Two greats of the Dutch techno scene unite for a fourth time as HI-LO and Reinier Zonneveld unleash the mighty ‘String Theory’ on an unsuspecting world. Following in the footsteps of ‘Saw Of Olympus’, ‘Balearic Mornings’ and ‘Existencia’, it’s another huge slice of cutting-edge techno.
Recalling classic Dutch tech-trance in its groove, ‘String Theory’ is driven by a murky pulse of sub bass, tough-as-nails kicks and crisp hi-hats and claps. A rolling arpeggio menacingly snarls and rasps, building its darkly-tinged chord progression before a classic string sample teases into focus. The string melody is based on the theme from Alfred Hitchcock’s legendary 1960 film ‘Psycho’, composed by Bernard Herrmann. His score for the film was ranked #4 on the American Film Institute’s 25 Greatest Film Scores poll, and his family approved the use of it in ‘String Theory’.
The strings are quickly snatched out of the way as the arp grows gruffer and rougher and snare rolls build the intensity. In drop 16th-note hats and cymbal rides to propel the track higher, the strings brilliantly gated into an irresistible rhythm. The breakdown lets the strings unfold in their full glory, on-beat claps pounding the beat as filters and reverbs do the rest. It’s a stunning track that will be a highlight in any set it’s dropped in, and yet more justification for the ongoing collaboration of these two brilliant minds.
Both artists have had an incredible year despite the many challenges facing the music industry. Reinier sold out 13,000 tickets for his solo headlining 10-hour long Awakenings show during ADE—a rare feat for a techno artist. He also made his entrance in the Alternative DJ Mag Top 100 and his label Filth On Acid is continuously claiming the number one spot on and off as the best-selling techno label on Beatport. HI-LO meanwhile has had a release on Adam Beyer’s Drumcode this year, and several releases on Filth on Acid — the 2 most influential techno labels in the world at the moment. He also remixed tracks for the likes of Nina Kraviz, collaborated with Will Clarke and T78 and received heavy support from other underground scene luminaries like Pan-Pot, Joseph Capriati, Enrico Sangiuliano, ANNA and Joris Voorn to name a few.
Out today, ‘String Theory’ arrives just in time for peak festive season and a whole lot of kitchen raves. How’s that for a Christmas present?
‘String Theory’ is out now on Filth On Acid!
About HI-LO
Oliver Heldens’ HI-LO alias is reserved for his deepest and darkest records. His 2020 tracks ‘Zeus’ & ‘Kronos’, landed in the top 10 of the most supported Techno tracks according to 1001tracklists’ data in 2020, which was a contributing factor to Oliver being awarded the coveted spot as the #1 most supported producer platform wide. His releases inspired by the Greek Gods, like ‘Poseidon’, ‘Athena’, ‘Hades’, ‘Check’ and more recently ‘Saw of Olympus’ and the ‘Balearic Mornings’ EP with Dutch techno giant Reinier Zonneveld on Filth on Acid, garnered millions of streams and support from all across the Techno scene and beyond, contributing to HI-LO’s #4 best selling Techno spot of the last year on Beatport. With no signs of slowing down in 2021, HI-LO’s delivered a massive remix for Nina Kraviz’ ‘Skyscrapers’ and his debut EP on Drumcode ‘Hypnos’ which includes the title track plus the dance floor stomper ‘Hera’ that seen further support from the likes of Adam Beyer himself, Pan-Pot, Dubfire, Joseph Capriati, ANNA, Joris Voorn, Nicole Moudaber, Sam Paganini and many more, proving HI-LO is here to stay as a Techno mainstay for the long haul!
About Reinier Zonneveld
Techno giant, Reinier Zonneveld is known for his unique live sets, highly respected for his marathon sets. His own imprint Filth On Acid is one of the best-selling and most supported labels in the electronic scene with releases of Carl Cox and many more, the label is claiming the number one spot on and off as the leading techno label on Beatport. After becoming a resident at the legendary Awakenings and Time Warp, he’s taking things a step further as he has launched his very own Festival. Live NOW Festival is nothing out of the ordinary; Zonneveld will be the only artist on the bill and will play for a mind-blowing 11 hours straight. Stretching the limits of what’s possible is exactly what Reinier Zonneveld does best.
