Andy Stott is back with a newfound “Faith in Strangers”

When it comes to dark dance music, Andy Stott has been a standout producer for a while now. He's released a ton of material over the years, but it was 2011's dual EPs Passed Me By and We Stay Together that really started stirring the communal waters, and then his 2012 album Luxury Problems that established him as a master of the dark arts. Now Stott is set to return with a new album, Faith in Strangers, out Nov. 17 via his Modern Love imprint.

The album's title track is an interesting new sound from a producer who's stuck to a specific aesthetic for the past few years. The aforementioned releases were stuck in a mire of sludgy dub techno, lumbering along in the cavernous dark. It's clear from the beginning of "Faith in Strangers" that Stott's become interested in letting some light in; the warm synth that opens the track is the most hopeful sound I've ever heard from him, but still retains an icy quality, like the sun on a cold winter day. The track evolves to support vocals from Alison Skidmore, who was featured on Luxury Problems, but comes across as more human this time around. "Faith in Strangers" is an exciting glimpse at the next chapter of a producer who keeps getting better.

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