Galantis
It wasn’t until the turn of the year that I finally listened to Galantis’ breakthrough album Pharmacy and discovered what a great dance record it was. Buried among the tunes that catapulted them onto the world stage were some gems that fit their happy and bubbly nature along with some phenomenal guest stars like Dragonette.
They’ve released a couple of singles this year, but there’s been no Galantis album 2 as of yet, but that’s something I hope will change come 2017, with an album most definitely in the works.
Song to set the scene: “Love On Me” (feat. Hook ‘n Sling)
Porter Robinson
Worlds wasn’t only an important album for Porter Robinson, but I truly think it changed the way that I and many others thought about dance music. It blended classic EDM tropes with Japanese culture and a sort of storytelling that felt almost other-worldly in a way that almost no other music has thought to accomplish before or since.
Again, while there’s no concrete proof here of anything new on the horizon, Porter’s tweets about delighting in making music suggest that there’s something brewing in his amazing musical mind. He said back in 2015 that if he was to make something new it’d be more in the mould of Worlds than anything we see on the market at the time, and if it’s another blast of fresh air then it would sit very nicely in the pantheon of albums slated for 2017.
Song to set the scene: “Shelter” (with Madeon)
Alesso
Alesso might be only 25, but it seems as though he’s been on the dance music scene forever. His last album, Forever, spawned so many amazing tunes that was barely out of the charts in one way or another for about two years, so his soaring brand of EDM is rarely far from the dancefloor.
He’s returned in September with some new music that, while lacking the punch of what’s gone before, shows there’ll be something bigger to come in 2017. Another big dance album might seem like it’d flood the market, but with other Swedish DJs like Avicii seemingly hanging up their headphones – Alesso might be the one to top them all once more.
Song to set the scene: “Take My Breath Away”
Disclosure
Unlike most others on this list, Disclosure did put out new music in 2016 – with a surprise EP in June called Moog for Love adding three new tracks to their repertoire. While for the most part it followed a similar pattern to last year’s Caracal, with slightly slower tones that we’d expected from the band’s smash hit album Settle, the highlight tune of “Boss” showed they’ve still got the chops for making fantastic dance music.
There’s not been much inklings of a Disclosure third album yet, but considering the interval between their last two albums and their obvious desire to get out and produce new stuff – I wouldn’t be surprised if 2017 sees a renewed and revived Disclosure ready to make new hits once more.
Song to set the scene: “BOSS”
Major Lazer
The almost undisputable kings of dance music at the moment, Major Lazer have scored massive hits in the last two years with some of the most streamed songs in history coming from their numerous collaborations with the likes of MØ and Justin Bieber.
Their last record was titled Peace is the Mission… and part two of this theme comes in January next year with Music is the Weapon. So far the collaborators list looks as high profile as a festival with the likes of Rihanna, Sia, Nicki Minaj, Tove Lo, Gwen Stefani, Tinashe and more all playing their parts.
This album will set the tone for the whole year and most likely fill the dancefloors right through to December, so it’ll be a joy to behold when it comes out.
Song to set the scene: “Cold Water” (feat. Justin Bieber & MØ)
The Killers
Las Vegas’ finest might be getting on in years, celebrating 10 years this year since their sophomore record Sam’s Town came out, but that doesn’t mean they’re finished by any means.
The band have been on hiatus since their last album tour for 2012’s Battle Born wrapped up, but they’ve still kicked around and done their own thing as well in that time.
The foursome have been putting tracks together for a lot of this year, and dived back into the studio in September to start laying down the groundwork for their newest release.
What always amazes me about The Killers is how different they can make each album sound, with each of their four so far being almost completely different in style but managing to carry the same feeling and strength through it all.
Personally I want to see more of the Hot Fuss/Day & Age style that they came up with on their 2 new tracks in 2014, but we’ll see what happens when the 5th album drops next year. No matter what though, it will be an unforgettable album and well worth its place on this list.
Song to set the scene: “Shot at the Night”
LCD Soundsystem
The return of my favourite band for a Christmas single was good enough for me last Christmas, but the New Year brought news of a tour and a new album that eclipsed my wildest dreams.
Tour they did, and I even managed to see them at T in the Park to cap off a 7-year wait to do so, but the album has yet to arrive.
2017 will be the year though, as a lighter touring schedule in the latter half of this year and next year seems ripe for a new release.
The wait doesn’t concern me much either. When I thought I’d wait an eternity with nothing, another year doesn’t seem so bad. That and James Murphy’s penchant for pedantic quality assurance makes me all the more ready for a phenomenal return album when it does finally drop, more than likely in 2017.