Inbetween by Surreal

Some liquid releases try to grab attention instantly with oversized vocals or huge melodic payoffs. Inbetween takes a different route. The EP works through smaller shifts in tone and groove, building its identity through texture, pacing and movement rather than obvious hooks. Across all four tracks, Surreal keeps things musical and fluid without letting the energy flatten out.

The title track settles in with a warm, rolling feel straight away. The low-fi synth stabs soften the edges of the mix nicely, giving the tune a slightly hazy character while the sub stays clean and controlled underneath. There is an easy confidence to the drum programming too, keeping enough bounce in the rhythm section to stop the track drifting into passive background liquid. It feels designed for that early-evening point in a set where the room is still opening up but dancers are starting to lock into movement.

Belly2Belly shifts the mood without abandoning the EP’s overall warmth. The drums hit with more urgency here, carrying a tighter and more driving energy that pushes the tune deeper into dancefloor territory. The synths and chord choices lean darker and slightly mysterious, adding tension without turning fully cold or aggressive. There is still plenty of space in the arrangement, particularly in the way the sub is handled. Nothing feels over-compressed or forced forward.

Off The Grid sits somewhere between the opener’s brightness and the second track’s pressure. The high sustained melodic note running through the arrangement gives the tune a strong emotional anchor, while the drums keep things lively underneath with a loose, danceable swing. The bass tone has a slightly older-school flavour to it as well, reminiscent of that smoother late-90s and early-2000s liquid approach where groove mattered more than sheer impact. It gives the track a timeless feel rather than a nostalgic gimmick.

The standout moment comes with Be With Me, the collaboration with Malaky. There is a lot more breathing space in this tune, both rhythmically and harmonically. The drums are detailed without becoming busy, and the use of reverb creates a proper sense of width across the mix. At points the atmosphere almost drifts into acid jazz territory, with hints of 90s Jamiroquai-style musicality in the chord movement and relaxed rhythmic flow. It works less like a peak-time weapon and more like a late-night comedown roller, the kind of tune that lets a room exhale without losing momentum.

What holds Inbetween together is its consistency of tone. Even as the tracks shift between brighter liquid moments, deeper grooves and more reflective atmospheres, the EP never feels scattered. Surreal keeps the focus on warmth, clean movement and understated musicality throughout, which gives the release a replay value that goes beyond quick dancefloor impact.

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