2025: Top 15 Albums

15)

nolimit

Knock2

Knock2's rise to fame has been nothing short of generational, and nolimit is his debut album, and it has a surprising amount of diversity. It's got the bass house Knock2 has made his name by, along with some hybrid trap, techno, and even a DnB cut - but no matter what, nolimit brings colossal amounts of energy and bounce. There's a feeling that Knock2 knows his strengths, and he engineers this album to cater to them, but also, at times, to subvert them.

The biggest highlight here is the sampling. Knock2 definitely has a gift for spinning out wheels of nonstop vocal samples that always feels in place, always feels perfectly timed. Sometimes it's brash, sometimes it's rowdy, sometimes it adds a bit of flavour to a more introspective track, but it's always written extraordinarily well. To be honest, nolimit is just a ton of fun to listen to, which let it sneak into the tail end of this list. Read the full review here.

14)

COOKED

Teddy Killerz

Teddy Killerz's sophomore album may have not been up to the standard of their previous work, as it lacks that experimental flair that made them so good. But I think it would be folly to overlook COOKED purely because it falls short of the Russian trio's own standards, because this is still arguably one of the most polished dancefloor DnB records of the year. Despite reining it in and opting for a more rave-friendly sound, Teddy Killerz still put on a blazing show of roaring basslines and sharp drumwork, complete with rich synths and a couple of massive drops. Though they dilute their experimental compositional genius - which is a shame, don't get me wrong - they still don't slack on quality. Read the full review here.

13)

Daydreams

Effin

Effin's sophomore album is also a little more toned-down than his debut, but this time, it certainly plays to his strengths. Where Cheap Thrills was trailblazing but ultimately quite messy, Daydreams feels like a truly cohesive record from a producer with one of the most unique styles in the scene. Effin's blend of festival dubstep and '50s/'60s club aesthetics is as bizarre as it is appealing, and his consistency in executing it well is undoubtedly impressive. Daydreams only improves on that, picking out a slower, wobblier dubstep style to complement his clubby sampling and thus allowing the latter aesthetic to truly be expanded upon, not just within tracks but also through the project in its entirety.

With such a unique style, Effin was bound to have produced a very high-quality record at some point. Whilst it still feels like he's finding his footing in a full-length project - Daydreams likely will not be his magnum opus, just as Cheap Thrills wasn't - the incremental improvements to his album composition have gone a long way, long enough for Daydreams to steal the #13 spot. Read the full review here.

12)

Stardust

Danny Brown

Experimental hip-hop prodigy Danny Brown has taken what is perhaps one of the weirdest stylistic detours of any rapper in the current US scene. Stardust is Danny's first album since going clean, and it's arguably one of his strongest, though his style has significantly changed.

Whether you love or hate Danny's voice - and, let's be real, there's no in between - there's no denying that his flow is captivating. Danny is one rapper who has the ability to surf across a beat with great proficiency, and when he turns to the high-energy beats of hyperpop to fuel his newest album, his rhythms only improve. With support from the likes of underscores, Jane Remover, Quadeca and femtanyl, Stardust springs through its tracklist with a new vigor, paired with some very bright production and mature lyricism from our typically nonsensical rapper. This is a style from Danny that can, and will, certainly be improved upon in the future, but Stardust is a very high-quality introductory record. Read the full review here.

11)

Passerby

Neddie

Neddie's debut album Passerby is, as the cover art suggests, deeply personal and intimate. Being a fairly short album, Passerby doesn't overstay its welcome by any means, but it says what it wants to say. And it says it mostly without vocals, but it retains near perfect clarity - a testament to Neddie's artistic vision.

Floaty atmospheres are the padding for Neddie's genre-spanning production, from hard-hitting brostep to lulling ambient work, giving Passerby a distinctly intimate, engaged feel. But that intimate, engaged feeling is always offset by a dreamy ambience. Passerby feels like it exists in a limbo state where emotions can only echo through, and, as a result, listening to it feels like a flâneuristic experience, where one can only observe. But somehow, Neddie finds a way to make his debut record deeply resonant, even through the curtains of its ambience. Read the full review here.

10)

Inertia

Pendulum

The return of Pendulum punctuated the middle of the year with a resounding thump, with Inertia being their first studio album since Immersion, 15 whole years ago. But the legendary drum n bass group don't skimp out on quality, and their return to form proves to be quick.

