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Electronic Dance Music Blog

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

Posted on 20 August 2024

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

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

Posted on 31 July 2024

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

litesleeper unveiled a pulsating prism of euphonic euphoria in their organic electronica release, Hertz

Posted on 26 July 2024

Hertz by litesleeper surpassed sound to become a sophisticated statement that carries the evolution of electronica on its pulsating back. The Northampton-based collective’s objective to arrest rhythmic pulses while simultaneously stirring the soul was efficaciously achieved through their amalgamation of organic instrumentation and powerful basslines.

Vocalist Shannon Kait honed the release with a razor-sharp indietronica edge; her soulfully ethereal and emotionally charged harmonies floating above intricately layered production ensured that Hertz had all the potential to become the definitive sound of the summer.

With a production that’s as lush as it is meticulously arranged, the transcendent quality of the seminal single strikes a perfect balance between bass-fuelled momentum and hypnotic serenity. The seraphically utopic hues are enough to liberate you from the mundanity of material reality.

Keen to orchestrate tracks that resonate with seasoned clubbers and casual electronica fans alike, the only thing that is more monumental than the cross-over appeal of the single is the synaesthesia which will ensnare you from the first tonally rich progression.

Hertz will be available to stream and download on all major platforms from July 26th; stream the single on SoundCloud first.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

80s euphoria grooved back around through Electraverb’s debut LP, NEON

Posted on 23 July 2024

In their debut LP, NEON, the synthpop duo, Electraverb, crafted a euphoric gateway to the 80s dancefloors. I Feel the Music, the standout single, ensnares through delicious grooves, neon-dripping chords, and sensuously magnetic vocal lines; each element ties together not just to revisit an aural era but to fuel it with contemporary fervour.

From the ashes of their previous project, Stoneblue, the founding members, Chris and Mazdak, seamlessly transitioned their synergy, catchy melodies and intricate guitar work which resounded through London’s synthpop scene in the 90s into their new project which marks their maturity as earworm architects.

The addition of esteemed backing vocalists Jo Garland and Shirley Lewis, known for their work with icons like George Michael and Elton John, is a testament to Electraverb’s determination to push their sound to the heights celebrated by their influences.

If you envisioned an aural love child of The Human League, Kraftwerk and George Michael, you’d conjure a reflection of the scintillating soul which oscillates through I Feel the Music which delivers hypnotic rhythms as the harsh snares pierce the lush reverb under the harmonised to the nines vocals.

NEON was officially released on June 14th; stream the LP in full via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

From Earth to Utopia: Galactica Tranctica Fearlessly Innovated the Trance Anthem with the Cosmic Unconventionality of ‘Cleopatra’

Posted on 11 July 2024

One of the most fearlessly innovative forces in trance, Galactica Tranctica, has made a name for himself with his eclectically styled and unapologetically unconventional singles and EPs. His eagerly anticipated debut LP, Forgotten Forever, which hit all major streaming platforms in June, etched his legacy.

His intuitive exploration of a cosmos of styles, textures, tones, and emotions prises the listener from material reality into interstellar journeys through utopias of ecstasy. The standout single, Cleopatra, is a progressive tour de force which teems with euphoric energy and filters diverse layers of electronica into a cohesive soundscape of bass-swathed beats, transcendent ethereal motifs, and experimental synths, which showcase an artist unafraid to explore new territories to lead his listeners to the brink of nirvana and beyond.

Influenced by Grimes’ ability to obliterate aural boundaries with sound, Jason Poole, the mastermind behind Galactica Tranctica, follows suit with his intrinsically originated, expansive as a solar system, productions which have earned plaudits from BBC Radio Introducing, Amazing Radio, and Wigwam Radio.

Stream Cleopatra and the Forgotten Forever LP on Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bitvert – Deletist: A Techno-Punk Invocation of Resistance

Posted on 9 July 2024

Bitvert’s latest release, Deletist, is an off-kilter slice of pulse-pounding experimental electronica, crafted in the heart of East London’s artist quarter—where creativity thrives despite economic and political adversity.

The encapsulation of the struggle against a dysfunctional government and parasitic leaders embodies the spirit of liberation and defiance; the punk ethos charges the sequence of nocturnal electro, born through an amalgamation of spectral electronica, 4/4 techno beats and kinetic sub-bass frequencies.

The single’s release coincided with the new government’s election, yet it remains timely all the same, given the sense of nihilism and despair that remains pervasive in the UK’s collective psyche. Deletist serves as a bass-drenched techno resistance, a sonic uprising against the subjugation that has eroded hope and fuelled a belief in our epoch’s irreversible regression.

With punk’s spirit relegated to the shadows of the music industry, Bitvert ensures its essence endures through his frenetic rhythms that testify to the times, call for unity and vindicate through volition.

