Heard It Here First

It’s something truly special when an artist can blend other instruments into their sounds and sets, and Josh Teed does this with beauty and grace. Listening to his music feels like sitting in the middle of a forest, completely at peace and comfortable with your surroundings. Especially when intertwined with his masterful violin skills. You can’t help but get lost in his hypnotic, nature, and bass-filled elements. He’s an incredible tastemaker, bringing something unique to everything that he does, while continuously pushing the envelope of sound design. That is powerfully clear in his latest album and Gravitas Recordings release, Recurring Dreams. 

He gave fans a little taste of what was to come with “Ancient Illusions,” a collaboration between him and bass music powerhouse duo Shanghai Doom. The track started off slow, with Josh Teed leading listeners in with the sweet sounds of violin strings being played. The rest was packed with these almost cataclysmic layers, engulfing anyone who dared let the sounds find their ears. Here’s what he had to say about the new project:

“Recurring Dreams was a labor of love, taking just over 2 years to finish. The vision behind it was to push the envelope in regards to the marriage of instrumentalism and melody, with experimental sound design and heavy bass. There is an immense range throughout the project, from dark and heavy tunes, to the beautiful and ethereal side, I wanted it to encompass the full range of emotion.” – Josh Teed

I love that Josh Teed is never afraid to switch things up, he has such an innate ability to pull so many different emotions out of you with every creation. Recurring Dreams is the perfect representation of his sonic palette and drive to explore every realm of sound design. “Nightmare Sonata” with DAGGZ dives into a much darker, heavier side to his sound. Giving off chilling feelings as you’re engulfed in the thought of underworlds untouched.

But then you’re met with the title track, “Recurring Dreams,” and are swiftly swept up in Josh Teed’s mesmerizing sounds of his violin and feelings of crisp winter mornings; when the windows are lightly fogged and the grounds covered in a blanket of fresh snow. In the last part of the track, he surprises listeners, bringing in heavy bass and energy that could shake the earth’s very core.

He teams up with IZZI for “Memories Of A Past Life” and both artists’ sounds really come through. There are distortions infused with sweet, sweet melodies, keeping you guessing what you’re going to hear next from beginning to end. After that is “Hypnagogia” with pianist Jason Leech. It’s almost hard to find the words to describe the beauty of this track, both of these artists are so talented in their own respect, and each of their instrumental abilities play out perfectly together. Close your eyes when you listen and let them transport you wherever your mind wants to go.

“Baku,” with Eyezic, starts off ethereal and light-hearted, like floating through fields on a summer day. Then, all of a sudden, the two switch things up and you’re met with a fast-paced Drum and Bass number that’ll instantly have you moving, until things slow down again and change up once more for an energetic ending.

Josh Teed and Super Future combine brains and talent on “Elysian Forest”. It starts off with frequencies that’ll give you goosebumps and bring tears to your eyes, while also weaving in low-end bass that makes you want to float away. The end brings in even more bass-driven elements, once again highlighting both of these artists abilities to push the envelope and not confine themselves to one emotion or sound.

“Zones Of Reality” wraps up the beauty and journey of Recurring Dreams. It’s playful and melodic, but also has moments of deep, murky bass. It’s the perfect way to end this album and really tie together each and every type of sound that it was packed with. Josh Teed is an exceptional artist (and definitely becoming one of my favorites) and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for him. It’s surely going to be a bright one. He wanted to push the envelope with production and instruments, and he did just that.

Stream the album now on your preferred music platform and let us know which track(s) were your favorites in the comments! Also, if you plan on catching him on tour, let us know where! We hope to see you out on the dance floor soon.

Follow the HIHF team on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up with news, fresh tunes, merch giveaways, exclusive mixes, interviews, and so much more!