Picks Of The Week (23.01.21

1. CLIQUES. - CLIQUES GOT DUBS VOL. 2 [Cliques Collective Audio]

Recommended if you like: The Prototypes, DC Breaks, Dossa & Locuzzed

Since I spent of most my time this week on the Toronto Is Broken album review, I didn't have too much time to focus on the usual weekly reviews. But if you think that means there won't be a Hidden Gem of The Week™ this week, you are sorely mistaken! Come on, you should know me better at this point! While not quite as unknown as some of the previous entries in this series, CLIQUES. are still way too unknown for the quality they put out and deserve all the attention they can get. Their music just cliques with me, you know? Their latest release, the CLIQUES GOT DUBS VOL. 2 EP is the best example of that.

But wait, who are CLIQUES. even? Why do they have a dot at the end of their name? Why does every single track by them bang so much? These and more questions I asked myself since I first heard of them. Even after some thorough searching, I'm not really much closer to where I started though. Let's go through what I know, shall we?

CLIQUES., or Cliques Collective Audio, or CCA, have been active since at least 4 years now. In 2016 they uploaded their first Dancefloor DnB mix to their SoundCloud page, followed by a jungle classics mix a few months later. Then, nothing happened for 4 years. Out of nowhere, they upload a bootleg/edit of Saint Jhn - Roses, which is also when they started becoming more active on their socials. Shortly after, they got quite a bit of exposure due to DnB React Youtuber Mr. Ravingface. Yes, that's a thing apparently. Another few months later, they released their first official release CLIQUES GOT DUBS VOL. 1 on their own Cliques Collective Audio label. Towards the end of the year they released a track on ProgRAM's Programmed, Vol. 5, which also got featured in RAM's annual compilation.

That's pretty much it. I managed to find some of the real names associated with CLIQUES., also known as The Golden Skull, but that didn't even lead me any further. How, you ask? Well, their names are so generic that searching for them just gives me results about random footballers or CEOs. Oh yeah, apparently one of them is a street artist, but I don't even know which one or if that's even still accurate. Only the best journalism here.

Oh well. Enough of this wild goose chase, let's about the music!

First up, we've got Samurai, which funnily enough is already the second track from this week that's called that. And both are really good! Unlike the other Samurai, this one is a bit more epic though. The buildup is pulling all the stops: loads of strings, dramatic pianos, Samurai fighting sounds, everything. Then the drop announces itself with a big, and I mean BIG, floor-filling sound that will destroy eardrums on dancefloors everywhere. In other words, BRRR. Then it goes straight to textbook dancefloor drop that makes you move that head of yours, even if you're still busy pulling a huge bassface. The call-and-response between the Prototypes-esque dancefloor beat and the BRRR is just perfect. I say Prototypes-esque mostly because it drops into this even nastier version of itself in the second half of the drop, something that I just associate with them at this point. The whole thing is just executed super cleanly, huge banger this one.

Next up we've got Not From This World, which is fitting, because CLIQUES. are just so good that it would make more sense to me if they were aliens at this point. Just like on Samurai, the intro already tells you this is going to be one mean sounding track. A menacing atmosphere that is complemented with haunting vocals that repeat the track's title prepares you for the impending dark stomper of a drop. I assume the vocals are from Marianna Ray, but since she's not credited it's hard to tell exactly. If it's not her, the vocalist is doing a great impression of her though! If the intro didn't convince you already that this alien life form isn't coming in peace, the drop thunderously smacking you right in the face should dispel your doubts quickly. Fun fact: There's a remix of this track in the works by none other than TC!

With the EP closer Heaven CLIQUES. manage to cancel out all the spooky scary vibes the first two tracks gave off. For this undertaking the crew got Thomson Knoles, a modern jazz pianist from Asheville in North Caroline, to play some jazzy piano riffs for them and Will Allen Jr to serenade the audience even more with one of his smooth loungy vocals. By combining all these with some funky fresh uplifting dancefloor vibes The Golden Skull crew created a track that just puts a smile on your face.

All in all, there's so many different styles to choose from on this EP that chances are pretty good you will clique with at least one of them. Not just that, but all of them are executed so well it really makes you wonder where they have been all this time. Really awesome EP. And I'm not just CLIQUE-baiting you with that statement, I really mean it.

P.S.: Also check out the new Millbrook and Grafix & Degs, both so soo good.

Other Hidden Gems:

latesleeper - She Grew Wings / Six Gill
Sol Pillars - Newtown Nuance EP
Various Artists - Unsung Heroes 14 [Soul Deep Digital]
Fitchett. - For A While
Various Artists - Foundations Vol. 3 [Four Corners]
Bobby - Back To Lockdown
Khramer - Bodied
Pseudonym - 5 Years In