We’ve got a lot of other stuff to cover including the return of an unexpected Martin Garrix collaboration, a return to form from Skrillex, an absolute bomb from Vigel, another Tsunami-style track from Blasterjaxx, a surprising new direction for Pessto, a summer track from RudeLies, a future bounce track from Revealed, a fresh house EP from Nitti Gritti, and another future house track from Dyro. This week, I’ll be making a lengthier introduction because there was just so much good music that came out.
I’m not going use four slots on the recap to talk about the Lost Souls EP from Knife Party, so I’m just going to do it in the intro. I’ve been thinking a lot about the new Knife Party EP and reading some of the interviews that they have given since its release. Whether it’s satirical or not, the music just isn’t good. It’s about as generic as it comes. “No Saint” is also really low on the master, I’ve tried listening on Spotify and YouTube and it’s definitely more quiet than other tracks. It features an overused vocal sample and the most basic groove samples I’ve heard since 2016. “Lost Souls” is riddim at its worst with presets and samples galore. “Death & Desire” is probably the strongest track of the bunch since it features original vocals from Harrison and true melodies. I actually enjoyed the second part of the drops but everything else is just so lifeless. “Ghost Train” is on the tech side of things, but it’s just not fun to sit through. That train has left the station and is going nowhere decent. I can’t understand why they are putting so much money in promoting this entirely lackluster and uninspired EP. What a shame.
All that being said, lets just jump into it. As always, we’ll be partnering with The QR Network to compile a short recap of 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 post your suggestions in the comments
Martin Garrix feat. JRM – These Are The Times
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Now if anyone in EDM deserves a brand deal, it’s Martin Garrix. He’s done a few over the years with fashion and whatnot, but I had no idea that he had a partnership with Axe Body Spray. I feel like I’m late to the party here because they also sponsored his track with Justin Mylo, “Burn Out.” I sat down to watch the music video for “These Are The Times,” and sure enough, just six seconds, the main character sprays himself with Martin Garrix-branded deodorant. That’s not white noise you’re hearing in the song, that’s actually a DJ-approved scent being aerosol onto sweaty fans and knob-twisters around the globe.
As per Muse by Clio, ‘The effort falls under the Axe Music platform, targeting the Gen Z crowd who are masters of ad skipping, Koppel says, ‘so creating a Trojan horse of sorts—that’s not an obvious commercial—makes sense. Our last music video (‘Burn Out’) had 57 million views, and 99 percent were organic. So it’s working. And it’s adding value to something they already care about.’” This was a serious corporate effort as they brought on the co-writer responsible for many David Guetta tracks as well as a composer who’s worked with MØ and Beyoncé. He also worked with those two on “Summer Days.”
The reason I was going to cover the track initially was because it struck me as extremely lazy and a soulless summer cash grab, but apparently, it’s even worse than that. It’s a literal three-minute ad for Axe. Even Martin Garrix stayed away from appearing in the music video aside from a few seconds to give the guy his headphone back. As far as sponsored videos go, I’ll be honest and say that this was pretty subtle brand integration, but it’s the idea that the song was built so closely with a business that triggered me. According to The Drum, the Axe team even met with Garrix in his studio which is just not how music should be made. The result is a by-the-numbers progressive track which many felt reminded them of Avicii due to its light melodies. The chord structure is also pretty similar to “Levels.” I suppose this is a good thing in the end for the industry as it is proof that producers are influencers worthy of being considered by brands. I hope this means more money flowing in for other producers and DJs as well.
33/100
Skrillex – Mumbai Power
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For most people, the name Skrillex is synonymous with dubstep for better or worse. Over the past few years, it seems he’s been making whatever strikes him in the moment be it hip-hop, pop, future bass, or new bass music. However, this latest EP feels a lot like the “old Skrillex” to me as well as the comments section of the tracks. The way he dropped them with a screen recording of him loading the actual Ableton project files was just an honest and personal way to connect with his audience. On to the track itself, “Mumbai Power” is a prime example of an artist’s evolution. Building on his previous sound while incorporating his other styles of music into one incredible track. One moment that gave me chills was when he deliberately clipped the track around the 1:40 mark. The call and response structure in the drop is both energetic and beautiful at the same time. While on the short side, “Mumbai Power” is one of the most holistically good tracks released this month and a brilliant way to do fan service the right way.
88/100
Karim Mika & Pessto – For The Night
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I’ve been a fan of Pessto for his unique style of groove as well as his signature percussion set. When I first heard this track premiered by Oliver Heldens, I was taken aback by this sudden shift to future house. It’s very clearly a streaming-oriented track shown by the eight-measure first drop. The synth choice reminded me a bit of Mesto’s track, “Chances.” Admittedly, I was disappointed that Pessto didn’t infuse much of his signature sound into the track, but it’s great to see him applying his flare for melodies into a fitting environment. Karim Mika on the other hand, with a handful of big room tracks on Wall Recordings edited by Afrojack himself, this track is an interesting direction for him as well. His last release was a pop track on Gemstone Record so it’s clear he’s taken to the softer side of music. There’s two ways of looking at this, on the one hand, it’s a solid experiment for these two artists who are working on establishing their versatility as producers and exploring new sounds. However, I can’t help but wonder what a groove or festival track from these two would have sounded like. Hearing Pessto bring some samples in from “Love” while Kiram Mika builds on “Blast from the Past” or his remix of “Love Again.” For the final rating, I’ve given this track a deduction for the use of an extremely worn-out sample pack vocal which has been used in so many other songs at this point. I appreciate the care given to the guitar and bass melodies underneath it, but I’m so tired of hearing those lyrics recycled that it’s too great to ignore.
