Hot & New, Week of 02/20/23

2/20/2023

9 min

All across the board, the music industry feels exciting and electrifying right now. The meteoric return of Skrillex on top of an overall shift in perspective on releasing music has influenced people’s hunger for good new music. Satiate yourself with the latest Audius drops, showcased on this week’s Hot & New playlist update.

Leo the Kind makes an explosive debut on Audius with his track “SKELETONS.” Within a few days, this track lit up across the platform; shortly thereafter, “SKELETONS” catapulted to the #1 trending track on Audius This trap rap song constructs an expressive air with melancholy guitar riffs joined by a gentle piano. Leo the Kind underlines this solemn harmony with a driving, wet hi-hat line. Completing the vulnerable track is, of course, Leo the Kind’s own words. In “SKELETONS,” the vocalist flows about how his past is darker than the current version of himself. Leo the Kind fears being vulnerable about his mistakes, not wanting to scare off his loved one; a ubiquitous feeling for all listeners.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Co2auYPOwAb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Co2auYPOwAb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Co2auYPOwAb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Leo The Kind (@leothekind)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

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Multi-hyphenate Darnell Williams releases his first track of 2023 on Audius, a steady rap on “LARK ‘23 FREESTYLE.” This rapper made his sonic mark with JOYRYDE in 2017 when he was featured on “New Breed,” a track that appeared on the HOWSLA compilation from Skrillex’s imprint, OWSLA. Harkening back to the origins of hip-hop, Darnell Williams seamlessly flows over a repetitive beat in “LARK ‘23 FREESTYLE.”. A head-nodding drumset rhythm carries a subtly defiant synth riff. “LARK ‘23 FREESTYLE” reminds us of a sort of vintage badassery that only a delectable freestyle creates. No one is safe from the savagery Darnell William fearlessly doles out through this track.

Hardwell’s very own imprint, Revealed Records, returns to Audius with a hot new house collaboration, “Need You.” This track comes from the minds of Israeli duo TripL merging with Japanese DJs NORII and YOSEEK. These four producers synthesized a hypnotic tech house track, fit for the club or the mainstage. Echoing synths shimmer enter in the beginning but contrast with the gritty melody when the beat finally drops. Without a doubt, TripL, NORII, and YOSEEK present an addictive track; “Need You” will keep the energy driving during any party!

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Also resurfacing on Audius is Rodridi, a 22-year-old musical prodigy based in Montevideo, Uruguay. This time, Rodridi presents another one of his hits, “Rottweiler” with Zeballos. “Rottweiler” illustrates a calm evening by the ocean with its gently upbeat instrumental, laced with bouncy elements from Latin music. Meanwhile, Rodridi and Zeballos take turns rapping and showing off their lyrical prowess as well as their rich singing voices.

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Modern electrofunk legend Gramatik unveils “Ten More Miles” with Anduze, a track off of his freshly dropped album, Water for the Soul II (Deluxe Edition). Fueling every listener with unshakeable confidence, Gramatik takes his classic bounce and groove and pairs it with elements of future bass. A smug piano compliments a sexy guitar lick while Anduze sings about moving forward “Ten More Miles” in the right direction. Then, the track drops into a funky fusion of Gramatik’s style and the bubbly sounds of future bass, a pairing bound to attract lovers of the jazzy and the joyous.

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A vibrant spectrum of genres once again shines this week on Audius! From euphoric funk to mournful trap rap, flavors for everyone can be found on this week’s Audius Hot & New playlist.