GRUNGECAKE’s Discover 100 playlist: Fresh sounds you need to hear

Discover 100: This Week’s New Releases:

DISCOVER 100: WEEKLY ROUNDUP — GRUNGECAKE

TENNIN, ‘Au Creux De Ma Main’

TENNIN delivers a French-language single built on restrained tension and clear emotional weight. The vocal sits forward, unembellished, and intentionally exposed, allowing the production’s minimalist pulses to function as structural scaffolding rather than decoration. The result is a focused exploration of interiority. It maintains a firm distance from mainstream Pop conventions, choosing intimacy over excess.

Klangkarussell, ‘Petrichor’ 

Klangkarussell’s new album is a breath of fresh air. The Austrian duo behind the global hit “Sonnentanz (Sun Don’t Shine),” Adrian Held and Tobias Rieser, recently dropped Petrichor. The 13-track project boasts numerous EDM hits to close out the year. 

Coldway, ‘Running’
Coldway engineers a clean, mid-tempo R&B framework where repetition becomes the central device. The arrangement remains sparse but methodical, using small harmonic shifts to maintain momentum. The vocal performance is controlled rather than indulgent, prioritising steadiness over flourishes. The track’s clarity reflects a deliberate refusal to rely on ornamental production.

Rick Tonnii, ‘NO REST’
Rick Tonnii presents a track structured around a relentless pace and a stark sense of forward motion. The production favours hard edges, with percussion functioning as the primary driver. The vocal tone matches the intensity, maintaining pressure without theatricality. The record operates with intention: a study in endurance rather than atmosphere.

María Morenas, ‘Emotionless’
María Morenas uses a cold, precision-driven aesthetic to mirror the song title. The production is skeletal, anchored by controlled synth lines and unembellished percussion. Her delivery focuses on clarity and restraint, leaning into distance rather than dramatic interpretation. The piece works as a clean, linear statement about emotional withdrawal, executed without sentimentality.

Mia Walz, ‘Mistake’
Mia Walz constructs a straightforward Pop structure that resists ornamentation. The melody is intentionally uncomplicated, giving the lyric room to stand without distraction. The record’s strength lies in its refusal to overreach. It functions as a self-contained examination of accountability, delivered without reliance on heightened emotional cues or exaggerated dynamics.

Damon Omen x $cream-capone, ‘Viola’
Damon Omen and $cream-capone prioritise tonal grit and low-frequency weight. Vocals are delivered with clear-cut precision, leaving no space for ambiguity. The production leans on repetition and density, shaping an atmosphere closer to a pressure chamber than a narrative arc. It is intentionally unpolished, by design and purpose.

Eddie Grand, ‘Grand Christmas’
Eddie Grand rejects the typical sentimentality associated with seasonal records. Instead, he anchors the track in forward-leaning Electronic Dance Music structures with deliberate simplicity. The rhythm does the majority of the work while melodic elements remain secondary. The record achieves functional clarity without leaning into nostalgia or predictable holiday tropes.

Otb Los, ‘ForYou’ featuring Otbslimewaybg
Otb Los and Otbslimewaybg operate within a straightforward Hip-Hop framework where cadence, not production, sets the terms. The beat stays minimal, leaving open space for vocal interplay. Their delivery maintains a steady, unembellished confidence, discarding theatrics. The record’s utility comes from its structural discipline rather than stylistic flair.

the dt’s, ‘Sorry Not Sorry’
The DTs build a direct, guitar-driven record that avoids any attempt at stylistic reinvention. Instead, they refine fundamentals: tight riffs, concise vocal phrasing, and a commitment to linear movement. The track’s identity lies in its refusal to dilute itself with unnecessary layers. It is a functional, uncompromised Rock statement.

DOCO and Neon Hitch, ‘Where You’re Going (Ass Back Home)’
DOCO and Neon Hitch reinterpret an existing narrative without relying on nostalgia as a crutch. The production uses Electronic Dance Music pacing to update the emotional through-line. Neon Hitch’s vocal presence provides stability while DOCO’s arrangement strips the structure down to essentials. The track focuses on directness rather than spectacle.

Sandro Ferro, ‘Going Wild’
Sandro Ferro deploys a consistent Electronic Dance Music pulse designed for pure movement. The production avoids grand builds or theatrical drops, opting for repetition as the primary tool. The track’s energy stems from mechanical precision, not excess. Ferro stays committed to functionality, producing a controlled, uniform listening experience.

Toku Excelsior, ‘gowiththebeat’
Toku Excelsior leans into a loop-driven Electronic structure that uses predictability as an asset. The record is anchored by a consistent rhythmic figure, making variation minimal by design. Vocals function as a rhythmic complement rather than a narrative force. It is a utilitarian track engineered for straightforward immersion.

