Melbourne producer David Ylias is self-taught and self-made, making the rounds at some of the city’s best nightclubs. As a personal thank you to his Soundcloud followers, he has started a new mixtape series titled Concrete Jungle. With Volume 1 out, he has hit the ground running with his minimal and progressive techno music.

As the first in the new series, Ylias certainly sets the bar high. Clocking in at one hour, this mixtape is fast enough to excite a dancefloor, but also varied enough to entertain a party. The beat is loud, maintaining a steady pace that heightens the listener’s senses and boosts the heartrate. However, this fast tempo is never aggressive, and as a result, the audience won’t grow tired or fatigued, hitting that sweet spot between energetic and enjoyable. While the pace of the mixtape is a notable feature, the real star is Ylias’s variation between genres and tones. He does not limit himself, sampling a wide variety of songs and exploring a multitude of different bass music conventions. Some songs are soft, distant ambient tracks that utilise a minimalist bass in the low end and a quiet melody in the high end. These sections act as a breather for the audience, highlighting the versatility of the pace, before he shifts into a higher gear. As a counterpoint to the minimalist sections, that build gradually like progressive house tracks, the heavier parts blast the audience with kinetic intensity and force them to start moving. This is when the progressive bass music builds to its crescendos, with a thumping beat to accompany a wild drop. Its these moments of the mixtape that are exciting, shifting fluidly between some pop and techno.

The first volume of this new series demonstrates the potential of this exercise in generous fan service. Through the combination and fusion of genres, along with Ylias’ expert pacing, there is an accessibility to this mix. Whether played to ignite a sweaty dancefloor or to kick start a wild house party, one thing is certain. Ylias will get feet moving.