Two artists with punctuation in their names teaming up on Liquicity sounds like a recipe for trying too hard, and then “No Less Than Never” turns out to be one of the most assured liquid tracks I’ve heard all month. L.A.O.S and SOL:US lock into a groove that’s slick without being slippery, the bassline rounded and deep enough to feel in your chest on a decent system. The title is a little nonsensical when you sit with it, but the music more than covers for the wordplay. What stands out is the production polish. Every element has room to breathe, nothing fights for space, and the mixdown is clean enough to make most bedroom producers reconsider their life choices. The melodic hook in the second half is the kind that quietly relocates into your head and refuses to leave. This is liquid DnB for people who think they’re tired of liquid DnB. Give it one full play before you decide. It earns it.
January
Chrome Daydream
Chrome stars, jelly hearts and holographic colour. A nod to the glossy, optimistic graphics of the early web.