Drumcode’s DC4 compilation series is back for a fifth installment, and this one leans hard into peak-time territory. The Adam Beyer-run label built the DC4 series as a testing ground of sorts — a place where new names get their first shot on the label roster while established Drumcode artists drop standalone singles that do not necessarily fit into a full EP cycle. DC4 Vol. 5 follows that formula closely, pairing two Drumcode debuts with fresh cuts from Mark Reeve and Charles D.
Opening the compilation is 19:26 & Bittermind, a duo splitting time between Italy and Turkey who make their first appearance on Drumcode with ‘Dancing’. The pair have built a name for themselves crafting tracks that sit somewhere between intensity and vulnerability, and they recently handled remix duties on Anyma & LISA’s ‘Bad Angel’ for Afterlife. ‘Dancing’ has apparently been floating around as an ID for a while now, and it is easy to see why — the track is stab-heavy and stomping, folding in electro textures and hints of psy trance under a commanding vocal.
Drumcode regular Charles D returns for his second consecutive DC4 appearance, following his contribution to Vol. 4 earlier in the series. This time he links up with French producer Rafael Cerato for ‘Right Now’, a track built around rapped vocals and punchy, attitude-driven grooves.
Mark Reeve continues a productive run in 2026, with ‘Work’ marking his third Drumcode release of the year following ‘Body Drops’ and ‘Love Within’, his collaboration with label boss Adam Beyer. ‘Work’ leans on a heavy, cast-iron low end before Reeve’s melodic instincts take over, playing with contrasts between darkness and light across the arrangement.
Closing out the compilation is KENZ, an LA-based DJ and producer making his Drumcode debut with ‘Blade’. The track takes a familiar riff structure and reworks it for 2026 dancefloors, positioned as a track built for the summer festival run.
The full tracklist for DC4 Vol. 5 runs as follows: 19:26 & Bittermind’s ‘Dancing’, Rafael Cerato & Charles D’s ‘Right Now’, Mark Reeve’s ‘Work’ and KENZ’s ‘Blade’. The compilation continues Drumcode’s long-running approach of using the DC4 series as both a farm system for new talent and a release valve for its established roster, a strategy that has helped the label maintain its footing across techno’s peak-time and melodic corners for over two decades. Listen below.
