M42’s “Gimme That Dirty” Delivers a New Drum & Bass Shock

If the Orion Nebula had a soundtrack, M42 just delivered it on fire. Their latest single, “Gimme That Dirty,” is a full-body experience. Think ritualistic chaos channeled through high-octane drum & bass, as if you were transported into a dystopian rave orbiting a dying star. The LA-Austin duo, who take their name from the star-forging cloud Messier 42, are here to detonate expectations.

Right from the jump, “Gimme That Dirty” coils like a predator. The synths shimmer with an eerie, almost cosmic sheen before snapping into a percussive breakbeat that feels more like an assault than a groove. The bass doesn’t just drop—it splinters through the mix, ripping the air apart with the sort of textured aggression you’d expect from a seasoned veteran of the underground, not a duo still riding the early waves of their ascent.

But here’s the thing: it’s meticulously crafted. Beneath the grime and ferocity is surgical precision—every hi-hat slash, every sub-bass growl has intent. It’s that rare brand of production that walks the tightrope between chaos and clarity. Dirty never sounded so clean.

The spiritual lineage behind the track adds an unexpected depth. Drawing inspiration from Mayan cosmology—where M42 was seen as the “fire of creation”—the duo turn mythology into movement. You can feel that sacred combustion in the track’s DNA, a sense that this music was born of something ancient, almost primordial, and now set loose in warehouse cathedrals and festival frontlines.

M42’s appearances with DVBBS and performances during Spinnin’ Records and Kanary Records’ rooftop sessions at SXSW weren’t just gigs—they were warning shots. And if “Gimme That Dirty” is the trajectory they’re on, the scene better buckle up.