I’ve decided not to go for a drum ‘n’ bass song this week, in favour for this beautiful synth-heavy pseudo-industrial dance number. From the immediate synth that phases in and the barrage of keyboards that follow, everything flows like liquid ecstasy, the taste and sensation becomes such an overwhelming experience that your body simply moves like the various waveforms used in its production. In spite of everything being so electronic, the due care in making this song entrancing rather than aggravating is true bliss and commendable in an age where the entire electronic dance music scene is becoming vastly oversaturated. A gem well worth exhuming.

(Last week’s track of the week)

Just to get this out in the open, the new Upbeats album is amazing. I’ve had it on repeat for a fair while since it was released and despite the likes of Beyond Reality, Undertaker and Tangerine being completely mind-blowing, this is on another level of addicitive. What New Zealand’s favourite neurofunk sons have made here is a whining ambient beast that literally goes on a rampage in a heavily populated city and devastes everything in its sight. Buildings topple, citizens are crushed and everything is scorched away in a laser burst from the monster’s mouth. The true icing on the cake is the drums. Oh my goodness, the drums. In a jungle throwback kind of way, the drums sound as possibly as natural as I have ever heard in a drum ‘n’ bass song for quite sometime (which is perhaps why I would like to see a drum cover of this song), finding the perfect balance to either bust out your most aggressive skank or launch limbs in the direction of inanimate objects. Or people. Either is mostly acceptable. Primitive Technique is out now on Vision Records, and I highly reccommend you look into it.

I always say I find order in chaos, and this Knife song is an indication of what that phrase could be literally translated into in music. Chosen because I have seen The Knife this week and it has reminded me what an awesome tune it is and how striking it was to see it in a live environment. What you’re going to listen to here is 9 minutes of industrial strength techno beats that get more and more menancing, as landscapes surrounding twist and distort. All with Karen Dreijer-Andersson’s signature wail layering everything making it all the even more uncomfortable. I’d call this tribalism at its finest as it sounds so primitive yet so now at the same time, it’s an incantation for the post-modern condition, not to mention rapturous and terrifying in equal measure. I love The Knife and long may they continue to make music together.

(Track of the Week, last week)

Yeah, it’s that guy who did the Harlem Shake and I’m late to this song’s party because I only recently heard it in a Noisia set that I’ve really had chance to apreciate it properly. As an ode to the humble marijuana joint, the whole song is a myriad full of wonky percussion, air raid sirens, lighters and what sounds like a yapping dog. Did I mention the drop to this song is just someone coughing? Gives true meaning to the word coughdrop. But the song is a beast of sub-bass (should only be listened to with decent headphones or a monstrous soundsystem, your subwoofer will love you, honest), impossible not to move to and ultimately just a real good fun tune to dance to. I may not understand much about what on earth trap music actually is, but if this is any indication, then I just might like it.

I may be a bit late to catching up to the wonderful sub-genre of drum ‘n’ bass known as neurofunk, but when you get around to unearthing gems such as this beauty, it makes your time already invested in it worthwhile. A collaboration from both sides of the world (Puerto Rico and Hungary I think), Strangers is a deep growling beast of sub-bass, with a flicker of keyboard squeals to keep it interesting.  But around half way through, what makes the track so addictive kicks in. Brutal bass, comparable to taking a jackhammer to the ears suddenly dominates the mix and you start to feel like you have to dance because your life depends on it. A great listen, probably more devastating on a dancefloor, this is definitely a weapon to bear in mind for a DnB set.

Due to the full track not being on YouTube, and Soundcloud being tempermental to deal with on WordPress, I’ll just have to use this link to the full track: http://soundcloud.com/dnb-40/atom-kayus-strangers

Schoolyard Heroes are quickly becoming a bit of an obession of mine, with their ridiculously catchy guitar work and relentless attitude. Sadly they are deceased as of 2009 and this is making me sadder by the day, but from their final album Abominations is this monster, soothed by Ryann Donnelly’s beautifully theatric voice and the thrashing assault of the boys. Dramatic, over-the-top and on repeat, RIP guys, you left a hell of a catalogue of songs to endure and this is the stuff the edge of your seat was made for.