On Lux Aeterna, Melbourne producer CORIN takes her unique intergalactic sound to dizzying new heights. A synthesis of her work across theatre, classical and dance music, Lux Aeterna is an exploration of ‘sound as a sentient being’. The tracks on the album cycle between mysterious ambient compositions, and percussive, more club-ready tracks. What both have in common is their unpredictable and ever shifting textures and rhythms, as if this ‘sentient sound’ is trying to escape the very confines of the music itself. CORIN was inspired by ‘micropolyphony’ – a sound technique developed by composer György Ligeti where different lines and parts of music move at different speeds, creating a dense, complex structure. Ligeti’s compositions for the film 2001: A Space Odyssey were also a touchpoint for the album, particularly the title Lux Aeterna, which translates to ‘eternal light’ in Latin. Perhaps a reference to this name, the apprehensive, distressed choral sounds throughout the record give the impression of rays of light, scattering and shimmering across the sky. Lux Aeterna is a captivating and striking musical creation from a distinctively original artist.

The future is now on EXTENDER, the collaborative album between Melbourne-based artists Ryan Fennis & Voidhood. Commanding in its intensity, and alluring in its rhythmic fluidity, it occupies a sound halfway between a dark club dancefloor and a car’s booming subwoofer. A reflection on the ‘age of overstimulation’, EXTENDER pulls you headfirst into its hyper-digital world. Stretching the limits of electronic hip-hop and industrial club sounds, it mirrors the ever-increasing rapidity of music culture, online worlds, and dystopic creep. Much as its penultimate track title implies, it feels like the end point of music, the mutant AI creation of a million online music forums and punk-raver aesthetics. Yet its endless imagination proves it could only have been made by humans; Ryan Fennis floating through aether between each highly-detailed piece of production, and Voidhood, lurking amongst the deepest sub basses, fighting with each percussive twist and turn. As much as EXTENDER is a struggle with a world slipping increasingly out of control, it is also a show of valiance, of extending beyond oneself to create something better.

Divide and Dissolve are a band that have always avoided easy categorisation. Their fourth album, Systemic, is as much journey into the deepest, darkest depths of metal as it is a deconstruction of it. Part doom, part drone, but wholly its own sound, Systemic is fully imbued with a sense of deliberate intention; each burst of distortion catapulting into torrents of noise, every thunderous cymbal crash carefully steadying, or often obliterating tempo. It’s heaviness not only for heaviness sake, but an honest and critical examination of the totalising nature of colonisation and white supremacy, and the violence and dispossession that are inherent to its nature. Yet simultaneously, Systemic is a hopeful resistance in the face of these overwhelming systems. The two tracks that bookend the album swell with strings and woodwind; signposting a world that, as Divide and Dissolve put it, ‘facilitates life for everyone.’

Where would FBi Radio be without Collarbones? After four albums, legendary live shows and bolstering a community of dedicated fans, years of distinctive experimentation within electronic-forward pop music climax in their cathartic and transcendent fifth album Filth. Made up of Sydney’s Marcus Whale and Adelaide’s Travis Cook, the album is a culmination of over a decade-long discography and a 15 years-strong friendship, which began online when the two connected on a post-rock online message board. It’s a friendship we’ve heard bloom on the songs we’ve played on the radio since it began. Despite each of the eleven tracks presenting a different expression of Collarbones multi-faceted sound – from ethereal guitars heavy with reverb to pulsing and percussive rave-ready cuts – a throughline that connects each song on the record together is Collarbones’ impassioned songwriting, addictive hooks and stirring choruses. Sonically Filth sees the duo paying homage to the sounds that have inspired them since their inception  – 90’s nu metal, experimental pop and club music – and reinterpret those genre conventions to conceive a wholly original sound that is undeniably Collarbones. While this marks the end of the project, Filth is an homage to both the past and the future, capturing a moment that will outlast the sum of its parts. Collarbones is forever, after all. 

Ainsley Farrell comes into her own on her second Album, Dirt. Originally from the US and now based in Sydney, Ainsley Farrell’s country-tinged indie rock packs a powerful emotional punch. A masterclass in feeling, on Dirt Ainsley deftly handles genre conventions to communicate themes of restlessness, existential crises, and intricate relationships through thoughtfully composed tracks. Her distinctly expressive voice commands attention as it soars across instrumental crescendos, or nestles gently among softer soundscapes. Scenes of the commonplace and the mundane become a rich world for self-reflection and exploration, as Ainsley creates vignettes out of her experiences in anxiety, loss and love.

