Here at TNG we are quite partial to a bit of a bit of bassy footwork, so when Hamertje Tik’s EP ‘You & I’ slipped into the inbox we were pretty gassed about it.
Basserk Records have been churning out some delicious bass music of late (check our interview and guest mix with Seamonk, another of their artists) and we are seriously impressed!
Hamertje Tik is the alter-ego of Dutch drummer and producer Joris Feiertag, who describes his sound as ‘Dutch Bass’: a mix of UK bass, UKG, funk and down-tempo electronica. With catchy melodies, syncopated beats and bespoke samples, on ‘You & I’ he captures a refreshingly organic sound: spinning together intricate percussive patterns with hefty bass and neat vocal clips.
Opening with ‘The Forbidden Fruit’, which launches in with warm synth pads and scintillating melodics, Hamertje has us hooked from the word go. ‘I remember (my sight)’ delves in further with crisp-sounding instrumentation and jaunty tribalistic drum work to build an uplifting momentum akin to that of Afriquoi’s 2012 summer hit ‘Kuduashe’.
As the EP progresses his credentials as a drummer become more and more evident: in every beat the rhythm is both fresh and spot-on for the track. ‘I want you’ is a surging roller with reference points in the work of James Blake and Burial, drawing out strong melodic elements amongst fluid and dancey beats. This vibe continues on ‘Jane Pocodat’, before pulling back a bit into a gentler groove on ‘The Snake’ and closing track ‘Zerooo’.
Hamertje Tik’s ‘You & I’ is out now. Listen to the preview below and pick up your own copy here.
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