Feral

I keep returning to the way this track stalks at 130 BPM in the murk of 4A, living up to its title with a lean, predatory swing that refuses to clutter the mix. Pretence keeps the low-end taut and the percussion brittle, letting each bass slide cut through the dark like a warning rather than a wallop; the air between the kicks and growls gives the record its real menace.

I would slot this in that transitional pocket between warm-up and warfare, where the floor is hungry but not yet bruised. With an energy of 8, it carries enough thrust to escalate tension without exhausting it, which is exactly the kind of leftfield atmosphere and hooky sound design I want in rotation. Milk & Honey's instincts were spot on: this is bassline with actual architecture.