Ask the DJ: ENTT – Top 10 Tracks from the ‘10s

London based alternative-dance trio, ENTT formed in 2017 when their paths crossed over their love of similar genres of music. Their inspirations are drawn from ‘80s electronic bands, such as Depeche Mode and New Order, alternative rock bands such as The Cranberries and Florence + The Machine, and modern day electronic artists such as Empire of the Sun, Kosheen and Superorganism.

ENTT aim to bring together old analog sounds from classic synthesisers such as Roland, Moog and Arturia. Then combining them with hard hitting dance and acoustic drum structures, strong lead guitar sounds from classic brands such as Fender and Peavey Amps and powerful vocals from lead singer Mary Marie.

Earlier this year, they released both a single and EP: “’Break Free’, the lead single for COEPIO, was written about a year and a half ago, when all three of us went through a phase of listening to British rock, ‘60s, ‘70s and alternative music, heavily guitar driven. We wanted to create something like it was plucked straight from these genres, but also keep the project true to ENTT’s image. […] We knew we wanted the melody to be something quite poppy and euphoric, but also intertwine this with British and Rock influences that were inspiring us at the time.”

As for their playlist for FMS: “Our 10 tracks represent the top 10 projects, that have inspired and influenced our sound, style and identity over the past decade.” Check it out.

1. 2010… Foster The People – ‘Pumped Up Kicks’  

“To start our Top 10 is an instant hit, and a song that all three of us bonded over when we met for the first time. This indie-inspired, alternative song utilises so many different elements apart from the guitars, bass and live drums. The incorporation of the high synth sounds, the vocal effects in the verse and the catchy hook, is something that is even inspiring some of our latest writing for the next EP. A strong start to our top 10, from a band that created something simple, but made it so effective.”

2. 2011… Disclosure – ‘Latch (feat. Sam Smith)’

“You ask anybody about Disclosure, or what one of their best songs has been, and ‘Latch’ is most likely to be mentioned. The duo collaborated with the up and coming Sam Smith (at the time), to create this chart-topping hit. The pre-chorus synth chords instantly remind you of the ‘80s electronic era, and the heavy drums add to the crazy catchy chorus vibe that Sam Smith brought out in this song. The track has inspired us as a trio, to keep incorporating electronic and dance elements into our music, and experiment with ‘80s synth sounds.”

3. 2012… Imagine Dragons – ‘Radioactive’

“Amassing over 1 billion views on YouTube, it’s no wonder that this song should be making our Top 10 of the ‘10s. One of the heaviest pop songs at its time, the American Rock artists combined classic rock guitars and bass with hard-hitting electronic drums. Throwing in their powerful vocals, and you couldn’t escape this hit, no matter how hard you tried! Not that you’d want to anyway. We are a live band first and foremost, and we always produce our music for live performance, so creating something along the lines of Radioactive is going to be something that takes our set to the next level for our fans.”

4. 2013… Arctic Monkeys – ‘Do I Wanna Know?’

“With some of the grungiest lead guitar you’ll ever hear on a radio hit, The British Rock act released their album AM to many hungry fans, including us, and what a banger! The moody vocals, full of attitude is something that compliments the energy of the whole track. This addition to our top 10 of the 10’s, inspired us to work a lot more with guitars in our track, especially playing with our live guitarist at gigs. Bringing that British rock vibe is so essential to our image.”

5. 2014… Walk The Moon – ‘Shut Up And Dance’

“One hell of hit that is being added to our Top 10 of the ‘10s, by American Rock act Walk the Moon. It is impossible not to be happy or to not be dancing when listening to this song, with the major guitar chords, faster acoustic rock drums and funky bassline. This track really inspired us in terms of creating Break Free, as we wanted an Alternative Rock vibe for this track, and to follow along the line of ‘Shut Up And Dance’ would mean something catchy like this song!”

6. 2015… Tame Impala – ‘The Less I Know The Better’

“One of the best Alternative songs of the ‘10s. When Tame Impala dropped The Currents album, this instant hit was not only a classic with Alternative and Rock music lovers, but also with Pop and chart curators. The combination of the crunchy bass guitar and drums in the chorus, and the Rhodes and Clav chords in the verses, this song literally takes you on a whole journey. This song has inspired us to experiment with our music, and to implement elements of alternative rock from songs like this into our projects.”

7. 2016… Twenty One Pilots – ‘Heathens’

“Suicide Squad…. Harley Quinn? Yep, that’s right, it’s Twenty One Pilots with ‘Heathens’. The pure grunginess of this track that made us all fall in love with Alternative Music, and a song that brought us all together in fact when talking about music for the first time. The light-hearted piano in the verses is smashed to one side, with the crunchy lead guitar and heavy drums, before the purely electric and eclectic final chorus comes in to compliment the whole psycho image of the movie this hit was written for.”

8. 2017… Depeche Mode – ‘Where’s The Revolution’

“How can we mention tracks that inspire us, without mentioning Depeche Mode? Well… we can’t, so when their latest album, Spirit dropped in 2017, we filled our ears with the sound of Depeche Mode’s ‘Revolution’. When talking about combining Alternative and Electronic music together, Depeche Mode are masters of the art. The verses with the classic ‘80s arps, synths and bass sounds, before the heavy chorus hits with everything the band can possibly bring to your ears.”

9. 2018… CHVRCHES – ‘Miracle’

“The Glaswegian act dropped their third album in 2018 and came along with a miracle. This hit track is a great blend of those classic 80’s synth sounds that we love at ENTT, heavy choruses and atmospheric sounds that give this song so much energy. The light-hearted verse vocals are complimented by the sudden pause before the chorus hits, and the distorted female vocals bring out that grunge that we also love at ENTT. So many inspiring things that CHVRCHES done with this project, that we are trying to utilise in future projects.”

10. 2019… Avicii – ‘Heart Upon My Sleeve (feat. Imagine Dragons)’

“April 2018 brought sad news to the music industry with the passing of legendary producer and DJ, Avicii. In 2019, a collection of his works was released under the name TIM, and on there was a little gem he collaborated on with Imagine Dragons. Avicii complimented his famous piano and acoustic guitar, with one of the most adrenaline filled chorus lines of the year! The combination of the strings and violins for this chorus is enough for a movie chase scene to suddenly start right in front of you without any sort of warning! This song was highlighted as not only a tribute to Avicii and all that he has given the music industry, but also because we highly admire Imagine Dragons for being involved with this project.”

ENTT’s debut EP, COEPIO is out now. Watch the video for ‘Break Free’ HERE.

You can listen to all Ask the DJ playlists on the FMS Magazine Spotify CHANNEL.

Find ENTT’s playlist below and HERE.

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