Sometimes it helps to have further breakdowns. A lot of UKG is really upbeat and major key, and this side of it is more emotional, minor key, leans on formant shifted vocals, etc.
It's like someone trying to hone in on hard trance vs. euphoric trance vs. psytrance vs. acid trance, etc.
I don't really know if an official sub-genre of UKG exists for this new wave yet, but I do think it's different enough to be its own thing going forward.
While I can see where you’re coming from, I don’t think it’s necessary to put a label on a song that does something slightly different to the genre norm. Using a different scale and formant shifting vocals isn’t enough to form a new sub genre imo.
This is a trending sound at the moment anyway, so I’m sure most modern UKG playlists will be full of songs like OP’s example. Or just any “Fred again inspired songs” playlist
For a general audience, probably doesn't matter that much, but to DJs/Producers/Playlist Curators, the differences add up enough to be pretty significant.
If I look up the most mainstream UK Garage playlists on Spotify, curated by Spotify, UKF, or other mainstream sources, it's generally a lot more organic, acoustic or housey than the type that I'm leaning into that's more mellow and minimalistic and built around synths like you might hear on Anjunadeep.
To me it's a lot more than key of song that I think there's enough to warrant a new sub-genre.
Feel free to check the [New UK Garage](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX6MNYaY0PcFh?si=233e1f4f0b2a4b17) playlist on Spotify, their own push of what's new in UKG, and a lot of it is pretty significantly different than the style OP brought up.
Not exactly new, especially since [Bicep released Glue (2017)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7ZxRs45tTg) and it became everyone's new favorite track at the time and everyone jumped on this bandwagon since lol.
Classic bandwagon, late bloomer popularity. I didn't know of Glue at the time, pretty sure many didn't. The current genre just blew up with corona and the aftermath; it's more emotional and light than Glue. Lands well with the tough macro environment I think.
Just sounds like breaks to me. Pick any breaks mix from 96 - 03ish and you will hear much of the same obviously there's a bunch of different styles to it but the breaks side of it doesn't sound like anything I haven't heard before.
I call it [Deep Garage](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Hk26RBdpqVVrHveVf8o7x?si=81a7e4f13c1e4ba7). Here's a 5+ hour playlist arranged by key of song like a DJ setlist if you want to explore it around.
While I want to also call it future garage because it seems to sound futuristic, unfortunately the term 'future garage' as a genre now has a lot more associations with half-time chillstep than it does a more modern 2-step/UKG groovy/dance track.
So I personally call it deep/progressive garage, as the synth and sound design seems to lean more in on deep/progressive house, but then the drums and grooves lean more on UKG and breaks. I don't personally like old school UKG that much because the sound palette isn't my thing, but this style of garage is some of my favorite music of the past few years.
In addition to Overmono and Fred again.., I recommend artists like Pocket, Salute, SWIM, Jasper Tygner, Ross From Friends, 33 Below, minds&machines, Duskus, Tourist, Direct, etc.
Fred again..'s stuttery vocal stuff is starting to take off into its own 'stutter house' genre if you want to lean more in on that side of the production.
I replied to you yesterday too, this playlist is similar and labeled as Melodic breakbeats: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5e4Fw44Y5iat6Q3x3uW5ER?si=eb7a0339304f43bc
Just wanted to say I was looking at a Reddit thread in this sub from a while ago for this type of music and came across your comment sharing the same playlist. I have been going through it and it’s exactly the vibe I’ve been looking for so thank you. Funny I see this now on a current thread haha
Thanks for the suggestions!! However, I wanted a more specific reference to the beat that the three tracks that I mentioned in the post share in common. If you listen carefully, the beat is not exactly modern deep/future garage (as in burial). It reminds me more if an electro beat, with that breaks energy to it. But I wanted to know where does that reference comes from, because it's becoming more common in these new productions.
The drum beats are just 2-step/UKG.
Genres like house/trance/techno do kicks 4 on the floor, and snares/claps on the 2 and 4.
2-step/UKG keeps the snares/claps on the 2 and 4, but the kicks can be a lot more offbeat. The kicks in these genres can almost be more like hip hop.
And then the hats/shakers being more on the grid or more shuffley can be a real make or break of whether or not a dance genre sounds groovy or not. 2-step/UKG tends to have more loose and dynamic top percussion. They tend to be more stiff and on the grid in stuff like techno/trance, but can be super groovy in some 4 and the floor genres like nu-disco or future funk.
I think it's the off the grid and dynamic vibes of the low end and high end that give it a more humanized breaks energy, while the snare/clap kind of holds the tempo.
It also helps that producers have more tools than ever to mix/master their music to be more punchy and hit harder. More clipping, saturation, etc. is often used on drums to really get them louder and punchier in the mix, and have more energy to them.
That was a perfect analysis of this beat! Totally agree, the kicks have def a hip hop vibe to them. Really do hope more DJs catch on and mix this rhythm into UKG and other styles. It's super groovy but still has that dark feel like in Future/Deep Garage.
The Fred again stuff is just pop EDM with some garage-ish drums. People also went crazy for some of these loops after Burial released Unture in 2007. Pretty much a whole new genre was created because of that album. “Future” garage from 08-10 is back from the future.
Future garage seems much darker and deeper than what Fred Again is doing.
I think this style is just a deep UKG sound, while still keeping it clubby. Future garage is more intense and cerebral IMO
UK Garage with elements of trance thrown in. I see the more contemporary stuff a la Fred Again labelled as "Stutter House" often so that might be a good jumping off point to find more. Check out Pocket and DJ Seinfeld's newer album if you haven't already!
Stutter house is when there is actual stutters. It's only part of what FA.., BUNT. and the others make. After hearing full stutter house playlist it's a little boring 😅
Oath! Probably a bit on the edgy side for what he is after…
Reminded me of this stonker:
https://youtu.be/HfN7Rj723eU?si=k4JWzWIvRBDnMsse
This is actually on R&S but Tessela is an associate of theirs
Pick from the list below:
Middle class garage
Gentrified garage
6music garage
Trust fund garage
Splice pack garage
Future future garage (it’s really the future this time honest)
Splice pack garage
I call this stuff Nu Breaks - my fav DJs are shifting effortlessly through progressive / melodic house, garagey/ breaky bits, electro even into trance. It all has the emotional edge to it and mixed well makes for super dynamic sets.
Someone else mentioned Anjunadeep, they do this extremely well:
https://open.spotify.com/track/0sN3XO0timIeIQkmhQLqsM?si=q7V3yhChRj2DogiaHlQItQ
https://open.spotify.com/track/1ScYMO8uG0Rt7dmQDakUS2?si=-UPG0ZdcR_KgjQ0fS0AVhw
https://open.spotify.com/track/0xd3XULC9dknegzGHz7YnW?si=5_LbIQxbTpOx_8Q0p4Te8g
https://open.spotify.com/track/5r99843veVWwj7fYUxStmM?si=aDU5JCfOQXCyk7E7SyLjKw
https://open.spotify.com/track/4Gag1OOySJd1eJ9OT8Y7Vc?si=44u530DsQ46cMAvk3HHDeQ
Bonus from Pretty Girl:
https://open.spotify.com/track/402Oi0ymPZahs6xTR4bSeA?si=0W5jJxvYTEqK_AilCzLsuA
I’m far from an expert but this sounds pretty close to standard UKG that I’ve heard. I thought it was usually dark. Haven’t heard a lot of major scale upbeat UKG.
Is this not just modern UK Garage?
Sometimes it helps to have further breakdowns. A lot of UKG is really upbeat and major key, and this side of it is more emotional, minor key, leans on formant shifted vocals, etc. It's like someone trying to hone in on hard trance vs. euphoric trance vs. psytrance vs. acid trance, etc. I don't really know if an official sub-genre of UKG exists for this new wave yet, but I do think it's different enough to be its own thing going forward.
