The whole album vs singles-in-playlists debate seems to have quietly subsided, with both avenues of artists presenting and fans consuming music now comfortably co-existing. After a few years of decline, more and more artists are choosing to explore long-form releases again, allowing space to build musical narratives, emotional arcs and their own moments that unfold over time. And the output we were treated to last year was incredible — bodies of work that rewarded repeat listens and were made to live with, not just scroll past.
We hope you enjoyed reading our writers’ picks of their favourite tracks of 2025 yesterday. Today, we’re shifting focus to the bigger picture, highlighting the albums that stayed with our team throughout the year.
FD – From The Ashes
Sam Yates
The North Quarter has been home to FD since the label’s inception almost a decade ago, with his last full album being the unforgettable Better Days in 2019. Since then, his output slowed slightly — making From The Ashes (14 tracks deep) feel all the more anticipated. It delivers. Bursting with highlights, FD enlists a strong collection of familiar and fresh collaborators, helping create a sonic journey through the atmospheric, the rolling, and the rough.
‘Sweet Self Destruction’ has to be the first mention, bringing on new voice Minx, who glides hauntingly across the breaks with raw, vivid content. Fox’s turn on ‘Trife Life’ brings a more leisurely tone, but with lyrics just as poetic — as the second single, this one got plenty of air in 2025, with ravers singing along, eyes shut, smirking.
FD loads the album with some ridiculous rollers too — ‘Big 6’, ‘LBW (Lil Bass Wobbler)’, ‘Cold Neon’, and of course, ‘Gorilla Glue’ all strike different levels of grit and smooth groove, but with equal impact. Completing the album listening experience are some beautiful ambient and lower-tempo cuts, while DRS takes us home for the finale. Late, but worth the wait — this LP is full, and a clear favourite for 2025.
Fox Stevenson – Sunk Cost Fallacy
Lennart Hoffmann
After years of top-notch singles and EPs following his first, Noisia-co-produced long player Killjoy, Fox Stevenson had exceedingly insurmountable expectations attached to a second album effort. Would it feature the ID ‘Chicken Bones’? Would he finally release long-awaited tunes like he did with ‘Still Here’ on the Enemy Brain Entertainment Suite? But what about that tune he played for 20 seconds at Rampage 10 years ago?!
As 2025 rolled around, the Fox man announced he finally felt ready, Album 2 approached. With every new, absolutely incredible single, each with fun little puzzles and visualisers attached, the hype surrounding the album grew and grew. But five months into this whole journey, we still didn’t have a name. A relatively minute detail, sure, but when he announced an entire livestream for its unveiling, I made sure to keep the evening free.
In what would become one of my most cherished moments as a fan, he rolled out a teaser of what’s to come, ending with the album name: Sunk Cost Fallacy. An almost nine-year-old (!) ID that fans had been begging him for since they first laid ears upon it — a tune everyone was sure was dead ,suddenly became the title track.
While seemingly impossible to meet the sheer hype accrued, his singular, songwriting-driven vision of pop-punk-infused electronic music, the deeply personal, heartfelt lyricism performed to perfection by the man himself, and the genuinely impressive production quality and mixdown managed to surpass even the highest expectations. Whether it’s impossibly fun tracks like opener ‘YAS!’ or kazoo-featuring ‘Give Me Some Space’, emotional journeys like the title track or ‘Exile Is A Habit’, or revitalised IDs like melodic dubstep anthems ‘One Horse Town’ and ‘Road To Nothing’, every single part of this impressive 14-track whole is a masterclass — somehow even better when experienced together.
Adam F – Colours Revisited
Laurie Charlesworth
It has been nothing short of beautiful watching the renaissance of not only Adam F as an artist and human being, but of his whole back catalogue. After working with PinkPantheress a few years back on the rerecording of ‘Break It Off’, to now, we’ve seen Adam tap into a new time and generation with an open heart and curious mind.
The rerecording of Colours gave him the opportunity to dive back into what we see as an iconic album — but to Adam, it represents a pivotal moment in his existence. The process seemed cathartic: a journey of self-discovery while reconnecting with old friends, old analogue equipment and an abundance of memories. Not only this, but it marks the first time the tracks from Colours have been streamable, giving a new generation the opportunity to delve deeper into the foundations of drum & bass.
Nectax – A State of Play
Ant Mulholland
Newcastle-raised producer Nectax has been forging his own path in jungle, footwork and drum & bass. With a body of high-calibre production already to his name, this young artist has once again pushed the boundaries of 160 BPM-and-over sounds.
His new album A State of Play, released on the prestigious Over/Shadow, celebrates the genres he’s synonymous with while playing on a number of left-field influences, including 4×4 techno and garage. The versatility is clear, from ‘Known Quality’, dipping into Chicago footwork flavours, to ‘Side Quest’, which focuses on jungle tekno, and ‘Always You’, which switches from a sped-up 2-step garage introduction into amen breaks. This project is a culmination of some of the best UK electronic dance music has to offer.
