There’s something refreshing about an artist who doesn’t chase the biggest festival mainstage sound. Instead of polishing everything to radio-ready perfection, some producers lean into the edges – the slightly off-kilter grooves, the personal vocals, the feeling that the track was made for the people who actually care about the music more than the algorithm. That’s the lane Aurient is working in with his new track “Are You Someone?”
Daniel Garner, the LA-based electronic recording artist and DJ better known as Aurient, has been carving out space slightly to the left of popular dance music for years. The new single sits firmly in electro territory, and one detail that stands out right away is the vocals: they’re original and delivered by Aurient himself. In a genre that often leans on samples or heavily processed vocal chops, hearing the artist’s own voice front and center gives the track a more direct, personal quality.
Aurient’s story is tied closely to CLBEVL, the collective and label he started with founding member Rygarr. What began as a monthly mix series has grown into a home for creative expression and a circle of friends chasing the same feeling. It’s less about industry packaging and more about an uninhibited space to release music and mixtapes. That spirit comes through in the way Aurient approaches his work – focused on the emotional side of electronic music rather than just the functional club tools.
Electro as a style has always had room for personality. Whether it’s the sharp, synthetic bounce of classic electro or the more modern, left-field takes that pull from UK rave energy and experimental club sounds, the genre rewards artists who bring something of themselves into the production. Aurient’s decision to put his own vocals on “Are You Someone?” fits that tradition. It’s not trying to sound like everyone else on the playlist; it’s trying to sound like him.
The LA electronic scene has long been a place where different approaches coexist – big-room energy on one side, more intimate and idiosyncratic projects on the other. Aurient and the CLBEVL crew sit comfortably on the latter side. They’re building something that prioritizes creative freedom and community over chasing trends. In a streaming landscape that can push artists toward safer, more predictable formulas, that kind of independence still matters.
If you’ve been looking for electro that feels a little more human and a little less calculated, “Are You Someone?” is worth a spin. The combination of personal vocals and a clear left-of-center attitude makes it stand out in a crowded field of electronic releases.
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What do you think of Aurient’s approach? Drop your thoughts in the comments – always curious to hear how these tracks land with people who actually listen.
