Unfortified Castle

Zedd's serene house-pop production featuring Troye Sivan was the first track of its kind that impressed me with the greater story it told.

Soft Cell weren't the originators of this song, new wave, or synth-pop, but their take on Gloria Jones set the stage for a decade of music.

Depeche Mode's most successful song is an inner monologue, formed in a moment when the outside world is quiet.

Robyn's 2010s-defining hit is narratively unfitting such a response... but deep down, such an act really makes a lot of sense.

CamelPhat are leaders of the style now, and I saw it coming with this 2015 production.

*inhales* *SCREAMS INTERNALLY*

...and I break it down today to pay tribute to the two robots with human souls who made it.

Flume's new release is chock-full of fascinating details as he plays with time and musical space.

As Beijing 2022 begins, I return to Underworld's musical setting for the 2012 cauldron lighting.

The xx's debut single explores the fragility of love through two partners' ever-present individual thoughts.

Blondie's Moroder-produced movie soundtrack anthem presents the state of pop at a sonic inflection point — a sound people still love today.

Who knew that a house track could breed such philosophical discussion?

Gorgon City utilize mediated repetition — particularly of a single element — to create and reinforce their track's titular aura.

Grandbrothers blur the boundary between classical and electronic worlds with this powerful, piano-driven production.

With a more restrained, yet emotive break, ODESZA reminded me that nothing is to be gained from wallowing in one's pessimism.

The industrial instrumental's dark, chilling nature makes it a great fit for the holiday — but it also isn't exclusively an October track.

A quarter-century after its release, Björk's ethereal dream sequence song still sounds like it's ahead of our current musical era.

Disclosure's masterpiece with Lorde has a downright outrageous beat and great lyric / instrumental coordination to drive home its narrative.

Ava Max demonstrates how to build up from a sample, creating new material in a different style while also not losing sight of the original.

I hate that this beautiful song is the one that jumps out to me as fitting today’s mood, but that's how I'm feeling.