Edu Schwartz has been a recurring name around the Magnetic orbit for a while now, and his new single, “Pope-A-Dope,” feels like a clean next step in that relationship. Out today via Magnetic Magazine Recordings, the track marks MMR070 and gives the Brazilian DJ and producer another sharp entry in a catalog that has steadily moved through melodic house, progressive house, and organic-leaning club music without drifting away from DJ utility.
That part is the most important thing with Edu.
Snag Pope-A-Dope On Beatport Here
In his Artist of the Week interview, he talked about starting as a DJ first, then getting pulled toward production because he wanted exclusive music for his sets. That background comes through clearly here. “Pope-A-Dope” runs 6:47, which gives the arrangement enough room to build patiently without feeling bloated, and the writing feels aimed at DJs who need records that can sit in the middle of a longer melodic or progressive set.
A True Progressive Banger
The rhythm section keeps the record direct, while the melodic parts are controlled and uncluttered.
There is enough movement to keep the track active, yet the production never feels overstuffed. That restraint has been one of the more useful parts of Edu’s recent run because it keeps his music functional without sanding off the personality.
Magnetic readers have seen this arc already. Last year’s “Outta My Head” premiere framed that single as Edu’s first original release on Magnetic Magazine Recordings after an earlier remix, and it pointed toward a more energetic, club-ready side of his writing. Before that, our coverage of “With Me” on Where The Heart Is Records noted a similar shift, with Edu leaning into darker vocal work, tighter low-end motion, and a format that made sense for larger rooms.
“Pope-A-Dope” sits in that same lane, though it feels a bit more stripped and focused. It does not need a huge vocal hook to explain itself, and it does not rely on a dramatic breakdown to reset the energy. The track works because the main parts are kept in check, the arrangement gives each section enough time to breathe, and the overall direction stays locked on the floor.
Why It’s A Perfect Fit For Magnetic
That also makes the release a natural fit for the current Magnetic Magazine Recordings archive, which has been building around music that can work in a set while still feeling personal to the artist behind it.
Edu has already shown that he can write across solo releases, remixes, and his Duo State project with Jack District. “Pope-A-Dope” does not try to overexplain that progress. It simply adds another useful, well-measured record to the run.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
