Mark Wise is a Techno artist from New Jersey, whose reputation is slowly growing through the support of big name artists such as Sam Wolfe, Crossbow and Space 92. His specialties are high energy Peak-time and Hard Techno, something showcased particularly well by EPs like 2023’s The Boogeyman, as well as his new two-track release, Mark Wise – Dagger / Trample.
From listening to either track on this release you can immediately tell that Wise deals in hardcore, heavy music, with neither Dagger nor Trample allowing much time for the listener to catch their breath or take a break from those enormous Hard Techno beats. These are big tracks that make a statement – and one that’s bound to appeal to fans of the genres in which Wise operates, particularly when the tracks get an airing at the festivals he is playing later this year.
The first track on the Mark Wise – Dagger / Trample release is Trample, and it wastes no time setting the pace for its subsequent seven minutes. A pounding four-to-the-floor bass drum kicks things off, soon joined by some hi-hats to get things moving even more, and deep, resounding bass synths to keep listeners on their toes. Gradually the track begins to escalate, with swirling synth melodies becoming more intense before the drop hits – and it’s an absolute monster of a drop. Trample is a track for listeners who like their Hardcore Techno intense and uncompromising, with no let up from those aggressive rhythms and high-energy melodies.
Next up on Mark Wise – Dagger / Trample is Dagger, which Wise himself describes as a “dark, dirty Techno banger at 137 BPM”. Again, the track sits at around the seven minute mark, but it takes a little more time to build up, easing the listener into the full extent of its intensity across a few minutes. There is also more of a melodic flourish to Dagger, with some higher synths making an appearance to balance out out the track’s hefty, resounding bass.
Whichever one you prefer, both tracks on Mark Wise – Dagger / Trample are extremely impressive in their power, energy and distinctiveness. If you’re a Peaktime or Hard Techno fan, this is not a release you’ll be forgetting in a hurry.