It's becoming more and more apparent that the sun-soaked melodies of tropical house are here to stay, and up-and-comers like Kygo are quickly establishing themselves as the next big names in the EDM world. However, there's another new name in town that's quickly securing his place in this elite group of future sonic superstars, and he's doing so with a very different sound all together. Unlike his contemporaries', this music wasn't made for the beach. No, tracks like "Stay Closer" and "Superfriends" are dark and gritty pieces of audio expression that would be much more at home blasting in a shadowy warehouse right before the cops show up. They're artfully constructed and vaguely menacing, and honestly, we wouldn't want them any other way. This EP is going to be huge, and not just because it's good, but because ZHU may be one of only a handful of producers who's harnessed the darker side of dance music. If you're already familiar with this mysterious producer's work, then the tracklist features three songs you're already familiar with. That being said, there's still plenty of new material to sink your teeth into. If this is your first with ZHU's work, however, then you are in for a truly epic first listen. All three of the new releases are solid, but make sure not to miss "Stay Closer". Among an already impressive lineup, it's one of his stronger offerings to date, and the bassline on it is borderline hypnotic. From the track, you should move on to "Faded", one of his earlier releases, but still, one that holds up nicely against the shiny new sounds offered on the EP. "The One" is another new release of note, and it has a vaguely vintage vibe to it, pulling in a wide variety of influences that let you know ZHU isn't a fluke. Just a couple of months ago, ZHU was nowhere to be found in the music world's consciousness, but The Nightday is going to change all of that, and with time, we'll probably be seeing a lot more from the EDM giant-in-the-making. Dance music is undergoing a lot of changes right now, and we're seeing some huge shifts in sound, so we're glad ZHU is atop the experimental wave, staving off all kinds of sonic monotony. Purchase The Nightday EP on iTunes, or stream all of it below.
ZHU