Short and very sweet.
In a digital landscape where a 30-second clip can propel bedroom artists and underground stalwarts to the top of streaming charts and festival lineups, brevity holds more and more power in the music industry.
The ability to create a voice and connect with the shortest interaction has dominated the mainstream this year, but the EP format has remained a reliable tool for artists who want to indulge in brevity—whether for experimentation, bridging gaps, or just for fun.
From the return of Aphex Twin to the founding of Nia Archives, from the vanguard of Jlin to the party pleasers of BFTT, we present the VF team's favorite EPs of 2023.
Words by Kelly Doherty, Becky Rogers, Annabelle Van Dort and Emily Hill.
Aphex Twin
Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / in room7 F760
(Warp)
Time spent with Aphex Twin is always an event, and his first release since 2018 is an exciting, if brief, excursion. Discovering the features of his famous catalog, Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / in room7 F760 it invokes the familiar qualities of the environment, breaks them and the acidic touches, and shapes them into a body that reflects contemporary emotion. The presence of modern post-punk is felt throughout as these intense cuts fall into their own isolation. However, EC's surprising accessibility is perhaps a mirror to a year where sadness and skew have permeated both the art and the content engine. —Kelly Doherty
Angel Olsen
Forever means
(Jagjaguwar)
He was saved from the sessions for the extraordinary 2022 Big timeby Angel Olsen Forever means it's a bluesy score for lonely nights full of regrets. The singer-songwriter leans into her vulnerabilities with a minimalist setup, foregrounding her raw vocal delivery. These may be cuts, but wounds hurt just as much.–KD
BFTT
THP
(Global Unlimited)
Mutualism's BFTT wowed once again this year with its dizzying bounce THP. Firmly planted in the fun sphere of the dance floor, THP it's three tracks of shimmering techno meets garage with a healthy burst of donk spirit. Never resting on its laurels, the EP spins through tight production that tightens and loosens with plenty of room for the briefest of breaths. 15 minutes of frenzied glory.–KD
George Riley
Unlimited love
(Ninja Tune)
'Take off my underwear/ are you down to play with me?' sings Riley on the chorus of “Skin,” “take off my mask/could you fall in love with me?”—a winking lyric that encapsulates the playful dualities that abound in Riley's work: between desire and vulnerability, the revelations of the self that lie beneath one's clothes. Riley's debut EP for Ninja Tune is fun and flirty, enjoying an aura of feminine sensuality while still maintaining the empowering emotional honesty of her 2022 breakthrough Running in waves. Moving from 2000s R&B hooks (“Star”) to pure dance-pop euphoria (“Elixir”) and crazy, rocking rave tracks (“S ex”) in a running time of just 18 minutes, Unlimited love is undoubtedly one of the most exciting releases of 2023.–Annabelle Van Dort
Giant Swan
Fantasy food
(cake)
Giant Swan punk is back this year with the bass Fantasy food– an outrageous blast through high-octane noise-rock and tight left-field techno. Suffering is the word here. Voice samples and looming drones permeate the Bristol duo's clean electronic beats, merging into euphorically dirty club tracks that seek traffic.—Becky Rogers
Jlin
Perspective
(My Planet)
Jlin continued to cause a storm this year, following up a Pulitzer nomination with another deliberately intoxicating material. Perspective he slides into his own percussive experiments, maintaining just the right amount of groove to keep the dancers fed. Alternately domineering and tender, Perspective he's economical with his tools, drawing from his roots and transforming them into something dark, surprising and utterly unique.–KD
Kobe
Foreign exchange
(Body Rituals)
Somatic Rituals co-founder Kombé embraces flux and uncertainty on his debut EP, Foreign exchange. It tools five tracks made for adventurous DJs, constructed from a set of fluid polyrhythms – inspired by the constant movement of the currency markets and Kombe's own plethora of cultural and sonic references that create his distinctive sound.—Emily Hill
Octo Octa
Dreams of a Dancefloor
(T4T LUV NRG)
Three years in the making, by Octo Octa Dreams of a Dancefloor it is a euphoric love affair. Drawing from the uplifting tropes of vocal house and fusing them with uplifting trance, Dreams of a Dancefloor it's filled with the inspiring, fun moments that keep us coming back to the club every night. Three great cuts, perfect for any party.– KD
Otik
Xoul Trap
(Aus Music)
Otik has exploded with a string of releases this year, each offering a slightly different flavor and highlighting the London producer's diverse sounds but flawless production. The second release on their busy calendar came via the iconic Will Saul's Aus imprint. Xoul Trap is a four-track breakbeat techno extravaganza with an extra dose of atmosphere with dusty chords, choral samples and heavy percussion.–EH
Prima Queen
Not the baby
(Big Indie)
Friendship features Prima Queen's debut EP Not the baby. Across its four tracks, power duo Louise Macphail and Kristen McFadden guide each other through reflections on grief (“Crow”) and heartbreak (“Back Row”) as they move from their indie beginnings to rock and inject a folk tenderness into the mix. . An unforgettable listen that's just the beginning of Prima Queen's inevitable takeover of alt-rock.–Becky Rogers
Archives of Nias
Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against The Wall
(Island)
One of the hits of 2022, Nia Archives built on a solid foundation this year with the ecstatic energy of the jungle Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against The Wall. The explosion of pop meets breaks has made its mark across the mainstream in 2023, but few have created a voice as fresh as the Bradford-based producer, singer and DJ. Combining sunny melodies with soothing jungle features, Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against The Wall has been a soundtrack to festivals and sessions up and down the UK and with very good reason.–KD
Nuha Ruby Ra
Machine like me
(Take care of yourself)
Nuha Ruby Ra finds comfort in chaos with Machine like me. The vocal whispers rest on her self-built percussion section – replete with chainsaws, hammers and door slams – in a masterclass of subversion and juxtaposition. His expression over perfection while easily achieving both, with her punk powered spars and bassline drones working in harmony over an underlying uneasiness.—BR
Sally C
Big Saldo's Chunker 003
(Big Saldo's Chunkers)
Despite an incredibly busy touring schedule, Sally C, mother of Big Saldo's Chunkers, found some time in her crazy work schedule to produce some absolute bangers. Her third installment Chunker The series is full of pure satisfaction, played by some of the biggest and best DJs out there, to great acclaim. Fast-paced hip-house with a big beats slant, originally released at the height of the summer festival craze, has been making the rounds and getting people moving around the world.–EH
Tuba
Petals
(Hessle Audio)
The announcement that Tuba will be joining the ranks of Hessle Audio's many esteemed alumni producers led to a highly anticipated 12-in. Petals, a three-track EP that does not disappoint. Hailing from Jordan, Toumba has been making serious waves in the music scene as a triple threat curator, producer and truly sensational DJ whose discography includes releases on All Center and Hypnic Jerks. Petals gathers musical elements from his homeland, crafted into expansive landscapes of forward-thinking bass music. – EH
Coord
Head rotation
(Banoffee Pies)
Banoffee Pies Record kicked off 2023 celebrating their 10th anniversary and in doing so welcomed D and London based producer Syz. Head rotation is a four-track EP made up of shape-shifting techno ear wigglers that sit at the UK's techno end of things. It was gratefully received by many DJs and played in clubs by Stenny and Hodge.—EH
