Browsing Tag

dj

Alisma-Rei anthemised the cycle of connection and detachment in her dance track, While We’re Ahead

The emerging independent artist, producer, and mixing and mastering engineer, Alisma-Rei, has added to her repertoire of infectious dance anthems after unveiling her latest euphoric floor-filler, While We’re Ahead, which strikes all the right rhythmically kinetic chords.

While We’re Ahead infuses the soul of RnB and the introspection of singer-songwriters into the dance track which delivers an affecting vignette of the reality of fragile relationships heading toward their inevitable end.

The thematic depth is matched by an intricate production style, where subversive syncopated time signatures create a sonic landscape full of unexpected twists and turns. The rhythm, with its mercurial momentum, ensnares listeners, reflecting the track’s core message through its unpredictable beats.

The impassioned delivery of the fiery RnB vocals leaves no doubt that the track served as a canvas for cathartic expression for Alisma-Rei. The single unspokenly invites listeners to lose themselves in the rhythm, find solace on the dancefloor, and perhaps heal a little in the process.

While We’re Ahead dropped on August 8th; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Ryan Alexander put Glasgow on the Afrobeat map with ‘Me & You’

Ryan Alexander’s standout single, Me & You, is a pulsating declaration of the DJ and producer’s ability to bolster Glasgow’s burgeoning stature on the global Afrobeat scene. Emerging from the underground with a sound that carries the weight of authentic Afrobeat rhythms and the lightness of transcendent summer vibes, Ryan’s work in this single is nothing short of revolutionary.

Right from the outset, the track asserts itself with an irresistible vibrancy; produced by Steven Alexander, the track adeptly weaves influences from the likes of Fuse ODG and OMI into a multi-sensory auditory experience. The use of organic percussion roots the track in Afrobeat’s rich rhythmic traditions while providing a fresh sonic texture that is all too easy to get addicted to.

The track’s sensuously smooth lyricality, brings a sincerity that cuts through the synthetic beats prevalent in much of today’s EDM, offering instead a voice that is as heartfelt as it is harmonic.

Ryan’s ability to blend the guest vocalist’s sincere vocal delivery with lush, layered instrumental backdrops sets Me & You apart as one of the most unmissable anthems of the summer.

Stream Me & You on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tom Jung decoded festival vibes in his EDM anthem, Everybody Feels the Love

In his latest aural embodiment of transcendence, Everybody Feels the Love, the DJ and producer, Tom Jung harnessed the heat of festival season, allowing the warmth of unity to permeate his peerless EDM production.

The unmatchable feeling of getting your body beat and rushes of serotonin and euphoria surrounded by people sharing in a singular experience reverberates through the trance-y take on progressive house, allowing the release to unravel as a parable of the sanctity of emotion-driven electronica and the paragon of it.

The way Jung manipulates sound with nuance to spark a profound emotional response establishes him as one of the most promising up-and-coming producers in the industry. The anticipation as the ethereally enveloped instrumental layers inch towards climax will leave you entranced until the bass-swathed house beats amplify the euphonic ecstasy resulting in a danceable remedy, capable of exhilarating and moving even the most steadfast listeners.

Don’t be surprised if in a few years keeping your finger on the EDM pulse revolves around revelling within the pulsative utopias orchestrated under Jung’s prodigal volition.

Add Everybody Feels the Love to your Spotify playlists and follow Tom Jung on TikTok to keep up to date with the visionary’s latest releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bad Avocado is ripe for the picking for your summer playlists in their house anthem, Aguacate NewsHour Special (All of the Memories)

Feel the pulse of summer’s heartbeat with the latest single, Aguacate NewsHour Special (All of the Memories), by the enigmatically irreplicable artist and producer, Bad Avocado. From the first note, you’re at the mercy of the independent house artist’s grooves and consumed by the confrontation of pure elation, which proves that Bad Avocado is set to defy their nature and remain eternally fresh.

Aguacate NewsHour Special (All of the Memories) is ripe for the picking for your summer playlists. The seraphic soundscape envelops through the rushes of lush reverb that wrap around the echoes of nostalgia, allowing the instrumentals to capture the sense of yearning for ephemeral memories which bleeds from the harmonised ethereal vocal lines.

The tactile sense of sun-kissed bliss reverberates to the forefront of the flawless anthem which attests to Bad Avocado’s songwriting and production chops. As the track crescendos, each moment of escalation is finely tuned, leading to hedonic breaks that burst with intensity. It’s in these moments that the track holds its breath, before plunging into a sonic rapture that’s textured with complexity and clarity.

Aguacate NewsHour Special (All of the Memories) dropped on June 24; stream the track on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Reach Nirvana with DJ Roko’s Slice of EDM ‘Heaven’

DJ Roko dialled up the disco dance-pop euphoria in his latest burst of beat-driven euphoria, Heaven; 90s disco nostalgia permeates the exhilarated EDM production that embodies the UK producer’s influence of David Guetta, Tiesto and Calvin Harris while leaving plenty of room for his signature style to ensnare the airwaves. If rhythm is a dancer, as Snap! proclaimed in ’92 it would get down to this hit that will maximise your lust for life.

The West Midlands-born, Glasgow-based artist and DJ first exhibited his talent for fusing kinetic rhythms with melodies that melt into the mind through his official debut release, Velocity, earlier this year, and has already attracted over 10k monthly Spotify listeners with the infectious intensity within his sound that will undoubtedly flood dancefloors throughout 2024.

With his self-produced debut LP, in addition to several other projects, ready to drop later this year, DJ Roko isn’t a name EDM fans will want to ignore for much longer.

