Each week we’ll be partnering with The QR Network to compile a short weekly recap of notable tracks that we didn’t have time to cover during the previous week. We hope you enjoy our selection and if you have any tracks you’d like to see here, please feel free to use our contact form or post your suggestions in the comments.
G-POL – No Fear
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“No Fear” starts with some great Dropgun-esque vocal effects. Things start to get problematic during the build where G-POL mixes 4/4 and triplets rhythmic elements in the build. The lack of oversight and attention to detail is just astonishing and it leaves a bad taste in the listener’s mouth. The drops themselves have a unique brightness and melodic extravagance which sets this track apart from the rest. Hexagon has been making quite a resurgence recently, releasing some very exceptional fresh tracks and this is serviceable addition to that if it had only fixed those issues on the build.
83/100
Afrojack – Bringin’ it Back
After a minute-long intro, we’re quickly shuffled over to the build and a drop which absolutely doesn’t fit in with the bright and bubbly prelude that came before. There are some elements which have been brought over from his classic collaboration with Martin Garrix. This one switches things up with a call and respond between the old Dirty Dutch sound and a new-age bass house chromatic section. The latter is much more enjoyable than the former which is quite a shame to have such uneven phrases like that. There are some custom acapellas and an interview section in which the interviewee finds out for the first time that Afrojack is Dutch. While the song itself is nothing special, it’s an important release because it shows Afrojack’s continued dedication to bringing back the Dirty Dutch sound in this resurgence of what made EDM explode back in the early 2010s.
74/100
Renvo – Next Gen
High octane from the start with a call and response between the kicks and the trance chords. The combination of the NASA vocal samples and soft, emotional chords succeed in transporting you on your journey to another world. There’s a hard shift back which circles back to the first drop which doesn’t quite work in our opinion because there was so much emotion and power in the breakdown, Renvo really had the opportunity to take this track to the next level. As it stands, it’s still a good track that would fit in great in a festival mix.
84/100
The Chainsmokers & NGHTMRE – Save Yourself
The Chainsmokers are a very divisive force in the EDM community but most agree that their live sets are not to be missed. By teaming up with a well-loved producer like NGHTMRE, The Chainsmokers have finally made a song that matches the energy of their sets. This piece would be best defined as trap-infused dubstep but it’s fairly generic as far as riddim and dubstep go. It’s great that they’ve put in the work to create two distinct drops in this song but it’s interesting that they chose to make the first of the two the more energetic one. There’s an undeniable energy of course, but it plays well into this genre that has seen so much success in the United States and increasingly so around the world. It’s an interesting direction for these incredibly popular producers to go in. Hopefully this song converts some of their fans into true headbangers.
80/100
Dr. Phunk – SKRRR
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Good vocals, great melody, and Project Sub Zero type of drop. In the second phrase of the drop, there’s a hint of tribal big room in there which sets it apart a little bit. The second half of the song is nearly identical to the first with the exception of an extended buidup. While the elements of the tracks are great on their own, the overall flow and structure of the track feels rushed and that’s what holds this song back from being anything more than just “good.”
81/100
Antoine Delvig & Maximals – Headbutt
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“Headbutt” signifies Revealed Recording making a move on the groove scene by signing this track that would have fit well on Axtone, Fonk, or Protocol (in their current identity crisis). It’s simple, clean, and effective but a closer listen shows that it really follows the Axtone structure. There’s some dynamic and fun chanting on top of the basic percussion setting in the breakdown. Overall, it’s nothing special, but it shows Revealed’s commitment to diversity and including all sorts of festival-ready tracks.
77/100
Woqlz – On the Limit
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Atmospheric pads and trap synths leading up to the perfectly balanced build. The first drop gives you goosebumps with its pitch blending and industrial melodic sound. The second drop hones in on a new bass sound but reverts to those strong emotional chords from the first drop. There’s so much repressed emotion in this track paired with repressed energy and a sense of longing. It’s both energetic and beautiful. Truly something special in the world of hard dance.
90/100
Wiwek x Gregor Salto x Kuenta I Tambu – So Hot (feat. Spyder)
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Interesting tribal release for the main Spinnin’ Records record. Combination of the regular percussion sets, jungle atmospheric noises, and chants make up this fairly standard offering. One stand-out feature of the song is the extended acapella before the drop which is spaced out and times perfectly for this piece. The second drop starts with an odd rhythmic curveball which comes off like a live DJ remix of the first track. It’s impossible not to imagine romping around to this track around a campfire in the desert. The artwork complements the track perfectly. While not musically or technically unique, you can’t deny that it transports you someplace different.
83/100
LNY TNZ feat. Laurell & Mann – After Midnight (Hector Fonseca & Zambianco Remix)
Usually, you can find jersey club, trap, bounce, house, and festival edits of major pop songs. One thing I never thought about was festival groove edits but here you have the perfect example of putting vocals on top of an energetic groove beat to great effect. This is a fantastic remix and an even better concept. I hope other producers take note of this and make this become a trend.
88/100
We hope you enjoyed our recap of selected songs from last week. If there is a song that you felt should have been on here, be sure to leave it in the comments below and we’ll do our best to give our take on it. Certain songs were not included because they will be covered in more detail in the following days so make sure you’re following our social media pages to see all of our latest posts!
In case you missed it, here are the songs and stories we covered last week!
TONG APOLLO & Nicole Chen Feat. I Am ASA – The Sound Of Ocean
The Discovery of “Guatemala To Paris”
Krunk! & Miljay – Exhale (feat. iDo)
This recap was provided in part by The QR Network which is a blog for interviews with producers and DJs such as Husman, VillanZ, Pharien, Gustaf Bjornberg, Jordan Jay, and Protohype to name a few.
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