The Curator's Crates: Volume 4

Crate Digging Catches

Brought to you by OGD & OddwOrld

Return of Bruno - Bruce Willis
“Return of Bruno” is another vinyl pick where lore and music quality amalgamate to make this lesser-known record my “hear me out.” “Return of Bruno” stars action icon Bruce Willis as he takes on a new character, the “legendary” rock singer Bruno Radolini. The 1987 Motown Records release was accompanied by a mockumentary of the same name which explored the legacy and impact of the actor’s alter-ego on rock music using testimonials from Ringo Starr, Jon Bon Jovi, Clive Davis, the Beatles and more.

(OddwOrld) “Love Makes the World Go Round” [Single] by Don-E
“Love Makes the World Go Round” is a 1992 feel-good RnB anthem by South London artist Don-E. If I had to define early 90’s New Jack Soul inspired RnB I’d use this track as a shining reference. This is not a standout track from the hits of the time, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. This track is pure soul through and through, evident through the slapping kick/snare drum pattern that defined late 80’s/early 90’s artists such as Bel Biv Devoe and Boyz II Men. As soon as the needle hits the record the speakers are filled with soul chords and good vibes, assisted and solidified by Don-E’s silky vocals to create a raw groove that couldn’t be recreated today. The vinyl includes radio and extended mixes of the song, as well as a slower mix from DJ Morales that I’m eager to hear in a low BPM house set.

Radio Mix

Morales Mix

Erase You- moistbreezy
Global pop princess moistbreezy dropped several singles in anticipation of her club-minded album inspired by Dante’s Inferno. Of the 3 earliest releases, I would recommend “Erase You,” a layered dance track that is danceable while coping with a loss of love.

East Bridge Romance- DJ Heartstring & Narciss
Sticking to the club-friendly theme, “East Bridge Romance” is a cheerful high energy and up-tempo house song. The lyrics are almost indistinguishable but that makes sense as they are in conversation with the synths rather than the listener.  

GASKLEAK – Cerdin, Squired
This dubstep song offers infusions of trap, breaks, and Jersey club across its nearly 4-minute runtime for an impactful and energetic listen. I found the song while listening through RL Grimes’ Sable Valley Compilation Series along with several other gems.

(OddwOrld) Raw - MPH
If 2024 was MPH’s year to prove himself, 2025 is his year to solidify his standing in UKG and Bass music. After two very solid original releases in “Alone” & “Falling 4 U,” MPH has done nothing but show that he’s one of the most versatile producers in all of EDM at the moment. The lush and intricate chord work of “Alone” takes you to a place above the clouds, and the hard bass drops in “Falling 4 U” show you he hasn’t lost his ability to give you permanent stank face. Now, take all of that knowledge with reference to MPH’s complicated production and throw it out of the window, because his most recent release “Raw” is exactly as its name suggests. Deep Subs and a four to the floor kick pattern give it a sort of Tech House feel, but the highs suggest otherwise. The whistling synth chops and chord stabs are complimented perfectly by his use of hip-hop vocal sampling, including a reference to Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya.” Don’t think too hard on this one, just spin it and let the finger guns fly.

Flatline (Eliminate Remix)- Frost Children & Eliminate/ Flatline- Frost Children
Eliminate erases the fine line between hyperpop and dubstep by dialing up the maximalist sound of Frost Children’s “Flatline.” While the original “Flatline” was one of the high points of Frost Children’s 2023 album Speedrun, the remix is a welcome upgrade.

Outside (onlytom bootleg)- Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding
The original “Outside” is a highly recognizable vestige of mid 2010s pop music. Onlytom revitalizes it by infusing multiple genres for an incredibly fun and rewarding listen. (Spoilers) It starts with a trap build and then switches to a jersey club beat with sharp kicks and melodic vocal chops at about a minute and a half in. 

Shatafaka – Hermeth
This is my second time featuring a Hermeth song for sample use. The Swiss artist abandons the recognizable Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby song and transforms it into a hard ghetto tech song with powerful breaks. Similar to my thoughts around his song “Situationship,” I was left wishing that this version was the original.

