DJ Mag Best of British awards 2025: the winners

“We wrote ‘Hallucinating Love’ during some tough personal times, and as the process unfolded, the writing actually became the antidote to what we were going through,” Maribou State’s Chris Davids and Liam Ivory tell DJ Mag. Those “tough times” included a neurodivergence diagnosis, chronic insomnia, crippling anxiety, and finally, Chris undergoing surgery for a rare, serious brain disorder; enough challenges to floor even the strongest of us. Instead, they took time to recover, created healthier working methods, and eventually emerged triumphant.

“For a while, the only goal was just to finish the record. But once we started recognising the themes of hopefulness, resilience, and optimism emerging, it felt like the real achievement would be creating something that, despite everything, shines through as an emblem of joy and light.” And through its intricate, swirling, soulful mix of broken beat, trip-hop, house and downtempo electronic, ‘Hallucinating Love’ does just that.

“The process was far from smooth, but those emotions definitely show up in the final thing,” they continue. “We ended up with something honest and personal in a way we’ve never done before. And when people tell us it helped them through their own difficult moments, or soundtracked something meaningful in their lives, that’s when it really feels like we’ve hit the mark.”

Following the album’s difficult creation and subsequent success, the pair are ending 2025 in a positive, optimistic, and reflective mood. “We’re in a phase of following curiosity rather than forcing anything or feeling pressure to churn out new releases. This album took a long time and a lot out of us personally, so we’re happy to sit with it a little longer and enjoy what it’s become.” HAROLD HEATH

Other nominees:
aya ‘hexed!’ [Hyperdub]
Blawan ‘SickElixir’ [XL Recordings]
Djrum ‘Under Tangled Silence’ [Houndstooth]
Goldie Presents Rufige Kru ‘Alpha Omega’ [London Records]