There’s an endless amount of talent to discover on SoundCloud, but it’s not everyday an artist makes you stop dead in your tracks (pun intended) to dive deeper into their sound. If you’ve heard of ACTNTRL, then you probably know the feeling.
His latest track, “No Touching,” caught my attention with its alluring energy and overall sass. Soon, I had listened through his entire collection — twice. Killer music, a modest following, and a truly underground appeal immediately drew me into ACTNTRL. His tracks which sampled David Banner and Petey Pablo certainly didn’t hurt, either.
Raised in Hong Kong with Argentinian roots and currently residing in Vancouver, Canada, ACTNTRL brings an international flavour to the renaissance of tech house. Mix in a handful of transformative club experiences in the UK and Brazil (self-described as his baptism into dance music) and you get an even more concentrated dose of that identity.
The producer draws influence from Maya Jane Coles, Dusky, Hot Since 82, and “non-EDM” acts like Majid Jordan and Roy Woods. At his most technical, ACTNTRL is metal-influenced kick drums and heavy bass lines complemented by thematic melodies that formulate the artist’s own discernible sound — a resonance that drives the clock hands to 4AM.
In his own words, “I just wanna make music that people want to dance to, and I aim for an afterhours vibe with all my tracks.” Well, he certainly has that on lock. Listen below and link up here.
ACTNTRL – No Touching
ACTNTRL – U Make Me
