It’s been described as ‘blip-hop’, ‘chill trap’, ‘trap house’ and ‘the sound I be making in the bath’, among many other descriptions, and on Friday July 15 it can be described as ‘out now’.
It’s Echo by BSEARL, a track that’s whipped up a storm on Tik-Tok in the last few weeks, racking up a cheeky 1.1 million views since it was uploaded on June 24.
“I didn’t expect the reaction it got,” admits BSEARL. “Someone got a good video of it, the label put it on Tik Tok and asked people comment what genre they think the music is. We never expected it to go viral. People are arguing and saying all kinds of things.”
Decide for yourself or just agree that it’s a very funky, aquatic sounding halftime…
@pullup.cdf What sub-genre even is this 🤔🤔 Seriously fresh one from @Faded Audio @Faded Drum & Bass.TV day party the other month 🌴 #dnb #jungle #drumandbass #cardiff #cathays #bristoluni ♬ Echo BSEARL – PullUp
A five track EP that flexes around halftime, soulful D&B and futuristic funk and includes a collaboration with Kippo, Echo comes courtesy of Cardiff label PullUp who are also an event company responsible for some of Wales’s biggest festivals and events. Reading-based BSEARL has called PullUp home since his earliest production manoeuvres and his previous release on the label was also a significant one for all concerned: BSEARL’s Mortal EP was the label’s first official paid / full-streaming release. Now Echo is their first viral release.
It’s not the only tune on the EP that’s attracted attention – Radio was used as the opening tune on Dom Whiting’s recent Berlin bike mission.
“Dom’s helped a lot with the Radio tune,” says BSEARL, real name Brandon. “He opened with that song and now a lot of people relate that tune to the Berlin bike ride. He’s a sound guy, we’ll be working together very soon.”
In the meantime, all eyes on the Echo EP. A release that may have been a very different beast had the original plan come together. “It was going to be called the No Stitching EP,” explains PullUp co-founder John Lewis. “But that was a track we couldn’t quite find the right version of. Echo was a real last minute addition that gave the EP a whole new lease of life.”
The Tik-Tok viral situation was also a surprising twist of fate, as John’s PullUp partner Sam Southan explains. “Bran and I drew up a marketing plan and knew what we wanted to post on each day. On day two we posted the Tik Tok. Before I went to bed I saw it was 16,000 views. A minute later it 17,000. We were like, ‘Okay this is off the chain, it might get to 20,000 over night.’ I woke up and it was 60,000 and it just kept going up. By then our marketing plan was out of the window!”
A wholesome tale of organic hype in the modern age, Echo continues to pick up new fans – and genre names – by the day. Even the short 53s clip has scored almost 40,000 listens on Soundcloud at time of writing. On Friday July 15 the release will be out in full and will showcase BSEARL’s most accomplished material to date. Echo is a great snapshot of the young artists range and musicality.
“I don’t like making drum & bass, I like making music,” says BSEARL. “I try and involve elements like that into every tune. It’s 100% about the vibes. Setting the tone and everything.”
Setting the tone and a new benchmark for himself and the young label, BSEARL – Echo EP is out July 15.