A few months ago, we featured a B2B between OGD and OddwOrld. This month, we’re adding one of the most talented DJs into the mix. Fanny Vilhelmsson is a Book Club Radio alum and founding member of the French collective Ethereal Tempo. She balances consistent quality and style while being untethered to the boundaries of genre. When I first saw her playing for Connector’s Crash Test, she seamlessly mixed between indie dance, UK garage, techno, jungle, and baile funk. A common theme with both OddwOrld and Fanny is that they use different genres as a way to take listeners on a journey. While having 3 multi-genre DJs play at the same time could be frenetic and disorganized, this B3B comes across more as a musical call-and-response. Like a game of telephone, each song relates to the last, but the longer you listen, the further you get from the starting point.

Event Recaps

Many incredible things have happened since our last post!

On May 29th, Brooklyn Loves UK Garage joined forces with OnlyFemmes for another installment of their Dub Sirens series. The femme-centered event featured music across the UK spectrum, from UKG, to jungle, 140, and more. Even on a Thursday both groups drew out a substantial crowd that filled up Silo’s front room. The lineup featured a strong range of up-and-coming talents. .WAV Gallery founder OGD kicked off the night with a strong baseline of UKG featuring twists and turns that took listeners into dubstep and jersey club. You can listen to their set here. GGPS then played a joyful and high-energy speed garage set that had every person in the room dancing. Fresh off her set at Four Tet’s Under the K Bridge weekender, producer and DJ Krithi played a stunning set; it was the kind where you know Shazam won’t find any of the songs so you have to cherish each moment. Next, OnlyFemmes founder J.N.R. performed a masterclass in 140. For those who stayed until the end, Sosi rewarded them with smooth jungle.

PAN!C ROOM packed out Zone One on June 6th for their Elsewhere debut. Members Y2Aura, Waddle, Nijeii, and Duco each played flawless sets that were authentic to their individual styles. The rapt attendees took in baile funk, ghetto tech, ukg, jersey club, donk, and dance. While the energy ranged from serious to joyful- and at times silly (courtesy of Waddle’s remixes), I don’t believe a single genre was untouched. It was a classic PAN!C ROOM night on a larger scale. The crowd was a good mix of the group’s long-time loyal fanbase and newcomers who had trickled in from the venue’s other rooms. If you looked closely, you could find pockets of other New York City music collectives showing their support in a wholesome display of community.

Luckily, 3/5 sets from the night are available below.

On July 5th, Support Women DJs hosted a hyperpop night at Mood Ring. The group has become an uplifting, community-building fixture of the music scene with outposts in multiple states. As a brand they have generated authority as a thought leader through the social media presence of founder Rach Brosman. The highlight of this particular night was DJ and producer PEACEBLVCK. While her recent focuses have been techno and afrohouse, she treated partygoers by returning to her hyperpop roots on this rare occasion. For more from PEACEBLVCK, listen to her recent single “Terrified” below.

White Label Records

BUNNI

Listen

The newest project by producer, DJ, ChuneStation Alumni, and .WAV Gallery co-curator OddwOrld.

BUNNI comes across as a conversation between OddwOrld as a DJ and as a producer. It ultimately is a club-minded album that explores some of the more niche genres that he is a fan of. Even while going between ghetto tech, jungle, jersey club, house, baile funk, and techno in 9 songs, the album is sonically cohesive in a way that accomplishes world building without needing an extended runtime. All of the songs are intended for DJs- as evidenced by intros and extended outros. However, each song is a response, not just to the general club scene of NYC, but to the specific pockets in which he resides. For example, “4 Da Emcee” is particularly special as it was inspired by Brooklyn Loves UK Garage emcee and wordsmith Lord of Ciphers. Even the title is a nod to his DJ alter ego, pictured below.

With BUNNI, OddwOrld accomplishes experimentation while creating a project that still fits well into his overall discography. The jungle track "Glass Eyes" is stylistically the grown-up sibling of OddwOrd’s biggest hit “‘99 Years Young.” While the UKG elements of his most recent singles “Often” and “Been a While” are missing, they do hint that a more bass-leaning sound may be coming from the artist in the future.

Thanks for reading .WAV Gallery! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.