Each week Varsity will bring you the 7 tracks, from the radio, the blogs or the clubs, that have got our ears hooked, with the occasional classic thrown in for good measure. Short and sweet––ideally, just like a good pop song––happy listening!

This week’s post is aimed squarely at those who are probably least likely to see it: Freshers'. Still too busy struggling with your introductory lectures, hangovers and awkward social interaction, what’s hip on the Hype Machine is the least of your concerns. But to those of you do who do find this (even if it’s now Week 4), let’s take you on a journey beyond the shout-outs of Spoons DJ Andy Mac (and that naive time when you thought the Titanic soundtrack blasting out in Cindies was a quirky one-off) to what your Freshers' week could have sounded like…

1. Julio Bashmore (Feat. Jessie Ware): Peppermint 

The crossover house maestro strikes again (did anyone say “Oh baby”?). This track is already lining up to be the new “Au sève”, as whispered vocals from Jessie Ware glide over synth stabs in a way that, on reflection, is probably best described as ‘minty’. With a fresh turn from Bashmore (although the vocals are from a while back), there’s hopefully more to come on his debut album, out next year.

2. George FitzGerald: I Can Tell 

Another track built for the dance floor, but played more and more on daytime radio, comes from George FitzGerald. Selected as a ‘Future Star’ by the team at Radio 1’s Essential Mix, this track is probably best enjoyed at a hedonistic rooftop party (see video), or in a warehouse on the fringe of a large industrial town… Okay, just pretend for a moment. Now go to Cindies.

3. Haim: The Wire

The next day...you’ve not eaten yet and everything is spinning. You’re having a moment of paralysing doubt. A slight shift in the wind direction will make you weep. Will you make friends? Why did you come here? Will it ever not be awkward with that guy who bought you chips last night but then stroked your face? Calm down. Freshers' wouldn’t be freshers' without this. Just go with your instincts, and this track is perfect for when you need a little reassurance.

4. Hot Natured (Feat. The Egyptian Lover): Isis (Magic Carpet Ride)

‘Benediction’ was everywhere this time last year, and the latest record from Hot Natured is just as infectious. ‘Isis’ is a low-slung piece of deep house with a finger-strumming bassline and vocals via a Bahian beach. Sip a piña colada (read: a Lola’s Caribbean spirits-bucket), slip on your shades, and let that little steel drum riff take you somewhere warm (read: to the patio heaters on the Lola roof terrace)...

5. Disclosure (Feat. London Grammar): Help Me Lose My Mind

From the duo on everyone’s lips (a Mercury Prize, perhaps?) and the band that soon will be, Disclosure and London Grammar bring a chilled track for the end of the night. London Grammar’s Hannah Reid has a voice that is instantly recognizable: a depth and pensiveness that belongs more to King’s College chapel than Disclosure’s garage-flecked house. But the two just work, so put down your drink and take it in (Or throw the shapes once more, courtesy of the track’s Paul Woolford mix).

6. Tiga vs. Audion: Let’s Go Dancing

Pick up the drink; you'll need to re-hydrate for this one. With a pulsing kick-drum, snare layers and synth-swooshes, this 9-minute monster is one of the most anticipated arrivals from summertime Ibiza and Croatia. Mad and menacing, hands-in-the-air techno: obey.

7. Katy B: 5 AM

Critics lauded her first album, Katy: On a Mission, as a pop masterpiece, and now Katy B is back with more dance floor goodness. It’s the end of the night, you’ve had a bit too much to drink, and you might even have kissed the guy who bought you chips and stroked your face...to hell with it, says Katy! Just get someone to knock you out and all will be fine. Another Long Island Ice Tea should do it, unless you’re at Danger Spoons, in which case a charmer on the dance floor has probably already obliged. Happy Freshers'!