Propane - Jack It

Dutch duo Propane have made a big splash in the last couple of years, with their Dresscode collab with The Voyagers doing major damage and showing the world that their fierce bass house sounds are not to be messed with. Now they arrive on STMPD RCRDS for the first time with a brilliantly produced EP comprised of two genuine ‘facemelters’ inspired by the glory days of influential club labels like Sneakerz Muzik.

Jack It begins life as a bouncy house beat with old skool stabs and tumbling percussive rhythms, before pitched-down rap vocals and breakbeats combine with brooding bass tones in the breakdown. A meaty snare build-up charges you headlong into incredibly rugged bass house groove, with distorted grunts doing rhythmic battle with those taut percussion sounds. Things only get more manic as the track progresses, with detuned siren blasts and laser pulses adding to the madness. “We wanted to keep the drop both groovy and 'dirty” they explain. Mission accomplished.

Arbusto was inspired by Adam Beyer’s mighty Drumcode label, with the duo wanting “to make a mix of mainstage club music and dark underground techno”. Tight, punchy kicks, ticking rhythms and atmospheric touches set the tone before a huge build drops us into another intricate, unusual groove comprised of warped synth hits and grunting bass drops. With great use of FX throughout and a super-chunky rhythmic section that evolves through the track, it’s a hugely effective and smartly-produced piece of work.

The likes of Afrojack, Don Diablo, Tchami, R3hab and Bob Sinclar already support their work, and this diverse two-tracker is set to widen their appeal much further still.