24/08/2025
Under starter's orders - Leigh Wilkinson drops debut on Black Sands
Start your engines for Now Drive, the latest bomb from Black Sands.
Leigh Wilkinson's first ever release widens the fast-rising Kiwi label's sonic scope, sitting somewhere between deep tech and full-throttle nu disco.
The original mix is propelled by a pulsing, panning bass riff from the off, with crunchy claps, crisp fills and swinging shakers adding fuel to the rhythm section.
Icy synth melodies and shimmering stabs lend layers of musicality, with saucer-eyed vocal vamps supplying the soul.
The remix, by label boss nineteen79, is closer to a more traditional deep tech sound.
Additional percussion provides the swing, with the bass riff reimagined for a textured bottom end.
Filtered stabs and snatches of vocal showcase an expert use of reverbs, with a throbbing synth line kicking things into a higher gear.
Wilkinson lives in the beautiful Western Bay of Plenty, about three hours south-east of New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland. He DJs in the Bay - and beyond.
Beatport
