Diplo‘s Grammy-winning work with Mark Ronson as Silk City left a big impression. He’s further channeled those feels on a forthcoming EP called Higher Ground, the first two singles of which are nothing short of house heaven with a darkly modern twist.
The first, “Hold You Tight,” is a smoky warehouse tune embellished with a ghostly, repetitive vocal. “Bubble Up” follows that groove with a pumped up tribal rhythm that bumps like a factory rave in the deep jungle. Both tracks represent a new chapter in sound for the chameleonic producer.
Diplo got with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe to chat about the tunes and his inspirations.
“I’m just learning,” Diplo told Lowe. “I made a lot of club music. I made hip-hop, but I (didn’t) make a lot of house in the last like five years. I’ve been playing so much of it. So, I’m trying to just make something new, make a new event, make a new ceiling.”
These tunes are the first in a line of eight records Diplo has planned for 2019. He told Lowe of forthcoming collaborations with alternative house heroes Elderbrook, andhim and Black Coffee.
Listen to his chat with Lowe, and check out “Hold You Tight” and “Bubble Up” below.