Best electronic albums of 2020: twenty-five

25 – RAMZI – cocon (FATi Records)

I don't often tolerate unconventional type cases in artist names, but I'll make an exception for RAMZI to distinguish Phoebé Guillemot's tropical downbeat from London crooner Ramzi.

Tablas and sitars sit neatly aside sluggish bass drums and sparky drum 'n' bass on an album that's as multi-textured as the sun-kissed outdoors it evokes. It's like someone's taken the roof off the club and let the light in.

cocon also reminds me of a Drum Club smothered in gauze: for example, there's definitely a techno party going on in nos enfants and mutation, but it's tickled by ambience or sat on by a marshmallow monster. Please choose your favourite metaphor from this paragraph and delete the others.

She's made a modest album: not so much tribal as pleasantly parochial. This is despite the drum 'n' bass moments and RAMZI's shouty name. But it'll really get under your skin. Have a listen.

Browse the rest of the Best Electronic Albums of 2020