Article by: Annalee ‘Alee’ Noel
Wax, ALRT and Nessly
Following up his recent 2021 release “Thrills (feat. Jaxon Rose)”, Wax Motif enlists ALRT and Nessly on this new dance floor banger fresh to the 2021 festival circuit. ALRT slings his high energy-level and groove to “Hard Street,” while rap-veteran Nessly brings his versatile voice to this gritty and energetic track.
Wax Motif, a well-respected EDM don, has thrown legendary shows for the #waxgang all over the world and is known for his versatility by other producers and G-house classics by his fans. EDM fans will recognize Nessly as the haunting and captivating vocalist on Boombox Cartel’s “Moon Love”. ALRT is more of an enigma, as a diverse producer who started in speedhouse and quickly showcased his other talents on tracks like “SPACEMAN” as well as his dancey remix of the iconic Slander hit “Love is Gone.”
In “Hard Street,” Wax Motif seems to revisit a similar verse idea he played with on his earlier track “Five Alarm,” which released on Tchami’s Confession label in 2017. Nessy sounds like an instant-classic on this record, and we cannot stop listening to how well done his voice is on this track. The high-energy style of ALRT and diverse vocals of Nessly were the perfect fit for what rounds out as an incredibly addictive house record.
Sliding into the first drop, one can’t be anything but hype; the bouncy bass elements really refresh this style of heavier house and give it the extra depth and complexity to stand head and shoulders above the trappy house released so far this year. “Hard Street” is absolutely ready for the peak-insanity we’ve come to see with house club sets. It’s reminiscent of Wax’s legendary “Fly Kicks” remix for AC Slater and Chris Lorenzo. With the additional elements though, “Hard Street” could perhaps best be called an orchestral-driven hybrid, sitting somewhere between the suspense in speedhouse and hard-hitting 808-fueled trap.
Hopefully we haven’t heard the last of this trio, because an entire EP of this flavor would be absolutely irresistible. Truly, “Hard Street” is a well-rounded, balanced collab where each artist’s talents get to shine in their own right. We are definitely looking forward to more releases from each artist going forward; maybe we can get Nessly and his instantly-recognizable vocals to stay around EDM just a little longer.
About the Artists
WAX MOTIF
Considered by some to be the godfather of today’s G-House, Danny Chein (better known as Wax Motif), isn’t content with one singular sound choosing to instead push the boundaries of dancefloor entertainment. While local in LA, the Australian-born producer made waves with early releases on Diplo’s Mad Decent and his stand-out Tokyo EP on Tchami’s Confession label, and with tracks like “Bunda” with “Dances With White Girls” released on Tiesto’s Musical Freedom. Featured on Spotify playlists like Shuffle Syndrome and Nasty Bits, Wax Motif continues to expand the bounds of his sound and delight festival-goers and club-goers alike.
ALRT
Born in Israel, but residing in Los Angeles, ALRT is known for his extra bouncy hard house and the occasional dreamy synth. His signature sound has begun to feature ringing sirens and deadly groovy baselines landed him on tour with Joyryde in 2019, just before the pandemic. “Fire” and other collaborations with Ghastly, Kayzo and Sikdope solidified ALRT’s path to the spotlight. “NRG. Vol 1” his debut EP released in 2020 was quickly followed by “NRG. Vol 2” released on Deadbeats. DJ Mag reported ALRT was one of “the latest and greatest DJs and producers rising to the top.” With nearly 290k monthly Spotify listeners, we will have to agree.
NESSLY
Atlanta-based Nessly was rapping at 12 years old in his brothers basement, honing what would turn into a versatile voice that is velvet smooth or rough depending on delivery. Forgoing college to pursue his dreams, he taught himself to produce, mix and engineer. Selling clothes to buy tickets to perform in New York City and Toronto, he eventually passed Drake’s radar. With support on OVO radio, tracks like “Alive” and “Season” got the spotlight. Soon, Pharrell was featuring “Catch a Vibe” on OtherTONE. Diversifying into EDM in 2018, he continues to expand his sound and finesse. Nessly believes “the music I make is meant to be inspirational. It’s for the underdog, it’s empowering.” His track “True Colors” really highlights this beautiful production style.
CONNECT with WAX MOTIF:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok
LISTEN to WAX MOTIF:
Spotify | Apple Music | Beatport | SoundCloud | YouTube | Twitch
CONNECT with ALRT:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok
LISTEN to ALRT:
Spotify | Apple Music | Beatport | SoundCloud | YouTube
CONNECT with NESSLY:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok
LISTEN to NESSLY:
Spotify | Apple Music | Beatport | SoundCloud | YouTube
