Dancing Astronaut’s Top 10 Tracks of October 2013

It has been over a year since Diplo graced the universe with his Express Yourself EP, and after starting a movement, throwing a handful of badass block parties and launching a career or two, the Mad Decent label head has finally released his latest body of work with Revolution. Title track aside, hard trance meets trap on “Crown” with unlikely contributors Mike Posner and Riff Raff on board.

Donna’s Grammy nominated “Love Is In Control” of the early 1980s meets timeless electrofunk veterans, Chromeo, and their apparent successors, the recently emerging Oliver. Chromeo and Oliver remix “Love Is In Control,” but you could mistake their take as a cut from the original 1982 studio session.

7. Junior Sanchez – The Future (Extended Mix)

Junior Sanchez delivered Brobot’s second release this month, the highly anticipated dance floor record known as “The Future.” Drawing emotion from the sampled piano riff of When In Rome’s “The Promise” and embedding contagious drums and fitting flavorful rhythm, “The Future” fits the bill as the sound of tomorrow while paying homage to sounds of the past — brought to life with its music video.

French techno producer Gesaffelstein made a bold and concise statement with the release of his new album, Aleph: Gesaffelstein is taking over. After boasting impressive production credits on albums like Yeezus, and showcasing his versatile sound by remixing the likes of Justice, Lana Del Rey and Depeche Mode, the production whiz bundled his talents up for a full length album. Stemming as a standout,  ”Hellifornia” is a sinister, french techno spin on classic 90′s west coast rap with a bouncing bass line and an intriguing vibe.

As unveiled by Pete Tong, “The Spark” is distant from the gritty offerings Afrojack’s delivered throughout festival season, but also leaps over the boundaries of his pop smash with Chris Brown, “As Your Friend.” The single’s production, while anthemic, isn’t a thumping festival record, but a feel-good radio effort with a flavorful vocal from Spree Wilson that carries commercial electronica with the most unique and refreshing taste since Avicii shook the scene with “Wake Me Up.”

Though it seems the new Duck Sauce album will drop later this quarter, the second single “Radio Stereo” came on time this October with an Essential Mix premiere. Steering clear of classifications while encompassing funky-urban-electronica and nu disco, “Radio Stereo” samples a UK new wave record that dominated charts during the early 1980s — making for an appropriate successor to “It’s You.”

UK drum & bass all-stars Chase & Status dropped their new studio album, Brand New Machine, this month as steam-lined through the summer by its lead single, “Lost & Not Found.” Most recently the duo have enlisted Steve Angello to remix “Count On Me,” adding aggressive electro to their 2013 repertoire. But the beats are only getting bulkier from there. Skrillex succeeded to rework a Brand New Machine effort, making “International” his own and drawing out its heaviest elements for a fortified bass cannon.

Adding another anthem to his catalogue of hits, Hardwell has finally released his collaboration with MAKJ, “Countdown,” which has been on the clock since the aforementioned Ultra appearance. Many of the recent big room records that have taken dance floors by storm pale in comparison to the festival-ready elements of “Countdown,” as Hardwell and MAKJ deliver provocatively on all ends.