#5 Top Releases in Bass / Club

Kicking off Intrepid Skins digital-only release series, two of Melbournes best kept secrets link up for a double drop of essential hard groove. Also stoking the fire is a remix by Brazilian party-starter Slim Soledad. Known for the unrestrained energy they bring to dancefloors at home and abroad - WATTO and Luke Hoveys ability to read a crowd comes into its own on their first release together. Rolling percussive interplays and subtly hypnotic loops drive over charged up basslines that rattle the room, all while maintaining a relentless flow throughout the EP.

WaTTO, Luke Hovey

#45 Top Releases in Hard Techno

SPFDJ steps up for her long-awaited debut EP, Heel Thyself, out Friday 7th November on Intrepid Skin. A core figure in grassroots techno circuits, and an internationally lauded DJ, SPFDJs ascent reflects a passion for music governed by love and grit in equal measure. At once providing a gleefully chaotic two-fingers to dance musics self-serious establishment, whilst also flexing an ever-expanding knowledge of its roots and potentials, her musical armoury is renowned the world over for inspiring debauchery and sweat-soaked hedonism. As an artist whose journey has been defined by challenging the norms of electronic music, SPFDJs rebel spirit is recognised locally and globally, but guiding this attitude is a vulnerability to the realities of the music industry, and the rise of conservatism that permeates every aspect of life. And whilst sensitive to the use of buzzwords like community, its ultimately a respect for the people who keep these scenes alive that motivates her artistry. In releasing this EP, she taps into a more vulnerable side. The title - a nod to internal healing processes, and a play on words to motivate queers and women to boot up for battle against increasingly oppressive structures - shines a light on some of the values she holds up to electronic music culture. At once playfully chaotic and deeply energising, Heel Thyself spins us through a cyclone of kicks, punches, and noise. Opener Cluster B Intro is a tempo-twisting barrage of gabber led by a robotic vocal command, setting the scene for pretty much anything to happen. That Stiletto Track kicks in like a tweaked out distortion of 90s trance before spiralling upwards into a storm of heavy breaks. F*ckboi is hot n heavy electro - classic in its structure, but with the added industrial touch of hammerdrill synths and razor sharp percussion. Swinging into a bouncier state, The Hot in Psychotic flings ricocheting rhythms through frantic claps, with a donk to keep things moving. Rounding things off, Mindless Counting flies higher with pummeling drums lifted by a touch of euphoria. A debut laced with both defiance and self-reckoning, Heel Thyself finds the rebel looking inwards - vulnerable, but sharpened and ready.

SPFDJ