It should be noted that a lot of these tracks aren't exactly new - about half of the tracks come from their Elemental and Anima EPs released a few years ago. It should also be noted that the sound of Inertia isn't exactly new either, but it doesn't particularly matter, since Pendulum's aggressive blend of DnB and hard rock continues to crash through their tracks, with Rob Swire's voice intertwining with the various collaborators - from rock and rap backgrounds, mostly - with great conviction. Rather than sounding washed out, the electronic rock outfit shoot through 16 tracks of powerful basslines and screaming vocals and thundering guitars with a new vigor - Pendulum are back, and they've never sounded more sure of themselves than in Inertia. Read the full review here.

9)

Noise To Dance To

LYNY

A wily figure in the modern bass music scene, LYNY delivers his debut album with no false advertising and no strings attached. Noise To Dance To is exactly what the title claims to be, as critics will never tire of pointing out, and it executes its ideas with astounding ease and gravitas. This album models, without trying, the experience of speakers thundering through a warehouse setting, embodying the spaciousness and minimality, but also the filthy bass runs and shuffling beatwork. There've been a lot of producers trying their hands at the UK dubstep sound, but LYNY remains one of the best, and this is the album that proves why - because amidst dubstep, trap, bass house, and even DnB, LYNY operates on a forward-thinking, ingenious plane that sets him apart from other producers, giving Noise To Dance To a certain affinity for sampling and meaty basslines that feel truly satisfying as a final product. It may not be the most cohesive thing in the world, but Noise To Dance To makes the #9 spot on production merit alone. Read the full review here.

8)

I Love My Computer

Ninajirachi

One of the biggest breakthrough projects of the year - and deservedly so - was Ninajirachi's I Love My Computer, a project that's as wacky and vibrant and fun as the title claims it to be. It's a slightly shorter album, to be sure, but Ninajirachi bounds through 40 minutes of bounciness with a style that's not necessarily innovative, but refreshing nonetheless. Mixing electro house with hyperpop, and sprinkling Y2K aesthetics over the top, creates a potent cocktail of nostalgia and character, with powerful driving basslines, bright synth melodies, and a vocal charged with a childlike innocence that spearheads the whole thing - and Ninajirachi drinks that cocktail without hesitating. The result is nothing short of bombastic and unabashedly vulnerable - I Love My Computer looks inwards with pride and joy. Read the full review here.

7)

Sunk Cost Fallacy

Fox Stevenson

Fox Stevenson has, in recent times, often straddled the line between the electronic, fast-paced sounds of drum n bass, and the more freeing, alternative, singer-songwriter approach that indie music often takes. Perhaps Sunk Cost Fallacy is the culmination of his recent artistic pursuits: a genuine, emotive approach to the exploration of the human soul. Fox Stevenson navigates deep personal experiences with a wry, humorous edge, both through his songwriting and lyricism - attractively cynical at times, contrite at others - but also his production, mixing dancefloor DnB with bouncy house and even some melodic dubstep cuts, all punctuated by his subversively upbeat vocal and signature style of sound design. Of course, that sound design is the cherry on top. Airy house leads and infectious DnB melodies fly across consistent beats and the occasional massive atmosphere and cathartic outburst, reinforcing Sunk Cost Fallacy's undeniably appealing unapologetic regretfulness. Read the full review here.

6)

Nexum

INZO, Blookah

As technical as it is gloriously carefree, Nexum is the combined brainchild of INZO and Blookah, two producers who've worked together before, but decided to do a full collaborative album all the way back in August. With a vast array of knowledge around the alchemy of slinky synths and accurate beats, they allow Nexum to emerge as a record that thrives on nothing but feel-good motifs and an amazingly intricate attention to detail.

This album is just groovy as hell. INZO and Blookah are both experienced in the realms of melodic dubstep, funky house and glitch hop, fusing quick-witted melodies with elaborate, bright sound design for a positively mind-bending, almost psychedelic experience - but, when it comes down to it, Nexum has nearly nothing tying these tracks together, just the everpresent feel of bliss and a precision that tickles the eardrum in a way no other album truly could. Read the full review here.

5)

Missing Places I've Never Been

PROFF

Missing Places I've Never Been is a stylistic detour for PROFF, who is typically known for his chill progressive house beats. And that might have been a risk for a debut album, but whilst this album's style was a bit of a surprise, it settles down real quick as PROFF embarks on an 87-minute-long journey across his impressive atmospheric work.

PROFF dials it down for Missing Places I've Never Been, distilling his beautiful synthwork and warm basslines into a pool of ambient soundscapes, each as intimate and resonant as the last. An ambient record like this is either relatively boring or pure gold, and PROFF has surely struck the latter, particularly with the general mood of the album - Missing Places I've Never Been constantly dwells on itself, like a memory within a memory, reflective yet always with an enveloping warmth. The beauty of this album lies not in powerful synth runs or big commercial hooks, but rather, in its quiet, reserved, thoughtful nature. Read the full review here.

