Joyful Death, Sonikku, LP

I love songs that make you want to cry and dance at the same time," says Tony Donson, the London-based musician who records as Sonniku. That sense of unfettered release and liberation drives his debut album, Joyful Death. A fluent, fertile and full-color hybrid of vibrant Italo-house, liquid synth-pop, righteous disco and French philosophical asides, it signals Sonikku transition from feted DJ to fully formed dancefloor artist. Featuring vocals from LIZ, Little Boots, Chester Lockhart, Douglas Dare and more, Joyful Death is a hugely confident and self-contained leap forward. "This album feels like a transformation in the sense that I'm creating the music I've always wanted to make. A fully realized, coherent pop record that showcases my craft as a songwriter and producer.