Max HeyraudWe select five vital fresh cuts from the Irish dance music scene.
From Detroit techno textures to off-kilter house debuts, this selection highlights the depth and range of Ireland’s current electronic music scene, showcasing a wave of emerging and established talent pushing things forward.
Martha Dark – Emotion (Detroit Mix) [Your Utopia My Dystopia]
Martha Dark’s debut on Your Utopia My Dystopia is a stripped-back, functional techno cut that doesn’t skimp on soul. “Emotion (Detroit Mix)” leans heavily into Detroit influences with a deep bassline and steady, driving synths, blending cold industrial tones with a subtle soulful edge.
Reger – FM-E
Robbie McCammon, better known as Reger, delivers his long-awaited inaugural EP. The title track “FM-E” tells the near-impossible story of an eclectic artist who combines various influences into a glitchy, trippy, left-field house cut.
Lunaks – Unwanted [TECHNO YOUTH]
Dublin’s Lunaks continues his relentless run of new releases, with “Unwanted” serving up another clean-cut, nu-school techno thriller for fans of BCCO and similar contemporaries. This one leans fully into steppy, sound-design-heavy minimalism.
Serenity Complex & Aika Mal – Not Going Back [Companion]
Belfast’s Aika Mal collaborates with Serenity Complex on a tripped-out, downtempo groove in the vein of Massive Attack. Smoky, dusty breakbeats, gnarly reese bass tones, and haunting vocals sit deep in the atmosphere.
Shannen Blessing – Grumpy Pigeon [Khazad Records]
Straight-to-the-point, no-frills peak-time techno from Bray’s Shannen Blessing, showcasing versatility with meandering, squelching synth lines over a jarring percussive groove and thundering low end.