BEST DANCE/ ELECTRONIC RECORDING
“Blackbox Life Recorder 21F”
APHEX TWIN
Richard D. James, producer; Richard D. James, mixer
The best evidence of the functionality of this year’s new pop dance category — created to absorb mainstream dance productions and make space for more traditional electronic music in dance/electronic recording — is the nomination for “Blackbox Life Recorder 21F.” An experimental, percussion-forward production from Irish-British legend Aphex Twin (and the elusive producer’s first official new music in five years), the track is four-and-ahalf minutes of pattering snares and crisp drum patterns layered over a synth that rolls like a gently moving cloud. A victory would mark Aphex Twin’s first win since taking home the Grammy for best dance/electronic album in 2015.
“Loading”
JAMES BLAKE
James Blake, Dom Maker, producers; James Blake, mixer
One of the U.K. artist’s three
2024 nominations, this multimovement track balances romance (“Wherever I go, I’m only as good as my mind/Which is only good if you’re mine,” goes the chorus) with hefty production that layers a kitchen sink’s worth of elements — including spare U.K. garage, glowing bells, buzzy walls of synth and Blake’s pitchshifted voice — that together swell into a theatrical, dramatic build. A win here would mark Blake’s first victory in the dance/ electronic field.
“Higher Than Ever Before”
DISCLOSURE
Cirkut, Guy Lawrence, Howard Lawrence, producers; Guy Lawrence, mixer
The Lawrence brothers earned their eighth nomination with “Higher Than Ever Before,” from the duo’s surprise August album, Alchemy. Disclosure’s first jungle production, the song demonstrates the subgenre’s place at the forefront of dance music this year. And it has roots at the Grammys: Disclosure’s Guy Lawrence met songwriter Cirkut at Sam Smith’s 2023 Grammy afterparty, where Cirkut was celebrating a win for his co-writing work on Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy.” Cirkut and Guy then linked in Los Angeles to work on “Higher Than Ever Before” — which, if it wins, would represent Disclosure’s first Grammy victory.
“Strong”
ROMY & FRED AGAIN..
Fred again.., Stuart Price, Romy, producers; Fred again.., Stuart Price, mixers
Trance’s 2023 resurgence included “Strong,” a brightly epic, deeply emotive production by Romy and Fred again.. that wraps ideas about loss in bright synths and delivers them at a high BPM. Upon its release, Romy called the track “a very personal song” about losing her mother at a young age, adding that “writing this has helped me connect with these feelings of grief.” The pair’s second collaboration following 2022’s “Lights Out,” “Strong” appears on Romy’s 2023 debut solo album, Mid Air. Romy is the only female artist nominated in either dance/electronic category this year.
“Rumble”
SKRILLEX, FRED AGAIN.. & FLOWDAN
Fred again.., Skrillex, producers; Skrillex, mixer
Skrillex ruled the dance world in 2023, a takeover that started four days into the year when he released “Rumble,” the lead single from his second album, Quest for Fire. A menacing collaboration with U.K. grime MC Flowdan and Fred again.. — a frequent Skrillex collaborator in the studio and onstage in 2023 — the skittering two-and-a-half-minute production features a tight, evolved form of the low-end bass music that made the producer a Grammy darling when he exploded onto the scene more than a decade ago. Skrillex has amassed 17 nominations and eight Grammy wins since 2012.