Dexter's Beat Laboratory Vol. 109
Dexter’s Beat Laboratory is a weekly collection of songs from DA managing editor Robyn Dexter. With a taste that can only be described as eclectic — to say nothing of a name that lends itself to punnery — DA is happy to present a selection of tracks personally curated by Dexter for your listening pleasure.
Listen in playlist format here.
When Haywyre‘s “Tell Me” first came out last November, I was immediately hooked. It’s effortlessly funky, incorporating Haywyre’s own vocoder-filtered vocals and array of bright and blissful synth and keyboard elements. As part of a set of remixes, Notaker is the latest to take on the groovy tune. The St. Louis producer has put his own moody, atmospheric spin on the original, packing a serious punch with dramatic builds and hefty bass. It gives an entirely different tone to the piece, and it’s breathtakingly powerful.
Disco overlords Goshfather and Aylen are at it again. The duo have a joint two-track EP out, featuring the previously released “Found You” and the debut of “Coastin’.” The tune seeks to continue the effortless, sun-soaked tone of the summer months, incorporating a retro melody and carefree lyrics to move the steady bassline along. It’s hard not to move your feet to this one.
Liquicity mainstay Maduk is back with new heat. The Dutch producer teamed up with Calixte to create a truly infectious tune. “Everytime” seems subdued enough in the beginning, but steadily builds into a mighty drum ‘n’ bass song. A piano melody and rushing beat carry Calixte’s vocals beautifully from start to finish. “Everytime” is a tune that’s as alluring as its hypnotic cover art.
Fans of Metrik have long anticipated the arrival of “Gravity.” The release is the first time Metrik has ever featured his own vocals, and the addition rounds out what I believe is one of his best releases in recent history. “This track represents a new wave of music I’ve been developing using my voice, guitar & synthesisers and is the purest expression of my sound yet,” Metrik said of the release.
UKF is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and with it comes an exclusive set of singles and EP from the notable platform. The latest of these is Kove‘s “Le Retour,” a drum ‘n’ bass number with cheery horns and an irresistible overall retro style. It’s quite a swerve from its predecessor, “Motor,” which had a decidedly darker feel to it, but the difference in the songs just demonstrates Kove’s ridiculously wide range when it comes to production and sound design.
