Mixmag ANZ's favourite EPs & albums of 2025 thus far (again)

Welcome to Mixmag Australia/NZ’s guide to the best EPs and albums from April - July 2025.

In this update, we’re bringing you recommendations on the best electronic music released around Australia and New Zealand. Expect everything from the darkest depths of techno, to the highest highs of house, and everything in between as we take stock of the most exciting, addictive and experimental sounds happening around us.

Read on for reviews and links to stream and buy the music. Visit our buymusic.club list for all of these, and stream a selection of tracks via our ongoing Best Local Releases playlist on Apple Music.

Purchasing music through stores like Bandcamp does so much for the artists you love, and we encourage you to support them if you have the means.

We hope you enjoy.

Louis Marlo has developed a cult appreciation for his stripped-back approach to the spaciousness of Naarm’s often club-focused sounds. Here he takes his time, and it shows. This is a focused and all-too-purposeful look into a producer truly refining the sound and mood of their work.

'HYPOMOD’ is the latest project of composer, sound engineer and performance artist Finn Idris, aka Insula, released via much-loved label Steeplejack. Throughout, the release alternates regularly between half- and full-speed blasts of grinding percussion, pairing it with all manner of mechanical conversation. No two listens are the same.

‘Soaring Ora’ released via Swiss artists Garçon & Agonis’ label Amenthia, is a hypnotic ode to genres of all kinds, never sounding too much like any one thing. Zara has grown an impressive catalogue in recent years, each distinct in its own way, and ‘Soaring Ora’ appears to compile the best of all of those, yet still leaves it feeling fresh and innovative.

Prefix is a relatively new imprint based on Gadigal Land/Sydney. With a clear focus on breaks, both spacious and sassy, the label’s debut EP by founders ch40 & Ugo is an impressive and immediate claim in their city’s sound. From the jazzy and somewhat comical to the downright ‘clean’, there’s something for everyone on this release.

In an interview about his latest album, ‘Flawless’, Other Joe shared that “in a way, I guess it’s like, there are countless flaws in the tracks, but that’s what makes them uniquely mine. I’m cool with the flaws - maybe that makes them Flawless?” This unapologetic humility and soul is a feeling which permeates the entire release, time and time again.

Two artists distinct in their sound and influences come together for an incredibly refined and exciting piece of work. The larger-than-life production and vocals provided by Grasps is matched by the tension and build of Marcus Whale, two generations of electronically inclined local popstars clearly and comfortably feeding into each other’s sound. ‘Eye’ is an addictive earworm and we recommend it to everyone.

Now Always Fades is the latest addition to a growing roster of artists slowing things down in club spaces, having just made an incredible debut in the form of a full-length record, ‘Into The Doldrums’. Elements of trip hop, electronica, shoegaze, and more are regularly paired alongside recorded and programmed instruments to give ‘Into The Doldrums’ the familiarity of a record you’ve heard a million times before, but is actually entirely new.

FOREIGNER, the brand-new moniker of producer, live performer and DJ Willis Anne, presents their debut project ‘Visible’ under much-revered label Livity Sound. Across four tracks, ‘Visible’ moves in a way that feels in itself like a live performance. Each moment is used to say or do something, not be wasted, ensuring that it is a captivating listen from start to finish.

People have been waiting for Kate Miller’s debut for quite some time, for good reason. Having regularly played selector for a number of years and growing a steady notoriety for her control over atmosphere and a penchant for the headier side of bass, ‘Sprint’ acts as an incredible welcome addition to Kate’s reputation. Released by Butter Sessions, the EP features a series of distinct sounds and tempos, effectively highlighting Miller’s understanding of what music truly needs.

In amongst a series of production hiatuses to focus on her writing, Rita Bass returned for an EP bursting with emotion and genre-defying sounds on ‘Reimagining’. Released via Rakhi’s label and event series Night Shop, the EP is a body of work that feels big, bassy and with a feminine touch. Rita’s vocal harmonies, drum programming and sense of space are big highlights on ‘Reimagining’.

Mixmag ANZ Cover Artist KSMBA has had a huge 2025 thus far, with their EP ‘Eyes’ sitting as the pinnacle of that year thus far. KSMBA has consistently made a conscious effort throughout this EP to weave moments of softness and emotion into music that is sometimes known for lacking both. We may be biased, but this is a must-listen for an artist we’re so excited to see grow.

UK-originating, Aotearoa/New Zealand-based DJ and producer Keepsakes is a voice increasingly worth tuning in to. Fresh off the back of a major remix of Tiga & Hudson Mohawke's 'BUYBUYSELL' just last year, the artist makes his debut on Canadian-based Turbo Recordings with 'Impossible (Eating The Sun)'. Typical of Keepsakes' style, the EP is driving, controlled chaos brought together.

