In 2025, the rave was not defined by a cohesive trend. Over my first complete year writing a column for Stereogum, the mood was noticeably scattered. Dubstep shifted in smart directions; soundscapes found new ways to mutate; club behemoths unveiled celestial epics. The memorable albums were those that forged their own path.
There is no way to carve space for every highlight in this roundup, though a few deserve an honorable mention. Anthony Naples traversed peaks and valleys on Scanners and In Studio Magic, while Incienso backed K-Lone’s emotive sorry i thought you were someone else. aya’s queasy hexed! nodded to screamo. Carrier melded shadowy sonics on Rhythm Immortal. Lisbon’s PrÃncipe has yet to miss, as XEXA and DJ Narciso pushed batida to lofty places. AD 93 continued its reign of tasteful terror, thanks to Tracey, Biosphere, feeo, and james K. The throughline is how little it all coheres.
Here are the 10 strongest electronic releases of 2025. Check out the list, and share your own ranking in the comments.
10
In 2024, hipster bass rose and fell. This year, low end adopted a more sophisticated form. On Body Shell, Carré — a London via Los Angeles Fast At Work affiliate — offers a sharp spin on propulsion. Issued by UK institution Tempa, the EP harkens back to 2007. Loungey treble offsets the snarl. The whole thing seems cast from carbon fiber.
9
Washington, DC’s Future Times was one of the most influential labels in the 2010s house boom. It has grown quieter, surfacing only with records that are woozy and pummeling. On Jackson Ryland’s Hydraplaning, the DMV veteran morphs uptempo breaks into phased-out shapes. It thrums with nastiness.
8
Dubstep’s prevalence might spur an eye roll at first. But many recent standouts fall beneath the umbrella. On Tectonic Sound, Rob Ellis (aka Pinch) commemorates an unflinching two decades of his imprint. From Yushh and re:ni to RSD and Peverelist, it unites generations for an ode to 140 BPM wubs. It reinforces Tectonic’s range.
7
w/ The Producers unites dub techno’s finest, seasoned and fresh alike. Platformed by Kynant Records, Berlin-based Dominican Paul St. Hilaire’s flow crests atop echoes. The canvas is established by a shockingly strong crew: Shinichi Atobe, Aurora Halal, Russell EL Butler, and others lend a hand. Hilaire (aka Tikiman) came up as an associate of Rhythm & Sound. w/ The Producers inverts the concept of 2003’s classic With The Artists, presenting a monolith for Basic Channel’s second heyday.
6
In the near decade Dave Huismans lay dormant, he embraced formlessness. During the 2010s, the Dutch producer refined post-dubstep as 2562 and A Made Up Sound. He has returned with the projects ex_libris and In Transit — the latter on Fergus Jones’ stellar FELT. Both summon thick mist with sluggish loops. These Ableton sketches flicker with iridescence.
5
With Wisdom Teeth leaning toward experimentation, one might suspect that DJ pals K-Lone and Facta had sworn off debauchery. On GULP — and the April minimal compilation Pattern Gardening — London’s Oscar Henson proves he still chases energy. Across seven tracks at 27 minutes, choppy hats drive FM bleeps and vocal snippets. The album sparked amid travel to summer festivals, resulting in a kinetic sucker punch.
4
As Polygonia, Lindsey Wang is transcending deep techno. She is a burgeoning presence under the big tent, with ties to IO collective and QEONE label. On Dream Horizons for Dekmantel, the Munich-based laptop purist leaves a topsy-turvy impression. Thick drums lope through organic instruments and Wang’s own voice. It emphasizes her thoughtfulness.
3
It is difficult to believe A Tropical Entropy is Nick León’s full-length debut. The Miami torchbearer is responsible for mammoth dance singles “Xtasis” and “Bikini,” which cemented him as a fixture in the global party circuit. Inspired by Joan Didion essays, heartbreak, and collapsing infrastructure, the TraTraTrax LP is vulnerable. Melancholy leads, dembow grooves, and features from the likes of Casey MQ and Ela Minus convey an existential portrait of stardom.
2
At its gentlest, DjRUM’s Under Tangled Silence resembles a concerto. The latest from British prodigy Felix Manuel appears on fabric’s Houndstooth. It is rebuilt from a computer meltdown, which destroyed great chunks of his music and mental health. Where prior DjRUM material teetered on cinematic schmaltziness, these swirling pieces are genuinely weightless — landing somewhere between jazz, ambient, and jungle. Weaving harp, mbira, and cello by Zosia Jagodzinska, Under Tangled Silence challenges boundaries.
1
Sam Barker is an enduring Berghain resident, but he has never favored pulse. The Leisure System co-founder’s gear possesses a beatless mind of its own, sequencers rigged to control physical objects. His record for Smalltown Supersound, Stochastic Drift, is in cybernetic flux; Eurorack swells disintegrate into skittering tangents. Titled for a randomness theory, it emerged from pandemic unemployment. Barker toiled at a job center and considered quitting music, before beauty bloomed from uncertainty. The psychedelic outcome evokes a patch of sentient marble.
