2023 was a great year for dance music. More than anything, we saw artists tapping into the nostalgic sounds of EDM and rave culture. UK-influence made its way into the global circuit more than ever before thanks to artists like Fred again.., Overmono, and Barry Can’t Swim breathing new life into UKG, house, and drum & bass.
This year also marked the triumphant return of Skrillex to the very top of the game, after dropping two completely unique and groundbreaking albums. Several artists matured beyond our expectations, including RL Grime, Joy Anonymous, Daily Bread, and Aluna. Other artists, like CloZee, Elderbrook, and Jungle, played further into their familiar strengths.
All in all, 2023 was a year of diversity and creative expression that the electronic music world has yet to see. Check out our list of the best dance and electronic albums from 2023 below and enjoy!
25. James Blake – Playing Robots Into Heaven
An outlier in the best way, James Blake’s musical talent has seen him go from underground post-dubstep DJ to one of pop music’s most frequent collaborators. In his sixth studio album, Blake reconnects with his roots in the spellbinding, Grammy Nominated Playing Robots Into Heaven. The project is captivating and experimental, balancing Blake’s disruptive and thrilling dance beats with the warmth of piano chords to go along with his compelling vocals. You see his skills as a songwriter roam free in the euphoric “Loading” and the wavy “Tell Me”. The album follows the arc of a rave, with ups and downs and is one of the best albums of 2023. – JD Scribner
24. SG Lewis – AudioLust & HigherLove
After his disco-charged debut album, times, helped lift us out of COVID times, SG Lewis returned in 2023 and exceeded expectations in his anthemic sophomore album AudioLust & HigherLove. The project is SG Lewis unbound, touching elements of 80s pop and Yacht Rock and is conceptually split in half. The front half, AudioLust is more forward driven and intense, while HigherLove is warmer and psychedelic. He brings on collaborators like Tove Lo, Channel Tres, and Ty Dolla $ign to contribute to his impressive showing as a lead vocalist. – JD Scribner
23. Mersiv – Out of Bounds
Out of Bounds was Mersiv letting the world know that he’s one of, if not the biggest, acts in bass music right now. There’s perhaps no bigger opening statement than the chest-pounding opener “I Like It When You Move.” Although grounded in heavy basslines and compelling rhythms, Out of Bounds showcases a diverse tapestry of styles, blending elements of hip-hop, trap, pop, and more. Mersiv recruited some impressive collaborators as well, including Probcause, Wreckno, HEYZ, Saint Sinner, and INZO. – Mike Ali
22. Folamour – Manifesto
The veteran French DJ and producer went above and beyond for his seventh studio album Manifesto. Built around the core idea of “love and freedom,” the project is a deep dive into the rich and diverse spectrum of house music and beyond. Folamour marries conceptual themes, groovy melodies, and even afro-centric rhythms for a colorful, mature representation of dance music. – Mike Ali
21. PEEKABOO – Eyes Wide Open
Peekaboo’s debut album left no room for doubt—he’s no one trick pony. While usually considered a dubstep and bass focused artist, Eyes Wide Open, traversed a wider swath of the sonic spectrum. All flavors of the low-end shared space with dance and live orchestration, offering a project that appeals to the most loyal wub surfer as well as the most casual EDM visitor. Each listen sheds light on a new element previously overlooked making this one of our favorite repeat listens of the year. – Austin Miller
20. Jayda G – Guy
We like an album with rhythm and soul, but we love an album with story and memory. Guy, by Jayda G, has all four. This deeply personal 13-track album features many samples taken from tapes made for Jayda by her late father Richard Guy, for whom the album is titled. The tapes, which were given to her shortly after his passing when Jayda was only ten, are a recounting of his life story, and the struggles he faced as a young black man in America in the 1960s, from being caught up in the riots following Martin Luther King Jr’s death, to being drafted into the Vietnam war. While the subject matter of the album is serious and at times sad, the lyrics are positive and invigorating, telling a story of strength and overcoming obstacles for what’s important in life. The Canadian artist weaves her signature vocals and dance focused production with the spirit of these cherished tapes for a project that feels like an intimate look into the most tender parts of one of our favorite artists. – Austin Miller
19. G Jones – Paths
The hype was real with this one, and G Jones as always did not disappoint. You know with any G Jones project you are going to get one of the most insane collections of sounds imaginable, and Paths is the next iteration of that idea. Usually known for bringing a lot of heavy to his tracks, this album is a whole lot of tranquil and mellow mixed with his trademark controlled chaos, and even brings us into the wonkiest 8-bit video game ever (“Too Far Gone”). G Jones is showing his range and overall sound evolution with Paths, and it absolutely is a masterclass in music production deserving of a spot on this list. – Derek Lavezzo
