Billboard can exclusively reveal that Santa Barbara trio Dropout are the artists behind “Slowly,” the catchy ID track that has captured the attention of the dance scene over the past month.
First premiered on Proximity, “Slowly” has garnered marquee support from artists like Oliver Heldens, The Magician and Pete Tong, who featured it as BBC Radio 1’s Essential Tune of the Week.
Speculation over the artist’s identity swept the blogosphere, where the track’s sound drew comparisons to ZHU. Dance blog YourEDM even held an EDC ticket giveaway contest for fans who could correctly guess the creator’s identity using a word search.
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Turns out the architects are Big Beat Records’ latest signees. Comprised of long-time friends Ethan Davis, Ray Nowak and Selden Cummings, the group describes the track’s anonymous ascent as “an absolute joyride.”
“We want our music to help listeners not only dance their faces off, but also find a sort of meaning or release in that dance, beyond just the fun of jamming out,” they explain. “So that’s why we decided to initially release the track as an ID, because we wanted people to have an opportunity to experience the song independent of us, and just to feel the music as a piece of art that isn’t necessarily tied to anybody but the listener.”
Check out the full video reveal exclusively on Billboard Dance:
Dropout’s “Slowly” will be available through Big Beat Records on June 16, and can currently be streamed via Spotify.