12 Days Dead – Bang Bang Zoom Zoom
12 Days Dead smashes rock attitude into electronic pulse for a high-octane banger.
"Bang Bang Zoom Zoom" wastes no time making its intentions clear. At 128 BPM, the track barrels forward with aggressive guitars locked into a relentless four-on-the-floor beat, while dark synths carve out space beneath the chaos. That's the vibe, and it's great. But best of all is the hook, which takes a little while to come along, but when it does, I'm fully sold. Musically, the mash up of alternative rock energy and electro-industrial weight works really well. Bang bang zoom zoom? Sure, why not? Especially when it sounds this good. It's a great, compelling track.
Based in Tucson, 12 Days Dead draws on decades of rock instinct filtered through contemporary electronic production. The project refuses comfortable genre boundaries, instead throwing together elements of synthwave, industrial and dance music with distorted guitars and unapologetic hooks. The philosophy is simple: feel first, analyse later. And it's working here, to great effect.
James Holfert – Instantiate
James Holfert's 'Instantiate' is a stunning electronic single, warm and carefully layered from a producer who proves hardware-first production is usually best
'Instantiate' builds slow. At 110bpm, it stacks groove on groove, each element arriving only when the last has room to breathe. The title comes from software development, the moment an abstract idea becomes something concrete, and the track does exactly that. Analog synth textures push warmth into every corner of the mix while the Digitakt II sequencing keeps things locked tight. I love the subtle drop towards the end where everything kinda pulls back, before the layers return. It really lands. Superb electronic production, atmospheric and fully realised.
IfElseWhatNext is James Holfert, a Reigate-based producer who works in software development by day and channels that precision into his music. His setup is deliberately tactile: no computer in sight, just the Digitakt II, a Minifreak, and Korg synths. He cites DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, Bicep and Moderat as influences, and you can hear all of them in there, classic breaks rubbing up against progressive electronic textures. 'Instantiate' follows on from 'Geographic', 'Laws' and 'Traveller', and it's clear he's building something. We're really glad to have him on our radar now, more of this please James.
SIR-VERE – New Age Girl
SIR-VERE and Vodzilla smash out an exhilarating breakbeat anthems with 'New Age Girl', a cyberpunk-charged electronic rock banger that demands repeat plays.
Big beats hit hard on 'New Age Girl'. SIR-VERE and producer Vodzilla lock into a propulsive breakbeat groove, layering crunchy synths and alt-pop hooks over rhythms that nod to the Chemical Brothers and Prodigy. But these guys are definitely in their own lane. The production is the standout here, along with the vocal, and aesthetically it draws from manga aesthetics and cyberpunk imagery. The result feels both retro and futuristic, riding with real relentless forward motion. There is real craft in how the elements stack, and the result is exhilarating electronic rock.
SIR-VERE are UK electronic rock veterans who have been pushing their sound forward for years. Their cult album Singulus recently saw a reissue on Big Fat Mama Beats, while The Fivesome collected highlights from their early catalogue. Their 2024 studio album Lovescope earned widespread support through Worldsound and Virgin Music. Now partnered with award-winning producer Vodzilla, they are gearing up for THE GOD MACHINE, a full collaborative album that promises to be their most ambitious project yet. We are very excited to see where this partnership takes them, cos this one's a banger.
Michael John Clare – When Fear comes from the Protector
Michael John Clare's 'When Fear comes from the Protector' is a sprawling, cinematic piece of progressive electronic work, doomy and gripping in equal measure
This one takes you somewhere new, and it earns every minute. 'When Fear comes from the Protector' opens with dark, building textures that sit somewhere between prog rock grandeur and leftfield electronic experimentation. The tension never really lets up, but it shifts: passages that feel deeply ominous give way to moments of release, synths layering over rhythms that push forward without rushing. There is classical phrasing in the melodic lines, folk in the patience of the arrangements, and something cinematic holding the whole thing together. Ambitious experimental electronica, immersive and uncompromising.
Michael John Clare is based in Stoke, England, and he has been steadily building a catalogue of work that sits well outside the mainstream. His influences run deep: classical, folk, progressive rock, all filtered through an electronic production style that favours mood and tension over easy hooks. He is clear-eyed about what he makes, noting it is not for everyone, and that honesty comes through in the music itself. There is no compromise here, no chasing of trends, and that's exactly why we love it. Stunning stuff.