dancepop

It is nine years since Sonny Moore – AKA Skrillex – last released an album. His 2014 debut, Recess, opened with a track called All Is Fair in Love and Brostep – a knowing nod to the derogatory term for the dubstep-derived sound that made him famous. More importantly the track featured a guest appearance from the Ragga Twins, east London authors of the early 90s singles Spliffhead, Hooligan 69 and Wipe the Needle – much-prized examples of their fellow Hackney natives Shut Up and Dance’s idiosyncratic, copyright-busting…

Producer Alex Crossan, AKA Mura Masa, lived up to the “difficult second album” trope when it came to releasing 2020’s RYC. Supplanting the brash, vibrant pop that made his name on 2017’s self-titled debut, RYC was drab and moody, trading on themes of isolation, anxiety and nostalgia against a backdrop of chugging drums, post-punk guitars and plaintive vocals.After the Covid lockdowns, Crossan has thankfully found joy once more. Demon Time contains a starry roster of collaborators – singers Shygirl and Erika de Casier and…