Picks Of The Week (13.06.20

1. Fourward - Deep Inside [Elevate Records]

Recommended if you like: Sub Focus - Siren, Fourward - Nobody, Making Bass Faces

This year is really starting to feel like the year of the dancefloor album for me. Yep, that's how I'll remember 2020.

Four weeks ago, Fourward, the Austrian drum and bass boy band of formely four, now shrunk to two, producers have announced their third album. After their first single How with Birmingham singer Dakota Sixx, the dynamic duo now dropped their second single Deep Inside of their fo(u)rthcoming album Lose Control. Moving forward, lets drop the number puns and talk about the single. Hehe, forward.

Deep Inside has quickly climbed up my ladder on my list of "tunes I absolutely HAVE to hear live". It's so massive I'm barely able to cope while listening to it at home on a low volume, I don't know if I'd actually survive it live. The first time I listened to it, it actually caught me off guard so much I couldn't hold the bass face back at work. I sometimes fear that if I listen to it too much I might get stuck in a permanent state of bass face. Just.. wow.

2. Dimension - Saviour [Dimension]

Recommended if you like: Culture Shock, The Prototypes, Dimension - Black Church

Did someone say album coming this year? Oh yeah, you thought Metrik, MUZZ, Fourward and maybe Maduk or Pendulum dropping albums wasn't enough? Then I have some good news for you, my fellow dancefloor fan: Dimension has joined the 2020 album club.

Arguably one of the biggest success stories of the last decade, Dimension has become a staple of every big festival and Dancefloor DnB playlist. After a few years under the wings of Cyantific and Chase & Status and support from pretty much everyone in- and outside the scene, he started releasing his music on his own label, aptly named Dimension. Slowly but surely he leaned into the industrial, Gesaffelstein-esque aesthetic, from the mostly black and white release artworks to his all-black attire. If you have seen the latest teaser video for this album, you will probably know that he didn't slow down on this transformation. In fact it seems like he has gone what the experts call Full Gesaffelstein. I love it. Even the sparkly jacket.

Even though Dimension is a name pretty much everyone in the scene will recognize, he has always released his music single by single, EP by EP. In other words, this will actually be his debut album, after around 8 years in the scene. The first single of this for him unprecedentedly big project, Saviour, is through-and-through Dimension. A big vocal-driven festival anthem with an iconic vocal performance that gives me Black Church vibes all the way through. What a way to start an album.

3. Annix - Tunnel Vision LP [Playaz]

Recommended if you like: Turno, Simula, Levela

Did someone say album coming this year? Wait, this one's already out? Oh shit.

I'm going to be honest with you. I'm not the hugest jump up fan. My jump up playlist is probably 1/10 the size of the other subgenres. But if it's well produced, I'm listening. That said, Annix are one of the few jump up artists I actively follow. Their unique sound and ability to constantly blow my socks off is just commendable. So when they announced their third album for this year I was hyped.

Having listened to it completely now, I must say.. I'm still hyped! If you're familiar with Konichi and Decimal Bass's work, you will instantly recognize some of their signature sounds in Tunnel Vision. Especially Head Shot, Fever and their Simula collab Stutter have that Annix feel to them. Combined with 2020 remixes of Millionaire and their Kanine collab Jackpot, signature Annix sound fans will get their money's worth. Especially that Jackpot remix, what an absolutely ridiculous album opener. This album is far from over though!

With Behind Time the duo proved that they are also capable of exploring deeper and more melancholic athmospheres instead of the ol' reliable bangers. Speaking of bangers, this wouldn't be a 2020 jump up album if there wasn't at least one large foghorn tune on it. Of course I'm talking about the collab with RAM prodigy Skantia, Clapper. If you're more in the mood for unconventional flows and melodies, you should check out Darkness with Simula or Boomerang. Even if you're more of a neuro person, you might enjoy Regenerator, a tune that sounds exactly what I'd imagine a Gydra x Annix collaboration would be like.

I guess we have an album special on our hands. Obviously I planned this. Yes.

