Picks Of The Week (02.05.26

1. Alias - Equanimity [Selfreleased]

Recommended if you like: Lukher, Laetho, RageMode

Aaand we're back!

First order of business, let's talk about my newest favourite discovery, Alias! (What's next, an artist named ID?)

1.1. General Greaves (2023 - 2026)

Ethan Jorge David Greaves, the London-born amalgation of names behind this particular project, has been punching above his weight for quite some time now - and not just because he's also literally a boxer! During his time as a student of Liverpool's Hope University, so about 2023, Ethan has not only participated in various RumRiddimzRun yard parties at the port city's very own Meraki, but has also officially started his production career. Mostly distributed by himself, he started showing off his productionary prowess online with plenty of originals and the occasional bootleg of the likes of Crystal's 'The Days' and Soundgarden's 'Black Hole Sun'. With 2025's 'Let It Blow' releasing on Warlock, he finally made the jump into the wide world of labels, opening the door for other imprints like LOCU or DUNXX' very own Twin X Collective to get him on board. Going through all of these, but especially the latterest, it's actually mad how much talent there is to discover in all of platforms Ethan has appeared on so far.

But more on that at another point in time - what's the deal with this new one then?

1.2. Equanimity

With an ominous mix of middle eastern flutes, staggered vocal chops searching for their home, and straight-up haunting vocals, Ethan slowly but surely introduces us to the world of Equanimity, before ripping the curtain open to unveil a full-scale orchestra, featuring gorgeous strings, brass, and powerful vocals, supported in its holistic efforts by powerful reese basses underneath. As if that wasn't enough of a stress test for our evenness of mind, Mr. Alias then brings out an even more fully unleashed wave of bass that's first teased in perhaps mind-meltdown-mitigating combination with the orchestra, before being fully let loose in the drop. With more layers and heaps more distortion than ever, the bass turns into a leviathan of sound design ripping through any- and everything in its wake, only to be interrupted by the response melody sharply concentrated into piercing stabs.

1.3. Conclusion

Cinematic, haunting, all-out (Eth-)annihilatory - this one is incredible!

Other techy things from this week:

AUGVST, Indy Skies - Burn 💎
FLOONK - Be Alright
The Upbeats - Escape / Wubber Subber
Blacksite, Ethera - Bloodroot 💎

2. Gravitape - Carnival 💎 [Gunsta Records]

Recommended if you like: Magnetude, Ekwols, Rusty K

Next up, a talent I have been meaning to talk about for quite some time now: Gravitape!

2.1. Be kind, rewind (2021 - 2026)

Saint Petersburg based talent Stepanov Egor Andreevich is one of the sickest new names in the Neurofunk realm. However, once again, I am a bit handicapped in my ability to properly research this fan favourite of mine, due to the language and platform barrier most of the info about this Russian artist is hidden behind. For instance, I know that the Gravitape project goes back to 2021, when it debuted on TriaMer with the wonderfully Memtrix-inspired 'Arcade'. However, that double single is attributed to a certain Anton Sumarakov, who I cannot find a single other thing about. Maybe that's a misattribution? Or the project has changed hands since then? Or it used to be a duo? Something with clones? Or perhaps he just changed his name? I could not tell you!

So let's stick to what I can tell you then. After this first outing, the project took a bit of a hiatus, until finally reemerging in 2024, with a whole slew of releases on the ever-underrated High Resistance. Whether on his own or in collaboration with Rieger and Perimetre, whether on compilations like chapter two of the Nemesis saga or on solo releases - if you saw the name Gravitape, you knew you were in for a banger and some more. As a successful student of the Neuropunk Academy, he got closer to the attached umbrella of labels, i.e. Paperclip's Paperfunk (more like Gravit-ape-rfunk) and Tamrecords successor Neuropunk, laid down some smashers on various Neurobunker streams, and appeared on more and more lineups, but that's not even all! Labels like Gunsta and most recently TRCD's VTO Records sought to feature the gravitational ape and his now more and more cinematic, Magnetude-influenced productions, with the crowning jewel so far having been the In There EP from earlier this month. I was actually quite sad when I didn't have the capacity to feature him then, but luckily, the man kept the bangers flowing and brought us yet another reason to talk about him - Carnival on Gunsta Records!

2.2. Carnival

Drumroll please! With a captivating arrangement of marching drums, aggressively staccato violins, and incredibly effective vocalisation, this one opens the exhibitionary doors in an even more dramatic fashion than Zendaya's and Pattinson's latest flick. Kids screaming, crowd noises, a ghost train passing through, spaghetti western guitars tingling in the air - and a fast-approaching bassline making a dnbeeline towards us. A swift roar of the lion later, and we're thrown into the mix of catchy horror melodies and rather large lower end movements rhythmically chained to the melody that is the drop. This formula transcends these initial contraints quickly with a back and forth between short-breathed high-register vocals and its accompanying melody underneath, before returning to the safe haven of chaos and demolition.

2.3. Conclusion

A delightfully whimsical symphony of serious destruction. Can never get enough of this sort of melodic Neurofunk, so more please!

Other neuro from this week:

TANTRON, Wiguez, Moneo - ICARUS (<3)
Mandidextrous, Tanukichi - Tunnel Vision (Zombie Cats & Nemean Remix)
Prolix, PENGSHUi - Deep In The Grave
Nemean - The Torrent (Redpill Remix)
JIROBASS - Shogi Shogi / Se mettre d'accord