May is looking like it will be one of the biggest months for music all year. There’s the return of Kendrick Lamar, Flume‘s next boundary-pushing endeavor, the final project from Noisia, and much more.
We’ve compiled a list of all the great full-length projects coming out this month so you don’t miss any. There are also links to pre-save the projects (if available) so they’re delivered right to your library when they release.
Check out our list of the 10 best albums coming out in May below. Enjoy!
1. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (May 13)
Kendrick has officially broken his five-year hiatus with the announcement of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. It’ll be his last album in cahoots with Top Dawg Entertainment. We’re still waiting patiently for the album artwork and the first single (if there will be one), but we won’t have to wait long. It’s out next week.
2. Flume – Palaces (May 20) | Pre-save
Flume’s next studio album, Palaces, from what we’ve heard so far, will see the Aussie producer continuing to push sonic boundaries. Singles like “Say Nothing” and the title track display shades of his sound design prowess (like on Hi, This Is Flume), mixed with his knack for catchy vocals (like on Skin).
3. Noisia – Closer (May 12) | Pre-order
The legendary Dutch trio has treated the electronic music scene to nearly two decades worth of releases. Closer will be their final one, and it’ll contain some previously released tracks and some brand new ones. There will also be a brand new Skrillex collab on this project.
4. Tourist – Inside Out (May 20) | Pre-save
Tourist has done nothing but blow us away with his mesmerizing, soul-lifting production since we first discovered him in 2016. He recently began the rollout for Inside Out, his fourth studio album. The singles so far, “Avalanche” and “Your Love,” show an even more refined sound.
5. Hermitude – Mirror Mountain (May 6) | Pre-order
Hermitude have taken the standard future bass sound and ascended it to a whole new style that is unique to them. That was years ago, however, and since then, they have evolved into something even further. Hermitude continue to push the boundaries on what commercial-leaning electronic music can sound like, and we’re eager to see its next iteration on Mirror Mountain.
6. ill.Gates – Bent (May 6) | Pre-save
A cornerstone of the underground electronic community, ill.Gates is dropping yet another album on Friday, titled Bent. The Canadian producer has never let his prolific talents go to waste, and this week we’ll be able to hear another body of work from him.
7. Alison Wonderland – Loner (May 6) | Pre-save
Alison Wonderland recently offered up a clever one-minute preview of her upcoming album on Instagram. Even after hearing the brief snippets, Loner is already sounding like it’s going to be powerful.
8. HAAi – Baby We’re Ascending (May 27) | Pre-order
One of house and techno’s sharply rising talents, HAAi is primed to take us to the next level with Baby We’re Acending. The title track, and lead single for the project, is a collaboration with electronica wizard Jon Hopkins. So far, so good.
9. GOVI – Where Do We Fall (May 6) | Pre-save
What do you get when you take a producer who’s worked with Drake and Nicki Minaj, and mix him with a DJ who’s taken root deep within Toronto’s club scene? Both describe GOVI, who immediately caught our ear with his two most recent singles. His debut album, Where Do We Fall, is set to drop this week.
10. WhoMadeWho – UUUU (May 27) | Pre-save
WhoMadeWho offered up a slice of their seventh studio album last year with their Silence & Secrets EP. They’re now getting ready to unveil the full body of work, which, if anything like the title track with Rampa, will feature top-shelf melodic techno.