newkidsdj takes inspiration from the dawn of EDM with this latest release. Compiling five original soundscapes, each one a beautiful and energizing journey in itself, the EP Sentiments is precisely the nostalgic yet exciting playlist classic dance fans have likely been craving.
Rather than simply hitting the audience with weight and pace, each composition on Sentiments takes its time to creatively and expressively build something meaningful and intentional around you. Serene kicks things off well, rising up slowly and enveloping you in the process – offering retro synths and a crisp, contemporary edge that’s designed to get you feeling fresh and ready to move.
Outbound follows on and is a stunning early highlight. A similarly engaging and uplifting piece of music, this one offers a quickly memorable riff that echos out into the room as this anthem-like moment of immense togetherness. The track begs for you to witness newkidsdj at a live show. The classic energy combined with these original melodies and modern sound design is stunning.
Nostalgia follows on with more of those blissful good vibes – the entire EP is everything the nineties and early noughties were for many music fans. The producer’s level of skill is unquestionable, the quiet moments compel, the build-up entrances, and the drop invigorates and satisfies in the best possible way. More than this though, there’s a clear level of passion at work, a love for the genre and for music in general, and this is why each and every track sounds so immediately likable. newkidsdj makes the music that means something personally, first of all, and for these reasons it pours through with believable realness.
Radiant takes things in a slightly more intense and late-night direction – darker riffs and vocal fragments meet with a glitch-hop style set-up and help craft something with a heavier yet more spacious pulse. It makes for a welcomed change in mood and further highlights that inherent love for EDM in all of its forms.
At the final hurdle, Spike reignites a retro fire of optimism, a multi-layered wave of colour and energy floods in, though this is later contrasted by a striking moment of intensity – again, those depth-of-the-night vibes hit with impact; the use of contrast is superb. This piece becomes something of a highlight for its sheer structural originality and that fine balance between creativity and professionalism. Musicianship is as important as production, of course, but this seems to get overlooked in much of modern EDM. That’s far from the case with this EP. A pleasure to experience and well worth more than a few re-visits throughout festival season. Listen loud.
Stream the music on Spotify. Find & follow newkidsdj on Instagram.
