Arctor - Heartless

Arctor has a way of making music for moments where the crowd has just melted in the palm of the dancefloor. His latest EP bursts with kaleidoscopic melodies and streamlined percussion, continuing his run of sophisticated electro euphoria. ‘Escape’ opens with a chilled groove, locking down a vocal hook with grounded kicks while cosmic synth arps peel away into space. And for anyone who loves a good stepper, they’ll find a load of synth-infused chugging acid keeping its cool on ‘Bad Blood.’ Exploding Head Syndrome drips a wistful synthline over lush pads, invoking 80s glitz and sunset drives before it plummets into a fierce, sleek drum pattern. Gritty vocals skitter over stabs and traces of acid: an adrenaline shot to the ears, but also full of soulful feeling. Second on the B-side, ‘Heartless World’ serves up cross-beat chords and skipping snares at 152 bpm, resulting in a swift and suave electro number. Lastly, ‘United’ rekindles the carefree sweetness we heard back on Arctor’s Memory Gene EP, backed by a relaxed electro beat made for after-hours and morning sets.