18. Joy Anonymous – Cult Classics
What once started out as an underground collective born out of the pandemic has since blossomed into a full-fledged cultural movement. The rising UK duo’s sophomore album is a testament to how far they’ve come in just a few short years and a breath of fresh air for dance music. Cult Classics fuses elements of UKG, house, disco, soul, and more while also showcasing remarkable songwriting abilities on tracks like “JOY (404)” and “JOY (A Place I Belong).” – Mike Ali
17. Elderbrook – Little Love
Elderbrook has been building up a head of steam over the past few years, merging live instrumentation with emotive dance music. His third album Little Love is a collection of beautiful, melodic leaning dance productions that find the talented multi-instrumentalist at his most comfortable. There’s a few notable features sprinkled throughout the album, including Tourist, Vintage Culture, and Amtrac. – Mike Ali
16. Gorillaz – Cracker Island
Leave it to Damon Albarn’s band of animated misfits to drop off one of the years most memorable albums. Cracker Island saw Gorillaz continue their recent exploration of the lines between dance, pop, and whatever sound the outfit chose to explore at a given moment. Honestly, our inability to classify the sound of Gorillaz is why they continue to remain one of our all-time favorite groups of all time. Damon Albarn’s knack for adapting a sound to a guest artist (Thundercat, Bad Bunny, Tame Impala, Stevie Nicks, and others in the case of Cracker Island) continues to be nearly unmatched. This latest offering in the Gorillaz library featured ten tracks of the most universally playable vibes we’ve come across all year. – Austin Miller
15. Barry Can’t Swim – When Will We Land?
We knew we were onto something when we dubbed Barry Can’t Swim one of the top artists to watch in 2023. Fast-forward to October where the Scottish-born producer releases his debut album When Will We Land? which transcends the limits of contemporary house music. The project is peppered with voice-notes and recordings from family and home, providing a wholesome touch to the sonic landscape. While there’s often moments of introspection, Barry isn’t afraid to cut loose on energetic tracks like “How It Feels,” “Dance Of The Crab,” and “Sunsleeper.”
14. Jungle – Volcano
There’s something about the infectious melodies and groovy basslines that set Jungle apart from the rest of the pack. The UK outfit brought a wider array of musicians along the ride with their fourth album, adding a unique flavor to the disco-leaning productions. Jungle also displayed their penchant for moodier elements and contemporary sounds, adding collaborations with Erick The Architect, Channel Tres, Mood Talk, JNR WILLIAMS, and Bas. – Mike Ali
13. DROELOE – The Art of Change
The Art of Change marked yet another milestone in the evolution of DROELOE’s sound and career. Uniquely and utterly DROELOE, the tracks on this album couldn’t be mistaken for anyone else’s if they tried – compelling melodies and progressive beats swirl around the listener in a matter only the Dutch producer himself could concoct. – Molly M
12. The Blaze – JUNGLE
French duo, The Blaze, broke their five year radio silence in 2023 with the release of sophomore album, Jungle. The album took aim at the dance floor with ten tracks exploring energetic peaks and valleys all while casting an overarching spell of euphoria. Even the most zealous track of the collection, “SIREN,” found equilibrium with the ambiance of its follow-up, “BLOOM.” Whether the selected flavor was trance, electro pop, or house, each track delivered an energy ready to boost listeners from this realm to the next. – Austin Miller
11. Skrillex – Don’t Get Too Close
It only took about 24 hours for Skrillex to drop his second album of 2023, and it was a far cry from the one released a day prior. Don’t Get Too Close allows the multi-talented Skrillex to flex his creative and genre-bending muscle that infuses elements of hip hop, R&B, pop, and even spoken word (the album’s title track is an absolute standout) into his still dominant electronic realm. This album helped Skrillex put a chokehold on the year 2023 from the jump, and proved once again why he’s held in such incredibly high regard as one of the best not just in the game currently, but of all time. – Derek Lavezzo
10. CloZee – Microworlds
CloZee’s third album Microworlds was two years in the making. It’s hard not to recognize the influence of the local music scene throughout the project, after she relocated to Denver from her home country of France. CloZee somehow creates an even more expansive world of sound filled with atmospheric beds, soaring lead melodies, textural nuggets, and hard-hitting bass. – Mike Ali
9. Gorgon City – Salvation
In their fourth studio album Salvation, Gorgon City cohesively bring together everything that has encompassed their sound and hand over one of our favorite projects of the year. As one of the premier house acts in dance music, they take us on a sonic journey with a project that ranges from club bangers to euphoric grooves to dark breakbeats. Thematically, Gorgon City were inspired by the return to live shows and coming together as a community finding “salvation” in the music. – JD Scribner
