Dummy

Comment: How punks learnt to dance Steph Kretowicz speaks to Pete Swanson, The Haxan Cloak, Blanck Mass and RVNG Intl. about their journeys from punk to techno, and what it says about our times.

Maxmillion Dunbar interview: "Beauty in the super simple shit." Nothing but positive vibes from the man behind the blissed-out, loved-up new dance record on RVNG Intl.

Samoyed interview: "It’s always chord changes." Meet the Dundee-based producer whose knack for small sounds that sting big have been released by Lukid and now Jacques Greene.

Pantha du Prince interview: "A sculpture in sound." Hendrik Weber talks about removing himself from the bigger picture for ‘Elements of Light’, his most ambitious project to date.

Behind the scenes on Night Works' brilliant video series London disco musician Night Works and director Daniel Brereton talk through the story that unites the four videos they’ve made together.

Technique: Darkstar 'News From Nowhere' The on point Warp trio and producer Richard Formby talk us through the making of their elevatory second album, track by track.

JETS interview: "Cosmic soul brothers." Ahead of their UK live debut, Machinedrum and Jimmy Edgar tell the story of how the universe brought them together to collaborate.

Waajeed interview: "Nobody wants to be legendary." The hyper-prolific Detroit producer explains why, in an industry that churns out hits and leeches off talent, he’d rather split himself into multiple projects than be deified.

Sony announce the end of the MiniDisc; does anyone care? Though the MiniDisc may not have had the cultural impact its creators hoped for, it will still be missed by some.

Doubleheart interview: "Outsider music aimed at the dancefloor." JD Twitch and Neil Landstrumm talk to Dummy about their hypnotic new EP and how it was inspired by Arthur Russell, Michael Smith and other underdogs.

Grouper interview: "Nihilism isn’t sustainable." The Portland artist on coming out the other side of the debilitating depression that shaped her startling new-old album, ‘The Man Who Died In His Boat’.

Christopher Owens interview: "Pop music, rock and roll, whatever you want to call it." The newly-solo artist talks about the liberation of working alone and the vulnerability that comes with making a truthful record.

FaltyDL interview: "Patience, somehow." The New York producer gets frank about the year of frustration that led to his beautiful new album ‘Hardcourage’.

A$AP Rocky interview: "Fuck hype." The Harlem rapper turned superstar talks about his issues with society, his thoughts on New York’s new wave of rappers and how he hopes to change the world.

You'll like Dutch Uncles' new band merch because you can eat it Dutch Uncles reveal one of the oddest pieces of tie-in merchandise we’ve seen in a while – a bespoke burger.

Comment: On Azealia Banks and that word For a person who hopes to build a career out of her sharp tongue, Azealia needs a lesson in handling blades says Caspar Salmon.

The best of Dummy in 2012, according to you The music, the artists and the writing that moved you the most this year.

The Dummy Guide to acid house Get prepared for the 25th year since the birth of “ACIIID” with our guide to the rise of the movement.

Comment: Gendered production and the artists who are vocal about it In the hands of Planningtorock and other progressive artists, Auto-Tune can be a challenge to gender paradigms and a tool for social change, argues Steph Kretowicz.

#1: Actress - 'R.I.P.' Dummy’s album of 2012, writes Ruth Saxelby, is a triumph for the reflective moment in an era obsessed with nextness.

#2: Frank Ocean - 'channel ORANGE' In re-writing the language of love, Frank Ocean articulated something so personal it spoke to all of us this year, says Aimee Cliff.

#3: Jam City - 'Classical Curves' The digital landscape of ‘Classical Curves’ is one filled with dread, loneliness, and some unmistakable bangers, says Selim Bulut.

#4: Grimes - 'Visions' Canadian artist Claire Boucher’s pop experiment has the hooks – and transgressive heart – to stand the test of time, reflects Ruth Saxelby.

#5: How To Dress Well - 'Total Loss' To Aimee Cliff’s ears, Tom Krell’s second album was the most wholly and emotionally human record released this year.

#6: Laurel Halo - 'Quarantine' The Brooklyn artist’s Hyperdub debut was an anxious but essential listen for Lauren Martin.

Heatsick interview: "A conscious way to kink it." Steph Kretowicz discovers how the reactionary politics of the Berlin-based producer feed into his trope-subverting dance music.

#7: LV - 'Sebenza' Globalisation sings in LV’s collaborative album, and Steph Kretowicz can hear the fragments of a crazy 2012 in its glitchy, auto-tuned voice.

Majical Cloudz interview: "A feeling or something." An audience with the new soul man that might just steal 2013.

#8: Future - 'Pluto' The sort-of-rapper’s remarkable debut album is a rapturous and wildly innovative listen, making it one of 2012’s finest, according to Anthony Walker.

#9: Kindness - 'World, You Need a Change of Mind' Selim Bulut considers the adventurous and intellectual self-contained world that Adam Bainbridge built with his 2012 debut.

#10: Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland - 'Black Is Beautiful' The elusive Hyperdub duo’s 2012 record was one of the most thoughtful, challenging and of-the-moment releases of the year, according to Chal Ravens.

Profile: The filmmakers who are making something out of next to nothing Lamar + Nik, the collective behind Lushlife’s brilliant recent video, tell us how they made one of the year’s best videos for less than $80, with exclusive words and footage.

Technique: Chad Valley 'Young Hunger' The Oxford-based crafter of sad synth pop and his collaborators, including Active Child and El Perro Del Mar, share some insights on the making of his debut album.

Behind the scenes at Laura Mvula's latest video shoot We can’t fly you out to South Africa, but what we can do is re-create the experience of filming Laura Mvula’s new video there with exclusive footage and interviews.

Holly Herndon interview: "Computers compute." The academic beat-maker opens up about the experimental urge of dance music and her love of the laptop.

Comment: The rise and fall and rise of Lana Del Rey As she re-releases her debut album after a year of wrestling with public opinion, Lauren Martin considers the love-hate phenomenon that is Lana Del Rey.

Special report: The new Myspace is actually pretty cool Why we – and Justin Timberlake – think you’ll be re-joining Myspace in 2013.

Cover Up: How To Dress Well The experimental R&B artist plays “guess that tune” and discusses sincerity, loss and emotional wisdom with Ruth Saxelby.

The hip hop artist making spoken word poetry from Mount Kimbie tracks Mowgli released an acclaimed hip hop record back in 2010, but his latest project is something completely new, seeing him re-work the songs of his favourite producers.

What it's like to be a musician in Russia, by a Russian musician In the wake of Pussy Riot’s incarceration and the international outcry it sparked, techno producer Proxy tells Dummy how it feels to be making music in Russia in 2012.