On Repeat: October 2022

I really meant it when I said in September’s edition of On Repeat that my track selection would get darker the more into autumn and winter we get; because in October’s edition there are only three dance tracks! When it reaches mid-October, I tend to listen to a lot more grunge and rock than any other genre, it just feels like it fits the changing of the seasons. I’ll start with the three dance tracks and then discuss my other selections of grunge, metal and hardcore:

Tjade – Voyager (Marlon Hoffstadt AKA DJ Daddy Trance Remix) – The first dance selection for October is this trance number, Voyager, remixed by DJ Daddy Trance (otherwise known as Marlon Hoffstadt when he isn’t djing or producing under his trance alias, or previously known as Dansson when he formerly made house music belters such as Shake That from 2013). Originally by Netherlands based producer Tjade, the track was released in July this year on the four-track Voyager EP, including this remix, which boasts extended breaks and a high bpm alongside sparkling chords and acid trance interludes that unironically remind me somewhat of Darude’s Sandstorm. This is a great track of the new wave of trance-techno that has blown up this year.

Schak – Moving All Around (Jumpin’) (Feat. Kim English) – Next up and the second dance release for October is from North Shields newcomer Schak with his debut single Moving all Around (Jumpin’), released on fellow geordie Patrick Topping’s label, Trick. The track has been doing its rounds on social media both before and after release, in a video where Schak and friends invaded their local B&Q to host a kitchen sesh complete with decks and PA system, and other videos where they have been spotted on public transport including buses and the Newcastle Metro. The track is a complete party anthem, there hasn’t been a tech house track with this much wallop in a long time in my opinion, and the icing on the cake here is that it features vocal samples from the late, amazing, queen of house; Kim English.

Selker – Too Much For Me – The third and final dance track for October is up and coming scouse producer Selker’s Too Much For Me. This is another debut single, which first landed on Soundcloud last year and since its 1.6 million listens, has now been signed to huge label Warner Records and was officially released this July. Too Much For Me is a more modern, tempo-pushed take on the 2010 house mix of the 1995 Charlene Smith hit of the same name. What I can only imagine is relatively simple to do production wise, the tweaks and studio wizardry on Too Much For Me have certainly excelled it onto a path to become a timeless house classic for years to come. It has that really nice nostalgic house feel to it, like classic old school house. This is definitely the track I have had on repeat the most out of all of this month’s selections. It is an absolutely gorgeous track, I love it.

Melvins – Honey Bucket – Now its time for the rock picks. This is a song I found on one my spotify daily mixes and I’ve been obsessed with it. Melvins are a sludge metal grunge band, formed in Washington in 1983. Honey Bucket is from their 1993 album, Houdini and features a face screwing riff approximately one minute in. What drew me in initially were the vocals from Buzz Osborne that sound a lot like Metallica’s James Hetfield in the Garage Inc. era, right after the guitar work that is very Black Sabbath-esque. They never quite broke through the way they definitely should have done, but Honey Bucket and the rest of the Houdini proves that Melvins are one of the best kept secrets in metal.

Counterparts – Bound To The Burn – Canadian metalcore band Counterparts released their seventh album A Eulogy For Those Still Here on the 7th of October and I think it is definitely a contender for album of the year. My favourite song on there is Bound To The Burn, the third single released prior to the album, following the previous two singles, Unwavering Vow and Whispers Of Your Death. Bound To The Burn is a song about the pressures of making music for a living and the mental turbulence that comes with it, and features a bone-splintering breakdown and unrelenting drums.

Minerva – Deftones – Deftones are one of my favourite bands of all time and their music sounds like it was made perfectly for Autumn, or as I like to call it, Deftones season. I tend to listen to them more this time of year when the days are darker and shorter. One song I have had on repeat is Minerva from their self-titled album released in 2003. It has a heavy shoegaze influence throughout but is one Deftones’ more softer songs, a break from their usual heavy sound.

Alice in Chains – Rain When I Die – Another band I’m a sucker for this time of year are the great Alice in Chains. Rain When I Die is from their classic 1992 album Dirt which is one of the greatest albums of all time (fact, not opinion), and I also think this song in particular is one of the most underrated on the album. Frontman Layne Staley’s voice is at one of his best performances here, along with the guitar lick that just soothes the soul and utters out all emotion.

