An old one, but this track still holds up today. Crunchy, heavy basses mesh with a catchy garage beat and one of my favorite dubstep progressions ever. This five year-old song honestly could’ve come out yesterday and I’d believe it. Super progressive and groundbreaking for its time, and with Killsonik’s recent UKF debut after a hefty four-year hiatus, I’ve never been more excited to hear what they have in store for us now.
This track is insane. Heavy distorted basses, heavy footwork drums, distorted vocals that almost get lost amongst everything else going on, this is truly a banger. Of course, it has the bubbly atmosphere that IGLOOGHOST is so known on, while keeping a very sinister vibe on top of it all. I personally think IGLOO is at his best when he works with Yote, and this piece shows it perfectly.
Qoiet is an artist who I haven’t heard much from, but everything I have heard blows me away. This song is no exception; hailing from his debut Crowsnest EP “Rites”, everything about this feels unsettling, dark, and almost evil in nature. With heavy arps, an unsettling backing choir, and a booming trap beat behind it, this song is as heavy as it is unnerving.
Ekcle is a relatively new artist to the scene, getting signed on Inspected (an all-time favorite label for me) on their 2016 release “Powered by Inspected Vol. 2″, with their beautiful single “The Impulsive State”, also released on this EP.
This EP is a four-track journey that invokes emotions in me that I can’t even begin to explain. However, I’m gonna try and do it anyways, with as much analysis as I can possibly handle.
A Giant Carries The City
The first track off this EP already sets the stage for what to expect on the rest of the release right off the bat. A slow, gigantic soundscape fills your ears, with shakers, subtle metallic clangs, a wide array of drums, and all sorts of ear-candy sounds rushing at you. This song feels almost comforting, like the feeling you get when you have no stress, nothing to worry about. My absolute favorite thing about this track is how well it fits with the title; as I close my eyes and listen, I could absolutely see this being the backdrop to a flying city nested atop a gigantic bird or, as the title suggests, a hulking giant. The vibe on this is truly beautiful, and an amazing start to the project.
The Impulsive State
Our next track is the track that I personally think requires the most analysis.
Initially, it starts with a dark, moody, almost unsettling intro. Things sound bleak and lifeless, almost like the life was sucked out of the track; It’s a heavy deviation from what we previously heard, and even when we get to the drop nothing changes. The drums are dissonant, slightly off beat, and very loose. The sub-bass is loud, distorted, and unnerving. The lead synth is even moreso unsettling, a strange talking bass that tries its best to stay in the foreground as the rest of the “stuff” behind it lashes forward.
However, things quickly change. Piano chords and a light, atmospheric pad brings us up to our second drop, which is a total 180 from what we’ve previously heard. The drums sound lighter, almost playful in comparison to the previous drums. A humming synth cruises us through the track, as sudden, nostalgic samples present themselves. The vibe completely switches, going from dark, bleak, and unsettling to vibrant, pretty, and comforting. However, there’s still an odd bleakness in the production; the slow, cruising tempo of the song gives me a slight feeling of unease, but everything else tries its hardest to keep it at bay.
The following breakdown composes of a set of relaxing piano chords over crackling, ASMR-inducing record pops, with the same playful set of drums we had before. As the song slowly dies down, the mood starts to go from a comforting, warm feeling to a quieter, relaxing and almost sorrowful vibe. However, it’s a good kind of sorrow; its the feeling of sorrow that can sometimes feel missing from your life when you need it most. I don’t think any artist has created a song that induced that feeling. This song is easily my favorite off the EP, and it might quite possibly be Ekcle’s masterpiece.
Serené Mont Garde
Our third track is much more stagnant than the previous two. With a very consistent, fun garage beat behind it, and dreamy, atmospheric pads leading the beat, the song is a future garage paradise. Every few bars the drums will stop and a short beat will take its place, adding a set of dynamics that really add to the mood of the track. Vocal samples pop into existence from nowhere, being just enough in the background to give the song an ambiance that is rare to find. This track feels almost nostalgic to me, with its playful, arch beat, while keeping a moody, cloudy atmosphere in the foreground. This track reminds me of a cloudy, overcast day; its not quite a sunny, happy experience, but it isn’t depressing or bleak either. It exists in a strange limbo of emotions, something that I personally love.