On Fountain Baby, Ghanaian-American singer-songwriter and producer Amaarae levels up. Following on from an impressive few years of releases and feature verses, Fountain Baby is a net cast wide across the world of pop music. Synthpop, southern rap, bouncy afrobeats, and even indie and punk all sound comfortable alongside each other, sometimes even on the same track. Her distinctive falsetto vocals act as the common link among them, floating in the air above crooning guitars and glistening piano keys. Swelling orchestras turn the dancefloor into a confessional, where Amaarae’s hushed, intimate desires take on an urgency and weight of critical importance. Impressive in its universality, and thoughtful in its detail and construction, Fountain Baby is the future of pop – here, now.

Sydney outfit Body Type are a force to be reckoned with on their zealous second record, Expired Candy. Unruly in its sound and shrewd in its lyrics, Expired Candy sees the band take their beloved sound to the next level. The record shares the band’s ruminations on love, be it romantic, platonic or familial, childhood hometowns, misogyny and even their own relationships with each other as a tight-knit band. Expired Candy showcases each member of the quartet’s prowess as seasoned musicians and songwriters, featuring Body Type’s trademark hooks, harmonies and shouted refrains, and classic indie rock production with a pop edge courtesy once again of Jonathan Boulet from Party Dozen. Constantly brimming with a propulsive energy, Body Type’s resilience, ferocity and mischief are all undeniably present on Expired Candy.

Aperture is the debut studio album from New York based singer-songwriter and producer Hannah Jadagu. Originally from Texas, the 20 year old university student recorded her first EP entirely through Garageband on her iPhone. On Aperture, the lens becomes much wider, with Hannah Jadagu’s intimate and honest songwriting spilling out of her bedroom and into the world.  The record is a distinctive take on indie rock, with songwriting that is comfortable and unhurried. Backed by a soundscape oscillating between genres yet wholly cohesive, the album’s grungey guitars share stage with swelling string arrangements, while dreamy, shoegaze acoustics sit comfortably among soulful rhythm sections. On the album title, Hannah Jadagu says Aperture refers to choosing ‘what to carry with you from your experiences and what to leave behind, what to close the light on.’ From her DIY beginnings to releasing her debut on famed indie label Sub Pop, Aperture marks the arrival of a future star.

Brooklyn rapper billy woods and Los Angeles producer Kenny Segal team up once more on Maps. Part travel diary, part scrapbooked memoir, Maps is a story of the road. Written as billy woods was thrust back into a hectic, post pandemic touring cycle, his distinctive, ruminative flow reflects on  past journeys and the uncertainties of the future ahead. woods’ rhymes are a carefully balanced consideration of the world around him, explored in both the granular and universal. They’re soundtracked by producer Kenny Segal’s dusty, atmospheric beats: a redux of the pair’s 2019 standout album, Hiding Places. On Maps, the sonic canvas is even wider, as crunchy drums share stage with blistering jazz and cinematic string crescendos. The pair are joined by memorable guest appearances from Danny Brown, Quelle Chris and Aesop Rock, as well as alumni from wood’s pioneering independent label Backwoodz Studioz, including ShrapKnel and Armand Hammer partner ELUCID. Dizzyingly captivating in its density, Maps is another standout chapter in billy wood’s prolific career as one of underground hip hops’ most essential artists.

What If You’re Right & They’re Wrong? is the debut album from Sydney punk trio Display Homes. Legends of the local scene, Display Homes showcase their sharp, angular post-punk lean with memorable hooks and an undeniably fun, dynamic energy. With each member of the trio skillfully playing off each other, the band weave together earworm bass lines, zealous vocals and bright guitar melodies. The record is dedicated in loving memory to their dear friend and Display Homes guitarist Darrell Beveridge, whose beautiful and intricate guitar work shines through each of the ten tracks. What If You’re Right & They’re Wrong? references a classic, beloved punk and post-punk sound and sees Display Homes instill a sense of frenetic boldness that is precisely executed, releasing one of the most invigorating punk records of the year.