Notes from the Underground: Etienne de Crécy, Jozif, Sydney Blu, Less Hate, Xtrah, EAR PWR

Welcome to Notes from the Underground, THUMP's weekly premiere feature dedicated to shining a light on underground sonics from around the world. Every week, we'll start at the surface and dig deeper into the underground with each track. In this week's edition, we've got disco from Berlin, tropical tech from London, a dancefloor-ready Massive Attack cover, some laid-back neurofunk and a swirled-out indie dance number. You can check them all out at this one-stop shop. Have a dig around:

Etienne de Crécy - "You" (Less Hate remix) [Super Discount]

Berlin-based Less Hate takes the inimitable Etienne de Crécy to even more disco-fied territory on the remix of "You" (released on de Crécy's Super Discount 3) by notching up the tempo, chunking up the bassline, and adding an ethereal quality to the vocals. The result is an even more immediately palatable and dance-able tune than the original, which is a tough ask.

Etienne de Crécy is on Facebook // SoundCloud // Twitter
Less Hate is on Facebook // SoundCloud // Twitter

Jozif - "Soonar" [Culprit]

Get your scuba gear on, because we're going deep. LA label Culprit has an iron-grasp on low-key vibes, and London based producer Jozif's follow up to his Waikiki EP, premiered on THUMP last year, is slathered in a cinematic aesthetic washed over in subtle tropical touches. This is what they listen to at jungle raves on the Jurassic Park islands.

Jozif is on Facebook // SoundCloud // Twitter

Sydney Blu & Jamie Lee Wilson - "Teardrop" (Massive Attack cover) [Blu Music]

Massive Attack's "Teardrop" is a masterclass of the trip-hop here, so much so that even taking on a remix is a dangerous affair. Not ones to baulk at a challenge, Sydney Blu and Jamie Lee Wilson skipped the remix altogether and took on a full-on cover. And it's rad. The deeper house rendition of the version catches the melodic quality of the original, but turns the whole thing into a rumbling groover of a dance tune.

Sydney Blu is on Facebook // SoundCloud // Twitter
Jamie Lee Wilson is on SoundCloud // Twitter

Xtrah - "Operator"

It takes some real talent to stick out in the crowded London drum & bass scene, and after releasing on Metalheadz, Ram Records, and Critical, you can't really deny Xtrah's skills – And after releasing restrained, classy rollers like "Operator," why would you want to? This tune is all about the depth of that mutating bass and the subtle flourishes instead of aiming to bang you over the head with aggression. Buy it here.

Xtrah is on Facebook // SoundCloud // Twitter

EAR PWR - "Beyond The Arc" [Carpark Records]

EAR PWR is a duo from Asheville, North Carolina with big hair and bigger personalities. Their tune "Beyond The Arc" sounds like Dan Deacon on a dose of downers (say that ten times fast), all swirled-out atmospheres and quietly anthemic melodies breathed out amidst a chaotic polyphony that might turn the dancefloor into a hand-holdy-sing-a-long

EAR PWR is on Facebook // SoundCloud // Twitter

And hey lazybones, here's all of the notes in one playlist: