Weekly Roundup XL (XL Edition!)

Welcome to the fortieth edition of the Weekly Roundup! Numbers went by pretty fast, but the support remained, and for that, I am grateful to everyone reading this series. The concept of ‘Xtra Large’ is loved by most, so starting from today on an experimental basis, Weekly Roundup will have not six, but eight tracks on its list! Also considering the feedback we received on our poll (extending our thanks to everyone who participated), these roundups will try to cover as many genres as humanely possible.

Porter Robinson, League of Legends – Everything Goes On
84/100

Doing a team-up with the renowned video-game developer Riot Games, Porter Robinson supplied a soundtrack for the infamous League of Legends. Safe to say, while other LoL-related music has created a distaste for me due to its over-popularity, “Everything Goes On” deserves all the attention.

Pleasant guitar riffs and a delicate vocal go together to transfix the listener with a dreamy timbre, and a shuffling drum beat is embellished by playful piano and arcade-ish synth hooks. Altogether, a great decision from the higher-ups at Riot to put this into the multiplayer game’s music catalog!

Martin Garrix, DallasK, Sasha Alex Sloan – Loop
70/100

With more popularity comes the responsibility of… keeping relevance. After plenty of club-devoted music was released on his album “Sentio”, Martin Garrix needed something summery, only more radio ready. Collaborating with American producer DallasK, the pair of them alongside songstress Sasha Alex Sloan, came up with “Loop”.

Pretty much a typical deep house set-up here: brassy bassline and overtly minimal atmosphere support the vocal, complemented later by softer lead synths and bassline. A more electronic-pop release, nonetheless enjoyable!

Hardwell – ZERO GRAVITY
85/100

Turning to more obscure but funkier results, Revealed Recording head honcho Hardwell decided to up the game with “Zero Gravity”. Containing the now-familiar methods such as thudding techno kickdrums and usual underground attributes, this time around the Breda act further shows off his sound-design mettle with experimental hoover-ish synths, almost reminding me of the classic “Dominator” from Human Resource.

Orjan Nilsen, Somna – Stubborn
76/100

Known for creating capable vocal trance projects, Orjan Nilsen and Somna decided to go for a slightly more mainstage progressive sound, not giving away the trance signature in these efforts. “Stubborn” is equipped with a performance from a lovely vocalist, and all the features you would expect from the synergy of two renowned artists from the genre: gated synths, electro-infused sound tended more toward a hypnotic and melodic groove.

CamelPhat, Mathame – Believe
85/100

For a long time, being a fan of CamelPhat and Mathame, I sincerely expected a cooperative endeavor shared between them and it happened sooner than I thought it would. “Believe” retains a progressive, peak-time techno attitude with a soulful vocal presence, nostalgic analog synths fetching a nostalgic tonality, supplemented later by a strutting drop having an off-beat bassline and somber soundscape.

Retrovision, Seth Hills – Bass
83/100

The uprising French alias meets the Dutch Bass/Electro House star act in “Bass”, a joint-venture that is laced with razor-sharp wobble one-shots and distorted, grungy layout. While the drop felt more from the STMPD signed act, the breakdown has a melodic, funky flair with future bounce-y sound design and vocal chops, that can be traced back to Retrovision. A 50/50 team-up!

Bonus Reviews

Slushii – Forgive Me
80/100

Packed with brimming 808s and flute-like distorted lead sounds, “Forgive Me” goes between the boundaries of trap and dubstep. Even though, the breakdown comes off as slightly more flat in its execution with a decent vocal that builds up towards the vigorous drop containing the mentioned elements.

Subshock & Evangelos – Die For You
81/100

Known for expertly foraying into various genres from House to ravaging psytrance, the duo’s latest efforts are more mellifluous. “Die For You” operates with animated percussions obliging to DnB patterns, preceded by a male vocal that introduces the subtle breakdown beforehand. Favoring melodic over plain brute schematics, the song adeptly balances cadence and energy.

Timmy Trumpet & Showtek – Burn
60/100

Considering the names involved, “Burn” underperforms with a soft Future Rave structure slightly lacking in personality. Sure, it’s not Slap House or worse, but we feel that Timmy and Showtek could have worked hard on this collaboration, since their Electro House styles have a lot in common. Give to “Burn” a listen, but nothing more.

Bang La Decks & ALMA – The Forest
77/100

Thumping kicks and an hypnotic chant… “The Forest” is a magical composition that brought us to an exotic and dreamy trip thanks to its stunning sound design. Definitely recommended, considering its experimental attitude and ‘out of the box’ approach. Please focus on the main lead, it’s a beauty!