73/100
Limelght – Canis Major (Vigel Remix)
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Vigel is one of those names who deserves way more attention for what he’s doing for trance and big room. While primarily following a trance structure, he manages to create such energetic and fresh drops which would fit perfectly in a mainstage festival set. While I was disappointed in “Guangzhou” for being too similar to his remix of “Cosmo,” this latest remix blew me away. The original by Limelght was fairly standard trance fair with effective chords and a light touch. Vigel took that and really made it his own, with the breakdown being the only identifier that this is a remix. Even there, he added more energy with a pulsating rhythm and layering in a heavier synth to prepare us for this monstrous drop. I’m usually not a fan of extended builds because they rarely interesting enough to hold a crowd’s attention, but this one was very effective. I wish there were more differences between the two drops, either stripping down the first or elevating the second, but overall, this is a prime definition of where festival music should be headed.
86/100
Dryo – Goliath
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After the release of his last track, “Bombai,” I mentioned how his style seems to have changed to fit the new STMPD sound. Even the melody slightly reminds me of “Joyride” by Brooks & Bassjackers. Something doesn’t add up for me but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Focusing on just the merits of the track, the breakdowns feature some incredible futuristic arpeggios and chords leading up to the future house drop. Something about the way he’s mixed his bassline, chords, and main melody is offsetting because of how they all move in the same direction and have the same length. When listening through headphones, it’s a very different experience and it seems like the track would have benefitted from a bit of separation. The melodies also haven’t quite stuck with me as “Bombai” did. Overall, I would say this track has a more unique breakdown but fails to follow through on the drop.
78/100
Blasterjaxx & KEVU – Taking Over
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EDM Reviewer will be talking about the full album from Blasterjaxx shortly, but I just had to take a moment to talk about this collaboration with KEVU. Despite all of their controversies, I’ve been following KEVU when they were releasing on free labels a few years back and I still enjoy their bootlegs of “Don’t Speak,” “Taki Taki,” and “Flight 643.” Whatever has been going on behind closed doors, it’s led them to this collaboration with big room legends, Blasterjaxx. With previous releases on the label, a collaboration with Jongkind’s wife, and an official remix, this is not an unexpected occurrence. However, it’s baffling to me why they used such common intervals and melodies in the drop along with the classic “Tsunami” big room sound. Not only is it yet another iteration of Tsunami, but it’s also strikingly similar to the drop in W&W and Blasterjaxx collaboration, “Let the Music Take Control.” KEVU has such a strong sound when mixed with their syncopated percussion and I don’t know why they wouldn’t want to inject that into their biggest collaboration yet. I always appreciate the use of bagpipes in a song but given Blasterjaxx’s edit of “Get Ready!” and KEVU’s “Irish Groove,” I’m disappointed that they didn’t use a more interesting melody instead of the same one from the drop. Just like the rest of the Blasterjaxx album, “Taking Over” adds nothing new to the genre and simply panders to nostalgia without playing to either duo’s strengths.
64/100
Marnage & Kamix – You Don’t Know
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For the past few months, I’ve personally been enjoying future house and bass house because I feel that’s where the most creative stuff is happening. Those are genres that are accessible to casual fans while also providing enough energy for festival-music-lovers. Both of last week’s community releases from Revealed were future bounce which shows they’re catching onto this trend as well. I debated covering this track in the midst of so many other tracks, but I kept finding myself hitting the replay button on this one. The style of future bounce is remiscent of REGGIO with its dark progressive lead and solid bassline, but is different enough to stand on its own. I really enjoyed how many different synths they included in the drop as well as the harmonic minor melody. This group of Italians put their best foot forward in that drop. The breakdowns are less enjoyable, centering around a basic vocal with familiar percussion and accompaniment. It’s nice that they added a bit of vocoder work in the second breakdown, but it wasn’t enough to salvage the section. I wish they had made more significant changes in the second drop as well. All in all, a very fun track to put into mashups and a step in the right direction for Revealed.
77/100
Nitti Gritti & Shndō – 4 On The Floor
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Like I just said above, there is so much great stuff happening in the world of bass house at the moment. The new EP from Nitti Gritti definitely flies closer to the pure house side of the spectrum, but the titular track had so many moments which gave me the chills so I have to talk about it. The quirky vocals are wonderfully filthy and feel almost taboo to listen to. The clean percussion set used throughout the track adds a nice bounce. Layers are constantly being added to hold the listeners attention and each sections brings just a bit more energy than the last. The drop melody does get a bit tiresome after a while though. Definitely check out the other tracks in the EP if you liked this one as they’re all solid listens.
84/100
RudeLies & Annie Sollange – Ready for the Summer
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As producers become more established, most of the time they’ll begin aligning themselves with a bigger label and become a staple in their release schedule. However RudeLies has made it a point to really branch out and sign tracks all over the map. “Ready For The Summer” marks his debut on the Swedish label, TGR Music Group which has been making a sincere effort to releasing more forward-thinking tracks. Annie Sollange provides the original vocals for the track talking about the normal summer song stuff. The way her voice is manipulated has a lighter touch than some of his other tracks but it works well within the piece. I especially liked the light psy-elements in the second break which reminded me of the full-on psy-track that RudeLies did in his remix for “Bad Guy.” The one thing that keeps me coming back for more is just how dynamic his tracks are with so many effects, fills, and one-shots to keep it from being the same old loop over and over.
The drop itself feels a bit claustrophobic which I think is due to the combination of chord progression and shortened notes. Compared to “No Place,” the notes there had more space to breathe and ring out which made it feel much brighter and livelier. All in all, another solid addition to the ever-growing RudeLies discography and a huge shout out for using original vocals in his past five releases that have any lyrics to them.
83/100
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!
Hardwell & Quintino – Reckless
This recap was provided by The QR Network which is a site for interviews with producers and DJs. Check out their interviews with B3RROR, Folded Dragons, and. Kage.
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