Festivals are back! And that means that the hottest festival bangers are hitting Spotify (or Apple Music if you're like that) right this second. We've rounded up ten releases we loved this month and want to tell you about them. Check them out below and let us know your favorite tracks that were released this month on Twitter!
100 gecs - mememe
For fans of: SOPHIE, GFOTY, Alice Glass, Charli XCX, A.G. Cook
Genre: Hyperpop
Hyperpop is easily my favorite new genre to come up in the last couple of years. Fans of nostalgic favorites like the early 2000s emo bands we all wish we could rage to today will feel right at home with 100 gecs. This new track is the first single off of their upcoming album, 10000 gecs which is out whenever they collect that many gecs—my guess is early next year.
A Drug From God - Chris Lake & NPC
For fans of: Chris Lake, Grimes, Rezz, Dombresky, Malaa
Genre: House
I first heard this track at Get Funky 2021 when Chris Lake sampled it onstage during his set. Naturally I am a little bit sad that this wasn't released until after the 2021 festival season came to a close, but you bet I will be blasting this on a loop in the gym to prepare for 2022. NPC is a new AI pop group created by Grimes, and this first single hints at a dive even further into dance music after her release of Miss Anthropocene Rave Edition earlier this year, which included remixes from Rezz and Richie Hawtin.
Intimidated EP - Kaytranada
For fans of: Anderson .Paak, Kali Uchis, Vic Mensa, AlunaGeorge
Genre: Funk
If you need the perfect music to chill to this week, I highly recommend this new EP from Kaytranada. In my opinion, since you asked, Kaytranada can do no wrong. Intimidated is exactly what I expected from a Kaytranada release and that's smooth funk beats paired with sultry, smooth vocals provided by H.E.R., Thundercat and Mach-Hommy.
Spiral - Rezz
For fans of: Deathpact, Porter Robinson, Excision, Deadmau5, Gesaffelstein
Genre: Techno
I realize that artist comparison is all over the place but uhhhh—iykyk. Rezz released her first album in three years this month and it was well worth the hype and the wait. Spiral is the more hyptnotizing and melodic older sibling to 2018's Certain Kind of Magic that shows Rezz has matured as an artist. Check out Let Me In and Sacrificial, two of my favorites that maintain that classic Rezz sound while giving us a dose of something new.
Walk Like Me - Robert DeLong
For fans of: She Wants Revenge, Matt & Kim, Dan Deacon, Flume
Genre: Electronic/Alternative
Longtime electronic music fans will recognize Robert DeLong as the mastermind behind 2013's "Global Concepts," a track that had a death grip on the MySpacers as they navigated the new post-Tom era. I wouldn't quite classify Robert DeLong as a dance music artist, but he's in that caliber of artists that tend to get booked during the day slots at some of the most popular festivals around the country. Walk Like Me is a 2021 version of 2013's Just Movement and captures the chaos that we're all living in today.
Call of the Unicorn - Moore Kismet
For fans of: Skrillex, Excision, Dion Timmer, Svdden Death
Genre: Dubstep
It isn't often that we see a 16-year-old producer make waves in an oversaturated music market. Moore Kismet, who is also known as Omar Davis, is doing just that. "Call of the Unicorn" is a clear homage to EDM's past, with references to Skrillex's "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" set against the backdrop of a melodic vocal collaboration from Tasha Baxter that immediately crashes into a brain scrambling dubstep drop.
Mean It - Manilla Killa, San Holo, Nick Lopez
For fans of: Avicii, Hotel Garuda, Chet Porter, Tycho, pluko
Genre: Downtempo/Melodic
Anyone in need of some good vibes can find them right here in "Mean It," by Manilla Killa, San Holo and Nick Lopez. This dreamy, melodic single is the perfect thing to listen to on your way to Dreamstate this weekend.
Most People - R3HAB, Lukas Graham
For fans of: Avicii, Alan Walker, Calvin Harris, Kygo
Genre: EDM
Remember when Avicii had that country/edm moment back in 2013 with "Wake Me Up" and "Hey Brother" off of True? The success of that album really seemed like it would trigger a country/electronic mashup trend that really never kicked off (unless you count all of the remixes of "Old Town Road"—which, I don't). R3HAB and Lukas Graham's collaboration on "Most People" would fit the mold for a resurgence of that long-forgotten era, and the overall positive message and upbeat tune perked my ears as I was looking for new music. Just as I loved that Avicii era, I'm gonna give this one a hard yes. We're never getting another Avicii record, but this is what I would have pictured to be a close successor to anything off of True.
Still Miss U - DJ_Dave, Kitty
For fans of: Slayyyter, GFOTY, Hannah Diamond
Genre: hyperpop/pop/electronic
It's not that this song is new, because I've been hearing remixes of Kitty's "Miss U" for years now. Don't get me wrong, "Miss U" is her best track, but the tech behind DJ_Dave's remix is what perked my ears up when I read about it. Get this, DJ_Dave is a queer, female producer that made this remix by livecoding, which means she inputs code into a computer and it creates music in return. Now that we're all plugged into the metaverse I shouldn't be surprised by this remix, but I'm stoked that it's first coming in the form of pop/electronic music. The song itself is haunting, glitchy and catchy, with deep synths and a disco break. I'll be putting this one on repeat.
