MURDAH SRVC aren’t exactly playing it safe with their new single Thanatos. Out of Catania and birthed from the mind of singer, songwriter and manga artist CHE, the project has always blurred the lines between concept and club culture. This latest track pushes that vision further, straddling the line between throwback house nostalgia and glossy, future-bass EDM sheen. It’s as much a nod to Modjo and Spiller as it is to the current wave of commercial vocal dance, and it’s all wrapped up in layers of autotune and mood.
The first thing that hits is the production polish. Built at the foot of Mt. Etna in John Lui’s studio, Thanatos feels carved for big-room sound systems — smooth low-end, shimmering top lines, and a vocal treatment that leans heavy into processed clarity. There’s no hiding the nostalgia: the groove is pure late-90s Ibiza terrace, that sweet spot between soulful house warmth and mainstream accessibility. But there’s also a modern steeliness, a kind of future-bass sparkle that keeps it from being just another retro reboot.
The vocal is key here. Drenched in autotune, unfortunately, it does give the track a futuristic edge, adding to the “otherworldly” vibe MURDAH SRVC clearly aim for. At its worst, it risks flattening the human touch that made those older classics so timeless. You’re left wishing for just a bit more rawness — the grit of a voice cutting through the mix rather than being polished into submission.
Thanatos reaches for weightier themes than your standard “hands in the air” floor-filler. There’s storytelling woven in, a sense of melancholy swimming beneath the surface, which gives the track more replay value than a one-and-done banger.
What works, though, is the atmosphere. You can feel the manga influence bleeding into the sound; there’s a visual drama to the track.
As a single, Thanatos does what it sets out to: it revives the feeling of a golden era while filtering it through a modern EDM lens. Whether MURDAH SRVC can roughen the edges enough to connect with listeners on a gut level is the real question — but for now, this is a stylish step that proves they’re not content being just another faceless act.
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