Recommended Dose: The Best Dance Tracks Of The Month

By Sami Yenigun and Otis Hart  |  NPR

Detroit luminary Moodymann is included in this month's Recommended Dose.
Detroit luminary Moodymann is included in this month's Recommended Dose. Courtesy of the artist

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Welcome to the first edition of Recommended Dose, a monthly mix series for All Songs Considered that will collect our favorite new electronic music at the end of every month.

Our inaugural mix actually looks back at December and January. Unlike other corners of the music industry, the dance world doesn’t really slow down over the holidays. Disclosure dropped a remixed version of its album Settle, which included an incredible Larry Heard remix of “Help Me Lose My Mind.” Theo Parrish and Moodymann, both legends in the Detroit techno scene, released some of their best material in January. Then there was the psychedelic dance whirlwind from Brazilian producer seixlacK that appeared on Bandcamp out of nowhere.

The mix begins with Holly Herndon’s vocal ribbon manipulation, “Solo Voice,” slowly rising in energy and tempo, until the frenetic pace of seixlacK’s techno is snapped by the cool movement of Ulf Lohmann’s “Sicht,” the lead track on Kompakt’s new Pop Ambient 2014 compilation. It’s a warm-up and cool-down that’s condensed to fit the form, a bite-sized story arc meant to make you move.

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Playlist

January's Best Dance Tracks

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Solo Voice
Artist: Holly Herndon
Album: Chorus
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Holly Herndon, 'Solo Voice'
Artist: Holly Herndon
Title: Solo Voice
Album: Chorus
Theo Parrish, '‎71st & Exchange Used To Be...'
Artist: Theo Parrish
Title: 71st & Exchange Used To Be...
Album: 71st & Exchange Used To Be
Moodymann, 'Sunday Hotel'
Artist: Moodymann
Title: Sunday Hotel
Album: ABCD: The Album
seixlacK, 'Tele-Sexo'
Artist: seixlacK
Title: Tele-Sexo
Album: Seu Lugar é o Cemitério
Ulf Lohmann, 'Sicht'
Artist: Various Artists
Title: Sicht
Album: Pop Ambient 2014
Disclosure, 'Help Me Lose My Mind (Larry Heard Remix)'
Artist: Disclosure
Title: Help Me Lose My Mind [Larry Heard Remix]
Album: Settle [The Remixes]