Holidays are all but a fading memory now, but going on a positive note, the inaugurating version of the Weekly Roundup for the year is here. Jan 6th wasn’t particularly filled with a lot of remarkable releases (except “Rumble“), though there are notable candidates including Skrillex, Hekler, ACRAZE, Dannic, and more.

Sidenote – What are your predictions for the EDM industry in 2023, though? Feel free to write your thoughts in the comments below!

deadmau5, YTcracker – Antisec
70/100

Busy handling another massive project with his fellow producer Kaskade, we haven’t seen much of Deadmau5 in solo lately. Although Kx5 has left a significant mark within a span of a year, even breaking live performance records and accumulating millions of plays.

“Antisec” is a playful, arcade-reminiscent production from the Canadian act, partly titled after a hacking group that orchestrates cyber attacks, while collaborator YTcracker is a hacker turned musician. He powers the digital, futuristic sounding instrumental with his upbeat rap.

Even though it is not something I could admire entirely, it fits the experimental and ‘out there’ mindset that Deadmau5 always retains with his music.

Skrillex, PinkPantheress, Trippie Redd – Way Back
83/100

After creating quite the “Rumble” at the dawn of this year, Skrillex is all geared towards disclosing his forthcoming album “QFF/DGTC”. After the collaboration with Fred Again.. and Flowdan became public (full review on our website!), the “Bangarang” creator is mellowing the mood with “Way Back”, featuring vocalist PinkPantheress and rapper Trippie Redd.

Channeling that Jack Ü energy, the American act sought a fast-moving breakbeat/garage sound that brings out the infamous FM bassline. As mentioned before, this inclines more towards a melodic pitch to hook audiences from pop and electronic spectrums.

They Kiss – Naked (Zero Fate Remix)
85/100

LA-based duo They Kiss found a superlative remix for their original “Naked” from up-and-coming producer Zero Fate, who took the deep house track and further took it to deeper depths with an underground treatment.

The remixing pair fused the emotional vocals with a refined, Adam Port-inspired deep house instrumental that solely relies on a light assortment of synths, percussions, and few other sounds. This contributes to a mellow sound that slowly opens up, not overwhelming the listener with too many nuances.

Jengi – Bel Mercy (Dannic vs Flexx & Kuli Bootleg)
81/100

A noteworthy moment, Kuli (formerly known as Hypnotune) scored more achievements when his talents caught the attention of the electronic music veteran Dannic, and alongside upcomer Flexx, the team made an earworm-y and more danceable take on Jengy’s “Bel Mercy”.

The original song claimed its virality in TikTok, especially memorable due to the enthusiastic Jamaican vocal presence in the song. The aforementioned producers extended the groove to a more club-ready format, with a funky signature owing to Dannic’s involvement. It’s worth the listen, as the vocals and a fitting dancehall-influenced tech house-type beat fit each other in an eccentric, vibrant fashion.

Nanoviola – Nutcracker
84/100

Ever thought about how a cross between classical music and future rave might sound? Well, Nanoviola conducted an explosive experiment titled “Nutcracker”.

For this undertaking, she selected the prominent Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite”, fusing it with contemporary driving/mainstage Techno. The elegance of the classical piece on a violin is brilliantly put against the gnarly, striking peak-time techno. While the breakdown brings a sense of drama, the drop dashes in unconventionally, furnished with an arsenal of supersaws and other dynamic supplements. The old and new realms of music get together in a coordinated and equally driven setup!

Hekler – Blacked Out
87/100

Assaulting the senses here is “Blacked Out”, a distorted and glitchy record from the talented mind of Hekler. The American producer is slowly turning into a mainstay in my list, solely due to the fact of his superlative sound-design aptitude.

Even within two minutes, Hekler’s opening track for the year is brimming with vicious bass synths and pummeling kicks that exploit the ears, while abundant variations throughout the song make sure it is volatile and unpredictable. It’s aggravated and aggressive to another level to give a stimulating experience to the listener!

ACRAZE – Believe (ft. Goodboys) (Galantis Remix)
83/100

“Believe”, ACRAZE‘s follow-up to the sensational “Do It To It“, came out as a more mellow and melodic deep house production that has equally enamoring vocals from the reputed trio Goodboys. Galantis, known for its funkier sound, gave a refreshing twist to the song.

Taking inspiration from Robin S’ “Show Me Love“, the Swedish duo laid down a catchy, danceable house groove powered by the unmistakable M1 organ and futuristic, metallic lead synths that take over. Unlike most other house remixes I heard these days, the song remains lively with details that will please most.

VIVID, Xander Jones – Daydream
85/100

Future Rave has fast spread among various producers who are trying to experiment with the still nascent sub-genre, as VIVID demonstrated his versatility with “Daydream”, out via Enhanced music and featuring vocalist Xander Jones.

Embracing the trance-heavy sound of the label, the mentioned alias builds an emotional aura around the enchanting vocals, rewarding the listener later with a drop that melds together future rave saws and a rolling bassline, somewhat even reminiscent of Progressive Trance. The various pieces in this production thoroughly offer a soaring, genre-blurring tune embellished with a lovely atmosphere.

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