This week we wanted to introduce you to some new artists and talk about some of their tracks. As always, we’ll be partnering with The QR Network to compile a short 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 post your suggestions in the comments
Maurice West – In The Zone
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Another Rave Culture release, another very familiar face. It’s worth noting that this track was the one Maurice West started in the SLAM! One Hour challenge, so it’s neat to see that he finished it. Does that make it worth a full, paid release? Not too sure about that. The drop seems very much influenced by NWYR. I think that Maurice West’s initial work was a bit rough around the edges, but it had so much character and power to it. Collaborations with DBSTF, Maestro Harrell, KSHMR, and SaberZ were so unique and groundbreaking for their time, but now each release plays it pretty safe on the grounds lain by W&W/NWYR. Another thought that has crossed my mind is if these tracks like “Matrix” or “The Kick” will be looked back on with the same fondness as an old Hardwell track. Time will tell I suppose, and until then, be prepared for a rant from EDM Reviewer if the next Rave Culture release includes Maurice West or W&W. Until then, “In the Zone” is a catchy, big room trance track that has a hummable melody that you’ll probably hum for a few days, if even.
82/100
Luke Anders feat. Liel Kolet – Letting Go
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I don’t cover the purer forms of trance often, but I’ve always respected the genre for bringing in original vocalists and staying true to form despite the pressures from Spotify. “Letting Go” marks Luke Ander’s third appearance on an Armada label, gaining the support of many of their resident DJs and producers. He’s certainly not new on the scene, but it’s great to see him consistently growing past his older labels like Ensis and Momentum. The song itself is a continuation of his trance sound that is marked with its electro and bass elements. In the first drop, the almost overpower the vocals, but ease up for the second half of the song as it transitions to a more traditional melodic approach. There’s a bit of modernism with the syncopation and almost future house-like leads, but I this it’s a modest evolution of the trance sound and a worthy addition to the Armada roster. Here’s to hearing more from Luke Anders.
80/100
Justin Prime & Rave Republic – Old School (feat. Lee McKing)
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The last time we covered Justin Prime, we ran into a bit of trouble with the way we worded our review. I want to make clear that my only point in covering this track is to just reiterate that Justin Prime lacks a signature sound. His music is enjoyable for the most part but builds off of existing sounds. For “Old School,” it’s clear that he’s trying to capitalize on the big room nostalgia movement which has been bubbling up for the past few months. It’s great to see him and Rave Republic tap in Lee McKing for what I assume are the vocals for the track. However, the drops are very clearly using similar presets to Quintino from tracks like “Woest” and “Bawah Tanah.” In the end, it’s a very short track with some redeeming qualities and nostalgic factors to them. I feel that there are just enough new elements to justify its release in 2019, however I don’t think it’ll withstand the test of time to the level of other Justin Prime hits like “Cannonball.”
71/100
Main Circus – BRRAH!
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One of the new unique, signature sounds has been coming from Main Circus, which appears to be a new anonymous project under the Armada umbrella. Starting with “Rock the Drum,” Main Circus seems to be shooting for a fresh take on future house and club music, and I’m intrigued. While neither this release or his past remix of “Recognise” have been able to capture the same magic of his debut single, I can still respect his dedication to the sound and how quickly he has been evolving it from release to release. “BRRAH!” goes for a higher energy version of melodic tech house, and I think the biggest pitfall is how it fills the empty spaces in the drop with some sort of strange reverb effect. The melodies also aren’t that memorable nor are the vibes. My reason for including this track is just to make sure Main Circus is on your radar because of his unique sound. Hopefully this won’t be another mystery Armada project like APA that just disappears into oblivion, but time will tell.
72/100
Asketa & Natan Chaim x ALIII – Never
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I meant to talk about Asketa & Natan Chaim when they released their EP on Hexagon because of its striking similarity to Dropgun’s sound. Here with “Never,” they’re still riding on some of those vibes, but have gone in a more laidback direction. The breakdowns focus on a fairly common sample pack vocal with a futuristic breakbeat atmosphere which is pretty solid and interesting stuff. The drop is much more subdued than their previous offerings, relying more on the rhythm than melody. While the chords are somewhat euphoric, the monotony of the rhythm proves to be too much to keep the track interesting throughout its duration. It was an interesting concept but could have been executed better.
74/100
Jasted & Mike Bocki – Pretty Can’t You See
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For future house, Jasted has been one of the producers to quickly notice trends and jump on them. I remember when Raven & Kreyn released their track, “My Name,” I thought that their style would the start of something huge. Jasted took this inspiration and ran with it, starting some remarkable trends on his own. Here with his 2-Dutch debut, he and Mike Bocki have taken some inspiration form the hit Hexagon track, “Trump It” by Going Deeper and Cybermode as well as songs like “Enough” by KREAM & Cazztek. The end result is a short, if not a bit barebones in the breakdowns, yet enjoyable little track that’s fairly fresh – a worthy addition to any higher energy playlist.
78/100
Flexx & VAHN – Trompeta
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It’s weird for me to see Fonk releasing so infrequently since they were once one of the most consistent labels in the industry not too long ago. Including this one, their last three releases have been more on the club side of things rather than pure groove. The sounds are more original, and the mixes are higher quality, but they’re not necessarily distinctive. It seems like they caught a whiff of the success of STMPD and are trying to replicate that for themselves. I can’t really tell. Either way, “Trompeta” on its own is funky, of course, but a bit too experimental in the second breakdown. The only standout feature is the phat bass in the drums with a set of percussion that isn’t as common in this genre. The melody is fairly generic with not many memorable qualities to it.
68/100
Swanky Tunes – Take Me Away
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It’s been a few years since I’ve enjoyed a Swanky Tunes track but “Take Me Away” caught my attention with its soulful vocal and simple yet funky drop. It’s the fresh synth in the second part of the drop which is so emotional and intriguing. It was great to see that synth get reintroduced in the second breakdown. The twerk sample was also an interesting choice and added a nice sense of bounce. Overall, it’s just a really fresh and fun track from the veteran producers.
81/100
Slink13 – Hydra
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Closing out this week’s recap, we have a real gem from Madox Records. Slink13 seems to have combined future bounce and dark progressive in a truly unique way. While REGGIO usually takes his bounce tracks in a lighter house direction, Slink13’s fusion leans more heavily on big room and dark progressive. Orchestral and war-like percussion punctuate the breakdowns alongside a sample pack vocal I’ve not heard before. For the drops, I would lightly reference “Dharma” by KSHMR & Headhunterz but trust me when I say that “Hydra” is another beast entirely. There could have been some better mixing in the drop to bring the melody into the forefront, but I’ll be putting this track on my playlist and crowning it as one of the best tracks of the week.
84/100
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!
Dropgun – A Little More Like You (ft. Eddie Jonsson)
Kehlani feat. Ty Dolla $ign – Nights Like This (Deagon Remix)
This recap was provided by The QR Network which is a site for interviews with producers and DJs. Check out their interviews with Retrovision, Maurice West, and Herobust.
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