The Upbeats Unearth a Lurching Percussive Beast With “Necking”

Every time the New Zealand duo known as the Upbeats hop in the studio, we know the results are going to be off the chain. Able to smash it out with a unique level of cinematic finesse that has become their signature sound, Snake and Wolf give it all they got on their latest Gamma Ray EP for Critical Music.

While the roughneck title track with Rockwell, along with the aptly titled “Trauma,” kick and move in all the right places, it’s this lurching beast known as “Necking” that has us moving all kinds of strange ways on the dancefloor. From the moment the first note sounds and an eerie vocal hook turns from hypnotic to straight-up hair-raising creepy, the energy builds to the breaking point before the off-kilter beat barrels through and launches us into the tune proper. From the intricate call-and-response between percussive elements to the detuned metallic undertone that stitches it all together, it’s a masterful display of the Upbeats’ ability to tame the beast and spiral listeners through a range of emotions.

Available August 3 via Critical Music.

Buy the Upbeats Gamma Ray EP here.

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