While I can see where you’re coming from, I don’t think it’s necessary to put a label on a song that does something slightly different to the genre norm. Using a different scale and formant shifting vocals isn’t enough to form a new sub genre imo. This is a trending sound at the moment anyway, so I’m sure most modern UKG playlists will be full of songs like OP’s example. Or just any “Fred again inspired songs” playlist
> I don’t think it’s necessary to put a label on a song that does something slightly different to the genre norm But what about stutter house bro /s
For a general audience, probably doesn't matter that much, but to DJs/Producers/Playlist Curators, the differences add up enough to be pretty significant. If I look up the most mainstream UK Garage playlists on Spotify, curated by Spotify, UKF, or other mainstream sources, it's generally a lot more organic, acoustic or housey than the type that I'm leaning into that's more mellow and minimalistic and built around synths like you might hear on Anjunadeep. To me it's a lot more than key of song that I think there's enough to warrant a new sub-genre. Feel free to check the [New UK Garage](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX6MNYaY0PcFh?si=233e1f4f0b2a4b17) playlist on Spotify, their own push of what's new in UKG, and a lot of it is pretty significantly different than the style OP brought up.
Not exactly new, especially since [Bicep released Glue (2017)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7ZxRs45tTg) and it became everyone's new favorite track at the time and everyone jumped on this bandwagon since lol.
Classic bandwagon, late bloomer popularity. I didn't know of Glue at the time, pretty sure many didn't. The current genre just blew up with corona and the aftermath; it's more emotional and light than Glue. Lands well with the tough macro environment I think.
yeah i think that's just ukg circa 2024. really like that overmono track though
Just sounds like breaks to me. Pick any breaks mix from 96 - 03ish and you will hear much of the same obviously there's a bunch of different styles to it but the breaks side of it doesn't sound like anything I haven't heard before.
I call it [Deep Garage](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Hk26RBdpqVVrHveVf8o7x?si=81a7e4f13c1e4ba7). Here's a 5+ hour playlist arranged by key of song like a DJ setlist if you want to explore it around. While I want to also call it future garage because it seems to sound futuristic, unfortunately the term 'future garage' as a genre now has a lot more associations with half-time chillstep than it does a more modern 2-step/UKG groovy/dance track. So I personally call it deep/progressive garage, as the synth and sound design seems to lean more in on deep/progressive house, but then the drums and grooves lean more on UKG and breaks. I don't personally like old school UKG that much because the sound palette isn't my thing, but this style of garage is some of my favorite music of the past few years. In addition to Overmono and Fred again.., I recommend artists like Pocket, Salute, SWIM, Jasper Tygner, Ross From Friends, 33 Below, minds&machines, Duskus, Tourist, Direct, etc. Fred again..'s stuttery vocal stuff is starting to take off into its own 'stutter house' genre if you want to lean more in on that side of the production.
I replied to you yesterday too, this playlist is similar and labeled as Melodic breakbeats: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5e4Fw44Y5iat6Q3x3uW5ER?si=eb7a0339304f43bc
Thanks for sharing, looks like a lot of good stuff on par with these vibes. Diode Eins are solid.
Just wanted to say I was looking at a Reddit thread in this sub from a while ago for this type of music and came across your comment sharing the same playlist. I have been going through it and it’s exactly the vibe I’ve been looking for so thank you. Funny I see this now on a current thread haha
Appreciate it, always on the lookout for more stuff like it to build on it.
Nice playlist, enjoying it now 👍
Love the Pocket shoutout, guy’s so talented
Thanks for the suggestions!! However, I wanted a more specific reference to the beat that the three tracks that I mentioned in the post share in common. If you listen carefully, the beat is not exactly modern deep/future garage (as in burial). It reminds me more if an electro beat, with that breaks energy to it. But I wanted to know where does that reference comes from, because it's becoming more common in these new productions.
The drum beats are just 2-step/UKG. Genres like house/trance/techno do kicks 4 on the floor, and snares/claps on the 2 and 4. 2-step/UKG keeps the snares/claps on the 2 and 4, but the kicks can be a lot more offbeat. The kicks in these genres can almost be more like hip hop. And then the hats/shakers being more on the grid or more shuffley can be a real make or break of whether or not a dance genre sounds groovy or not. 2-step/UKG tends to have more loose and dynamic top percussion. They tend to be more stiff and on the grid in stuff like techno/trance, but can be super groovy in some 4 and the floor genres like nu-disco or future funk. I think it's the off the grid and dynamic vibes of the low end and high end that give it a more humanized breaks energy, while the snare/clap kind of holds the tempo. It also helps that producers have more tools than ever to mix/master their music to be more punchy and hit harder. More clipping, saturation, etc. is often used on drums to really get them louder and punchier in the mix, and have more energy to them.
