This week’s edition of our NMR includes recent releases from Jamaican duo DejaVilla, bass/metal producer Demur, house royalty Walker & Royce, and more.
DEJAVILLA – UPTOWN REBEL [ULTRA MUSIC]
DejaVilla’s signature sound is one defined by fluid, sexy, dance-inducing soundscapes. The Jamaica-raised tandem distill the sounds of riddim-tinged electronica with worldly future R&B. Ahead of their forthcoming studio album Castle With a View, DejaVilla team up with reggae-dancehall recording artist Yaksta to deliver the final single taken from the LP, “Uptown Rebel.” This upbeat thriller is a story of youth rebellion and unfettered young love. Through bouncy basslines and dancehall cadences, DejaVilla and Yaksta tackle themes of righteous disobedience between the “Uptown Rebel” herself and a “gangsta” her parents don’t approve of. Smashing socio-economic tropes and the emotional consequences of class division, “Uptown Rebel” is an electrifying listen with a powerful message to match.
DEMUR – CALL OF THE VOID EP [POSITION MUSIC]
Warming up new and veteran fans alike with 2 teaser singles “Be With Me,” and “Keep Me Safe,” the haunting dystopian take DEMUR has on bass music reaches a new peak through his 5-track EP, Call of the Void. The dystopian-drenched project plays with tempos, weaves between genres, and sees him experiment with a spectrum of sounds to deliver a charged, imaginary experience that maintains individualism track-to-track all while ensuring a serious punch is properly embedded within. Keep Me Safe,” features a cinematic and melodic disposition, while “Burn To Set Free,” “Burn To Set Free,” moves forward in an eerie, ominous sonic journey. Switching up the tempo expectations and tossing in some breaks for good measure “Don’t Come Back,” pushes the theme of surprises in this EP even higher, followed by “Be With Me,” a 2-min endeavor that paints a picture of a dystopian technocracy crumbling and full of despair. The most vicious of the bunch, “I Love You, I Destroy You,” develops into a monstrous bass track that would wreck any bass festival crowd on impact. Whether you’re looking for a profound reflection on the state of humanity, or simply want some good music as a soundtrack for life, DEMUR is exactly what you’ve been looking for.
APOLLO XO x TANNER DIXON – METAMORA
Apollo XO and Tanner Dixon have joined forces on a funky new house tune. Whether you are trying to zone out while taking care of the HQ or waist-deep in smoke at the club, “MetaMora” boasts an eclectic combination of traits to take you to a new plateau, no matter what. Lightly drizzled within are components of acid house, deep house, and trance, all working off of the tech-house platform that holds the structure together.
WALKER & ROYCE x DANCES WITH WHITE GIRLS – REWIND IT [CLUB SWEAT]
Having spent over a decade conquering the underground dance scene, Walker & Royce manifest their experience by converging house styles and sounds to fashion a tune that is equal parts smooth as it is likely to torch a dancefloor. Opening with distorted vocals, and tasty high hats, “Rewind It“ quickly transitions into the ultimate tech-heater, with a deep-driving bassline that serves the sensual and seductive vocals of Dances With White Girls up on a platter. Flaunting their technical versatility, the single’s rhythmic horn breakdown creatively lures in rave goers, leading into trademark Walker & Royce warped and shooting synth lines. Acknowledging their integral place in the world of house music, the track aptly states “we are the sound of the underground”, with “Rewind It“ cementing that undeniable fact.
RICH FURNISS x CHRIS CRACK – LET ME WORK [HEATWAVE]
Formerly known as MopTop and founding member of the group Passè, Rich Furniss is still fulfilling his true love for house music. Now releasing under Rich Furniss, the explosive producer is switching his focus back to his own personal DJ/producer career, doubling down on a style that embraces house and disco. “Let Me Work” is the sophomore single release under his own name. Joining forces with vocalist Chris Crack, Furniss captures a natural house music essence in his uplifting new single. In “Let Me Work,” a technically-infused song with a four-on-the-floor design receives a breezy topline from none other than Crack. The two make the tune easy to follow and get down with, the steady flow of the lyrics and repetitious flow of the beat allowing it to sink its hypnotic hooks in quickly into those who listen.
CAPYAC – OOEEOOEEOO (TEDDY ROXPIN & LANDO CHILL REMIX)
At the heels of their widely-celebrated second debut album CAPYAC FOREVER, CAPYAC are rolling out remixes of select album singles by producers from across the world (including a sizzling
Losing It” rework courtesy of Anoraak). LA-based producer Teddy Roxpin and experimental hip-hop artist Lando Chill take on the fourth installment of the series with their reimagining of the Rolling Stone-praised single “Ooeeooeeoo”
One half of production duo Underwater Chess Club, Teddy Roxpin is a designer of sound specializing in hip-hop and rap. A behind-the-scenes visionary for kingpin artists like Mac Miller, Future, Logic, and more, the beat-maker brings his versatile sound to match the zany prowess of CAPYAC at the heels of his latest album Endless Beginnings. Seamlessly matching Roxpin’s energy, Lando Chill brings his introspective style to this “Ooeeooeeoo” remix. Known to distill elements of funk, gospel, jazz, folk, and psychedelic indie-rock with modern hip-hop, the activist and multi-hyphenate artist hypes up the original track with colorful, catchy bars.
