger with teeth, “Call My Name” is all dancefloor adrenaline, colliding a big string section with a tough beat and percussion that cooks.
The Vibe: Screaming along with the vocals and dripping with sweat.
AC Slater feat. Kaleena Zanders, “Lose My Mind”
The Artists: Night Bass label boss AC Slater, with power-lunged vocalist Kaleena Zanders and London producer Nubass.
The Label: Night Bass Records
The Spiel: Roaring off of AC Slaters third album, Together, out today (June 16), “Lose My Mind” is a call to arms to do just that, with slabs of synth and a fast-moving and pleasantly hectic production creating the foundation for Kaleena Zanders to positively rip through vocals about waking up to lose your mind. The album marks Slater bringing the Night Bass label, credited for forging the bass house genre over the last decade, to Create Music Group.
The Vibe: The titular sentiment tracks.
Camelphat feat. Max Milner, “Hope”
The Artists: U.K. duo Camelphat and London-based singer Max Milner.
The Label: Camelphat’s own When Stars Align
The Spiel: “Hope” gives light RÜFÜS DU SOL “Treat You Better” slow-burn vibes, before exploding into a shimmering thing all its own — with Milner’s rich vocals sitting atop a gently propulsive production that builds into a full-blown anthem that certainly feels like a set-closer to us.
The Vibe: Dripping with emotion.
MAKJ, “Burning Rave”
The Artist: California-based MAKJ.
The Label: Confession
The Spiel: MAKJ makes his debut on Tchami’s Confession label with “Burning Rave,” a not not hyphy bass house/tech house heater that doesn’t relent for its full three-plus minutes. The track marks a shift in sound — from more mainstage fare to clubbier output — for the producer who, incredibly, discovered dance music after moving to China when he was 18 to professionally race go-karts.
The Vibe: Like careening around the track in your go-kart, in the dark.
Dombresky & Discrete, “Bless Me”
The Artist: French house producer Dombresky, in collaboration with Canadian producer Discrete.
The Label: Insomniac Records
The Spiel: A big-ass vocal house track with a effervescent build/release that sounds like sunshine itself.
The Artist Says: “House music keeps you young,” the producer wrote on Twitter in conjunction with the release.
The Vibe: Blessed, blissed, forever young.
