Weekly Hotlist V

‘Right Now’ - Crissy Criss (ft. Orange Hill & Nature)

Following last month’s explosive singles ‘Airlock’ and ‘Need You Now’, drum and bass legend Crissy Criss returns with colossal release ‘Right Now’ featuring Orange Hill & Nature. With the latter encompassing the sounds of reggae, dancehall and bashment, this eclectic collaboration is a cross-pollination of urban sounds; resulting in a dance-floor destroyer with huge crossover appeal.

‘Psych Out’ - Aj Tracey

‘Psych Out’, the latest drop from AJ Tracey in the build up to the release of his hugely-anticipated self-titled debut album, explores a sonically darker yet vocally softer side to the rapper’s prowess. While Tracey’s bars stir juxtaposition between a gentle timbre and harshly self-assured lyrics (“You couldn't pay me if you wanted, I'm a Rockstar”), a lax roll of trap hi-hats amongst synths that wouldn’t be out of place in an Ariana track create the end effect of what has the potential to be a global hit; all while remaining authentically AJ.

‘Mile High’ – James Black, Travis Scott, Metro Boomin

Some have criticised James Blake’s latest LP ‘Assume Form’ as being too stern, too tight in its production, too much of everything that established Blake’s dexterity prior to now; but it’s these factors that make ‘Mile High’ so excellent. Produced in collaboration with Metro Boomin, the track’s techy wailing synths combined with Travis Scott’s expectedly excellent vocals and a sporadic trap beat combine to create an intelligent hybrid of the numbingly basic beats pioneered by some of Boomin and Scott’s counterparts. This has to be the collaboration of the year so far.

‘Police In Helicopter’ – John Holt (Benny L Remix)

After months of teasing the dubplate, Benny L finally dropped ‘Police in Helicopter’ last week, which now stands confidently at number 2 in the Beatport chart – and for good reason. Breathing his unique warps into what was already a timeless release, Benny L succeeds in adding value to Holt’s original track while proving (not that anyone was doubting) why he is one of the most sought after producers of the moment. Drum and bass at its best.

‘Breathe’ – CamelPhat & Cristoph (ft. Jem Cooke)

With a sparkling Tiesto-esque bassline and genuinely emotion-evoking vocals from Jem Cook, ‘Breathe’ is latest in a series of releases that have cemented CamelPhat’s impact on UK dance music over the last year. Produced in collaboration with rising UK producer Crisoph, ‘Breathe’ was naturally released on Eric Prydz’s Pryda Presents label and embodies the kind of Ibiza house vibes that we’re all craving this winter. A sure-fire instant hit.