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Recommended Dose: The Best Dance Tracks Of April

Each month, we listen to hundreds of new electronic music tracks, test the standouts on loud speakers and highlight the best of the best in a mix called Recommended Dose.

April featured moving music from artists both young and old. A new electro track from current Detroit ambassador Kyle Hall fades into a remix of Drexciya, a posthumous release from one of that city's most revered techno acts. London techno veteran Mr. G gives way to Bristol's Shanti Celeste, whose career is just getting started. We end this month's mix with a stretched-out reimagining of Afrobeat legend Tony Allen by minimal techno star Ricardo Villalobos and his remix partner Max Loderbauer.

You can keep up with our favorite discoveries on Twitter by following @Sami_Yenigun and @spotieotis.


K2, "126bpmnoname"

/ Courtesy of the artist
/
Courtesy of the artist

K2 is the very logical alias of Kyle Hall and Kero, two techno artists with deep ties to the Detroit dance underground. The duo's new EP, Two, runs the spectrum from electro to techno to house to amorphous jam session. "126bpmnoname" may look anonymous on paper, but the electro squiggle at its core will have you remembering its name.

Appears In The Mix: 00:00 - 03:48

Two is out now on Detroit Underground.


Drexciya, "Black Sea (Aqualung Version)"

/ Courtesy of the artist
/
Courtesy of the artist

Detroit electro artist James Stinson died in 2002, but his influence on the city and genre is still felt today. Stinson launched the Drexciya mythos in 1989, but it wasn't until his death that the project's anonymity was compromised. During Drexciya's 13 years, he and partner Gerald Donald released four albums and more than a dozen 12"s of classic electro, pulling back the curtain just once in 1997 to hint at Drexciya's afro-futuristic conception. Dutch label Clone released two alternate versions of classic Drexciya tracks this month, as well as an unreleased nugget.

Appears In The Mix: 03:49 - 8:56

Black Sea is out now on Clone's Aqualung Series.


Mr. G, "TT Rum Bar"

/ Courtesy of the artist
/
Courtesy of the artist

Colin McBean, a.k.a. Mr. G, has been an active presence in London since the late 1980s, first as a top-shelf DJ and later as a producer of funky U.K. house. His career saw a bit of a rebirth in 2010 when his first solo LP coincided with a larger audience getting on his level, and he's been on a tear over the past five years, releasing a flood of quality tunes. "TT Rum Bar," from McBean's Resonate EP, is among the catchiest of the bunch, with a hook that you'll be whispering to yourself after a single listen.

Appears In The Mix: 8:57 - 12:13

Resonate is out now on Just Jack.


Shanti Celeste, "Moods"

Chilean native Shanti Celeste is one of the lynchpins of the Bristol dance music community. In addition to her work with Julio Bashmore's Broadwalk Records, Celeste runs brstl, a rising 12" label of fellow Bristolian club music producers. She's about to release a new 12" herself, and the A-Side, "Moods," is pure class. Anchored by shimmering keys that sound more piano than Casio, the track bides its time until the sum of its subtle parts converge for a glorious few minutes.

Appears In The Mix: 12:14 - 17:32

Moods/Lumi is out soon on brstl.


Tony Allen, "African Man (Ricardo Villalobos & Max Loderbauer Remix)"

/ Courtesy of the artists
/
Courtesy of the artists

Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen released a full-length, called Film Of Life, last October to the delight of Afrobeat fans worldwide. Six months later, it's dance music nerds' chance to rejoice: Minimalism maestro Ricardo Villalobos and his remix partner Max Loderbauer stretch "African Man" out to 13 minutes, adding an elasticity to the original's lockstep groove. Keep an eye out for Villalobos and Loderbauer's debut LP as VILOD, Safe In Harbour, due out this June.

Appears In The Mix: 17:33 - 27:35

Film Of Life Remixes is out now on JazzVillage.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Sami Yenigun is the Executive Producer of NPR's All Things Considered and the Consider This podcast. Yenigun works with hosts, editors, and producers to plan and execute the editorial vision of NPR's flagship afternoon newsmagazine and evening podcast. He comes to this role after serving as a Supervising Editor on All Things Considered, where he helped launch Consider This and oversaw the growth of the newsmagazine on new platforms.
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