This week in dance music: Steve Aoki and Calvin Harris both made noise in the legal world, with Aoki facing a class-action lawsuit over his partnership with the gaming company MetaZoo and Harris winning $13.5 million in the first bout of a legal battle with his former business manager.
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Meanwhile, Robyn revealed the moment she knew Elon Musk was, as she says, “tacky,” Splice revealed its top genres of 2025 and ABBA scored its first No. 1 on a Billboard dance chart, with Gold: Greatest Hits rising to No. 1 on Top Dance Albums.
And to close it out, these are the best new dance projects of the week.
Skrillex, Kora
It’s ambient but make it Skrillex on Kora, the producer’s new three-track EP. Populated by collaborators like Whitearmor, swedm® and other affiliates who also appeared on Skrill’s most recent studio album last April, the eight-and-a-half-minute project is experimental, meandering and fairly light — music for the acid trip rather than the rave. It’s best listened to in headphones good enough to reveal the many subtle nuances of the sound design and to also emphasize the punchier, weightier moments, including Skrillex’s own singing. Kora is out on OWSLA/Atlantic Recording Corporation.
Slayyyter, “Dance…”
Electropop hero Slayyyter unfurls a dancefloor siren call with “Dance,” designed to make you do just that. Pulsing, breathy and the right kind of ominous, the track folds in elements of French touch and finds Slayyyter declaring that “I kind of hate you but, it doesn’t matter, let me daaaaance,” a nod to the eternal shake-it-off power of the club. Don’t sleep on the stylish disco-meets-crime-scene-meets-house-party-meets-Carrie music video, either.
Crankdat, “Movement”
Ohio native Crankdat is steadily become one of the key bass producers of the moment, a position he further solidifies with his latest, “Movement.” The heavy, crunchy, headbanging type of dubstep that seems like it might ultimately send you cross-eyed, the viral hit — which features vocals from Linney — is officially out today on the producer’s own Crank It Up! Records.
Illenium, Bastille & Dabin, “Feel Alive“
The Odyssey continues with “Feel Alive,” the eighth single from Illenium’s forthcoming album, out Feb. 6. Made with Bastille and longtime associate Dabin, the song is classic Illenium-core, which is to say it’s big, anthemic and built around his signature future bass builds and drops. The new song comes in tandem with the announcement of Odyssey‘s whopping 19-song tracklist, which includes collaborations like Kid Cudi, Zeds Dead and Bring Me the Horizon. “Feel Alive” is out on Republic Records.
Shimza & Elderbrook, “Falling”
South Africa’s Shimza links with English producer Elderbrook for “Falling,” an Afro house cut that maintains the genre’s scintillating percussion while also growing to anthem size via its big synths and singalong vocals. The song is out on Helix Records.
Flight School, “Up2Night”
Canadian duo Flight School drop an electro heater in “Up2Night,” a collaboration with Australian vocalist Gigi Russ. Textural and driving, this loosie single more or less demands your presence on the dancefloor, and is out on Palm Tree Records.
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