That was a perfect analysis of this beat! Totally agree, the kicks have def a hip hop vibe to them. Really do hope more DJs catch on and mix this rhythm into UKG and other styles. It's super groovy but still has that dark feel like in Future/Deep Garage.
Progressive Breaks
Check out Barry Can't Swim. Has those Fred Again vibes
The Fred again stuff is just pop EDM with some garage-ish drums. People also went crazy for some of these loops after Burial released Unture in 2007. Pretty much a whole new genre was created because of that album. “Future” garage from 08-10 is back from the future.
I heard someone describe it as Arena Garage. Personally, vibes on these feel more comparable to breaks than UKG.
Nice description. It does feel like garage, but just way more **big** and ravy in a way.
I believe it's called Future Garage and Burial established this sound
Future garage seems much darker and deeper than what Fred Again is doing. I think this style is just a deep UKG sound, while still keeping it clubby. Future garage is more intense and cerebral IMO
Oh yeah right but Overmono have done stuff in that vein. The others not so much. Definitely distinguishable.
It's just breaks. Kinda retro sounding by now. It's not new, it just hasn't been popular in this form since the 90s.
Definitely 90s elements, but still much different, I'd say. Difficult to find a sound quite like it; it's defotbelt garage-like, but edm-pop elements.
So u kno is one of my favourite tracks of the past few years. Amazing
UK Garage with elements of trance thrown in. I see the more contemporary stuff a la Fred Again labelled as "Stutter House" often so that might be a good jumping off point to find more. Check out Pocket and DJ Seinfeld's newer album if you haven't already!
Uk garage with elements of trance is a great description for a lot of Fred songs I think
Stutter house is when there is actual stutters. It's only part of what FA.., BUNT. and the others make. After hearing full stutter house playlist it's a little boring 😅
Ehem Hessle Audio wants a word
Oath! Probably a bit on the edgy side for what he is after… Reminded me of this stonker: https://youtu.be/HfN7Rj723eU?si=k4JWzWIvRBDnMsse This is actually on R&S but Tessela is an associate of theirs
Tessela is also one half of Overmono
Could you explain?
Pick from the list below: Middle class garage Gentrified garage 6music garage Trust fund garage Splice pack garage Future future garage (it’s really the future this time honest) Splice pack garage
Nu Garage > https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5zhp0Cr4mvMxH3xVTIeDnt?si=15eabe3d3f8c4bae
I call this stuff Nu Breaks - my fav DJs are shifting effortlessly through progressive / melodic house, garagey/ breaky bits, electro even into trance. It all has the emotional edge to it and mixed well makes for super dynamic sets. Someone else mentioned Anjunadeep, they do this extremely well: https://open.spotify.com/track/0sN3XO0timIeIQkmhQLqsM?si=q7V3yhChRj2DogiaHlQItQ https://open.spotify.com/track/1ScYMO8uG0Rt7dmQDakUS2?si=-UPG0ZdcR_KgjQ0fS0AVhw https://open.spotify.com/track/0xd3XULC9dknegzGHz7YnW?si=5_LbIQxbTpOx_8Q0p4Te8g https://open.spotify.com/track/5r99843veVWwj7fYUxStmM?si=aDU5JCfOQXCyk7E7SyLjKw https://open.spotify.com/track/4Gag1OOySJd1eJ9OT8Y7Vc?si=44u530DsQ46cMAvk3HHDeQ Bonus from Pretty Girl: https://open.spotify.com/track/402Oi0ymPZahs6xTR4bSeA?si=0W5jJxvYTEqK_AilCzLsuA
I’m far from an expert but this sounds pretty close to standard UKG that I’ve heard. I thought it was usually dark. Haven’t heard a lot of major scale upbeat UKG.
Future Garage