“It Knows” – Sven Lochenhoer
Sven Lochenhoer’s It Knows EP is a nod to the 2005 origins of Dirtybird: left-field, wonky house music. Crafted for the club, the titular track blends piano melodies, warped chords and warm basslines.
“It Was Misunderstood” – Tal Fussman
Innervisions’ Secret Weapons series is chock full of dancefloor-smashing house and techno curated by label heads Dixon and Âme. The 14th edition arrives armed with “It Was Misunderstood,” a particularly lethal tune by Tal Fussman.
“Majboor” – SIDD
Sampling a famous Noor Jehan song on “Majboor,” SIDD continues his streak of tech house with a Pakistani touch. An Urdu word that translates to being compelled and helpless, “Majboor” is a fitting title for the track, which was written when SIDD had to quarantine in Croatia—one of the only countries allowing Pakistanis to enter at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic—for two weeks en route to London.
“Hawa” – Elif, Nhii
Another resounding track born out of pandemic travel woes, “Hawa” was crafted by Elif and Nhii when the U.S. imposed a travel ban that included Europeans last summer.
“Chris [Nhii] had to spend 2 weeks outside of Schengen zone,” Elif wrote on Instagram. “He crashed some days at mine in Istanbul and of course us being two nerds, we spent a lot of time in my studio. This is when ‘Hawa’ and ‘Coup de Foudre’ came to life, basically us messing around in the studio, showing each other stuff (mostly Chris to me), playing with synths, VSTs and samples”
The fortuitous collaboration shines in using percussive elements to build tension and propel the energy of the track.
“Escape” (Spencer Brown Remix) – Kx5
Spencer Brown’s stripped techno take on Kx5’s (deadmau5 and Kaskade’s collaborative project) first single has a back-story as dramatic as the kick drum of the remix.
“I was honored to be asked to remix ‘Escape,’” Brown said. “I spent months working and submitted the final product. Rejected. Feeling down, I whipped up another from scratch while touring. Rejected.”
Despite two rejections, Brown didn’t give up.
“Last shot. I booked a flight home with the intention of making a harder-edged version for my sets,” he continued. “16 hours of work in 1 sitting later, the third attempt was born. Next thing I know, one of the hardest to please (deadmau5) was thrilled with it (lol). Kx5 debuted it at EDC, and the mau5 has been playing it in his solo sets. What an honor!”
Brown’s tale is one as old as time: keep pushing past life’s hurdles and good things will come.
“Spitfire” (Dosem Remix) – Paige, Nihil Young, Beacon Bloom
Dosem dials up the temperature on his remix of “Spitfire.” Acid-inspired drops and a classic techno kick replace the original track’s progressive and deep house flavors.
“Beyond The Depths” – DIM KELLY
Dim Kelly’s Mangrove EP finds a fitting home on All Day I Dream, a label revered for its curation of serene, melodic house music. Classic, organic instrumentation brings “Beyond The Depths,” a track off the EP, to life, spawning an eight-minute journey with euphoric highs and tension-building lows.
“And The Sky Opened” – Nox Vahn
Radiant progressions and stuttered synths lead listeners through Nox Vahn’s “And The Sky Opened.” Embracing the track’s title, the ascending soundscape bursts into a joyous beat.
“The Attention Deficit Track” – Skream, Jackmaster
Skream’s first single of the year is a manic collaboration with Jackmaster called “The Attention Deficit Track.”
“Taking inspiration from how Lory D uses and manipulates hip hop vocals in his live set we did a live take on the 909 with the sample using an oldBoss mixer and straight away felt we had something special in the making that was perfect for the Terrace at DC10,” the pair said. “Between the frantic nature of the arrangement, the madness of the dance-floor at DC10 and the 909 influence, ‘The Attention Deficit Track’ was the perfect name for the record.”
“Material” – OLAN
Off OLAN’s debut album Contra, “Material” is breezy, feel-good house music.