Joy Division – Interzone – I’ve recently finished reading Joy Division bassist Peter Hook’s book, Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, and really enjoyed it. It is a really insightful book on the band and is full of interesting and funny anecdotes about them and what they got up to, as well as of course the delve into the album Unknown Pleasures and the stories and meaning behind the lyrics. I often listened to the album whilst reading the book (as recommended by Peter) and Interzone was the one song on the album that caught my attention on this particular day. This is one of few songs with Peter on vocals (as well as Ian Curtia) and is one of the less miserable sounding songs on Unknown Pleasures, it’s a song with a skip in its step.

Helmet – Like I Care – Helmet are a band I have recently discovered in the past few months and I’m really stoked to be writing about them and my new found love for them. I can’t remember ever hearing of them before which I’m surprised about because their music and sound is exactly the kind of post-hardcore rock music I love. Like I Care is from their 1997 Aftertaste album which got very poor reviews as far as I can see from my research. I haven’t listened to the album as a whole but if it is as bad as the critics say, I would be very surprised because I think this song rocks. It has a weighted bassline throughout alongside crashing drums and lyrics that sound very Deftones inspired by how suggestive and almost flirtatious they are. It’s your typical, late 90’s alternative rock. This song made me listen to their other works such as their 1994 album Betty, which is sick; I guess I should probably check out the rest of Aftertaste now too.

High Vis – Walking Wires – Finally, to wrap up October’s edition of On Repeat, I have selected a song from another band I have listened to a lot this past month or so. London-based post punk High Vis were at Outbreak this year and unfortunately I didn’t get to see them and hadn’t listened to them before, so I checked them out a couple of months ago and was absolutely kicking myself for not doing so earlier. They’re a really good band and I really like their song Walking Wires from their 2019 debut album No Sense No Feeling. Walking Wires was the first single before the album was released and has an absolutely stunning intro riff, met by pattering drums creating an 80’s style post punk sound.

That’s it for October, thank you for reading and be sure to check out all ten tracks, which have been added to The Ruthless Raver Spotify playlist below:

On Repeat: June (Outbreak Festival Special)

June was a sick month for me, I went to Download festival for the first time (for the Saturday, on my own), saw Chaos in the CBD and Interplanetary Criminal, Red Hot Chili Peppers and went to Outbreak Festival in Manchester. I have already touched on Download in May’s edition of On Repeat, and always pick dance music tracks so I’m gonna do something different for June. This is an Outbreak Festival special edition, where I am going to pick ten songs from my favourite bands I saw that weekend:

Counterparts – Nothing Left To Love – First up for the Outbreak special edition of On Repeat is Counterparts’ Nothing Left To Love from their 2019 album of the same name. It’s the closing song on the album and is beautiful one to finish with. The Canadian hardcore band warmed up for the festival on the Thursday night at the pre show on the second stage, alongside Guilt Trip, Static Dress and a couple of others. They didn’t play this song during their set, and they didn’t even play The Disconnect (???), but they still killed it all the same.

Incendiary – Front Toward Enemy – This was my first time seeing Incendiary, who I have been listening to since early 2020. Front Toward Enemy is from their 2017 album, Thousand Mile Stare, which is fucking sick from start to finish, definitely my favourite album from them. They played the main stage on the Friday afternoon which was the first official day of Outbreak and they were absolutely brilliant, I would love to see them again for sure.

Your Demise – The Kids We Used To Be – Also on the Friday on the main stage was UK hardcore band Your Demise. I used to love them when I was in school and had never seen them before this day, so a nostalgic void was filled, and I was lucky to catch this set as apparently it was their final performance together as a band. TKWUTB is from their 2010 album of the same name, and their third studio album. It’s definitely one of their more fun, poppy tracks and it never gets old.

Knocked Loose – All My Friends – A band I have listened to and loved for a long time now are Knocked Loose, and I finally got to see them for the first time at Outbreak, as they headlined the main stage on the Friday night. Their set was absolutely insane, I was both blown away and terrified all at the same time. Bryan Garris is an incredible frontman, the energy during their set was something else. People were getting escorted out by first aiders and even wheelchaired out, after they had to stop their set due to it getting so wild in the pits, I hope everyone was okay and didn’t rock out too hard. All My Friends is from their 2014 debut Pop Culture EP, and was then re-released on the 2019 Mistakes Like Fractures single. They played All My Friends in their Outbreak set , where they were also joined by Malevolence’s Alex Taylor for this song. Malevolence were also the secret set on the Friday which was awesome.

Superheaven – Around The Railing – Superheaven played on the Sunday which was what I had waited all weekend for as I had want to see them for years, their 2013 Jar album is one of my favourites of all time – I have mentioned it before as I’ve featured Knew from the album in my On Repeat series before. It was so good to finally hear some of their songs from Jar played live as well as other songs from their second album Ours Is Chrome, which came out in 2015.

Basement – Bad Apple – One of the sets I was looking forward to the most and one of my favourites all weekend was Basement’s, where they did a ten year anniversary set dedicated to their albums, Colourmeinkindness and I Wish I Could Stay Here. Bad Apple was the second song on the setlist and it’t one of my favourite songs they have done, it’s a metaphor for a person who is enticing and delicious on the outside but bitter and problematic on the inside. I think this was my third time seeing Basement and they were brilliant as always.

Turnstile – Alien Love Call – Another one of my favourite sets that weekend was Turnstile’s, who are one of my favourite bands. I saw them for the first time in January this year in Nottingham on the T.L.C tour and they were amazing so it was great to see them again, but this time at a festival. This time around at Outbreak was the better time I saw the of the two, it was so much more fun in the big warehouse where the main stage was with so many other people there. Their set was crazy and fun-fuelled, and I came out wet through with sweat! Alien Love Call is from their latest album Glow On and is one of two songs on the album featuring British alternative R&B producer Blood Orange, AKA Dev Hynes. This is one of their slower, sadder songs but it is such a flex for a hardcore band to be collaborating with Blood Orange.  

Fiddlehead – USMA – Another band I have been listening to since early 2020 is Pat Flynn’s band Fiddlehead, consisting of other Have Heart members and members of Basement also. They played Saturday afternoon on the main stage and I really enjoyed their set, I have become really fond of them over the past two years and they mean a lot to me. USMA is from their 2018 album Springtime and Blind and is one of the singles released prior to the album. This is a song about grief, in which Flynn reflects on the death of his father, so there’s something I can really relate to and resonate with in this one.

Loathe – Two-Way Mirror – Loathe are a band I hadn’t listened to much at all before Outbreak, but after seeing their set on the Sunday it definitely made me want to listen to them more, which I have been doing. Something about Scouse metal bands seems funny, especially the way frontman Kadeem France asks the crowd if they’ve been drinking enough water. Two-Way Mirror has incredibly strong Deftones vibes (no surprise why I picked this song for them!) I really love the ambient, dreaminess of this song and it is certainly far away from their heavier, screamier songs which are also just as sick.

Drug Church – Weed Pin – We managed to catch a bit of Drug Church on the Saturday as well and from what I saw of their set they were really good. Not a band I massively listen to, as I went for their more popular songs that I knew (Million Miles of Fun, But Does It Work?, for example). Weed Pin is from the band’s 2018 album, Cheer and is a satirical take on social and political matters of adulthood, finding work when you don’t know what to do with life.

Thank you so much for reading, the On Repeat playlist has been updated below, and I hope to see some of you at next year’s Outbreak Festival at Mayfield Depot!

On Repeat: May 2022

Here are my top ten tracks I loved the most in May ’22:

ESG – Dance – The first track for May is New York’s all female band from the 70’s ESG’s Dance. I came across this track from my Spotify daily mixes and despite its age, it is one of the grooviest and coolest songs. Dance was originally released on the band’s first full length album Come Away With ESG in 1983 and has been sampled in many speed garage tracks of the 90s and have been very influential amongst other genres including hip hop and dance-punk. I had never even heard of ESG before I listened to this song, so they are clearly one of the best kept secrets of the 70’s and 80’s.

Rove Ranger – In My Mind – Next up is In My Mind from German producer Rove Ranger. In My Mind was released on Asquith’s label Lobster Theremin in May 2020 on the EP 101010 and is a sexy cut of peak time techno with 90’s nostalgia. It blends lush vocal samples of the track title “In My Mind” with more housier elements and squelching basslines, definitely a club pumper.

Hermeth – Situationship – An electro pick for this month is Swiss DJ and producer Hermeth’s track Situationship from his 2019 album After My Bae. This is a track I have loved for a few months so it had to get a feature at some point in the series. Hermeth is an artists for those that love electro (obviously) as well as breaks and getto tech. This will be the vibe track for the summer ahead I have planned, it is dirty breakbeat meets electro, and features a sample of Iggy Azalea’s Work.

Coon Daddy – Big Baller – Another electro track for May is Coon Daddy’s Big Baller, released on Databass Records back in December 2004 on the Big Baller EP. This is one of my favourite tracks I have discovered recently, again, thanks to Spotify daily mixes. It is a track loved by the likes of Partyboi69 which is no surprise as it is a head bopper of a track that sounds like it belongs in the tiled bathroom of Berlin’s Hor mix series.

Viers – Dolphin Telephone – Here we have some breakbeat mixed with piano house from UK producer Viers aka Jordan Saxton. This is definitely more of a summer track due to its genre elements as it is so uplifting and pours out good vibes with an old school sound. It is also one that could be deemed as a festival essential for a house music set in the sunshine, attracting that front left crowd.

Ice Nine Kills – Hip To Be Scared – Now for the non-dance music related releases, I’ll start off with one by a band I have become very familiar with after seeing everyone’s Instagram stories and Tiktok’s of Bring Me The Horizon’s Malta Weekender, Ice Nine Kills. I began listening to them as they played the Saturday at Download festival which I attended the following week. This song in particular is a pop punk take on American Psycho’s most popular song on the soundtrack, Hip To Be Squared, originally by Huey Lewis and The News.

Deftones – Rocket Skates – The main reason I went to Download was to see Deftones, who have been my favourite band since I was about 15/16. Rocket Skates is from their 2010 album Diamond Eyes and is one of their heavier, screaming songs. This was on their Download setlist so I got to hear the roars of “guns, razors, knifes”.

Jeff Buckley – Grace – I have had a Jeff Buckley obsession this year, I don’t really know what started it off but Grace from the album of the same name is an absolutely stunning song and I wish I had began listening to him sooner. He was a man of pain and passion, and you can hear it through his voice and lyrics.

Bad Seed – Justice Deserved – Next is one of my favourite hardcore punk discoveries from my Spotify daily mixes, Pennsylvania’s Bad Seed’s song Justice Deserved from their self titled EP released in 2009. It’s badass and packs a solid riff, and the lyrics represent an anger towards a wrong-doer. You can’t help but shout along and feel the frustration.

Megadeath – Symphony of Destruction – Finally for May is another Download-esque song from Megadeath who also played at the festival this year. Sadly we missed them as we were waiting for Deftones who came on late. I had never listened to Megadeath much before the line up was released but Symphony of Destruction is one that stands out to me the most. It opens with a harmonic choir, then goes straight into a gritty guitar intro, and I would say it is a proper dad rock classic!

Thanks for reading, playlist updated below:

On Repeat: April 2022

Here are my top ten tracks for April 2022:

Matrakk – Sexfriend Is Better – First up for April is French producer Matrakk’s track, Sexfriend is Better; which was released in March 2021 on the compilation album, VA003 by French label Maison Close, alongside other amazing electronic talent such as CLTX, Charlie Sparks and Dissolver. The track is melodic techno but with pounding kicks, which also features a sample of N.E.R.D’s song, Everyone Nose (All The Girls Staning In the Line For The Bathroom).

Tender Games – Movin’ – Now for something of more of an electronic soul and funk kind of vibe, from German-Jamaican producer Tender Games, project of singer songwriter Ulrich Harrison. Movin’ is a mix of funky groove and disco feeling, and as the title would suggest, it certainly makes you shake a leg. If you are a fan of Thundercat, you’ll definitely catch on to this one. The track was released in April 2019 on Berlin label Midnight Snacks, and the single features remixes from two incredible artists, Marlon Hoffstadt and Black Loops.

Cousn – Papped – More of an upbeat track this one, from Bristol based duo Cousn (who funnily enough, are cousins). Papped is a party and rave anthem made for a club. There are also some massive clear influences from the Chemical Brothers here within this track. The duo’s music appears to be a symbiosis of disco, house and acid, experimenting with the blending of multiple genres at once.