Sakoya
Our final destination is “Sakoya”. Sakoya starts off as the most playful and impish of the songs, with a beautiful atmospheric intro (with vocal samples from Grave of the Fireflies, if you weren’t already emotional enough), leading into a bouncy, cheerful soundscape that almost seems fantasy in nature. As we move into the song, the song gets more and more cheerful, with lively drums and light, pretty synths.
However, almost as if out of nowhere, EVERYTHING changes. The drums become gigantic, filling the entire soundscape as loud cymbals smash through the already heavy, beautiful pads that arrive. Vocal harmonies in the background shine through, as the mood goes from playful and jolly to pure blissfulness. The new direction doesn't feel awkward or sudden, however; it sounds like the song evolved and blossomed into something new, something greater. This gigantic sound continues, evoking emotions of hope and excitement. As we approach the latter half of the song, it begins to die down, and move back to the familiar, happy drums from the beginning. The constant evolution and dynamics of this song makes it sonically one of the most interesting songs on the EP, and quite possibly one of the most interesting ever released on Inspected.
Final Thoughts
This EP is quite possibly one of my favorite musical projects ever, and it’s easily my favorite EP released last year. Ekcle’s choice in intstruments and moods across this entire project is perfect, and they managed to capture emotions and feelings that I didn’t even know I had. There’s no artist I’m more excited for this year than Ekcle, and I’ll be absolutely reviewing their next EP when it releases.
William Crooks is a producer whose catalogue I haven’t explored very much, but every song I hear leaves me hooked. His moody, dark attitude towards modern pop music is a take that many producers try to do, but few fail to pull off. He has his own type of mood that he portrays with each song that not only sets him apart from the rest, but also adds to his already amazing charm.
This song is a cover/remix of Calvin Harris’s “This Is What You Came For”. The vibe of this track is totally twisted; while the original was an upbeat summer track, William gave this track a darker, more ominous feel to it while still keeping the upbeat vibes. Everything from the synthwork to the vocals to the signature Willy Crooks producer tags makes this an instant hit. I’m definitely interested in reviewing and sharing more of his tracks in the future!
It’s really a shame that Husky isn’t more well known. With dreamy soundscapes and an ethereal, goofy vibe unlike any other artist I’ve heard, he’s quickly risen up to be a big fav of mine. Every track he does has a different vibe and quirk to it, taking influences from artists like IGLOOGHOST, isqa, and various other high-energy artists spanning from breakbeat, electro, and jersey club backgrounds.
With this remix, Husky decided on a totally different direction from the original, replacing the slow, minimalistic original with a fully in-your-face, glitched out breakbeat paradise. The IGLOOGHOST influences on this one are very prevalent, with delicious sax segments slipped in between breaks and none other than Big Shaq’s vocals chopped and dispersed throughout the track. The constant footwork beat can’t help but make you move, with punchy and intense drums driving along the constantly-changing soundscapes alongside it. The latter half of the song features a distorted, heavy wall of glitchy sounds that, albeit a heavy change from the former half, still manages to stay danceable and exciting. With a new EP released recently and multiple new songs out on his Soundcloud, Husky isn’t someone to miss and I’m always excited to hear how he mixes it up on each track.
Ponicz continues to innovate with ridiculous sound design and heavy composition on the first Black Friday release of the year. Really glad that NSD decided to do more of these! Ponicz is def one of the most talented on the BL roster and I’m glad he’s progressively getting better and better.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK: WORLDS REMIXED BY PORTER ROBINSON
I am a huge Porter Robinson fan. With Worlds as my album of the year last year, and about 30% of my personal blog being Porter, that shouldn’t be hard to see. However, songs get stale and music needs some tuneups. And what better way to do that with an all-star lineup of remixers on an already amazing album?
I couldn’t find the album on Soundcloud except for a few individual tracks that Porter uploaded, but I placed a Youtube link in the footer. Listen to it, it’s absolutely worth the listen.
I can’t even pick a favorite, so I’m gonna go down the line and say what I love about each one the most.
DIVINITY (ODESZA REMIX): Did you enjoy the boomey sounds of the original but you wish the drums rolled a bit more and it wasn’t so energetic? ODESZA has you covered. Albeit not my favorite, it’s still an amazing remix that has insane drumwork and a level of perfectionism I can’t even fathom.
