EDM Reviewer’s Weekly Recap 39

October 2, 201815 min read

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EDM Reviewer’s Weekly Recap 39

We’re back! After a break to cover Imagine Festival and publish a lot of new interviews, The QR Network has returned to EDM Reviewer to bring you another week of reviews of the notable tracks that we didn’t have time to cover during the previous week. We hope you enjoy our selection and if you have any tracks you’d like to see here, please feel free to use our contact form or post your suggestions in the comments.

Kill the Buzz & Loris Cimino – Attack (Are You With Me)

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The track starts off with a short first break with a confident vocal. The drop hits with a quirky future bounce sound that’s reminiscent of Rudelies’ signature lead. The house breakdown that follows doubles down on the acapella from the first. It’s a serviceable break that keeps your foot tapping until the second drop around. The second drop is nearly identical to the first with some new risers added in. Overall, it’s one of the more original drops in the Revealed ADE EP; the break could have had some more elements but when all is said and done, this is a very solid offering from these two talented producers. Read more about Loris Cimino in The QR Network’s exclusive interview.

79/100

Blinders – Leaving

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The issue with using vocals from a widely available sample pack is that chances are there are other producers who have used the same vocals in their track. For me, I had already heard “Show me How” by Ellis which was a great track that was released on Essential HQ and had a reupload by Future House Music which has received over one-hundred-thousand views on YouTube. Blinders takes a more aggressive approach in this track by using strong electro chords underneath the vocals. The drop goes in very heavy with tight, strong bass, and lots of white noise to increase the intensity. The melody is a bit simple and the overall sound design is reminiscent of Brooks’ style of future bounce. The second breakdown and drop doesn’t add much more on the first half, which is always disappointing for those who take the time to listen to a song all the way through. Overall, it’s an interesting direction for Blinders who has abandoned his signature sound for this new, energetic future bounce style.

74/100

Riot Ten x Throwdown feat. Bok Nero – Act a Fool

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Bok Nero is one of the most confident vocalists in the bass music genre and he’s a perfect fit for hyping this track up. Riot Ten has another anthem on his hands based on the original acapella alone. The drop is standard riddim fare with a predictable rhythm and flow. It’s not a letdown, but it’s not breaking any new ground either. I appreciate the true breakdown that adds a new Bok Nero verse, short as it may be, but it’s nice to have a genuine break for the listeners to take a breather. It’s a shame that all three drops in this track are so similar as dubstep is known for pushing their ideas to the extreme as the track progresses. I’m looking forward to the remixes which will certainly come from this and hopefully other producers will add a more distinct spin on this powerful acapella. Read more about Riot Ten and his creative process in The QR Network’s exclusive interview.

81/100

BROHUG – BROHUG BOSS

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This free download is essentially a remix of Lil Pump’s “Boss.” While the original was chaotic and horribly mastered, BROHUG adds structure and clarity to the mix which works very effectively in the first half of the song. While rhythmic simple, the drop is undeniably powerful with strong kicks and a healthy dose of syncopated elements. The second breakdown relies on the trap elements and the second drop adds sirens which somehow reduces the impact that drop has. It’s a shame that this promising track ends on such a whimper.

79/100

The Glitch Mob – Rise (feat. Mako & The Word Alive)

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Mako & The Word Alive are on vocal duties and the Glitch Mob couldn’t have been a more perfect pick to produce this track. The Glitch Mob did a fantastic job of complimenting and elevating the strong vocal performances while not overpowering the track. There are some strong influences from alternative rock which is a huge advantage. Not often do you find a track that conveys the emotion from that genre while having the excellent mixing and mastering from skilled EDM producers. It’s truly a gem for fans of League of Legends, The Glitch Mob, and rock music.

91/100

Nicky Romero & Deniz Koyu – Paradise (feat. Walk Off The Earth)

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Protocol has a well-documented history of identity crises. This is one of the first tracks to blend the progressive roots of the label with the forward-thinking groove elements they’ve been trying so hard to push. The drop is a combination of vocal chops and a subtle progressive house bass. Deniz Koyu is a producer that has been around for quite some time and produced all sorts of genres from big room to progressive house to groove. The combination of his versatility with Nicky Romero’s penchant for emotion makes for the perfect collaboration. While some might argue that this track’s lower tempo makes this more of a pop-house track than anything else, we still see it as a step in the right direction for this label that is still trying to find its identity.

81/100

Futuristic Polar Bears – Aventus

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Off the bat, I would like to commend Futuristic Polar Bears for making one breakdown and one drop. If you’re not going to put in the effort to make two distinct drops, don’t waste the listener’s time by creating a half-assed breakdown that leads into a drop that will only be repeated later. Digressions aside, “Aventus” is a solid big room offering that has strong melodies and classic sound. The breakdown shares some similarities with Kura and Hardwell’s “Calvera” which are primarily due to them being in the same key and sharing similar tricks when it comes to the leads. The build also features the same vocal sample that was featured prominently in KAAZE’s “Sexy.” That’s the issue when it comes to using such distinct, widely available sample packs. The drop has one extra repeat which is wholly unnecessary as it adds nothing significantly new over the first two repeats. Overall, it’s a decent offering from the trio albeit with some significant pitfalls. Learn more about Futuristic Polar Bears in our exclusive interview on EDM Reviewer.

78/100

Vigiland – Be Your Friend (Blasterjaxx Remix)

It’s honestly a strange track, lots of reverb, weird sound design, forgettable drop, and a build that doesn’t compliment the drop at all. The breakdown sounds like it could have been made by any other big room producer with a reasonable amount of skill. It’s no surprise that Blasterjaxx hardly promoted this track at all, including not even reposting it on his own Soundcloud. This is the type of big room that needs to be left behind in 2013.

44/100

Getter – Hold on Tight (feat. Njomza)

This track has been passed around as an ID for over a year, and Getter revealed to Billboard that this was one of the first tracks that was finished for his latest album, Viceral. This album that has received so much coverage since its release because it marks a strong shift in Getter’s music. He has been known to make tracks that align with the harsher side of dubstep and bass music but in this album, he’s blended those production techniques with a more emotional touch. Soaring pads accompany the vocals leading up to the midtempo, future bass drop which is light, joyous, and a bit more original than most due to some new effects that make Getter’s sound somewhat more unique. There’s an excellent sense of flow and pacing in this track which makes it an enjoyable ride from start to finish. The second break follows a similar structure and tone as the first but the second drop is markedly different from the first, allowing for this brass-like synth to ride over the initial future bass offering. It’s a remarkable track, unexpected, and serves as a testament to Getter’s endless versatility.

88/100

We hope you enjoyed our recap of selected songs from last week. If there is a song that you felt should have been on here, be sure to leave it in the comments below and we’ll do our best to give our take on it. Certain songs were not included because they will be covered in more detail in the following days so make sure you’re following our social media pages to see all of our latest posts!

This recap was provided by The QR Network which is a site for interviews with producers and DJs such as Chocolate Puma, Kris Kiss, Riot Ten, Fabian Mazur, and Husman.