This week in dance music: Miami’s III Points announced its full 2024 lineup led by Massive Attack, Justice and Disclosure, a book featuring never-before-seen images of Avicii was released in Europe, we spoke with the founders of The Circuit Group about how they’re helping electronic artists create independence through their intellectual property, and father/daughter duo Floorplan discussed what it’s like playing clubs and festivals as a family act.
And to all that, we add the best new dance tracks of the week.
Tokimonsta feat. Cakes da Killa & Gawd, “Switch It”
The announcement of a new and forthcoming Tokimonsta album comes with a bonus prize in the form of “Switch It.” The lead single from the L.A. producer’s seventh studio LP, Eternal Reverie, the track is a punchy, house-meets-hip-hop party starter that features vocals from SoCal R&B duo Gawd along with previous Toki collaborator Cakes da Killa, who lights an already hot track on fire with his characteristically rapid-fire verse.
“Exploring my take on dance music is a risk,” Toki writes in conjunction with the release, “but I’m entering my unapologetic ‘do what feels good’ era (as someone who’s overly apologetic, this is a big deal.. amirite?) Thnxxx.” To that we say no, thank you, and add that Eternal Reverie is coming through Tokimonsta’s Young Art Records in conjunction with a 26-date tour that starts at San Diego’s CRSSD festival this September.
SG Lewis & Tove Lo, “Heat”
The duo — who worked together with Nelly Furtado on last month’s “Love Bites” — come in hot in multiple ways with their shimmery club anthem “Heat,” which puts Lo’s singular voice on display over a brightly pulsing production. (And please head over to YouTube to watch the song’s happily carnal and Pride-centric video.) The track comes from the duo’s four-track collaborative EP Heat, which had a packed release party last night in West Hollywood and is out through Lo’s own label, Pretty Swede Records.
“We share a lot of fans in the queer community, and this EP is very much inspired by the energy we feel from the crowd,” she says. “We wanted to celebrate that with these four bangers. Sam and I met on the dance floor, and I think when we first worked together we felt that special creative connection that rarely happens. So after making a few songs together that ended up on both our albums, we felt like we had more to give to our mutual fans who, like us, love to dance in sweaty warehouses.” The project features additional production from fellow tastemaker Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs.
Sofi Tukker & Heidi Klum, “Spiral”
Self-proclaimed party animal Heidi Klum returns to the scene with her second dance project of the year: a starring role in the video for Sofi Tukker’s latest, “Spiral.” A singalong anthem about a relationship in its downward trajectory phase, the song is built around urgent Eurodance production and Sophie Hawley-Weld’s ever-silky voice, coming with a cheeky music video that features Weld and Klum having a sort of post-breakup slumber party, complete with frilly robes, catwalking and sex toys used as microphones. The track is the second single from Sofi Tukker’s forthcoming album, Bread, out this August.
Carlita, “Planet Blue”
A piano house anthem as bright and enjoyable as summer sunshine, “Planet Blue” is the latest from Turkish/Italian producer Carlita. She says she worked on the song in her head during “countless rides on Lime bikes to my London studio sessions,” adding that playing it at settings including Space Miami and Manchester’s Parklife Festival over the last few months “has been an indescribable joy for me.” The track is out via Counter Records and and features vocals from Cleo Simone.
Mathame, “I Will Find You”
The rising Italian duo bring the Pure Moods vibe with their latest, “I Will Find You.” The brothers started working on it six years ago, taking inspiration, they say, from “music we listened to in the early 2000s in Italy, that underground world of parties and unrepeatable moods that only those who have lived can understand.” What that sounds like in practice here is cinematic and sweeping progressive techno with a celestial vibe, an edge of darkness and a memorable and sort of haunting melody.
“Thank you,” they add, “to all the legends of Italian progressive techno for making us fall in love with this when we were kids and went dancing, much more than ten years ago.” They’re being literal, as the song is a take of a 1993 version by late Italian DJ and vocalist Franchino, whose own release was an edit of the Clannad theme song from the 1992 Daniel Day Lewis film The Last of Mohicans.
