Heard It Here First

One of the bright, young stars in the dubstep world that you need to know about heading into the new year is Raleigh, NC-based Criso. Garnering the attention of names like Ternion Sound, Chris Karns, Monty and many others, Criso’s hard-hitting, yet approachable style has certainly been trending in the right direction.

After his debut Emerge EP dropped in late 2022, fellow artists and dubstep enthusiasts were wanting more from the promising producer. After a few singles and collabs were released earlier in the year, Criso delivered again on the final Friday of 2023 with his three-track Countdown EP on DUPLOC’s side label, BLXCK TXPES, featuring a collab with the great dubstep pioneer, Joe Nice.

2023 was the first full calendar year for the Criso alias (he was formerly known as TYLR before Fall 2022). Criso played some insane shows last year, supporting notable names like Ternion Sound at The Black Box in Denver, Coki and Emalkay in Raleigh, Zen Selekta, Hypho and others. He even made his festival debut as Criso at Sound Haven in Tennessee, where fans were treated to the sounds and styles of this young king on the powerful Element 5 sound system.

We were also fortunate enough to receive an epic HIHF guest mix from Criso last May, featuring his own tracks as well as selections from friends and inspirations. Let us know in the comments if you have listened to this insane mix!

The Countdown EP is everything you love about Criso and then some. Beginning with “Rinse Out”, we quickly dive into Criso’s deeper side with a brilliant opening track that hits you from all angles. This track definitely sets the stage for a wild ride. The title track “Countdown” is an absolute weapon that has been doing a ton of damage in Criso’s recent sets. Expect to hear this one heating up dance floors all over the country as we enter the new year.

The third and final track from the Countdown EP is “Knowledge”, a collab with dubstep legend and fellow North Carolina resident, Joe Nice. For those that may not be familiar, Joe Nice began playing dubstep at the beginning of the millennium before the genre even had a name, introducing a wide-eyed audience to a new and exciting form of music that had never been heard in the states before. Be sure to check out the in-depth interview we did with Joe last March, where we covered a variety of topics like the early days of dubstep in North America, the importance of representation in the US festival scene, the difference between vinyl and digital DJing, and so much more.

“Knowledge” is an amazing link up between the young, promising future of dubstep and one of the biggest catalysts for the North American dubstep scene. You can hear both artists’ influences on display in this one and it will certainly have you bouncing on the dance floor. If you want to dive deeper into the mastery of these two, I recommend checking out their nearly three-hour b2b set on Joe’s YouTube page. Seriously, this one is insane and covers a wide range of sounds that make up the genre we know and love today.

We’re looking forward to following the continued success of Criso all 2024. What did you think of Criso’s new Countdown EP that dropped on BLXCK TXPES? Let us know in the comments below or on our social media!

Support Criso on Socials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | Spotify | Bandcamp

Support Joe Nice on Socials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud | Spotify | Bandcamp | YouTube

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