+31 Music
Lucky Charmes ft. Kris Kris – Whip that *ss
Kris Kris makes any track better. That’s just a fact. While his style doesn’t change much from track to track, he has this natural bouncy quality to his flow which just makes me want to shuffle and dance around. This track is a fine House track that would fit well into any set of that style. It will definitely keep things groovin’.
3.5/5
Armada
Husman – Human
Hands down one of the best releases this Friday. This Future House track takes the best sounds from Husman’s previous songs and puts it into a fresh new light. The vocals are incredible but it’s the leads and melodies in the drop that make this one of Husman’s greatest hits this far. “Rise of the Mad King” certainly has a lot of keepers in it.
5/5
John Dahlbäck – Back To Me
Clean synths and classic piano chords with pleasant male vocals. What sets this track apart is the Future House drop which packages some great summer vibes with a bit of Future Bounce. It’s just an all-around feel good tune that would make a great addition to any radio show.
4/5
Armind Records
ALPHA 9 – All We Need
Empty production, unoriginal melody and chord progression. This is just another typical happy feeling trance tune. For DJs looking for another tune of this style, you’ve got it. For Spotify and Soundcloud streamers, keep on looking. I’ve been hoping for something good from ALPHA 9 since “Skin” which is just infectiously great. Even though it’s simple, it hit’s all the right notes for me and makes an excellent intro to a mix.
1.5/5
Armin van Buuren – Therapy (feat. James Newman)
Radio ready, club ready, party ready. While not an exceptional track, it has all the elements of a popular house track: country-style vocals, good piano chords, and a slightly progressive Future House drop. It’s nice to see Armin continue branching out from Trance after “Sunny Days.”
3/5
Confession
Hugo – Piece EP
Confession is good at releasing great DJ tools for those who play at clubs or house parties. Hugo takes on a sort of Ibranovski style to these Bass House tracks. It’s very apparent in “Piece” and less so in the second track, “Authentic” with Chace. You can tell that Chace threw their groovy spin on the track which sets it apart from the other. It’s more on the techno side of the spectrum with it’s sole melody and driving spoken-word vocals. Both solid tools, nothing more.
2.5/5
Dim Mak Records
Steve Aoki & Vini Vici – Moshi Moshi (feat. Mama Aoki)
5oki continues with this Psy-Trance track featuring Vini Vici and Steve Aoki’s mother. I’m guess she lent her vocals for the female acapella used in the track. At any rate, Vini Vici finally comes through with a more unique Psy sound thanks to some interesting Acid inclusions. This track is a fine track (which a few familiar samples) but seems to be missing a bit of filler and feels a bit empty as a result. I’m just grateful that Vini Vici is branching out at least a little bit.
2.5/5
Future House Music
Jordan Jay – Treat You Right
Great summer vocals paired with the very trendy Future House meets future bass drop. Bright, joyful, playful, and beautifully melodic. Another great tune from the free label and rising Dutch Producer. Read more about him in The QR Network Interview HERE.
2.5/5
Island Records
Sean Paul & Major Lazer – Tip Pon It
Major Lazer is back with another earworm, this time partnering with Jamaican Rapper, Sean Paul. Paul’s signature voice lends the humanity needed to take this moombah track to the next level. This song does feature some pretty whining and irritating leads on the drop so this track would be best experienced at full volume at a club, party, or festival where you’re just letting the soundwaves carry you away. For me, this track is a bit too harsh to enjoy on the radio.
3/5
Monstercat
Tristam – Questions
Questions is an amazing lower tempo House/Lounge track from the acclaimed producer, Tristam. The kicks are clean, the synths are muted yet bright in the best way possible. The balancing and sound design of this track makes it an excellent song to chill out and will fit perfectly into the summer playlists to come.
4/5
Musical Freedom
Bad Decisions – Too High
Musical Freedom continues to release more experimental tracks with this latest Future Bass track. As labels are prepping for summer, the relatable lyrics in this track set this one apart from the rest. The drop is fairly generic with its vocal samples and bright leads. Overall an interesting track if not memorable.
3.5/5
Revealed Recordings
Kaaze – SEXY
Combining Bass House, Bounce, Groove, and Big Room leads to a nice change of pace for KAAZE. With great percussion work and vocal samples, this track is a verified banger. Expect this one to continue garnering airtime on podcasts and festivals alike.
4/5
Spinnin’ Records
Jay Hardway & The Him – Jigsaw
I honestly expected more when I first saw that these two were collaborating on this track. The drop is just too weak and Jay Hardway uses some similar samples from his older song, “Stardust” on the breakdown. It’s just overall underwhelming. It’s too much energy to play in the background and not enough to command the stage. I don’t know what these two were trying to achieve with this one.
1/5
STMPD Records
Martin Garrix & Loopers – Game Over
Fairly simple melody but the production of this Bass House track is impeccable. While not entirely unique, you can’t deny the power of this banger. It’s nice to see Martin Garrix continuing to explore new genres on his own and with his label.
4/5
Tinted Records
Odd Mob – Insomniac
This track, which simple on the surface, creates a fantastic vibe and atmosphere to jam out to. It combines the best elements from Bass House and Lounge and puts it in an easy to mix, easy to consume format. Whether you’re at the club or jamming out in a public space, you’ll certainly find your foot tapping to this one.
4/5
Quartzo Records
GIANTS & OUTRAGE – Shakedown
Husman, GIANTS, SaberZ, Jaxx & Vega, and G-Sus all seem to be pushing the boundary on just how far you can distort a hardstyle synth and still make it sound good. I feel like GIANTS & OUTRAGE are starting to reach the limit with this one but I can’t help but love the sound anyway. GIANTS reuses Husman’s “Heroic” chord progression for the second time in the first two beats of the drop, just thought I’d mention that. (Pegasus was the other time)
3.5/5
Universal Music
Dada Life – Sunday Fuck You Too
It seems that each track gets worse as Dada Life makes their tour around these major labels. The vocals overly dominate the efforts made by the leads on the drop. The mix sounds messy with kicks straight out of 2007 and vocals from 2008. While this might make the rounds on the radio, there’s really nothing great about this track at all. The lyrics are just lazy and downright annoying.
0.5/5
Virgin Records
CID ft. Bahary & Flying Lizards – Money
Sassy vocals and sexy wubs define this bouncy House track. CID has been on quite a streak lately and taken care to not wear out his sound. The result is a unique DJ tool which would tear up the floor anywhere it’s played. The old-timey samples which come in on the second break solidify the track’s worth.
4/5
Wall Recordings
Ravitez – I’m Not the One
Just a month after his last release on Wall Recordings with DJ Afrojack, Ravitez is back with something completely different. Instead of generic Big Room, now it’s generic Tropical House. There’s really nothing notable about this track other than the vocals because vocals can be inherently unique due to that human touch. There’s nothing in this track you haven’t heard before.
1.5/5
These are not all of the major releases that came out today, if you would like me to include other labels, please mention them in the comments! If you have other opinions on the ratings, leave a comment as well and I’ll try to respond to all of them!
Thank you so much for reaching the end of this article. If you would like to read some interviews with artists such as Sunday Noise, Drop Department, Tim Tailor, and Aaron Lindt, go check out The QR Network!
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