Mollie Collins – Another Day In The Office
Amanda Ross
Mollie Collins returns with her sophomore studio album, Another Day In The Office — a story-driven, 10-track journey that showcases her artistic range and diverse musicality. The album features standout collaborations with MCs Subten, Harry Shotta and Champion DI, alongside vocalists Leah Guest, Sonny Killington and Jalja.
Her mission is clear: to effortlessly explore every corner of D&B. From the emotive jungle roller ‘Burnin’’ to ‘Club Ain’t Ready (For Ya)’ featuring Leah Guest, Mollie demonstrates her flair for crafting anthem-worthy, high-energy tunes. Tracks such as ‘Oxide & Neutrino’, ‘Dancing Til The Sun Comes Up’ and ‘JBL’ highlight her ability to fuse the lyrical side of upfront, dancefloor drum & bass with uplifting musicality. As a whole, Another Day In The Office offers something for everyone, cementing Mollie’s rise as a producer and her gift for delivering standout, inspired projects.
Rufige Kru, Goldie & Submotive – Alpha Omega
Sam Yates
A fresh album delivered by the Godfather of drum & bass. This is about as quintessential as it gets, as Goldie and Submotive present a 2025 take on the sound synonymous with those menacing eyes within the Metalheadz logo. Laced throughout are breakbeats that are somehow scatty yet steady, crashing against jet-black basslines underneath.
There are no wild surprises in how it sounds — this is ‘Headz through and through — but any new arrangement or modern twist on that blueprint is welcome. Highlights land thick and fast. ‘Goldikus’ could be lifted straight out of a night at Blue Note: tense, rolling, gritty, and elevated by the timeless voice of Cleveland Watkiss, transporting you back to 1996. The night rolls on with ‘Virgil’, Goldie’s tribute to the late Virgil Abloh, and a guest spot from CASISDEAD on ‘Still The Same’, whose tone and bars are an obvious fit on this dark production.
Submotive’s influence is palpable. The kicks and snares on tracks like ‘Siamese Ghost’, ‘Express Your Soul’ and ‘Mercury’ snap hard and precise, while his unmistakable injection of groove acts as a subtle but vital additive — confirming the chemistry these two legends have forged. This sound will never die.
Sammy Virji – Same Day Cleaning
Ant Mulholland
With his second album released on Capitol Records this year, Same Day Cleaning is a 16-track body of work featuring a range of artists from UK garage, grime, bassline and dance. Collaborators include Giggs, Flowdan, Skepta, Unknown T and MJ Cole.
These club-ready tracks all carry their own distinct grooves. Across the album are moments built for the dancefloor, alongside cuts leaning towards deeper, more focused listening. Standouts include ‘One For The Books’ featuring Giggs, which fuses bassline flavour with lyrical grime prowess, and ‘Up & Down’ featuring Tuff Jam, bringing iconic old-school UK garage seasoning together with Virji’s modern bump and swing.
Tracks with Champion and 33 Below further explore that garage-bass-dancefloor fusion that stays true to Virji’s electronic roots. Perhaps the most notable moment is ‘Cops & Robbers’ featuring Skepta — a sharp, gritty collision of grime vocals and bumpy garage melodies. The track spearheads the project, highlighting just how far the Londoner has come. Collaborating with one of the biggest rappers in the game is nothing less than this energetic DJ and producer deserves.
Archangel – Dark Romance
Laurie Charlesworth
Anything new from Integral Records piques my interest. I’m engaged. I’m ready to absorb the flavours. Dark Romance exceeded those expectations and more, a solid, undeniably brilliant piece of work.
The album is a fine example of how to create deep, dark and provocative liquid while remaining completely versatile. Archangel carries a mysterious air, much like many Integral artists, weaving themes of religion and spirituality throughout. He’s intriguing, and if this is the standard from the outset, I’m very excited to see what’s incoming over the next few years.
Visages – Amor Fati
Amanda Ross
From start to finish, Visages’ debut, career-defining album is an absolute aural treat. The Toulouse-based collective delivers a rich spectrum of bass-driven sounds spanning drum & bass, dubstep, grime and beyond.
On the more soulful side, ‘Reset’ featuring Alix Perez offers impeccably executed liquid vibes, while the dreamy ‘Lost My Way’ with vocalist Nazca paints a lush bass landscape. Venturing into grimier territory, ‘Crystal Clear’ with Snowy and ‘Lewis Capaldi’ with Strategy showcase the full dimension of the group’s talent.
Dripping with excellence, the title track ‘Amor Fati’ will make you fall in love with drum & bass all over again, injecting pure joy into rolling breaks. Other standout collaborations across the 13-track album, released earlier this spring, include Chimpo, Trail, Verbz, Monty and Eric Nakanishi.
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