Marc Spence and HeartlyBeats Craft Straight Dance Magic With “Ascent”

If “Ascent” is any indication, it’s safe to say that the collaborative effort between Marc Spence and HeartlyBeats is already a total success. The deeply dance-oriented tune stands just outside of a single defining genre. Floating somewhere between bassline, classic house, tech house, and the glory days of bloghouse, it’s just as stripped down as it is bouncy.

One is immediately grabbed by the classic beat, which is surely seasonal-flu-level catchy. From there, the collaborators gently build more sounds into the works until they reach an initial breakdown. This pattern stays the course, with creative shifts in each new installment. These dynamics tend to be more appropriate in length and depth than tracks that attempt success through maximalism. In fact, it’s the little things here that go the longest way. Popping sounds, subtle white-noise builds, dropping an LFO wobble onto a bassline—it all goes toward helping “Ascent” stand out just a bit more. And ultimately, it’s this attention to detail over saturation that will see these producers continue their own ascent.

Available February 10 via Audiophile XXL.