Picks Of The Week (25.07.20

1. Fourward - Lose Control LP [Elevate Records]

Recommended if you like: L33, Prolix, State Of Mind

I hope you're ready to lose some control. Because no matter how much you want to fight it, that's just what will happen to you when you listen Fourwards third album.

Fourward, nowadays colloquially known as Twoward, are a collection of Austrian producers that started releasing music way back in 2007. Never being restricted to one particular subgenre or sound, with every member bringing something different to the table, they found a way to make listening to new Fourward a treat every single time. They regularly release on labels that appear to be on different sides of the dnb spectrum, switching back and forth between Eatbrain and Shogun or Elevate.

The album kicks off in the best way possible: With a absolutely huge banger. The titular Lose Control just makes you want to throw something. Or at least wave your arms around violently. The diversity in Fourward's production I mentioned earlier immediatelly becomes apparent with the follow-up How, a beautiful liquid track with even more beautiful vocals by Dakota Sixx. What's that? You want more bangers? Don't worry, the duo got you covered with Deep Inside. I covered this one already when it was released as a single, but I still have to mention it again here, because it's just that huge. Just a complete dancefloor annihilator. What Is It is pretty much the "album track" of Lose Control, experimenting with different tempos and just being weird and funky, with some great vocals by Jakes. After that it's straight back to back-to-back bangers. Ascension lifts us up and tears us down with some of my favorite drums on the album. Tonight, also known as "that ID - ID from Let it Roll 2019's Eatbrain League set", is the track that made me put this album on my album of the year list. It's my favorite of this release and probably just my favorite by them in general. It's everything I like about Fourward's neurofunk-and-dancefloor-hybrid kind of dnb. The austrian masterminds continue the melodic part of the album with some very interesting synth work on Science Fiction. The energy further calms down on the very liquid Let Me Down with Charlotte Haining, who's had one of her most productive years in recent history, from her various solo work releases and remixes to a full-length album with Spearhead label boss BCee. The next one, Levels, reminds me of a slightly more chill version of State Of Mind's Nothing More To Say: a steady melodic rhythm that pushes you forward in more subtle ways than the usual bangers. Haha, forward. Finally we arrive at the closing track and also the very first single of the album, All4Myself, released in the distant times of 2019. If I went back in time and told myself about how great the album this track is part of will be, I probably wouldn't have believed myself. I mean, I guess I would mostly freak out because I somehow managed to time travel and used that for something as stupid as this, but you get what I mean.

One of the best albums of this year for sure.

2. Satl - 4Lyfe [Integral Records]

Recommended if you like: Dawn Wall, Mohican Sun, Artificial Intelligence (well, duh, its Integral)

After this journey I think we should all settle back for a bit. With some new Satl. Haha, Satl back. Hilarious.

Ever since his super big EP on North Quarter "Things We Can't See", which was one of my favorite dnb releases of 2019, Satl has been one of my favorite liquid producers. If I had to use one word to describe his sound, it would be "vibey". It's music you could play in a cafe. Or listen to on a rainy sunday. This analogy is sponsored by the great weather we're having over here.

One of the great things about the polish producer is that he seems to map his vibey sound to the sound of the label he releases on, which is especially noticeable in his not-quite-albums. Things We Can't See had a very soulful vibe to it, just like most of the other latest North Quarter releases. Similarly, 4Lyfe incorporates a lot of the Integral sounds into it. From the drums to the vocal samples used, it all fits perfectly.

Seriously, this whole release is a pure vibe the whole way through. The title track, the Artificial Intelligence collab Don't Rush, the first single So Much Better, Crave You, the second single Feelings and Lost Myself are all just excellent pieces of liquid dnb. On Yin and Yang Satl shows us that he can also go a unusual route if he wants to. Both tracks are great examples of how different two tracks can sound, even if they have a lot in common, which would in this case be the rolling tribal drums, the deep bass or the great second drops.

One of the best EPs of this year for sure.

3. Magnetude - Trail Of Tears [Evolution Chamber]

Recommended if you like: Mewone!, Rusty K

So many of my favorite artists released music this week. I covered two of them above, but there's also Dimension, Kove, Millbrook, Halogenix, there's even a new massive Hospital Records compilation. But for me, one of them blows all the others away: Magnetude.

The alliance between Russia-based Rustam Mansurov, also known as Rusty K, and London-based James Peacock, who some of you might know from his label work on Overtech Music, is simply my favorite in the whole dnb scene right now. The way they merge dubstep-infused neurofunk with cinematic melodies and atmospheres is just my favorite thing in the world. And all those variations in their drops. Every second drop is different than the first. Ahhh. I could go on forever.

I've always liked Rustam's output as Rusty, but once he started producing together with James as Magnetude in 2016, the releases have just become insanely good. After having released on labels like Lifted Music, Eatbrain and even RAM Records, they decided in 2019 that it was time for a creative outlet of their own, so they founded their label Evolution Chamber with Task Horizon.

Since then, they've put out some of my favorite releases of them so far. Falling, I'm For You and their absolutely outrageously good remix of Delta Heavy's Replicant are all exactly the kind of neurofunk I love. What can I say, they once again hit it out of the park with Trails Of Tears. Inspired by the works of the late Ennio Morricone, complete with all kinds of guitars and Spaghetti Western cover art, this is Magnetude at their best. Unique instruments and melodies paired with monstrous basses and variations out the wazoo.

One of the best singles of this year for sure.

Also, please check out some of these (can't write a review about all of them):

TOKiMONSTA, Vanjess - Come And Go (Halogenix Remix) (!!!)
Various Artists - Hospitality House Party
Various Artists - Korsakov Music Presents Future Stars Vol. 1
Millbrook, Selin - All Night
Kove - Power
Annix - I Like To
Dimension - Hatred (I like it at least)

4. Yerite - Don't Need Me [Selfreleased]

Recommended if you like: NCT, T & Sugah, Fox Stevenson

It's time for this week's Underrated Release Spotlight Of The Week™!

At this point you might have picked on my love for cheesy uplifting Liquicity-esque dancefloor. If you didn't, well now you know. One of my favorite discoveries in that specific subgenre is the finnish producer Yerite.

The self-proclaimed "Just another EDM artist" from Tampere has been on a roll lately. I've actually listened to his track Searching before, but it was the release before this one, Gravitation, that really drew my attention. And I'm happy to say that Don't Need Me is once again right up my alley. Cheesy but catchy vocals, great melodies, you know, the good stuff. Apparently he couldn't find a label to release this beauty on, so he just released it on Spotify himself. I bet they regret that decision now. Okay, enough fanboying. I'm just really looking forward to more of this. There's not much dnb in his back catalogue, but I'm holding out hope that the last three singles he put out are an indication of more to come.

Other Hidden Gems this week:

OaT, Smeerlapp - Scabs (another german release, yay)
Nemy - Lucid Things / Link
Beatmool - Falling EP
Changer - Lost In You / Cinema Club
HEFT - Starry Sky EP
PINTO (CA) - White Lies