Heard It Here First

Look, I’m not one to choose favorites. I love a ton of different producers and genres of music. That being said, IF I had to make a Mount Rushmore of Artists who are known for making genre-bending tunes, the three names on this release would have to be represented. Heimanu, Juelz, and KRANE have each brought something unique and mind-blowing to the electronic music space over the past few years, and the fact they have now collaborated to release “Moonbeams” is a sign that no, life isn’t all that bad in 2022.

As we like to do when writing up collaboration tracks, I want to take you all into a deep dive on all the component parts of this massive release and then dive into the song itself.

The Collaborators

Alphabetically, we will begin with Heimanu. Heimanu is an innovative artist who is carving out his own lane with a sound that he has designated “Nu Rave” and someone we have been watching closely at Heard it Here First. Between his debut release on Sable Valley Records and his remix of Zeds Dead track “Alive”, he has been carving out a completely unique lane for himself in the space. His blend of Hardwave, Trap, and Bass has given him a distinct style during an era when a fresh sound is harder than ever to find. When you bring Heimanu into any collaborative setting you can expect a future-forward sound with elements unique to his Nu Rave creations and that is exactly what we get on this track.

Next, alphabetically of course because I don’t pick favorites, is everyone’s favorite Twitter shitposter and tank top-wearing producer Juelz. Juelz has been around for longer than most people give him credit but over the past three years he has absolutely been blowing up. With some of the most unique samples in the game and a racecar-themed aesthetic, he has dropped some of the hardest-hitting trap songs since 2018. His most recent remix EP follows in a line of epic remix EPs over the last few years and stands aside a seriously impressive discography of original tracks. I swear, everything this man touches is gold and has some element that is distinctly his own. Juelz has some of the cleanest productions out there and whenever he is on a track you can be certain there will be heavy clean bass elements that make you want to run (or drive) right through a wall.

Finally, we arrive at KRANE. KRANE is an expert at working within the collaboration universe, with three genre-defying full-length collab projects released since 2017. These “Sessions” albums began with KRANE sourcing beats and WIP tracks from up-and-coming producers which he then collaborated on to put out as a part of a full-length project. It remains one of the best examples of existing producers putting on up-and-comers with huge success. Outside of his collaborations, KRANE has been an innovator in trap music for years using elements such as his own “KRANE Snare” to build sonic masterpieces that are at once heavy, atmospheric, and emotional all rolled into one. Throughout his career, KRANE has mastered the style of melodic throughlines with euphoric builds that release into the crispiest drops.

With each of our collaborators sufficiently described we can now dive in and begin to understand this masterpiece.

The Track

The song opens with an edited female phone call voice and then quickly rips into a fast-paced kick drum-heavy build with “Take me away” sampled in a classic Nu Rave fashion. It builds until a local climax at which point the tension is emancipated by a massive melodic, drop. Subsequent to the drop is a mind-blowing Wavepool meets DNB section. From there the audience is given its only true break with a stripped vocal section. The tension then skyrockets with a longer build that gets completely unleashed with a combination of all of the song’s components: the melodic drop, the drums from the DNB bridge, the futuristic vocals from the build. It all comes together in part two of the song. Not to be let off the ride just yet the last minute brings the heaviest synths yet through a pulsing final section, that finally lets off with a fade-out outro.

This song takes elements from Heimanu’s Nu Rave, Juelz’s insanely clean production, and KRANE’s unique ability to bring emotion throughout a heavy song and creates one of my favorite songs in a LONG time. “Moonbeams” was released through Proximity records and is available to stream wherever you stream music. Take a listen below and let us know what you think in the comments!

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