Eric Copeland (also a member of Black Dice) just dropped his latest record, “Goofballs,” today. Copeland’s exploration of the dance genre is dazzling on “Goofballs.” “Neckbone” is a standout deconstruction and homage to the techno genre. “Close Encounters” cycles through tones, moods, genres, and rhythms but never falters. The names may be silly but the tracks bang. The same rebellious, curious spirit that characterizes Black Dice’s noise-influenced take on experimental rock shines through on “Goofballs.” And even more remarkable is how the record remains imminently melodic and danceable. –juan leon

What immediately comes through in a cursory survey of No Regular Play’s catalogue is a love for the jazz and hip-hop influences the DJ/production duo proudly claim. A Tribe Called Quest and Miles Davis can clearly be heard as influences, in deconstructed form, throughout the group’s single “Hear You Sing.” In fact, Rudists’ remix of “Hear You Sing” brings the connection to the forefront of the track. The results are undeniable. No Regular Play’s melding of nu-disco, house, R&B, and jazz creates something soulful and fresh. No Regular Play will be performing a live set at Baby’s All Right on September 30. -juan leon

Discwoman collective artist Bearcat’s wild, aggressive sampling of divergent styles and rhythms (from dembow to spoken word) in her work as producer and DJ is a mode of expression so potent and unique it feels like a sonic diaspora. As a DJ, and like all great djs, her mixes aren’t simply beats mixed into other beats with the aim of getting asses on the dance floor. Rather, Bearcat expertly uses transitions and rhythms to achieve a fierce personal expression. The moment on her Chromat FW16 Runway Mix when a sample of a woman’s voice continues to repeat "a girl’s success…lies between her legs" while a pounding backbeat counters in the background is a thrilling example of how Bearcat uses beats to subvert, to provoke thought, and to transcend. She plays at Fringe Arts in Philly on September 22. -juan leon

Brooklyn-based Sapphogeist’s "Mar-a-Logo" (released on BANK Records NYC) is a dreamy, evocative, and potent shout of electronica that transcends the obvious political allusion in the record’s title. Standout track “Holding On” anchors an album chock full of sensuous and hazy sonic mysteries. It’s like a trip through the maze of a real pumping heart — translucent and bloody. Comparisons to Purity Ring and maybe Grimes might come easy, but are merely superficial. The grittiness of “Exodus,” the daring of the funeral march dirge-like “Mar-a-Logo” prove that what Sapphogeist is doing and has achieved is fascinatingly singular. -juan leon

Entro Senestre is BANK Records NYC’s label boss and, alongside Willie Burns, one half of duo Daywalker + CF. Saturday, September 16 he plays Whiplash at Bossa Nova Civic Club. Jake Reif and L. Sangre will also be on deck.

Senestre’s catalogue, which has spanned releases across his own label as well as several on Willie Burns’ WT Records, reveals a fiercely distinctive take on house and techno music. Whether it’s soaring, dark minimal (“SB Dauntless”), house dancefloor killers (“Supersonic Transport”), or sensuous techno (“La Caccia”), Senestre’s work is always thoughtful and emotionally evocative. –juan leon

 “Fool Moon” is a disco-house dancefloor killer just dropped by mystery debutante Lovers on Brooklyn-based house label Let’s Play House. When The Deli asked about Lovers, Let’s Play House had this to say:

“He’s brand new! Well, not exactly, but he’s trying to keep his previous work separate from what he’s doing now. He’s an old friend of LPH, though, and a Brit in NYC. Used to be in a duo when he was still in London.”

As for “Fool Moon,” it’s a disco dream – ringing cowbell, stomping percussion, soulful vocals. Fun, but also piercing, trenchant, uplifting. The type of thing Larry Levan would play at Paradise Garage on a Saturday night. – juan leon

 Bronx-born, Kansas-bred, Brooklyn-living Emma Olson (aka UMFANG) will be closing out the main stage this coming Saturday at Sustain-Release in Upstate New York. It’s the fourth edition of the festival, which takes place at Camp Kennybrook, and features a wide swathe of underground NYC and global artists. Techno is well represented at Sustain-Release this year and UMFANG — co-founder of NYC collective DISCWOMAN — is a worthy representative to top off a 12-plus hour main-stage marathon of the dreamy, the soft, and the hard, but above all, the electronic. UMFANG’s latest release, Symbolic Use of Light, debuted via Technicolour Recordings (a Ninja Tune imprint) in June of this year.

Symbolic Use of Light offers a conceptual balance of heavy and soft. Track titles like "Full 1," "Full 2," and "Weight" share space with "Sweep," and "Wingless Victory." The ideas cohere wonderfully within UMFANG’s at times aggressive, at times tender sonic landscape. Nowhere is this more striking and thrilling than in the one-two punch transition of "Path" immediately followed by "Pop." By contrasting the lightness of the one with the power of the other — like showing off two sides of the soul — Olson gets at something undeniably human. -juan leon

Emo. Traumacore. These are two of the labels attached to MALLRAT as tags on their Bandcamp page. It sounds kind of depressing. But beneath their gnarly, stripped down, heavy-heavy-soft sound is a transcendent – almost bubbly – joyousness that’s bursting with sonic life. The band’s playful tweets give an insight into a playful, humane sensibility that blooms throughout their music:

"all my life thought i only liked pop and pop punk but i actually also like pop country"

The subject matter on the quick, fleeting cuts that make up every breath a fracture (like standout track “i don’t really wanna try”) may be somber, but the feeling in every raw chord and singer Melo Davis’ vocals reveals a blissfulness that can’t be contained. MALLRAT make depressing music that actually isn’t very depressing at all. -juan leon

 NYC and Seoul-based Yaeji’s tracks have been percolating on the house scene throughout 2017 (Yaeji’s killer rework of “Passionfruit” is exhibit A). Her latest single, a breathy and breathless deep house banger, sees the DJ/producer threatening a real breakthrough. Released by the LA/NYC music label GODMODE (who’ve been consistently dropping fire Yaeji tracks), “Last Breath” is a sonically fascinating haze-collage of Yaeji’s icy, wispy vocals merged with stylish, soulful synth and percussion touches. It all coheres beautifully. The vaguely tribal percussion really does the trick. Icing on the cake is the make-up tutorial video accompanying “Last Breath,” which reveals a sneakily brilliant media/self-awareness. Yaeji is no joke. -juan leon