4)

HALF BLOOD

Skybreak

Beloved colour bass producer Skybreak made one of the biggest changeups of his career this year, moving from his vibrant, colourful style into a newer, deeper, UK-based one. For HALF BLOOD, the first major project to be born of this new style, it certainly worked.

Dirty sampling and dirtier basslines frame the minimal, rumbling mood that lines the streets of this project. Skybreak captures a lonesome train journey with a grimy edge, lending a reserved yet filthy quality to HALF BLOOD, between its hard-hitting UK dubstep and its more introspective melodic cuts. He also, notably, never quite forgets his colour bass roots, allowing small drops of vibrant hues to sporadically appear in the soundstage, crunching them between shuffling beatwork and heavy-handed basswork to give HALF BLOOD an appropriate double identity. This may be Skybreak's most forward-thinking, experimental work yet, incorporating DnB, grime, garage and even an ambient interlude. For a record that simultaneously needs to depict Skybreak's strengths as a breakout producer, and also needs to guide new listeners through this new stylistic switch, HALF BLOOD hits all the nails on the head and then finishes off the rest of the structure for good measure. Read the full review here.

3)

Guardian

TURQUOISEDEATH

TURQUOISEDEATH plunges us into the top 3 of this list with their particularly ambitious record Guardian. Morever, when you listen to this, Guardian plunges you into the deepest depths of its ocean, positing watery, pulsating atmospheres as it slowly drowns in lapping progressive breaks and ice-cold synthwork.

From just looking at the tracklist, you can immediately notice Guardian's ambitiousness. It's just 6 tracks long, yet it runs for over an hour, with each track being around 5-10 minutes long, complete with a monstrous 30-minute grand finale. And throughout, it's thoroughly immersive. Magnificent leads and shimmering melodies are powered only by crisp breakbeats, but as the record sinks further and further, and the water becomes darker and darker, peaceful synth pads turn to powerful acidic basslines and choppy house beats, splaying out a progression of immense magnitude. Guardian is ambitious, yes, but TURQUOISEDEATH's ambitions are matched stroke for stroke by their penchant for immersion. Read the full review here.

2)

Mirror

Billain

Mirror is the longest and most experimental project on this list, and fittingly, it was realized by none other than neurofunk mastermind Billain.

I should first say that this album is absolutely not for the faint of heart. It may not be Billain's least accessible work, but Mirror is ferocious and merciless through its near two hour runtime. That being said, Mirror is almost certainly not for those who are looking for a 'normal' listening experience either. 

Billain's conceptual genius hinges on two of his production motifs: firstly, the hemorrhaging basslines and feral sound design of his neurofunk; and secondly, the neon synth melodies and spellbinding atmospheres of his ambient cuts. Despite being tonally opposite, the two work together almost perfectly, lending Mirror the ability to take a break from its destruction and build upon its character and worldbuilding. And Billain uses the dichotomy to its fullest extent. But the conceptual strong points of Mirror don't end there, because this album is palindromic - just as the title implies, here is a record that can be listened to both forwards and backwards. Read the full review here.

1)

Syndicate

The Midnight

Often considered the poster boys for modern synthwave, The Midnight go dark and dangerous on their newest record Syndicate. This is easily their most experimental work yet, branching fully out of synthpop-esque production to explore more cyberpunk, brooding, darksynth-esque soundscapes, even throwing in a bit of ambient and a liquid DnB tune in there.

Make no mistake, Syndicate is not a complete style switch like a few of the albums on this list are. The Midnight absolutely know their strengths, and they absolutely use them to their fullest advantage. The infectious hooks and ingenious lyricism that propagated their previous works are still there, no less. And no The Midnight record would be complete without their killer saxophone and guitar solos, that feature on the majority of tracks on this album as well. But what Syndicate has is that added layer of storytelling and worldbuilding, that added layer of powerful production zeroed in on a common goal. It's got the cyberpunk basslines of "Sentinels" and "First Night In Paris", the rumbling sound design of "Digital Dreams", the blissful atmospheres of "Sanctuary" and "Quiet Earth" - but it's always got that intrinsic The Midnight sound embedded fully within it. That also means it still has the same appeal to the '80s, being a romantic revival of the past that looks far to the future.

Syndicate nabs the #1 spot on this list because it's pristine. From resonant vocal-driven sections to glorious instrumental solos and fantastic production, it seems that The Midnight can do no wrong. Read the full review here.