Back in 2007, we referred to Sinden as a “British Diplo” for his wide-ranging, world music-influenced DJ sets and bass-centered dance production with tropical flair. Since, he’s grown into something of an icon in the UK, influencing a host of producers and achieving a modicum of success along the way. But after founding a record label and moving to Los Angeles, it doesn’t appear that he’s content with simply hitting the big time on Europe’s largest island. Sinden’s output has always skated the line between the underground and big-room bangers, and with the current explosion of dance music in the US, Sinden could be primed to make the leap into the mainstream. His newest single, “Keep it 1000,” won’t be the track that takes him there, but it may prove to be an essential step along the way.

“Keep it 1000” kicks off with a dose of tropical percussion, highlighted by Sinden’s hi-hat production, which takes an open hi-hat sound, pitches it down, and places it between beats for a propulsive, bouncy effect. As with much of Sinden’s work, the song’s main component is the bass, which has been tuned for a large sound system equipped with significant sub-bass power. Synthesizer pads don’t enter the mix until the song begins to build up over two minutes into the proceedings, adding a stabbing melody with a ravey house feel. The song begins to close out with arpeggiating staccato synth blips, bringing in yet another diverse element to the song, which in less than four and half minutes seems to cover quite a bit of ground. The vocal sample is the tune’s primary constant, predictably growling in a pitched-down male voice to “Keep it 1000.” The same vocal snippet is looped repeatedly throughout the song with very little variation, and seems like a half-hearted addition to a track that probably deserved a better hook.

Remixes from Duke Dumont and Night Slugs boss L-Vis 1990 take wildly divergent paths, although both versions fully eviscerate Sinden’s signature bass. On his “Construction Mix,” L-Vis 1990 replaces the summery, booty-shaking vibes of “Keep it 1000” with hollow and metallic sounds. The percussion becomes extra crunchy, and the song’s main emphasis shifts toward a series of electro blips that barely registered in the original. While the production quality of the track is superb, it’s unlikely this taut, stripped-down version will find widespread appeal, not that it was meant to. Duke Dumont chooses to build his remix around the synth stabs from the original, using loops and beat repeats to give the chords an even ravier feel, while additional electro noises add to the track’s frenzied energy. The somewhat indulgent filter sweeps and three distinct builds and drops in the remix seem to indicate that Duke Dumont’s electro-house roots continue to influence his current productions.