Danny L Harle and his alter ego DJ Danny. Photograph: Vasso Vu
The easiest way to sell a new cultural product is through familiarity, whether it’s a gender-flipped version of Ghostbusters or an upsampled Star Wars: all the swashbuckling elements enhanced with new effects and younger, smoother-skinned leads. Remake, remix, reboot – we are living in an era where culture turns like a mirrorball in a hall of mirrors, reflecting infinitesimally.
Danny L Harle: Harlecore review – big, dumb escapist fun Read more
Dance music has been subject to this churn for decades, but it’s never been as mercilessly fast or as slickly, algorithmically refined as it is today. The newest example is Harlecore, the debut album from British producer Danny L Harle, who has worked with Nile Rodgers, Charli XCX, Rina Sawayama, Carly Rae Jepsen and more. His record is a love letter to an often maligned subset of genres, reintroducing them for