Premiere: Hier returns with thrilling new single, Bad Grades Pt. 1

“Hier's work has a certain, unique quality to it that keeps the tracks sounding fresh and playful, yet not too overwhelming” is how we rounded-out the second Australian future-bass recap earlier this year and now, three months later, the claim is still relevant. The Brisbane-based producer has recently teamed up with South American future-bass maestro Holly and he’s back here today to take it one step further, channelling some Lido-esque sounds for his final hurrah of the year – Bad Grades Pt. 1. Opening with a mellowed-out, deep synth line that flows along clangs and claps of percussion, Bad Grades quickly picks up into a thundering break-down, with walls of synth crashing around cleverly-placed crunches of percussion and samples, borrowed from the work of Lido (1:04, 1:19) and others.

Bad Grades Pt. 1 doesn’t have that aggressive, intimidating feel that his past originals have featured, but that doesn’t mean the track isn’t heavy. Instead of relying on dominating synth and bass, which Bad Grades still has, the track boasts more of a rough, chopped-and-screwed sound. This, paired with the percussion and sample-filled synth breaks, gives opportunities for breathing space between the dictating synth work and gives the track an easier to digest sound to it than his past originals. Either side works for Hier, but this new-found style is a refreshing sound from the producer that could really work in his favour in the year ahead - which promises a bunch of new originals and more.

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