Sometimes the most transcendent moments in electronic music happen in the spaces between sets, between the last official song and when the real party begins, between friendship and artistic collaboration. Such is the origin story of "You Found Me," the inaugural release from the unlikely but inevitable pairing of Asheville-based producer Marley Carroll, fresh off his acclaimed debut on Anjunadeep's Explorations imprint, and thefacesblur (Adam Graetz), Durham's resident visual virtuoso and co-founder of legendary party collective The Floor.
For months, a phantom track haunted the dark corners of Durham's tight-knit rave scene. Known only as "Descent," the unfinished sketch would materialize exclusively during the sacred hours after official sets ended and only the faithful remained. When the vibe shifted from performance to communion. Graetz, whose decade-long resume includes providing live visuals for artists like Machinedrum, Robert Hood, and Stephan Bodzin, understood the power of the reveal. This wasn't just a track; it was an Easter egg, a sonic trail that only the initiated could follow.
The response was immediate and intoxicating. "Who is this?" became the most asked question on Durham dance floors, as the track's mysterious allure grew with each clandestine appearance. Un-Shazamable and unreleased, "Descent" achieved something increasingly rare in our hyper-connected age: genuine mystique.
Carroll, whose "One More Year" EP showcased his talent for weaving UK garage influences through lush, atmospheric productions, recognized the diamond in the rough immediately. The longtime collaborator, who had worked with Graetz primarily as a live visuals client, saw something Graetz couldn't: the skeleton of something extraordinary, begging for flesh and sinew. "I'll finish it," Carroll offered, rescuing the track from what might have become electronic music purgatory, the dreaded folder of promising but abandoned sketches that haunt every producer's hard drive. What emerged months later wasn't just a completion but a transformation, a testament to how the right collaboration can elevate raw material into something transcendent.
The finished product retains the dark, hypnotic pull that made "Descent" legendary among Durham's underground faithful while adding Carroll's signature production heft and structural sophistication. Carroll's background, classically trained percussionist turned world-class turntablist turned atmospheric dance music producer. He brings a three-dimensional depth that transforms thefacesblur's skeletal framework into a fully realized statement.
The addition of the "You Found Me" vocal hook serves as more than just a melodic centerpiece, it's a direct acknowledgment of the track's journey from hidden gem to public release. In a scene where discovery feels increasingly algorithmic, "You Found Me" celebrates the organic, human process of musical excavation, the kind that happens when trusted ears find treasure in unexpected places.
The Floor, co-founded by Graetz alongside Morgan & Renee Haynes and Marshall Jones has been providing an underground experience in spaces like The Fruit, Motorco Music Hall, and various warehouse locations since evolving from the original Shut Up and Dance collective in 2012. It's within this ecosystem, equal parts inclusive community and sonic laboratory, that "You Found Me" was conceived, tested, and ultimately born.
Carroll's recent trajectory adds another layer of validation to this regional renaissance. His Anjunadeep Explorations debut garnered support from BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6, KCRW, and KEXP, while his live performances have graced stages at Coachella and Moogfest. When an artist with that level of industry credibility chooses to invest energy in completing a Durham underground track, it signals something significant about the creative potency brewing in North Carolina's electronic community.
"You Found Me" occupies the sweet spot between Carroll's UK-influenced melodic sensibilities and thefacesblur's darker, more minimal aesthetic. The production breathes with the confidence of artists who understand that space is as important as sound, each element given room to develop while contributing to an inexorable forward momentum that recalls the best of late-night dancefloor hypnosis.
The track's structure reveals its origins. Born for the 3 AM crowd, it unfolds with the patience of a producer who knows his audience isn't going anywhere. This isn't music for casual listening; it's architecture for transcendence, designed to transform bodies into instruments and floors into portals.
"You Found Me" represents more than just a successful collaboration, it's a case study in how authentic underground scenes generate their own gravitational pull. In an era when electronic music's center of gravity seems permanently fixed on coastal metropolises, Durham's community-driven approach offers a different model: one where relationships precede releases, where mystique matters more than metrics, and where the best tracks earn their stripes in dark rooms full of trusted ears.
The success of this pairing, visual artist turned producer meeting classically trained percussionist turned atmospheric dance music producer, suggests that the most interesting electronic music might be happening in the spaces between established scenes. In communities small enough for true collaboration but ambitious enough to push boundaries.
As "You Found Me" transitions from Durham's best-kept secret to wider release, it carries with it the essence of its origins, the belief that the most powerful music still happens when the right people find each other at the right moment. When trust replaces algorithms and when the underground's most sacred currency, genuine connection, transforms mystery into revelation.
Rating: 8.0
