Song You Need: gum.mp3 and Netanya’s nostalgic take on 2-step

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Virginia-based gum.mp3 hasn't had the easiest release rollout for his newest EP. He was forced to change his moniker from DirtyBird after a cease and desist from Claude Von Stroke's label of the same name.

Now, with a new alias, gum.mp3 joins the Ghostly roster with his three-track project, Riddim Seeker, out now on Spectral Sound. Following the release of Wagenmuzik last year, the producer continues with his 2-step-inflected sound. Joined by Netanya, gum's childhood friend who also makes her record debut with this track, the duo collaborates on a lovesick ballad, "Love You Better." Netanya's vocals are delicate as she deliberates what it means to be in love, all the while knowing that her prospective lover is in a relationship with someone else. The lyrics are juxtaposed with gum.mp3's upbeat percussive rhythms, making it a song you can both sing and dance along to.

The Virginia Beach beatmaker adds a nostalgic flare to the new wave of NUKG (the subgenre pioneered by London-based Conducta), the soulful vocals reminiscent of New York Garage house from the '80s. It's a common theme for gum.mp3 to reference earlier sounds and create something fresh, bosting records in his catalog like Time Traveller, Virginia Creeper, and N**** U 24 It's Time 4 Jazz.