Yellow Claw's "Blood For Mercy" Gets Remastered as Trap Roars Back
Ten years ago, when big-room house had festival crowds in a chokehold and most producers were chasing the same EDM formula, Yellow Claw dropped "Blood For Mercy" and bet everything on a sound that labels literally told them not to make. Now, as the Amsterdam duo celebrates a decade since their groundbreaking debut with a fully remastered edition dropping October 17 on Diplo's Mad Decent, it's wild to see how their gamble didn't just pay off—it helped architect an entire movement that's surging back harder than ever. The original 2015 release captured trap's first great wave with absolutely stacked features: Ty Dolla $ign and Tyga on "In My Room," Flux Pavilion on "Catch Me," Tiësto and Kyler England on "Lifetime," plus Pusha T and Barrington Levy dropping bars on "Nightmare"—a roster that reads like a who's-who of mid-2010s bass music royalty. Born from Soundcloud uploads and inspired by pioneers like Skrillex, RL Grime, Diplo, and Flosstradamus, "Blood For Mercy" was Yellow Claw's declaration that they weren't just riding the wave, they were creating their own tsunami.
"Many of the songs on 'Blood For Mercy' are a testament to the time we came up when the trap genre was first making waves and inspired us greatly," the duo reflects, remembering how American DJs started playing their tracks before they'd even set foot in the States. "It all started when we saw the DJs there play our songs. Not long after, we got booked to play shows ourselves. That was just off of our Soundcloud stuff." But here's the kicker—when they decided to make a full album to prove they were more than just Soundcloud producers, the industry pushed back hard: "People at labels even told us: 'why don't you make big room? It's much easier to get big.' But we followed our hearts instead and did what we thought was fucking cool." That risk-taking spirit paid off massively, and now as trap experiences a full-blown renaissance with a new generation of artists, Yellow Claw's six massive b2b shows with Flosstradamus in 2024 and their upcoming full North America trap tour in March 2026 prove they're not just celebrating history—they're actively shaping trap's next chapter. These remastered tracks hit different now, proof that sometimes the most dangerous move is trusting your gut when everyone's telling you to play it safe.
Listen to the album: