Continuing the steady growth we’ve been lucky to enjoy throughout his budding career, Washington’s-own Sixfour is taking another step in the right direction. His two latest releases, Power Struggle and Summer Fires, are being released via Skankandbass, a London-based label focused on unearthing the freshest drum & bass talent they can find. The tunes are the debut releases in a new download series for Skankandbass, helping the best unsigned producers get heard by the masses.
The double-release features the first set of original tunes from Sixfour since he released the Blind Heart/Crush EP earlier this year. The first track, Power Struggle, is the perfect example of how far Sixfour has come in his still-young career. The Senior at Washington State University has coupled his growth as an artist with an impressive dedication to education. With all of that on his plate, the man also known as Derek Lombardo has managed to refine and evolve his darker, energetic style. Power Struggle is all of the old school Sixfour we’ve been enjoying for years, with a more clear, polished sound. The continued improvement is something we’ve become used to from Sixfour, and Power Struggle is the brightest signal of that growth yet.
The second song is entitled Summer Fires, and showcases Sixfour’s versatility. Never afraid to take on a new genre or give a song a new spin, Summer Fires is a testament to his range within Drum & Bass, and provides a great compliment to the harder-hitting Power Struggle. Overall, it’s safe to say that this is our favorite Sixfour release of the year, and we’ve heard that there’s much more on the way.
It’s been another great year for the Student-Artist, who’s due to graduate in December. He’s released some great drum & bass remixes of tunes from Above & Beyond, Flume, ODESZA, and more, while finding time to create several new originals as well. Making moves on the DJ-front, Sixfour featured at local shows throughout Eastern Washington this summer. An Eastside-regular, Sixfour made another appearance in the Emerald City this summer too, performing at The Bumbershoot Silent Disco. He’s a local-favorite we’ll always follow, and we’re glad to see those abroad appreciating him as much as we do.
Let us know what you think of Sixfour’s latest tunes and if you were at his set during the Silent Disco at Bumbershoot this summer! Comment below, on Facebook, or reply on Twitter!
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