Second hardstyle entry today, because once you open that door it’s hard to close, and Strixter’s “Let Him Cook” earns its meme-fluent title. This is rawstyle leaning, harder and dirtier than the euphoric stuff, with a kick that sounds like it was engineered specifically to dislodge fillings. Where a lot of raw hardstyle just screams at you for four minutes straight, Strixter actually builds something, giving you a moment to breathe before the next assault. The screeches and distorted kicks are nasty in the way the genre demands, and there’s a real sense of momentum carrying you from one drop to the next. The title is goofy and the music is dead serious, which is a combination I find genuinely charming. This is for the people in the pit who consider a broken ankle a fair price for a good night. Not for everyone, and that’s the point. If your first instinct is to turn it down, this blog is gently telling you to turn it up instead.
January
Chrome Daydream
Chrome stars, jelly hearts and holographic colour. A nod to the glossy, optimistic graphics of the early web.