Dexter's Beat Laboratory Vol. 84 – EDM All Day
Dexter’s Beat Laboratory Vol. 84
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.
Liquicity‘s Reflections – Part One is nothing short of stacked. The eight-track compilation is full of emerging and veteran talent, featuring remixes by Flite, Polygon, L Plus, and a Dualistic & NCT rework by one of my favorites, BoxPlot. The Massachusetts producer has taken this Liquicity classic, first released in late 2014, and given it a wholehearted, energy-filled refresher. He builds slowly but dives face-first into the drop at the minute mark, taking listeners on a whirlwind drum & bass journey.
Though he’s still young, ford. has made huge strides on ODESZA‘s Foreign Family Collective. The Utah producer follows up his 2018 album, (The) Evening, with an enticing remix of labelmate Kasbo‘s “Places We Don’t Know.” ford.’s take is a dreamy, contemplative one, slowing down the pace to focus on intermittent piano melodies and instrumentals. The remix tucks in neatly with ODESZA’s body of work, as ford. takes listeners outside and brings the crisp and calming sounds of nature to their doorstep.
Mielo‘s Anywhere But Here EP makes its full debut on March 29, composed of four tracks that showcase his storytelling capabilities. He glides through a smooth and soulful introduction onward to the previously released “ILY” and “Scar,” ending at the EP’s title track. With the help of vocalist Tori Letzler, he’s created a track that’s wistful and melancholic but still maintains the energy brought to the EP in its previous tracks. Its piano- and vocal-laden outro makes for the perfect send-off for the body of work.
Last summer, Russian producer Sound Quelle took to Silk Music to release his Ethereal “mini album,” kicking off the collection with an intro mix of “Ethereal” with Brandon Mignacca. In the months since then, other producers have been hard at work on their own versions of the progressive house track, culminating in a remix package that features takes by Referna and David Broaders. The set also includes a “chillout mix” of the original track, composed by Sound Quelle himself. This moving take on “Ethereal” gives listeners a chance to sink deeply into the songs lyrics and instrumentals.
In a sea of producers churning out the same repeated electronic sounds, artists like former hero stand out. The UK producer’s style is difficult to define or put in a box—and that’s a good thing. His newest release, a piece called “erase you,” manages to be both peaceful and energetic, leading the listeners in with an understated introduction. He ramps up into a creative drop, pounding out out a swift beat that quickly fades back into a subtle soundscape.