HAEVN, ‘Get Up’
HAEVN refines a cinematic Pop format built on slow-building atmosphere. The arrangement moves with calculated restraint, allowing each element to enter with intention. The vocal performance holds a stable, unforced clarity. Instead of leaning on emotional grandiosity, the track operates methodically, emphasising structure over sentiment.

Night Wolf x Lois Powell, ‘Death of the Wolf’
Night Wolf and Lois Powell construct a dark, narrative-driven piece that uses mood as its main mechanism. Production is dense and shadowed, leaving little open space. The vocal approach is direct, grounding the track’s thematic heaviness without tipping into melodrama. The record is a controlled expression of intensity.

Enzeno, ‘Straight Up Class’
Enzeno uses a clean-cut, groove-oriented structure to assert the track’s identity. Nothing in the arrangement reaches for theatrical effect. Instead, rhythmic consistency becomes the centrepiece. The vocal tone mirrors the production’s composure. The result is an intentionally disciplined piece that maintains control from the first measure to the last.

Martin Louis, ‘Blue’
Martin Louis delivers a minimal record where the central motif holds uninterrupted focus. The vocal approach is steady, operating without decorative runs or embellishment. The production relies on spatial restraint, avoiding heavy layering. The track maintains a subdued, monochromatic tone, matching its title with structural intention.

Tay Toe x HunnaV, ‘Stand on Money’
Tay Toe and HunnaV build a track centred on assertive cadence and stripped-down production. Percussion remains the backbone, guiding the delivery with clarity. Both artists keep their performances tight and unembellished. The piece thrives on economy, relying on minimal variation to maintain momentum.

THE TELECULT, ‘cosmic growl’
THE TELECULT offers a distortion-heavy composition rooted in experimental Rock principles. The track’s architecture is rough by design, valuing texture over melodic precision. Vocals merge with the production rather than sitting above it, creating a unified sonic mass. The record is an intentional departure from conventional structure.

Chepps, ‘DIVISION’
Chepps constructs a piece defined by strict rhythmic segmentation. The production remains sharp and uncluttered, leaving room for the vocal line to cut through with immediacy. The track’s core strength lies in its structural clarity. Nothing drifts. Nothing lingers. It is lean and deliberately controlled.

Antonia XM, ‘Decay’
Antonia XM uses deconstruction as the central aesthetic choice. The track is built from fractured rhythms and sparse melodic fragments. The vocal presence is intentionally minimal, allowing the production to dictate the emotional framework. It is a stark, concise examination of erosion—delivered without narrative cushioning.

Lumirex, ‘Crush’
Lumirex uses a polished Electronic Dance Music format without compromising functional simplicity. The arrangement relies on repeating motifs, designed for consistent pacing rather than dramatic shifts. Vocals are integrated with precision, serving the rhythm rather than leading. The track holds its form without deviation or excess.

Eye of TJ, ‘Setback’
Eye of TJ presents a track structured around forward-drive percussion and assertive vocal pacing. The production stays uncluttered, giving weight to the core rhythmic figure. The vocal tone remains steady and grounded. The record examines adversity without drama, choosing directness over emotional framing.

Trip Tease, ‘Milano 2098’ featuring Lubo
Trip Tease and Lubo render a futuristic aesthetic anchored in deliberate Electronic pacing. Synth lines remain cold and precise, while the rhythm maintains a mechanical steadiness. The vocal performance mirrors the production’s controlled tone. The track’s identity lies in its refusal to soften its edges or create warmth.

Madd Rod, ‘Rainy Days in the Summer’
Madd Rod builds a deep, groove-heavy composition that resists predictable seasonal associations. The arrangement uses subtle modulation rather than overt hooks. Vocals remain understated, focusing on tonal consistency. The track’s atmosphere leans toward introspection, creating contrast between title and execution without resorting to sentimentality.

Reydoni, ‘Summer in Ibiza’
Reydoni employs a clean Electronic Dance Music structure that prioritises movement over narrative. The record avoids exaggerated summary tropes and instead maintains a direct rhythmic pulse. Melodic elements remain secondary to tempo. The result is a track that serves function first, leaving interpretation open.

thisislandearth, ‘Carnivorous Nocturnal Activities’
thisislandearth leans into experimental composition shaped by sharp tonal contrasts and unpredictable turns. The production avoids smooth transitions, reinforcing a nocturnal tension. The vocal elements, when present, act more as texture than a narrative device. The track’s utility lies in its refusal to accommodate listener expectation.