By: Jamie Reysen

Electronic duo DC and Hooks, better known as Zeds Dead, release their Adrenaline EP today, Jan. 23 through Inspected Records. Although they just completed their 70-date US tour, the pair hasn’t slacked in the slightest on this 4-track album. Adrenaline delivers heavy, dance floor beats that will immerse listeners in a tidal wave of quality EDM.

“In the Beginning” sounds like a theme song for an epic, thrilling – and potentially dangerous – odyssey. A foreboding rhythm races, building in volume and anticipation, before segueing into wobbling bass. “Oh, that’s unexpected,” a voice remarks.Another answers: “Yeah, y’all, that’s right!”

As the track plunges into heavy bass lines and hard snares, a synth section creeps across the wompy distortion. “In the Beginning” stirs up some much-needed adrenaline, just in time for the title track.

“Adrenaline” fuses old school hip-hop style and gritty dubstep sound. It’s a track that will certainly hype listeners up, with speedy beats and warped bass lines that amplify as the song progresses.

“Hit Me” may be the most interesting production on the EP. First, a female vocalist croons over a fast-paced, melodic synth. Then, a funky male sample shouts, “Hit me,” repeatedly puncturing a drum and bass-fueled rhythm. By alternating between the distinctly different sections, Zeds Dead somehow creates a seamless track. As “Hit Me” nears its climax, an unexpected horn section echoes an electro arrangement, accentuating the track’s subtle, jazzy undercurrent.

“Oh No” is a perfect finale for Adrenaline EP. The track’s palpable build-ups and plunging drops elicit a sense of looming danger – or perhaps just dance floor destruction. A manipulated vocal sample cries “Oh No,” growing in despair and then melding into twisted bass and speedy beats. The sample echoes as the track—and the EP—ends, no doubt leaving listeners anxious for Zeds Dead’s next move.