[TuneOTD] Nero - CRUSH ON YOU

Artist: Nero
Genre: Club/Drum & Bass/Dubstep
Location: London, UK 
Label Type: Indie
Record Label: MTA Records
Website: http://www.thisisnero.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/nerouk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nerouk
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/nerouk

Today we have decided to give you all a little heads up on a brilliant tune to be released in 2 weeks’ time. Fans of Nero should already know the track as it's the fifth single off the recently released album ‘Welcome Reality’, with it's release date set for October 17th.

The track should also be familiar to fans of The Jets as it’s a rework of their 1986 single ‘Crush On You’. It’s a more upbeat, modern version of the song incorporating dubstep breakdowns. The vocals are a straight copy and paste from the 80’s classic yet they have such a fresher sound. However, the dubstep credentials aren’t as well executed as usual for Nero with a strangely timed drop and generic wobbles. Despite this, the production of the vocals, the funky bassline and the infectious switch up more than make up for this void.

Nero have become one of UK’s most successful acts since joining the ranks on Chase & Status’ record label MTA records, and especially so when incorporating female vocals. This usually comes in the form of Alana Watson, but with ready-made female vocals on this track, there’s no reason why it can’t also reach the upper echelons of the UK charts once again, even if the sound is completely different to the duo’s previous hits.

This track is certainly a grower with persistence being the key, so the only thing left to do is check out the song and video below. Perhaps this could be the first sign of disco-step/house-step?

Matthew Evans

[TuneOTD] Nero - PROMISES

Artist: Nero
Genre: Club/Drum & Bass/Dubstep
Location: London, UK 
Label Type: Indie
Record Label: MTA Records
Website: http://www.thisisnero.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/nerouk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nerouk
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/nerouk

‘Promises’ is the new song from UK act Nero, labelled by Zane Lowe as the Hottest Record in the World. It’s a more than adequate follow up to previous hit singles ‘Innocence’, ‘Me & You’ and ‘Guilt’. All four songs are to feature on the duo’s first studio album, Welcome Reality set for release on August 15^th on MTA Records. Vocals for the track are provided by Alana Watson, who is now essentially part of the furniture at Nero HQ, featuring heavily as a vocalist on much of the new material.

The song itself follows on very much from earlier releases producing a similar sound of fusion between drum & bass and their own unique blend of dubstep. As expected with Nero, the song possesses a magnificent breakdown from pounding drum beats and effective use of synths and bass. The powerful vocals compliment the sound of DJ’s Daniel Stephens and Joe Ray wonderfully, suiting each other down to the ground. As for the chorus, saying that it’s catchy is a cliché used all too often, but it’s a cliché that is all too true in this case.

Lyrically, the meaning behind the song is simply about a girl being told by her partner that they won’t leave her so long as she doesn’t break her promises. Not particularly genius or original, but then again, this is the case for most dance songs.

With Nero’s last two tracks peaking 8 and 15 on the official UK singles chart, this latest release is bound to mean another appearance in the higher echelons of the chart when it’s released on August 7^th.

You can pre-order the album here and check out the brand new official video for Promises below:

Matthew Evans