Aotearoa's silent dub techno legend Signer returns twenty years on with ‘00-04’. As writer Martyn Pepperell described, “an immaculately curated compilation of previously released and unreleased Signer material. On tracks like ‘1201B’ and ‘N15 SUNSET’, emotional chords, misty textures, and chugging machine beats dovetail into his world-class take on atmospheric dub techno.”

'Cell' is a long-awaited return by Gadigal Land/Sydney-based producer Pannotia. Released on the much-loved Pure Space, the EP is a dense, evolving and fitting addition to the label's already cerebral catalogue. Written between Gadigal Land & London over the last three years, 'Cell' sees Pannotia emulating the growth, division and chaotic synergy of natural processes through entirely unnatural means.

Meathead, previously known as DJ Big Guns, has an existing reputation for productions that grow on you. Across the previous summer’s festival season, to those that heard it, ‘Enhancement Three: Boldenone (equipoise) 300mg’ was the very definition of an earworm. The remainder of Meathead’s debut sits in similar territory: confronting and addictive.

Aotearoa producer son.sine has shared an update to a series of unreleased demos recorded around the same time as their one & only EP Upekkah, released at the turn of the century. Gloopy, warm and subby sounding minimal aplenty here.

Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland musicians Caru & Brandn Shiraz have joined forces on ‘Back 2 Back’, an EP oozing with all the best bits of early 2000s garage. As British-Tamil producer and DJ Goldtooth, who moved from the UK to Tāmaki Makaurau, as does the intro to the release, says, “garage isn’t a sound, but a feeling”, and on this release, that couldn’t be more true.

An awareness of the world they live in, not only musically but naturally, is at the core of Sleep D’s latest release, ‘Big Sky, Liquid Sun.’ Amid a career so comfortably and confidently influencing the culture around them, this release sees the duo surrendering themselves entirely to the world at large. While it is, in its own way, tough to speak about a pair of artists who are so regularly discussed, there’s no denying that at this point, they can speak for themselves.

Chaos In The CBD, a duo who in their years have gone from strength to strength and stage to stage, have finally released their debut record. The pair of brothers, increasingly known for big sets across the likes of Ibiza and some of the world’s biggest festivals, have taken an enormous step back, with an homage to the sounds of their upbringing, not literally, but as they remember it. This is beautiful music, plain and simple.

Naarm/Melbourne-based queer party CONFIDE has evolved into a label seamlessly on ‘Wanne Be Free’. The debut by none other than CONFIDE’s founder Simonetti, is as true to CONFIDE as any of its parties is, “raw, euphoric, and steeped in the acid-drenched spirit of ‘90s house and trance rave culture.”

Vv Pete is a force to be reckoned with. The Mount Druitt rapper has worked up a storm over the last year, now culminating in her debut album. Working extensively with collaborators UTILITY, Brodinski, Cassius Select, DJ Plead and more, this is a debut rarely matched by artists at home, let alone abroad.

It’s been difficult to ignore the rise to prominence of 1tsbp. The Meanjin/Brisbane-born, Gadigal Land/Sydney-based producer captured everyone’s attention in 2024 with the release of ‘megacity1000’, and once again on ‘Hotel Living’. Features from the likes of returning vocalist cherry chola, Purient, Meth Math, DJ ADHD and MC Pânico keep the EP feeling fresh and impressively cohesive with so many genres and sounds to cover.

Dro Carey has returned after over four years with an EP that reminds us all of just how much he’s got left in the tank. Often seen as “the producer’s producer,” ‘VT2’, released via Steel City Dance Discs, is a masterclass in simplicity and songwriting. From wriggly acid lines to chaos-controlled percussion and some sexy UKG thrown in good measure, we’re so glad he’s back.

Wearing influences on your sleeve is too often pegged as a bad thing. For Teether & Kuya Neil’s latest project ‘YEARN IV’, it’s an ongoing commentary on the two artists’ relationship not only to each other, but to their music. The duo has continued to find a voice entirely unshy about its influence and simultaneously uncaring about crossing genre boundaries. Kuya Neil’s hardcore, garage, breaks and more are all tied together by Teether’s loose and often rhythmic vocals, leaving ‘YEARN IV’ as a clear hip hop record, but one very comfortably finding a home in club spaces.

‘MothGirl’ is a four-track EP by E Fishpool, the beginning of a series of releases seemingly dedicated to the “restarting of the life cycle.” Recorded over five days in Gariwerd, ‘MothGirl’ is a profoundly emotive series, with each song fluctuating between large, programmed bass and sound design, live guitar and soft ambience. “starting a new cycle; becoming ugly; then beautiful again,” they shared alongside the release.

‘Sketchbook’ is a 22-track release by producer Kaisei, released by Dutch-based label Optic Portal. This mammoth release by a producer so young is already enough to turn heads, but ‘Sketchbook’ demands attention for much more. There’s enough depth, sense of environment, space and sound design across this release to justify several EPs. Truly insane.

Interstate collaborators Command D and Zara’s much-anticipated EP via Butter Sessions is every bit as good as you imagine it would be. Both producers, comfortably finding their home at different corners of Australia’s underground, have come together to blur the boundaries between their sound. From entrancing rhythms to trancey pads and dubbed out reverb, in Butter Sessions own words, “what they mean when they say #deep.”

Cult-followed collaboration between Andras (Andrew Wilson) and Eleventeen Eston (John Tanner) provides its latest chapter in ‘Legends’. While previous records ‘II’ and ‘69’ channelled an ambience more electronically inclined, ‘Legends’ sees the duo largely foregoing anything electronic in favour of an ambience of a far more folk-tinted variety. An incredibly pleasant moment of respite in amongst the harshness of the world

In writer Farah Azizan’s words, Nū’s debut EP, ‘TECHNIFRO-185’, sees the artist “bending code into sonic worlds that felt deeply soulful and human. What emerged was a practice grounded not just in experimentation, but in healing. …(It is) a five-track bilingual Afrofuturist offering that blends ancestral sounds, experimental synthesis, and voice-led improvisation.”

Meanjin/Brisbane-based producer Sampology returns after a short hiatus with ‘Ripen Vol. 1’, put together by himself and 14 collaborators. An insane feat, totally dedicating the project to the touch and influence of other people. A huge number of instruments are coupled with Sampology’s own keys, synths and percussive chops to create a piece of work that sings with an infectious kind of optimism.

Following up a Hyperdub released LP with Tim Reaper is no easy feat, but Kloke’s latest release for Mindgames does a fantastic job of it. From uplifting to dub-laden, groovy and slick, this is top quality jungle.

‘Supreme’ is the debut record by self-described Gaysian princess Dyan Tai. A meticulously crafted blend of bubblegum bass, PC music, and Cantonese pop influences, the release is a clear and confident statement about Australian dance-pop in 2025. With features from the likes of Lupa J, Jamaica Moana, BVT and a Hazboy remix, this is straight up fun.

'Let's Start Again' is a celebratory 5th year birthday release for Gadigal Land/Sydney-based label WIP Music. The EP sees WIP's founder Mikekon pairing up with none other than Byron The Aquarius for a series of 5 deep house cuts, recorded throughout Byron's most recent visit to Australia in 2023.

New label Electronic Selections delivers an incredibly tasteful serving of deep house in the form of ‘Motion’s Ethos Vol. 1’. This compilation, featuring the likes of yus.f, Re:percussion, Squidgenini, Iti and Dawn Again, wouldn’t miss once on any dance floor. This is sexy, fun music that dancers of any kind would get down to.

'Who Am I' is the debut release by Gadigal Land/Sydney-based producer and DJ Caity Loughlin, aka Ca Lou, a two-track single firmly cementing Ca Lou's sound & immediately recognisable sense of rhythm. The EP, released via Refuge Recordings, would make little sense going anywhere else. The local imprint is no stranger to supporting new artists from the very beginning, & Ca Lou sits as the latest instalment of sure bets they've been making for over a decade.

Over two decades, Ladi6 has become one of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s most respected voices. With ‘Le Vā’, her latest record, it’s easy to see why. This is a soulful, beat-driven ode to her Pacific identity, packed with as many meaningful moments as there are joyful ones.

Clear Path Ensemble is yet another project of Aotearoa/New Zealand producer Cory Champion, also known as borrowed cs. ‘Black Sand’, a 9-track album, is an impressive and incredibly polished modern jazz record that truly demonstrates Cory’s deep knowledge of music and a wide range of moods. His collaborators on this release need to be thanked, also. This is tight jazz, plain and simple.

Kaurna Land/Adelaide-based producer Strict Face has long stood as a regularly forward-thinking figure within Australia's dance scene. The artist, known for his wonky and outsider approach to traditionally 'club' music, has 13 years into his career finally released his debut album. 'Severe Forward' puts an exciting and thoughtful stamp on the next stage of an artist who regularly has so much to say and offer.

‘Antithesynth’ is, in the words of Sophie Burbery, “a study in constraint, process and sonic materiality.” The Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland-based composer has created each composition using only a single synthesiser, allowing the distinct sounds of the Korg MS-20 and the rare Roland System 700 to be its key focus. This is a beautifully geeky listen.

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You can listen to all of our favourite releases, & many more, on our ongoing ‘Best Local Releases’ playlist on Apple Music, and via our buymusic.club list here.

Purchasing music through stores like Bandcamp does so much for the artists you love, and we encourage you to support them if you have the means.

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Jack Colquhoun is Mixmag ANZ's Editor, find him on Instagram.