Best electronic music albums of 2025: here's what I found in the Upside Down

This summary is part of a series, posting between 30th December 2025 and 3rd January 2026

We have almost finished the first tier of the best electronic music of 2025. One final summary blog post before we go to the Top 20 Bangers of the year. I say "we". It's me doing the work. You're just sitting there in your balloon-back armchair scoffing Pringles with half an eye on your Snapchats. This lot is filed under 'assorted', which is terribly helpful of me.

Anthony Naples – Scanners (ANS)

The sixth album from Incienso label boss Naples is a neat affair. Glorious head-bobbing house music, deceptively complex with a lot of production tweakery beneath those chilled vibes. In fact, the creation of Scanners followed an abandoned album edit with much bigger floorfillers. I'm glad we got this mellower cut.

Barry Can’t Swim – Loner (Ninja Tune)

A second album from the most summery, shiny DJ this side of the Shetlands. He's like Bonobo doing the Chemical Brothers, and whereas tracks like his O'Flynn collaboration Kimpton aren't ploughing new ground, it's all so very satisfying. A thoroughly entertaining listen. Barry's gonna work it out.

Carrier – Rhythm Immortal (Modern Love)

Modern Love spoil us yet again with a debut album of pitch-black ambient dub cuts. Found-sound clanks and clunk reverberate within expansive pools of sinister frequencies. It's like Photek has got lost in the Upside Down. The rhythms are truly immortal. There's an appearance from Voice Actor, who can be found elsewhere in this year's Best of 2025 lists.

Ehua – Panta Rei (3024)

I love the start of this album. Its shuffling, tentative stumbles make it feel it's crawled out of a London manhole in preparation for a chaotic night out full of skewed, tangled club tunes and lolloping electro. It's like she's lovingly assembled a music studio, then tipped everything out of the window: one of the most original albums in this year's roundup.

Introspekt – Moving The Center (Tempa)

Dubstep is alive, and it takes the form of this in-your-face debut album from Introspekt. I've tested the bass on my wub-ometer and it passes muster. She counteracts the shivery UK bass feelings with well-selected vocals: a gasp here, a scrap of lyrics there. "Dubstep" is reductive for such a sharp and varied selection: all of bass music is here.

Marie Davidson – City Of Clowns (Deewee)

I'm going to be controversial here. I think every major city should be home to at least fifteen thousand clowns. Clowns at the bus stops, clowns in the vape shops, clowns on yer mam's downstairs toilet. Clowns everywhere. Davidson's latest album is a tremendously fun parade of characterful electro and frisky dance pop. With Soulwax on production, this is a corker.

Nick León – A Tropical Entropy (TraTraTrax)

What do you do after winning Resident Advisor's best track of 2024 (for Bikini)? You produce this hazy collection of wonky dembow pop. Grab your suntan and your best flip flops: the South Florida vibes are strong. He's not alone in this party atmosphere: there are guests galore, including 96 Back, DJ Python, Loraine James and Chanel soundtracker Ela Minus. 

TurquoiseDeath – Guardian (Phantasia)

The bluey-green one completes his Univa trilogy with a transportive sweep of golden drum 'n' bass. It evokes the smokiest and most elevated moments of the genre, and isn't afraid to lay on a phat four-to-the-floor either. The album also represents the death of the TurquioseDeath project – I hope he resurrects himself, turquoise, maroon, puce or otherwise.

See all of my Best electronic music albums of 2025