4. Despersion - Warhead EP [Neuropunk Records]

Recommended if you like: Merikan, Razlom, Russian Neurofunk

Did someone say album coming this year? Argh, no, this doesn't work here. I should probably plan this kind of stuff beforehand.

Two months ago, in a time when streams were still kind of a rarity, I followed a link to the 50th iteration of the Neuropunk Podcast that the Teddy Killerz shared on their socials. In it, Bes from Gydra and Paperclip showcased over 2h 30mins of recent or upcoming works from Russian artists. Even though I was very lost in that livestream chat, as I probably was the only non-russian speaking person in there, I still had a blast. Why do I tell you all this? Because one of the many reasons I had such a good time was a lot of new dubs from one of the most promising newcomers from Russia, Despersion, also known as Decent & Snapper. Direct quote from myself from April: "There's like 3 or 4 Despersion Dubs I want in this mix, wtf". Those 3-4 dubs have now been released as the Warhead EP!

As one of the many underrated Neurofunk talents from Russia, the duo has been smashing it for a while now, especially since they merged into Despersion. Releases on Empire Recordings, Kill Tomorrow and SLK Records have proven that they're a force to be reckoned with. But this new Warhead EP on Neuropunk is something else. The title track is such a beautiful combination of melodic elements and Merikan or Gancher & Ruin levels of pure carnage, I love it. Peace and Offensive continue delivering the dirtiest Neuro sounds and keep the energy levels high until we arrive at I Need You Know, my second favorite track of the EP. Unlike the other tracks, I Need You Now leans way more into the melodic side of Despersion's arsenal. René LaVice vibes. Big things to come from those two!

This week of releases is driving me crazy. I feel like I have to give quick shoutouts to these ones too that I would have covered in any other "weaker" week:

QZB, Amoss - Nautilus / Tigra [Flexout] (pssst qzb also has an album coming soon)
DC Breaks - Back For More / Picket Line (Technimatic Remix) [RAM Records] (this is also actually part of their 15 year anniversary album)
Magnetude - Made Of Ashes [Evolution Chamber] (sadly no album this year.. unless?)
Keeno & Etherwood - Fall Beneath You / Equinox [Hospital Records]
Villem, McLeod, Leo Wood - Siren [Spearhead Records]

5. Various Artists - Caffeine Rush 2 (High Tea Music Presents) [High Tea Music]

Recommended if you like: Maduk (Liquicity in general), Netsky, just.. good vibes

Do you want something to brighten your mood? Are you a fan of cheesy (no judgement here), uplifting dancefloor? If yes you are at exactly the right place!

The dutch label High Tea Music is one of the best and most underrated places for happy and uplifting electronic music out there, from liquid to dancefloor to even some non-dnb genres. What started as an event series in Amsterdam, quickly evolved into a label showcasing the kind of vibes featured at said events. Founded in 2016 by T & Sugah and ZAZU, the label has since then featured the likes of Andromedik, Lexurus, High Maintenance or NCT. One of the various different compilation series they run on the label is the Caffeine Rush series, which mostly focuses on the more energetic side of uplifting drum and bass. And boy, did they do a great job with this second installation.

Even though this compilation includes a few bigger names like Dossa & Locuzzed, BLVCK CROWZ or Blooom, this is still going to be my Diamond In The Rough™ of the week, due to the amount of amazing up-and-coming producers featured. Rex Hooligan and Pillerin, Haszan & Overload, Effected Life, Revilo & Z3nit are names I had never heard of before this compilation, but are now firmly in my to-watch list because their contributions to the compilations were just that good. One of my favorite underrated names in the subgenre, Phonetic, also delivered yet another catchy af track that I'll surely be rinsing for a looong time. If you're not a huge fan of cheesy vocals, you might still enjoy the tracks by Psynchro, who take us on an atmospheric yet bouncy ride, and Sensus, whose track is probably the darkest on the label yet. What a week man.

Other Hidden Gems this week:

Art1fact - Loophole
Linear - Lost In Sight
Heymac, Linear, Henry, and many more - Back To Back 6, Vol. 2
Dbrief - Fire In Me / Way Back When
Entita - Callisto
Various Artists - Bare Necessities Volume 1