#81 Feat. Staff Picks in UK Garage / Bassline

Changing Channels is the new album from Pangaea, AKA Kevin McAuley, his first since 2016's acclaimed debut LP In Drum Play and a jolting reminder that functional doesn't mean complacent. The seven tracks here are galloping, infectious and hypnotic, capturing Pangaea's skill at constructing bangers that reflect an innate experimental tilt without sacrificing impact. Tested across his international DJ sets, and developed during a healing period of introspection, these cohesive tracks attack and retreat with an urgent and emphatic focus on the dancefloor, and a precision so undeniable as to seem predestined. Set for release October 6th, Changing Channels is the culmination of several years of exploration and refinement and has a natural home on Hessle Audio, the label McAuley co-founded in 2007. The album has formidable, unstoppable grooves - a key part of Pangaea's intentions as DJ and producer - and gleam like marble set against concrete: sleek yet rough, attractive yet abrasive. His music has always felt more twilight than dead-of-night, where mysterious elements can emerge without feeling like a threat, and that holds here, with a warmth permeating the darkness.

Pangaea