8. Aluna – MYCELiUM
Although MYCELiUM is only her second solo album, Aluna has been a legendary fixture in the electronic music scene for over a decade, either as a solo artist or as part of AlunaGeorge. Aluna has made appearances across musical genres, so it’s only fitting that her album also spans across the electronic music genre. From Chicago house on “Underwater,” to tech-house on the Chris Lake collab “Beggin’”, to disco and garage on “Killing Me” with TSHA, Aluna shows us there’s no sound that she can’t master and make her own. While this album contains some epic collabs with producers like Tchami, Jayda G, and MK, our favorite track is actually album opener “The Way I’m Wired.” Featuring an intoxicating synth melody, this song draws us in from the opening bars, casting a spell of futuristic TRON-like rave magic. – Laurel Barkan
7. Kx5 – Kx5
This year, two of the most iconic electronic superstars officially united on their collaborative project, Kx5. The duo didn’t release just one follow-up track to their hit 2008 single, “I Remember,” but a whole entire album. The self-titled Kx5 brings deadmau5’s pristine, precise mixes together with Kaskade’s commercial appeal to create an exquisite electronic masterpiece. – Molly M
6. LP Giobbi – Light Places
What a year it has been for piano house superstar, LP Giobbi. Between starting her own imprint, Yes Yes Yes, and releasing an official remix for the literal “person of the year,” Giobbi is truly unstoppable. Her highly anticipated album, Light Places, put her year over the top, shining with its dynamic range and radio-friendly quality. The album sparkled with all of the joy Giobbi herself exudes, uplifting each and every listener with ease. – Molly M
5. Disclosure – Alchemy
Alchemy is the first album Disclosure released since parting ways with their longtime label Capitol Records. No longer bound by the constraints of a big label, the Lawrence brothers released an experimental project with zero features – a first for them, considering the heavy reliance on this in their earlier work. Even as a casual listener, it’s obvious how much fun they had relishing in this newfound sonic freedom. While the crown jewel of the album is the DnB “Higher Than Ever Before,” we also can’t get enough of “Go The Distance” for its acid synth embellishments and fun garage beat. – Laurel Barkan
4. Daily Bread – Invisible Cinema
Daily Bread ascended to new heights in 2023. It felt like everything has led up to the release of Invisible Cinema which is undoubtedly the biggest project of his career thus far. Daily Bread goes down a technicolor rabbit hole sound exploring tastes of gospel, riddim, hip-hop, and more under the ever-evolving umbrella of electro-soul. Invisible Cinema also led up to Daily Bread’s biggest tour production to-date solidifying his place amongst the very best in the genre. – Mike Ali
3. RL Grime – PLAY
RL Grime snapped on this one! PLAY is an absolute throwback to the sounds that made the Los Angeles native popular, while also using current sounds that bring this project to another level and churning out some modern trap. Split into three parts APEX, GRID, and RUSH, PLAY traverses throughout so many places in EDM it’s impressive one man was able to piece this whole thing together. There’s something for everyone on this album, and is another feather in the cap of one of the most successful producers of the last decade. – Derek Lavezzo
2. Overmono – Good Lies
Brothers Tom and Ed Russell joined forces after years of working individually as techno and drum ‘n’ bass producers in the UK as Overmono. Together, they deliver one of 2023’s most intricate and dance-floor ready albums in Good Lies. In their own words, the album isn’t genre-based, but is an emotional place. The album perfectly captures both the emotions at the peak of a party and also the emotions of a night coming to its end. The albums keystone track, “So U Kno” is a banger through and through, and sets the foundation for what the brothers are able to create as artists. – JD Scribner
1. Skrillex – Quest For Fire
It’s hard to believe that Skrillex’s first album in a decade came out in February, considering what a massive year it’s been for him. But despite the last-minute Coachella headlining, selling out MSG, and slew of surprise pop ups around the world, we need to recognize Quest For Fire for the accomplishment that it is. Although many of us know Skrillex as one of the pioneers of dubstep in the early 2010’s, on QFF, he flexed not only his ability to read the pulse of electronic music but also continually be on the cutting edge of innovation in the scene. He blew our minds with the insanely crisp bass on “Rumble,” and showed his penchant for flipping unique samples on “XENA.” He shows traces of the OG Skrillex glitch-heavy sound on “Tears” and then also expands into new sub-genres like UKG on “Leave Me Like This.” And a stacked list of iconic features (Fred Again.., Flowdan, Porter Robinson, and Missy Elliot to name a few) doesn’t hurt either. The overall result is a heavy dancefloor-ready album that feels both fresh and nostalgic. – Laurel Barkan