Freshly removed from being co-named Dancing Astronaut‘s 2022 Breakout Artist of the Year, Knock2 has now delivered on his highly-anticipated sophomore EP, ROOM202. It’d be an understatement to say few names in dance music are hotter than the mind behind “gettin’ hott,” and Knock2 is now primed to continue that forward momentum behind the strength of the high-octane follow up to his debut EP 2HEARTs.
The Nightmode-backed EP fires out six tracks, including the aforementioned “gettin’ hott”—previously one of Dancing Astronaut‘s most-anticipated IDs of 2022—along with its lead single “Make U SWEAT!“—one of Dancing Astronaut‘s most-anticipated IDs of 2023—that claimed the top spot in his tracklists ever since his debut headline show in Los Angeles. The EP is a masterclass in more ways than one. In a series of tweets shared ahead of release day, Knock2 prefaced ROOM202 by saying its a representation of why he “fell in love with dance music in the first place” during the 2010s. And it certainly highlights the bass-house charm that Knock2 has become synonymous with, including a nostalgic feature from DEV on “Are U Feelin Me” and a booming solo cut, “REWiND.” But tracks like “JUMP” show off his ability to effortlessly bridge that gap between house and trap. No matter what genre the San Diego Waterboy chooses to tackle, labeling it as “uniquely him” is truly the only appropriate response. Few artists within dance music have been able to push electronic boundaries while still remaining true to his sound, and it’s particularly impressive given his career is only just scratching the surface.
The EP’s euphoric closing track alongside Fussy—”Rock Ur World”—is Knock2’s take on melodic house and its lyrics of “I can’t get enough of you” are an accurate representation of the way listeners feel about his music. His aptly titled debut headline tour of the same name was further proof of that, with dates selling out left and right. As if ROOM202 didn’t make for enough excitement in a single week, Knock2 was also just officially billed on a proper stage to his first ever festival in the form of Lollapalooza Paris. The hype surrounding Knock2 is proving to be more than warranted, and after “dashstar*” took over festival airwaves in every corner of the globe, it seemed that it was only a matter of time before he’s the one on the decks rinsing his hown hits himself. With ROOM202, that hit list got quite a bit bigger. See exactly why with Knock2’s triumphant sophomore EP below.
i wanted the sonics of room202 ep to reflect why i fell in love with dance music in the first place. i grew up listening to the electro era n everything on the radio in the 2010s. i fucking loved how fun the music was. the melodies.. rhythms.. everything was soo infectious man.
— Knock2 (@Knock2Music) January 26, 2023
Featured image: Press
