T & Sugah and Zazu’s imprint founded in 2016 has become known for its collabs and compilations. Since their Vol 1 multi-artist EP, High Tea have been helping create unusual mashups and melanges in drum & bass and bass music. Their second annual big boy compilation album Caffeine Rush is due out on Monday and features a seriously amped up lineup of artists and tracks.
With remixes by Dossa & Locuzzed and BLVCK CROWZ and lots of original tracks by up-and-comers like Blooom, Quoone and Papercut, this volume of the Caffiene Rush series focuses as, High Tea always does, on featuring next generation of big players in the bass game. One of the afore-mentioned up-and-comers on Caffeine Rush vol. 2 whose work has been attracting lots of attention lately is Psynchro. Having just come off their first big EP with Eatbrain, this trio seems to be catching the eye of a lot of labels, and our Your EDM premiere of their track “Binary” is an excellent example of why.
With their already characteristic snappy and steppy snares and whirlwind toms setting a solid base for the rest of the track, Psynchro play a lot with synth, melody and sound design in “Binary.” The main synth is an analog-inspired track that adds an interesting sort of crunchy, D&B-style timbre to a Moog-style tone that’s sort of in line with what Misanthrop did on his Analog LP last year. It’s unclear whether Psynchro have also used a load of vintage equipment for this track but either way it certainly captures that 80s synth nostalgia that is likely the track’s namesake. “Binary,” indeed. 
On top of being a fun dancefloor stepper with lots of synth character, Psynchro have also done quite a lot with the ambient background to “Binary,” adding at least three extra layers of more liquid-style melody that start in the meat of the track and then carry the break into a completely different, sort of ambient zone. When the analog-like bass synth drops again, they incorporate these bits back into the track so that it sounds even more rich and textured than before.
It may sound like so many layers of melody plus a fast, steppy beat would make “Binary” a bit busy and crowded but it really does work as a composition and shows that while Psynchro are still working on their sound, they’re already very diverse and capable of complex composition. It’s a perfect fit for High Tea’s diverse roster and works on the dancefloor, as a chill listening piece or for the tech heads to bite into on the analysis tip.
Caffiene Rush vol. 2 drops on High Tea Music on Monday, June 15. Click here to pre-order or pre-save on multiple platforms.
