For the last few years, we've heard a constant grumbling by fans and critics about the increasing similarity of dance music. But in the latter half of 2013, the scene began to see strong efforts to push back against convention. Festivals like Hard Day of the Dead brought a new experience to attendees, fusing hard electro and house along with non-standard sets by crowd favorites (Calvin Harris, Cirez D). Expanding on this, many artists have gone out of their way to try new things, especially apparent by a surge of deep house by some to today's top acts (Nervo, Tiesto). Finally, other producers have gone the the extra mile, flexing their tastemaking abilities through their influential labels and bringing new sounds to the table.
Tommie Sunshine, the unmistakeable and enthusiastic electronic producer originally from Chicago, pushes the boundaries in all these ways. His early EDC Las Vegas set threw the rulebook out the window, featuring a heavy presence of lesser-known producers and a no holds barred approach to playing live. On top of that, his own productions have sought to bring rise to his favorite subgenres, and the label he heads, Brooklyn Fire, has cultivated an unmistakeable signature sound: dark, bouncy, electro, techno.
With that in mind, take a listen to Brooklyn Fire 3 the latest compilation from the imprint, dropping February 18th. Tommie starts off the series strong with the fidgety track "Chicago 2014" featuring Fast Eddie, closely followed by Don Rimini's acid house homage, "Adam & Eve". Skipping ahead a few, a more intense version of this particular sound can be found in Dave Tannin's "Bronsted", which contrasts the heavy house vibes of "Slave To The Rave" by Flashback. If we're picking favorites, mine would have to be Serge P's dark and minimal-leaning "Thousands", as well as the compilation's most electro track: Mercurius FM's "J.A.C.K.". Rounding off the release, Locator serves up the continually building sound of "Growth".
If you like what you heard, support creativity in the electronic scene by giving the label a like or follow and purchasing the release come mid-February.
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Fire House 3
Tommie Sunshine – Chicago 2014 feat. Fast Eddie
Don Rimini – Adam & Eve
Serge P – Thousands
Flashback – Slave To Your Rave
Mercurius FM – J.A.C.K.
Dave Tannin – Bronsted
Locater – Growth
Various Artists
Fire House 3
- Brooklyn Fire
- 2014-02-11