HLZ ft. Cleveland Watkiss – The Genie (Metalheadz Premiere)

There’s a certain space in a set where things open up a bit. Less about impact, more about atmosphere and control. The Genie sits right there.

Cleveland Watkiss leads from the start, spoken vocal cutting through with that familiar weight. It leans almost into that Faithless territory, not in style, but in presence. You hear it, and everything else shapes around it. Pads sit wide, reverb used properly, giving the intro a cinematic feel without drifting.

When the drums come in, they’ve got bite. Proper breakbeat detail, snappy snare, tight hi-hats, all sitting clean without clutter. It rolls, but there’s intent in the way it’s placed. Nothing loose.

The bassline runs deep underneath. Reece-led, but controlled, not tearing through the mix. It holds the track together rather than dominating it, which lets the vocal stay front and centre. That balance is what makes it work.

Into the drop, it doesn’t flip into anything obvious. It just settles deeper into the groove. The vocal threads through, the breaks keep snapping, and the space around everything gives it room to breathe on a system.

This is one for later. When you want to stretch things out, bring the room back in, and let the sound do the talking without forcing a reaction.

The Genie sits on HLZ’s debut album All My Life, out via Metalheadz. It lands with quiet confidence, and it sticks.

Pre-order: https://hlz.bfan.link/allmylifealbum