It’s easy to think of electronic music as an insular scene confined to eye-straining light shows and hole-in-the-wall raves, occasionally breaking out into the mainstream consciousness before fading into the online ether. Even so, the boundaries between EDM and the wider musical landscape have blurred more than ever in the last decade, a trend that can be seen in the soundscapes of dance-pop and hip-hop’s renewed flirtations with house music. It only feels natural that today’s breakout DJs take influence from the EDM genre, as is the case with trailblazer Richard Nakhonethap, better known as the DJ and producer Knock2.
Rocketing to popularity with his high-energy solo sets and performances at popular festivals like Lollapalooza and Coachella, Knock2’s history with EDM extends back into the 2010s. He was exposed to DJing through a breakdancing club in middle school and taught himself music production by way of YouTube. Just four years since the success of his breakout single “dashstar*,” Knock2’s debut solo album “nolimit” is a thorough display of his talent.
The music in “nolimit” couldn’t feel more confident. Knock2 makes it abundantly clear that, like much of his prior work, “nolimit” is an album geared toward the festival stage, with bombastic beat drops and vocal hooks that deftly toe the line between infectiously catchy and outright obnoxious.
The album’s opening track, “rookie,” features Los Angeles-based singer Sayak Das’ sultry vocals, and the exuberant lead single, “feel U luv Me,” includes a hook sampled from fellow producer, PARTYNEXTDOOR, whose pounding drums elevate the song’s infectious main melody. The tempo picks up in “ready 2,” with high-octane buildups and impossibly sharp snares reminiscent of Knock2’s hard-hitting, rage-influenced trap album “4EVR,” released in 2024 in collaboration with fellow up-and-coming artist ISOxo.
Similarly, “come aliv3” balances a sped-up house drop — which is more Knock2’s characteristic style — with the booming synths and laser gun-esque stabs, courtesy of collaborator and trap mainstay RL Grime. And yet, “nolimit” isn’t constrained to Knock2’s house-music wheelhouse. The flurry of 8-bit melodies and acidic 303 synths on “crank the bass, play the muzik” are just two examples of Knock2 working techno and chiptune influences into his music to augment his signature sound.
Praises aside, there are a few shifts in sound that don’t fully stick the landing. The drums and bass drops in “select@” don’t match the charm of Knock2’s signature vocal samples in the song’s buildup, and the tempo change in “dance or dead” throws off the pacing of the song’s first half.
By the last quarter of the album, the 17-track length can feel like a double-edged sword — the non-stop energy of Knock2’s production carries the risk of wearing out listeners, but there are still shining moments where his experimentation pays off. The chilled-out breakbeat of “my melody” could pass for a PinkPantheress song, a production that underscores the song’s feather-light vocals and sparkling synths. The gentle chorus and anthemic melodies of “hold my hand” recall the styles of progressive house cornerstones of the 2010s, such as Zedd and Avicii, while working in more than enough of Knock2’s own flair.
The final two tracks are what cement “nolimit” as a culmination of Knock2’s success so far. The penultimate track, “day1s,” pairs pulsating drums with a surprisingly subdued piano, as featured artist Bee-B croons, “All of my friends are here, when we leave tonight.” The title track works in a final, euphoric drop that echoes the explosiveness of Knock2’s live shows. True to its name, “nolimit” celebrates that there’s no limit to the possibilities for mixing between genres and scenes, nor to energy or creativity.
Contact Kaleo Zhu at [email protected].