Heard It Here First

Neumonic‘s latest offering, the “Foghorn Dance” EP, delivers a seismic blend of UK garage and American bass music, guaranteed to make any sound system crumble. We absolutely love the diverse sound design that Neumonic has integrated into this EP, blending the old school sounds of the iconic UKG genre with hints of dubstep and drum & bass sprinkled across.

The four-track EP features Neumonic’s “Foghorn Dance,” “Bassline Bizness,” “Gangster Groove,” and “Bust A Move.” The collection is unique to Neumonic’s project, yet the tunes impressively capture the syncopated, OG garage sound that originated in the UK during the early-mid 1990s. 

Neumonic, real name Nick Neumann, is a cutting-edge electronic producer who bridges UK garage with elements of heavier bass music within his tracks that ignite a continuous groove. Based in Santa Cruz, CA, Neumonic is known for showcasing diverse sets that keep his fans moving on the dancefloor. Inspired by UK culture, he has been a driving force for the iconic old school garage sound around California through his collective known as “Garage Access.” Their goal is to expand the UKG and broken beat style throughout venues in CA. The impact on the area has been evident, with renowned artists such as Rusko and Hamdi playing at “Garage Access” events. To no surprise, Neumonic’s name has circulated quickly around the scene, landing him on stage at massive festivals such as Elements, Lightning In A Bottle, Infrasound, and many more! 

The EP kicks off with the titular single “Foghorn Dance” which excellently captures the essence of Neumonic’s project, combining American and UK sounds into one next-level song. This track perpetuates a bouncy UKG rhythm with breakbeats and epic, cut-up vocals. The EP then transitions to “Basslines Bizness,” which had to be my favorite in the collection. The song features wobbly, dynamic basslines that will captivate you in the seamless blend of UKG and dubstep. Next in line is “Bust A Move,” a playful, upbeat heater that was a crowd favorite when he debuted it in Europe. Here’s what Neumonic had to say about the track:

“‘Bust A Move’ is one of my favorite tracks yet and truly took influence from the cheeky and fun UKG sound and old school sampling that I love so much.  A very fun track and playing this one in London and Outlook Croatia had some of the best reactions from the EP.  That is definitely the audience that will resonate with this the most and was honored to play it out for them after taking influence from across the pond heavily with this one” – Neumonic

The EP finishes strong with “Gangster Groove,” which has been supported by artists like Zen Selekta, Ternion Sound, and Justin Martin. The deep, rolling basslines over 2-step rhythms make it a standout, and Neumonic’s fans have been ecstatic over this one ever since first hearing it dropped during his sets. The balance of old school and modern sounds across this EP created a unique package of groove-driven heaters. Here’s what Neumonic said about the full “Foghorn Dance” EP:

“This full EP is some of my favorite productions to date, and I’ve been waiting a long time to put these out properly. Very excited on the full package and think it has something for everyone here, as well as pushing the UKG / American Bass Music connection that I’ve been working on.  Some heavy stuff here but truly keeps that funky fun 2-step groove.” – Neumonic

Neumonic has grasped the timeless sound design of old school garage, but with a modern twist. His creativity goes beyond the music itself, marketing the EP with an old iPod Touch as the cover art of each track. It is a brilliant concept to honor the past while pushing forward new styles of music, and we are so excited to see what comes next for Neumonic’s project.

What are your thoughts on Neumonic’s old school, yet innovative style of UKG in his “Foghorn Dance” EP? Let us know on our socials and in the comments below!

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