Third time’s the charm, eh? Well, we will see if the third round of Weekly Roundup™ has any more surprises in store for us. It is one of those slow weeks for me, with rainy clouds having seized upon the lands I reside and showering inches repeatedly since last Friday. So pardon me if there are any mitsakes; To begin with, we have a stellar line-up for today. Important collaborations have been forged, as usual. There’s also, uh, another minor additive and a major surprise debut featured at the end of this article. So, let’s dive into this edition, shall we?

Alan Walker, Imanbek – Sweet Dreams
55/100

From the guy who made a song that used to feature in every other amateur YouTube tutorial and a recent Grammy winner, we have “Sweet Dreams”. Usually this heavy of an electronic pop-culture teaming always doesn’t grab my interest at first, and it is the song instead which did the trick instead. The melody used is originally from the Eurodance hit “Scatman” by the legendary Scatman John (may he rest in peace).

And yes, it has been turned into Slap House in this interpretation. There’s a decent vocal performance if that interests you, with a dose of upbeat piano chords. Nowhere near the classic, but could be the next big thing among new listeners.

Oliver Heldens, MorganJ – Ma Luv
75/100

It is often said that a man with two alternative personalities has mix-ups. Nothing sinister here though, nope. It is our favourite bunnydancer Oliver Heldens collaborating with the upcoming name MorganJ (Hexagon, Dim Mak, Spinnin’), with the former showing off his HI-LO skills in “Ma Luv”.

Starting with dub chords reminiscent of Detroit Techno, along with a cheery and soulful vocal, it all leads up to a smasher of a drop. Using simplistic means, a thudding club kick that comes with a rumbling low-end, and utilizing the synths I mentioned. A tried and tested combination, it works just as efficient!

Skrillex, Noisia, josh pan & Dylan Brady – Supersonic (My Existence)
82/100

A massive studio joint-effort at display here – A heavyweight multi-platinum award-winning producer with a reputed (but split up?) Dutch trio, go hard with talented names from OWSLA’s roster, josh pan & Dylan Brady. Don’t just press play expecting to head-nod with heck ton of wubs, as “Supersonic (My Existence)” is more of a contemplative-but-strikes-later of a song.

As one would expect, this production has technical aspects nailed due to involvement of reputed acts. A moody pad commences with a melancholic vocal, and almost a minute later, distorted and gritty synths, vox shots and more take the arena. The beat remains a simple Trap like groove, as this energetic yet minimal eccentricity powers the instrumental sufficiently to hook any listening ear.

Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike – Rampage
Kindergarten beat/100

I hope the rating gag doesn’t turn stale; trust me, this one deserves it. Another lazy psy-bounce-whatever attempt from the infamous Belgian duo, along with childish vocals which inject this peachy sort of happiness that just isn’t pleasing to me.

We have seen numerous other veterans partake in this genre, be it Ummet Ozcan or Sander van Doorn. Maybe some in the audience appreciate this overblown style, but it seems a insipid offshoot of the Psy-Trance trend from the yesteryears. A money-grabbing one at that too. Enough said.

Marshmello – Shockwave
72/100

In the last instalment, I happened to give a quick skim through of “bb u ok?” by San Holo, and noticed this time that the masked alias Marshmello has returned with a twelve-track heavy album for this year, titled “Shockwave”.

Variety remains lesser in this compilation, albeit laden with noteworthy artists featured in it (Carnage, Megan Thee Stallion, Eptic and more). Loud and brazen Trap records are aplenty, and Marshmello’s loud trademarks rampant. From “Back In Time” which tries to capture the 2000s vibe to the hyping “Hitta”, there are some decent party-starting works that could entertain the fans. Not bad.

A New Artist – Absolute banger
Doesn’t need one

Total firecracker of a work here. Up and coming A New Artist has arrested my attention with a meticulous masterpiece. “Absolute Banger” gives its crowd just what it needs – roaring silence (featuring crickets and other notable vocalists), mixed in with ominous atmospheric feels that captures emotions like no other.

Why waiting then? Go on, give it a listen. Your ears will thank you.

What's Your Reaction?

0In Love0Happy0Not Sure0OMG0Angry0Sad