As Batu, Omar McCutcheon twists darkness into odd structures. He grew up near Oxford, UK, where he was mesmerized by his father’s vinyl collection. Settling into his current alias as a teenager, he enrolled at Bath Spa University to study production. “My love of electronic music really started with dubstep,” he remembers. “It morphed into this hybrid sound, where people started using bits of techno and mixing that with influences from the UK. I followed that, the same way as Hessle Audio and Hyperdub.” Now based in Bristol, McCutcheon has strengthened it as the West Country’s haven for ravers.
Batu (originally spelled Batou) is a character from Ghost In The Shell, and McCutcheon was drawn to the name’s cadence. The formula rests on abstract rhythms and aural design. He manipulates samples and synthesizers with VST effect chains; coarse, reactive moments blossom into fluid pieces. “My process is digital, but the thought behind it is very linked to reality and organic matter,” he muses.
McCutcheon’s Timedance label is vital to his identity. It emerged when he was a 21-year-old in university, uniting tracks from peers including former roommates Ploy and Bruce. “We didn’t have a clear outlet. There wasn’t really a place for it to go,” he reminisces. “With the decisions in your life that are most important, sometimes you don’t have a choice. I didn’t know what it was going to become or have big aspirations, but there was this space to represent something untapped.” Timedance has gone on to champion club heavyweights Verraco, Metrist, and Laksa.
A decade on, Timedance is a left-field behemoth. McCutcheon runs it with assistance from Paul Boumendil, which helps sustain energy for Batu. The new TD10 celebrates the anniversary, compiling 22 feisty cuts from Lurka, Minor Science, Pearson Sound, Yushh, and beyond. It came to life slowly, as the team vetted ideas from friends who align with their vision. The journey is marked by tense plateaus and wubby descents.
When asked what music not on Timedance excites him, McCutcheon sardonically replies, “None.” He concedes that he appreciates amapiano, baile funk, and hip-hop, but views recent European trends as “stale and conservative.” “When I first started going out — from 2010 up until 2020 — there was a lack of real bass in soundsystems and culture,” he says. “I like the idea of people engaging with it as an element again and that coming more to the forefront.” TD10 successfully thrusts deep frequencies in thrilling directions.
PEAK TIME
10
Jurango – “Waiting For Trelawny”
Taíno Gold is the quintessential Livity Sound release. Broken kicks, bongos, and tambourines support woody timbres. “Waiting For Trelawny” is a warped take on dub, bouncy grooves wading through aqueous chords. Influenced by Bristol producer Jurango (aka Nate Reese)’s trip to visit grandparents in Jamaica, it ponders heritage via mystic propulsion.
9
B. McQueen & Priori – “Get Weavin'”
From shaping james K’s Friend to issuing honeyed dream pop from Car Culture, Montréal’s naff recordings spent 2025 on the ascent. Co-manager Francis Latreille (aka Priori) summons winter with Allergic — a 10″ in tandem with French artist B. McQueen. On B-side “Get Weavin,'” a wobbly, four-on-the-floor beat is peppered with flute by Raphael Weikart. Inspired by a night at fabric London, it is perky, yet feisty.
8
Object Blue – “galalith”
Since 2018, Object Blue has steadily become a fixture of London’s adventurous bills. Her long-awaited debut for TT, what resembles the grave but isn’t, is shaped by reclusiveness and uncertainty. It incorporates snippets from Alva Noto and the Andrzej Żuławsk film Possession. “galalith” is a slice of malfunctioning IDM, all dissonant thwacks and spiky bleeps — anxious, albeit sensual.
7
Ma Sha & Hodge – “Rill”
Sonically, Ma Sha and Jacob Martin (aka Hodge) are kindred spirits. Kindergarten Records has fueled New York City’s bass boom, expanding on roots that Martin established in Bristol. The EP No One Moves Alone sparked quickly in Montréal, where the pair were performing at MUTEK and Piknic Électronik. “Rill” is driven by bottom-octave synthesizers and brittle percussion — no frills weaponry.
6
Low End Activist – “Airdrop 03 (Colin’s Golf)”
Low End Activist builds shadowy worlds, offsetting ambience and breaks. The Berlin via Bristol artist returns to Peak Oil with a double punch of albums — Airdrop II and Airdrop III. They are bleak homages to ‘90s tech step. On “Airdrop 03 (Colin’s Golf),” clattering echoes escalate to a fleeting jungle groove — haunting and filthy.
5
Beatrice M. – “Midnight Swim”
As the curator of Bait, Beatrice Masters advocates for gender inclusivity on 140 BPM lineups in Paris. Their new EP for Pinch’s Tectonic, Midnight Swim, is lithe. It exists at dubstep’s airiest end, with lifelike melodies and weighty sequencing. The title track exemplifies this duality, bearing its fangs, then drifting away.
4
Sister Zo – “The Fastness”
CCL stays busy. Navigating a year slammed with gigs, the Berlin-based DJ launched the glittery imprint and party series Subglow. The stacked Sub Alchemy compilation features contributions from Perila, rRoxymore, x3butterfuly, and others. New York City staple Zoey Shopmaker (aka Sister Zo’s) “The Fastness” is climactic psychedelia. The Martyn protegee and UN/TUCK co-founder has refined a gnarled, zippy fingerprint.
3
Wata Igarashi – “Skin”
Wata Igarashi’s second outing for Dekmantel, My Supernova, is frenetic, pointillist techno. Now based in Amsterdam, the Japanese native tested this material across tours. On “Skin,” arpeggiations loop de loop atop crinkly hi-hats and white noise. It is at once composed and toothy.
2
Carrier – “A Point Most Crucial”
Guy Brewer’s Carrier LP for Modern Love, Rhythm International, offers a ghostly spin on techno. The Brussels-based veteran paid his dues in Shifted and Commix before growing jaded by big room parties. He christened this moniker on the bookish labels FELT and the Trilogy Tapes — fitting homes for experiments indebted to Basic Channel and Autechre. “A Point Most Crucial” opens with resonant thwacks and eerie rustles, disintegrating into fathomless negative space.
1
With his curtained hair and monochromatic brand, Daniel Avery always presented as a rockstar. His new full-length for Domino, Tremor, finds him sounding like one, too. It highlights the Kills’ Alison Mosshart, Andy Bell (Ride, Oasis), yeule, and more. Blown-out textures put a metallic spin on shoegaze. “Haze,” with Ellie Rowsell (Wolf Alice), centers on gauzy vocals, nasty fretwork, and a half-time pulse. It caters to moonlit rituals over weekend debauchery.