SAD MACHINE (DEON CUSTOM REMIX): So this one is alright. I’m not a huge fan of Sad Machine to begin with, and Deon certainly improved on it, but I’m not huge on his choice of progression. The sounds are tight and he certainly did a great job producing, but it’s not too memorable to me.
YEARS OF WAR (ROB MAYTH REMIX): Ahh, Rob Mayth. If you like 2009 Newgrounds music that’s actually done well, this is the remix for you. Super trancey drums and sounds make me feel like I just stumbled back into a YouTube tutorial back when YouTube still had the old layout. With a nice trap breakdown at the end, this one isn’t perfect but it’s certainly memorable.
FLICKER (MAT ZO REMIX): This is where the album started to pick up for me. Mat Zo is one of those artists that is so unpredictable with his content that I had no idea what to expect, but what I got was mind blowing. With loud, boomy progressions that make the original sound lax and almost bland, and a drop at the very end that put me into tears on my first listen, this is a song I can’t do any justice for and you can only really understand if you hear it for yourself.
FRESH STATIC SNOW (LAST ISLAND REMIX): Okay, I kinda cheated on this one and heard it a few months before it was released. With a quick beat, punchy drums, and a very smooth guitar lead complimented with the original Vocaloid vocals Porter intended, this track will make you feel like chilling at the beach even in this cold weather.
POLYGON DUST (SLEEPY TOM REMIX): This song is a dancefloor killer if I’ve ever heard one. Super chilled but upbeat at the same time, Sleepy Tom proved you can take one of my least favorites on the original album and make it instantly one of my favorites. Perfect for almost any occasion!
HEAR THE BELLS (ELECTRIC MANTIS REMIX): Sit down for this one. Seriously. Mantis took one of my all-time favorites on the album and made it this boomy, almost ethereal experience that can only really be described as HUGE. Again, sit down for this one.
NATURAL LIGHT (SAN HOLO REMIX): A normal contender in the future bass scene, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t expecting mediocrity out of this track. However, San proved me wrong almost instantly; like Mat Zo, he took a song and made it sound so full and intense it makes the original almost seem boring.
LIONHEARTED (POINT POINT REMIX): I could seriously go on all day about how much I adore this song. I believe Point Point is the best thing to happen to electronic music in a long time, and they certainly showcase it in this song. With summer vibes all around, incomprehensible drum patterns, and a great attitude to the track in total, the 4-artist group blew me away again.
SEA OF VOICES (GALIMATIAS REMIX): A remix that can only be given justice by listening to it, Galimatias took a relaxing, bubbly take towards the already insane original mix. With totally redone vocals, slow and mild drums, and a calming piano overlaying the verses, this is no short of a masterpiece.
FELLOW FEELING (SLUMBERJACK REMIX): The original mix to this song is nothing short of dark, and Slumberjack took that into account fully when remixing this. Every sound, patch, pad, and drum in this song has a very specific purpose in building the atmosphere. Once the first drop hits, a hard hitting trap section that completes everything in the buildup, you won’t know what hit you. And how could you do justice to Fellow Feeling without the upbeat-yet-spooky second drop, which was also remixed to perfection? In total, Slumberjack slaughtered this remix, making it my absolute favorite off the album.
GOODBYE TO A WORLD (CHROME SPARKS REMIX): The future classic extraordinaire himself is a perfect fit to complete the album in this case. Similar to the original mix, Goodbye To A World completes it’s purpose of an ending track nothing short of stellar. An amazing finish to an amazing album, Chrome Sparks wrapped everything up and turned a 12-track album into a truly wonderful experience.
SCORE: ALBUM OF THE YEAR PROBABLY/10
FAVORITES: SLUMBERJACK, POINT POINT, ELECTRIC MANTIS, SLEEPY TOM
I’ve been a longtime YEEK fan for as long as I can remember, but I think this might be the one thing from him I’ve loved this much. Awesome synth work, chilling vocals as always, and lyrics that are just turning me on stunning. Great work to @imyeek again, definitely something I’ll be listening to very often.
Not too old, but still an amazing track. Good if you’re into hiphop but you want to find something different with deeper sounds, thick plucks and awesome drum and bass breaks. I’m not huge on DnB, even less so on Mefjus, but I always catch myself jamming out to this track.
Awesome grime from Asa and Sorrow, as usual. This is relatively old but still one of my alltime favorites, those violins mixed with the bassey undertones and heavy vocals drive me nuts. Sorrow continues to be a master at his craft!
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