This week in dance music: Team U.S.A. represented for the country and for Daft Punk at the Beijing Olympics; an asteroid was named for late electronic produce SOPHIE to honor the year anniversary of her death and her galaxy-sized influence, the gentlemen of ODESZA returned with their first release in four years, Ushuaïa Ibiza and Hï Ibiza announced the lineup for a massive opening weekend party, Tomorrowland went event bigger with a 2022 lineup featuring 700 (!!) artists, Shaquille O’Neal went deep on his love of bass music and Tiësto and Ava Max’s “The Motto” slid into the No. 1 position on Dance Mix/Show Airplay.
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And new music? You betcha we’ve got it. Let’s dig in.
Lion Babe feat. Busta Rhymes, “Harder”
Since last September, the only way Lion Babe fans could hear the duo’s new single “Harder” with Busta Rhymes was by hitting the virtual basketball court on NBA2K22. Now, five months and one Lion Baby later (the real life couple welcomed their first child in December) it’s officially out to the real world. Their first release since third album, 2021’s Rainbow Child, “Harder” is less slow sunshine groove for summer days and more hard-edged, steamy hip-house for late nights at the club. Singer Jillian Hervey’s vocals prance over the uptempo, jazz-tinted beat with a coy playfulness while Busta Rhythms stomps on the gas pedal through his growled verse. While Busta had a dance-adjacent hit with the Daft-Punk-sampling “Touch It” in 2006, hearing the man rap over a proper house beat feels like a tantalizing tease of something we didn’t necessarily know we were missing. — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ
Diplo feat. Miguel, “Don’t Forget My Love”
Diplo is unequivocally one of the most multifaceted producers in electronic music and beyond, having dropped nearly two decades worth of releases in realms from country to pop to dancehall to R&B and more. (And changing the sound of mainstream pop music in the process.) But the producer seems particularly at home in house, where’s he’s been focusing his considerable talents in the last few years via his underground-oriented Higher Ground label. Today (February 11), Diplo flexes further into this world via “Don’t Forget My Love,” an unabashedly romantic jam bathed in warm synths and driven by a pulsing rhythm guitar riff. Together, they lay the foundation for Miguel to deliver vocals that remind us that he possesses one of the all-time smooth voices. It’s a good match indeed. “Don’t Forget My Love” comes from from a just-announced eponymous LP Diplo is releasing March 4, his first full-length electronic album since 2004’s classic Florida. –– KATIE BAIN
Habstrakt, “High”
Step into the weekend with a smirk and a scowl. French producer Habstrakt’s latest release is a grimy club banger with sophisticated edge and heaps of bad boy energy. “High” is a bass growler that rings euphoric, with a powerful vocal sample and wistful synths. It’s the kind of tune you put on to build yourself up, even if you’re hiding a bit of heartbreak. The song marks Habstrakt’s debut release on Hard Recs, and hard is precisely how it goes. – KAT BEIN
Caroline Polachek, “Billions”
Since Caroline Polachek released her last solo single “Bunny Is a Rider” last July, her next moves have been scouted with great interest. So far, between a Charli XCX collab and an announced guest spot on Flume’s upcoming album, she’s delivered. Earlier this week, she released new single “Billions,” the second from her own upcoming second album. Even without its surreal music video — in which Polachek makes wine, takes a milk bath and reads to children — “Billions” feels like a fantasy. Written and produced with British composer Danny L. Harle, it’s airy and atmospheric, a trip-hop-laced daydream with swirling synths and fluttering percussion; meanwhile, Polachek’s breathy vocals makes even mentions of “headless angels” and “sexting sonnets under the table” seem strangely angelic. — K.R.
Fisher, “Palm Beach Benga”
Fisher has always been a little bit sideways: His party-boy energy borders on the maniacal, and his club-ready rhythms flirt with the bizarre. So of course his idea of a “Palm Beach Benga” is all about celebrating the off-kilter. This is a sunny day song for those who thrive at night; a funky, frog-ribbit synth that jumps its way to house heaven. A spirited spoken-word vocal, ripped from 1998 tune “My Beat” from Blaze and Palmer Brown, forms an inspiring back bone while Fisher’s signature synths and booming bass keep you struttin’ on the sand. Should you find yourself dancing to its beat, be sure to check Fisher’s upcoming tour dates, as he’s grooving through South America for all of February before moving to Las Vegas and Miami in March. – K. Bein
Scalping, “Flashforward”
Emerging U.K. outfit Scalping give an industrial take on dance music with their latest, “Flashforward.” A balance between dark synthesizers and sort of achingly shimmery guitar that falls into Squarepusher territory, the track “Flashforward” isn’t standard-issue effervescent dance music, falling on the harder side of the electronic spectrum and hitting in the way that only really heavy chords can. (“Flashforward is also the latest in the dance world’s work in industrial, with Bob Moses’ latest release also falling into this realm.) Scalping (whose name is an homage to the 2016 Sonic Youth song of the same name) is releasing its debut album, Void, on April 29 via London label Houndstooth. — K. Bain