After taking a week off to cover Imagine Festival, we’re back with another recap! We’ll talk about the rise of Mixmash Bold from the ashes of Ones to Watch and a few other selections. As always, we’ll be compiling 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.
BSNO – Clap
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Back in July, Laidback Luke announced that his subdivision of Mixmash, Ones to Watch, would be dissolving and would come back as Mixmash Bold. Two months later, here we have the first release under the new name. BSNO was a regular name on OTW but to see him kick off the new chapter is still a bit of a surprise. The song itself is a pretty forward-thinking track with some crowd-control elements built in. The drop is notably similar to Hasse de Moor & Curbi’s collaboration, “ADHD” with its rhythm and focus on subs. It’s always safe to start a new chapter with a familiar name to build confidence, but hopefully Mixmash Bold will continue the legacy of signing new talent in addition to established producers.
72/100
Maddix – With or Without You
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Let’s start off by acknowledging the writers behind this one including Freek van der Heide (Mike Williams, Orjan Nilsen, Mark Sixma) Jeroen Sjoers (Mike Williams) and Michael Jo singing the vocals. This one struck me as a bit odd for a number of reasons. It seems that Maddix combined the melody of “Bella Ciao” with the uptempo style of “Omen.” Then, for some odd reason, he changed his signature synth and now it sounds a bit like the old Vinai especially like “Out of This Town” and “Wild.” Maddix has also been great at changing things up in the second drop for most of his songs, but he didn’t do that here which left me even more disappointed. “With or Without You” is just such an odd amalgamation of pre-existing sounds and styles that it makes me question whether it even earned the title of “Original Mix.”
71/100
Dropgun & Asketa & Natan Chaim – Falling
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Sometimes, it’s fun to joke around and ask if Dropgun, Asketa, and Natan Chaim are all actually one person because their production styles are so similar at this point. At any rate, “Falling” is one of the most complete and satisfying Dropgun songs since “Spirit of Freedom” back in January. The vocals shine through the retro instrumentals. The smooth electro synth is simply gorgeous as it bridges the vocals and the build. The call and response in the drop almost works but the psy section feels a bit too empty compared to the wonderfully complex section. The bassline works as connective tissue between them but it’s not strong enough to hold the drop together. While the song is very detailed, it’s a shame that they essentially copy and pasted the second section from the first. There’s no sense of progression, just the satisfaction of not hitting the replay button on a minute-and-a-half song.
81/100
NIVIRO – Time For Polka
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I’ve always been a fan of NIVIRO’s powerful melodies since “Nandaka” and have followed him since. When I saw the title of this one, I was very excited to get some sort of quirky, fun melodies akin to “Jägermeister” or “Eivan Polkka.” The songs starts strongly enough with an increasing tempo and festival leads accompanying the acoustic instrumentation. Then the drop comes, and we have more shades of “Bella Ciao.” The simple minor melody that makes up the core of the drop was simply a letdown compared to the intricacies of the breakdowns. In the end, the drop is perfectly functional, it just doesn’t go above and beyond like some of the other NIVIRO tunes.
74/100
Aiobahn – ここにいる (I’m Here) (feat. rionos) [Guy Arthur Remix]
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Guy Arthur, previously known as Ak9, is something who I’ve always been aware of but never caught his releases in time to review them. His version stays within future house but adds a bit more dark energy to it while maintaining the bright notes of the original. In the drop, I’m reminded of the plentiful remixes of “So Far Away” probably do to them being in the same key. As we approach this age of new electro music, having all of the sounds and sample make a cohesive product is key to making the track enjoyable and danceable, rather than just a hodgepodge of noises. Guy Arthur nails it here, with a diverse set of sounds that come together to generate a strong sense of bounce. If you have somehow missed his other remixes, I encourage you to check them out. His remix of the overblown “Sicko Mode” stands out as the best in a crowded field which is no easy feat.
83/100
Lewka & Foxa – Burning Out
Speaking of 2019 streaming success, Foxa and Lewka (previously known as Hayes) have just released a new one on TGR. Sitting in midtempo range, the pair of producers have created an incredible, peaceful atmosphere with soft sounds and excellent use of low-pass filtering. “Burning Out” moves at a leisurely pace with plenty of room to breathe and a perfect kick to give the track some groove. This is a fantastic example of a song that has the power to transport you for a few minutes and take you to a better place. The melodies take the backseat here as the atmosphere is placed front and center to consume your mind and body – certainly no easy feat to successfully accomplish this in a track.
85/100
ACRAZE – ONCE AGAIN
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This track came recommended from Samorz Sounds who specializes in finding heavy tracks from around the web. “ONCE AGAIN” has “this kills it live” written all over it as it heavily centers around the energy in the drop while not offering much beyond atmospheric warehouse sounds in the breakdowns. That drop combines sounds from REEBS’ remix of “House Party” and Cheyenne Giles’ heavily sidechained lead style. This combination works effectively in creating that fist-pumping energy that you’d want to have at any EDM event. ACRAZE is worth checking out if you enjoy the heavier side of EDM as he has plenty of remixes and originals to light your fire.
74/100
David Flix – Undercover
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One name that has been popping up everywhere lately from Revealed to Strange Fruits to Zero Cool is David Flix. I’ve got to admire this man’s grind and work ethic to continue releasing consistently over the course of 2019. “Undercover” marks the 12th release from him this year and they’ve all been of above-average quality. His clean basslines and unique sample choice make for quality bangers in 2019. More to the point, “Undercover” features a pleasant vocal, simple drop melody which is effective enough. He’s very much following the 2019 playbook of streaming success, picking the right labels, choosing the right sounds, and releasing the right tunes consistently. I have no doubt he will continue to skyrocket through the industry as he’s laid down the proper groundwork and roots.
80/100
ALEJANDRO – Red Dragon
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It’s been a while since we checked in on DIFFERENT RECORDS but they’ve continued to do their thing with a healthy mix of genres. It’s unfortunate to see another track without a proper first break. The drops follow the current flute trend we’ve been seeing around the major labels. (Namely, this one reminds me of Blinders & TV Noise – Fire) The second (and only) break is solid with fat percussion and continues the drop melody. Overall, ALEJANDRO is working and growing his own personal sound and Red Dragon is an important step of that. His remix for Laidback Luke is also one of the standouts in a surprisingly talented field of producers who entered the competition.
67/100
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!
Meduza – Piece Of Your Heart (Jaxx & Vega Vs. Stefan Bors & Outrage Bootleg)
Armin van Buuren vs Tempo Giusto – Mr. Navigator
KSHMR & Lost Stories – Bombay Dreams (feat. Kavita Seth)
Tony Junior & John Christian – Technoprime
OUTRAGE & TBR vs. GIANTS – Starting Over
This recap was provided by The QR Network which is a site for interviews with producers and DJs. Check out their interviews with Olly James, Todd Helder, Justin Mylo, Krimsonn, and Marauda.
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