Your EDM Premiere: Maduk – Go/Coming Down [Liquicity]

So much of electronic music is geared toward the dancefloor, with getting fans engaged and dancing, that a lot of artists neglect their own emotions in the studio. Of course this is becoming less and less of an issue as more artists tap into the current zeitgeist of openness and vulnerability, but it’s still not as common as I’d like.

Such is the brilliance of liquid DnB, which often matches the importance of emotion with production. Maduk, founder of Liquicity Records, is among the best of those still championing the sound and just released a 3-track EP on his own label.

The first track, “Go” featuring Lachi, is brilliantly uplifting and intensely hopeful. And even though emotion is the name of the game, no energy is spared thanks to Lachi’s effervescent vocals. The upbeat tempo and high pitched vocals keep the track rolling even in the dullest moments — which aren’t that dull at all.

“Go” is also a first for Maduk, who explored new sounds in the production. “I started working on ‘Go’ one year ago and the instrumental gave me so much energy and happiness right away,” he recalls. “I have never recorded this many brass instruments (trumpet, saxophone,
trombone, tuba) for a track before, so it’s very exciting!”

Maduk – Go (Ft. Lachi)

The second track, “Coming Down,” is definitely the more club-focused of the two, without a featured vocalist and using a more hollow range of bass stabs. The vocal that is included is more of a sample than anything else, a hook for fans to grab onto when it’s being mixed in.

“Coming Down” has a drop that doesn’t really add much energy to the room, but really acts as a sort of stabilizer. While the energy doesn’t rise, it doesn’t go down, either. It stays at a comfortable level, letting people dance wildly if they’re still in the mood, or giving them a breather if they need a moment.

Maduk – Coming Down

Last but not least, Maduk includes the instrumental of “Go” as a beautiful ending to the EP.

“I don’t write my music with a plan,” he adds. “I just start on jamming and see what my creativity brings. Often 80% of a track is finished after the first session, the final 20% can take up years.”