January’s come and gone, and we spent it the way we always do—digging for music that stuck with us, the kind that kept playing in the background while we worked, talked, or just spaced out. Edward kicked off the year strong with a new one on Kalahari Oyster Cult. Vardae and BLNDR linked up for some high-energy action on Non Series, while Luigi Tozzi and Feral went deep into the spiral. Dino Sabatini brought fresh hypnotic grooves on Outis Music, and Mike Parker and Samurai tapped into the deeper corners of the D&B world. 

Lemna dropped a self-released trilogy that moves through ambient, techno, and everything in between, while Aurora Mistica Records marked a big year with a 30-track compilation. Kagami Smile soaked “Lifeless” in warm analog textures for Opal Tapes, and both Multicast Dynamics and usof put out introspective albums on A Walking Distraction and Theory Therapy.