#andrew dutton

[wcurmusicreviews]

Sweat it out! Sampler - Various Artists

Come Down / by Crooked Colours: with the British spelling if colors I instantly knew I'd love this song. What begins as a dreamy pop song slowly grows into a hectic but ultimately relaxing plethora of synth melodies. Promise Me / by Motez - with spooky synth lines and tight percussion I knew Motez's "promise me" would not disappoint. The 3rd track on the compilation reaches it's first peak at  the 1:00minute mark. The real drop comes 35 seconds later and is a testament to how far Motez's sound has really grown, and by the 4:00 minute mark you fall in love with the song all over again. Why Can't You (Say So) / by Emoh Instead This spooky trap/ uk dub vibe that the song has going for it is unlike any song I've heard in a long time. At the 30 second mark we first get a taste of the flume-esk lead synth, which makes the track entirely unique. It's a brassy sound, but so electronic in it's nature that it catches you off guard, just as the distorted and pitchy vocals do.

-Andrew Dutton

[wcurmusicreviews]

Com Truise - Wave

1. Wasat: my first formal introduction to Com Truise is a blissful one, an intriguingly painted sounded- scape with delightful synth rifts which makes up the most of the first track, and when the layered drugs actual begin to do their work the songs almost over 2. Mind: I like the vibe of it better than the first, with pinging synth lines and crisp drums, com's signature sound is again redefined. An epic lead tops of the tracks sound design. Which while far from grotesque, is quite repetitive. 3. Declination (feat. Joel Ford): begins with a haunting delayed synth line that permeates for the first 2 measures, then the crunchy drums, and bold base begin to do their work. As other sounds are sprinkled in the track begins to take it's shape, and by the 2 min. Mark we've seen much of the songs diversity already 4. Mind: starts of odd, with a washy synth and distorted vocals, and what sounds like a default garage band synth. I really get an 80s vibe on this track, like a darker, distorted 80s vibe. The singer goes on and on about gravity, and while hard to interpret his speech makes for a perfect and unlikely complement for the instrumental he backs.

-Andrew Dutton

[wcurmusicreviews]

Anton F - Crimson 

I really enjoyed Anton F's "Crimson". The beats are haunting and what I would classify as "spooky trap" with hip hop percussion and dubstep-influenced synth throughout, the entirely of the EP is technically sound. My favorite tracks "Red" and "revenge" have epic synth lines that get me going, and command that lyrics be placed ontop of then. The other pieces to the EP however fall short, with "Basic Instinct" I listened to the song until I was faced with ear-fatigue. This and "Penetr8" both have Lully sounds which would be good to freestyle over, or simply to chill to. If I'm in a practicing mood, "penetr8" is often a beat I go to.

-Andrew Dutton

[wcurmusicreviews]

We are friends volume 2 - Various artists

This collaboration between Astralwerks Records and deadmau5 is amazing to say the least. The diversity in the sounds that come from the Astralwerks family, in conjunction with the fluidity and sharpness of Deadmau5’s production style produce several electronic “bangers”. The mau5trap compilation We Are Friends Vol. 2 was released on November 12, 2013 and highlights the new relationship had between the two, as Astralwerks will now be the U.S. home to any future deadmau5 artist releases and the exclusive distributor and label partner for deadmau5’s imprint mau5trap recordings. Certainly the multiple JUNO Award-winning and Grammy-nominated Deadmau5 is committed to breaking up the new talent within his label and showcases them as such, with tracks from: BSOD (deadmau5 and Steve Duda), James Njie, Kairo Kingdom and more, plus two brand new deadmau5 tracks with “Suckfest 9001” and “Your Ad Here.” The collaborative piece as a whole reflects the new direction Astralwerks and deadmau5 plan to go, while keeping in line the traditional high standard of music production that have brought the two electronic names together in the first place. Overall, I like many of the sounds, but with the same production ideologies applied to the totality of the songs, I found the album to be boring and repetitive.

