Mixmag Asia's Best Music of 2025

As any Mixmag Asia reader would know, a great night out has its own rhythm.

The slow build as you get ready, the lift-off as you hit the door, the intensity of peak time, the shadowy hours when things get weird, and finally the long glide into sunrise.

This year, instead of simply highlighting the tracks we kept returning to, we’ve shaped our ‘Best Music of 2025’ into a full soundtrack to a night out.

From the first spark of excitement and energy while getting ready in your room to the dimly-lit afters at the usual hangout (or a stranger’s kitchen; we don’t judge), these tracks mirror every shift in mood and momentum, provided by some of the finest names to do it. Some you might know, some might have just come across your radar; nonetheless, they’re worth moving and swaying to.

Familiar or not, their sonic craftsmanship comes through in the selections below. Thai house folding nostalgia into modern heat; Latin-club percussion mutating into deconstructed frenzy; electro sharpened to a knife’s edge; UK bass and d’n’b twisted through Asian folk motifs; ambient dreamscapes rendered with modular synths, field recordings, and global instrumentation…

Plus a selection for those post-club shenanigans, consisting of any and almost every genre there is to suit your tastes.

These are the sounds that defined our year: tracks and artists we’ve supported across features, premieres, interviews, and reviews, all distilled into one journey.

This is Mixmag Asia’s Best Music of 2025, mapped onto the timeline of a night out. From start to finish, and ready to be repeated.

This is the warm-up: funky house, disco sparkle, and grooves that flip your brain into “let’s go” mode. Nothing too heavy; just enough bounce to sharpen your mood and get you out the door.

With a steady groove, shimmering synths, and dreamy melodies, this one builds just the right buzz before the night kicks off. Airy vocals glide over a slick production, creating a hypnotic, cosmic vibe that pulls you out of bed and into the night.

It’s hard to beat jazz house for music to get ready to. Picture mixing yourself a pre-drink at home and trying on different outfits for the night ahead while Soul Food Horns’ lush instrumentals wash over you. Produced by DJ and instrumentalist Raj, ‘Do It Alone’ features on the lo-fi / downtempo artist’s first house project.

Arguably posterboy for the wave of Thai House we’re seeing, Meltmode has been holding down the fort in this scene. His latest project ‘Echoes of Time’, is the easiest gateway into this world, with Nua Nua being one of the most floor-filling, bizarre, and downright fun listens of the year. Grooves and textures from yesteryear, woven seamlessly with Meltmode’s modern production sensibilities; what’s not to love?

For when the energy starts to kick in. Offbeat bass workouts and percussive, tribal-leaning rhythms push you toward the club with a real sense of momentum. Suddenly everything feels sharper, louder…and a lot more fun

Pure, infectious euphoria. The kind of track that makes you want to call up your crew and rush to the club or festival entrance gate, thanks to its propelling melody and unrelenting rhythm that just lifts your mood and sets the tone for a night out.

With ultra-kinetic percussion, Latin club influences and hypnotic vocal chops, ‘FTRW!’ by Surusinghe channels exactly the kind of energy you need on the come up. Don’t believe us? Just check out the insane visuals that accompany this track which portray the kind of frenzied dancing that Surunsinghe incites.

Few releases this year hit with this kind of immediate electricity. Baalti’s Bengal DIY soundsystem-inspired project fully transports you to this world, with Overbit setting the tone via a relentless barrage of bass, frenzied percussion, and distorted crowd noises. Controlled chaos at its best, all held together by fiery, attitude-laden vocals. On a proper PA, it’s unbelievable.

No more buildups, no more easing in. We go full throttle once midnight rolls around. Hard-groove hitters, heavy low-end cuts, and trippy, peak-time psychedelia take over and keep you pinned to the floor.

Prepare yourself for seven minutes of a sharp techno pulse that twists into hypnotic, psychedelic layers built for peak-hour momentum. A precise yet fluid cut that’s guaranteed to keep the floor locked and moving.

When it comes to delivering ‘UK Flavour’, Foreign Beggars’ MC PAV4N can always be counted on. And with rising Sri Lankan star IYRE on production, you know the result is going to be big. Tried and tested by the Mixmag Asia team, this collab guarantees bass face on the dancefloor.

