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Earth Walker's Favorite Music Releases of 2025

Welcome to my list of favorite music releases for 2025! Some of my favorite artists had great releases this year, and I discovered a lot of new artists as well! Like last year’s list, there’s lot of dance music throughout, but I packed in some good variety in the EP and LP lists particularly.

If we haven’t met yet, hi! I’m a musician, DJ and overall music lover. You can connect with me on Mastodon, or send me an email!

As always, I recommend buying these albums on Bandcamp, and I’ve included links to do so wherever possible.

Enjoy the list, and happy holidays!

Singles

Bright cyan and lime anime character illustration with flowing hair and playful pose

All I Wanna Do

GYNX

GYNX delivers a rowdy drum and bass rager with a pummeling hardstyle breakdown.

Cartoon illustration of character with spiky hair holding boombox against purple background with stars

GenreFluid

FEM&M

This hardcore jam from Philly-based experimental artist FEM&M alternates between laid-back hip hop beats and rave-ready kicks.

Vintage-style vinyl record label with geometric shapes and text "Cheetah & Nia Archives Get Loose"

Get Loose

Nia Archives

Nia Archives brings her midas touch to this old-skool jungle anthem. There's no way you can sit still through this one.

Abstract illustration of two figures in dynamic poses with pink, purple, and yellow motion lines on dark background

I'm God (♥ GOJII ♥ EDIIT)

♥ GOJII ♥

NUKG wunderkind ♥ GOJII ♥ brings their trademark emotional and futuristic production to an already great Clams Casino track featuring alt pop icon Imogen Heap.

Minimalist photograph of plain white vinyl record on black background

Keep It Funky

Never Dull

Groovy energy permeates this lively disco house bop from Never Dull.

Embossed text on textured brown background with glowing effects

Sinvasion

DeBisco

DeBisco launches a full-scale drum and bass invasion with a touch of nostalgic production.

High-contrast yellow and white typography with abstract creature design on dark background

Something Feels Real

Subbreak vs. D-Region & Code

A serene, atmospheric introduction gives way to one of the scrungliest breakbeat drops I've ever heard on the title track of this EP.

Bright blue album cover with cartoon character wearing headphones and cap holding out their hand, with pink stars in the background

Stellar Beam

Similar Outskirts

A bright, chiptune-inflected color bass tune that will definitely get you pumped up.

A girl wielding a comically large hammer stands on top of a truck. Money is flying out of the truck and a police officer is in pursuit, but a person in the truck is pointing a shotgun at the police officer.

WTFG!

ISSBROKIE

Straight outta Newgrounds, Issbrokie brings her crew along for the ride on this aggro boom bap joint.

Close-up photograph of vinyl record with neon yellow, pink and orange geometric design

Yeah (I'm With My People)

Posij

A vibey, understated UKG track that calls to mind time well spent with friends.

Blurred motion photograph of pink neon text signage against dark background

뛰어(JUMP)

BLACKPINK

K-Pop megastars BLACKPINK make their triumphant return following a five-year hiatus with this techno-pop banger.

EPs

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Apothecary

Nakura

Acid bass infuses this hard dance offering from Nakura which ranges from the ice-cold rager "GIRL/BOY" to the uplifting trance vibes of "It's True".

Motion-blurred photograph of urban architecture with orange text overlay

Chase Me EP

Kercha

A true blue UK dubstep project that drips with subterranean grime while showcasing some precision sound engineering.

Black and white photograph of person wearing hat and jewelry in dark lighting

DANGEROUS SUMMER

Yeat

One time when I was leaving gym class on the last day of school before summer break in middle school, I saw a poster in the hall that said "Have a safe summer!" and I thought it would be funny to cross out "safe" and write "dangerous" with a marker. My gym teacher caught me and made me change it back. Lesson learned: don't get caught.

Anime-style character with blue skin wearing blazer with heart necklace against pixelated background

Digital Nostalgia

Akosmo

On this blissful EP, Akosmo is feeling nostalgic for kawaii future bass, which if I remember correctly, peaked in the 2010s. The nostalgia cycle seems to be speeding up lately, but either way this project is packing some serious positive energy!

A black and silver USB flash drive with white cap

DJ PUT THAT RECORD ON

DJ PUPPYTRAXX

It should be illegal to make tracks that shake the subs this hard. The combination of clean, precise production, massive sub bass and underground appeal means this project simply cannot be ignored.