Heaven was officially released on April 27; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Beats collided with raw, unbridled energy in DJ Lennon Mercury & Belle’s EDM collab, Midnight

Midnight” by DJ Lennon Mercury featuring Belle is a relentless force. This single, crafted by the masterful hands of DJ Lennon Mercury and penned by the Grammy-winning Belle, redefines the boundaries of EDM with its raw, unbridled energy.

From the get-go, “Midnight” grabs you by the soul. The hard-hitting hard house rhythms are merciless, seizing your rhythmic pulses and refusing to let go. The production is slick, a glossy testament to what the future of EDM can and should be. Belle’s vocals don’t just ride the beats; they electrify them, matching the high-octane, infectious intensity that’s set to dominate airwaves and devour dancefloors.

Picture the wild, unapologetic spirit of Icona Pop’s collaboration with Charlie XCX, then crank it up with hardstyle steroids – that’s the explosive vibe DJ Lennon Mercury has unleashed. Belle, with her history of lighting up stages worldwide, injects a raw, emotional depth into the track.

DJ Lennon Mercury, a maestro of the EDM scene, brings his signature blend of innovation to “Midnight.” Known for shaking up charts and crafting soundscapes that defy convention, his production on this track is a bold statement in a genre that thrives on the cutting edge.

Midnight stormed the airwaves on March 15; stream the single on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bluku: A Fusion Firestorm of Culture and Beats by Hype and Fever

Hype and Fever lived up to their moniker with their universally magnetic standout single, Bluku. The monocultural mould was rhythmically obliterated by the pulse-pounding kinetic melodies in the synthesis of Jamaican, Indian, and UK sonic culture.

If you like your beats hot, your bass heavy, and your rhythms tight, let your speakers ignite to the sound of the UK-residing duo which melds bansuri flutes with dancehall kicks to create a kaleidoscope of hybridic culture in their self-produced beats which pay an ode to their Jamaican and Indian heritage.

The explosively vibrant smorgasbord of culture delivers a burst of colour as Hype and Fever create friction on the instrumentals with their distinctively dominant bars that bring energy, fire, and enigmatic flair to ensure Bluku unravels as a dynamically intense release that is far too addictive to quit.

The momentum around Hype and Fever is only growing; be a part of their ascent.

Hype and Fever is now available to stream on YouTube, or you can add the release to your playlists.

To follow the next moves of the brother duo, link up on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Goshok explored the pleasure-pain parallel in his visceral EDM single, Reach You, ft Otto Palmborg

For his latest single, Reach You, the independent Czech music producer, DJ, and songwriter Goshok teamed up with Otto Palmborg to reach the pinnacle of electronica fervour.

Ironically, we couldn’t get his last single, On My Mind, off ours; if Reach You is anything to go by, his talents in infusing his momentous Kygo-inspired tracks with visceral emotions have become superlatively honed. Once you hit play, you’ll be immersed in a bitter-sweet hit that errs on the side of affectionate rapture. If you know how it feels to be caught in the middle of a relationship that forces you to explore the pleasure-pain parallel, the resonance in Reach You will be phenomenal.

By pulling in elements from across the EDM spectrum to enliven his tropical house edge and augment his pop hooks until they’re ensnaringly sharp, Goshok created a hit that could facilitate his dream to become the first producer from Czechia to feature on the line-ups at Tomorrowland, Coachella, and Balaton Sound.

Reach You hit the airwaves on August 25; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Izzy Trixx created a rhythmic firestorm of an introduction you’ll never forget with ‘Our Friend Manuela’

The Indonesian-Irish DJ and producer Izzy Trixx made no bones about shaking the EDM scene to its core by unleashing the vibrantly electrifying house mix, Our Friend Manuela.

With one of the most transcendent drops you will ever follow the descent of while the euphoria floods through your synapses and rhythmic pulses, Trixx lets it be known that there are few better producers equipped to lead you to a euphonic utopia. With over 7k monthly listeners after releasing her debut single, success isn’t just on the cards for Trixx, it is a given.

After spending ten years behind the decks, Trixx learned what it takes to make a crowd move; all her experience DJing everywhere from Singapore to New York, Jakarta to Germany was infused into her debut single that teased even greater things to come in her upcoming 5-track EP, But What If It All Goes Right. It is safe to say that there’s never been a better time to deliver hypnotically high-vibe sonic sanctity. For your own sake, get her on your radar.

Our Friend Manuela was officially released on July 21st; hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Have We Lost Our Destiny: Tim Young sees us going round and round like a lost mouse on Divided We Cannot Stand

Wondering if we still care or if our sails are misplaced in the windy sees of life, Tim Young tells us an honest story about how fractured this planet is on the old-school feeling single to relate with, Divided We Cannot Stand.

Tim Young is an experienced 62-year-old Willimantic, Connecticut-based indie folk solo singer-songwriter and former DJ who has a traditional feel for all music creations.

Worrying about society as a whole, Tim Young is rather brilliant and honest to the bone on Divided We Cannot Stand. This is memorable. It’s made with patient quality. Each lyric has been forged with knowledge and wisdom to learn from. Please put this on maximum volume and close your eyes. It will be worth it.

Divided We Cannot Stand from Willimantic, Connecticut-based indie folk artist Tim Young wonders if we shall ever learn. He sings with wisdom and care, showing us a beacon of hope like a lighthouse to bring the ships in during those dark and moody nights.

A leader is here for us to learn from. It would be foolish to ignore him.

Listen up on Spotify.

Follow his next moves on Facebook.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen