William Phillips landed at a time when dance music needed clear directives and musical boxes to fit. As Tourist, his gloriously experimental reign has kept British electronica and its vocal capacity on its toes, using the Patterns EP to spotlight just how liberating his agenda for the craft had grown.  Past the more sombre remits of “Wait,” the final quarter sees Phillips embark on yet one more stab at giving the European circuit its soul and spirit a wake-up call with his latest for Polydor.

That polished instrumental stamp receives an intriguing dose of two-step edge for “Illuminate,” pairing the vocal talents of Years and Year’s Olly Alexander to continue this marriage of emotive top lines and intuitive electronic music that Phillips has commandeered to date. Past the Jessie Ware collaborations and radio moments, Tourist’s balance of raw emotion and floor-ready stamina is revealing of a true British heavyweight enroute to rapid global expansion for 2015.

Purchase: iTunes

Tags: Illuminate, Tourist, years & years

Categories: Music