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PANICO Subliminal Kill (Tiger Sushi)
While the rest of the world was getting excited about grunge, these punksters from Chile were honing their take on dance punk. Ten years later, they’ve finally got an album released in North America, and it’s smoking hot.
MI Robopop (Reinvent Music)
Toronto dance producer M1 (best known for his 90s hit Feel The Drums) has discovered electro but hasn’t lost sight of his house roots. Dirty, thumping beats and sizzling synth riffs, reminiscent of Daft Punk (but in a good way).
VIVE LA FETE Grand Prix (Surprise)
Icy-cold Belgian new wave by Karl Lagerfeld’s favourite band, with driving, distorted guitars and detached French-as-a-second- language female vocals.
THE JUAN MACLEAN Less Than Human (DFA)
Former Six Finger Satellite member Juan Maclean emerges from hiding with a love letter to early house and techno as well as obscure late-disco. One of the strongest LPs to come out of the very hot DFA label.
CONTROLLER.CONTROLLER X-Amounts (Paper Bag)
They may be regretting that they ever described themselves as death disco, but the term is as good as any for the hotly hyped local band’s aggressive, guitar-heavy take on dance music.