-Andrew Dutton

[wcurmusicreviews]

Flume - Flume (mix tape)

Flume is the stage name of Harley Edward Streten, an Australian electronic music instrumentalist, producer and DJ. His debut self-titled album was released on 9 November 2012, which peaked at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart and No. 13 in New Zealand. His album is essentially an electronic sound-scape featuring vocals from several contemporary rappers: Freddy Gibbs, Stalley, and Killer Mike, as well as the vocal performances of pop main-stays How to Dress Well. What I like the most about the album is the variety present in a flumes production style. His electronic beats compliment the artists on the tracks so incredibly well. Intro with Stalley, is incredibly vibes, as Stalley spits effortlessly over a piano punctuated percussion. Space Cadet, track 2 features ghost face killa, and he doesn't disappoint, although his flow was rough and patchy in parts. Freddie Gibbs, on Holdin On really kills his track, making use of the like-light to paint a diverse and lyrical picture of thug. While his deluxe edition spans 34 tracks I found his rap styled production much better than the simple offerings within the electronic realm.

-Andrew Dutton

[wcurmusicreviews]

SSM Opiate- Various Artists

This 9 song EP begins with Water Shadow, a blissfully electronic and near tantric beat that effectively mulled my mind, and set the tone for the entirety of the compilation. Reminiscent of the brisk fall weather, "Water Shadow" relies on the repetitive nature of the song instead of picking up at all, a majority of the pieces from the EP can be classified in the same way. While I wish I could say that diversity was present between all the songs, the hum-drum nature of SMM Opiate was its down fall for me, as I've trained my ears to appreciate more than simply bells and odd synth lines, but everything is subjective. If I was however at a japanese hot mountain spring during a polite snow-fall, I would have found my soundtrack. While songs like "Ti Prego Memory Man" we're effective in kneading out my stress, the album was repetitious, with low points including "This Is Radio Sweden" which consisted eerily of white noise. 

-Andrew Dutton

[wcurmusicreviews]

Ryan Hemsworth- Guilt Trip

Ryan Hemsworth is a trap pioneer. His sleepy hip-hop beats permeate my brain even now. Upon my first listen, I shuffled the whole album, with "Against the Wall" being the first track I listen to. Immediately I was ecstatic. His chilled out synth and layered percussion make this album a must for early morning listening. His touch for the electronic isn't lost all together with songs like "Weird Life" starting slowly and progressing into delicate, glamorous synth work. 

TAKE AWAY:

Ryan Hemsworth's "Guilt Trip" is a must listen, especially on those rough Friday/ Saturday and Sunday mornings, when any old music just won't do.

-Andrew Dutton

[wcurmusicreviews]

St. Lucia- When the Night

To first begin this review, I'd like to touch on the first song off the album I'd listened too. "All Eyes on You", a ballad about some chick I'd presume is quite the "looker" with all eyes, being on her haha. this being said, i really liked the sexy saxophone that kicks in at the 2:30ish mark, and around 3:03, St. Lucia's other song I found to be more than I'd originally expected, was "Call Me Up":  with the lines "and now you can call me up" the real simplicity behind such simple lyrics is that they are then better able to punch through and be retained by the listeners. Who, then with the aid of the melodic, island-esk beats, to which St. Lucia owes its name, with many first time listeners falling victim to not understanding the nature of the music. It's through the various bells, synths, and percussion that truly captures some essence of an Island sound. While its the Island sound that captures you at first, it's  Jean-Philip Groble's relaxing singing that transports me to the white beaches of Aruba, That being said however, their is variation in the CD's sound. 

Closer Than Us: breaks away from the strict island feel, relying instead on a flowing chorus to truly complement the tambourine-laced track. While I never found the CD to be incredibly repetitive, I would like to note, as it stands with St. Lucia's sound, he sticks to the poppy, dream-scape, yet island feel, which he channels into each song, but in different enough ways so as to keep you interested and entranced in what he's trying to say. While I found myself listening to songs like "Elevate" when I was in a ballad mood. Having plenty of time to reflect upon and listen to one's music is vital, especially in terms of being able to actually appreciate the subtle differences, and nuances offered in each song, with again, the same island, dreamy, near hipster-pop vibe, thats as infatuating as it is pleasant to blast on repeat. What I can really appreciate are the simple concise lyrics, that often let the beats shine. While he does often showcase his musical knack, Groble's vocal prowess is felt on pieces such as: "Wait For Love". His vibrato singing isn't always ideal, but something about his energy with the rising and falling of the beat that just hooks you, and due to its relaxing nature, its the perfect breakfast song.  

-Andrew Dutton