Weekly Roundup XXXIII (with Armin van Buuren, R3HAB, Bassjackers and more!)

As if the heatwave wasn’t enough, various artists are contributing to the warmer weather with even more firey records. Checking from today’s list, we have mentionable releases from the likes of Armin van Buuren, R3HAB, Bassjackers, and more on this edition of Weekly Roundup.

Hardwell – Dopamine
84/100

Brandishing pummeling kicks and brassy techno synths and donning the full rave aesthetics, “Dopamine” rushes with plenty of energy. The fifth consecutive single from the upcoming “Rebels Never Die” album contains a euphoric melodic riff constructed in true Hardwell fashion, while the bouncier, playful and upbeat rhythm and sweeping percussions turn this record into quite a festival weapon!

Timmy Trumpet, R3HAB – Turn The Lights Down Low
60/100

One of our earlier reviews might have stated how dance music’s recognizable Australian trumpeter is either a hit or miss with his collaborations. Synergizing with R3HAB, “Turn The Lights Down Low” has an upbeat synth-pop beat to it, but faster and with a more rotund low-end that would qualify it for larger dancefloors yet keep it modest enough for radio stations.

Although there’s a decent pitched-up vocal that you might have heard a hundred times over in other similar productions, the groove is nonetheless appreciable to an extent because of the fusion of the aforementioned styles. Also, did I mention that there’s a nice trumpet there in the breakdown? Further, the song interestingly comes with an alternative Chinese version of it, possibly since Cyberpunk has a contractual agreement with Liquid State, a Hong Kong-based label company that is a joint-venture between Sony Music and Tencent (a fact that I discovered with this release).

Armin van Buuren, AVIRA, Chicane – Offshore
83/100

A majestic instrumental, this one. Armada’s label-head Armin van Buuren might not have been on my radar, particularly this year, but this significant team-up with Chicane (known for “Don’t Give Up” featuring Bryan Adams) and AVIRA for a nostalgic and truly progressive production.

“Offshore” operates in a more progressive techno mannerism, having a steady bassline that assists the buoyant pianoforte (somehow reminiscent of Eric Prydz’s “Pjanoo”) with a breakbeat variation in-between, all neatly paying homage to the classic formula from the electronic music that used to be.

Bassjackers – Bored Ape Rave Club
Monke/100

Well, well, what have we got ourselves here? A NFT community-themed track from perhaps one of the most reputed EDM producer duos out there. Wait a second, now why does it sound so STMPD-ish with a few monkeys howling samples sprinkled here and there awkwardly? And why does the drop lead sound so muted and narrow? A lot of questions, but it seems Bassjackers’ enthusiasm for the notorious blockchain assets probably got the best of them.

Siks & Le Pedre ft. Kris Kiss – Let It All Out
82/100

Thriving and steaming with stamina, “Let It All Out” delivers a robust performance on the stage with quirky and vigorous cadence, helped by the brute and distorted bass house synths that strictly maintain a funky behavior. On the production credits here is Siks, the French up-and-coming producer figure already having varied releases in labels such as Future House, Hexagon, Mixmash, and more. Le Pedre is a familiar face on Spinnin’ Records, having formulated productions such as “Million Voices” or “Trouble So Hard”.

The song is further enhanced by the featuring of the esteemed vocalist Kris Kiss, who is known to fluently switch between fluent rap and singing depending on what the situation demands. In total, the drop schematics warrant a repeat for the punching rhythm that gets the groove going.

Slanks, 2nd Life – Come Back
80/100

Staying true to his intentions, Greek Producer Slanks effortlessly blurs the lines between future bass and orchestra on his latest collaborative efforts along with the talented Germany-based 2nd Life.

Present within the said track is a delectable vocal and strings to introduce the idea suavely, building gently through drums striking and announcing the arrival of the bodacious drop sequence, which in turn is laden with brass and dramatic strings with distorted 808s. The second breakdown turns even more impressive with a heightened orchestration, with the vocal tuning into the give a touch of liveliness, before returning to usual business with the outro.

Certainly an intriguing listen if you are fascinated by a melodic trap!