Fresh Out the Gate: The top releases of this week

A new week, a new raft of releases come Fresh Out the Gate. As usual in this weekly feature we round up what to spend your pocket money on and bring you the biggest signal passing through our TNG Peak Meter. This week it goes to Maceo Plex and his ‘Conjure One’ EP that dropped on Monday. However this week’s peaker was unbelievably tight-as-ever toss-up with a Louisahhh!!! collabo with Maelstrom on Bromance also kicking up some serious dust.

The man also known as Maetrik summons forth another dark sermon from the Ellum Audio book of dark arts. ‘Conjure Drama’ is like an exorcism – church organs attempt to banish the demonic stabs and swells while haunting pads add an underlying tension and intensity. ‘Conjure Bass’ is techno sorcery at its wickedest. A possessive spellbinder with Maceo Plex’s mark of craftsmanship and narrative woven into bass and drum. ‘Conjure Balearia’ is a hazy, uplifting cut of imperfect euphoria blended with typically resolute drops.

The Louisahhh!!!/Maelstrom combination transports us straight to the early hours. ‘Night Clubbing’ is a deep and gripping tech track with a bossy, prepensive vocal that causes some serious movement when it comes; this one really has to be heard! A hard act to follow but ‘Rough & Tender’ makes no attempt to bask in the glory of the title track. An expansive tech cut, the same female vocal style is used in a more indirect way to add character to the swollen, analog bass tones and rolling four-four rhythm.

Catz ‘n Dogz released the ‘Booty Comes First’/’Bones Shakin” two-tracker on Monday via Claude von Stroke’s Dirtybird. Yet another in a long line of energetic, jack-happy, side-to-siders from the dynamic Polish duo, Booty Comes First is our pick of the tech house droppers this week.

Drum & bass seems to be on a bit of a revival of late and not just as one prong of the evil, EDM trident (the other two being EDM-style dubstep and house). All kinds of DnB are seeing a similar rebirth to contemporary counterparts like deep house and garage, we’ve heard fresh takes and revisits of jungle, jump-up, liquid, you name it, so it’s no surprise that DnB is making some serious blips on our radar.

Monday saw Scar lay down the ‘Call to Arms’ EP on Dispatch. A lively throwback to a pandemic jump-up scene that was filling house parties and basement raves a decade ago, mixed with jungle sentiments that did exactly the same thing another decade previous. This third generation of DnB is no doubt more than a flash in the pan on the strength of releases we’re seeing at the minute. Another you can add to that is Command Strange as the ‘Future Perfect’ EP rolled out on Celsius Recordings this week. The hook-up with Dynamic for ‘Soul Travel’ is the pick of the bunch with a perfect summer time vibe.

Let’s sign off this week with an LP courtesy of the indie dance clan from San Fran, PillowTalk on Wolf + Lamb Records. A 13-track meandering offering up all kinds of sounds from organic, indie grooves to mellow, synthy, four-four tracks. ‘The Night I Met Luther’ was one of our favourites but the link-up with Thugfucker for ‘Homesick’ was TNG pick of the bunch.

 

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