Ed Hodge – Hot Point – Hot Point is a track of minimal house by up and coming British producer, Ed Hodge. This was released in January this year, on the four-track EP, Virtual Resistance on Manchester based label Dansu Discs. Virtual Resistance is a split EP with fellow UK producer Harrison BDP, as both producers have two tracks each on the release. Hot Point is a high energy, thumping track with a deep bassline that echoes the vibe of production gods like Jamie Jones.

Deniro – MPC Tracks A1 – One of the finest of his craft, Netherlands DJ and Producer Deniro released his most recent EP, MPC Tracks this month on label Self Reflektion. MPC Tracks A1 is the first on the four tracker and is overflowing with adventurous groove, another hit from a minimal techno king.

Stranger – Untitlebret – Another techno track for this month is Rotterdam based DJ Stranger’s track Untitlebret from the August 2021 single “Untitlebret / Rok Da Place“, also released on Self Reflektion, which is actually Stranger’s label. Mitchel Polderman (AKA Stranger) combines modern techno with the old school classic sounds, featuring a sample of Technotronic’s Pump Up The Jam, whilst giving it a much darker feel.

DJ Heartstring – Met Her At Bäreneck – One of my favourite artists of 2022 so far, who are skyrocketing their way to the top are Berlin based duo, DJ Heartstring, who I have featured in a previous edition of On Repeat. Their track Met Her At Bäreneck is the opening track from their EP of the same name which was released this month on Lobster Theremin. Their music catalogue is uplifting and euphoric trance which appears to be another sub genre that is becoming increasingly popular within dance music and the current rave climate, and this track shows exactly that.

The Eagles – Take It Easy – The first of only two rock releases of this month is by one of my favourite older, classic rock bands, The Eagles with their song Take It Easy from their self titled 1972 album. They were a band who were always playing in my house growing up so I have been surrounded by their music from a very young age. Take It Easy is one of my favourite songs of all time and is one of many signature songs from the band, with its catchy verses and nice harmonies. Borderlining country music, it captures themes of the American Dream and is the perfect song for a road trip with Friends.

Limp Bizkit – Break Stuff – The second and final rock release for this month is late 90’s, early 2000’s nu-metal band Limp Bizkit’s angsty anthem, Break Stuff. As the title would suggest, it is a song about the human boiling point and uncontrollable anger. It is the fourth and final single from their fourth studio album, Significant Other, released in 1999. This is one of their best songs they have in their catalogue, and generally one of the better songs to listen to for those grumpy days, it is an unapologetic metal anthem .

Darius, Wayne Snow – Helios (Myd Remix) – To finish off April’s edition, this is one of my favourite dance tracks I have found lately and cannot stop listening to it. It is so uplifting and euphoric, and features French piano house with vocal samples from the original track. Easily set to be a Summer banger of a remix from French producer Quentin Lepoutre aka Myd.

On Repeat: March 2022

March soon came around after what was a very fast beginning to 2022. I’m slowly but surely getting back on track with my writing and post commitments after a very busy start to the year, with preparing for my driving test (which I passed, woo!), preparing for Tribal Warehouse’s opening 2022 show with Skream, and being appointed as event manager for Nottingham based event brand Intuition Events. This time only a little late; here are my favourite songs I had on repeat in March:

Malevolence – On Broken Glass – Sheffield based heavy metal band Malevolence released their first of two new singles in late February, On Broken Glass. They also announced their new album, Malicious Intent, due for release on the 20th May this year. I heard them play On Broken Glass live for the first time in September, where they played a hometown gig in Sheffield alongside Leeds based hardcore band Rough Justice and Essex based Splitknuckle, where they actually filmed the video for On Broken Glass that day. The single is sublime, as is the second of the singles, Life Sentence. I am predicting an absolutely massive year for them after the album release. They are heavy metal royalty and deserve so much more recognition from outside of the UK hardcore scene as well as the dedication from current UK fans. Expect eye watering riffs and gut rendering vocals.

Overmono – Gunk – Brothers Tessela and Truss released their first single of 2022, Gunk on the 8th of March. The track is taken from the London based duo’s upcoming project, Cash Romantic, due for release on the 8th of April. Gunk is an addictive listen, which fuses elements of house and techno with UK garage. The single cover artwork features a gorgeous Doberman, much like the artwork for Diamond Cut/Bby, and the Everything U Need EP.

DJ Steaw – Tribute To Doug Willis – A minimal house pick now from Parisian DJ and producer DJ Steaw. Tribute To Doug Willis is from Steaw’s West Side EP released in March 2019 on ever popular label, Rutilance Recordings. The track is a funky, deep house cut with a French touch featuring a sample of British DJ and house producer David Russel Lee aka Doug Willis’ I Got It.

Folly Group – Sand Fight – One of my favourite indie discoveries of recent is Sand Fight by London based collective Folly Group. Within the song, Sand Fight delivers an audio-ode to the quartet’s youth of being carefree with limitless energy. From their 2021 EP, Awake and Hungry, this song is an essential for your indie playlist. Their sound is slightly reminiscent of the likes of Idles, and they are definitely a band to listen out for.

Joe Unknown – Ride – Another indie pick for this month is Joe Unknown’s Ride. The song is his only release on Spotify, adding a mysterious element to his overall demeanour as an artist. Spoken word vocals combined with gritty, urban lyrics describing day to day British Culture. Not quite rap but now quite punk, Joe Unknown has a distinct sound similar to the likes of Slaves, Sleaford Mods or Slowthai.

Sunny Day Real Estate – The Blankets Were The Stairs – This song is a discovery I made from TikTok, where creators ask day to day people roaming the streets what songs they are listening to. I already knew Sunny Day Real Estate from their songs In Circles and Song About An Angel, which are on the same album as The Blankets Were the Stairs, called Diary which was released back in 1994. Having never listened to the album in full, I hadn’t heard this song before I had seen the TikTok, which lead me to listen to the full album, and it is a perfect example of 90s grunge punk. Featuring whiney vocals like most soft punk bands, and a lovely bass pattern in the chorus.

DJ Mell G – I Fuck As I Live – Spotify discover weekly came through with the electro in March with German based producer DJ Mell G’s I Fuck As I Live. The single was released in 2020 and is a fast paced banger which combines various styles in one track, showing just how badass on production she is. I can expect the likes of DJ Stingray to be rinsing this track in future sets!

The Clash – The Magnificent Seven – I don’t often feature classic, iconic bands within my posts, as it often goes without saying. The Clash need no introduction, but they are one of the best bands ever to come out of the UK and the original punk scene. The Magnificent Seven is one I’ve had on repeat throughout March as it was sampled in Pete Tong’s mix for The Ministry Of Sound’s The Annual II, which I have been listening to on my way to work in the car. The song was inspired by the likes of US early rap musicians The sugar hill Gang and The Grandmaster Flash and is one of the earliest recorded attempts of a band attempting to write and perform rap, especially with its lyrics of social and political content. The Magnificent Seven is one of The Clash’s most underrated songs in my opinion, and irrefutable proof of their eclecticism. Listen out for the killer bassline alongside Joe Strummer’s songwriting *chef’s kiss*.

Dissolver – Amputee Thai Chi – One of my favourite artists at the moment who I cannot stop listening to is Dissolver, and if you asked me for my top five DJs, he would be up there. Amputee Thai Chi is a pumping electro track featuring an intriguing build up to claps and a vocal sample leading up to a perfect drop, back to low thudding kicks all put together with those elements. The track comes from the compilation album COURTOISYD03, featuring other artists such as Frazi.er and Charlie Sparks. At only 23 years old, the Netherlands producer his soaring up to an incredibly high status within dance music, if he isn’t there already.

SNTS – Hopeless (Paula Temple’s Descent Into Madness Remix) – Finally, my irl soundtrack pick for this month is Paula Temple’s remix of SNTS’ Hopeless. I went to Re-Textured at Printworks where I finally got to see Paula, and this track was one I listened to the most before attending to increase the excitement. Both SNTS and Paula Temple are well known in techno for their unrelenting sounds both in DJ sets and production, with high bpm and industrial components to provide an audio experience into hell. This track does exactly that, taking you deep into the realms of underground industrial techno.

Spotify playlist with all tracks from my On Repeat series has been updated as always, which you can find below. Have a listen for yourself! :