Hot Sauce

With a moniker derived from a scene in Pulp Fiction, it’s easy to assume that ZEDS DEAD plays either retro surf-rock (à la Dick Dale) or instrumental scores inspired by Ennio Morricone. But the Toronto duo produces a peerless blend of dubstep and house, serving as rocket fuel for parties that need an upward boost. The 2013 EP Hot Sauce opens with vintage horror-movie samples and eerie synth tones seeping into the wonky, rhythmic mechanics of the opening jam, “Demons.” Following this spooky, witch house–flavored intro, a flurry of fluttering, stuttering bass wobbles kicks the door down and gets the party started. ZEDS DEAD downshifts tempos in the following “Mr. Sub” (named for a Toronto sandwich chain), creating a minimalist landscape dotted with old-school jungle beats. “Playa” is the EP’s token banger. It starts on a classic house foundation, ramping up beats and sirens into an anxious swell bolstered by soothing bass grooves. “Rave” makes good on its title with a solid hark back to the days of outlaw warehouse parties.