Deletist was released on the 4th of July via We Are Not Content; stream the single on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Batka – Ałive: An Electronic Odyssey Between Serenity and Storm

Posted on 7 July 2024

BaŁka went down a cinematic storm in their latest release, Ałive, featuring PRESPHNE. The seductively progressive hit opens on a note of ethereal transcendence with the intricate instrumental layers efficaciously complementing the quiescent harmonic whispers, but it isn’t long before the intensity builds within the momentum of the tour de force of seamlessly chameleonic shifts in tone and tempo.

The head-spinning hits of Drum ‘n’ bass contort Ałive into a pulsative juggernaut of an anthem; the industrial rock aesthetics which follow act as further attestations to BaŁka’s ability to move sonic mountains with virtuosic melodic manipulations.

From the exponentially expansive crescendos to the transient installations of nature-infused cathartic tranquillity which follows like serenity after a storm purges the atmosphere, Ałive is definitive proof that few artists are as capable as BaŁka in depicting the duality between the brutality and ferocity of the human experience.

The inspiration for his powerful sound design is so much more than just an abstract concept. The thematic essence of his work hits you as hard as the beats, which goes a fair way in explaining how in six months within the industry, he’s already had an official release on MONTA Records, been signed by the LA-based music group, Cage Riot, and garnered over 30k streams.

Stream Ałive on all major platforms, including Spotify, now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Electro-House Goes Pop in Secret Wish’s EP Melody of the Music Man

Posted on 1 July 2024
Secret Wish

Secret Wish’s hotly anticipated EP, Melody of the Music Man, kicks off with the unfetteredly feel-good 7th Heaven Radio Edit before blasting into the 7th Heaven Club Mix, then progresses into the DJ Combo & Rayman Rave, Duumix, DIM3NSION, and Stelios remixes; offering nine different ways to experience the euphoric waves of electro house as they progressively crash on the shores of airwaves and dancefloors worldwide.

The opening iteration of Melody of the Music Man starts with a simple AVICII-esque piano melody before erupting into a disco-grooved EDM anthem for the ages, not just the summer; the appeal of an EDM anthem in this evocatively and melodically liberating vein could never come close to temporal.

The track reaches the epitome of sun-drenched rhapsodic bliss through layers of transcendentally augmented instrumental layers; the beats bring just as much enraptured ecstasy as the synths as they endlessly ascend throughout the progressive house mix that stands as a testament to the Belgian duo’s ability to craft infectious dance-pop anthems with global appeal.

Their music consistently tops charts across Europe and Asia, demonstrating their ability to transcend borders with crowd-pleasing anthems while injecting high-octane energy into productions hooked with a timelessly finessed pop sensibility. It’s safe to assume that Melody of the Music Man will be sitting scintillatingly pretty at the top of the charts before long.

Stream the Melody of the Music Man EP in full on all major platforms via this link from July 1st.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sharon West – Fake: A Euro Disco House Anthem of Pulsating Vindication

Posted on 17 June 2024

Sharon West’s latest single, Fake, created in collaboration with Nick Jay and Jean Luc is an electrifying euro disco house installation of euphoria underpinned by a scathingly sharp persecution of pretenders. The track’s synthesis of retro disco grooves, solid beats, and Sharon’s powerhouse vocals creates a hedonically rhythmic hit that delivers catharsis with infectiously kinetic rhythms that any dancefloor would want to devour.

Sharon West’s journey from live band performances to becoming a sought-after House, Dance, and EDM vocalist and songwriter is reflected in this potent release. Her evolution in the music scene has been marked by her debut album, Revelation, and a series of celebrated collaborations.

Now that Fake has permeated the airwaves, there will be no stopping West in her mission to revolutionise the airwaves. It’s so much more than a nostalgic nod to the forebearers of house; it’s a deeply visceral experience where familiar rhythmic warmth meets the searing burn of truth.

Stream the Radio Edit of Fake on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lose your head and your heartbreak on the dancefloor with Sam Macdonald’s nu-disco hit, I Wanted More

Posted on 2 June 2024

80s synth pop vicariously lives and breathes through Sam Macdonald’s latest nu-disco hit, I Wanted More, which is a testament to the artist and producer’s cultivated talent, honed while studying music production at Leeds Conservatoire.

Hit play and be force-fed ear candy through the synthesis of the rhythmically compulsive disco grooves and the 80s Madonna-esque vocals that don’t stop at soaring above the production; the passion within them wraps around the track like an incandescent aura you will want to bask in time and time again.

The euphoria within the fiery neon-lit tour de force, which finds a vindicating way to address the dejection of not being able to meet unrealistic romantic expectations ensures that anyone who has been burnt by that particular old flame before will be able to lose their head and heartbreak on the dancefloor with this flawless hit.

I Wanted More was officially released on May 10th and is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast