Welcome to our selection of our favourite albums of 2025. As you might expect, it is the discovery of new, exciting records that makes life rewarding at Phonica, as we open boxes from labels and distributors to find mind-blowing music from all over the world. Albums are a little easier to choose for a year best-of than singles and tracks, as there is some consensus as to what constitutes a 'good' album. There was far more agreement here than in other categories. Here you will find staff favourites, bestsellers and those records we just couldn't get enough of, both in appetite and physically, no doubt, due to small vinyl runs of some of these great releases… so, sadly, some of them are no longer available.
Sitting at the very top of this year’s albums is Chaos In The CBD’s A Deeper Life, a warm, soulful house record that rewards repeated listening and effortlessly bridges the gap between dancefloor energy and contemplative ambience. Arriving in the last week before Christmas, Voices From The Lake’s Voices From The Lake II delivered an immersive, meditative dub techno journey, reaffirming the project’s importance in electronic music. Paul St. Hilaire’s W/ The Producers followed a similar dub-inflected path, merging reggae, dub, techno and electronic experimentation in a masterful collaborative effort. Djrum’s Under Tangled Silence folded cinematic sound design into emotionally rich rhythmic explorations, while Ron Trent’s two-part Lift Off offered a deep, spiritual house journey that spanned both history and forward-thinking club music.
Jazz and soul were equally vital to 2025. Kokoroko’s Tuff Times Never Last radiated joyful Afrobeat energy, offering warmth and uplift when communal connection felt more necessary than ever. SAULT’s 10 provided a culturally resonant, monumental statement, while Annie & The Caldwells brought gospel & soul to our ears although not quite as good as theirr rousing gig at Clapton's Church of Sound.
Underground dance music continued to thrive with risk-taking and ritualistic energy. Ploy’s It’s Later Than You Think, OM Unit’s Acid Dub Versions III, and Decius’ Vol. II celebrated dancefloor intensity and adventurousness, while Wino-E’s debut brought raw, off-the-wall vulnerability into club-focused music, proving that the underground remains a space for bold ideas. Experimental pop also stood out this year. Oklou’s Choke Enough blurred club, pop, and ambient sensibilities, while James K’s Friend and Erika de Casier’s Lifetime explored quiet, emotionally precise songwriting and ambient textures, rewarding close, repeated listening.
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