Maze 28 – Cobra [Meanwhile]

An artist of continually rising reputation, Maze 28 is another welcome returnee to the Meanwhile imprint. With a debut solo EP to showcase, the reptilian “Iguana / Cobra / Komodo” takes centre stage.

Under his Maze 28 moniker, Durrës-born Mario Zefi has become a leading figure in the underground dance fraternity with a plethora of Progressive House hits and occasional forays into Melodic Techno and Electronica arenas. Debuting in 2020 at eighteen, the Albanian star transitioned fully into the Progressive House arena with 2023’s “Redux/Flux” on the Beatport number one selling Mango Alley. Since then, Balance Music, UV, Anjunadeep and Alex O’Rion’s Solis Records have all featured the Maze 28 sound – including a return to Mango Alley in late 2025 for the“Leave the World Behind” album – as Albania’s leading progressive export continues to go from strength to strength.

Having thrilled with “Superbloom” on “Meanwhile Excursions, Vol. 4” in September 2024, “Iguana” sees Maze 28 open proceedings with a thumping rhythmic powerhouse that provides dancefloor vibrancy courtesy of a rapid-fire percussive top line. A swung 16th note bassline ups the pace further as layers of effects and subtle melodics evolve with ease. Replete with white-noise risers at the breakdown, the track explodes into the second half with a sliced vocal cut as the rhythmic intensity of earlier phases continues.

“Cobra” continues the dark and unwavering bassline intensity of its predecessor as hefty beat and head-shaking hats create club-friendly fervour. Metronomic intensity continues as a pitched vocal phrase adds gravitas. Elegant melodic flourishes create further intrigue as does a siren-effect at the breakdown, reaching a powerful zenith before finding its way back to the beat-laden intensity.

The final track reveals an oriental-themed percussion element that develops hypnotically across “Komodo”. Flooded with spine-tingling chord progressions, the rhythmic force of partner tracks is replicated here but a glorious breakdown of free-flowing motif and dizzying pads and risers creates a devastating platform for additional elements to extend into the second half in glorious dance-friendly technicolour.

Shape-shifting with ease across a landscape of reptilian-themed music, Maze 28 is lizard-king extraordinaire.

Buy: https://www.beatport.com/release/iguana-cobra-komodo/7236876
Release Date: 07-08-2026