Welcome to our selection of our favourite records of 2025. As you might expect, it is the discovery of new, exciting records that makes life rewarding at Phonica, as we open boxes from labels and distributors to find mind-blowing music from all over the world.
Sitting at the very top of this year’s albums is Chaos In The CBD’s A Deeper Life, a warm, soulful house record that rewards repeated listening and effortlessly bridges the gap between dancefloor energy and contemplative ambience. Arriving in the last week before Christmas, Voices From The Lake’s Voices From The Lake II delivered an immersive, meditative dub techno journey, reaffirming the project’s importance in electronic music. Paul St. Hilaire’s W/ The Producers followed a similar dub-inflected path, merging reggae, dub, techno and electronic experimentation in a masterful collaborative effort. Djrum’s Under Tangled Silence folded cinematic sound design into emotionally rich rhythmic explorations, while Ron Trent’s two-part Lift Off offered a deep, spiritual house journey that spanned both history and forward-thinking club music.
Jazz and soul were equally vital to 2025. Kokoroko’s Tuff Times Never Last radiated joyful Afrobeat energy, offering warmth and uplift when communal connection felt more necessary than ever. SAULT’s 10 provided a culturally resonant, monumental statement, while Annie & The Caldwells brought gospel & soul to our ears although not quite as good as theirr rousing gig at Clapton’s Church of Sound.
Underground dance music continued to thrive with risk-taking and ritualistic energy. Ploy’s It’s Later Than You Think, OM Unit’s Acid Dub Versions III, and Decius’ Vol. II celebrated dancefloor intensity and adventurousness, while Wino-E’s debut brought raw, off-the-wall vulnerability into club-focused music, proving that the underground remains a space for bold ideas. Experimental pop also stood out this year. Oklou’s Choke Enough blurred club, pop, and ambient sensibilities, while James K’s Friend and Erika de Casier’s Lifetime explored quiet, emotionally precise songwriting and ambient textures, rewarding close, repeated listening.
Rather than focus on particular tracks, we prefer to focus on entire singles here at Phonica, be they 7inch, 10inch, or 12inch — there has to be a physical release for it to be included in our chart. It’s the hardest chart of all to compile, as these short releases or EPs are far more subjective than an album and far less consensus amongst us. Here, we celebrate those singles that made an impact, provided the soundtrack to nights, sold well at the shop, and, most importantly, were loved by our staff members.
Resident Advisor recently stated that 2025 didn’t deliver a single unifying club anthem and we agree, there was no track that crossed genres and brought everyone together on the dancefloor. Instead, the year was defined by a wealth of exciting, diverse singles, each shining in its own sphere.
Fold & Cu.rve’s Business / Smart Casual emerged as this year’s bass-heavy anthem — heard everywhere all summer — and became the closest 2025 equivalent of last year’s Flight FM frrom Joy O. Alex Kassian deserves a mention this year for his trio of releases , the downtempo and most interesting ‘Body Singer’ , his huge Spooky remake and , our favourite (although it arrived in the last few weeks of 2024) ‘Elastic’ as Opal Sunn with Hiroaki Oba, a progressive anthem, complete with chilled dub mixes.
But if you want chilled….you can’t get more chilled than the original of Marshall Jefferson’s Yellow Meditation For The Dance Generation though Joakim’s remixes provided the peak-time energy, one of the tracks of the summer for DJs such as Vladimir Ivkovic. It was a big year for both Subb-an & our very own Luther Vine with their ‘All Night EP’ being one of our bestsellers , but they also delivered 2 other killer EPs on their own.
This year, our own Phonica label returned after our 20 year project with 3 veritable club bangers : Roman Flügel’s Cooking The Books EP balanced melodic tension with rhythmic ingenuity, as he always does, Nuage gave us euphoric anthems and Escape Artist ratcheted up the bass and euphoria.
It was good to see the return of Danilo Plessow aka MCDE to house music with his Rude Futures bringing sulphuric heat with Acid Reaction, and both Miles J. Paralysis’ Turf Step EP and Brennan / Ferg’s Dubble 005 pushed experimental percussive textures and glitchy club ideas.
Vocal-driven and soulful singles also shone. Lady Blackbird vs Crooked Man’s Crooked Spirituals fused her gospel intensity with intimate production whilst Mattias El Mansouri’s Disintegration showed how he can deliver an anthem (watch this space!).
Whether tracing the pulse of the dancefloor or exploring more contemplative sounds, 2025’s singles highlighted the continued creativity and vitality of physical releases in an era dominated by streaming.
Although there are far fewer compilations around these days, those vinyl compilations that do get a full release have been elevated: lavish artwork, extensive histories, and detailed sleeve notes all showing off the hard work put into the art of the compilation.
In 2025, we were treated to a wide variety of compilations that showcased both the depth of dancefloor culture and the breadth of global music. Sean Johnston’s A Love From Outer Space drew inspiration from his legendary club night collaboration with Andrew Weatherall, delivering a cosmic selection that blends deep house, cosmic disco, and that indescribable ‘Chug’ into a journey across the stars. Sounds From The Flightpath Estate Vol 2 followed in a similar vein, inspired by the spirit of Andrew Weatherall, with all tracks exclusive to this release. Telepathic Fish: Trawling the Early 90s Ambient Underground delved into the formative ambient electronic sounds of the decade, combining rare gems with some ambient classics. Alfredo curated Paraiso: The True Spirit of Ibiza, a bittersweet celebration of the Ibiza club scene and a final testament to his legacy following his passing last Christmas, capturing the essence of the island’s legendary nightlife with euphoric peak-time tracks and balearic subtleties. Rounding off the top four, Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy returned with Balearic Breakfast Volume 4, another sun-soaked, early-morning journey across grooves and textures.
Horse Meat Disco brought the energy of Brazil to the decks with Disco & Boogie From Brazil Vol. 1, while Somewhere Soul: Rituals Vol 1 marked the first compilation from the Instagram influencer, bringing a fresh curatorial perspective to soulful and spiritual grooves. The DJ-Kicks series continued to impress with contributions from Eris Drew and Logic1000, while Giegling’s Ende Gut Alles Gut box set celebrated the label’s signature mix of introspective and club-ready tracks, in what was billed as the label’s ‘swansong’, arriving early January.
Other standout releases included the transcendent Archipelago: Cosmic Fusion Gems From France 1978–1988, which unearthed rare fusion, jazz, and cosmic sounds from the French archives. Fifteen Years of Leng Records 2010–2025 offered a deep dive into one of the most consistently forward-thinking electronic labels of the past decade, while Mohinder Kaur Bhamra’s Punjabi Disco explored vibrant South Asian disco grooves. Whether tracing dancefloor history, unearthing rare gems, or curating sounds from around the world, 2025’s compilations proved that even in the era of streaming and playlists, the art of the compilation remains alive, ambitious, and endlessly rewarding.
Reissues continue to shine a fresh spotlight on records that were either overlooked when they first surfaced or were so limited that they instantly became sought-after. In 2025, we can look back on another great year of outstanding reissue albums, lovingly reissued and repressed, saving us from Discogs sharks or listening to these records only on YouTube. Despite the high cost of vinyl manufacturing, the number of quality reissues shows no sign of abating, spanning across electronic, soul, jazz, and experimental music. Top of the pile in 2025 is Moodymann’s Black Mahogani, a definitive slice of deep house that remains as vital and immersive now as when it first emerged. The label also treated us to Forevernevermore, Black Mahogani II, and Silence In The Secret Garden, each lovingly pressed on evocative smoky and clear vinyl editions, cementing Moodymann’s status as a house music master. Fans of ambient and electronic experimentation also had reason to celebrate, with Aphex Twin returning in full force: Aphex Twin Classics collected formative electronic experiments, while his Polygon Window pseudonym saw Surfing on Sine Waves (Expanded Edition) reissued for a new generation of listeners. Classic electronic catalogues also received much-needed attention. Orbital’s Brown Album became available again, giving new listeners access to the duo’s landmark work, while The Sabres of Paradise saw Sabresonic and Haunted Dancehall remastered for a new generation. Seefeel’s Quique, Studio’s West Coast, Ian Pooley’s Since Then, and Fila Brazillia’s Maim That Tune were all pressed again, rescuing essential works from the obscurity of out-of-print vinyl. Reissues were not limited to electronic music. Sade’s Love Deluxe returned to shelves, reminding us of its timeless soul and smooth sophistication, while Susumu Yokota’s Sakura and Unreleased Works 94–97 offered ambient and experimental listeners rare glimpses into his innovative soundscapes. From deep house to ambient, soul, and experimental gems, 2025’s reissues reaffirmed the enduring power of the vinyl format and the excitement of rediscovering records that continue to inspire and resonate decades after their first release.
Reissues continue to shine a fresh spotlight on records that were either overlooked when they first surfaced or were so limited that they instantly became sought-after. In 2025, another strong collection of singles was lovingly reissued and repressed, saving us from Discogs sharks or having to listen to these tracks only on YouTube. The selection spans genres from classic house and techno to dub and experimental electronic, showing the continuing depth of the reissue scene.
Top of the pile is Q Lazzarus’s ‘Goodbye Horses’ on Dark Entries, a haunting, iconic track that has remained culturally resonant since its original release whilst Psychemagik’s Another Day In Paradise / Do It Till You’re Satisfied (Undercover Lovers Vol. 6) brought rare disco covers to our attention. Basic Channel’s Phylyps Trak II received a 2025 repress, reminding listeners of the hypnotic, minimalist power of dub techno. Alex Kassian x Spooky’s Orange Coloured Liquid revisited this progressive classic, while Aphex Twin’s Xylem Tube EP showcased Richard D. James’ unmistakable experimental approach to electronic music.
Other highlights included Brian Jackson & Black Thought’s politically charged The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, now with some Masters At Work magic and Letta Mbulu’s vibrant South African disco classic now beautifully restored on vinyl. Mark E’s E-Versions #9 (Call Me) got a repress thanks to its Summer Anthem status courtesy of Luke Unabomber and Psychotropic’s Only For The Headstrong was a mid-tempo rave classic that needed to be given its chance to shine.
Club and house classics also returned, including Alison Limerick’s Where Love Lives — love it or hate it, it’s still of Knuckles & Morales’ finest collaborations , made even more ubiquitous this Christmas thanks to the John Lewis advert. Annette (A Guy Called Gerald & Mike Pickering)’s Dream 17, Coastal Commission’s Rhodes Through Space / Straight No Chaser, Rip ‘N’ It’s One Step, Lovebirds’ Want You In My Soul, Razor Boy & Mirror Man’s Cutter Mix / Beyond Control, and Rhythm & Sound’s Music A Fe Rule all returned, giving collectors and DJs another chance to enjoy these timeless tracks on vinyl.
Whether revisiting dancefloor classics or exploring rare and experimental electronic cuts, 2025’s reissue singles proved that vinyl remains the ultimate way to experience music’s history and influence.
You can of course check out all our Best of 2024 highlights via our Spotify playlists below too:
