The twenty-fifth edition of Weekly Roundup isn’t any less crowded by stars, including names like Regard, Laidback Luke, Orjan Nilsen and many more!
Armin van Buuren, Reinier Zonneveld, Roland Clark – We Can Dance Again
80/100
Trading his uplifting trance roots for peak-time techno, the Armind head-honcho paired up with leading techno act Reinier Zonneveld for an acidic trip.
Narrating the track is Roland Clark, providing a driving narration about the dancefloors re-opening. A trance-y ambience is ever-present, while marching mainroom techno drums upon squelching acid and arpeggiating synths.
Certainly a refreshing variation on Armin’s discography, as the genre fits his sound.
Dark Chanell – Tresor, Berlin
78/100
Much like the Armada founder, another veteran indulging in afterhours boiler room inspired techno is none other than Laidback Luke donning his Dark Chanell pseudonym for grittier productions.
“Tresor, Berlin” comes packed in an EP titled No.2, which is highly influenced by the motor city techno heritage, including hype stabs and Jeff Mills-esque trademarks. Pulsating bassline and analog percussions dominate, with an eccentric groove, making it old-school yet modern.
Orjan Nilsen – Jeger
82/100
The Norwegian electro/trance specialist Orjan Nilsen is never short of experimenting, as evident in his second release for the year titled “Jeger”.
Screeching and glitchy leads rumble and shake the stage, all very much in Orjan’s peculiar yet inimitable flamboyance. The breakdown gets sentimental with an elevating trance-y arp, something that reminded me of his earlier productions.
This one is steaming with energy!
Regard, Years & Years – Hallucination
75/100
The “Ride It” producer continues striving to deliver radio-ready and aesthetic deep house, teaming up with singer Years & Years for “Hallucination”.
It checks all the boxes intended by the said artist’s usual formula: a pinch of retro synths, dash of funky attributes and bright pop vocals. It might not please everyone, but it’s a recipe that will catch attention, nonetheless.
TV Noise – Hold Up
83/100
As I had expressed my mixed feelings towards their previous single “Astral”, which resorted to standardized STMPD schema, “Hold Up” displays the duo’s true sonic personality to even greater colours.
Pitched down gangsta vocals with vicious bass house bassline is met with equal enthusiasm in terms of distorted 808 attacks and even weirder but ear-candy vocal chops. The Dutch pair might have to refill their studio’s fire-extinguisher after producing this explosive.
Will Atkinson, JES – Long Way Home
84/100
A dose of nostalgia is never enough. I found plenty in “Long Way Home”, created by the synergy of trance luminary Will Atkinson and former Motorcycle vocalist JES, who has spearheaded the vocal trance domain for years.
Euphoric as it gets, booming kickdrum and bassline get together with dreamy synths, set to stride at a suitable sped-up BPM. If Hands-up/Eurodance with a modern twist sounds appropriate, then this will fulfill that urge more than satisfactorily!
Bonus Review
Loudar – Heroes
85/100
Euphoric Hardstyle is a genre often underrated, with tons of emotional gems that deserve to be discovered and shared to the world. “Heroes” is one of them. The creation of Loudar shows a melancholic vocal, brutal kicks and an hypnotic melody blinking an eye to rawstyle’s influences, yet keeping a sweet core underneath its strong armory with elegant chords in the background. Super, super underrated.
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