Krewella - New World Pt. 1 (2017)

EDM outfit Krewella has a boisterous style that draws upon numerous dance music subgenres, including dubstep, hardstyle, progressive house, and trap. The group was formed by sisters Jahan Yousaf and Yasmine Yousaf in Northbrook, Illinois, a small town north of Chicago. They got together in 2007 – originally as a trio featuring Kris Trindl – but didn't release their first material until 2011, when they uploaded a handful of songs, including the jagged and celebratory "Life of the Party," to their SoundCloud page. In 2012, the group self-released its first two EPs: Play Hard (June), featuring the reggae-flavored "Killin It," and Play Harder (December). The former reached number ten on Billboard's Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart. The same year, Krewella became a staple of the festival circuit, including New York's Electric Zoo and Texas' Meltdown. The year 2013 saw the release of the group's first proper album, the bombastic Get Wet. It hit the Top Ten of the Billboard 200 and birthed several singles and videos, including "Live for the Night," which topped the Hot Dance Club Play chart, and the Top 40 pop hit "Alive." In September 2014, Trindl decided to leave the group. The Yousaf sisters released "Say Goodbye," recorded in response to the split, two months later. The Pegboard Nerds-produced "Somewhere to Run" arrived the following March. Krewella's live appearances have also featured drummer Frank Zummo and guitarist/synthesizer player Max Bernstein, who add more of a rock sound to the group's live approach. In 2016, the Yousafs were featured on the Pegboard Nerds and NGHTMRE collaboration "Superstar." A Krewella EP, Ammunition, followed that May and debuted at number two on the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.

by Andy Kellman