Let’s face it: Chicago due The-Drum are never going to be as big as obvious namesake The-Dream. But, based on their work to date, it’ll be a real shame if they backslide into obscurity.

The-Drum occupy their own place on the druggy dance spectrum: not as frenetic as Nguzunguzu, nor as ponderous as their Tri Angle contemporaries, they get the balance between quirkiness and dolorousness about right. They caught our notice with debut EP Heavy Liquid, then capitalised on it with their pock-marked rework of Jim E Stack’s ‘Come Between’. It’s their brilliant production work on Haleek Maul’s ’88’, however, that shows the most promise.

The duo are currently prepping a new EP for Mishka, titled Sense Net. ‘/SYS’ is the first dispatch, and it’s probably the best solo production they’ve put their name to. ‘/SYS’ is four minutes of milky moonshine, blended together from choice parts of the Air France, Fatima Al Qadiri and d’Eon catalogue. It’s weightless as anything we’ve heard all month – a lilo made of microchips on a digital lagoon.[via Rose Quartz]

Sense Net is due on July 17.