Lauren Gin has mastered heavy trap and future bass on Adrenaline, a five-song collection that serves as the New Zealand producer’s latest EP.
Spanning electro-pop bangers to high energy dance floor-fillers, the EP goes heavy on the EDM production without sacrificing Lauren Gin’s clear affinity for pop.
Adrenaline opens with the commanding vocals of the title track, which sees Gin immediately set the tone of the EP. In between bouncy and trap beats and punchy snares, Gin is adept at showcasing guest vocals that wind acrobatically around the technicoloured production.
All the staples of dance-pop are there, from a climactic pre-choral build to the explosive catharsis of the bass drop, but Gin also adds extra depth to song through incisive songwriting.
Urging listeners to relinquish their reservations and succumb to hedonism, Gin masterfully sets the stage for the dancey revelry that’s to come.
Second track Flight fittingly sees Gin take to the skies with powerhouse delivery and dazzling synths. Cataclysmic and brooding in equal measure, the song features the airy vocals of Sally, and together the pair deliver what’s nothing short of volcanic.
That spirit of sonic kamikaze continues on Remedy, which taps JANAYAH for the EDM equivalent of a love song. In what becomes a throughline for the entire project, Remedy sneaks vulnerable storytelling into otherwise club-ready aesthetics, with the accelerating BPMs never outdone by Gin’s clear penmanship.
Elsewhere, on penultimate track Walk Away, Gin infuses brass sections in what initially feels like a R&b groover, helped along by honeyed vocals.
And yet, there’s still plenty of dancey potential even within diverse sounds, as Gin transitions the slower tempo to something altogether hard-hitting and grungy.
Gin’s efforts culminate on EP closer Don’t Stop, which begins with spacey sci-fi synths that later transform into dizzying, theremin-like sound effects.
The jittery flairs might feel out of place for a lesser producer, but Gin knows how to infuse even the most jarring of sounds with a sense of cohesion.
Adrenaline adds to what feels like a breakout moment for Gin, who cracked the top ten of NZ charts with Remedy and elsewhere performed at NZ festivals like Hidden Valley and Electric Avenue. But with her new EP as evidence, Gin is clearly just getting started.
Listen to Lauren Gin’s new EP Adrenaline below.