When we first listened to Closet Yi’s EP, we knew it would make this list. ‘Cloudborne 888’ is a masterpiece, with the title track shining brightest. It twists and turns at every corner, delivering tension and release perfectly. It’s hard to believe it’s even the same track playing, given the sheer amount of switches and ideas on display, all executed to the highest level.

For when things get shadowy and weird in the best possible way. The music sharpens into something deeper; hypnotic sounds, off-kilter basslines, and nocturnal atmospheres create that tunnel-vision groove you could live in for hours.

For that 2am moment when the lights are low, the floor’s still alive, and you’re caught between slowing down and giving in. Dark, slinky electro grooves and tribal pulses pull your body side to side, keeping the night burning just a little longer.

808 belter ‘Temporal Drift’ is all electro rage and intensity. With a screaming mid range and dangerous sub that will create a storm in the dance, this Sonia Calico track is primed for those dark Room 2 vibes…for the ones that know.

Taiwan’s FTK delivered one of the most forward-thinking, visceral concept albums of 2025. It’s definitely something special. The project weaves d'n'b, bass, breakbeat, techno, and more with Asian folk elements in a controlled chaos that’s raw and gut-punching. ‘術 (Arcane)’ stands out, with eerie, sinister folk instrumentation that grips in a way seldom heard in contemporary electronic music, and we can’t get enough of Taiwan’s off-kilter creativity.

We all need them at some point of the night. Ambient tones, downtempo grooves, and a touch of glitch ease you into a softer headspace. Perfect for drifting, recharging, or deciding what happens next.

Taken from the debut album ‘Tehran Mountains’, where modular synths meet Iranian instruments and 4D sound, ‘Lights of Valiasr’ is perfect for those who like their nighttime soundscapes alive with subtle motion and emotional depth. Your go-to track when you need a breather (before going all out again).

Lifted from Jianbo’s first full-length mixtape, ‘Exhale (Point Hill)’ is a hip hop-meets-neo soul-meets breaks lullaby that has just the right amount of dance energy and downtempo spirit to guide you through the comedown. With ethereal vocals courtesy of INDIA BLUE, it’s the perfect soundtrack for that late-night taxi ride home (or to the afters).

Known for being half of the always-amazing Salamanda, Uman Thurma’s debut solo release is a notable one indeed. Opener ‘Horse From Hell’ immediately bathes you in atmosphere, pairing serene ambience with colourful strings and an irresistible charm that carries through the track.

Nic Ford’s latest project ‘A Lust for Glory’ is truly one-of-a-kind. Surreal, trippy, and mind-bending, the EP’s second offering, Mutually Assured Destruction Pathways, leans on live percussion to balance ominous, eerie sounds with more soothing moments. It’s a project, and track that takes a few listens to grasp fully, but the rewards are immense.

We all need them at some point of the night. Ambient tones, downtempo grooves, and a touch of glitch ease you into a softer headspace. Perfect for drifting, recharging, or deciding what happens next.

A blistering cut that fuses industrial techno grit with metal and noise while unhinged vocals push it into full-on riot mode. More for the headbangers than the two-steppers, but just as thrilling to hear on a proper system.

Airy breaks, shimmering synths, a rolling groove. That perfect mix of breakbeat edge, progressive flow, and electro gloss that’s enough to keep you moving through the afters, but light enough to let you float out when it’s time to exit the premises.

Once you’ve arrived at the afters, it’s a rush to get a track playing ASAP to ensure the smooth transition of vibes… If sleek electro breaks are your speed, we recommend reaching for ‘Nucleus’ by KWAKE. Courtesy of Klasse Wrecks, it channels effortless cool with nods to tech house and a drop of acid rebellion.

D.Dan’s two-track project ‘Embers’ caught us by surprise. A stark departure from his typical sound, it’s a reminder of the creativity and introspection artists often keep to themselves. Though never intended for release, after closing out sets with the title track last year and witnessing the profound emotional response it evoked, D.DAN changed his mind—and we’re thankful he did. ‘Embers’ is drenched in atmosphere and emotional depth, with synths swelling and shimmering throughout. If it’s good enough to close his sets, it’s good enough to close our end-of-year list.

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