Vibrant neon-colored digital illustration of creatures around cauldron in fantastical forest setting with glowing flora

Earth Ritual

Kloud Forest

I'm always here for some quality psy-bass/glitch hop sounds, and Kloud Forest delivers on this excellent EP. Laid-back beats are wrapped in a mysterious psychedelic atmosphere, as glitchy details pop up all around the listener.

Watercolor illustration of figure in blue outfit with layered sleeves surrounded by yellow stars and clouds

Honeymoon

Dvwnpour

Enchanting production by Dvwnpour makes this a delightful EP to put on while working.

Black and white symmetrical photograph of moth wings in mirrored pattern

Mothstalgy

Dreambutter

This experimental drum and bass project packs some raw and noisy production.

Cartoon illustration of chaotic character with spiky hair holding a can of spray paint, drawn in red and orange line art style on beige background

T4Z

T4Z

Busy breakbeats and dirty basslines permeate this extremely dancefloor-worthy EP.

Neon sci-fi album art showing UFO spaceship with turntables and cosmic elements

THE RAVING SIMULATOR 2

SPRAYBOX

Japanese UKG label SPRAYBOX bring the party vibes with this collection of tracks featuring different artists in their roster.

LPs

Photograph of two white plastic chairs in tropical banana plantation setting with green foliage

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS

Bad Bunny

Contemporary and traditional Latin sounds are brought together on this evolutionary release from reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny.

Photograph of red spray paint text on concrete surface with vehicle at bottom

FUCK U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!!

Skrillex

Skrillex once again proves his relevance in today's dubstep landscape with a project that sounds more like a live DJ mix than an album. Each song runs just long enough to introduce a new idea about unexpected shapes that bass can be contorted into. Skrill's legacy as a producer has long been secure, but he doesn't seem to be satisfied with resting on past success.

Abstract illustration of horned creature head with textured white surface against purple-pink gradient background

HYPERYOUTH

Joey Valence & Brae

The boys from State College, PA are back with another batch of alternative hip hop tracks, this time drawing heavily from 2000s club music.

Overhead photograph of person surrounded by music equipment, cables, and memorabilia

I Love My Computer

Ninajirachi

Combining radio-worthy vocal lines with superb electro house production, Ninajirachi presents her songs in an album that flows seamlessly from track to track. Her lyrics delve into her relationship with technology, which is a topic we would all do well to consider.

Three animated female characters in pink and white outfits

KPop Demon Hunters Soundtrack

Various Artists

Okay, I'm stretching the definition of "LP" a bit here, but come on, these are some of the best and most memorable songs of 2025. No one anticipated that this straight-to-video animated film would pop off in the way that it did, and I for one am glad that the creative minds behind KPOP Demon Hunters are getting their flowers.

Surreal digital illustration of multi-level fortress with glowing golden interiors suspended above dark water with fire and mythical creatures

Phantom Island

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

King Gizz is a seemingly unstoppable force of psych rock at this point. They bring along a whole symphony orhcestra on this outing with draws on themes from previus albums, including the space travel of Infest the Rat's Nest and the bluesy vibes from Flight b741. The orchestra creates some very haunting and heartwarming moments across the track list.

Portrait of shirtless person with blonde hair standing against light blue background wearing black pants and blue boots with text overlays

Stardust

Danny Brown

Detroit native Danny Brown has been tapped in to underground music for many years, and it really shows on this album as he assembles a superpowered team of underrated artists to collaborate with. Stardust is like the Super Smash Bros of indie electronic music, everyone is here!

A woman with a set of wires coming out of her back stands with her hands held out

THE BPM

Sudan Archives

Dance, pop and R&B collide on this exuberantly creative project from the multitalented Sudan Archives. Each track is packed with ideas and details that result in a diverse and stimulating listening experience. I also appreciate the juxtaposition of organic violin sounds with electronic production.

Black and white photograph of person with white feathered wings

Tomorrow We Escape

Ho99o9

When I say "cyberpunk music", you probably think of synthwave, but to me, this is what cyberpunk sounds like. Hardcore punk screams and raw techno synths have never sounded so good together. The lyrics on this album cover a range of ideas and moods and are really worth digging into as well.

Neon sign-style album artwork with colorful game-like graphics on dark green background, featuring yellow title text and pixelated game elements

You're Weird Now

Guerilla Toss

"Why isn't Guerilla Toss more popular?" This is the question I ask every time I bless my ears with the music of this psychedelic party rock outfit. Their latest work features more of their signature trippy rock sounds (think B-52s on LSD), but the songwriting and the level of polish on the production have both been brought up a notch. I highly recommend seeing them live, they had some great visual projections to go with the music!